Chapter 89

After washing up and changing, Xia You descended the stairs to find Little Coal perched on her shoulder. She greeted everyone in the living room.

The young leopard, still without the spots that mark a top predator, looked soft and fluffy. Its gaze seemed to be asking...what?

Fan Yu and Xin stood by the sofa, looking at the little black leopard, which appeared uncomfortable and kept pressing its front paws up and down. Their expressions were quite intriguing.

Latiao, lying next to the white tiger on the sofa, turned to look at the staircase and grimaced as if in pain.

Lu Yinghuai's gaze swept over them, hesitated briefly. Facing all those eyes, he didn't avoid Xia You's reaching hand. Instead, he leaped into her embrace.

Xia You had overly indulged in snuggling Little Coal earlier, causing the cat to avoid her for a while. After much effort to rebuild trust, she felt an overwhelming sense of elation.

Holding the young leopard, Xia You's heart was entirely focused on Little Coal in her embrace.

Latiao, always the only baby of the house and often spoiled, seemed unhappy. Jumping off the sofa, he rubbed against Xia You's arm, seeking attention.

Out of habit, Xia You tried to reach out and pet the young tiger. But, glancing down, she met Little Coal's deep, watchful gaze.

Xia You's hand froze.

The next moment, Little Coal shifted, pushing Xia You's hand away with its paw pad.

Such magnanimity.

Hmm...

It was the first time Xia You had petted a tiger so absentmindedly.

The tiger being petted, Latiao, under the watchful gaze of his uncle – smaller in stature but undiminished in presence – slowly, very slowly, tucked his tail close.

Cheng Zhiyan turned, lowering his voice to ask Fan Yuxin, "Are you sure the Marshal has just reduced the size of his companion beast form?"

Fan Yuxin paused, and in an equally hushed and earnest tone replied, "I was pretty sure before, now I'm having doubts."

Cheng Zhiyan remarked, "So, how is this achieved? Should we try it later? I think Xia You might quite like it..."

Fan Yuxin clicked his tongue, "Probably not feasible for us. We don’t have the luxury of wasting SSS-level psychic energy."

The usually quiet white tiger gracefully approached Xia You and, in a rare move, lifted its paw to touch her arm.

Xia You hastily reached out to pet the white tiger. To her surprise, the next moment, the tiger lunged forward, swiftly snatching the little black leopard from Xia You's arms by the nape and dashed away.

Xia You, now with empty arms, was left bewildered: "?!."

Latiao, who had been leaning forward to nuzzle his mother, was equally perplexed: "?!"

The feeling of being gripped by the neck by a tiger was oddly familiar yet strange. Little Coal dangled despondently, letting his older 'sister' carry him off.

Uncle Zhou chuckled, "The young lady used to play with the young master in this manner when they were kids. It’s quite nostalgic."

Xia You was lost for words.

Uncle Zhou, are you sure she was playing with the leopard and not playing the leopard...?

Watching the Lu siblings leave, Fan Yuxin murmured, "Now I can be certain. Their personalities must have influenced them, at least to some extent."

Although the white tiger's action to snatch the Marshal was swift, it wasn't something the Marshal couldn’t avoid. Yet, he allowed her to carry him away...

Cheng Zhiyan pondered, "I've heard of this phenomenon called 'bloodline suppression' before... Do you do this to your younger brother too?"

Fan Yuxin responded with a polite yet strained smile, "What horror story are you referring to?"

Spending time personally whipping his spoiled, useless younger brother was already the greatest affection he could show, given their mother's legacy.

A weary-looking red panda dragged its tail from behind the corridor, walking unsteadily. Its droopy ears and once-sparkling eyes now seemed distant.

Concerned, Xia You approached and gently poked the wobbly red panda.

Tanggao plopped down on the carpet, gazing up at Xia You with a blank expression.

Xia You: "Hiss."

Oh no, the detox has left Tanggao completely drained.

After embracing his tail and taking a considerable time to recover, Tanggao finally activated his holographic computer and typed slowly: [Others are active military personnel; their identities could be compromised. After some thought, I believe it's best if I accompany you.]

Xia You quickly took Tanggao's black paws and gently massaged them, "No, out of everyone, you're the last person who should come with me."

Tanggao tilted his head, his eyes filled with disagreement.

Xia You whispered, "After the hardships we faced to finally break free, if we're to return there, it should be when we're held in high regard, and everyone seeks your favor."

For many, the black market is just a trading platform. But for Tanggao, it's a crossroads leading his life in a new direction.

How could Xia You willingly bring Tanggao, who was just beginning to heal, along with him?

Tanggao shook his head earnestly, [You can't handle it alone.] He typed, [The black market isn't as simple as you imagine. Interests aren't always the sole motivator.]

[Yes, they might need you, but kidnapping, confining, and controlling you through drugs or other means aren't beyond them.]

As Xia You was about to respond, Tanggao, seemingly anticipating his words, typed irritably: [Even with the Marshal by your side, there's no absolute safety!!!]

[After shrinking, the Marshal's psychic energy will surely be constrained. Moreover, companion beasts inherently have significant limitations—they can't pilot mechas.]

[Don't assume that your special psychic strength makes you invulnerable! Weren't the Zergs psychically formidable? Yet how many Zerg test subjects lay in the human labs?]

Xia You remained silent, extending his hand to gently massage Tanggao's soft head, then down his neck, and along his spine, one stroke after another.

Tanggao gradually calmed down, but he still strongly opposed Xia You's venture out.

[If you're determined to go, take me with you.]

Having typed this, Tanggao stretched out his arms, clung to Xia You's leg, and closed his eyes, staying motionless.

Xia You was both amused and exasperated.

Cheng Zhiyan shot Fan Yuxin a glance before turning to discuss the preparations of the battleship with Uncle Zhou.

The graceful snow leopard lady lifted her foot and gave the spectating lynx a kick.

Only then did Fan Yuxin, who had been standing aside, step forward, raising his fist and clearing his throat subtly.

Both the obstinate Xia You and Tanggao turned their heads simultaneously.

Fan Yuxin smiled, "Although it's inconvenient for us to accompany Mr. Xia You this time, the Marshal has selected someone from the legion."

The panda's ears twitched.

There was an unmistakable hint of skepticism.

"His name is Sen Shi, and currently, apart from a few vanguard squads, he possesses the most formidable individual combat ability."

As Fan Yuxin spoke, the panda showed no reaction. Instead, the grip of its front paws around Xia You's ankles tightened.

"Sen Shi's companion beast is a juvenile forest serpent. He has an older brother named Sen Qiu and a sister-in-law named Yin Wei."

Tanggao's eyes shot open instantly.

He sought answers with a look directed at Fan Yuxin.

Is this true or not?

The lynx stepped forward, prying the panda off Xia You's leg, and affectionately rubbed Xia You's hand with its head.

Fan Yuxin: "Originally, the reason Sen Qiu and Yin Wei assisted the legion was to ensure their younger brother's entry into the First Legion as a condition of their cooperation."

This explains why, despite Sen Shi's impressive individual combat capabilities, he hasn't been placed in the legion's core vanguard unit. Instead, he was stationed at the isolated Blue Star Base.

Sen Qiu and Yin Wei were once a powerful couple in the dark web. Later, when Zhuo Xi planned to retreat from the dark web, his undercover identity was accidentally discovered. He was gravely injured, and it was Yin Wei who rescued him. Sen Qiu ensured he safely left the Wanderer Star System, which the dark web then occupied.

Tanggao had previously speculated that Sen Qiu and Yin Wei must have collaborated with the Empire. Otherwise, in the midst of that critical extermination campaign, it would've been impossible for their forces to retreat so systematically, preserving most of their hidden operatives.

—Of course, to Tanggao's surprise, the majority of those he thought had escaped were captured all at once.

It's clear that aside from harboring him as an undercover agent, the Empire also seized the opportunity to collaborate with this couple.

Fan Yuxin: "The distress beacon carried by Sen Shi points to the very planet Mr. Xia You is heading to."

As Tanggao pondered, his expression shifted abruptly. He hastily slipped a small object into Xia You's palm before darting away at full speed.

As he ran, he waved an arm behind him, signaling Xia You to be cautious.

Summer laughed as she carefully tucked away the sugar cake he handed her. Standing up, Fan Yuxin passed her a list, saying, "This is the list of guards accompanying you this time."

Taking the paper, Summer quickly scanned it from top to bottom, unable to recognize any familiar names.

Eyeing the asterisks next to some of the names, she asked, "Are these mercenaries hired under my personal name?"

Summer had recently been taking lessons with Uncle Zhou, who had covered topics including mercenaries and the black market. Although the list didn't feature any top-tier mercenaries, those on it were evidently very skilled.

Fan Yuxin nodded, "Yes, aside from Sen Shi from the First Legion, the rest are hired mercenaries. We've verified their identities and intentions — all are in it for the money and have minimal ties to the trading market."

Fan Yuxin then handed Summer another document, "This contains details about your identity."

Upon opening it, the first line instantly raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Vice-chair of the Military School Alliance? Me?"

Summer was familiar with the role. Lu Yinghuai, back in his military school days, had been the chair of the Military School Alliance.

His uniform was still kept in the wardrobe.

Fan Yuxin chuckled, "You probably only noticed the chair position of the Military School Alliance. But each term has over twenty vice-chairs, each overseeing various squads. Most of this is just a prestigious title for nobles; few are truly aware of the full list."

Of course, many nobles bought and sold such titles for the sake of prestige, but there was no need to mention this to Summer.

Summer meticulously reviewed the identity record and committed it to memory.

The identity was straightforward: Summer was the younger son of a marquis and had been frail since childhood.

The marquis was wealthy, albeit a womanizer. Although the younger son didn't stay at the capital star with him, he fulfilled all of the boy's material desires.

The title of vice-chair in the Military School Alliance was bought by the marquis for his son after the boy was ridiculed at school, along with an imposing uniform.

The trip to the black market was spurred by taunts from classmates, driving the young lord to seek out unique items to flaunt upon his return.

The young son was the apple of his mother's eye. The marquis had no choice but to hire mercenaries to protect his beloved son, even deploying the family's battleship for the task.

Summer closed the dossier and mentally reiterated its contents. Using her psychic abilities, she wrapped the paper documents in her hand and with a flex of power, shredded them into fine powder.

This was a technique Summer had recently developed, using her psychic abilities for minor destruction. For now, its power was limited to fragile items like paper, not yet effective against more substantial objects or individuals.

*

In the living room, Summer was finalizing her preparations.

Outside the living room, the white tiger gently set down the tiny coal-black ball it held in its mouth and sprawled out lazily.

Lu Yinghuai sensed something amiss and turned to look at the white tiger.

The tiny coal-black ball reached out with its short paw, earnestly trying to pry open the white tiger's closed eyes.

The white tiger yawned, playfully rubbing the small black ball with its paw. A hint of amusement shone in its blue-grey eyes.

Lu Yinghuai's eyes widened in realization, [You're awake?]

Lu Jiuzhu snatched up Lu Yinghuai's computer, the tiger's whiskers twitching rhythmically with each breath.

[Not awake for long, my head hurts.]

Lu Yinghuai was familiar with this semi-conscious sensation. It was an indication that the treatment was starting to take effect, but during this stage, the duration of lucidity wasn't self-controlled.

[To cut a long story short, once I'm done talking, I'm going back to sleep.]

Assuming that Lu Jiuzhu had some vital instructions, the small black ball sat up straighter, poised in front of the massive white tiger.

Lu Jiuzhu cast a glance at his younger brother, a mix of reminiscence and bewilderment in his gaze. Shaking his tiger head, his paws typed rapidly.

[How come you, a grown man, still can't pursue love properly?]

[Look at your reserved demeanor. Who are you trying to impress? Hmm? You should vie for attention, take the initiative, be clingy, establish the relationship, and make your intentions known, got it?]

[Dumb cat!!!]

The small coal-black ball shrunk back, its eyes wide in shock.

Lu Jiuzhu heaved a deep sigh, but the white tiger's expression gradually softened.

[But I still have to say this...]

[Ah Huai, it's nice to wake up and see you.]

Whether in the military, the Lu family, or as an uncle, her younger brother had excelled, living up to everyone's expectations.

Everyone's, except his own.

[You've worked hard.]

The great white tiger leaned its head slightly forward, tenderly and regretfully nuzzling the cheek of the small coal-black ball.

[Even though you're married, you're still a solitary panther. Honestly, it boggles and shocks me.]

[However, I get it; in this department, we really can't rely on you.]

[At least you know to follow Little Yu when she's out. Uncle Zhou and I have prepared something for you. Remember to check the spatial nexus.]

[If I wake up to find that things haven't progressed and our ripe Little Yu has flown the coop, I'll knock on your panther head.]

Hearing footsteps heading out from the living room, the white tiger stretched lazily on the spot, walking towards the blonde youth. Its large head nudged Xia You's hand, urging her to scratch from its nape all the way down to its back.

It then glanced back at Lu Yinghuai, its tail thudding on the ground.

Uncle Zhou looked over, wearing a jovial expression.

Xia You bent down to lift the disheartened coal-black ball, unable to resist pinching its tiny ears. She whispered, "Your Highness, what's the matter?"

Lu Yinghuai: "..."

The coal-black ball hesitated, then under the gaze of his elder sister and the old butler, buried his face into Xia You's embrace—out of sight, out of mind.

—Wasn't he already making an effort!