Chapter 96

Xiayou and Yinwei stood on a bridge suspended above the underground city, looking down.

The lighting in the underground city was dim. The streets were nearly empty, but there were many shops. Occasionally, figures draped in black robes could be seen moving between them.

It seemed as if the recent internal strife had left this place untouched.

Yinwei lowered her gaze, a hint of scorn flashing across her face: "The denizens of the underground city don't care about who holds power. Those who truly care have never set foot in the underground city."

Xiayou's eyes narrowed slightly. Suddenly, he tilted his head, his cheek brushing against the little coal-black creature perched on his shoulder, feeling the soft touch of its leopard ears.

Not only does the underground city harbor fugitives, but it's also home to those who couldn’t survive on other planets, discarded here like trash, left to fend for themselves.

There are also those born here, children carrying the weight of original sin from birth.

Lu Yinghuai silently observed the underground city before him, where ghostly fires burned amidst its silent desolation, his eyes flickering.

In a soft voice, Xiayou said, "He's here."

The utterance was so faint that even Yinwei, standing beside Xiayou, couldn't catch it. Instinctively, she asked, "What?"

"Nothing." Xiayou smiled, adjusting the little black leopard on his shoulder, "Let's go meet Chief Senqiu."

Yinwei hesitated for a moment, her gaze finally settling on the feline creature on Xiayou's shoulder, resembling both a cat and a leopard.

Though her psychic strength was not of the highest tier, it was still at grade A. For a split second, she thought she detected a foreign and sharp psychic pulse.

Lu Yinghuai shot her a cold glance. The pupils of the feline creature contracted, radiating an unmistakable wildness.

Pushing down the faint unease in her heart, Yinwei turned and continued forward.

"Please, this way, my Lord."

……

Perhaps because of Senqiu's untamed companion creature, his dwelling was not in the center of the underground city but rather in a secluded building on the outskirts.

Contrary to the gloomy and dim appearance typical of the underground city, as soon as Xiayou entered this building, it was evident that this couple shared a deep bond.

— This seemingly ordinary building from the outside was filled with clean, warm, and inviting colors on the inside.

The entrance, dining room, kitchen, staircase... Everywhere bore traces of the two's shared life. Even the dining table was adorned with a vase of blooming flowers.

Flowers were a rarity on the Imperial Star, let alone in the resource-scarce underground city.

In the underground city, flowers and emotions aren't commodities one can buy. They are luxuries that can only thrive with meticulous care and nurturing.

Sen Shi, who had walked in moments earlier, seemed to be in a somewhat agitated mood, knocking askew a long plush toy hanging on the wall.

Yinwei reached out to adjust the toy and noticed Xiayou closely examining the photos on the wall.

She chuckled, “Most of these were taken in my younger days. I loved adventures back then and met quite a few interesting souls along the way.”

Xiayou pointed to one particular photo, whispering, “Do you still remember this person, Chief Yinwei?”

Yinwei looked up to see.

Xiayou's finger rested on a picture hung at the very top. At first glance, the photo seemed to merely capture a vast field of canola flowers, but upon closer inspection, a girl lay amidst the blooms, her long hair flowing around her. A small, ash-colored creature curled up in the photo's bottom right corner.

Yinwei's expression shifted, her tone slightly forced, “It must be someone I briefly encountered a long time ago. It's been so long that I can barely recall her name.”

Xiayou’s eyes softened, “That's a pity then.”

Cautiously, Yinwei probed, “Do you know her?”

Xiayou smiled faintly, “Not really, but her hair color struck me as unique.”

The pale gray merging into yellow was indeed distinctive, so much so that seeing it just once had left an indelible impression on Xiayou.

And that tiny capybara peeking out from the bottom right, only its hind head visible...

Xiayou and Lu Yinghuai exchanged glances, with a hint of playful teasing in their eyes.

The officer once tasked with monitoring the Wanderer Galaxy, familiar with the leaders of the Trade Planet and having his photograph subtly obscured on their wall, could hardly be considered a mere acquaintance.

Lu Yinghuai's front paw tapped Xiayou's shoulder gently, his fluffy face displaying uncharacteristic seriousness.

As if worried Xiayou might discover something amiss, Yinwei quickly led him to the isolation room where Senqiu was.

As she opened the door, ready to speak, she was rendered speechless by the colorful scene before her. Words got stuck in her throat, as if she couldn't breathe.

Xiayou looked at the frozen Yinwei at the doorway, asking puzzledly, “Is something wrong?”

Yinwei stepped back expressionlessly, shutting the door. She paused, staring at the door for a few seconds before forcefully turning the handle and reopening it.

Inside, a white python with rabbit ears looked up with a deep gaze. Its body, bound tightly in colorful plush scarves, was rendered immobile.

The intercom: "..."

Xia You stood at the doorway, glancing inside. Her gaze met that of a large white snake.

Xia You: "...?"

Xia You noticed that a bunny-eared hood had been wrapped three times around the serpent's mouth, ensuring it had no chance to bare its fangs.

He suddenly hesitated.

It's... a snake, right?

The serpent inside the room remained silent.

The two people and a leopard outside were also silent.

After a few moments, Xia You pursed her lips and cleared her throat, "The chief of the Sen Hill has... unique tastes."

No wonder Sen Shi said his brother's companion creature, though furry and seemingly harmless, was quite the opposite.

This...

Xia You couldn't resist another look at the white serpent, its head drooping down to the floor.

Somehow, it reminded her of a lollipop she once had at the survivor's base.

It was swirled in various colors, with a white stick.

But, well...

Xia You averted her gaze.

Even if she had a soft spot for fluffy things, a furry lollipop was hard to accept.

The intercom took a deep breath, recalling what the cheeky Sen Shi had previously mentioned about "preparation in advance." It was clear who was behind all this.

Looking at the tightly bound serpent with its pitiful eyes, the intercom quickly said, "I apologize for the scene."

Then, taking large strides, it went over and crouched down, trying to remove the colorful fluffy scarf from Sen Hill's body.

Just as she was about to first remove the ridiculous bunny ears from the snake's head, Sen Hill evaded her, gently raising its upper body, and its cool, smooth scales brushed against her wrist.

The intercom looked momentarily surprised. But after catching Sen Hill's gaze, he pressed his lips together, ultimately took no action, and stood up.

Under Xia You's somewhat astonished gaze, the intercom merely mentioned wanting to go freshen up and left the rest to Xia You. Then, he truly turned and left the isolation room.

As Xia You listened to the departing footsteps, his respect for this couple grew even more.

Although it seemed like jokes and antics, as the elder brother, he chose to trust his younger sibling. As his wife, the intercom made the decision to momentarily leave, creating the most comfortable treatment environment for Xia You.

The little black leopard gracefully jumped off Xia You's shoulder, taking a tour around the isolation room. Its tail swung lightly, marking spots where surveillance devices were placed.

Xia You took a brief look and understood.

He hesitated for a moment, walked to Sen Hill, and crouched down, coming face to face with the white serpent adorned with fluffy rabbit ears.

Xia You was somewhat fearful of snakes. Even though the one before him appeared relatively harmless in its unique white shade, the sheer size of the serpent, even when coiled and wrapped in a fluffy scarf, still sent shivers down his spine.

But... as he looked, Xia You began to question himself.

Sen Hill tilted its head, its soft rabbit ears swaying with the motion.

Xia You cleared his throat.

It was odd.

After the initial shock, this fluffy, colorful lollipop-shaped creature... actually seemed a bit cute.

Xia You leaned forward, reaching out towards the furry entity, and softly said, "Chief Sen Hill, for the treatment, I need skin contact with the companion creature, so... um..."

Mid-sentence, Xia You paused, unsure of how to proceed.

Typically, when treating furry creatures, he'd shake paws or, if more intimate, hold them and stroke their fur.

But where was he supposed to hold a serpent?

Xia You recalled that, like felines, a snake's tail has its own significance...

As for the head, it might seem disrespectful to someone they're meeting for the first time and who's fully conscious.

Xia You found himself in a quandary.

Sensing Xia You's discomfort around snakes, Sen Hill gently placed its fluffy rabbit-eared head into the palm of Xia You's outstretched hand.

The velvety touch of the rabbit ears brushed against Xia You's wrist, yet his palm felt the coolness of scales. His fingers quivered slightly, and he swallowed, closing his eyes and channeling his spiritual energy into Sen Hill.

A serpent's anatomy is drastically different from that of furry creatures. Xia You's spiritual tendrils kept elongating and stretching in the relatively confined body, causing his brows to furrow deeply.

Sen Hill's condition was starkly different, if not the opposite, from the companion beasts Xia You had treated previously.

While the gray substance in companion beasts might adhere to their circulatory systems, the majority of it tends to cluster in the brain, slowly eroding their sanity.

The brain corresponds to the core of their spiritual sea, signifying an even greater accumulation of this gray substance.

However, Sen Hill presented the exact opposite scenario.

As Xia You's fingers rested below the white serpent's head, the first thing his spiritual energy detected was the creature's brain.

Surprisingly, Sen Hill's brain did not contain the expected gray blockages. Instead, its fifty-meter-long body was clogged with a thick gray-black substance, so dense that even his spiritual energy struggled to penetrate.

This substance was reminiscent of the gray-black lumps found in the red panda's arms.

Xia You momentarily set aside his doubts and began manipulating his spiritual tendrils, trying to dissolve the gray-black clumps inside Sen Hill using the same method as when he treated Tang Gao.

……

An hour and a half later.

Xia You opened his eyes, retracting both his spiritual energy and his hand from underneath the serpent's head, evident fatigue in his expression.

Lu Yinghuai had been standing guard, ready to protect Xia You should Sen Hill become agitated during the treatment.

Perhaps Sen Hill's resilience was indeed formidable, or perhaps the snugly tied fluffy scarf played its role effectively.

Even when Sen Hill exhibited moments of instinctual pain and struggle, it never posed any harm to Xia You. On several occasions, when Lu Yinghuai noticed Sen Hill's head drifting away from Xia You's palm, the serpent would regain consciousness at the last moment, striving to keep its head firmly against Xia You's hand.

In terms of determination and sheer will to survive, few within the First Legion could match Sen Hill.

Gently, Xia You returned the rabbit-eared serpent head to the coiled body. His gaze unintentionally slid and he noticed a segment of the tail pressed tightly beneath Sen Hill.

Seeing the white tail tip wrapped multiple times in a plush band, leaving only a small exposed tip as if meant to be held, Xia You's eyes twitched.

Exhausted from the treatment, Sen Hill closed its eyes, preparing to rest. Yet, suddenly, it felt an overpowering surge from within its body.

The massive white serpent stiffened suddenly, attempting to slide swiftly towards the restroom.

However, its body was wrapped multiple times with a plush scarf. Whatever material the scarf was made of, it seemed tough enough that the serpent struggled to break free.

The urge growing within it became increasingly intolerable. Its massive body began to thrash uncontrollably, trying to tear apart the cumbersome scarf.

Thinking of the side effects the red panda at home experienced post-treatment, Xia You, with a hint of guilt, quickly grabbed the little black creature and dashed towards the exit. Thoughtfully, he closed the door to the isolation room as he left.

At least Mr. Serpent's privacy was preserved for the moment.

"Sir? What's happening?"

Yin Wei, having cleaned off the blood and changed into fresh clothes, stood not far down the corridor, looking perplexedly at the hurried Xia You who still remembered to shut the door.

Xia You: "Uh..."

Yin Wei's expression changed, and he strode forward, about to enter the room.

Xia You was too slow to stop him and could only step back several times, silently clutching his leopard.

Five minutes later, a stone-faced Yin Wei emerged from the isolation room. With his back to the door, he pulled it shut.

Xia You looked at Yin Wei.

Yin Wei looked back at Xia You.

Both of their expressions were somewhat awkward.

After a moment, unable to resist, Xia You whispered, "The...scarf?"

Yin Wei barely moved his lips, his voice barely audible, "…It's untied."

Xia You began to vigorously pet the little black creature in his arms, trying to alleviate the awkwardness. He said dryly, "Good that it's undone... Yes, good."

Lu Yinghuai's leopard head almost got its fur pulled clean off.

At that moment, Sen Shi, who had been out shopping, appeared at the stairwell, curiously asking the duo, "What are you both doing here?"

Both men and the leopard simultaneously turned to look at the seemingly innocent instigator.

The one who started the commotion peeked towards the isolation room, and then at Xia You, with an evident urge to ask if she was satisfied.

Yin Wei raised his hand, flexing his wrist, a genuine smile on his face: "Would you mind if I discipline my own child first?"

Xia You took a step to the left, freeing up space and gesturing for him to proceed.

Observing the woman in front of her and recalling the sight of Sen Ran wrapped like a fuzzy lollipop, Xia You pondered expressionlessly—

Just what kind of reputation has he earned at the Blue Star Base?