Chapter 63

Chapter 63

Lin Yan was so shocked he rolled off the bed: “What?!”

Lin Si Cheng had been missing for so many years, everyone had assumed he had died in some unknown corner of the universe, turned into a handful of dust.

Now, suddenly someone was claiming he was alive, who would believe it!?

He stared at the message on his light-brain, wondering if Lin Rui had gone mad to come up with such an idea?

Afraid he wouldn't believe her, Lin Rui explained: “It started with mom letting something slip, then grandma came downstairs and stopped her. I was hiding in my room with the door open and heard a bit.”

Lin Yan pondered over the power and influence Lin Fu wielded, now surpassing even that of his grandfather, and after much contemplation, he couldn't make sense of it: "Your speculation is illogical. If Lin Fu was indeed poisoned by our own family, what would be the reason for such an act? To push him into a corner?"

Every time he thought of the expression on everyone’s faces at the military academy when they mentioned "Lin Fu," the idea seemed preposterous.

Why would their family, without any good reason, poison one of their own, turning a genius into an ordinary person, and end up creating an enemy?

Are they out of their minds?

Lin Rui fiddled with her nails: "But, the fact of the poisoning is something Lin Fu himself admitted to. If it weren't true, why would he defame and oppose the very family that raised him?"

Lin Yan reflexively retorted: "Because Lin Fu is an ingrate..."

He abruptly stopped mid-sentence.

This was the Royal Military Academy.

Despite the royal prefix, the military academy operated on collective management; even the nobles with the most privileged backgrounds were not exempt.

Two other people were in the dormitory, and upon hearing Lin Yan’s words, they couldn’t help but glance over at him.

However, they quickly averted their gazes.

Even though they looked away swiftly, Lin Yan still felt an unsettling sensation, as if ants were crawling all over him, burrowing into his heart, making him immensely uncomfortable.

They all shared the same dormitory; a single remark wasn't worth stirring up conflict, but they were surely discussing him internally, right?

Perhaps they were even speculating about the Lin family.

Lin Rui was still messaging him, one after another, endlessly sharing her conjectures.

Irritated, he shut off his light-brain, no longer wanting to engage with Lin Rui.

He couldn’t shake off the feeling, constantly recalling the fleeting glances of his roommates, and his thoughts kept drifting back to Lin Fu.

How could it be possible!?

Lin Rui must have lost her mind!

*

At night, the streets and alleys of the Imperial Capital Star were illuminated by a centralized system, lighting up one after another, brightening small squares of ground, merging into a sea of light, as bright as day.

A vast fleet arrived above the Imperial Capital Star, overlooking the scene of lights flickering on in succession. The grand spectacle crafted by humanity was always shocking at first, but it became tedious after a while.

Lin Fu watched the approaching port and turned to instruct the officer temporarily filling the position of adjutant beside him, "During the conference, without further permission, everyone is to stay at the port, avoiding any conflict with any stationed forces on the Imperial Capital Star."

Tao Jue: "Understood."

Such a fleet drew the attention of countless individuals as it approached the port.

Media, having been tipped off, hurried to the port with their mini cameras, eager to capture the breaking news.

The entire Empire was waiting to see the current demeanor of the only Guide Colonel, and whoever obtained exclusive material would surely dominate the headlines for the following days!

"Buzz—Shhh—"

The port opened, and the warships entered one by one to dock.

Those barred from entering the port tried their best to maneuver their cameras, probing the edges of the security line, attempting to find the best angle.

Soon, the main ship's hatch and gangway opened.

Out of the dark, massive warship stepped a young man in dark green military attire—or perhaps calling him a boy wouldn't be amiss, for everyone knew that in an interstellar age where the average lifespan was two hundred years, he was indeed still a tender youth.

Yet his face had lost its boyish softness at some point, his gaze firm and composed, his presence still enveloped in the intense aura of battle, not yet fully retracted, causing a tremor in the hearts of all who laid eyes on him for the first time. Nobody would describe such a person as a "youth," a word too tender and naive.

Wrapped in his uniform, he was lean and straight, much like the Tang sword he commonly wielded.

Three years on the frontlines seemed to have made him paler than he was three years ago, his entire being so devoid of color it seemed bloodless. Yet his eyes were the extreme opposite, a dense black so deep it seemed capable of absorbing all light.

The immense warships loomed behind him, yet no one felt he was dwarfed by them.

He stepped down from the gangway onto the ground and then glanced up lightly at the cameras in the sky.

The person at the controls felt as if they had made eye contact with him, their heart tightening, their breath unconsciously quieting.

Lin Fu only glanced briefly before diverting his gaze, striding away through the military passage.

A few close guards followed behind him, his personal escorts.

It was only after he was out of sight that the person at the controls finally gasped for air, feeling terrified and relieved at the same time, their first thought being, thankfully, Colonel Lin didn't order his camera destroyed—almost scared him to death!

It wasn't until the figure had vanished that it dawned on him, still finding it hard to believe: Was that really a Guide? Could there truly be a Guide whose mere presence could immobilize a Sentinel?

He maneuvered the camera back into his hands and turned to meet the gazes of the other media representatives, instantly understanding that they all shared the same thought.

……

The silvery-gray metal corridor took about five minutes to walk through, and upon leaving the port, they promptly found a hotel to stay in temporarily.

The Fourth Army had not stationed anyone on the Imperial Capital Star for too long, and their original garrison had been occupied by other legions, under the noble pretext of “reducing waste.” After all, the Fourth Army hardly ever returned each year, so rather than letting their land lie fallow, it was repurposed for the expansion of other legions.

This led to the current absurd situation.

The hotel manager, sweating profusely, bowed before Lin Fu, "Please follow me. Our hotel will fulfill all the requests of the Colonel and the officers. Don't hesitate to ask for anything you need!"

Lin Fu didn’t rush to refuse but simply acknowledged with a calm “Thank you.”

The hotel manager grew even more apprehensive.

After ensuring there were no further instructions for him, he hastily made his exit.

The thirteenth floor was the top floor of the hotel, and the entire level had been reserved. Centered around Lin Fu's room, several people quickly installed various detection and alarm devices, their actions practiced and efficient, arranging everything in a matter of minutes.

Lin Fu, massaging his brow, said, "Alright, you can rest now."

His subordinates left.

He unbuttoned his coat, tossed it on the sofa, grabbed his nearly eyebrow-reaching black hair, and gathered it back with one hand.

The huge floor-to-ceiling windows offered a splendid view of the bustling cityscape of the Imperial Capital Star.

Ironically, aside from the front-line planets, he was most familiar with the Imperial Capital Star.

Without the threat of the bug race, the tension he was holding unconsciously relaxed, leaving him somewhat weary. After standing by the window for a while, he turned and entered the bathroom to shower. Ten minutes later, he emerged wearing a bathrobe, still enveloped in lingering steam.

Casually picking up a bottle of water, he slouched on the sofa with a rare laziness, twisted the cap off, and took a large gulp.

The system in his mind spoke, "Host, you haven't slept for several days again. I'd kindly suggest that you take advantage of today's safety and get some good sleep."

They had just arrived at the Imperial Capital Star, and the Fourth Army was at its most vigilant. Moreover, with the details of Lin Fu's situation still unclear, no fool would rashly make a move.

Lin Fu responded noncommittally, "Hmm..."

Suddenly, the neural interface stirred.

Leaning on the couch, he tilted his head to activate the neural interface and was slightly surprised when he saw the three-dimensional projection.

Cheng Jiu looked at him, lifting the corners of his mouth into a smile: "Long time no see, have you missed your big brother?"

This teasing tone was so familiar it seemed as if it had been in his ears just yesterday.

Lin Fu was momentarily stunned, then couldn't help but laugh: "It has been a long time."