Chapter 98: One After Another

Chapter 98: One After Another

"What do you mean—you sold your soul to the devil?"

Xu Qingran pushed Shen Tingyu away, pulling himself out of the memory fragments.

He had many questions, but this was the one he chose to ask first.

Shen Tingyu let go of his hand.

He propped himself up, sat down beside Xu Qingran, and explained, "Do you know why the devil horde has been so restless recently, even willing to sacrifice a large portion of their kind to clash head-on with the empire's defenses?"

"It's because their 'King' is on the brink of death due to energy depletion."

The King of the devil horde.

Xu Qingran figured it must be the massive creature on the asteroid, the one everyone said could track and attack electrical devices within a certain range.

Shen Tingyu explained that this was how things unfolded in his past life.

In fact, the entire devil horde acts based on the commands issued by their 'King.'

Whether to lie dormant, rest, or attack, it all depends on the King's brainwave commands to the devils. Therefore, to annihilate a devil tribe, one must first take down their most formidable King.

Such a colossal being has always depended on an internal energy source to sustain its life.

The exact nature of this energy and its source remains unclear, but it is certain that, for now, only their original habitat seems capable of providing such a thing.

Since the 'King' left its original habitat, it has yet to find a way to consistently stabilize its life source.

"So, it needs a new body capable of surviving in newly explored regions."

With its energy nearly depleted and its body on the verge of collapse, the King of the tribe sought a new 'vessel' for its consciousness. As long as its consciousness persisted, it could continue controlling and communicating with its subjects. And the subjects would continue to multiply, endlessly.

But given the immense power of its consciousness, the requirements for a new vessel are equally demanding.

It must be strong enough and possess a top-tier spiritual pool among humans to unleash its power and suppress humanity. After rigorous screening, it ultimately settled on Shen Tingyu, an E-type.

To seize a new vessel, the first step is to destroy the original consciousness controlling that body.

This is why the devils, upon receiving orders from their leader, would stop at nothing to capture Shen Tingyu. All devils are closely connected to their leader, and as long as one captures Shen Tingyu, it can begin influencing him through that devil.

These steps aren't to acclimate the body to its control.

Rather, they allow the King to gradually familiarize itself with a human body it has never encountered. By provoking or amplifying the target's negative energy, it slowly compels them to compromise, accept its invasion, and cooperate.

Thus, the target begins to succumb to its influence.

This is essentially inviting a devil to inhabit one's own body. The inviter can temporarily gain immense power from the devil to avenge all grievances. But as this cohabitation continues, the original self-awareness and soul energy are gradually eroded and weakened.

In the end, the soul and consciousness completely vanish.

The body is then taken over, becoming the possession of another entity.

Xu Qingran roughly understood.

"So, the devil horde targeted you to secure a new vessel for their leader, ensuring the continuation of their tribe. And in your past life, you harbored so much resentment toward the empire and everyone around you that you accepted its power and surrendered your body to it."

"You successfully avenged the empire, but in doing so, you also allowed it to erase you?"

The air in the room was stagnant, somewhat stifling.

These topics made the mood in the room oppressive.

After a moment of silence, Shen Tingyu responded, "I knew what the outcome would be, so I never intended to accept its power from the start."

—Even if he refused, the devil horde would relentlessly pursue him.

After all, in the entire Kayan Empire, they coveted only his body.

But in his previous life, Shen Tingyu had fought desperately to escape this fate.

He had struggled against fate for most of his life, not wanting to end up with his body no longer his own.

"Who would have thought that in the end, it was my own kind who pushed me into hell."

And pushed them into hell too.

By then, the devil army had already invaded the Kayan Empire's space domain.

The border defenses couldn't withstand their fierce attacks, and they began invading all star systems, even the Celestial System, home to the Queen's Star, was not spared.

Later, Shen Tingyu used the chaos to hide, but those in the Shen family who despised him betrayed him to Mu Ziyue.

After capturing him, Mu Ziyue realized the devil horde's deep desire for him and made the worst decision.

"Ah, my dear brother, you truly are an extraordinary man."

Mu Ziyue's tone was hard to discern—whether it was praise or jealousy of such a spectacle.

He had his men bring the severely injured Shen Tingyu onto his aircraft and flew above the leader of the devil horde, which had already landed on the Queen's Star.

True to form, the leader, known for aggressively targeting flying vehicles, left their aircraft untouched this time. It was likely because the target it sought was inside, and it didn’t want to harm him.

Mu Ziyue mused, "Let me think—their recent frenzy, driving the empire to this brink, could it all be for you?"

"They called you a monster, but I never thought you’d actually be one."

This guess was only partially true.

The devil horde’s leader urgently needed to transfer its consciousness to a suitable vessel before its original body gave out. Their attack was inevitable, but the unfortunate Shen Tingyu, with his exceptional talent and physique, became the chosen vessel.

Sadly, the empire’s people got it all wrong.

They believed Shen Tingyu was the cause of the catastrophe.

So, they shoved Shen Tingyu, who had fought hard to escape the devil horde, straight into the leader’s body.

Believing that handing him over would make the devils stop and retreat, ensuring the empire’s safety.

The betrayal of kin, the shame from foes, the agony of enduring alone, and the crushing weight of being forsaken by the world.

These were the final blows that shattered Shen Tingyu’s will.

At the moment he was pushed out, he might still have had a chance to struggle and escape.

But this time, he chose to give up.

He chose to compromise with the devil horde.

Even though he knew it might lead to irreversible ruin.

Shen Tingyu thus gained power from the leader of the devil clan.

It healed all the damage to his body and even restored his eye, which was also where the leader's consciousness initially resided. Through symbiosis, he also gained the ability to control the entire devil horde.

Thus, he began to pursue their goal, to destroy the empire and become the new ruler of this realm.

From that moment on, Shen Tingyu's heart was consumed by nothing but resentment.

He slaughtered everyone within his sight, and together with the devil clan, turned Kayan into a living hell, wreaking fierce vengeance upon the entire world.

Simultaneously, the consciousness of the devil leader was continuously encroaching.

Every time he tapped into its energy, it would erode him further.

Until finally, it began to seize control of his body.

Seeking to obliterate his soul consciousness entirely, becoming the sole master of this body.

Shen Tingyu was acutely aware that some things come at a cost.

He also knew that with his limited strength alone, he couldn't possibly contend with the devil that had already consumed most of his being.

But he remained deeply unwilling.

So at the final moment, he chose to perish alongside it.

"Of course, whether the plan succeeded remains unknown."

Perhaps because he had repeatedly revisited these memories, he seemed able to recount them without any emotional turmoil.

He smiled and said, "Because I lost consciousness before witnessing the outcome."

There could only be such an outcome.

Either he and the entire devil clan would bring the world to ruin together, or he would perish alone, and the devil clan would begin to occupy the empire, slowly spreading across the entire Glair.

Xu Qingran remained silent for a moment after listening.

He suddenly remembered the time when he went to the Yun Tian Lou to have a meal with the Shen family.

At that time, he and Shen Tingyu took the elevator, and he asked about his emotional stability regarding his childhood experiences.

Shen Tingyu's response to him at that time was—how do you know I'm not crazy?

It turns out that he had already collapsed once in his previous life.

Xu Qingran nodded and said, "I see, I understand now."

Then he held Shen Tingyu's hand and said, "It's good, I don't think there's anything wrong with your decision in that situation."

It must be said, Shen Tingyu had been very patient.

Looking at his previous life, it's better to say that the fate line arranged for him in the original world was full of malice. Faced with such a situation, he actually held on until the end before going crazy, which is truly admirable.

Xu Qingran suddenly remembered something: "I remember, before I first came out of the Tower of Evil, I once filled out a very boring questionnaire."

"The last question on the questionnaire was very long, and I heard it was set by an outstanding senior."

Shen Tingyu glanced at the person beside him, letting him continue without interruption.

When the other person turned to meet his gaze, he squinted his eyes and continued, "Didn’t I say it? When encountering such a situation, then—"

"Just blow the whole world to pieces."

Who cares about old-fashioned rules.

Shen Tingyu stared at Xu Qingran.

His deep amber eyes shone brightly, and his faint smile eased the unease stirred by memories.

After talking with Shen Tingyu, Xu Qingran likely pieced together the reason behind it all.

He laughed and said, "So, my dear general, you kept it from me and decided to handle it yourself first, hoping to change the outcome because you knew the empire couldn’t fend off the devil race’s invasion?"

Shen Tingyu tacitly acknowledged the answer.

He didn’t want to drag Xu Qingran into this, mainly for another reason.

Xu Qingran is regarded as a uniquely powerful figure in the Kayan Empire.

The devil horde remains fixated on him in this life because their king sensed him first. He feared that if Xu Qingran caught their attention, they might take an interest in him and try to repeat what he endured in his past life.

"Honestly, when I first returned, I was seething with resentment."

"I still wanted to tear this place apart, just in a different way."

Shen Tingyu confessed.

Having lived through a lifetime, he had a solid grasp of how this world worked.

So he joined the most prestigious military branch, leveraging his E-type ability to build his foundation and steadily climb the ranks. Once he reached the top of the military hierarchy, he could act more openly.

Using the intel he gathered, he quietly stirred up trouble for Mu Ziyue.

He aimed to disrupt Mu Ziyue’s smooth rise to power and inheritance, secure his own escape route, and then manipulate the devil horde into destroying the Kayan Empire and the royal family.

Xu Qingran asked him, "So, why the sudden change of heart?"

His tone lifted slightly, as if he already knew the answer but wanted to hear it directly from him.

Shen Tingyu cooperatively replied, "Well, because in this life, there’s a little lunatic named Xu Qingran in my world."

Xu Qingran was like a cat that had been thoroughly pampered.

Satisfied, he squinted his eyes.

He looked down and realized he was still holding the photo Shen Tingyu had shown him.

In it, Shen Qianning smiled softly, bathed in the bright sunlight of that day.

Xu Qingran pondered for a long time and said, "Maybe they shouldn’t have hidden her and Mu Mingrui’s true compatibility results."

"If she’d known from the start about her connection to the throne, would she have learned about his background and appearance sooner, and known how to steer clear?"

"It’s pointless," Shen Tingyu said. "If her compatibility with Mu Mingrui were revealed, she’d be forced into the palace."

"The Shen family wanted to avoid this outcome at all costs, so they resorted to such extreme measures."

Xu Qingran asked, puzzled, "Why?"

"I thought only a soul compatibility of 99% or higher would result in an arranged marriage by the Empire?"

"That's the rule for the common folk."

Shen Tingyu replied coolly.

The Kayan Empire operates under an ancient royal system.

To ensure the royal family's prosperity, any woman with a soul compatibility over 70% with the king would be subjected to a background check. Once her clean background and Empire residency were confirmed, she'd be sent to the palace to marry the king.

The woman with the highest compatibility would become queen.

This policy led to many deaths at the hands of the Su family in those days.

During Mu Mingrui's first nationwide concubine selection, the Shen family, fearing a compatibility match, secretly altered the data of their unmarried girls. The powerful Su family welcomed the Shen family's retreat and non-interference, so they didn't force cooperation.

Only when Shen Qianning grew up did they conduct a proper test, revealing a shocking result.

The Shen family, unwilling from the start, sought help from Qi Shengxue, a disciple of retired Mr. Zheng and a friend of Shen Qianning.

After a long pause, Xu Qingran said, "But I still think the Shen family should at least inform her about this."

"Once she knows, whatever she decides is on her."

Shen Tingyu shrugged, "Sadly, I only got a second chance at life, not the power to change the past."

Xu Qingran smiled, returning the photo to him.

He said, without much concern, "Maybe it's not so bad as it is now."

Shen Tingyu glanced up at him.

He added, "Sorry, I'm pretty heartless."

"You know what my first thought was after hearing all this?"

Xu Qingran looked up: "I thought, luckily, all those mistakes happened."

"Because of all this, I got to meet you."

If Shen Qianning hadn't fallen for Mu Mingrui, whom the Shen family wanted her to avoid, Shen Tingyu wouldn't exist.

Xu Qingran wouldn't have found a partner either.

He believed the world would be far duller without Shen Tingyu's soul.

At least, that's how he sees it.

Shen Tingyu quietly reclaimed the photo.

He looked down, masking a brief softness in his gaze.

In his past life, discovering his origins brought him no joy—only resentment towards Mu Mingrui and Shen Qianning for bringing him into the world.

Why should he face the world's malice alone and bear all the consequences of this evil?

Now, his thoughts happened to align with Xu Qingran's.

It was also the only gratitude he felt toward these two.

After discussing his questions with Shen Tingyu, Xu Qingran jumped off the table. He turned to face the person sitting there.

With a faint smile, he asked, "Shen Tingyu, have you seen my soul memories?"

Just as a warm, sweet atmosphere was about to emerge after the misunderstanding was resolved, it was abruptly cut off by Xu Qingran's blunt question.

The room was plunged into a long silence once more.

So long that Xu Qingran thought Shen Tingyu might not answer, until he finally heard, "I have."

His reply was unexpectedly calm and honest.

Xu Qingran was not surprised.

After a moment, he asked, "What did you see?"

There was another brief pause.

Shen Tingyu met his gaze, his expression deadly serious. "You."

"I saw you," he said quietly.

·

Slender fingers tugged at the blinds by the window, opening a narrow gap, just enough to peek outside.

Xu Qingran leaned against the window, gazing outside for a moment.

A minute later, he released the blinds, letting them fall back into place.

It was their sixth day at the base.

The base required year-round staffing. It still had enough food and water to sustain the two of them and a large dog for a while.

Outside, the lightning's deterrent field had long since vanished.

The wasteland was once again teeming with devil groups from elsewhere. They prowled outside, as if the two of them were trapped prey.

Unable to force their way in, they waited patiently outside.

They waited for their patience and resources to run out, knowing the day would come when they’d have to leave. Then they’d swarm the two of them, wearing them down with sheer numbers.

Xu Qingran glanced toward the parked aircraft.

Even with Shen Tingyu, it would be tough for just two people and a white dog to fight through that horde of devils.

Unless he used his powers on a massive scale again, like he had that day—

"Don’t even think about it, host," the voice warned.

The system's voice chimed in promptly.

It said to him politely, "Your life countdown has only 14 days left."

"Unless you want to exhaust your powers and die right in front of your target."

Xu Qingran turned around.

Shen Tingyu was crouching down, talking to his white dog.

Two pairs of eyes, one deep blue and one light blue, gazed at each other.

The scene looked both amusing and harmonious.

He smiled wryly.

He felt somewhat reluctant.

Shen Tingyu had suffered so much in his past life and had finally managed to make his life a bit better in this one.

If they had just been honest with each other, decided to live well together, and yet he had to face another shock again—

Would Shen Tingyu hate him?

Xu Qingran really didn't want Shen Tingyu to hate him.

So, he didn't plan to risk his life at such a crucial moment.

"How is your recovery going?"

Xu Qingran asked as he approached them.

As Xu Qingran approached, Shen Tingyu naturally embraced him and said, "A bit better than yesterday."

The day before.

Xu Qingran had asked Shen Tingyu if he had seen his memories of the soul.

Facing Shen Tingyu's affirmative answer and the content he described, Xu Qingran had a rough idea in his heart at that moment.

He knew what Shen Tingyu meant by 'you'.

He meant the real him.

"When did you see them?" Xu Qingran asked.

Shen Tingyu said, "A long time ago, it was... when we were fighting in my backyard."

"That was the first time I saw them."

This 'long time ago' was indeed much earlier than Xu Qingran had anticipated.

Calculating the time, it was even earlier than the first time Xu Qingran had seen Shen Tingyu.

Xu Qingran was shocked.

How could there be such a man, who had discovered his secret so early yet kept it to himself for so long, never asking a word unless Xu Qingran spoke up first.

Seeing Shen Tingyu finish speaking, he remained calm and silent.

He couldn't help but ask, "Don't you have anything to say to me?"

Shen Tingyu pretended to ponder, then said to him, "I like you?"

Xu Qingran was left speechless.

Only then did Shen Tingyu continue, "This is something I've wanted you to know for a long time."

"I don't care where you come from, whether you're the true eldest son of the Xu family. All I know is that I like the essence within this body, the soul that lets me catch glimpses of memory fragments."

After hearing this heartfelt confession, Xu Qingran remained silent for a long time.

Slowly, a hint of regret appeared in his eyes.

Shen Tingyu was left bewildered: "...?"

He even started to feel a bit nervous.

The next second, Xu Qingran sighed, "If it weren't so inconvenient here right now, I would definitely insist on us being intimate here."

It took Shen Tingyu three seconds to realize what kind of bold words he was saying again.

He pursed his lips for a while, but still ended up laughing in exasperation.

Shen Tingyu asked him, "Why are you so obsessed with... me?"

Especially since Xu Qingran was very willing and happy to be the one receiving.

Xu Qingran paused, then said without changing his expression, "Because if we don't do it, I will die."

Shen Tingyu: "..."

"Don't say such things."

Shen Tingyu reminded him seriously, his eyes more serious than they had ever been.

He even began to imagine the consequences if this statement were true, his eyes slightly red: "Xu Qingran, if you die like this, you're sending me back to hell."

Xu Qingran remained silent.

Indeed, he knew it would be like this.

After all, his boyfriend was now as delicate as glass.

His offhand remark did not provoke Shen Tingyu.

On the contrary, it only made him more resistant.

Yes, in his understanding, only by being intimate with him would he truly risk breaking.

Xu Qingran, of course, couldn't let this misguided thinking continue.

He solemnly reminded him, "Alright, but intimacy is necessary."

"If you can't make me happy anymore, I'll have to find someone else who can."

Shen Tingyu: "..."

"Let's discuss this properly after we leave this cursed place."

Xu Qingran opened up to Shen Tingyu about his transmigration and the various abilities he had in the apocalypse of his previous life.

However, he omitted the terms of the exchange he had to fulfill to regain his abilities.

If Shen Tingyu knew he had risked his life just to come and see him,

he couldn’t even imagine how crushed Shen Tingyu would be.

But there was still time—no rush.

Xu Qingran pulled his thoughts back.

He slumped lazily into Shen Tingyu’s embrace, his gaze sweeping around the surroundings.

He thought to himself that figuring out how to leave this hellhole was quite a problem.

He’d been too confident when talking to Xie Nanjun earlier, not expecting to be stuck here with Shen Tingyu for so long, nor anticipating that the overuse of his abilities would have a greater impact than he had predicted.

"Are you worried about us leaving?"

Shen Tingyu’s voice drifted down from above.

Xu Qingran didn’t look up, leaning against Shen Tingyu’s chest and feeling the rumble of his voice as he replied, "Yeah, a bit."

"This place is sunless, and I don’t like it much."

He had had enough of the endless gloom in his previous life.

This environment dragged him back into that apocalypse-like despair, and he didn’t even feel like trying to seduce Shen Tingyu anymore.

The two of them were now upstairs.

Outside the door was where Xu Qingran had entered earlier.

Shen Tingyu peered outside, knowing there was something blocking their way.

But he stayed calm, reassuring Xu Qingran, "Don’t worry."

"If I’ve timed it right, they should be arriving soon."

Hearing this, Xu Qingran opened his eyes that he’d just shut.

He blinked. "They?"

Shen Tingyu looked down at him, smirking: "Yes, the 'reinforcements' I contacted in advance."

Shen Tingyu was no fool.

He knew this mission was no walk in the park and came with the risk of failure. There were too many factors to consider, including the threats from the Golden Wing Battalion and Mu Ziyue, as well as the unpredictability of the Silver Dragon faction. So, he had braced for the worst.

Before setting out, he’d reached out to someone who could bail him out in a pinch.

Xu Qingran was still trying to figure out who he’d called in.

Then he watched as Shen Tingyu picked up an old electronic signal transmitter from the counter—one he’d spent ages fixing and had finally gotten working.

Now that Shen Tingyu knew about his abilities, he brought it over and directly asked, "Can you lend me some electricity?"

Finally, he gave him a faint smile and said, "This way, I can save some time on creating power-generating equipment."

Xu Qingran didn't refuse and let him place the device on the counter, charging it up.

The signal light came on.

Shen Tingyu adjusted the frequency and then said, "I arranged with them to come in four days, but now it seems that's indeed too long."

"I'll have them come now."

Xu Qingran crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, watching him speak in riddles.

The revelation of the riddle didn't keep Xu Qingran waiting for long.

The reinforcements Shen Tingyu had mentioned appeared just a few hours after the signal was sent.

They made a dramatic entrance, dropping numerous missiles and bombs, creating a thunderous uproar outside the base.

These bombs were specially made, with built-in power storage. Upon exploding, they scattered electrical discharges across the ground, effectively deterring the electricity-fearing devil horde, significantly scattering them.

Shen Tingyu and Xu Qingran had already prepared inside the base.

The moment the rescue team arrived, they promptly exited the base.

Xu Qingran spotted a group emerging on the wasteland.

They were dressed in casual clothes, bearing no marks of the Golden Wing or Silver Dragon factions, yet they were fully armed with defensive gear and military-grade weapons. Men and women alike carried heavy artillery, gleefully mowing down the devil horde.

They appeared to be thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Xu Qingran and Shen Tingyu exchanged a glance.

They drew their respective weapons, released psychic probes across the entire area to detect the devils, and began their attack.

Despite not discussing their strategy beforehand, they moved with seamless understanding.

The more formidable large Class I mothers or high-tier devils, which were difficult to handle with source crystal, were left to Xu Qingran, whose psychic abilities were accompanied by unique powers. Shen Tingyu naturally assumed the role of providing cover and clearing out the larger groups.

The white dog sprinted ahead, clearing the path for them.

Both sides were highly experienced in combat.

Even without prior rehearsal, the convergence of the two groups proceeded smoothly.

The people who came to pick up Shen Tingyu seemed to have scouted the area beforehand or were already somewhat familiar with the place. They were also well aware of the current dire situation at the station. The shuttles descending from the starship touched down in precarious spots, just within the sensory range of the leading king.

One of the shuttles landed near Xu Qingran's.

Accompanied by the white dog, Xu Qingran followed Shen Tingyu as they broke through the heavily infested devil zone under the cover of their allies, heading toward the shuttle landing area. However, with Shen Tingyu present, the devil horde became more aggressive than usual, relentlessly pursuing them, leaving little time for communication.

Xu Qingran remembered the person in his vehicle.

He nudged Shen Tingyu aside and stepped back from him and the others: "You lead the way. There's something important in my vehicle that needs to be brought along."

With that, he and the white dog turned back toward the Golden Wing shuttle.

Shen Tingyu glanced at the devil horde closing in on them with ferocious intent. Not wanting to cause trouble for the people who had come to pick him up, he decided to part ways with Xu Qingran for the time being.

The evacuation process was rushed.

Everyone was so engrossed in their tasks that there was no time for idle chatter, as evacuation was the top priority.

Thus, everything proceeded in a frantic rush.

Xu Qingran took control of the intact aircraft, joining the rescue ships in evacuating the asteroid. Before departure, they deployed specially designed electric bombs below, set the jump coordinates, and opened a jump channel, swiftly putting the place behind them.

Xu Qingran trailed at the end of the convoy.

The jump point vanished after he passed through, and the devil horde, oblivious to their destination, did not give chase.

Shortly after takeoff, a massive and opulent starship came into Xu Qingran's view.

It was a deep gray all over, and if not for his keen eyesight, he might have missed this unmarked starship that blended seamlessly into the starry backdrop.

Xu Qingran mused.

To his knowledge, large space vehicles like starships were scarce for each empire or alliance. Moreover, to prevent friendly fire, they were required to bear the insignia of their respective empire or alliance.

In his memory, only one type of starship bore no insignia.

That was—a pirate starship.

"..."

That dog man's secrets were truly endless, too many to uncover.

The starship's hatch swung open.

Xu Qingran followed Shen Tingyu's aircraft inside, parked, and watched as the hatch behind him slowly closed.

Through the windshield, he saw that Shen Tingyu had already disembarked from his aircraft.

Just as he was about to approach Xu Qingran, two men hurried over to him. One appeared slightly older than Shen Tingyu, while the other was clearly still a minor.

They appeared to be Shen Tingyu's primary acquaintances.

They grabbed him and scrutinized him for a moment, only relaxing once they confirmed he was unharmed.

Xu Qingran observed for a moment from inside the aircraft before opening the cockpit door to disembark.

As soon as the door opened, he was met with a dozen pairs of eyes curiously fixed on him.

This made him hesitate, unsure whether to retract the foot he had just stepped out with.

Then, a young male voice rang out from the crowd, "See! I told you he really is Young Master Xu!"

"Losers, cough up the snacks you bet!"

"Tch, you just have sharp eyes."

"Waha! I guessed right too!"

"You fake fans, unlike me, spotted our little lunatic's heroic figure from such a distance!"

Xu Qingran: "...?"

He hadn't expected his 'notoriety' to have spread beyond the Kayan Empire's domain.

Shen Tingyu came through the crowd to meet him. Accompanying him were the two young men who had just come out to greet him.

Shen Tingyu explained, "They are the second and sixth princes of the Kayan Empire."

Xu Qingran: "...??"

The answer was completely unexpected.

·

The spacious cabin buzzed with people coming and going.

Xu Qingran, Shen Tingyu, and the other two princes of the Kayan Empire stood by his aircraft, deep in conversation.

The white dog, which was supposed to follow him out, saw the group blocking the exit and stopped at the door, curiously and cautiously eyeing its surroundings. Its sharp nose caught a whiff of something, suddenly growing restless.

"...Absolutely surprising."

Xu Qingran couldn't help but take another look at the two individuals he was meeting for the first time.

Mu Zisheng, the second prince exiled for allegedly killing the sixth prince.

And Mu Zixuan, the sixth prince rumored killed by the second prince.

Seeing these two together, looking so friendly, was surreal.

The whole scene was downright surreal.

Mu Zisheng and Mu Zixuan didn’t look much alike, but you could definitely see Mu Mingrui in them.

Especially the sixth prince, who resembled Mu Mingrui and had Su Ya’s jade-green eyes.

"...What the hell is going on?"

Xu Qingran asked.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t that complicated.

It all came down to the fight for the throne.

The second prince, Mu Zisheng, also backed the Golden Wing Battalion.

Unlike Mu Ziyue, he was clearly more cheerful and enthusiastic. His kind eyes and lively demeanor made him a remarkably down-to-earth prince who’d loved exploring outside the palace since he was a kid. He didn’t care about social status and treated everyone the same.

So, even though his mother was just a minor consort with no real influence, he ended up surprisingly popular with the common folk as he grew older.

When he became a problem for Mu Ziyue, Su Ya and Mu Ziyue had to act.

They tried everything to ruin his reputation.

But Mu Zisheng’s upright behavior gave them no opening. Finally, they turned their attention to Mu Zixuan, whom Mu Ziyue had always wanted to eliminate.

Mu Zixuan was also a child of Queen Su Ya.

However, he was an unexpected child. By the time he was born, Mu Ziyue was already an adult, and she had poured all her efforts into him, leaving no time or energy to raise another child.

Especially since he was considered a Type I but not adept at combat, meaning he couldn't interfere in military affairs, which was another disadvantage.

Therefore, Mu Zixuan didn't receive much attention in the palace. His estranged relationship with Su Ya and Mu Ziyue inadvertently led him to spend most of his time with the outgoing Mu Zisheng, and despite being half-brothers with competitive interests, their relationship remained very close.

Surprisingly, Mu Zixuan's image garnered positive reviews among the populace.

Clearly, what they wanted was a ruler capable of governing the empire well, not necessarily one who was only skilled in combat.

This posed a significant obstacle for Mu Ziyue.

Especially since it was uncertain when Mu Mingrui would die, and Mu Zixuan, being also the son of the queen, could potentially become a significant threat to him in the future.

Mu Ziyue had a naturally cold and calculating nature.

Anyone who stood in the way of his goals, even his own brother, he could ruthlessly eliminate. But before killing Mu Zixuan, he thought of a way to kill two birds with one stone by shifting the blame onto Mu Zisheng, who had long been in contact with Mu Zixuan.

By then, Mu Ziyue had already grown powerful.

Creating false evidence pointing to Mu Zisheng was a breeze, leading to the verdict of permanently expelling Mu Zisheng from the palace and the empire. During this period, Mu Zisheng did not put up much resistance, quietly shouldered the blame, and thus withdrew from the competition for the throne.

"Tingyu is right," Mu Zisheng said.

"Suya holds most of the palace's power. Since she allowed this to happen, it means she chose to sacrifice another son as a tool to support Mu Ziyue to the end, and would support Mu Ziyue's actions."

"Even if I clear my name once, there will be endless accusations waiting for me."

So, after receiving Shen Tingyu's reminder, Mu Zisheng chose to accept the verdict.

As it turned out, he was naturally inclined to travel and explore the vast landscapes of the world.

Since Mu Ziyue's succession to the throne was still far off, he took this opportunity to leave the empire and venture out. During this time, he met many like-minded individuals who had long been outside the territories of various nations for various reasons, and eventually formed an organization, donning the title of space pirates to roam the starry seas.

Over the years, their most frequent target was probably the resources of the Kayan Empire—especially those under Mu Ziyue's control.

Thanks to Shen Tingyu secretly providing them with information, their operations were always smooth, and Mu Ziyue often suffered at their hands, yet despite his efforts, could never catch them.

Mu Zisheng smiled, ruffling the hair of the young man beside him, and said, "As for the sixth prince, it's also thanks to Tingyu's help back then, creating a fake death scene and secretly swapping him out before the coffin was sealed, that we successfully rescued him."

"And whenever we encountered difficulties, Tingyu would also help us behind the scenes."

"For this reason, whenever he needs us, we will be there in a heartbeat!"

Xu Qingran instinctively glanced briefly at Shen Tingyu.

A brief silence followed.

He was just thinking, how could this man, who was already covered in scars despite his own struggles, still not forget to help others?

—Even if he was considering the benefits behind it, he still helped in the end.

Shen Tingyu noticed his lingering gaze.

He looked back and offered a faint smile.

No words were needed; everything was understood.

"Second Brother, you flatter me. I was just seeking some benefits for myself," Shen Tingyu said.

Mu Zisheng hooked his arm around Shen Tingyu's shoulder and teased, "When will you affectionately call me 'second brother'? You do have a position in the royal family, after all. It's just not public."

It was only then that Xu Qingran discovered that among the princes he had heard about, the fourth and fifth princes who had died young, the fifth prince’s position was actually Shen Tingyu’s. Suya’s influence reduced his existence to a mere three-word mention, without even a name.

Shen Tingyu replied, "That position doesn’t mean much to me."

Mu Zisheng shook his head in resignation and turned to Xu Qingran: "By the way, Young Master Xu, how did you come to be with Tingyu?"

"When I got his plan earlier, all he said was that I might have to collect his body alone."

—Mu Zisheng was clearly familiar with him, as the term "Young Master Xu" came naturally to him.

Before Xu Qingran could reply, Shen Tingyu cut in.

He stared straight at him and said, "After all we've been through, isn't it only right to have my partner with me?"

This left Mu Zisheng and Mu Zixuan completely stunned.

Clearly, Shen Tingyu's past demeanor had left a strong impression on them.

Mu Zisheng was the captain of the entire starship crew.

Catching Shen Tingyu's drift, he realized Shen wanted some alone time with Xu Qingran and tactfully excused himself after a brief chat.

After seeing them off, Shen Tingyu turned his attention to the aircraft behind Xu Qingran.

He asked, "So, what's so important in this aircraft that you had to ditch me to bring it here?"

Xu Qingran gestured with his finger: "Follow me."

"In a sense, it's something I got for you."

He took Shen Tingyu to the back of the aircraft.

He opened the cabin door, revealing a man who was barely clinging to life.

Shen Tingyu went silent the instant he laid eyes on Mu Ziyue.

Xu Qingran looked at the brutally tortured Mu Ziyue: "In Tower 1, I made him experience everything he did to you and so many others."

No frills. Just his usual methods, applied to him.

Xu Qingran's tone was icy.

"But you were the one he hurt the most."

He said.

"So I believe his fate should be in your hands."