Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Eight

Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Eight

"Let it go," Oros tried to calm himself. Having already decided to embark on this risky venture, he naturally wanted to gather more information, "Can I ask who exactly our enemy is?"

He saw the Crown Princess fall into a brief silence, then her gaze gradually shifted to the black-haired boy beside her.

The black-haired boy, with a sullen expression and furrowed brows, resignedly closed his eyes and said:

"Salmer Greiz."

"Our enemy is Salmer Greiz, the former head of the Greiz family, who has been missing for over eighteen years."

Oros, clearly familiar with the name, understood the gravity of the situation. But by now, nothing could surprise him anymore; instead, he analyzed calmly: "If it's that Greiz, we need to be even more cautious in our actions."

Bai Sha: "How so?"

"I remember the conflict between the Greiz and Ronin families causing quite a stir in the city. The missing Greiz patriarch was a focal point of everyone's attention. Based on your current actions, he's undoubtedly still alive and probably has gathered a group of followers," Oros said. "Salmer Greiz disappeared along with his mech—if his mech is still with him, it would make capturing him much more challenging."

"Salmer Greiz's mech is very powerful," he said with a tone of reverence. "If I'm not mistaken, that's a legendary-class mech."

"The honor rating for Imperial mechs ranges from the lowest 'Excellent' to the highest 'Legendary,' and the gap between each level is vast. The hardest leap to make is from the 'Heirloom' to the 'Legendary' class."

"Every hundred years, thousands of 'Heirloom-class mechs' are born, but 'Legendary-class mechs' are few and far between, creating a significant chasm."

"Legendary-class mechs are so powerful they become historical icons, inspiring countless successors. To ordinary people, they are almost akin to divine artifacts."

"Indeed... it is a Legendary-class mech," Kaisen said somberly. "The 'Seven Kills' mech, capable of freely transforming between humanoid and beast forms, each form representing the pinnacle of mech performance at the time. The material for this mech came from three King Bugs—the Frostwind Amethyst Worm, the Illusionary Clear Spider, and the Wild Black Blood Wolf. It's said that the clan leader, in his prime, was undefeated. He named his mech 'Seven Kills' to rival the royal fleet's 'Po Jun.'"

"Never defeated? Is that true?" Bai Sha asked curiously.

"That was the legend when he first graduated from Xizhou Military Academy," Kayson explained, "But after he became the family head and went to Tian Shu Star to meet with the royal family, that myth was shattered."

Undoubtedly, he was defeated by Xipei Lorin.

Nevertheless, he was still one of the strongest mech pilots in the Empire at the time.

With his capabilities, saying he could take on a thousand by himself probably wasn't an exaggeration.

Of course, this didn't mean that Baisha and her team must prepare a force of over a thousand to combat him. But considering Salmer Greiz's past prowess, even if Baisha, Yan Jingyi, Kayson, and others combined forces... they might still not be his match.

"Your Highness, considering Salmer Greiz's age, his combat ability should still be in the prime for an Aresian. And the confrontation between mech pilots isn't just about personal ability, but also about the mechs themselves," Orolus said. "What about your mech? Where is it?"

"I naturally sneaked my mech out before coming here," Baisha sighed. "As for the others, we have them, just not on the level of legendary mechs."

Orolus: "At least you have several mechs on your side, better than I expected."

Baisha: "Precisely speaking, we have four mech pilots on our side, two with ready mechs, and two in the process of being built."

Orolus: "..." He regretted his previous comment!

"We also have mech pilots in our mercenary group, but they're limited in number, less than twenty, comparable to the lieutenants of the Federation's front-line combat zones," Orolus said, tapping the dark wooden table.

Baisha assessed the available forces and nodded.

Orolus: "Now, we need to dispatch scouts first to confirm the enemy organization's intelligence before making any plans."

Baisha: "Any recommendations for the scouts?"

Orolus: "I do know a few experts in the field…"

The two exchanged ideas, finalizing the preparatory steps for their operation.

Yan Jingyi stood up, volunteering, "I'll go down and replace Yan Ning, and bring him up here."

Orolus looked up, surveying Yan Jingyi with his deep blue eyes: "How competent are you in combat?"

Baisha wrapped an arm around Yan Jingyi, giving a thumbs up: "Our team's ace."

"In that case, you can be a bit difficult downstairs, try to intimidate a few," Orolus specifically named several faction leaders, "Especially these few, getting them to follow orders will be tough, better deal with it early. If they want to leave, let them. After all, this mission doesn't necessarily benefit from more people."

Yan Jingyi slightly raised an eyebrow, nodded, and a frosty, haughty expression immediately adorned her face.

Not long after she went downstairs, Yan Ning came up to join the discussion between Baisha and Orolus, occasionally offering suggestions. Just under five minutes into their conversation, a tumultuous noise erupted from downstairs, followed by a thunderous bang—"clang"—causing the already rickety table in front of them to jolt, and the glasses and pitchers on it teetered precariously. Baisha swiftly extended her arms to steady the table, narrowly averting a spill.

Yan Ning, surprised: "Did they start fighting downstairs?... That fiercely?"

"It's fine, I instructed the mercenaries not to bring heavy weapons, and given her current status as the financier, they won't go too far," Baisha reassured, waving her hand, "Just a friendly sparring, that's all."

When their discussion was roughly concluded, the clanging and clashing from downstairs had almost ceased. Going downstairs, they found the mercenaries, who previously moved in small groups, now formed a tight circle, excitedly cheering.

Yan Jingyi, surrounded in the middle, still wore a cold face, but numerous mercenaries were continuously toasting to her, spewing fervent words of praise, overwhelming her. Some savvy mercenaries were already addressing her as "big sister," seemingly eager to swear allegiance on the spot.

Yan Ning: "…They got along so quickly?"

Orolus pointed towards the bar.

There, laid across the bar, were several "corpses"—the very faction leaders Orolus had warned about.

"I think their enthusiasm is just to avoid getting beaten," Orolus mused, "As the saying goes, don't strike a smiling face."

Yan Jingyi wasn't unscathed in the crowd either. Faint bloodstains marked her face, and her shoulder fabric was torn in several places. Yet she stood there, like a lion king surveying its pride. The atmosphere in the bar warmed noticeably. The mercenaries, now flush with ample payment and appreciative of the financier's style, became more agreeable.

Two hours later, the reconnaissance team set off for the target planet: Xiao Yang Star.

But they never returned.

"…Xiao Yang Star issued an official notice that due to meteor showers, they've closed the planet's ports," Yan Ning noted the complication, "I don't believe in such coincidences—Salmer must have sensed the scouts and shut down the planet's transportation."

Salmer Greiz was more than just a local boss.

He seemed like the ruler of that planet.

"Wait… the port numbers they published are all civilian and commercial, there's no military port number," Yan Ning scrutinized the data, pointing out.

"Does it mean they also don't want to attract the attention of the Federation Military?" Bai Sha blinked, speculating: Although Ning Hongxue was controlled by the Silver Core, and Salmer Greiz was a potential collaborator for the Silver Core, their interests might not align.

Ya Ning: "It's possible, given the sensitive period for the Federation Military."

"But now they've sealed off the entire planet, and we can't get in for the time being. Without intelligence, we can only wait." Ya Ning looked at the scrolling data on the light computer, "These mercenary groups had placed a few informants on that planet, but the information coming back is very limited..."

Suddenly, a contact request popped up on the light computer screen.

—It's Holman!

Years ago, Holman had discussed with Ya Ning, Yan Jingyi, and the others how to make contact in case of emergencies. Having experienced fleeing himself, he knew how unpredictable situations could be and had trained his adopted children accordingly. Unexpectedly, these skills would come in handy one day.

Ya Ning's eyes widened slightly as he took a deep breath and connected the call.

"Hello?" Holman's voice was a bit hoarse, "Ya Ning? Is that you?"

"To verify your identity, please answer a question," Bai Sha leaned closer to the light computer, smiling, "Mr. Holman, what was the highest amount of debt you owed while working at the orphanage? Please answer with the exact amount of star coins."

"You little rascal!" Mr. Holman laughed, "So, you're with them. That puts my mind at ease."

Ya Ning hummed, "You're being optimistic a bit too soon..."

He then explained the current situation to Holman.

Holman couldn't believe what he heard: "You guys really have some nerve, barely escaping with your lives and now stirring up new trouble!"

Bai Sha: "Exciting, isn't it, Mr. Holman?"

Holman: "Exciting. You're all giving me a heart attack."

As he spoke, faint panting sounds came from the other end of the light computer.

There was a moment of silence between them.

"The capital star system's garrison is almost entirely under Ning Hongxue's control, but some military districts aren't yet," Holman suddenly said. "Your target planet, Xiao Yang Star, happens to be in a district outside of Ning Hongxue's reach. I can use my authority at the Prosecutor's Office to contact the district commander and have him open the military spaceport on the planet. The military spaceport is usually closed and the district has the authority to forcibly open it without Xiao Yang Star's consent. Given the current unnatural closure of the planet's civilian air channels, the Prosecutor's Office has reason to conduct an inspection."

"I'll inform you of the time. You can sneak in under the guise of a Prosecutor's Office spacecraft and catch them off guard."

By procedure, the military district must respond to the Prosecutor's Office's inquiries and set a time for their entry. Spacecraft dispatched by the Prosecutor's Office typically don't and can't possess excessive firepower, so Xiao Yang Star won't be overly guarded against a fleet "from the Prosecutor's Office"... especially since appearing overly defensive would seem suspicious.

However, taking such a step would undoubtedly end Holman's career as a military officer. He would be held accountable and could even be imprisoned.

Bai Sha hesitated for a long time until Holman urged them: "Enough with the hesitation. Frankly, I've been wanting to quit. With the current situation, I won't last long anyway, and soon I'll be one of those Ning Hongxue purges. Then, even if I want to help you, I won't have the means."

Bai Sha stood up, glancing at the nearly completed new mech behind her.

"In that case... let's take the gamble."

……

A few days later.

Xiao Yang Star time, 2:00 AM sharp.

The sheriff of Xiaoyang Star, along with a few soldiers, sat behind the control desk at the military airport, struggling to stay awake.

Why do military prosecutors always choose such unearthly hours for their visits? It made them seem dedicated to their covert inspections. In reality, the military prosecution had notified the military district in advance, who in turn had informed the sheriff of Xiaoyang Star—indicating that it was all just a formality among colleagues. So, the sheriff was far from tense. After making a few simple arrangements, he waited at the airport control desk for their arrival, inevitably leading to the usual pleasantries between colleagues.

The sheriff waved away his sleepiness and turned to look at the bottle of red wine on a nearby table.

This expensive wine was specially prepared for the visiting prosecutor, worth a small fortune.

For a sheriff of a remote little planet, such luxury was well beyond his salary. But on Xiaoyang Star, there are competent people who know how to make money... and he just happened to benefit from their success...

Staring at the rich red of the wine, the sheriff seemed to be already intoxicated: "Has the military prosecutor's ship arrived yet?"

"It has arrived, and the prosecutor has already completed the access authorization. But there's no record of this ship's pass in our military information database," reported a soldier at the control desk.

"The prosecutor already confirmed the pass?"

"Yes."

"Has the ship passed through the firepower scanning system?"

"…Yes."

"Then let them in!" the sheriff slammed a soldier's head, "They've passed the firepower scanning system, what harm can they do? They are officers from the Capital's Prosecutor General's Office—so what if they have a few private ships? Do you expect them to register each one and confiscate them? Idiot!"

"Hurry up and let them in!"

In the dark expanse of space, the spaceship was traveling at high speed. The power of the engines increased continuously, lighting up the rear thrusters with a dazzling blue glow.

"Turn off the transit positioning system, activate the secondary system, engage camouflage mode... The camouflage has a countdown, and the firepower scan will continue until we enter the spaceport, so we must accelerate. Get ready for a direct drop from the air when I can’t slow down in time!" the pilot shouted to the mech soldiers, preparing on deck, "Remember, upon landing, first unlock the spaceport’s gate control device. Otherwise, our backup can't get in, and we’re all doomed!"

A dozen mech soldiers gave him a 'thumbs up'.

"Don't worry, we have a professional," Yaning smiled at Baisha.

"Don't mess around, that guy's a godlike mech pilot, extremely valuable. Someone else go and destroy the locking mechanism," said a mercenary, his face glowing with excitement. "I've never piloted such an incredible mech in my life—I want to pilot it a few more times!"

Bai Sha raised her eyebrows at Ya Ning.

Over the past few days, Bai Sha had won over all the mech soldiers in the legion with her miraculous mech manufacturing skills. Now, her popularity was rivaling Yan Jingyi's, with everyone addressing her as "Master Bai."

"Alright, alright, I'll go," Ollos, aware of all the secrets, was nervous to the point of nausea. Seeing them start to argue, he quickly intervened, "Everyone, if you don't want to lose your lives, focus!"

"Yes, sir!"

In the dark cosmos, the spaceship, trailing a fiery tail like a shooting star, raced towards the gradually opening military spaceport.

Meanwhile, on Xiao Yang Star.

"Something's not right—this isn't right!" shouted a soldier at the gate control console. "They're not slowing down at all!"

At this rate, the spacecraft wouldn't stop at the docking bay.

The security officer, sensing something amiss, frowned and ordered, "Close the gates, don't let them in."

"But it's too late—" the soldier started.

Boom…

Accompanied by a terrifying sound of bending metal, the room shook, and red alarms blared on every screen. The security cameras showed the spaceport's gates only half-open, but the rapidly approaching spacecraft had already fired a volley of silver missiles towards the gates. The missiles, scattering like petals, struck the surface of the port's fortifications, leaving a web of fine cracks.

The security officer coldly commanded, "So they think a few missiles will force open our checkpoint? Activate the self-defense mode and shoot them down with the laser turrets."

On his order, the soldier activated the spaceport's self-defense mode.

Yet, the spacecraft, seemingly hell-bent on destruction, continued its collision course towards the gates, now bristling with deployed turrets.

Suddenly, the spacecraft fired two blinding particle beams, clashing with the trajectories of the laser cannons. Amidst a thunderous explosion, the spacecraft, like a whale leaping from the sea, crashed ferociously into the now-open gates.

The tremendous impact caused another shake in the control room.

The security officer clutched his hat with one hand and hugged a bottle of red wine with the other, cursing, "What's going on? Didn't that spaceship pass the firepower scanning system? Why does it have ship-mounted particle cannons?"

"They disguised the exterior structure in advance…" The soldier sounded almost in a trance, a chill in his voice, "It's a common tactic of interstellar pirates—Chief, we should immediately report this to our superiors and request backup!"

"Report what?" The security officer, recalling his earlier mistake, was reluctant to explain everything to his superiors.

He lowered his head, tenderly wiped the wine bottle in his arms as if unconcerned, and said, "Interstellar pirates? Of all planets, they had to pick ours… Coming to Xiao Yang Star is a death wish."

The soldier didn't understand the officer's certainty as he watched the spacecraft brush past the gate's side panels and enter the spaceport, sparks flying off its back, and its side hatch quietly opening—

Fizzzz…

The control console's equipment buzzed chaotically; their surveillance system was cut off.

The soldier covered his face, hardly daring to watch the unfolding events.

Calmly, the security officer dialed a number.

"Hello? We've got interstellar pirates breaking in."

"You're asking how they got in with all spaceports sealed?... How should I know? They're here now. As usual, this mess is your doing, so you deal with it."

With that, the security officer ended the call decisively.

The soldier watched, speechless, as the officer passed the buck so smoothly. The officer then pulled out a corkscrew from a drawer, prying open the bottle, sniffed the fermented raspberry sweetness, and became momentarily intoxicated. He took a swig, wiped the wine from his lips, then casually walked over to a foldable bed, lying down.

Many thoughts raced through the soldier's mind as a cold sweat broke out on the back of his neck. Watching the officer's gaze, he quietly activated the console, inputting a code to send an emergency alert to his superiors—

Just as he was about to hit send, something cold pressed against his temple.

A gun.

The officer's gaze was as cold and entangling as a snake.

"I said, no, need, for, backup. Don't pretend you didn't hear, or I'll make sure you never have to listen again."