Chapter 130

Chapter 130

Perhaps Bai Xiaoyu had been stunned for too long. Large Black tilted its head and looked at him with its empty eye sockets, extending its huge claws a bit further toward him.

However, upon realizing that Bai Xiaoyu still didn’t intend to hug him, he immediately felt extremely hurt.

Were his requests too much to ask?

Why had Bai Bai hugged all the others that had hatched, but not him?

Bai Xiaoyu watched as Large Black slowly lowered its paws reaching out for a hug. Before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, Large Black suddenly turned around, and a black gas began to emanate from his body.

Yes, it was truly black gas.

This dark matter was usually suppressed very well by Large Black, but in this state of emotional agitation, some of it began to leak out.

Bai Xiaoyu looked at the huge tiger in front of him, its body having regained some flesh, which made it significantly heavier than before. Thinking back to the time he had tried to hug the Large Black egg and almost strained his waist, he realized that even if Large Black was feeling hurt now, he was still unable to do anything about it.

Bai Xiaoyu prodded the seemingly wilted, drooping mental energy tendrils with his own. "Large Black, bear with me for a little longer, next time… and the time after that, okay?"

After precise calculations and considering the strengths corresponding to different physiques provided by the star system, along with Large Black’s increasing weight, Bai Xiaoyu estimated that his physique would need to reach Grade A. With the help of his mental energy, he might just be able to barely lift Large Black.

So, to avoid disappointing Large Black again, it was better to promise it for the time after next.

Although still feeling hurt, Large Black finally turned its egg body back around, extending its huge claw with the thick pink paw pad shaped like a plum blossom facing Bai Xiaoyu. "Promise me, next time, you have to hug me."

Bai Xiaoyu chuckled softly, his mental energy thickened and changed shape, quickly forming a mental hand identical to his own. He gently patted the center of the paw pad. "Alright, wait for me."

After being completely rejuvenated, Large Black was back to normal. Not long after, the four little cubs and the giant gold-and-silver tiger around Bai Xiaoyu were driven away by the Large Black egg. The five of them could only glare and growl at Large Black, who was selfishly occupying Bai Xiaoyu.

No matter how much the five of them puffed up, they were not allowed to come close to Bai Xiaoyu again.

Not wanting to get involved in their conflict, Bai Xiaoyu naturally didn’t participate and continued to discuss the matters regarding the F105 planet with Lou Hao.

Apart from being small, the F105 planet had, due to its geographical location, once been at the very edge of the imperial star region. Back then, it wasn’t just the empire that existed in the star system, but other nations as well. The planet had been a boundary planet between two star regions, a no-man's-land throughout history, notorious for being a place where all sorts of people gathered. Therefore, the black market here was famous throughout the star system. If there were insect crystals, the likelihood was very high.

Lou Hao said, "Boss, if you’re going, you’ll need to make some preparations, at least arrange for some strong bodyguards."

He glanced at Bai Xiaoyu's face, hesitating to continue.

Bai Xiaoyu said, "If you have something to say, just say it."

Lou Hao spoke quickly, "Boss, the people there have always been quite fierce. You should probably wear a mask or something, just in case you get kidnapped. Also, in the black market, people might be treated as commodities."

Bai Xiaoyu wasn’t too surprised. Since receiving the three batches of eggs from the research institute below, he had been aware of these dark sides, both in the post-apocalyptic era and even before it. The star system was vast, and there were always some gray areas that were beyond control.

Since time was tight, Bai Xiaoyu began preparing almost immediately. Even with an S-grade spacecraft, it would take half a day to make a space jump to reach the F105 planet. Leaving right now would allow him to make it to the auction tomorrow.

Bai Xiaoyu found two 2S warriors from the herb base to accompany him, and that evening, he finished packing and was ready to head out.

Just before departure, thinking about Large Black’s identity, Bai Xiaoyu decided it would be safer for Large Black to stay here.

However, Large Black was unwilling, and when it saw that Bai Xiaoyu didn’t want him to follow, it really got angry this time.

Usually, when Large Black was upset, it would sulk in a corner, but this time, it stuck to Bai Xiaoyu, not leaving his side for a single step.

Bai Xiaoyu was helpless. At this point, the other cubs, seeing that Large Black was following Bai Xiaoyu, also started to follow along.

The little white tiger and the little golden tiger kept glancing at the blue spacecraft, and the little golden tiger even tried to jump aboard.

Bai Xiaoyu grabbed the little fellow, and the little golden tiger growled at him, "Where are you going without bringing this emperor?"

Bai Xiaoyu patted the little golden tiger on the head and said, "F105 planet, emperor. Don't cause trouble. I'll bring you a gift when I'm back."

The little white tiger’s eyes darted around, and Bai Xiaoyu knew exactly what the little one was thinking. "Little one, wait for brother to come back. Just tell me what you want, and I’ll bring it back for you."

The little white tiger, realizing Bai Xiaoyu wasn't going to bring him, pointed at Big Black with his paw and growled, "Why can Big Black go?"

Bai Xiaoyu turned his head to look at Big Black, who was clinging to him. It seemed he wouldn't be able to persuade Big Black otherwise, so he explained, "Big Black needs to protect me. Little one, you have to take care of Little Golden Tiger and Little Prince at home, okay?"

The little white tiger considered his brother's combat ability. If Big Black didn’t go, what if Bai Xiaoyu got into trouble? Besides, someone had to stay and watch the house while his brother was away.

After some hesitation, the little white tiger nodded and growled, "Okay, I'll wait for brother to come back. But, brother, you have to give me a kiss."

Bai Xiaoyu picked up the little white tiger and kissed its fluffy head. The little golden tiger also poked its head out and whined. Bai Xiaoyu, being fair, also kissed the little golden tiger. Afterward, he noticed his legs were being hugged again and looked down to see two children staring up at him eagerly.

Alright, the Little Prince wore a cold expression but still clung to Bai Xiaoyu's legs.

Lifting up the two little ones, Bai Xiaoyu said, "I'll get you something good to eat, but you two can't cause any trouble while I'm away."

Something good to eat?

The eyes of the two cubs immediately lit up, imagining getting insect crystals. They excitedly hugged Bai Xiaoyu’s neck, and each gave him a kiss.

The Big Black Egg, sulking, was so angry that its body began to tremble. Just then, Tao Limeng arrived and shouted, "Boss, give me a kiss too, and bring me back some good materials, will you? Ah!"

Bai Xiaoyu watched as the furious Big Black Egg rammed into Tao Limeng, sending him flying onto a tree branch. Bai Xiaoyu couldn’t help but chuckle. "Alright."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Big Black Egg had already blocked the golden and silver tigers that were trying to approach. It bumped them away and then charged straight at Bai Xiaoyu.

With a skillful maneuver, it managed to hoist Bai Xiaoyu onto its back and quickly bounced onto the aircraft, urging the soldiers to take off. The aircraft shot into the sky, and only then did the Big Black Egg settle down.

Bai Xiaoyu realized what had happened—Big Black had carried him. He quickly got off the egg body, and the Big Black Egg turned away, still pretending to be angry.

He patted the Big Black Egg and asked, "Are you upset, Big Black?"

The Big Black Egg wobbled, indicating it was still upset.

Bai Xiaoyu took out the backpack egg carrier that he had received as a system reward and pretended to be sorry. "Big Black, didn't you want a hug?"

The Big Black Egg wobbled and gradually inched closer to Bai Xiaoyu.

Bai Xiaoyu added fuel to the fire, "I was also going to give you a kiss..."

Seeing the Big Black Egg immediately press against his face, Bai Xiaoyu smiled slightly. So easy to please.

He kissed the egg body, and the Big Black Egg was revitalized again. Several tiger claw tentacles wobbled out as if they were drunk, asking for more kisses and a carry.

Bai Xiaoyu said, "Let's rest now, and I'll carry you later on the aircraft."

Since Big Black had come along, Bai Xiaoyu needed to report to Su Ran. As soon as he dialed, the call was answered. After listening to Bai Xiaoyu, Su Ran looked at the bouncing Big Black Egg and signaled that he understood.

In truth, they had already known the outcome before Big Black even boarded the aircraft. The Sixteenth Legion wouldn't secretly monitor Bai Xiaoyu, but they had to pay attention to Big Black Egg's movements.

After finishing the call, the Big Black Egg nestled excitedly against Bai Xiaoyu, and the two of them soon fell into a deep sleep.

In the dead of night, the Big Black Egg suddenly woke up and slowly stood up to stealthily peek at the sleeping person. It wasn't until dawn that it slowly lay back down.

They reached their destination early the next morning. After washing and freshening up, Bai Xiaoyu retrieved the Egg Carrier.

The Big Black Egg hopped excitedly around in circles around Bai Xiaoyu.

Bai Xiaoyu strapped the Egg Carrier onto his back and gently pressed the switch. The carrier expanded into its initial form, a semi-elliptical base. He crouched down, allowing the Big Black Egg to hop onto the carrier. Despite its size, Bai Xiaoyu didn't feel any weight at all. This was due to the carrier's built-in hovering function, though it required high-grade energy fluid.

The energy fluid consumption rate varied based on the weight of the egg being carried. A fully loaded Egg Carrier could last for a month. However, as the Big Black Egg hopped on, Bai Xiaoyu saw the energy fluid deplete rapidly. At this rate, the energy would be exhausted in less than half a day.

But Bai Xiaoyu was prepared. In his system inventory, he had a whole box of high-grade energy fluid. Even if Big Black used it quickly, it would suffice.

With the Big Black Egg on board, Bai Xiaoyu stood up, activated the carrier's full mode, and a transparent shell immediately enveloped the Big Black Egg on his back.

Bai Xiaoyu patted the shell, no longer sensing Big Black's original aura. Instead, it had been replaced with the aura of an ordinary egg. He felt very satisfied with this arrangement.

Though the carrier looked very similar to those commonly seen in the star system, it was a system-produced item that could completely mask Big Black's aura. Of course, it worked both ways; Big Black couldn't sense outside auras either.

That was enough. After all, Big Black's identity was too unique, and the fewer people who knew, the better.

He put on the face mask Tao Limeng had prepared for him, instantly transforming his appearance. This type of lifelike bio-mask wasn't uncommon on this planet. After all, people came here specifically for the black market and preferred to remain anonymous.

With a giant black egg on his back, Bai Xiaoyu disembarked from the flight, drawing curious glances.

However, despite the curiosity, no one made a fuss. After all, it wasn't rare for breeders to take their eggs out for a stroll. Although this egg was exceptionally large, many species in the star system had large eggs.

Everything went more smoothly than Bai Xiaoyu had imagined. But unlike D36 planet, there were many people coming and going here, all of whom appeared to be well-equipped and did not seem to be locals. They were likely here for the auction.

While the public auction was easy to find, the insect crystals were at the black market auction. He needed to locate the guide who would lead him there. It was said that these guides blended in among the crowd, and once convinced, they would take you to the black market auction. This required keen observation.

Looking around, he saw occasional fights and arguments, and even people shooting at each other with energy cannons.

This place was indeed chaotic.

Even the children were unusually fierce. For instance, in the small alley ahead, a teenager around thirteen or fourteen years old was holding a peer and slamming them down with one hand while tearing into a bloody lamb leg with the other.

A group of children was ganging up on one, but they were all being beaten down.

Children's fights, adults rarely intervened. As Bai Xiaoyu was about to look away, the teenager's gaze caught his eye. It was a familiar look, one he often saw in the Little Prince’s eyes—a look that saw others as food.

He quickly walked over and grabbed the teenager's hand that was half-thrust into the chest of a trembling fallen child. Seeing this, the other children screamed and ran off.

The teenager turned to look at Bai Xiaoyu, his pupils pitch black. Upon seeing him, he couldn't help but lick his lips, treating Bai Xiaoyu as another meal.

In the next second, he sniffed like a puppy, licked the blood off his fingers, and then locked his gaze onto Bai Xiaoyu.

This meal smelled delicious.

At that moment, the Big Black Egg behind Bai Xiaoyu started hopping up and down. If Bai Xiaoyu hadn’t quickly pressed the shell to keep it from breaking free, it would have leaped out and attacked the teenager.

As the teenager stared at Bai Xiaoyu, his pupils dilating in excitement, a male voice came from behind. "Greedy Wolf, come back."

Bai Xiaoyu looked up and saw a masked man. Their eyes met, and Bai Xiaoyu became alert. The teenager was dangerous, but this man seemed even more so.

The man looked at Bai Xiaoyu and then at Big Black behind him. Suddenly, he spoke, "I'm advising you to leave here as soon as possible."

Bai Xiaoyu asked, "Why?"

The man replied, "You don't need to know. I've said all I need to say. Tan Wolf, let's go."

The man led the boy away, and Bai Xiaoyu patted the extremely agitated Big Black. He looked down at the pale young man who had fainted on the ground.

He took out a repairing agent and a blood-replenishing agent, giving them to the young man to drink. He also used a small repair device to heal the young man's wounds.

Soon, the young man woke up, letting out a startled cry before clutching his neck. "What was that? It tasted horrible! Am I being poisoned?"

Bai Xiaoyu reassured him, "No, it was just medicine."

The young man retched and rolled around before sitting up and quickly checking his own heart. "Thank goodness it's still there."

He looked around frantically and, seeing Bai Xiaoyu, said, "Did you save me? What terrible medicine did you give me? I was jolted awake from my unconscious state. By the way, what happened to that devil?"

Bai Xiaoyu replied, "He's gone. How did you end up provoking him?"

The young man explained, "It wasn't us who provoked him; he came after us. He even said I smelled a bit fragrant, like I could be his food! He really wanted to eat me!"

The young man glanced at Bai Xiaoyu and the two warriors behind him. "You're here for the black market auction event, right? Are you interested in the open one or the covert one?"

Bai Xiaoyu was surprised, realizing they had accidentally found their guide. "The covert one."

The young man stood up, brushing off his clothes despite the bloodstains. "I'll take you there."

They passed through an ordinary alley and soon arrived at a residential building. The young man opened the basement, revealing a staircase leading underground. "Follow me."

As they descended, the young man chattered ahead of them. He seemed quite fond of Bai Xiaoyu, who had saved his life.

"The black market's entrance is different every time, and so is the venue. By the way, I know roughly what's up for auction. If you're not comfortable sharing, you don't have to."

Bai Xiaoyu said, "Insect Crystal."

The young man paused, his expression turning slightly odd.

Bai Xiaoyu asked, "What's wrong? Is it unavailable?"

The young man quickly recovered, "It is."

The young man hesitated, and Bai Xiaoyu asked, "Do you have something to say?"

The young man admitted, "I've heard that those higher up are using the Insect Crystal as bait. Anyone with designs on the Insect Crystal won't be spared. It's best if you don't bid."

Bai Xiaoyu nodded, "I understand. Thank you for the information."

The young man led Bai Xiaoyu to the entrance of an underground chamber, where they encountered another group of people.

Even though both parties were wearing masks, they recognized each other almost instantly.

The person opposite was Bai Qi, accompanied by a man—Qi Yun.

Bai Qi looked at Bai Xiaoyu and said, "You actually dared leave D36? Aren't you afraid you won't be able to return?"

Bai Xiaoyu retorted, "You should be worried about yourself."

Bai Qi sneered, "By the way, I brought your boyfriend with me. Why don't the two of you have a reunion?"

Qi Yun looked at Bai Xiaoyu and walked over, attempting to link arms with him. The large black egg behind Bai Xiaoyu was displeased. It suddenly bounced up, and Bai Xiaoyu reached back to press it down, but the black egg, encased in its transparent shell, bounced up and slammed into Qi Yun, pinning him to the wall.

Bai Xiaoyu watched Qi Yun slowly slide down the wall and said, "We never got together, and we weren't meant to be that kind of relationship. Don’t make it sound like something it isn’t."

Hearing this, the large black egg bounced back onto Bai Xiaoyu's back.

Qi Yun felt like his bones had been scattered. He glared at the black egg. "Is this egg insane? It’s attacking people!"

Bai Xiaoyu ignored him, and Bai Qi didn’t respond either. After a moment of silent confrontation, Bai Qi snorted coldly and led his people away.

For now, they would let Bai Xiaoyu off, but they would settle things with him later.

After registering, Bai Xiaoyu went to a private room. There was still half an hour before it started. He leaned back on the large black egg and, without realizing it, fell into a deep sleep.

Once again, Bai Xiaoyu found himself dreaming. In the dream, the white tiger appeared again.

He was still hanging between the tiger's tail. The massive silver-white tiger looked at him and, with a gentle toss, placed the egg on the ground without a wobble.

The white tiger's tail pointed toward the direction of the breeding facility and then slowly closed its eyes to rest.

The message was clear. If it were him now, he wouldn’t dare disturb the tiger. But from the egg's limited perspective, Bai Xiaoyu knew that the egg understood the tiger's intentions. Yet, in the sunlight, the majestic white tiger was too beautiful to resist. Every silver-white hair seemed to glow, its sharp claws and deep, unfathomable beast-like eyes made it both powerful and captivating.

He could feel the egg's unrestrained admiration and even some inappropriate thoughts.

This big cat is so beautiful. I wish to keep it by my side.

Bai Xiaoyu thought that if this were the past him, something terrible would happen after such a thought. He wanted to hide his face in embarrassment because he knew himself too well.

Sure enough, the egg, still hanging by the tail, began to stir again.

The egg secretly observed for a moment, thinking the white tiger had fallen asleep, and quickly bounced over. But once again, the tail caught it and threw it even farther away.

But the egg was undeterred and rolled back again.

The back-and-forth continued until the egg was too exhausted to move. Marshal Bai, with an almost imperceptible sigh, used his tail to gently place the restless egg back into the breeding compartment. After resting, the egg rolled out again the next day.

For a whole week, the egg persistently 'harassed' the white tiger. Finally, Marshal Bai, using his tail, wrapped around the delicate egg again. Marshal Bai seemed to sigh almost imperceptibly.

This time, he used his tail to toss the egg again, but instead of throwing it far, he placed it beside him.

The egg, quite smart, seemed to understand that its efforts had finally earned it the right to approach the big cat. So, it shamelessly moved even closer.

The egg rolled toward the white tiger's soft, fluffy belly. But once again, the tail caught it.

The white tiger placed the unruly egg under its paw. The egg, seeing the pink paw pad, paid no attention to the sharp claws hidden within. It began rubbing against the elastic paw pad, bouncing off it playfully.

The white tiger watched for a while before letting the egg play with the paw. However, this leniency led to the other paws and tail suffering as well.

But Bai Xiaoyu, though covering his face, couldn't help but smile as he watched the egg’s behavior. He realized that this was the same trick the large black egg often used. The difference was that with the white tiger, the egg initiated the contact, whereas with the black egg, the paw would reach out to let the egg touch it.

After conquering the paw, the egg began to explore other areas, such as the head and back. Finally, the egg rolled down from the tiger's body and quickly slid under the white tiger's belly.

Bai Xiaoyu saw the white tiger stiffen. The tiger then used its claws to pull the egg out. But the egg would just roll back in, only to be pulled out again.

Finally, the egg achieved its goal and rolled around on the white tiger's furry belly. The white tiger remained stiff, allowing the egg to wreak havoc on its belly. Bai Xiaoyu, though covering his face, couldn't help but smile.

Beside him, the guards also found it incredible. The Marshal had always carried a menacing aura, and hardly any young cubs would remain unstartled by him. This egg was truly an oddity, boldly provoking the Marshal daily. Lately, many men and women had tried hard to achieve what this egg had done.

Watching the egg that charged in and out of the Marshal’s belly seven times, messing up the fur of the Marshal’s beast form beyond recognition, it was probably the only daring egg in the entire star system.

Through the dear egg, Bai Xiaoyu felt the sensation of extreme softness and warmth from the white tiger’s fur, and even in his sleep, he smiled.

His mental energy threads also kept emerging, involuntarily probing the nearby Big Black Egg.

After a moment, the bone tiger lowered its head and saw Bai Xiaoyu’s mental energy slowly transform into a round, transparent little egg about the size of a palm, rolling around on his belly. A single look showed this was a repeat offender.

Big Black froze. Why did it feel like he had experienced this before?