Chapter 27: Zao Zao ate your ‘brain’

Chapter 27: Zao Zao Ate Your "Mind"

What's the point of resisting fate when you've already surpassed it?

Mei Lun stared at the ceiling, thinking about this morbid joke.

But it didn't matter—His Majesty caught on quickly.

Mei Lun heard Amos’s footsteps—soft and even.

Amos walked to his bedside.

Mei Lun opened his mouth, trying to say something—

Then Amos bent down.

Mei Lun: ...?

Amos carefully picked up Xiao Chuzao, curled in the corner.

Mei Lun: ????

Amos let out a long breath, his whole body relaxing.

Mei Lun: ?????

So you didn’t even notice I was awake?!

I get that Zao Zao's important, but come on—I’m a patient too! How about a quick glance my way?

Amos turned—

Mei Lun: ?

Not even one little look?!

Mei Lun struggled to lift his hand and tapped the medical bed lightly—to show fate he wasn't giving up!

Only then did Amos finally turn toward him.

Moments later, medics from the Ninth Army Medical Unit rushed in.

They weren't particularly skilled in psychic energy, but reading the instruments? That was no problem.

After starting an IV nutrient drip, they propped Mei Lun up on pillows. Then they examined his halo carefully.

"Your Majesty," a medic reported.

"Prince Mei Lun’s psychic energy remains unchanged. When we observed the crown halo, all the complex branches had shattered, leaving only a simple ring. Normally, that would be extremely unstable—but somehow, Prince Mei Lun has stabilized. We suspect it has something to do with the gold filigree on his halo. It seems to have acted as reinforcement. But what exactly happened is unclear. This is something we’ve never seen before—we’ll need further research."

"Prince Mei Lun, do you remember what happened?"

Mei Lun weakly raised his hand, studying his palm.

His skin had gone pale, and even making a fist took effort. He’d never felt this weak before. Yet after the destruction of his homeworld, he'd also never felt so at ease.

"What happened?"

Mei Lun reminisced slowly.

"It was a premeditated attack targeting the Longlived race and mythic factions. The attacker was a royal prince I’d neutralized before for defying imperial authority. He carried a corrupting agent, which shattered my crown—at that moment, I saw an angel… It was Zao Zao. Zao Zao clutched my halo. It was odd—then suddenly, a weight lifted. I saw him piece my halo back together. After that, everything’s blank… Is Zao Zao okay?"

"The tests didn’t turn up anything. Aside from the injuries, his condition is similar to the checkup back on the imperial capital."

They'd already seen the scene Mei Lun described in the footage.

Mei Lun relaxed slightly, hacking weakly a few times.

"And, Your Majesty, what’s up with your psychic energy this time? Why so aggressive? You shoved me back down the second I opened my eyes!"

He sounded a little resentful.

After cheating death, Mei Lun, once gloomy, got some of his snark back.

"And I must say—a bald halo’s just plain ugly! Ugly, so damn ugly!"

Those jerks went too far!

That little golden crown was adorable! Gorgeous and beautiful!

Mei Lun was still blurring reality and dreams. Just awakened, he remained dazed, only remembering the infuriating scene he had witnessed—his mind still scrambled.

But when they heard this, everyone instinctively glanced at the halo above his head—yes, it was bare and bald.

Well, damn—

"Even though the crown didn't shatter… is he losing it?"

An Ya whispered to Frey.

Before Frey could answer, Mei Lun murmured again—"I'm not deaf."

"Oh, right. Uncle Mei, I suspect there might be something wrong with your mind."

An Ya added.

Mei Lun: "..."

Mei Lun ignored the brat.

He simply sat on the bed, staring off wistfully.

"Speaking of which, why are we still here? Why haven't we gone back to the imperial capital?"

Amos finally spoke.

He sat farther away, cradling the kid in his arms.

The child was still asleep, his halo faintly dimmed, revealing a hint of dark gold at one corner. None of them understood what it meant or what effect it might have.

The tiny wings on his back were slightly folded, pure white feathers brushing Amos’s fingers. His face was buried in Amos’s chest, cheeks slightly chubby, sleeping soft and rosy.

"Because payback's not done yet," Frey said, explaining to Mei Lun.

Mei Lun listened, his fists clenched until his knuckles whitened.

His original resentment had been replaced by the coldness inherent to the Crown Clan: "Did you track down the Thieves' leader yet?"

"Close, but they got away too fast. We didn’t want to tip them off, so we played it careful this time. After picking up a trail, we sent people to hit one of their distant camps to keep them from getting suspicious. Oh, and Uncle Kaman’s here—he killed the signal a while back, but we think he’s still around somewhere."

"Kaman?"

Mei Lun immediately turned his gaze.

"Why is he here?"

"We think his halo’s failing too. Probably scouting a place to die."

"He wants to blow up these Thieves? Is he nuts? These Thieves aren’t worth his time! He ran off for years just for this?"

Mei Lun's voice dripped with annoyance.

He clamped down on the surge of emotion.

Kaman’s life was nearing its end—another one gone from the shrinking Crown Clan.

"There’s one more thing."

Frey paused, then tacked on.

"Job and Joshua wandered into the pollution zone. Looks like they’re on their last legs."

—That cursed fate.

The twin Crown Clan members who had left Saint Cas Empire had charged into the poisoned area they never should’ve entered, blinded by rage, hellbent on wrecking everything.

"How’s this happening already?!" Mei Lun abruptly pushed himself upright.

"No way. Sure, each generation dies a bit earlier than the last, but not by much. Your Crown Clan generation shouldn’t start dropping dead for decades. How could it be starting now? We gotta step in—we can’t just sit this out! Pinpoint their location!"

If it started now, wouldn’t that mean that by the time those decades passed—when this generation should only just begin breaking and dying—most would already be gone?

They were a mythical race. All Crown Clan members were family, close friends, siblings not by blood, but by something deeper. Once one died from crown shattering despair, the next would follow, then the next—despair snowballing until barely any were left.

If Job and Joshua weren't stopped, they might kick off Amos’s generation’s spiral into doom—

But maybe not.

It hit Mei Lun late… he’d survived.

Even after his crown shattered.

Maybe the room was too crowded, the emotions too raw—his voice cracked, louder than he meant.

Little Chuzao, dozing softly, slowly lifted one eyelid.

His little halo flickered to life—like a system booting up.

Bleary-eyed, he rubbed a tiny fist, then spotted Amos.

"Daddy?"

That tiny voice cut through the arguing like a knife.

All the Crown Clan members present turned their gaze to Amos’s arms.

The little one slowly sat up in Amos’s embrace, his golden halo gradually rising, shimmering brightly. From Mei Lun’s angle, only the glowing ring and the soft black crown of his head were visible.

“Daddy, you’re back?”

Xiao Chuzao reached out, thought for a moment, then placed his tiny hand on Amos’s shoulder.

He was still a bit groggy.

“Was Zao Zao asleep for long?”

“Not too long, sweetheart.”

Still sleepy, the child murmured softly, “Where’s Grandpa Mei Lun? Is Grandpa Mei Lun still sleeping?”

“Zao Zao—”

Mei Lun’s voice rang out suddenly.

Half-asleep, Xiao Chuzao’s eyes suddenly widened. He pushed himself up slightly with his hands on Amos’s shoulders and looked toward the medical bed.

“Grandpa Mei Lun!”

His little wings buzzed excitedly behind him as he wriggled out of Amos’s arms and scampered to the bedside, standing on tiptoes to peer over the edge.

“Grandpa Mei Lun—”

Mei Lun had been just about to tease him.

But the next second, his tiny voice cracked, shifting abruptly into a sob.

Mei Lun froze, panicking.

“Zao Zao thought—Zao Zao thought Grandpa Mei Lun wouldn’t wake up… Waa… Daddy said Grandpa Mei Lun would wake up, so Zao Zao kept waiting—Grandpa Mei Lun, you slept… for so, so long—so long—”

His little shoulders shook as tears streamed down uncontrollably.

In Zao Zao’s tiny world, so few people had ever stepped inside.

He had been given so little.

And so, he cherished every single one beyond measure.

Sniffling, his eyes red, he looked up at Mei Lun, whispering, “This is so good… Grandpa Mei Lun, we can go see the snow together again next time.”

Mei Lun’s eyes welled up too.

He loved children dearly.

The children of their kind brought joy just by being there, even if they did nothing at all.

He had always believed that his fondness for Xiao Chuzao was simply because he loved children in general.

But that wasn’t true.

He cherished this little one—not for any other reason, but simply because he was himself.

Memories flashed through his mind—Mei Lun didn’t know how to express it, but he wanted the child to know: he deserved to be loved—deeply and completely.

And now—weak as he was, he still had to give Zao Zao a hug…

Then the little one was picked up by Amos, who had just walked over.

Amos looked down, meeting the child’s gaze.

“Zao Zao, Mei Lun is awake. We should move to another lounge now.”

Xiao Chuzao blinked his big eyes at Amos.

He’d been allowed to stay with Mei Lun earlier because the little one was so worried and refused to leave.

Now that Mei Lun was awake, there was no immediate threat.

“Mei Lun is still very tired.”

Mei Lun: …?

“He still needs rest.”

Mei Lun: …???

“His spiritual energy is still low.”

Mei Lun: Wait a minute! He just woke up! He feels perfectly fine! And spiritual energy depletion? Who was it that just drained his energy in one go—Your Majesty, maybe you should think about that yourself?!

The little boy thought for a second, then nodded.

“Then Zao Zao won’t disturb Grandpa Mei Lun’s rest.”

Amos gave a slight nod.

Mei Lun: “I—”

The little one peeked his head out. “Grandpa Mei Lun, you must rest well. Zao Zao will come play with you later.”

Looking at that delicate little face, those amber eyes gazing at him with a faint shimmer of tears—just one glance was enough to melt anyone’s heart. Mei Lun opened his mouth, but his protests died in his throat. All he could manage was a grudging “Okay.”

He needed to get better!

Mei Lun had a keen sense that the Crown Clan was about to go through changes. Whether they would be big or small, good or bad for the clan, one thing was absolutely clear to him—he was going to become Xiao Chuzao’s favorite grandpa!

Three days had passed since Mei Lun woke up.

The search mission by the Saint Cas Empire’s 9th Army had stopped. Some starships returned to the imperial capital as decoys, while the rest remained silent. This massive force lay hidden in the star system like a venomous snake lying in wait.

The Falcon Thieves seemed to believe they had achieved yet another stalemate victory against the Saint Cas Empire.

The celebratory banquet went on as planned on a nomad planet not far from Saint Cas territory.

Mei Lun had been recovering well during this time. His repaired, bare halo hadn’t changed, and his wounds were mostly healed.

Saint Cas’ forces had already locked onto these clueless partiers, unaware of the seriousness of the situation, and were simply waiting to strike.

Amos decided to lead the mission himself.

An Ya and Frey would join him.

Mei Lun wanted to come along, but he was refused because his shattered crown might still be unstable. He was left alone aboard the 9th Army’s flagship.

Yes, [he wanted to go] alone.

An Ya, Frey, and Mei Lun weren't the only ones who noticed Amos's unusual behavior these past few days—many soldiers in the 9th Army also sensed it.

During these three days, Amos kept watch over the little cub, hardly letting him out of his sight.

The child not only had to remain within Amos's psychic field but also within his line of sight.

The situation hadn't eased at all—if anything, it seemed worse than before.

Perhaps Amos had been traumatized by the distressed condition Xiao Chuzao was in when he found him.

This time, when dealing with the thieves, Amos wasn't about to let Xiao Chuzao leave his side.

With three hours left before departure, Frey and An Ya had already made their preparations and came to Amos in turn.

Over the past few days, Xiao Chuzao and Mei Lun had mostly been recuperating and had barely interacted with Frey and An Ya—especially An Ya. The little cub would immediately grow wary upon seeing her, reaching to remove his halo, which frustrated An Ya to no end, though there was nothing she could do about it.

The once-arrogant member of the Crown Clan now looked somewhat deflated, her hair drooping as she trailed behind her elder brother.

Frey: "Bringing Zao Zao along on this mission isn't a good idea."

Amos was currently standing in the corridor of the 9th Army's flagship, looking out the viewport at the scene beyond.

Behind him, the door to a spacious room was slightly ajar. Inside, Xiao Chuzao sat on a soft carpet, playing with something, while Mei Lun—who should have been resting in the medical bay—was beside him.

Hearing this, Amos merely glanced over—

"Is that so?"

The emperor appeared unchanged from before, radiating calm control. He simply turned and walked toward the door behind him, pushed it open, and his quiet reply came to them:

"But I've already learned my lesson once."

Leaving the cub in what he thought was a safe place—he had already suffered the consequences of that mistake once before.

"These are all raw potatoes."

The tiny cub rummaged through the bag of potatoes sent earlier by the Wen siblings. The cooked ones had already been handed out, and the rest had been nibbled on while he played.

Only this bag of raw ones remained.

"Oh, does Zao Zao like these?"

Mei Lun crouched in front of the little cub, smiling warmly.

"How about Grandpa roasts all these potatoes for you?"

Xiao Chuzao immediately looked up, clutching the bag of potatoes protectively.

"No."

His voice was soft but firm, his cheeks puffing slightly with wariness.

"These are Zao Zao's seeds."

Mei Lun paused.

He read the cub's face carefully.

The little one bowed his head, his thick lashes fluttering like little fans, making his thoughts unreadable. His tone carried a hint of uncertainty, but after a moment’s thought, he dug one out of the bag and handed it to Mei Lun.

“If Grandpa Mei Lun wants to roast it, go ahead and roast one. But Zao Zao’s not crazy about eating it. They say these are easy to grow, so Zao Zao wants to try planting them when we get back.”

Mei Lun automatically accepted the potato from the child, though he didn’t mention the strange dream he’d had.

Truthfully, when he came to his senses and looked back on the dream, he found it absurd—was it some weird fantasy he’d dreamed up about the little one?

But now, as he looked at him, for a brief moment—the image of the sniffling little one crouched before barren land, trembling with quiet sobs, merged with Xiao Chuzao standing before him.

Mei Lun’s hand unconsciously tightened until Frey nudged him—

Only then did Mei Lun snap out of it, looking down at the potato in his grip. The poor potato was almost squashed.

The youngling who had just handed over the vegetable stared at the mangled potato, then at Mei Lun. His tiny wings slowly unfurled behind him, showing his bewilderment—he seemed ready to snatch the rest and run.

The little one was still the same little one, ducking for cover at the first sign of trouble.

Mei Lun: …

Quickly, Mei Lun set the potato down to prove his innocence, blurting out without thinking:

“I was just thinking about something, just a little thing—when we go back, how about Grandpa plants potatoes with Zao Zao? Grandpa’s really good at it! Grandpa’s dream was to be a farmer!”

An Ya sneered. *As if.* Dreamed of being a farmer? Back in your youth, you wanted to be a ‘farmer’—tilling the soil of those ill-intentioned planets! Who would believe that…

“Really?”

The little one leaned in closer, eyes lighting up.

An Ya: “…”

His small hands clutched Mei Lun’s clothes as he tilted his head up, his halo glowing brightly.

“Zao Zao has never grown anything alive before. Will Grandpa Mei Lun teach Zao Zao?”

Not only had he never succeeded in growing anything, but whenever he asked why, the answer was always the same—that as an outcast, the God of Nature refused to acknowledge him. No one had ever taught him.

The little one had tripped and struggled his way through life, raising himself all this time.

But if seeds wouldn’t grow in the soil, the fault had to be with the God of Nature!

That was what the earnest little one truly believed.

Mei Lun looked at Xiao Chuzao and gently stroked his soft cheek. “Of course.”

He’d go read up on farming guides as soon as they got back!

An Ya: “????”

An Ya staggered back, completely flabbergasted.

The little one beamed, only then realizing that behind him, Amos and the others had been watching for a while.

The little one popped up. “Daddy!”

Amos stepped forward and reached out to pick him up.

He glanced at the bag of raw potatoes, then at the now-empty potato bag nearby.

"Did you eat all of them?"

Amos knew this—the supplies sent from Saint Cas's Mining Planet No. 78 had already passed inspection.

He just hadn't expected that in just a few days—while still drinking cub formula for supplemental nutrition and growth—the little guy had polished off all those extra potatoes too.

Xiao Chuzao nodded, holding up his little hands to demonstrate. "I ate too much the first day, made myself too full. After that, Zao Zao ate less."

It wasn't hunger.

He just felt a little snacky, always wanting to eat something—like a biological instinct, where your body tells you what nutrients you need, urging you to replenish them.

"The quantity isn't really too much."

Frey took a look and ran a quick calculation.

"It's still within a relatively normal range."

"Daddy, are we going soon?"

Xiao Chuzao was already used to clinging to Amos's neck.

"Not quite yet."

Amos finally set the little guy down.

He sat beside the child himself.

He turned his attention to Mei Lun. At this moment, Amos was fairly relaxed, not wearing his Emperor of Saint Cas demeanor. His black hair was slightly soft and wavy, giving his handsome, stern face a more relaxed look.

"Uncle Mei Lun, you should be in the medical bay by now."

"Hey, Your Majesty, no disrespect, but I think you should get your psychic energy properly checked."

Mei Lun complained. Though this cub was different from the Crown Clan’s offspring in the past—Xiao Chuzao had appeared suddenly at age five, so his background remained unclear—Amos, however, was different. He behaved entirely unlike any Crown Clan member who’d ever had a cub before.

"No parent smothers their cub like this. They need more space to grow and explore."

Not like Amos, who kept such a close watch at all times.

Being overprotective isn't good for either the cub or the parent.

Amos looked at him, his wings spreading slowly as he naturally tucked the little cub beneath them, pressing a button on his communicator to contact the medical bay.

"Have Mei Lun taken back for more treatment later."

Mei Lun: ...Wonderful, you completely ignored what I just said, didn’t you?

And—

"Treatment? I'm completely fine now, Your Majesty. I don't think I need further treatment. I'm strong enough to rip apart a Star Beast bare-handed. If you'd grant me the opportunity, you and your cub—and brothers—could wait right here for news of me shredding the Falcon Organization to pieces."

As he spoke, Mei Lun raised his hand.

His Psychic Weapon, shaped like small throwing knives, materialized in his palm.

Gleaming from tip to tip, the silver-black blades looked exactly as they always had.

After all, the halo is merely a limiter for the Crown Clan; psychic power does not weaken when the halo shatters.

Hidden beneath Amos’s wings, Xiao Chuzao gazed fixedly at Mei Lun’s Psychic Weapon, his eyes wide and unblinking.

Mei Lun noticed this and smiled as he handed a fragment of the Psychic Weapon to Xiao Chuzao.

“Does Zao Zao want to take a look? Grandpa Mei isn’t weak at all now—thanks to you, I’m doing much better.”

Xiao Chuzao received the Psychic Weapon fragment with both hands.

Since it was being held by a little one, Mei Lun’s Psychic Energy posed no threat. Under his special attention, he could practically see the curious child examining the fragment from all angles.

The weapon, which looked small in Mei Lun’s hand, required both of the child’s hands to hold. As he studied it, he gulped—why did it look so... delicious?

Xiao Chuzao swallowed again. He couldn’t resist. He snuggled deeper into Amos’s wings.

Zao Zao is just going to take a tiny nibble to try!

Just one bite.

Mei Lun felt a strange tug on the Psychic Weapon fragment he had been closely monitoring.

He instinctively looked over.

There he saw the little one tucked in Amos’s wings—so small and adorable—opening his mouth, eyeing it carefully, finding the perfect spot, and then tentatively sinking his teeth in.

Mei Lun: So cute…

Mei Lun: ???!!!

“Zao Zao!!!”

Zao Zao has eaten your “brain” (Psychic Weapon).