Chapter 55: Master of Hide and Seek!

Chapter 55 The Master of Hide-and-Seek!

Finn: Fine, fine, go ahead and tattle—

"Ow! Second Brother, are we skipping the training grounds now?"

You're just hitting me straight up?

I really can't win—

"Elder Brother, help me!"

Frey stretched out a hand, the usually stoic young Crown Clan member looking completely powerless in the clash between the Clan’s top two fighters.

In the end, Finn panicked and jumped straight from the palace’s third floor.

Amos, left holding just Finn’s jacket: ...

Classic Finn—even his escapes are uniquely stylish.

"Oh ho, he didn’t even use his wings."

Fei Man leaned against the window and glanced down, watching Finn crash into the bushes, then scramble up covered in leaves before shooting a single glance upward and bolting.

"Ah, youth."

Mei Lun had already entered and settled onto the sofa beside the little one, pouring himself a cup of tea with a sigh.

He was old, he was past his prime—he needed to stay by the little one’s side to recharge with some youthful energy!

"But you're really letting Finn handle all the teaching?"

That's way too irresponsible.

Amos was still staring downstairs, his sharply handsome yet lazily intimidating face tinged with speechlessness. His strict self-discipline kept his posture ramrod straight, his muscular frame faintly visible beneath his black military uniform. His outfit resembled a long coat, its hem sweeping low, left unbuttoned and fastened only by golden chains. Earlier, while dealing with Finn, the noble Amos had pushed up his sleeves.

The veins on the back of his hand stood out slightly as he held Finn’s jacket before tossing it carelessly onto a nearby chair.

"He dealt with those Bael Union forces pretty efficiently before. I thought he’d gotten a little more reliable."

"Pity. Seems it was just his weird luck at work again."

Mei Lun chuckled and shrugged, egging him on.

"As an elder brother, King Amos ought to properly discipline His Highness Finn."

Amos wholeheartedly agreed.

The little one, who had just finished answering Amos’ questions from the sofa, had been struggling to muster that sneeze. Too distracted earlier to notice his surroundings, he now widened his eyes at the news of Third Uncle jumping from the upper floor. The sneeze, halfway brewed, got abruptly stifled again.

Xiao Chuzao, clutching his handkerchief: ...

Ah... so uncomfortable QAQ

But he wanted to see how Third Uncle was doing.

The child hopped off the sofa and hurried to the window, standing on tiptoes as his tiny hands gripped the ledge, trying to pull himself up for a look.

But the windowsill was far too high for a child his size.

The little wings on the tiny one’s back, which had been lazily still for a long time, suddenly twitched, poised to carry the little one airborne any second.

Standing beside the little one, Fei Man gently picked him up.

The little one slowly widened his eyes.

He first glanced at Fei Man, then looked downstairs.

All he saw was his third uncle beating a hasty retreat.

Then, turning his head, he met Fei Man’s unblinking, laser-focused stare.

Fei Man’s appearance was just as misleading as Finn’s—one seemed calm and composed but was lively inside, while the other appeared sunny and cheerful but was actually dark and twisted.

Xiao Chuzao’s little face had grown soft and rosy during this time, and Fei Man stared at it for a long while. This time, she was very polite.

"Zao Zao, Auntie’s gonna melt from your cuteness, really—let Auntie kiss you, just once—"

It’s been so, so, so long since Auntie last kissed you!!!

Auntie wants to kiss little Zao Zao so badly she’s about to twist!

If she can’t kiss little Zao Zao soon, when she finally loses control, she’s going to kiss him *a lot*!

Both his human form and his little white fluffball form—she hasn’t even kissed the fluffy version yet!

Fei Man spoke these utterly giggly, unhinged remarks in an eerily calm tone.

Though he couldn’t hear her thoughts, the increasingly distorted psychic energy radiating from Fei Man made Xiao Chuzao’s spine tingle.

Crap! Trapped in Auntie’s clutches!

Xiao Chuzao pinned his little wings flat behind him. He really wanted to refuse.

But he had a feeling—if he refused now, he’d regret it later.

So, with his wings tucked in, he whispered softly, "Only one teensy kiss, ’kay?"

A moment later, Chu Zao sat on the small sofa, his little wings puffed out indignantly, cheeks puffed out.

Kiss monster!!

Fei Man was unceremoniously booted out by Amos, while Frey had just gone after Finn.

Now, apart from Xiao Chuzao, only An Ya and Mei Lun were left in the room.

Mei Lun was still plotting his route—"This afternoon, I’ll go see Hale and Morlo. Their Psychic Weapons for sure haven’t gotten the Zao Zao treatment—"

Zao Zao only gnaws on Amos’ these days.

Very few in the Crown Clan had their Psychic Weapons gnawed on by the little one, and before, the Crown Clan had been downright *terrified* of letting him near their Psychic Weapons. Now that the little one wasn’t actively seeking them out, though they eyed him wistfully, they were too proud to volunteer theirs.

So—

Time to rub it in!

The little one finally settled down, clutching his little handkerchief again as he tried to work up that giant sneeze that had been interrupted multiple times.

An Ya gave a pointed cough. He had watched as Finn snagged the gig teaching the little one archery, and Fei Man made zero effort to hide it—she seized every chance to plant kisses all over Zao Zao. Only he—only he—

Known you the longest, noticed the least!

An Ya thought carefully for a moment, then slowly inched closer to the cub.

"Ahem, actually, recently, I've been learning archery too. Since Finn probably won't be back this afternoon, why not let me try teaching you...?"

Xiao Chuzao gazed vacantly ahead, his tiny mouth opening: "Huh...?"

An Ya: "...?"

An Ya: "I didn't plan to learn this, either. I just had some free time sometimes."

An Ya: "Believe me, I don't have any ulterior motives. But I've put in effort too."

An Ya: "Also, you're a cub of the Crown Clan. This is something I should do."

An Ya: "It's only right that the elders in the clan support your growth."

An Ya: "After all, you're going to be the new emperor of Saint Cas."

An Ya: "Alright, alright, I'll apologize again. I shouldn't have said you looked like a cockroach. *I'm* the roach, alright?"

An Ya: "You've already bonked me with the crown. What else are you mad about? If you don't say anything, I'm leaving—"

An Ya: "I'm really leaving? ...Ah, sorry, I was wrong, okay? So what were you ‘ah’-ing about? Give me a..."

The cub: "Aaaah—CHOOOO!!!"

Phew, much better!

Xiao Chuzao blinked up confusedly, meeting An Ya's gaze.

"Uncle, what was Uncle saying to Zao Zao? There was too much, Zao Zao didn't pay attention—"

An Ya: ...

Cue the sound of An Ya losing it.

Mei Lun, who had watched the entire scene, was shaking with laughter.

An Ya stiffly, slowly turned his head to look at Mei Lun.

An Ya: ..."Don't tell anyone. Please, Uncle Mei Lun."

Mei Lun finally broke into guffaws.

Amos, who entered a step late, looked confused seeing An Ya's meltdown, Mei Lun wheezing with laughter, and the little cub sitting in the middle of the sofa wiping his nose.

What happened?

Was this some weird clan plague targeting the Crown Clan?

Amos paused, then stepped forward, scooped up the cub, and quickly left.

Wouldn't want it rubbing off on his cub.

As for his brother and uncle?

They can handle themselves.

In good health—not dying anytime soon.

*

Over an hour later.

Amos carried the little one to the training ground.

The little guy's halo swayed atop his head as he curiously asked Amos, *"Friends?"*

"Yeah, sure, friends a few years older than you—you could call them that."

Amos thought for a moment and explained to the little one,

"They're all top students of this generation in the First Army. Once Zao Zao gets familiar with them, he can build them into his own network and assign them to wherever he wants to take control."

"Oh..."

The little one was only five years old, and truth be told, he hadn't even lived in this environment for half a year yet. He was growing quickly, but he hadn't yet reached that level of understanding. This was all still over his head. He simply clung to Amos' neck and asked softly,

"Are they friends?"

The little one's wings fluttered gently.

"Zao Zao didn't have friends before."

His big eyes sparkled: "They wouldn't play with Zao Zao."

In Xiao Chuzao's past five years, reaching out hopefully, only to slink away, had been the main theme of his life.

In the Realm of Angels, he had never encountered an angel who accepted him. All the little angels his age looked at him with sideways looks.

Friends?

Back then, they were like family—something others had but he could only watch from afar, never able to grasp for himself.

But now, the little guy was happy enough.

He had so many family members. He threw his arms wide.

He had more than enough already.

He was very satisfied.

Amos let out a slow sigh.

"Mhm, Zao Zao is still young. It'll all come with time."

The little one flapped his tiny wings and caught sight of the training field in the distance.

Before they even got close, the little one slowly widened his eyes. He had already seen a ten-year-old boy training nimbly on the equipment. It wasn't that he could make out the boy's appearance or expression from this distance—it was the little one's sensitivity to spiritual energy that allowed him to sense the intense pressure radiating from the other even from afar.

It wasn't intentional on the boy's part, but his spiritual energy was off the charts, so even the unintentional leakage of it was enough for someone sensitive to detect.

"They're here—is that King Amos? Then the one in King Amos' arms must be—the *Little Highness*!"

Peng Liang mouthed excitedly, waving Yun Songquan and Chao Huangmu over, who were still training.

Yun Songquan instinctively stopped what he was doing, while Chao Huangmu, who had been training on the equipment, couldn't stop on a dime. He prepared to land, but before that, his eyes flicked toward them.

Chao Huangmu only remembered the adorable little face of the young cub he had seen before, and later, in the repeated recordings, that slightly trembling yet cool little dude.

It was hard to describe what he felt the first time he saw this Little Highness.

It was like going through the motions, pushing himself toward the goal of being first, only to find it too easy—until the world went back to being boring, and then he stumbled onto something that got his blood pumping.

Chao Huangmu was even surprised—he never expected himself to be a total softie for cute things.

Watching Xiao Chuzao grow, his normally unshakable composure started slipping.

This time, Chao Huangmu finally got why Saint Cas's residents held those emotions toward the Crown Clan.

But just as he looked over, the cub, still not fully recovered from the pollen allergy, was clutching a hankie as a precaution. A gust of wind blew by, and the little one seemed momentarily distracted—his grip loosened, and the handkerchief flew up, landing right on the cub’s little glowing halo.

Xiao Chuzao came to his senses, swiped at it twice but failed to dislodge it, then simply yanked off the whole crown, retrieved the handkerchief, and stuck it back on.

Chao Huangmu, still on the equipment: …?

The two waiting to pay respects and the instructor nearby: …

Wait a minute—if I remember right, the Crown Clan’s crown isn’t supposed to be removable, right?!

Why can you take it off?!

Is that okay?!

Chao Huangmu, an orphan with mixed heritage, arrived in Saint Cas after the age of five and was taken in by the nation. His psychic energy was unique and exceptionally strong, so he understood the significance of the Crown Clan’s crown all too well.

Shocked, Chao Huangmu lost his hold—and went airborne.

"Ah… Brother Mu…"

Peng Liang could only watch helplessly.

Brother Mu had taken flight.

Chao Huangmu tried to right himself midair, but it was too late—he tumbled across the ground several times before coming to a dusty stop, then staggered toward Amos, barely managing to kneel on one knee before him.

Amos: …

Xiao Chuzao: …?

The little cub poked his head out.

"Your Majesty, Little Highness—"

"Apologies, Your Majesty. I froze up there just now."

The boy’s young but steady voice rang out, sounding unruffled even after that mess, still keeping it together overall.

Chao Huangmu hung his head, his brain short-circuiting—his picture-perfect debut… was *gone*!!

What was that just now?!

The hell was that?!

The instructor in charge couldn’t hold back—a snorted out a laugh, shoulders shaking.

Even Amos cracked a smile.

"You can get up."

The youngling was also set down by Amos.

Xiao Chuzao curiously looked at the big brother who came tumbling toward him.

He glanced at the small handkerchief in his hand that he hadn't used yet, then at Chao Huangmu's dust-covered face. He handed the handkerchief over.

As the youngling spoke, his tiny wings fluttered unconsciously behind him, like a baby bird still begging for food: "Here, wipe your face. Zao Zao hasn't used it yet."

Chao Huangmu took the handkerchief.

He quickly glanced at Zao Zao's face: "Thank you."

He said with a natural smile—warm and friendly, giving no hint of what he was truly thinking inside.

Today was just about meeting each other. The little one could usually come play with them after their training sessions.

Given his age, the youngling would also join the First Army's class, though he wouldn't need to attend daily. Most subjects were already taught by the Crown Clan. This was mostly for official records, along with some unique courses for the little one to learn and meet more peers his age.

This had been considered by the Crown Clan.

Since there were no other young Crown Clan members around, the little one could only socialize more externally.

However, there was a small issue. Though the age gap was only four or five years, the kid was much shorter, while these young boys were quite tall. The youngling had to tilt his head way back to look up at them.

Xiao Chuzao, soft and tiny, with his small wings folded and a beautiful little halo atop his head, left the three boys speechless.

After brief introductions, there was an awkward silence.

Peng Liang wanted to say something, but he found—Come on mouth, say something! Where are my words?!

"Th-this is... my gift for Little Highness."

Yun Songquan stepped forward first. The normally steady boy tripped over his words as he handed a few books to Xiao Chuzao.

The youngling automatically took them and glanced at the titles: "Thank you... Yun Songquan?"

The little one had been learning to read with Mr. Hale recently and had already learned many characters.

Now, looking at the name list handed over by the instructor, the youngling eagerly looked up at Amos.

Amos encouraged him: "Mm, yes. Zao Zao is amazing."

The kid's wings gave a proud little flap behind him.

Then he turned to the nervous Peng Liang.

He didn't know the character "Peng" yet, but Peng Liang had just introduced himself, and the name was pretty easy to remember: "Peng Liang."

"Correct."

Amos nodded in agreement.

Finally, meeting Chao Huangmu's eager look, the youngling saw his name.

Xiao Chuzao just stared...

For slightly more complicated names, Xiao Chuzao couldn't remember them right away, and he didn’t recognize these three characters.

So silence, a long silence.

Sorry, Zao Zao is still barely literate QAQ

Chao Huangmu: ...Sorry my name is so complicated QAQ

The three instructors were given some rest time, with Amos standing nearby, watching as the three stayed by the little one, chatting with the young cub. Chao Huangmu grinned, showing his little fangs, helping the kid learn his name.

Later, when the little one enrolls at the military academy, these three will accompany him.

Amos watched from behind for a long time, feeling strangely nervous about his own cub going out to socialize.

The afternoon flew by.

Xiao Chuzao still had classes to attend, while the trio’s training had ended, and they needed to return to the military academy. They had a minor exam coming up, which they still had to participate in.

When the three walked out of the royal court, they all sighed in relief.

"From afar, I didn’t notice—but up close… he’s tiny?! Wow, I even prepared so many compliments as you suggested, and none of them worked. By the way, dude, I’ve never heard you use such a high-pitched voice before—it was kinda weird."

Peng Liang shrugged his shoulders as he looked at Chao Huangmu.

Chao Huangmu, with the cub’s handkerchief tucked in his pocket, beamed, all traces of gloom gone. He shoved Peng Liang away.

"Buzz off—don’t hold me up from going to see the fortune teller."

Peng Liang: ?

Yun Songquan: ?

"Why do you still need to go?"

"They’re really accurate!" Chao Huangmu looked at them. "Little Highness gave me his handkerchief and even said that when I flipped over earlier, I was all shiny! He asked me what it was—he thought I was cool!"

Chao Huangmu was still grinning, that cocky, youthful grin. "Of course, you guys wouldn’t understand."

Peng Liang: ...

Yun Songquan: ...

"Show-off!"

"You really nailed smug teasing."

"So annoying—"

"You actually believe that fortune teller? Alright, hook me up, I’ll see if they’re really that useful—"

Peng Liang and Yun Songquan ran after him.

The communicator at Peng Liang’s waist lit up.

Peng Liang instinctively picked it up and glanced at it, his face went blank.

"What’s wrong?"

Yun Songquan noticed his odd expression and asked quietly.

"My grandfather's health has been very poor lately... My dad messaged me saying he's already lost consciousness three times this week. One of his assistants was on a starship that went missing, and the shock overwhelmed him; he's still unconscious."

Peng Liang frowned.

Peng Liang's grandfather was a celebrated agricultural authority in the Saint Cas Empire, and his spiritual energy had been unstable for years.

Though he lived on the imperial planet, he resided in a remote area, tending to vast fields.

Yun Songquan also fell silent for a moment.

"We should go see him soon. As for the missing starship, the military will take care of it."

*

Meanwhile, Xiao Chuzao was in class.

It was an archery lesson.

Amos had temporarily dismissed Finn, deciding to see for himself what the kid had been learning lately.

"Third Uncle’s doing?"

The kid looked up at Amos.

"Yep."

Amos stood beside An Ya and nodded.

Recently, Finn’s task had been to teach the kid how to harness the power he’d used during the last livestream.

The kid closed his eyes, focusing, then stretched out his small hand and gave a gentle squeeze.

Under a golden light, his Cupid’s bow slowly took shape.

The warm golden light lit up the kid’s face, making him look downright angelic.

It was already becoming apparent—Amos found the scene strangely familiar.

The kid then raised the bow with flair, drew the string, and a brilliant golden halo flashed as the arrow shot forth—predictably, it was Love and Peace.

Yes, an extra-glittery Love and Peace.

Without aiming, the energy arrow struck the target, doing no damage but bursting into a burst of sparkles.

Flashy but useless.

Amos: "..."

An Ya: "..."

The kid looked up at Amos, wide, hopeful eyes.

Amos: "...Oh. Finn, but shinier."

He should’ve seen this coming.

"So this is what your Third Uncle taught you?"

The kid beamed innocently, wasting no time throwing Finn under the bus: "Third Uncle said as long as it looks awesome, it’ll help me get into the groove."

Amos: "...Fantastic."

Finn, who was handling affairs, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

After dinner, Finn was hauled off by Amos to the training ground for a scolding.

Meanwhile, the little cub had some after-dinner activities to aid digestion. After a simple walk and exercise, Hale played games with him—a form of training for Crown Clan youngsters. Cubs of this age were still fascinated by hide-and-seek, and concealing their mental energy was a skill they had to practice from an early age.

Hale sat in the living room, giving the cub time to hide. After a while, he would start searching while assessing whether the little one had concealed his mental energy well. From initially being found every time, the cub had improved significantly.

On the training ground, Amos stepped down from the platform, lightly adjusting his sleeve. Finn lay sprawled on the ground, staring dully at the ceiling, completely defeated. Eventually, he got up, limping after Amos as they headed toward Dwight’s palace.

On the way, they bumped into Frey, who was returning. An Ya and Fei Man had already gone back to the palace ahead of them.

Frey had received new intel.

"Recently, several starships have vanished near the former Bael Union star sector. This morning, we received a report that a civilian starship from Saint Cas disappeared—hundreds of passengers and the ship itself vanished without a trace. By noon, the nearest military forces were dispatched to search, but they found no leads when they got there. It’s unclear whether this is due to pirates taking advantage of the chaos of the Bael Union’s collapse or something else."

Amos glanced over—

"No information at all?"

"None."

"The Bael Union’s downfall is inseparable from the Hymn Organization. If it’s happening in that star sector, we can’t rule out their involvement."

Amos’s face darkened.

Behind him, Finn—who was usually carefree and always joking around—instantly lost his smile. When he lifted his head again, his boyish face was filled with cold intensity. He tilted his head slightly, his eyes sharp, his demeanor suddenly steady. "Second Brother, do you need me to investigate?"

"Search first," Amos ordered.

"Get a read on the situation. If necessary, Finn, you and Fei Man will lead separate teams to investigate."

"Understood."

Near the Bael Union star sector.

*

Aboard a starship.

"Are the experimental materials sufficient this time?"

A cloaked figure sat in the command seat, speaking softly.

"With everything in chaos here, snatching a few shouldn’t raise alarms."

"Yes, Sir. We have enough, but this morning we intercepted a starship from Saint Cas. Should we release them...?"

"Release them?"

The figure abruptly stood up.

"Saint Cas, the Crown Clan—hah... Why should we release them? Have the labs we funded apply their latest experimental techniques on them. Let them witness the fate of the Bael Union under the rule of the longlived race. Use both coercive and non-coercive means to turn them against their own. I refuse to believe—the Crown Clan escaped once by luck, but can they escape a second time? Is Saint Cas truly an unbreakable united front?"

Saint Cas Imperial Star, Imperial Court.

*

Amos and the others had arrived at the palace.

The moment they stepped inside, they saw An Ya and Fei Man waiting by the entrance.

Seeing the three of them enter, the two gestured for them to keep quiet.

"Zao Zao has been hiding his mental energy for a while now. Mr. Hale hasn't found him yet."

But no sooner had they said this than the little one's mental energy gave a little pulse.

Fei Man immediately lit up with a grin.

"Alright, that's enough. Come on, let's hunt down Zao Zao."

Finn, meanwhile, tried to sense the little one's location but was scratching his head in confusion.

"Why hide there?"

As for Amos, the moment he stepped into the palace, he blanketed the whole palace with his mental energy. Sensing something, he quirked a brow and walked ahead.

Upstairs, Hale also detected the little one's location and came downstairs.

Several Crown Clan folks gathered at a small corner of the first-floor balcony.

There was a small stand piled with sorted paperwork, yet to be sent out. Between the stand and the adjacent wall was a tiny hole, about half a meter off the ground.

Here...?

You're quite the hide-and-seek champ, huh?

"Did he turn into a tiny puffball and squeeze in there?"

"Zao Zao, time to come out now."

Found at last, the hiding Xiao Chuzao blinked his eyes, his little wings trembling slightly, though they were pinned awkwardly to his sides in the cramped space—hard to move.

"Awoo~"

Got it.

The soft, babyish voice of the little one came from the hole.

Then, from the hole emerged... a small dragon's tail?

The hole wasn't big, and the little one had wedged himself in headfirst, unable to turn around. So, he had to back out the way he came in.

Thus, Hale and the rest of the Crown Clan watched as the little white fluffball's little bottom popped out, followed by two stubby legs paddling helplessly in the air—left, right, left, right—the tiny feet stuck straight out, toes and tail wiggling furiously.

There was just one problem—his stubby legs dangled hopelessly.