Chapter 63: Zao Zao Locator

Chapter 63: Zao Zao's Locator

The little one wasn’t running slowly. This time, he had pulled off this ‘feat’ at top speed—the little guy was both proud and a little baffled. Normally, he would ask Mr. Hale, but this time, Amos was right beside him.

Eagerly, the little one decided to show Amos.

And this is what happened.

All members of the Crown Clan: ???

Including Lynn, who was hiding in a secluded corner: ……

He had just been standing in the shadows, glaring coldly at the little one from afar, when suddenly the little one came charging over with his eyes lit up like flashlights.

Lynn: ?????

What the—???

The Crown Clan collectively wondered at that moment—Kid, why are your eyes glowing???

Finn, who’d just fled the ‘battlefield,’ stared dazedly at the approaching little one.

Amos caught the little guy and lifted him slightly, examining his big, glowing eyes.

“Dada, Zao Zao did it… Dada, why is your face glowing?”

Amos, momentarily dazzled by the glow, was at a loss for words.

It took a second for the little one to realize it was his own eyes that were glowing: …?

The little one’s eyes went round.

“Zao Zao, the light’s getting brighter.”

Frey murmured from the sidelines.

Still clueless about how to ‘switch off’ the glow, the little one froze for a second before covering one eye with his tiny hand—leaving just one ‘beam’ remaining. He blinked.

—Got it now?

Nope, wrong idea.

This time, the seasoned parent didn’t panic and rush the little one to the medical center.

Perhaps this was just another part of the little one’s spiritual energy development? Amos wondered.

Hale, trailing behind, was just as shocked.

Though not as shocked as when the little one had previously taken off his halo and put it back together for them.

“With this, Zao Zao won’t even need streetlights when going out at night.”

Finn said, amazed.

Lynn, still hiding and baffled: ?

“Wait, that’s what you’re focusing on?”

An Ya cut in.

Lynn expressed strong agreement—*how could Prince Finn fail to grasp the key point in such a bizarre situation?*

An Ya: "This is a very unique psychic power. When we go to fight exotic beasts, Zao Zao's glowing eyes might scare them off."

Lynn: *...What kind of nonsense is this?*

During his absence from Saint Cas's imperial capital, how exactly had these members of the Dwight family grown up?

Had none of them inherited Clancy's steadiness and calmness or Solan's intelligence and wisdom? Why did they all seem a little... off their rockers?

Frey looked at his two younger brothers and calmly remarked, "You two are genuinely certifiably crazy."

Amos ignored them and crouched down to ask the kid what the world looked like through his glowing eyes.

Hale and Fei Man also leaned in.

Xiao Chuzao took another look around.

"It's... a little different from usual."

The kid's voice carried a hint of hesitation.

"Zao Zao mentioned before that he could see Mr. Hale's psychic threads, right? Now it's even clearer, and I can also see something different around everyone—"

The little guy struggled to describe the hazy, mist-like psychic energy clinging to people.

"If I touch it—"

The kid tentatively reached out with a bit of his own psychic energy, tapping into Fei Man's as she quickly approached.

Then Fei Man paused slightly, watching as the kid's eyes slowly began to glow—not literally, like Zao Zao’s.

Xiao Chuzao was already somewhat familiar with this sensation—

The kid burrowed back into Amos's arms, helplessly stretching out his tiny hands but failing to stop his aunt from smothering him with kisses.

A flurry of loud kisses later, Fei Man, who had moved instantly, straightened up, satisfied, and glanced at the others before explaining:

"Zao Zao just now seemed to be able to steer emotions. I suddenly really wanted to kiss him, and when he gave me a push, I decided not to resist to see what would happen. It just... naturally happened."

"Speaking of which—"

Finn, who had been squabbling with An Ya, suddenly remembered something.

"Back when we were fetching Uncle Morlo, the teacher was useless at comforting us. We were freaking out—then Zao Zao’s psychic energy flared for a second. After that, the teacher’s pep talk was so sappy it hurt."

Hale: ...?

"If it's embarrassing, then don't listen!!! Prince Finn, eavesdropping’s nothing to boast about!"

"His psychic energy might just be special."

Using his arrows, he could completely and thoroughly influence a person's psychic energy and emotions based on his judgment and intent. Without the arrows, his sensitivity to emotions and psychic energy still allowed him to subtly nudge someone’s feelings—though it could be resisted and wasn't overpowering. If anything, it was like a catalyst, like emotional lighter fluid.

Fei Man also carefully tuned into the feeling, and several members of the Crown Clan reached similar conclusions before exchanging glances, their faces twisting in mixed reactions.

The Crown Clan was a naturally powerful battle-hardened race, highly attuned to the dangers of formidable abilities.

Xiao Chuzao, as Amos's child, the next generation's sole Crown Clan member, and a tiny Dwight, was rapidly leveling up his psychic abilities. His unique power, initially written off as silly at first, now felt like a game-breaking buff.

But now—it's still unknown how much damage those black arrows representing destruction could inflict on otherworldly beasts as he continues to grow, but just considering the unique aspect of his spiritual energy alone...

The soft little cub was still nestled in Amos's arms. He had never seen anything like this before and gently tugged at Amos's clothes, hiding inside them in amazement to create a darker environment. He buried his little head inside and let out a soft, awed coo.

If Xiao Chuzao's abilities evolve further as he grows up, he might end up very different from his father Amos, who bears the title of the "Dark Despot." It's almost like the budding form of a 'Demon Sovereign' who controls others' joys and sorrows.

Is that possible?

The Crown Clan all turned their gaze toward this future 'Demon Sovereign'—at this moment, the 'little Demon Sovereign's' small head was hidden in Amos's clothes, his face pressed tightly against the fabric. Then he opened his eyes, and only two faint glimmers of light pierced the heavy, dark fabric of Amos’s uniform.

The image of a 'Demon Sovereign' who casually controls others' emotions melted away—

—Zao Zao, what’re you up to?!

Still burrowed into Amos’s chest, the cub asked in a hushed voice, "How bright’re Zao Zao’s eyes? Can you still see like this?"

Amos silently pulled his cub's head out from his chest.

"Can you see everyone's spiritual energy?"

Mmm...

The cub with glowing eyes was held in his parent's arms. He tilted his little head up and pointed for Amos—

"This is Mr. Hale's, this is Papa’s, this is..."

The little cub pointed around, then paused in confusion.

"Huh? This spiritual energy... Zao Zao hasn't seen it before—it's—"

Zao Zao’s radar kicked in—

The cub’s glowing eyes followed the movement of that spiritual energy as his tiny hand stretched out.

Lynn, hiding in the corner and gaping in shock, watched as those glowing eyes slowly turned in his direction.

Lynn: ...

Honestly, after all these years of battles, this was the first time he had ever felt real dread.

What’s with this kid???

How creepy is that?! Wasn't he the best at concealing his presence? What did this cub see? Why is he looking over here???

Lynn was too far away—getting closer would risk Amos detecting him. He could only catch fragments of their conversation by occasionally glimpsing their lip movements, leaving him with spotty intel.

From his perspective, they were talking intently when suddenly the cub looked up, then turned his head—those two spotlight eyes zeroing in on him. Lynn, who had absolute confidence in his stealth, was totally rattled.

And what's with you guys?

You're acting so casual, just naturally continuing the discussion, making it seem like his lurking this whole time was really stupid, wasn't it?

Sure, he was a bit older, but not that old, right? Was he really that outdated???

Led by the cub’s cue, a group of Crown Clan members turned to look.

Lynn, who hadn't prepared how to face these Dwights, backpedaled in a hurry and hastily retreated from the scene.

The cub blinked slowly. As time passed, he gave a sleepy yawn, his focus waning. He was getting tired, feeling sleepy—the glow in his eyes sputtered before winking out completely.

[Image caption: The lights are off]

The little cub blinked his honey-colored eyes and nestled into Amos's arms.

His tiny wings fluttered once. "Daddy, gone... that strange mental energy."

Amos murmured in response, still staring at the spot the cub had pointed to—he had sensed it too.

It was someone familiar, but Amos didn’t have time to chase down that uncle who always skulked in shadows, avoided socializing, and kept his presence as minimal as possible.

Amos glanced down again.

He noticed the cub yawning repeatedly in his arms. Little Chuzao instinctively groped for his ghost bear—lately, he didn’t need to cling to it constantly, only when he slept.

But it was right after dinner.

Amos stroked his little head, considering that using those glowing eyes to track mental energy must have drained his focus quickly, making him tired.

"Sleepy?"

The cub blinked his big eyes, his reactions noticeably sluggish from exhaustion.

"Huh?"

Seemed so.

"Not yet, champ. You stuffed yourself tonight."

Amos reached out and rubbed the cub’s belly. The little one gave a tiny whimper, curling up and hugging Amos’s hand. His wings fluttered weakly, trying to fold around himself, like a sleepy cub being kept awake by his parent and now fussing pitifully.

Amos could clearly feel his round little food-baby.

Xiao Chuzao had drunk an extra half-bottle of cub formula tonight, along with a big bowl of savory egg pudding, a small meat patty, and after-dinner fruits. Except for a few sour ones he disliked, he’d stuffed nearly everything into his tiny stomach.

No way that food coma was ending soon.

Amos told An Ya to fetch two digestive tablets, but that wouldn’t be enough.

He set Xiao Chuzao down.

The cub was already zoned out from exhaustion.

At this age, cubs were little energizer bunnies when awake but would collapse into naps the moment they stopped.

The little one, completely drunk with sleepiness, yawned repeatedly. Wobbling on his feet, he tilted his head up, wings giving a weak flap. His sleepy voice was slurred and sugary: "Daddy—"

Around him, the Crown Clan were glued to the tiny tyke.

Even Hale’s stern gaze thawed as he observed.

But King Amos stood his ground.

"You need to take the digestive tablets and take a few more waddles."

Aww—such a mean daddy, not even letting his cub sleep.

The Crown Clan, knowing Amos had his reasons, silently gave him the side-eye.

Still—Amos held the highest place in the little cub’s heart.

An Ya, who had brought back the digestive tablets, peeked in.

With his rock-bottom standing in the hearts of the little ones, he thought—You’re gonna make the cub hate you!

Remember, tiny drops make an ocean...

Just then, the little cub tilted his head up and stared at Amos for a while before suddenly puffing up his cheeks and flaring his little wings—

The Crown Clan members all thought—See? He’s about to pitch a fit, isn’t he?

But then the cub stretched out his arms, flopped onto Amos, and hugged his leg.

From above, his messy, fluffy curls bounced as he lisped in that baby voice, "Dada, Zao Zao wants to sleep—"

The Crown Clan: "..."

Holy cow—

Their eyes widened in shock.

Even Amos lost his composure in that moment.

He slipped the digestive tablet into the cub’s mouth and then, holding the hand of the drooping-winged little one, walked him in lazy circles around the palace.

The cub shuffled along, wings and head drooping, clutching Amos’ hand, his soft cheeks puffed out, occasionally yawning and dragging his feet as if he might fall asleep mid-step.

The Crown Clan watched, hearts breaking.

"Big Bro’s got no mercy."

"That’s big bro for you."

Frey: "…Don’t look at me, I couldn’t do it either."

Honestly, with that little face, those puppy-dog eyes, throwing himself into your arms begging to be carried to bed—who could resist? The parental instincts were kicking in, okay? No way.

Butler Mori smiled gently nearby.

"Because King Amos genuinely adores the Little Highness."

Enough to go against their very nature, all for the sake of the Little Highness’s better and healthier growth.

A short while later, Amos returned, carrying Xiao Chuzao.

"How’d it go?"

"Did he not fuss at all in the end?"

Amos lowered his voice, "Quiet, he’s out like a light."

The Crown Clan fell silent, all eyes turning to the sleeping bundle Amos was carrying.

The five-year-old cub clung to Amos’ neck, his small body pressed against his chest, cheek resting on Amos’ shoulder. His chubby cheeks smooshed against his face, making it look a little 'squished,' his big eyes closed, his curly hair bobbing gently in the breeze, his tiny halo gone dim as he slept soundly.

The evening wind was calm and peaceful under the boundless night sky and the glow of the streetlights.

All the Crown Clan members felt a deep sense of peace.

Hale’s gaze softened considerably. The pain from his lost wings still lingered, but it was no longer as unbearable as before. "It seems today’s lesson ends here, Your Majesty. I’ll be back tomorrow."

"Alright, I'll carry him up."

Amos said softly.

The little one who brought peace to so many—sleep tight.

Lynn walked a long distance, turning onto a secluded path before snapping back to reality. He raised his hand and pressed his fingers to his brow.

"What exactly is the deal with that little fledgling?"

He was still a bit out of it.

So why the glowing eyes?

And how'd it even spot him?

Weird. Just plain weird.

"I've gotta keep an eye on it—"

Lynn muttered, propped against the wall.

His face was dead serious.

That kid seriously tested his hiding skills.

No way that kid would catch him again.

"Not that I'm into kids or anything…"

Lynn muttered under his breath.

"Your Highness?"

His men, waiting nearby, saw him approach just as he looked up and spoke.

"I'm scoping it out. Got my own plans and arrangements. It's part of the trip back too. That's it."

Lynn said sternly, meeting their gazes.

The Saint Cas troops: …?

What's he on about?

But that wasn't what they wanted to say.

"Word just came in. The Grail Clan's here for the celebrations for Saint Cas's National Day."

Since the national day's coming up, foreign guests kept rolling in.

Lynn snapped out of it and grunted in response.

"The Grail Clan must've had some vision—lately, they've been pulling a lot of their people out of hiding."

But Lynn didn't know the Grail Clan well, and he wasn't big on fake niceties.

After a beat, he said, "Dig into who Speaker Cheng Xuan's been cozying up to lately."

"On it!"

After finishing his instructions, Lynn looked up toward the horizon.

Old friend—

I don’t know if your plans and arrangements should continue like this, but I just hope those die-hard followers of yours don’t put the cart before the horse. Amos’s wrath—your plans and arrangements seem no different from the Hymn Organization’s—they won’t survive it.

*

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the cosmos.

"Boss, ever since the Saint Cas Empire’s military left, things have been a lot quieter here."

A young man with a bright grin leaned toward the slight girl seated nearby.

"Development has been smooth, but the quality of recruits is inconsistent. Looks like we need to tighten our screening."

The girl, about fifteen or sixteen, still carried a hint of childishness as she clumsily fumbled with editing a list.

"You think everyone in Saint Cas except the Crown Clan just sits around?"

Shenghua glanced up at him.

"The Saint Cas Empire took just a few days under the Crown Clan’s command to nearly wipe out a whole colony, and they quickly evacuated the Saint Casians. Others were either released or handed over to their respective countries. In wartime, they’re a terrifying war machine."

"Yeesh… You’re right, boss. Should we stay away from the Crown Clan, then?"

Freaky stuff.

"What do you know?"

Shenghua slammed the table.

"If we don’t get close, how do we pressure the boss? How do we shake him down for funding?"

—How else can we grow stronger?

—How else can we crush those pompous asses who think they can manipulate everyone?

And also—

Shenghua closed her eyes, lightly tapping the desk beside her.

She opened her eyes, and they shone with blazing intensity.

"We’ll keep expanding. Within a year, we’ll surpass the position Jiang Chao once held."

"Wait, what? Isn’t that aiming a bit too high, boss?"

"No, not at all."

Shenghua handed the resource charts she’d prepared to her subordinate.

"Take this to the boss and show him our ambitions. Win him over, make him fast-track our plans."

Yes, because they’d grown so rapidly with the resources provided by the Hymn Organization, in Shenghua’s words, that self-righteous bunch had earned the snarky nickname of "boss."

"That really gonna fly?"

The lackey grumbled under his breath.

Shenghua clapped him on the back. "Remember, as long as the pie you sell to the boss is big and lavish enough, you can milk him dry—until he figures out the truth."

*

There are only two days left until Saint Cas’s National Day.

The little cub has been busy too these past two days.

As the only Crown Clan member of this generation and Amos's only cub, this is the little one's first official public appearance. The Star Network is abuzz, and the Saint Cas Royal Court is also in a frenzy.

Outfit after outfit was prepared for the little cub to choose the most suitable one.

Plus, there were all kinds of other preparations.

Of course, the busiest is still Amos. Mostly, the little cub just had to stick close to Amos.

As Saint Cas’s pillar, Amos still has speeches and events to prepare for.

Meanwhile, foreign guests kept trickling in, though they are not staying within the Royal Court.

They were all staying near the Royal Court, with the Ninth and Tenth Army Groups setting up checkpoints and patrolling heavily everywhere to ensure absolute safety on National Day.

Xiao Chuzao kept feeling like someone was watching him these past few days. Whenever he looked closely, he caught a glimpse of an unfamiliar mental presence, but by the time the cub tries to track it down, the presence quickly vanishes.

Confused, Xiao Chuzao asked Amos about it a few times, but Amos just told him not to worry too much—it was just a newly returned Crown Clan elder who dislikes being the center of attention. When Amos was a cub himself, Lynn had also curiously followed him in secret, observing for a long time whether Amos was truly that reliable even as a child.

Back then, when Amos caught Lynn off guard, Amos was speechless for quite a while.

Clearly, Uncle Lynn was up to his old tricks, but this time he’s encountered Zao Zao, who seems to have a built-in Crown Clan tracker.

If he’d just talked to Hale, he would’ve learned that even when Hale took a starship and fled far away, he was still caught by Zao Zao.

The cub gave a blank nod, blinking his big eyes before being taken by Amos for his afternoon nap.

When Xiao Chuzao woke up, Amos was already back to work. The cub was still with the Crown Clan, going through his usual routine—exercise, dinner—but Amos never showed up.

Frey was busy too, keeping Finn on a short leash to prevent him from causing any trouble around National Day, given how unreliable he is.

After dinner, once his food settled, he sat on the sofa, watching Fei Man and An Ya beside him.

Clutching his ghost bear, the cub stared at the large projection screen in the middle, showing all the public’s festive prep work for Saint Cas's National Day.

The cub had never seen such a lively celebration before, nor had he ever been the subject of such fervent discussion.

He blinked his big eyes.

Finally, the cub let out a long sigh—there was a strange, surreal feeling about it all.

His aunt and uncle, who’d been watching him closely, immediately turned to look.

"Zao Zao?"

"Why the sigh?"

The little cub took a moment to react before looking over.

"It's just... Zao Zao has never experienced anything like this before. It feels a little unreal—" The Angel Realm might have had celebrations too, but they were never related to Xiao Chuzao. He had never seen them.

It wasn’t even that long ago that so many people hated Zao Zao.

"'What’s so unreal about it?' An Ya said."

"You’ll see once you experience it the day after tomorrow—nothing feels more real."

"An Ya’s actually right for once."

Fei Man chimed in.

An Ya snorted, glancing over to where Mori was busy—no one was watching them.

"Hey, Zao Zao, cheer up—how about some candy?"

"But Zao Zao already ate all his candy for today!"

Fei Man also looked over.

"I know where Second Brother stashed the candy."

An Ya whispered.

He got up, signaling Fei Man and Xiao Chuzao.

Everyone knew, within Dwight’s palace, three of the Dwights were on candy rations—Xiao Chuzao, along with Fei Man and An Ya, who spoiled the little one with candy and even competed over it.

So when Amos got back and didn’t see the three of them, he instinctively turned to Mori.

Mori blinked in surprise: "Your Majesty, Little Highness and the other two were just here."

Amos closed his eyes, focusing for a second, then opened them again.

"Never mind, I’ve got them."

Amos made his way upstairs.

He paused outside a dark room.

"Quick, shove it all in your mouths! We’ll deal with the wrappers later. We grabbed way too much last time. If we polish this off clean, Second Brother won’t suspect a thing."

That was An Ya’s muffled voice.

"Second Brother’s still got time. Make sure to air the place out after."

That was Fei Man’s cold yet equally muffled voice.

"Mmm—"

That was the little one’s eager mumbling.

Standing at the door, Amos pushed it open and expressionlessly flicked on the light.

Two grown-ups and a kid were hunched over a candy bag, their cheeks bulging, they all whipped around to stare at Amos, identical looks of shock on their faces.

Like a caption floating over them:

—The Three of Us.