Chapter 67: Please Go and Explain It to Him Yourself

"Chapter 67: Please Go Explain It to Him Yourselves."

"Otherwise?"

Fei Man glanced at Finn.

"Shouldn’t we get something out of it?"

An Ya chimed in, looking disdainful.

"You hardly gave us anything!"

He ate just as many cookies as Finn.

Finn was truly a unique Crown Clan—endlessly curious, with a quirky personality, bizarre luck, and the second-strongest in the Crown Clan.

This made him a wildcard who gets things done.

Finn had messed with—intentionally or not—plenty of Crown Clan members.

His formidable combat skills, combined with Amos's general reluctance to discipline him, meant he rarely faced setbacks.

But play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

The cub, crunching on his stash of cookies, couldn’t chime in immediately. By the time the last cookie reached his hands, he had already swallowed the previous one. The pajama-clad little one nodded eagerly.

'Collecting taxes' felt amazing.

The little cub sat solemnly between his aunt and uncle, his tiny face stern as he nodded vigorously, his golden halo wobbling atop his head.

"Right!"

Right *what*?!

Finn tossed the tasteless cookie into his mouth. He wanted to say something to the cub, but Amos shot him a sharp look.

Finn: ...

Finn’s doll-like face twisted in misery—not that he deserved any pity.

Amos, after getting his 'birthday blessing,' had prepped the tenderhearted cub with a 'warning'—if they caved for Finn, who’d spare a thought for Amos?

Only half-getting it, the cub clung to his cookie and took tiny bites under his uncle’s glare.

The specially made cookies weren’t sweet but smelled amazing.

So even though the cub was exhausted, he powered through it.

His afternoon nap had given him some rest, but it wasn’t enough—after all, he had spent ages chasing Lynn, eyes shining.

By the time the banquet was halfway through, he was fighting sleep again.

The room went quiet.

Even Amos and Frey stopped talking.

No special reason—

Every Crown Clan eye landed on the cub curled on the sofa.

Xiao Chuzao was two-thirds through his last cookie, but his eyelids were too heavy to keep open, drooping as he was about to doze off, still clutching that half-piece of cookie in his tiny hand.

His tiny fingers clutched the cookie, his mouth still smacking sleepily, his big eyes already closed, his head nodding forward bit by bit until it bumped against the cookie. The little one jolted awake, sleepily nibbling again with his little milk teeth—

Then repeating the cycle.

Sleepy but stubborn about eating—Zao Zao struggled, half-asleep, determined to finish the cookie.

"His mouth is covered in crumbs."

Fei Man studied the toddler's crumb-covered face—figuring how to steal one more kiss under Amos’ watchful eye.

An Ya subtly positioned herself as a shield. After watching for a moment, she couldn’t resist and averted her gaze.

Finn piped up softly from the sidelines, "He’s amazing—nose-eating his cookie—"

Finn paused mid-sentence, under Amos’ withering stare again. He hesitated, then whispered to the other Crown Clan members, "Did I accidentally say something wrong while trying to be careful?"

You put your foot in your mouth constantly!

But Finn’s pitiful expression lasted only a second before he seemed amused by himself, flouncing back on the couch, amused with himself. He glanced at the time.

Amos had been watching from a distance for a long while.

Frey snapped out of his daze, turning to Amos with hesitation—was Amos… smiling?

It was—that rare, helpless, utterly endeared kind of smile.

One rarely seen on Amos’ face.

Amos finally moved in, sweeping the dozing child up.

The cub still clutched a tiny corner of the cookie in his hand.

Lifted up, the little one blearily blinked awake.

Nothing funnier than a sleep-drunk toddler.

Even if teased, he’d just melt against you all warm and pliant.

Recognizing Amos, Xiao Chuzao fought to peel his eyes open, then jammed the remaining cookie remnant into Amos’ mouth.

"Papa, yummy, for Papa—"

His baby-talk mumble was barely intelligible.

Caught off guard, Amos was falling victim to the toddler's assault—Zao Zao had finally managed to force something he’d eaten into Amos’ mouth.

Amos let the cookie sit in his mouth, eyeing his 'thoughtful' offspring. After a brief moment of hesitation, he chewed and swallowed with dignity.

What a devoted son.

Amos turned and carried the cub upstairs.

Once his figure disappeared around the corner,

the Crown Clan members downstairs, who had been holding their breaths, burst into laughter.

There was a food chain in this household, with Amos at the very top—but now, even he had met his match. Buddy, did you really just force-feed your old man?

High in a tall tree, not far from Dwight's palace.

Amid the dense foliage, a pair of crimson eyes glimmered faintly in the darkness, reflecting other light sources.

Lynn did not approach. Instead, he remained hidden in the shadows, quietly observing the illuminated palace of Dwight.

Using the Crown Clan's keen senses, he listened carefully, faintly catching the soft laughter of the clan members inside.

Relaxed—joyful—

Lynn hid in the shadows, like a shadowy voyeur spying on others' happiness.

After a moment, Lynn looked up at the sky.

His voice was soft as a whisper—"Clancy... Solan... Was our decision back then the right one?"

Lynn was unmatched in his skill at concealing himself. He was the Crown Clan's most adept member in this regard, and to better remain hidden, he made numerous arrangements. His personal troops, mirroring his stealth, allowed the entire legion to deploy silently and gather critical intelligence.

"Power, status—they corrode the soul far more easily and swiftly than imagined."

Much faster than Lynn had anticipated.

He reflected on what he had learned since his return—those radical families. They were expanding their influence, even responding with hostility to Xiao Chuzao's homecoming... which had already drawn King Amos's attention.

The power dynamics among Saint Cas's human elite were now entirely different from when Lynn had left.

Based on Lynn's understanding of King Amos and the way Clancy had once guided him—

If Amos chose to stop tolerating them, he would act swiftly, crushing all opposition without mercy.

Cheng Xuan likely realized it too—they were now opposing His Majesty King Amos.

But whether it was the factions behind Cheng Xuan, the families involved in the scheme, or the ever-formidable King Amos, the conflict between the two sides was nearing irreconcilability. The threat was imminent.

Yet what Lynn hadn't expected was Cheng Xuan's attitude—even he could sense a shift about Cheng Xuan, who had once been so fervently devoted to His Majesty Clancy.

Had Cheng Xuan been corrupted too?

Or was he still doggedly pursuing Saint Cas's future plans?

Only by embracing ambition and might could Saint Cas survive without the Crown Clan.

He should stay neutral, refrain from making hasty judgments—that was the agreement he and Clancy had made.

A silver-black crown manifested over Lynn, continuously fracturing.

Though his condition was the best among their generation, it was already fragile—fragile beyond their worst fears.

Due to his personal temperament, Lynn had never sought a young one to address his crown's deterioration.

He simply bore the agony and hopelessness of its collapse while observing everything.

But now—Lynn surveyed the horizon.

He needed to investigate further—to expose what Cheng Xuan and those others were up to.

Only then would he choose whether to act.

Lynn lowered his gaze to his fingertips, recalling the gentle grasp of that little young one's hand, before it all slipped away.

Lynn, who believed nothing could stir him anymore, felt a familiar heat flush his cheeks. He quickly slipped away from the tree branch.

Meanwhile, the little cub—

Xiao Chuzao was completely worn out by now. After being washed up for bed, his small body collapsed onto the soft bed, soon dozing off.

He heard Amos murmur something to him—something about having matters to attend to and leaving him in the care of his uncle.

Xiao Chuzao’s mind was foggy at the moment, so he simply waved goodbye on instinct to Amos.

Then, the little cub spotted a fading psychic thread in the air—he had chased after this thread several times before. Acting on impulse, he grabbed it and held on tight, closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep.

Amos left the room.

Downstairs, several members of the Crown Clan glanced up at him.

"An Ya, take the team to deal with the intel we’ve received regarding the Hymn Organization’s movements."

The Hymn Organization had indeed attempted to cause trouble during Saint Cas’s National Day celebrations, though they had failed. Some of their fanatical followers had been taken care of, while others were still on the run.

Whether any formal members of the Hymn Organization were involved was still unknown.

Saint Cas had people handling these matters, but it was all kept under wraps.

Now that National Day had passed, the Crown Clan had free hands now.

An Ya would clean up the rest.

An Ya nodded and headed out.

"Have the families involved in the Saint Cas Future Plan been surrounded and contained?"

Amos then turned to Frey.

"The military has locked them down, awaiting further arrangements."

Frey responded.

"Though there are quite a few of them."

Finn chuckled—"Indulgence and patience have allowed some people’s ambitions to swell to a certain point. Cleaning house will be a hassle."

"But they don’t seem unified internally. Should we deal with them all at once?"

Fei Man tilted her head.

Aside from the leaders, their power and wealth would be stripped, and those who didn’t need killing would be relocated to places where they could never make waves again.

"It’s just that they’ve recruited too many talented individuals."

Amos didn’t bat an eye: "Deal with them."

His expression was icy, his crimson pupils slightly contracting. The protective parent showed no hesitation: "I have no trust in them."

Fundamentally, ever since Amos ascended the throne, he had paid these people little mind. Most were remnants of His Majesty Clancy’s faction, and Amos had never trusted them from the start. He would not allow anything to threaten his cub.

Though the Crown Clan itself barely saw these "threats" as a concern.

His Zao Zao still had a long life ahead of him—Amos had already made up his mind. And so, those who sought to seize power behind his back instantly became his enemies.

Fei Man lowered her eyes. "Yes."

Finn chuckled lightly. "You're right, Second Brother—We'll talk about the rest later—because of Zao Zao, all those matters must come to an end."

The Crown Clan had been on the verge of destruction, initially indifferent to the chaos left behind—until Xiao Chuzao appeared. The numb, cold Crown Clan stood dazed for a long time, their reactions sluggish by their former standards, before frantically trying to comfort the little one and plan for his future.

*

The night was late, but many remained awake.

The Ling Household.

"Absurd. Utterly absurd," the head of the Ling family threw his pen down again. "What's the Speaker thinking?! How could he side with those people's ideas? Pitting himself against the Little Highness? The Speaker has changed too quickly. He’s nothing like the man from two months ago—no, even a month ago. The Little Highness has already demonstrated his abilities—so what if his temperament is a bit gentle? What we should be doing now is slowing the momentum, waiting for centuries or millennia until even the Little Highness buckles, and there are no other Crown Clan left, before considering such plans!"

Opposite him, several other families who’d joined the plan but opposed it wore equally grim expressions.

In the original plan laid out by His Majesty Clancy, they had carried on for centuries, while the Crown Clan gradually approached its end. Some had begun secretly relishing it, while families like theirs were in the minority.

Everything had been pushed forward, but now they were forced to slow down—powerless to stop it.

"We should have done as you just said, but some have fantasized for too long—they can’t stop now—"

They pay lip service to His Majesty Clancy’s plans and arrangements, yet refused to wait for the Little Highness to grow—they had already betrayed the plan!

"What do we do? Go to King Amos again?"

Someone scratched his head vigorously.

"It’s too late, I think. King Amos won’t trust us, and even if we resist, we’re still tied to them."

"It is indeed too late—"

The head of the Ling family spoke heavily.

"Or perhaps, no matter when we report, it’s already too late. From the very beginning, King Amos never accepted us—and have you noticed the signals he’s sending? He no longer permits us to recruit talent. Restrictions have been placed on operations across planets and regions. Colleagues—the tide is turning."

The Ling family head stood up.

"Our recruits will soon be sidelined, replaced by new ones personally selected by King Amos for the Little Highness. As for us… colleagues, pray King Amos spares us, recognizing that we’ve worked diligently and are not like those others."

The door suddenly swung open.

A youth with eyes like pitch stood at the entrance.

His expression was grave as he stepped inside. "Father, the Speaker would never do that. We have always remained loyal to the Crown Clan."

Ling Ye’s voice was icy.

The Ling family head looked at his youngest son and exhaled deeply.

"Of course, I wish that were true—but the current situation isn’t something we can control just by hoping."

This scheme, started under His Majesty Clancy, had snowballed into something massive—for them, at least. In King Amos’ eyes, only bloodshed could end it.

Ling Ye turned abruptly. "I’ll go find the Speaker. I need answers."

"Ah—"

The Ling family head took a few steps after him, only to see Ling Ye vault straight out the window. He let out another long sigh.

"Let’s do something—colleagues. Let’s at least make a move."

*

Under the cover of night in Saint Cas, countless shadows began to move in the darkness.

Meanwhile, inside a secret conference room.

Representatives from several families were locked in a heated debate with Xi Jin seated across from them.

Xi Jin maintained a gentle smile throughout, only occasionally revealing her sharp side: "I completely sympathize with your frustrations. After all, the Crown Clan is heading toward destruction. This room was discreetly secured by the Speaker, and nothing said here will leave this room. The Speaker isn’t present either, so feel free to speak your minds and discuss any potential collaborations."

"Presiding Judge Xi Jin, your words are absolutely right. We’ve been holding back for so long. For His Majesty Clancy’s plan, our families have been involved since my grandfather’s generation. We may not have glory, but generations of our labor—and now we’re being suppressed like this? The Crown Clan is already on the path to ruin—how many of the Crown Clan’s heirs have been lost over the years?"

One of them finally couldn’t hold back any longer.

"Our growth doesn’t threaten the Little Highness, does it?"

"And even if it does hinder the Little Highness, wouldn’t that just prove—that we’ve executed His Majesty Clancy’s plan perfectly? That the Little Highness simply isn’t capable of upholding Saint Cas... Of course, I don’t mean to criticize the Crown Clan. I’m just puzzled by this mysterious Little Highness appearing out of nowhere. It’s too sudden."

"Moreover, the galaxy’s corruption keeps spreading. I heard there was nearly an accident last time. If our plans are all vetoed, what if something unexpected happens? What then? King Amos has left us no quarter."

Perhaps because no outsiders were present, the group openly vented their grievances.

Xi Jin smiled as she watched them. Beside her, incense curled lightly, its fragrance subtle. She nodded along with these individuals, who had grown drunk on their own power and believed their actions were perfectly justified. Then, she dropped, feigning nonchalance:

"Speaking of pollution, the contamination harmful to the Crown Clan has been spreading recently. It seems to have advanced further now, seeping into training planets for military cadets—and the already-formed, even larger Aberrant Beast Legion. I’ve heard the Little Highness will soon enroll in a military academy? Though young, I assume he’ll still participate in some activities?"

"This..."

Someone hesitated slightly.

Their eyes met—teetering on the edge of treason. A charged silence gripped the room—the implications were too bold, and no one dared to respond lightly.

"Gentlemen—"

A voice, icy as a blade, cut through the air.

"To be honest, I’ve heard enough."

The voice didn’t belong to anyone present.

The blood drained from their faces.

Tendrils of black mist slithered inward from the edges, silently engulfing Xi Jin, who had been smiling moments ago.

Xi Jin’s smile shattered into panic as she instinctively tried to resist—but in the next instant, she was completely swallowed.

From within the mist, a figure slowly emerged.

His sneer was a gash of contempt as he lifted his icy gaze.

"Lynn... Highness...?"

"Wh—why—"

The halo above Lynn pulsed, a sickly glow, his eyes like smoldering coals.

"Your straying from the path—I’ve confirmed it. You’ve betrayed the Saint Cas Empire. If you insist on making excuses—"

The mist surged at Lynn’s command—

This was no mere mist, but countless tiny silver-black particles, the very essence of his unique Psychic Weapon.

Lynn's pupils glowed faintly in the darkness—

"Please explain it to Clancy yourselves—"

The faint scent of blood hung in the air.

Lynn stood atop the crimson stains, his eyes lowered. The army he led swiftly arrived under his orders, restraining the others present.

Lynn remained in place: "Investigate the Northern Free Federation's relevant information, as well as that incense—report everything else to King Amos—"

"Your Highness Lynn—King Amos has already taken action."

A subordinate saluted and spoke.

Lynn paused, glancing over.

"All members of the Saint Cas Future Plan are already under the control of the Saint Cas Army. Princess An Ya seems to have uncovered leads while pursuing the Hymn Organization. Speaker Cheng Xuan was in contact with the Hymn Organization and has been declared a fugitive. Cheng Xuan’s residence showed no sign of him, while other Future Plan’s leaders have been placed on the wanted list."

All this had happened within the last half hour.

Lynn hesitated briefly, then checked the StarNet—already in chaos, especially among the Saint Casians.

Their hatred for the Future Plan had peaked.

Lynn observed it all, he sighed softly.

The crown on his head flickered, its edges crumbling away.

In the end, he simply turned away, easily slipping into a small corner.

Truthfully, the sensation of the crown shattering was excruciating for Lynn.

He gazed at the sky—

He should have stayed out of it.

But Clancy, that was wrong. We underestimated the corrosive power of greed.

Ambition and strength shouldn’t have been our top priorities.

Lynn was dejected—he knew his crown was about to break, but at this moment, he didn’t want to seek out Xiao Chuzao.

Like someone weighed down by guilt, he quietly stayed in that little corner, staring at his fingers.

A little one had once held them—soft, gentle, warm—telling him to come find him if he had any troubles.

He felt ashamed… As an elder like this… They had made a grave misjudgment.

Clancy, Solan… How strange. That child, so gentle, untainted by despair…

Yet everything from the past now felt unbearable to him.

He just wanted to be alone, to sit in silence for a while.

His dispirited psychic energy flickered weakly along the psychic thread.

Back in the royal court—

A child, clutching one of the psychic threads, seemed disturbed, slowly opened his shimmering amber eyes.

The soft little cub blinked his big, sleepy, bleary eyes—Hm?

Zao Zao thought he heard faint crying sounds.

He gazed around groggily, his eyes met Frey's, who was sitting by the bedside.

"Uncle?"

"Yeah?"

Frey was busy with something when he heard the sleepy, mumbly voice of the little cub. He instinctively looked up and paused for a second.

"Zao Zao, why are you awake right now?"

The cub blinked slowly, slowly pushed himself up. "Where's Daddy?"

His voice was a little hoarse.

"Amos had some things to take care of," Frey replied, standing up to fetch water for the little cub.

Meanwhile, the cub looked around sleepily before looking down—hmm, Zao Zao had grabbed a dull, gray Psychic thread that seemed miserable-looking.

The cub looked up—then, a few seconds later, Little Xiao Chuzao suddenly looked down again.

Hm?

When did Zao Zao grab this????

The cub was completely baffled.

And... because this Psychic thread was so gloomy, the little cub couldn’t immediately recognize whose it was.

After thinking for a while, he tried to interrupt someone’s late-night sadness.

The thread coiled around the little cub’s crown.

Xiao Chuzao softly called out to the other end, "Hewwo?"

Lynn, curled up in the corner: I’m not okay...?

Wait, why am I hearing "hewwo"?

Lynn slowly straightened up.

He glanced around suspiciously.

—"Hewwo?"

The milky, childish voice persisted relentlessly, cheerfully chirping in his mind—

Lynn: Wait, oh, that’s the cub’s voice… but why?????