Chapter 73: Zao Zao Can Completely Subdue Any Crown Clan Member

Chapter 73: Zao Zao Hard Counters Any Crown Clan Member

Once certain things begin, once one starts to let loose, there's no stopping it.

If Fei Man hadn't kissed him so many times back then, she might still be the perfectly convincing auntie now.

But it's no use.

Once the disguise is torn off, it can't be put back on—

And now, her kissing urges seem to have worsened.

Is there any saving her?

Baby-faced Finn’s expression twisted, but the darkness in his expression was instantly wiped away by Fei Man's unapologetic attitude.

And at this very moment—

The storm subsided.

The colossal figure standing on this rogue planet began to shrink after a few growls with its cub.

Amos stood before the unrecognizable mess of mangled flesh—the necklace had completely shattered, leaving no trace of its original form. Holding the cub in one arm, he merely glanced at the scene before turning away, cradling the soft, fluffy bundle as he walked toward Fei Man and Finn.

His psychic energy hadn’t fully settled yet. The silver-black aura faintly carried a menacing edge, swirling around him. This should have been an extremely dangerous moment—Amos alone could unleash a catastrophic storm. Step by step, he approached, and the previously relaxed expressions of Fei Man and Finn instantly stiffened. Under Amos’ oppressive aura, they instinctively took a few steps back.

Their brother had never cared about others' feelings before—he was a tyrant and conqueror, the undisputed apex warrior even among the mythical race of the Crown Clan.

In the face of such power, even siblings had to retreat.

Yet at the eye of the storm, there was an uncanny calm.

Amos lowered his head and lightly tapped his crown to Xiao Chuzao’s.

When he looked up again, his entire demeanor had softened. He simply held the white fluffball in one arm, the other hand tucked into his pocket, watching them.

"Handle the situation here. Compile a comprehensive report."

Everything was over now—ever since the collapse of the laboratory in the Bael Union.

The Hymn Organization’s years of meticulous planning had been cut clean through, and Amos had even managed to sniff out their trail.

The Hymn, the angels—the Angelic Realm.

Amos let out a quiet, icy chuckle.

Cradling his little cub protectively in his arms, his sinister smirk—the kind that oozed final-boss energy—made Finn, who was used to getting pummeled, feel his skin tighten all over.

Amos, who had just calmed his fury—was now… excited?

What was he excited about?

Amos simply watched them with a calm, regal disdain.

"The place we seek—it is neither imaginary nor out of reach."

Amos still felt the lingering echo.

As long as it wasn’t out of reach—they would find a way to reach it.

When all had quieted, a gust of wind swept across the vast rogue planet, stirring Amos's frayed garments and scattering traces of scent.

It was already the dead of night.

Xiao Chuzao, who had followed halfway through his sleep, was so repulsed by the heap of gore that the little one was tucked into Amos's clothes, clawing with little paws to poke his head out.

Amos looked down, meeting those shimmering, amber eyes.

"I'll take Zao Zao to rest first."

Still just a growing boy.

*

Saint Cas Imperial Star.

All the families involved in the besieged Future Project were now breaking out in cold sweat.

King Amos acted swiftly and decisively. Ever since the Little Highness came into the picture, His Majesty had shown hints of such intentions toward them.

The families that had been eager to vent their dissatisfaction and stir up trouble met grisly fates, with their recruited and nurtured talents also being seized.

However, the families led by the Ling Clan were only kept under surveillance, handled with some leniency overall.

The head of the Ling Clan couldn't sleep either, waiting in dread until deep into the night, until Ling Ye was brought back by the Saint Cas military.

"Xiao Ye, where did you go? What did you do? Where is the Speaker?"

The Ling Clan head hurried forward.

Ling Ye was still in a daze, looking down at his hands—though they had been washed clean, they still felt bloodstained.

"Teacher... he's dead—"

Though he had sensed something was wrong, the Ling Clan head froze upon hearing such words—that Speaker was a diehard loyalist of the previous king, but his own abilities were outstanding, the bedrock of their plans, keeping them steady and guiding them forward step by step.

He had been an unshakable bulwark standing before King Amos for them, and now, with that shield suddenly gone, the Ling Clan head was left reeling.

Speaker Cheng Xuan was dead. The other families were slaughtered, with several clan heads already executed, and their respective families to face retribution in turn.

What about them?

What kind of ending awaited them?

"Teacher wasn't a traitor—he stood against King Amos, was approached by the Hymn Organization... he let me shoot him on purpose—"

Ling Ye looked up at his father.

"Dad, he said... we are no longer united."

In an instant, the Ling Clan head realized what had happened, his gaze brimming with anguish as he gazed at Ling Ye.

"Xiao Ye, it's not your fault. You just said it yourself—he didn't dodge. We never truly understood what Speaker Cheng Xuan was thinking. Ever since he recognized the Crown Clan's impending doom, he never placed his hopes in the entire Crown Clan. He was an absolute supporter of His Majesty Clancy. After His Majesty Clancy left, he was merely keeping His Majesty's legacy alive."

As for himself, that old man had probably always wanted to leave lightly, turning the page of the next chapter, following His Majesty Clancy—no one could ever change his mind.

The Ling Clan head exhaled a heavy breath, reaching out to embrace his child.

The Ling Clan's previous wavering stance suddenly made sense. Cheng Xuan hadn't dodged, letting Ling Ye take action, placing the burden on him so they could justifiably distance themselves completely.

He couldn't help but curse Cheng Xuan silently in his heart, lowering his head, his eyes wet—with fury or thanks, he couldn’t tell.

That old fox was scheming till the very end—so effortlessly, without a single word, he roped everyone into his schemes.

Then he brushed it off, uncaring whether he’d be cursed or not, and just like that, followed His Majesty Clancy to the grave.

Even in death, he remained an outstanding politician. But as a person, he never changed—stubborn, self-centered, a complete bastard.

*

That night after Empire Day, well into the late hours, the entire Saint Cas Empire remained brightly lit.

It wasn’t just the Saint Cas Army dealing with those families—awakened citizens of Saint Cas, now sleepless, were frantically scrolling through related updates on StarNet.

From Cheng Xuan’s rebellion to his death and the exposure of Zange’s higher-ups, the Saint Cas Army acted with blistering speed, the Crown Clan’s moves decisive. Everything erupted in an instant, leaving people stunned.

Inside Saint Cas First Military Academy.

Dormitory.

Though the lights were off, the place still erupted in chaos when everything unfolded.

Chao Huangmu and the others were jerked awake.

Half-asleep, Chao Huangmu tumbled from his bunk—just in time to hear Peng Liang’s muffled *what the fuck* from nearby.

Their dorm followed the typical layout—beds above, desks below, with scattered energy-weapon parts strewn about. Some energy stones pulsed faintly in the dark.

“What’s going on?”

Freshly woken, Chao Huangmu’s face was a mask, his hair disheveled. The youthful kid tilted his head up at Peng Liang, who had hauled himself up.

From that moment on, they didn’t sleep.

Too preoccupied with what was happening, they eventually huddled in a circle on the floor, hooked on StarNet updates.

The feed went dead—apparently, the Saint Cas warships sent in pursuit had begun returning.

What went down, they truly didn’t know.

“What a chaotic night,” Peng Liang muttered. “I wonder how Little Highness is doing?”

“With His Majesty and the others protecting him, Little Highness will be fine.”

Yun Songquan, after a long silence, managed only this flat reply.

Chao Huangmu cupped his chin, eyes lowered as he scanned StarNet.

Perhaps because it was so late, he didn’t bother with pretense. Without a smile, his face was a statue, devoid of expression or emotion—cold, like clockwork, his gaze hollow, unreadable.

The darkness around them kept Peng Liang and Yun Songquan from noticing Chao Huangmu’s expression.

“Speaking of—”

Peng Liang looked up.

“Oi, freak, don’t you have Longlived race blood? From that extinct Soul Race?”

Hearing this, Chao Huangmu lifted his head and let out a dulled “Huh.”

“S’pose.”

"The Soul Race is said to be a rather brutal and aggressive Longlived race, with no fixed settlements. Their mental energy is exceptionally fierce and can transform into terrifying monsters. So why haven’t we seen any signs of that in you? Though, the fact that you're such an animal does fit the race pretty well."

Peng Liang propped his chin on his hand, studying Chao Huangmu with curiosity, wondering what differences a hybrid Longlived might have.

"You were what, two or three when you came to Saint Cas, right? That was, what, seven or eight years back?"

"I don’t remember any of that."

Chao Huangmu shifted his posture, moving from sitting cross-legged with his chin propped to leaning back, supporting himself with his hands behind him.

His black hair shifted slightly, and for a moment, he felt like he should show some emotion—instinctively, he put on a big grin.

"From the moment I can remember, I’ve been an orphan."

Hell, even his name was just thrown together from the Saint Cas welfare institution that brought him here—

He liked the sun, and the Crown Clan seemed like the sun to him, something to look up to and chase after.

That was Chao Huangmu’s earliest impression of the Crown Clan, picked up from Saint Casians—back when he needed a name, little Chao Huangmu didn’t know how to smile and was kinda blank. He asked a few familiar staff members for their favorite characters and just slapped them together into his own name.

No past, no memories, no real emotions—nothing.

Everything he showed was fake—whether laughing or crying, they were all reactions he studied hard to copy.

He was just like his name—a patchwork.

A brief silence fell.

"Shit—was that too much?"

Peng Liang scratched his head.

"My bad, dude. Tonight’s been a lot. My brain’s not working right."

Yun Songquan quietly changed the subject.

"We’ve got training tomorrow morning. You good for tomorrow?"

"Hey, who you calling weak? I’m telling you, if we were eligible for the league tournaments, I’d totally snag one of those multi-day championship titles!"

Chao Huangmu laughed along, brushing it off with his friends.

Bit by bit, he had integrated himself into the Saint Cas Empire.

Chao Huangmu thought this to himself, then kept staring at the star network again, staring at Xiao Chuzao’s photo—

But still.

That moment had given him a feeling—Chao Huangmu was way more tuned into mental energy that differed from the Crown Clan’s.

God, he’s adorable—

He was a huge Zao Zao stan.

Chao Huangmu reached out, saved the image, and thought to himself with satisfaction.

Meanwhile.

The Hymn Organization, now laying low fast, had confirmed the news of Wen He’s death.

At the same time, they also obtained some information from the final moments of some deceased followers.

The 'divine' power Wenhe obtained was flawed.

"Did we overlook something?"

"We should be more cautious—more thorough—but right now, that's not our priority—"

"Wenhe's death serves as a warning to us, comrades. For the sake of the Grand Rite, regarding that Little Crown Clan, we must do everything in our power to eliminate him."

*

Saint Cas's warships are returning.

Lynn and An Ya were handling cleanup.

Soon, Saint Cas's sky will begin to brighten.

Xiao Chuzao was dead tired.

Cradled in Amos's arms, warm and cozy, the little one didn't even change back before drowsiness overtook him.

By the time they reached the warship's crew quarters.

"Zao Zao, wash your face, then get in bed."

Amos gently roused Xiao Chuzao.

He helped the little one with a quick wash.

During the process, the drowsy child's big, bleary eyes remained fixed on the soft couch nearby.

It looked cloud-soft, as if one could easily sink into it.

Overcome by sleepiness, the little white fluffball waddled toward the sofa. Midway, his tiny wings began to flutter, and with a sudden lift, he sailed through the air—plopping right into the cloud-like cushions.

Only his hind legs and tiny dragon tail stuck out as his body sank into the sofa.

Then, with a wiggle, he squirmed all the way in. Xiao Chuzao curled up, resting his chin on his own dragon tail, letting out a tiny "Meow."

Papa—papa should sleep too.

Even though he'd already burrowed in, he still thought of Amos. His big eyes, droopy but stubbornly open, refused to close completely.

His little halo flickered dimly, but he kept watching Amos.

Amos walked over to the sofa.

He dug into his storage pouch.

He pulled out everything from the little one's spirit bear to the various toys he'd collected over time, placing them beside the child.

"Papa’s got some work left. Zao Zao, sleep first."

Throughout this, Amos kept his right hand tucked in his pocket.

He watched as Xiao Chuzao gradually changed back, his small body hugging his spirit bear. Yawning, he reached out to touch the little bag Amos had placed nearby—full of his little treasures.

He gave a sleepy mumble in reply.

Amos stood up and left the room.

The little cub dug through the toys for ages. He'd been awake way too long and still wanted to wait for Amos to return. Because of what had just happened, the little one was still worried about Amos and wanted to carefully inspect Daddy's crown himself.

Suddenly, he noticed something. His big eyes blinked, and the little cub sat up, holding a nicely made photo box.

Huh? What's this thing—

Aboard the warship's meeting room,

Amos stood with Fei Man and Finn.

Amos was briefing them on what happened.

Fei Man looked up. "So—the Angel’s Realm is real?"

"No, to be precise, we can find the Angel’s Realm," Finn leaned against the wall, his baby face smiling, though it looked kinda dark. "If we start with Zange. Oh, that makes some sense too—angels, the Seven Virtues. Weird thing is, how come we’ve never heard of such a place before?"

"It’s not just Zange. In the previous contaminated zones, our teams have been mapping routes. With today's tech, we can enter the contaminated zones. Maybe in a few months, maybe in a few years, we’ll find a route connecting to other parts of the galaxy. Hell, that so-called Angel’s Realm might be hidden there."

Fei Man added.

Her face clouded over for a moment.

"Out in those contaminated sectors—"

She narrowed her eyes, recalling those nightmares she can't shake.

Amos and Finn both looked at her.

They knew what Fei Man was remembering—the Saint Cas First Army.

That designation, which no longer appeared in the Saint Cas Army’s records.

The Saint Cas First Army was once their grandfather’s direct command. Long, long ago, when contamination wasn’t this severe, it protected the migration of most of Saint Cas’s planets. In the end, along with their grandfather and the entire First Army, they all got swallowed by the contamination, their crowns shattered.

Fei Man had been just a kid back then. She had been very close to her grandfather and was next in line to command his troops. That mission was originally her first mission as an adult—later, it became her recurring nightmare.

The designation of the Saint Cas First Army was thus forever preserved in the unknown contamination.

The room went quiet for a moment.

Thinking of these things, it still left them kinda spacey.

It had been too long. That was ancient history now.

"Alright."

Amos spoke.

"Let's get moving. There’s still a lot to do. An Ya mentioned she intercepted the Grail Clan’s starship—they've got trouble brewing too."

Everything was hitting the fan at once.

"Yeah."

"I'm hitting up medbay."

Amos said calmly.

"We’ve covered everything. You better get going, Second Brother."

Finn's previously expressionless face suddenly lit up with a smile as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Watch out—don’t let Zao Zao catch you."

Fei Man also nodded, but her eyes flicked to the door, then hesitated.

Both Fei Man and Finn had already picked up the blood on Amos earlier.

Noticing how Amos kept his right hand tucked in his pocket, they put two and two together.

When Amos had slammed his Psychic Sword straight toward his opponent's head with sheer mental energy, his arm had been torn, causing him to throw off his aim—missing the mark.

Amos could shrug off pain like that.

But there was still Zao Zao to consider.

Being a dad—Amos made sure to provide Xiao Chuzao with a complete sense of security.

Hearing this, he cut Finn a look.

"Keep your mouth shut around Zao Zao."

"Daddy, what’s the secret?"

Clearly, it was a bit too late. Fei Man shared a ‘well, crap’ look with Amos—she had noticed, but she couldn't just say it outright.

A tiny, sugary voice came from the doorway—

Amos went rigid, turning his head toward the entrance.

It wasn't that Amos hadn't noticed—it was just that he knew his kid’s vibe too well. During the burst of psychic energy, he had instinctively avoided the little one. Now, slightly relaxed and surrounded by his siblings, he let his guard down—only to be busted by his young cub.

Xiao Chuzao stood at the door, squeezing his ghost bear and an unfamiliar box that Amos found rang a faint bell. But Amos quickly dismissed the thought, because his child was staring at him, cheeks puffed up, tears welling in his eyes.

The stone-cold Crown Clan crew: ...

Went into full panic mode.

Wait, hold on—

"Lynn, get your ass to medbay!!!"

The group booked it to the medical bay.

Amos's hand injury looked severe, but it healed quickly.

It was just a superficial wound, so Amos hadn't paid it much mind.

Now, Amos ducked his head like a scolded pup, enduring his little cub’s scolding. The child, no longer sleepy, stood like a tiny supervisor, hugging his ghost bear and toy while watching Amos's wound heal.

"Zao Zao knows that when you're hurt, you have to say it quickly and get treated quickly."

Xiao Chuzao's soft voice remained fixed on Amos.

"Uh..." King Amos, busted by his tiny majesty, replied stiffly, "Daddy messed up."

Only then did Xiao Chuzao nod.

Hell, forget Lynn—the whole Crown Clan would undoubtedly be wrapped around this kid’s finger.

Finn laughed from the sidelines.

"Look at you—not even paying attention to something so small, and now you’re hurt. Third Uncle and Zao Zao are gonna gang up on your dad—he never looks after himself."

Classic Finn—stirring the pot while keeping things light.

"Right, Zao Zao?"

The little guy stood there, craning his neck. Tiny, he had to tiptoe just to peek over the rim of the medical pod. Hearing this, the little one glanced at Finn, mouth opening like he wanted to stick up for his dad—but after a pause, he couldn’t find the words. He lowered his gaze to the box in his arms.

Finn’s eyes landed on the odd little box in the kid’s arms.

"Oh, is that for Second Uncle?"

"Nuh-uh."

Xiao Chuzao shook his little head.

Grinning at Finn, he hoisted the box up with both hands.

"Wanna see, Third Uncle?"

"F-for *me*?"

Finn froze.

Not Amos—*me*?

Fei Man shot them a puzzled look—wait, had Amos been demoted in Zao Zao’s rankings?

Finn knelt to get a better look at what the kid was plotting.

Meanwhile, it finally clicked for Amos—that box.

—Wait, wasn’t that the jump-scare photo box the kid had nicked from a civilian ship back in the Bael Union days?

Yep—

Right as Finn leaned in, Xiao Chuzao—dead set on the ultimate reveal—thrust the photo right into his face, big eyes gleaming.

Finn, blindsided: ...error 404 face not found.jpg

Ah...

Ah...?

AHHHHH!!!!