Chapter 92: This Time It’s Not Love and Peace

Chapter 92 This Time, It’s Not About Love and Peace

In the end, Xiao Chuzao failed to destroy the evidence on his uncle's face in time and was caught in the act by An Ya.

Over there, Mori had already found a cleaning solution to remove the marks and brought it over.

An Ya sat on the sofa, watching the little one carefully dab the stain remover on a small handkerchief and obediently wipe his face clean. Only then was he satisfied.

Seizing the opportunity, he reached under Xiao Chuzao's armpits to tickle the area beneath his little wings.

"Ahhh, Uncle!"

Xiao Chuzao, ticklish, jumped up from the sofa. After finishing wiping An Ya's face, his small body nimbly hopped off the sofa, folded his little wings, and retreated to a corner, wide-eyed and on guard against An Ya.

An Ya also paused—he had just acted out of habit.

His fluffy hair, which had been flickering guiltily earlier, now lit up defiantly.

Amos watched from the other end.

Meanwhile, Finn observed Xiao Chuzao's little wings, as if he had discovered something amusing. He grinned brightly, but his gaze made Xiao Chuzao tuck his wings even tighter behind his back.

"Oh, right."

Finn spoke up.

"Second Brother, the practical training report from the First Military Academy has been approved. Big Brother assessed it as feasible. This time, during the mutant beast suppression operation, we eliminated many mutant beast hordes, including those that had been hiding and developing in the contaminated zones. Near Fei Man's stationed area, there are several suitable planets—close to the pollution, uninhabited, and populated by weaker mutant beasts. With alarms equipped, even if someone gets injured, rescue is timely."

Amos listened silently, judging without speaking.

In their sector of the galaxy, the danger level had been rapidly decreasing lately.

Overall, it was indeed suitable for practical training.

No amount of training on the StarNet could compare to real battlefield experience.

"A trial run, then? We'll broadcast it live nationwide in Saint Cas, and the military academies will study it too. Selected classes will participate. Initially, they considered including the middle school division, but the numbers were too large—too risky if something went wrong. In the end, the First Military Academy proposed the high school division's first, second, and third years, plus this year's the Elite Class."

Hearing the words "Elite Class," Xiao Chuzao, who had been "squaring off against" An Ya in the corner, looked up.

So the main question was—Finn also glanced at Xiao Chuzao.

"Should Zao Zao go?"

While it might seem like Xiao Chuzao was the clingy one, in a way, Amos was even more attached to the little tyke.

After all, Finn clearly noticed Amos's expression soured slightly, as if displeased.

The constant alertness made the fierce "Wolf King" reluctant to let his young one leave his side.

"Zao Zao wants to go!"

The little one blinked, not quite processing why he was suddenly part of the discussion.

He raised his tiny hand high.

"Zao Zao is in the Elite Class too! Zao Zao needs more training and learning! Zao Zao wants to become as strong as Papa!"

Finn, still sore from Amos's earlier beating, muttered under his breath, *"Ambitious."*

Then Finn looked at Amos again.

"What do you say, Second Brother?"

Finn, with his boyish face, smiled innocently.

"And there's no need to worry about safety. Ayala hasn't moved on Saint Cas' imperial capital for months, right? I talked it over with Big Brother—he can pitch in at the First Military Academy. After all, he has experience in student training."

Amos stood up, not even bothering to look at Finn.

Like he was some selfish, heartless parent who refused to give Xiao Chuzao a chance to grow.

Amos walked over to Xiao Chuzao and mussed up his cub’s curly hair.

"If Zao Zao wants to go, sure he can. Zao Zao will become very strong in the future."

And he would protect his cub's growth, not restrict him.

How sweet.

Finn grinned and sidled up to Xiao Chuzao. Suddenly, he reached out, his large hand slipping into Xiao Chuzao's wings and tickling him. The cub yelped, giggling and squirming away to escape: "Third Uncle! Third Uncle!!"

Zao Zao knew it!

Xiao Chuzao rolled all the way to the edge of the carpet before scrambling up, his fur all ruffled: "Third Uncle, you’re the worst!"

Finn stayed crouched, wheezing with laughter.

"The child is growing up and needs to fly. Third Uncle is just stretching out your little wings."

Amos stood behind Finn, looking down at him.

Finn never learned—hit him once, he’d forget by the next day. Now, a chill ran down his spine.

The child needed to fly—Finn needed a beating.

Amos was more than happy to rearrange Finn’s bones.

Just as Amos placed a hand on Finn's shoulder, An Ya shot him a "good luck with that" look, when their comms buzzed urgently.

From the other end came the hurried voice of a medical team member: "Your Majesty, King Amos—Prince Hale’s collapsed."

*

Saint Cas Imperial Capital, Royal Medical Center.

"How is Prince Hale, Daddy?"

Xiao Chuzao stood outside the door with Amos and the others. Too short to see inside and too scared to make noise, he didn't dare flutter up for a look. Instead, he asked Amos worriedly in a tiny voice.

Amos gave the little one’s head a soothing pat.

Morlo was in the exam room too. After a moment, he stepped aside.

Behind them, other members of the Crown Clan from the royal court arrived one after another. Ayala walked in last, pausing at the doorway to watch the little cub standing on tiptoe, peering inside.

After all, ever since the little cub arrived, their Halos stopped glitching, and their psychic energy problems were resolved. The Crown Clan was tough as nails, so the whole clan had lightened up.

Even the entire Saint Cas Empire had shifted from its former stubborn, uptight, dead-serious vibe to a weirdly upbeat mood.

But Hale was different.

Hale's crown was fine, but he was the only member of the Crown Clan who had lost his wings with no hope of recovery.

So when Hale encountered issues, they had no way to sense it. By the time they received the news, they were utterly shocked.

"Your Majesty, Your Highnesses."

After consulting with Morlo, a member of the medical center emerged, looking grim.

"His Highness Morlo is an expert in this field. Over this period, he has mastered the medical center’s operations and various data systems of Saint Cas's medical center. Shortly after a meal, His Highness Hale experienced excruciating pain. His long-term reliance on painkillers had developed a high tolerance, leading to him blacking out from the agony. His Highness Morlo concluded that—the loss of his wings has indeed severely shortened His Highness Hale's lifespan. The damage appears much worse than we anticipated."

Morlo disappeared just a few years ago, meaning Hale had lost his wings around the same time. Since then, he had holed up in his home, dependent on strong doses of painkillers. Over these years, they’d switched medications repeatedly, with dosages gradually increasing.

It had been predicted that losing his wings would affect Hale's lifespan, but the Crown Clan's resistance to medication was too strong. The decline came much sooner and more violently than anyone imagined.

Hale could die from the pain alone.

A heavy silence fell.

"Is he stable now?" Amos asked calmly.

"Yes. Our current painkillers were ineffective, so we combined multiple drugs in specific ratios to just barely keep Hale’s pain under control. He should wake soon—you can go in now."

Xiao Chuzao stared at the door.

He tugged Amos’s sleeve.

"Daddy, is Mr. Hale gonna be okay?"

Amos looked down at Xiao Chuzao, hesitating before murmuring,

"He will."

But everyone knew—it was impossible.

Wings don’t grow back. For the Crown Clan, losing wings wasn’t just about the body—it was far more complicated.

Xiao Chuzao could keenly sense the mood around him.

He bit his lip and peeked inside.

Hale had already woken, his elegant features pale and drenched in sweat from the torment of pain. His lips were bloodless, and only his crimson eyes—previously strained from the shattered crown—appeared even redder, the whites streaked with red.

Zao Zao didn't like this.

Xiao Chuzao gazed at Mr. Hale inside the room, his legs rooted in place.

Was there really no solution?

There had to be something, right?

The kid wracked his brain, pressing his temples briefly as a headache set in.

Amos noticed and glanced down at him in silent inquiry.

The boy hung his head slightly and shook it gently.

Then he followed Amos into the ward.

Hale had already sat up.

Once the pain subsided, he returned to his usual self, as if he hadn’t just been writhing in agony, pale and unconscious.

*"Why is everyone here?"*

Hale paused, then waved his hand helplessly.

"Your Majesty, I’m alright—just an old problem."

He turned his head, glancing toward a room not far away. "Morlo?"

He murmured.

In the adjacent room, Morlo was rifling through books, scouring the StarNet for answers.

Hearing Hale’s voice, he strode out. His typically gentle face now looked razor-sharp. He reached out and clamped a hand on Hale’s shoulder.

Hale was taken aback, noticing the faint redness around Morlo’s eyes. He looked like a lion choking back rage.

Morlo’s words hissed through gritted teeth.

"*You hang on.* I’ll find a way—"

Whether it was new painkillers or some other solution—

"Easy. Don’t stress."

Hale snapped out of it and even smiled. He picked up his glasses from the nearby table, perched them back on his nose, then patted Morlo’s hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"No big deal."

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Amos and the others, as if trying to calm the Crown Clan around him.

"Honestly, I screwed up back then—"

Back when Morlo had "died," Hale had been ready to follow him to the grave—before they dragged him back.

"Hale!"

Morlo snapped.

Hale stopped speaking, letting out a quiet breath.

His meaning was obvious. He didn’t know how much time he had left, but it was running out faster than he’d thought.

He didn’t want his condition to drag down the Crown Clan, who had only just begun to regain hope.

If a cure existed, that would be ideal—but if not, Hale wanted them to understand that this was irreversible, and not their fault.

As he was thinking this, he noticed a little figure, no taller than the bed, clinging to the edge on tiptoe. Honey-colored eyes locked onto his, while the small halo atop the child’s head seemed to tremble slightly, pressed tightly against his scalp like it was nervous.

"Teacher."

The child’s voice was small but firm.

After all he’d been through since coming back, he had grown—not just in body and strength, but in heart as well.

"Zao Zao’s different. Zao Zao’ll help."

Zao Zao can fix the crown, so Zao Zao will help Mr. Hale with his wings too.

Hale paused for a moment, looking at Xiao Chuzao.

A gentle smile lit up his eyes: "Is Zao Zao trying to cheer me up, hmm?"

He reached out and patted the little one's head.

"It's alright. I'm not that fragile, and I won't be leaving as quickly as Zao Zao thinks."

Besides, he's lived long enough—at this point, he has no regrets. And really, he didn’t need comforting anyway.

"You’re lying, Mr. Hale."

Xiao Chuzao muttered.

His tiny wings fluttered as he finally flew onto the bed and plopped down.

Amos stood by, watching but not interfering, though he frowned slightly, sensing something wasn’t quite right with the kid.

The little guy also seemed uneasy.

Amos stayed put but quietly told a nearby medical team member to prepare the necessary checkup for the child.

Meanwhile, Amos himself stayed on alert, ready to yank Xiao Chuzao back if necessary.

"You’re sad, Mr. Hale."

The little one sat by the bed, gazing at Hale.

Others' emotions—especially the Crown Clan’s—were an open book to Xiao Chuzao.

At that moment, the only sound in the room was the kid’s quiet voice.

"Mr. Hale still wants to stay for a long, long time, to be with Grandpa Morlo for a long, long time—"

Xiao Chuzao looked up at Hale. "You just reunited, didn’t you?"

Hale went silent.

Hale sighed.

No hiding anything from this kid, but no point saying it either.

"Zao Zao will grow up strong and figure it out—" Xiao Chuzao furrowed his brow. "If Zao Zao could help Mr. Hale once, Zao Zao can definitely help again."

"Wings and crowns aren’t the same, but Zao Zao, I’m happy—don’t stress over it."

Same for the little guy, of course.

Hale didn’t want Morlo beating himself up over it, nor did he want to become an obstacle in his student’s path if the problem remained unsolved—that would be ridiculous.

Then the kid pouted, threw his arms around Hale, and hugged him tight.

Zao Zao knows how—he just can’t remember.

The harder he tried to recall, the worse he felt.

In his distress, hazy memories flickered, accompanied by a distant yet near sound of rushing water.

The little one still didn’t fully understand.

But he clung to Hale and said in a small, sorrowful voice, "If only Zao Zao could share a pair of wings with the teacher..."

The gentle, reassuring smile Hale had forced onto his face began to falter.

"Don’t say that, Zao Zao. Don’t even think like that—you must never do such a thing..."

"You’re still so young, with so much ahead of you. You'll encounter many farewells along the way—just take them one step at a time—"

And most importantly, what Hale most wanted to teach this little one who had come into his life halfway was that he didn’t need to do so much. He wasn’t loved and cared for because of such sacrifices. The Little Crown Clan’s greatest lesson was to cherish themselves.

"But then Zao Zao will never see the teacher again—"

The little one burrowed deeper into Hale’s embrace.

"All knowledge turns Zao Zao away... only the teacher didn’t."

Hale's smile finally vanished. He took a deep breath, looking down at the tiny child clinging to him, and tried once more to soothe him gently.

But this time, he failed.

A Crown Clan member who had lived a thousand years—gentle, refined, wise, and composed, someone who handled everything with ease, the last of the Imperial Tutor line, a name that inspired trust when mentioned alongside the Crown Clan’s royal family—now reached out and softly embraced Xiao Chuzao.

At one point, his shoulders trembled ever so slightly.

A tear might have fallen where no one could see—or maybe not.

How could he not feel sorrow?

How could he not mourn?

Just as the Crown Clan had begun to recover from near destruction, just when he and Morlo had only just reunited, just when there were still so many words left unspoken, so many people and things he couldn’t let go of, just when he hadn’t even had the chance to teach Xiao Chuzao all he knew—

But Hale understood what needed to be done. In his condition, he couldn’t afford to hold anyone back. Because... he was beyond saving.

It was all his fault—his surrender to fate from the start, his attempt to abandon himself in despair. This was the consequence of that choice.

Yet the little one in his arms, who seemed to have realized his resignation to the fate brought on by losing his wings, whispered to him,

"Teacher, you have to... hold on a little longer—"

Xiao Chuzao looked up, his honey-colored eyes shimmering with tears, unblinking as he stared at Hale.

"Can you hold on a little longer for Zao Zao and Grandpa Morlo? Please?"

Don’t give up.

No one’s quitting yet.

Morlo clenched his teeth, smacking Hale on the back, glaring at him, pretending to be fierce.

"Did you hear what Zao Zao said? Just say 'okay,' already. Don’t think I don’t see you moping, you crybaby."

Hale took a quiet breath, and when he lifted his head again, though the rims of his eyes were slightly red, he looked every bit the composed and dignified Imperial Tutor.

Still, he couldn’t help shooting Morlo a glance—since when was *he* the crybaby?

It was just... once in a blue moon... he slipped up.

Morlo chuckled, "What are you looking at me for? Think I exposed all your secrets? Don't just stand there, just say 'okay'."

Someone normally so mild-tempered could be quite intimidating when angry.

In the end, Hale obediently said, "Okay."

A hush fell over the room.

Standing at the doorway, Ayala took in the scene inside.

After confirming Hale was unharmed, his face stayed blank as he turned to leave.

His gaze accidentally met An Ya, who stood at the back.

An Ya quirked an eyebrow.

"Not sticking around until Mr. Hale’s stable?"

Due to Ayala's family connection with the Dwight family, Hale had once briefly taught him.

But Ayala had always kept his distance.

"No."

Ayala's voice was steady, showing no emotion.

"Just knowing Hale’s okay is enough for me. I don’t need to get closer—"

He paused, as if considering something.

Perhaps the little one’s words had brought up bad memories, or perhaps he simply disagreed with what the child had said.

"Losing wings is a loss beyond measure. Though Chu Zao is a bit special, we can’t bank on that alone. Not everything can be achieved through effort or persistence. As far as I know, his abilities only pertain to the Psychic Crown. We need to be ready for anything..."

After speaking, Ayala hesitated, realizing it was a bad time to say this in front of everyone. He opened his mouth again but ultimately closed it, the apology died on his lips.

In Ayala’s philosophy, staying logical about everything was the right approach in such a world—it protected oneself and prevented harm.

But there was no denying his words were way out of line.

So much so that even An Ya, who wasn’t particularly emotionally intelligent, paused, stunned, before suddenly striding toward Ayala.

Before Ayala could react, An Ya yanked his head around in another direction.

Caught off guard, Ayala found himself staring blankly at Hale, who sat on the hospital bed, still calm and kind as always.

Hale had clearly heard Ayala’s words, but of course, they rolled right off him.

Ayala had been like this for many years.

Yet Hale’s expression still flickered with panic.

Because the little one, cheeks puffed out, having listened closely, suddenly climbed off the bed—a flash of light in his hand as he drew his Cupid’s bow.

—Golden light gathered.

Zao Zao’s talents went beyond fixing psychic energy!

The Crown Clan members, who had a knee-jerk reaction to Love and Peace, all made their instinctive first reactions—including King Amos, who dodged lightning-fast.

Only Hale, sitting on the bed with nowhere to hide, remained, staring awkwardly at Ayala.

The tiny arrow shot toward Ayala’s bewildered face—bullseye!

An Ya heaved a huge sigh and released her grip, turning to look at Finn beside her.

"Third brother, who was the last person he looked at?"

"It was... Mr. Hale, right?"

Finn paused uncertainly.

Hale: ...

Meanwhile, Ayala, after that momentary pause, felt his vision went blurry—what... was happening?

Ayala dazedly touched his own cheek. Tears welled up in his eyes as he stared at Hale, his thoughts spiraling wildly—Pitiful, so pitiful, how could this be, waaah!! Mr. Hale!!

Hale flapped around in panic, trying to flee—Love and Peace??? Morlo is still here!! This is bad!!

The little one froze, then flapped his tiny wings and darted aside, speaking to Hale with utmost seriousness.

"Teacher, don’t be scared. Zao Zao’s arrow isn’t Love and Peace."

The little one said with absolute certainty—the emotion behind this arrow was definitely fitting—

Ayala, clearly quicker than the unwell Hale, rushed forward and tackled Hale in a crushing bear hug, sobbing and nuzzling against him.

"Hold on, Teacher, hold on! You’re the best! I’ll bless you, cheer you on—can you feel it? This tsunami of pity—you must endure it! Waaah, so pitiful!"

It was fitting—perhaps a little too fitting—until Ayala suddenly came to his senses and slowly froze.

The one and only victim, Hale: ...

I have to endure? I'm barely hanging on as it is!