Chapter 109: Zao Zao Is Really Good at Handling Things

Chapter 109: Zao Zao Really Knows How to Play His Cards

Little Chuzao, holding up his little crown, gazed at him with wide eyes.

Chao Huangmu, whose figure was completely illuminated by the glowing light of the little crown, shrank back into the corner and slumped back to the floor.

The boy was drenched in sweat, his military jacket already tossed aside, leaving only his training tank top. His black tank top was soaked too. Though just over ten years old, he was already quite tall. Having trained since childhood, his muscles were toned but not bulky. The constant sweating had left his black hair in sweaty strands plastered to his forehead, the shadows of his hair swaying across his face—

Chao Huangmu froze for a moment, trying to force a smile, but failed due to the discomfort of his spiritual energy.

In the end, those pitch-black eyes, which rarely showed any emotion, paired with his equally expressionless face, made him seem slightly unnerving.

Chao Huangmu seemed aware of this issue.

Back when he first began learning to fake emotions, it was precisely because of this—"This child... is there something wrong with him? Why doesn't he react to anything?"

Until he was sent to Saint Cas.

So now, Chao Huangmu lowered his eyes, their deep color obscured by his thick lashes.

He wasn’t the delicate type. Though still young, he exuded a boyish, athletic charm—pale-skinned, always a shade lighter than his peers no matter how much he trained. Combined with his outstanding achievements, people couldn’t help but flock to him, finding him impossible to ignore, the kind who drew attention instantly.

Under the glow of Little Chuzao’s crown, he kept his gaze down, watching the shadow of the approaching Little Highness, thinking—*Ah... I’ve really screwed up this time, didn’t I?*

How long had he been here?

How did Zao Zao get here already?

Suddenly, Chao Huangmu looked up.

"Stop right there."

Little Chuzao stood five steps away from him.

Chao Huangmu finally raised his head to look at him.

"Little Highness..." he murmured.

His voice was soft.

"Just stay there. I’m... not safe right now."

The surging spiritual energy, struggling to break free from his control, had eased slightly after entering the restriction chamber but hadn’t been fully suppressed—Chao Huangmu was still quite young. In his struggle to control his power against his bloodline, he hadn’t yet gained the upper hand.

Little Chuzao indeed didn’t move any closer.

Still holding up his little crown, he shone its light toward him, watching.

"Brother Mu," he called softly.

The voice of the nearly seven-year-old was still soft.

"Are you okay?"

"...I’m fine."

Chao Huangmu finally managed a smile at Little Chuzao, like a scruffy puppy. He even took a step back, appearing polite but aloof.

But the act crumbled after seconds.

His head drooped again.

"Just ran into a little trouble, it's okay, Little Highness, I can handle it—"

He definitely could handle it. His condition was already much better than before.

But as Xiao Chuzao's guard...

Being such a dangerous element—could he be removed?

Pathetic.

This was the first time Chao Huangmu ever thought this about himself.

After achieving so much, yet failing at this one point—

The little one watched him.

His big eyes brightened slightly, seeing Chao Huangmu's emotions dark and heavy, like storm clouds gathering, almost completely enveloping him.

It looked pretty serious.

As Xiao Chuzao pondered, he heard Chao Huangmu speak softly, his voice small: "...Could you not disqualify me?"

Chu Zao was considering what to do—whether to seek Baba's help—but this aura didn't seem threatening, and it even felt strangely... sweet-smelling?

Then he heard Chao Huangmu's words.

The little one blinked: "Huh? What disqualification?"

Chao Huangmu seemed to stiffen for a moment, but soon he lifted his head—

Just as others behind him were straining to listen, he spoke earnestly: "The privilege of standing beside someone as adorable, brave, and hardworking as Zao Zao, whose brilliance dims even the stars and sun."

Everything went dead silent.

Zao Zao was stunned.

He was totally blindsided by the sudden praise.

Beyond the doorway, after a brief and eerie silence, chaos erupted.

"Where the hell did this kid learn to talk like that?"

"Where... where did he pick up such eloquence?"

"I seriously suspect the vendors around the school can't resist him—it's all because of his shamelessness! No one can handle him."

"Improvement? This guy's way too hungry for it! He's been secretly grinding behind our backs!!!"

"Great, while we're freaking out, unable to get close to him in case his aura goes haywire, he's here showing off his progress, huh?"

"Does his aura really have issues? Or is he faking it?"

The young man wasn't smiling. His face, normally so approachable, now looked utterly sincere, as if even those always-dark eyes had flickered with a faint glow.

Xiao Chuzao paused. The little one placed the small crown back atop his head, toning down its glow slightly, though it still shone brightly. His six small wings remained unfurled behind him, but Chao Huangmu—too consumed by his aura's turmoil—didn’t notice the extra pair of fluffy wings now present on Xiao Chuzao's back.

He simply watched as Xiao Chuzao took a few more steps forward—Chao Huangmu, sitting on the ground, was nearly at eye level with Chu Zao, though his pain-hunched posture made his gaze even lower.

Chao Huangmu initially wanted to say something, to stop it, but in the end, he closed his mouth and said nothing.

Until Xiao Chuzao approached. He reached into his pocket, then extended his hand—

His voice was still soft and sweet, now even more tender and gentle.

"Zao Zao went back to where he used to live long ago and brought you a gift—a really pretty little gem. Do you want it?"

It was something Xiao Chuzao had picked up on the way while heading to the Angel Spring with Amos.

Chao Huangmu paused, stunned, staring at the beautiful, raw but glittering honey-colored gemstone in the little one's palm. It was slightly darker than the color of the child's eyes—the very gemstone shade Chao Huangmu loved most over the past year.

His nerves eased, his attention diverted. After just two seconds of silence, he mumbled, "...Yes."

Chao Huangmu held his hand under the little one's, waiting for Xiao Chuzao to drop the gemstone into his palm.

But the little one pulled his hand back instead.

"Little Highness, that Soul Race's psychic energy’s going wild—he can't control it well. It's dangerous. Don't touch him—"

Outside the door, a few who had already suffered from Chao Huangmu's strange psychic energy kept their distance and could only shout from the entrance.

Chao Huangmu instinctively tried to withdraw his hand.

At the same time, the psychic energy around him lashed out violently, like a pitch-black shadow, fiercely lunging toward Xiao Chuzao.

The Soul Race—a long-lived race bearing some resemblance to the Crown Clan.

Both possess the ability to project psychic energy outward, but while the Crown Clan wields Psychic Weapons lacking free will, the Soul Race releases their psychic manifestations to aid in battle.

These psychic manifestations constantly reflect their deepest desires and emotions. It's said they also represent another form of the Soul Race, though no one has ever witnessed their alternate forms.

Sometimes, even they struggle to control this power. The ordinary, repressed darkness and buried emotions within them are amplified endlessly, which is why the Soul Race had been a volatile, unhinged race even before the contamination arrived.

This led many across the galaxy to view the Soul Race as a long-lived race with critical flaws. Logically, the optimal evolutionary path should have resulted in their psychic manifestations obeying orders mechanically. Yet, the Soul Race's psychic manifestations seem incompatible with their physical bodies, as if missing a vital piece, leading to their bizarre existence long before the contamination.

That they managed to persist until disappearing just over a decade ago is itself a miracle.

Countless voices raced through Chao Huangmu's head in an instant—*'Hold him'*—*'Devour—'*—*'Too cute, too cute, crush him in your arms until he can't breathe—'*—

All sorts of dark emotions surged. Chao Huangmu's expression darkened abruptly as he watched the black psychic shadow erupting from his body charge at Xiao Chuzao. Without hesitation, he reached out, ignoring the searing agony as his psychic energy ripped itself apart, and forcibly seized the shadow, squeezing tighter and tighter—so fiercely that even he was affected.

For a moment, it seemed even harder to explain. Chao Huangmu couldn’t bring himself to look up at Xiao Chuzao. Nervously, he stared at the ground, thinking that given time, he would recover.

But—

This wasn’t what he truly wanted—

Chao Huangmu drooped his head.

The topic the little one had brushed past earlier now resurfaced before him.

"Brother Mu."

He heard the child's voice beside his ear.

Chao Huangmu didn’t dare respond, as if awaiting final judgment.

But then, he heard Xiao Chuzao gulp nervously.

"Is this your psychic manifestation?"

The little one gulped again—

Xiao Chuzao finally figured out where that mouthwatering aroma on Chao Huangmu was coming from.

"It looks... really tasty."

Chao Huangmu: ...What?

Psychic fragment: ...?

Chao Huangmu blinked up, bewildered.

Only to see Xiao Chuzao gazing with deceptively innocent hunger at the psychic energy he was tightly holding back.

Chao Huangmu: ...

The psychic fragment, which reflected the other side of its master's emotions at this moment, convulsed violently—Wait, what did he mean by "smells delicious"???

That can't mean... what I think it means?

The people at the door stood frozen in disbelief.

Wait, this was taking a weird turn.

After a moment of processing, Chao Huangmu dug in his pocket, pulled out a handkerchief, wiped his psychic fragment thoroughly, and then handed it over to Xiao Chuzao—

All clean. Go ahead and eat.

Psychic fragment: WHAT THE HELL, MAN?! THIS IS LITERAL SOUL-EATING!!!

The chaotic, dangerous consciousness struggled violently in Chao Huangmu's grip.

Amos's indifferent voice cut through the air—clearly, the emperor's attention had never left this scene from the start.

"Zao Zao, don't go putting strange things in your mouth."

The little one, who had been about to tentatively try a nibble, closed his tiny mouth shut tight again.

Aww, okay...

But this psychic energy... Xiao Chuzao didn’t sense any danger from it.

And it was being restrained by Chao Huangmu.

He reached out and pressed the shimmering essence back into Chao Huangmu’s hand.

"Relax."

The little one said.

"Easy there, Brother Mu. From Zao Zao's experience—the more you tense up, the easier it is to lose control."

The harder you fight it, the worse it gets.

Chao Huangmu eased up slightly, and in that instant, even his wild spiritual energy subsided slightly.

"See? No biggie, right?"

Before the little one entered, he had received a task from the medical center to help him relax.

He handed the gem to Chao Huangmu, gently patting his small chest, his small wings unfurling behind him like a dependable little angel.

"And don’t worry about those things. Zao Zao is strong now, and he’ll grow even stronger in the future."

"You are a citizen of Saint Cas, and Zao Zao is the future king of Saint Cas."

The little one’s round eyes gleamed as he looked at Chao Huangmu.

"This is your home. Zao Zao will protect you too, and there’s also Daddy—Daddy can do everything."

As he spoke, the little one veered back to his father, turning his small head to seek confirmation: "Right, Daddy?"

King Amos sighed in resignation from outside.

*You are a citizen of Saint Cas—this is your home—*

Chao Huangmu clenched the gem in his hand. Its facets dug into his palm, but they had clearly been smoothed—hard but not sharp enough to cut.

Finally, he completely relaxed. His body, tense since the start of training and never properly rested, swayed for a moment as his strength drained away like a retreating wave. Clutching the gem tightly, he finally collapsed to the ground.

"The readings have dropped. It seems the inference was correct. His unwillingness to come out was also the right decision. If this had happened outside the containment chamber, only His Majesty and the Highnesses could have controlled him."—After all, this was a member of the infamous Soul Race.

The monitoring team rushed in to check Chao Huangmu’s condition.

Xiao Chuzao took a step back, watching Chao Huangmu lean against the wall, his amber eyes crinkling slightly.

—*Zao Zao looked so cool just then.*

Did he impress Brother Mu?

The pampered little one, soft and plump, momentarily shifted his focus away from the emotional barrier, distracting himself.

Then he turned to Yun Songquan and Peng Liang behind him.

"Zao Zao has gifts for you too—"

The little one rummaged in his pocket again, pulling out shiny little gems and berries. He scampered over, being fair this time, letting Peng Liang and Yun Songquan choose.

Behind the little one, Chao Huangmu, exhausted and barely keeping his eyes open, gripped the gem in his hand. His vision blurred as he watched Xiao Chuzao standing beside Yun Songquan and Peng Liang.

At the very end, in this moment, he thought—*Just what you’d expect from the Little Highness.*

The Little Highness is always surrounded by people—but that’s only fitting for someone like him.

But it’s fine. As long as there’s a place for me beside Xiao Chuzao, that’s enough.

The rest—he wouldn’t mind.

Finally, Chao Huangmu’s consciousness sank completely into darkness.

"Your Majesty, he’s stable now, asleep."

A medic rushed to King Amos’s side, speaking softly.

King Amos acknowledged quietly.

"The Soul Race are dangerous. Our Crown Clan seldom deals with them. Are you certain this is safe?"

Frey showed a hint of concern.

Especially since this Soul Race individual was still by Xiao Chuzao's side.

Amos was lost in thought too.

But Finn spoke up.

This was, after all, a Crown Clan member with an adventurous spirit, never one to stay boxed in, having witnessed everything that had just happened.

"What's the issue? His background is clean, he was brought back since childhood, all checks are fine, his mental powers are under control—Zao Zao can even restrain him, even thought about taking a bite. What could go wrong? Besides—"

Finn shrugged.

"Look at Zao Zao, he’s practically bewitched these guys. Second Brother, at your age, you didn’t have this many loyal-to-a-fault underlings."

That much was true.

The little one had these guards eating out of his hand.

Amos finally turned to size Finn up again.

Finn had recently grown wary of sparring with Amos—truth be told, he’d always been this way, which was why Amos had called him unreliable from the start. But most of the time, Amos couldn’t be bothered to rein him in, and no one else could beat him, so he ran his mouth unchecked.

That was, until recently, when Finn started getting dragged into frequent training bouts by Amos.

So much so that now, even the way Amos looked at him made the hairs on Finn's neck stand up.

Finn took a cautious step back. "The hell you looking at?"

"Color me surprised."

Amos regarded him calmly, as if stating a fact.

"You occasionally say something sensible."

As he spoke, Amos even quirked the corner of his mouth into a smirk.

It might have sounded like praise, but it carried an undeniably mocking tone.

Finn: "..."

Hey!

*

Meanwhile, on this side of the contamination.

Fei Man and Ayala were patrolling along the barrier line, but with the little one absent, they didn’t dare linger too long.

They only conducted a quick sweep of the situation.

"There really seem to be a lot of aberrations over there. Could there truly be another star system beyond? Can't even picture what's out there."

Ayala observed, then glanced deeper into the contamination. He absently swung his baton, smashing an aberration trying to crawl out.

"Could there still be people there? What if it’s just a beast-infested wasteland now? And—why are the First Group Army and Ebinino so insistent on digging in here?"

The corruption spread too far here.

They could've fallen back some back then, yet it seemed they kept advancing, dead set on pushing forward.

They finally stopped at this place.

Fei Man was still preoccupied with visiting her grandfather, so she was a bit distracted—

The aberrant beasts nearby seemed to notice her distraction and emerged, rushing toward her.

Without even lifting her eyelids, her striking, icy beauty made her seem unapproachable. She casually raised her hand, and her spear had already pierced through the beast that thought it had succeeded.

"Who knows what kind of hellscape it is over there."

And on the other side of the pollution—

On a planet where beasts and humans fused in grotesque ways.

In a conference room within a planetary palace.

Someone detected anomalous movement, and they gathered to discuss.

"The beasts in the pollution zone are acting aggressively? Can we confirm what's happening?"

"Never mind, it doesn’t matter. In this never-ending war for survival, we are the winners. As long as we aren’t eaten by the beasts, as long as we’re stronger than everyone else—"

"Of course, we are strong now. We are the most powerful empire, the strongest in the entire star system—"

"But the races living at the edge of the pollution sometimes worry me. They say they’re from—Saint, Saint-something?"

"How should I remember? They’re not in our archives. Who knows if they’re telling the truth? No numbers, no land, and such backward technology—not to mention mecha equipment—they’re hardly worth considering. Their only edge is marginally better psi-ratings. The beasts probably consider them juicier prey. Might as well leave ’em a breeding pair, or they’d have gone extinct long ago."

"You’re right."

In this lawless corner of the star system, their history began a few hundred years ago, passing the torch blindly till now, with no inheritance or history. Every record’s been scrubbed, and they’ve settled into an eerie stability. Nobody’s losing sleep over it.

*

Meanwhile, on the other side, the Ninth Group Army's fleet had already arrived above Saint Cas’s imperial capital.

"Looks like rain outside—"

Finn stood by the window, looking out as he spoke.

"Time’s flying. Almost winter again—"

Raining?

Hearing Finn’s words, the little one scampered over, tiny wings fluttering eagerly behind him. He flew up slightly, clinging to the window to peek outside.

"Uncle, Uncle—Zao Zao wants to see outside."

The little one clung to the edge of the window, looking up at Finn.

Damn, that’s cute.

Finn looked down at the little one, but the troublemaker uncle monopolized the view, even nudging the little one aside on purpose. "Uncle won’t let you unless Zao Zao gives Uncle candy in exchange."

The kid just gaped at Finn, betrayed.

Amos sat on the other side. He usually didn’t interfere in such petty squabbles, not even looking up from his datapad before remarking—"Quit picking on him."

How childish.

Shaking down a kid for candy.

Finn was just about to say something when the little one landed, puffing his cheeks. "Third Uncle."

You big meanie, stealing Zao Zao's sweets!

Calling me Third Uncle won't help—

Finn was smugly about to speak.

Then he saw the little one's tiny wings spread out, the little one staring at him.

Zao Zao said nothing, only slowly—puffed up.

Puffed up?!

Finn froze for a heartbeat.

He felt a chill crawl down his spine.

Over there, Amos glanced over.

Finn: ......

Finn picked up the little one and placed him in the best viewing spot, smoothing the little feathers on his back, giving the fluff an affectionate ruffle. He moved with smooth, practiced ease.

Voilà! A prime window-side seat, right this way—