Chapter 131: No Need for Such High Morality—Baby

Chapter 131: No Need for Such Lofty Morality—Baby

Chao Huangmu looked up but froze instantly, his clear black eyes reflecting Chu Zao's face.

Though technically an adult, perhaps due to his Longlived race lineage—or simply because his personality had never changed—his handsome, sunny face still radiated youthful energy.

Just moments ago, Chu Zao had cupped his hands and dragged out his words right in Chao Huangmu's ear—so close that as Chao Huangmu lifted his head, Chu Zao's lashes nearly brushed against his tousled black hair.

Chu Zao blinked, locking eyes with Chao Huangmu.

Chao Huangmu had rushed over right after completing a mission, eager to check on Chu Zao. He hadn’t even had time to tidy up, only changing his clothes.

A faint hint of blood and dust still clung to him, mingling with his naturally fresh scent.

The closeness made Chu Zao’s face turn pink—

*What kind of childish nonsense had he just pulled?*

Chu Zao recoiled suddenly.

Chao Huangmu, however, blinked slowly in delayed reaction.

*—Zao Zao? Blushing?*

For a moment, Chao Huangmu was stunned, processing this.

Little Chuzao sat on the bed, leaning back slightly before pushing himself up after a few seconds. He hesitantly wrapped his arms around Chao Huangmu’s neck.

"Brother Mu? Don’t be sad."

Chu Zao knew how to comfort people—

Ever since noticing Chao Huangmu’s fondness for shiny things, he’d always remember to bring some back for him.

Zao Zao wasn’t particularly interested in such trinkets himself.

But whenever Chao Huangmu’s eyes lit up, it seemed more genuine than his usual expressions.

Though he usually smiled, Chu Zao—exceptionally sensitive to emotions—could tell he often wasn’t truly happy.

Chao Huangmu’s hands still braced against the bed. He paused, then bent slightly to raise his arms as if to return the hug.

But his hands hung suspended mid-air, his expression clouded with confusion. His black hair was slightly disheveled, his chin nearly resting on Chu Zao’s shoulder—he wanted to say he’d just returned from outside, only managing to change clothes, and that hugging now might be a little dirty.

Yet the words died in his throat.

He simply lowered his gaze—

*Love love love—I love Little Highness so much—*

For many, having someone see right through you isn’t a pleasant experience.

But for Chao Huangmu, it was entirely different. He adored the Little Highness who handed him gems when he seemed happiest, saying, "Cheer up, Brother Mu." He loved the Little Highness who chatted and shared food with him during training. He loved the Little Highness who, even while conversing with others at the military academy, could sense his discontent and wink at him, saying, "You’re still my favorite."

He loved it all so much—so much that his suppressed psychic energy nearly twisted free from his body, straining to wrap around Chu Zao’s limbs.

But you can't.

Not allowed.

"Oh, your chest is really firm."

Chu Zao hugged for a few seconds before easing the rigid Chao Huangmu back, glanced down and poked his chest.

"Brother Mu, you should get some physical therapy, right? Your muscles are too tense."

And he wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but touching them seemed to make the muscles tighten even more.

Chao Huangmu hadn’t gotten up yet, merely raising his head, his voice a bit dry and stiff: "I’ll look into it later."

"Hey, Brother Mu, Brother Mu—"

"Hmm?"

Chao Huangmu looked at Chu Zao in confusion.

Chu Zao pointed at his own earlobe.

"Brother Mu, your earring is loose. Looks like it’s gonna fall out."

"Ah..."

Chao Huangmu instinctively raised his hand, then spoke.

"Must’ve missed it when I changed earlier..."

A cool hand brushed over, gently pushing the earring back into place.

His earlobe was kinda sensitive.

This time, Chao Huangmu actually jerked upright, taking two steps back.

Chu Zao propped his chin on his hands.

"That a purple gem today? Looks nice."

Chao Huangmu: ......

Chao Huangmu: ........

"Brother Mu, your ear... is red?"

The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Chu Zao hesitantly spoke.

The guy just froze, deadpan.

When did he get so tall? His black hair wasn’t long, with a few messy strands sticking up. Wearing Saint Cas’s black military gear, the buttons undone, the long coat hung like a trench down to his knees. His usually cool gaze was blazing, and beneath his composed exterior, Chao Huangmu’s whole vibe and emotions were shifting in some direction.

Like a lit fuse.

Chao Huangmu’s arm, veins faintly bulging, lifted as he lowered his gaze, lost in thought as he fiddled with his earlobe.

The heat in front of him pulled back, and with it, that weird, heavy heat faded.

Before Chu Zao could process it, a noise cut in from outside.

Chu Zao looked up as King Amos had just arrived at the doorway.

Chu Zao had grown up, and King Amos had indeed made space for him accordingly.

He only kept an eye on Chu Zao’s general direction without monitoring his every move.

Since there were no peers within the Crown Clan, Chu Zao naturally became closest with Chao Huangmu—something King Amos was well aware of. Seeing Chao Huangmu here now, he showed no particular reaction.

For King Amos, as long as Zao Zao liked his child’s guard and remained loyal, that was already sufficient.

He had no intention of demanding anything beyond that.

"Dad!"

Chu Zao got up, slid off the bed, and was already in front of King Amos in a few strides.

Even though he was nearly an adult, he still acted like a child.

"The fever’s gone."

King Amos reached out and touched Chu Zao’s forehead as he spoke.

Chao Huangmu, only now snapping back to attention, turned his head and met the sweeping gaze of King Amos. Those cold eyes lingered on him for a moment, as if considering something, before calmly shifting away.

The weight of that gaze made Chao Huangmu tense instantly.

Chu Zao could perceive others' emotions—a concrete ability unique to him. But King Amos’s penetrating gaze was simply the result of millennia of experience, radiating an overwhelming presence.

Chao Huangmu stood up, bowed to King Amos, and then left—Chu Zao was awake now, and there were likely other tasks waiting for him soon. He needed to prepare himself quickly.

Chu Zao had already positioned himself before King Amos. Though he had rushed over like a child, the now-grown Xiao Chuzao still held back. Only after Chao Huangmu left did he fling himself into King Amos’s arms.

"Dad, where’s Third Uncle? And Auntie? I think I even saw Eldest Uncle?"

Now fever-free, Chu Zao muttered, his curly hair a wild mess—"And why do I have so many weird images in my memory? Dad, what did I do while I was feverish? Why are the memories so choppy, like broken fragments? Why do I remember gnawing on Great-Grandfather’s crown? And it tasted like mango?"

Was it all just a hallucination?

This time, the surge in the little one’s spiritual power had been immense, so much so that Chu Zao’s fever had actually worsened later on. His lucid moments were few and far between, and most of the time, he had slept through it.

"You did gnaw on it, but you didn’t manage to bite it off."

King Amos actually gave a faint smile.

Chu Zao froze, looked up, then dropped his head in disbelief before slapping a hand to his face.

"Still feeling unwell?"

"No, Dad."

Chu Zao’s wings swayed gently behind him, just like when he was little, his voice light as he answered.

"I feel bursting with energy now—ready to challenge Third Uncle anytime."

"Finn was dispatched yesterday on reconnaissance. Frey hasn’t returned yet, and Fei Man is still looking after Ebinino. He’s recovering well, but still needs rest. Once his condition stabilizes a bit more, he’ll be transferred back to Saint Cas’s imperial capital."

Chu Zao nodded as well. If they returned to the imperial capital, there was the Angel Spring Source Stone—already revitalized and nurturing the entire Crown Clan within the royal court of Saint Cas. Perhaps there was still a way to restore his great-grandfather’s eyes.

But—what was Third Uncle even doing?

"Scouting?"

Chu Zao looked at Amos.

"Will Third Uncle get himself lost again? The Monster Commanders around here are both troublesome and formidable. It could be a bit dangerous."

"If he lacks even that much competence, he shouldn’t return."

Amos replied coldly.

Chu Zao paused, trying to be fair.

"Actually, many things can’t really be blamed on Third Uncle… Blame it on his big mouth instead."

He could turn a winning argument into a losing one.

Amos reached out to straighten Chu Zao’s clothes.

"As for the rest? Zao Zao, come to the conference room."

"Okay, Dad."

Chu Zao followed Amos all the way to the conference room.

Ye Ming, commander of the Ninth Group Army, snapped a sharp salute. Beside him were several members of the Sacred Territory, now serving as reserves for the Saint Cas First Group Army. They were now training alongside the Ninth and Tenth Group Armies.

"Your Majesty, Young Highness, the astral charts have been fully mapped, and the Monster forces are being systematically identified. We’ve outlined the approximate territories of the relevant Monster Commanders."

He moved aside to showcase Saint Cas’s efficiency to Chu Zao.

In this uncharted star sector, within just a few days, the Saint Cas Empire had already scouted nearly a third of the general situation here. The approximate activity ranges of the known Monster Commanders were also mostly marked—and this was a vast expanse of the universe.

Oh, and—

"This is the seventh invitation sent by the Gesen Empire."

The Gesen Empire sent an invitation?

Chu Zao tilted his head slightly, looking at Amos.

If memory served, the Gesen Empire was a smug, insufferable empire—not just vile but downright moronic.

Based on Chu Zao’s experience dealing with such people, even when thwarted, they’d spin excuses to soothe their bruised egos and their citizens, as if that could maintain their image as a superpower. In reality, they were overly sensitive.

Because of this, these clowns wouldn’t play nice or get along properly until they truly felt the pain.

So…

"What’d I miss while I was out?"

Chu Zao looked at Amos.

Amos smirked faintly.

"Not much, really. Frey did a flyby near Gesen space."

He just happened to deal with a few mech squads that tried to interfere with or resist Saint Cas.

Seems it spooked the Gesen Empire into lockdown.

They even tried to copy their old playbook of multinational summits, attempting to invite leaders from all national alliances and regional powers to their side for discussions on the next steps.

But Saint Cas couldn’t care less about such meetings.

Once they figured out the situation in this star sector...

Chu Zao nodded.

"Wait, they actually made Uncle Frey lose his cool?"

Despite Frey's cold demeanor, it was worth noting that he had one of the chillest temperaments in the Crown Clan—not just within the Dwight family, but across the entire Crown Clan. Provoking him was no easy feat.

So Little Chuzao decided:

"Man, they must be real pieces of work."

Those nearby were eavesdropping on the conversation, and upon hearing this, some couldn't hold back.

Damn, how'd he make calling someone stupid and evil sound cute?

Amos cracked a smile too.

"Zao Zao, what should we do next?"

Leaving it up to Zao Zao?

Chu Zao looked at Amos.

It seemed Amos had been waiting for Chu Zao to wake up before posing this question.

Same as always, no change, as if this were a no-brainer.

Well, of course, it was only natural for the future ruler of Saint Cas to handle disputes between his nation and others.

"We don’t need an existence like the Gesen Empire," Chu Zao said flatly.

"Those who resisted got eaten alive by those monsters, while those who submitted survived the longest. Such people are dead weight to us. Only by wiping out their top brass will they learn—don’t mess with Saint Cas."

The kid was raised right and had clearly inherited that Crown Clan fire in him. He lifted his head, looking at Amos.

His curls bobbed.

"Right, Dad?"

"Right."

Amos didn’t miss a beat.

"And—"

Chu Zao looked down.

"It pisses me off—"

Originally, he had intended to deal with the beasts first, but these pain-in-the-ass roadblocks kept piling up.

Though they weren’t a real danger, they were a total nuisance—not to mention the unfinished business with the Holy Land.

The Holy Land also lost too many lives in these targeted assaults.

Yet the Gesen Empire could still gloat from their side.

So—

"We're ready to move out."

Amos gave a faint smile.

"With these kinds of people, you don’t need to be so morally uptight—kid."

The Dark Tyrant, who had once ruthlessly wiped out several troublesome nations and alliances, expanding Saint Cas’ borders severalfold, gazed down with blood-red eyes and gently patted Chu Zao's head.

"Obstacles should be removed quickly."

As Amos spoke, he glanced to the side.

"Get Finn on comms and check his location."

"...Your Majesty."

The Saint Cas soldier hesitated for a moment but quickly responded.

"We can’t reach His Highness Finn."

Chu Zao and Amos turned their heads simultaneously—

Meanwhile, faced with this all-too-familiar situation.

Finn, who had been tortured in the training room for two days before finally escaping, looked completely drained.

His voice was weak, and his usually cheerful, boyish face was lifeless.

"Oh, you're asking what we just went through?"

"Spatial flux disruptions, likely caused by pollution. Your Highness, this is unknown space for us and could be dangerous. The pollution sensors are all reading errors. We can only fall back to less polluted zones, but we don’t know where we are and have lost contact with the base."

Finn: "...Focus on repairs first, power up all ship beacons, and broadcast at max range."

They couldn’t find their way, so in this situation, they could only rely on Amos and the others to locate them.

Finn hung his head in frustration, thinking to himself—

I knew it.

Where the hell am I now?!?

Meanwhile, in another part of the galaxy.

The Hymn Organization’s ritual proceeded with precision.

High-ranking members of the Hymn Organization were subjected to intense vetting, channeling their hatred for the Longlived and gaining what they deemed 'divine' power.

At this moment, Saint Cas’ fleet had already moved far beyond this sector—this was a covert outpost.

Shenghua seemed to have been waiting here for some time, awaiting further instructions.

She still wore her hood, her face completely hidden beneath it, seemingly also wearing something like a mask, rendering her utterly unidentifiable.

At the same time, the Chastity and Generosity of the Hymn Organization were headed to another star system—toward their destination.

The 'deity's' instructions indicated that there lay a more potent Divine Grace Stone, providing even greater power to combat the Longlived race.

Whether it was the last surviving Spirit Eye Clan member, still missing and unaccounted for, or the Crown Clan—even the Grail Clan, sheltered by the Crown Clan, would be wiped out completely.

"What a beautiful sight—"

Generosity remarked.

"What do you think?"

"Indeed."

Chastity gave a soft laugh from under her cloak.

"But is it alright to bring the experimental subject along?"

"Of course—sometimes they prove useful, especially against that half-blood Soul Race member."

Chastity replied.

"Besides, I know him better than anyone. I know exactly what kind of person he is. Rest assured, he values his life above all else—that much I’m certain of."

Elsewhere, beyond this custom-built starship—

A small vessel had already been remotely set to a secret destination, serving solely as a transport to carry Xi forward.

With everything arranged, Xi slouched lazily in his seat, lost in thought. Suddenly, he gave a derisive snort, only to freeze moments later. He stood abruptly and turned toward the pile of supplies behind him, swiftly shoving aside the top items to reveal a figure curled up inside, gripping something.

Xi was stunned—he hadn’t sensed her presence at all.

"Why are you here?! Weren’t you supposed to have left for the ceremony? Who’s at the ceremony if not you?"

"Haha—"

Shenghua lifted her gaze.

"Even with all this preparation, and after all these years of knowing you, I still got caught ahead of time? You’re too sharp. But it doesn’t matter—I evaded the scans and confirmed the autopilot. The mission's already complete."

She tossed aside the device she’d used to conceal her aura and pulled a concealed dagger, lunging at Xi.

Xi dodged twice but had to retreat several steps.

By then, Shenghua had already stationed herself at the console.

She glanced at the instrument. "An encrypted destination? Seems you’re not as trusted as you thought. These people are far too cautious—like a bunch of shell-hiding cowards."

Flicking her blade twice, she stared at Xi, her gaze frosty.

Now, she seemed to have ditched the hood that once concealed her identity—

No, perhaps even that had been part of the plan for this very moment.

"So, about the ceremony—"

"If those cowards had just shown up together as planned, I wouldn’t have had to go through all this trouble. All I needed was for them to appear. If they had, even if I couldn’t handle them, the nearby Saint Cas Empire forces or the Crown Clan would’ve made sure they didn’t escape. But how annoying—two got away."

Shenghua smiled.

"I have to catch up and see."

"So you asked me about my mission patterns earlier for this."

Xi staggered to steady himself, his eyes dropped to the wound on his chest.

Shenghua's movements were ruthless, without a hint of restraint—she truly believed it would be better to take him out if he got in the way.

"Yes... and no."

Shenghua twirled the knife in her hand.

"But because you advised me not to attend the ceremony, I actually had a decent impression of you."

That wasn’t the slightest bit obvious.

"What about the ceremony now?"

"Of course, it was a carefully prepared stand-in. I originally thought it wouldn’t be necessary, nor did I want that child to sacrifice themselves. But what could I do?—now, Diligence must have been captured by the Crown Clan, right? Haha, I remember communications are still blocked here. If Diligence dies, Chastity and Generosity won’t have a clue, right?"

This was Shenghua’s only chance to eliminate all the top brass of the Hymn Organization—letting her truly attend the ceremony and display hostility toward the Longlived race? Wouldn’t that blow her cover? Besides, she found it disgusting.

Just as Shenghua said, the base preparing for the ceremony erupted in violent explosions, and an intense signal source was activated by the death of her stand-in. The Hymn Organization was forced into a disorderly landing on a nearby small planet. Before Diligence could escape, countless layers of silver-black chains descended.

Saint Cas, who had vaguely sensed Shenghua’s elusive intentions over the years, had arrived.

An Ya hovered mid-air, looking down coldly: "Here? ...Hymn."

Ugh... she needed to wrap this up fast, meet up with Uncle Lynn, and head to that stretch of space. She hadn’t seen Zao Zao in ages.

Xi had seen how Shenghua usually treated those people, how she worshipped the "gods"—was it all an act?

And how could anyone dare to do all this?

"Madwoman..."

Xi stared at Shenghua.

"Madwoman? Ha! Yeah—maybe I am."

Was it her choice to be mad? She should have been a carefree heiress, destined for the legal or business divisions of the Bael Union. Along the way, she might have met the Little Highness through diplomacy or other means.

But when the pollution began, when the Hymn Organization started hunting the Longlived race, when her parents died, when she was exiled and degraded—perhaps she had already snapped.

The disgusting stench of those self-righteous bastards, their groping hands—even after escaping, she wished she could scrub herself raw with dead leaves. This world was revolting. She wanted to die—death would be a clean break. There was nothing worth hoping for, nothing worth yearning for. This world was rotten to the core.

But—before despairing death came, a completely different hand reached out...

Resisting the beasts, protecting the people... Each time, truly, every single time, Shenghua pored over again and again the footage and videos she could obtain. At first, she just wanted to give a little back—until she saw the filth of the Hymn Organization and read the words of the Saint Casians.

So it was true—someone could follow without hesitation after just a handful of meetings, even from thousands of miles away. How to put it? It wasn’t the Hymn Organization’s disgusting, self-serving kindness—it was so radiant.

The Saint Casians under such light were truly fortunate.

Shenghua laughed, closing in on him, step by step.

"Of course, you can try to kill me or report me."

But she wasn’t about to go down without a fight.

"The Soul Race is dangerous."

Xi, however, kept his cool.

"You shouldn't have come here."

Shenghua didn’t respond, her movements sharp and efficient—nothing like the clumsy combatant she had pretended to be in front of Xi before.

Xi retreated several steps, his body slashed with a few cuts, but with a forceful twist, both of them crashed into the supply storage.

Xi forced Shenghua in and went to seal the crate.

Shenghua’s dagger was already buried in his flesh, and she yanked his hair. "Hey, what are you doing? Take this seriously, will you?"

"The next scan is coming soon. I suggest you stay tucked in here."

Xi reeked of blood.

His dead eyes lifted.

"You were right before—I should hate the Hymn Organization—"

Xi’s voice caught briefly as he spoke.

"But I won’t follow your orders. If you want to deal with the Hymn Organization, go ahead. I’m just carrying out the commands I was given. The rest isn’t my problem—"

What did that mean…?

Shenghua stared at this man, whom the Hymn Organization had deemed absolutely loyal. Her grip loosened slightly, only for Xi to push her back in. The scanner from earlier was tossed in as well. Shenghua raised a brow.

Xi stood up, glowering down at her. He let out a cold laugh.

"Of course I’ll deal with that Soul Race—but don’t expect me to help you, you psycho."

*

Meanwhile.

Elsewhere in the galaxy.

The Gesen Empire.

Despite claiming this was a joint discussion on future matters, the Gesen Empire had only invited its own puppet states, along with the Sacred Territory and the Eastern Alliance—the latter only present due to riding Saint Cas’s coattails. Neither the Sacred Territory nor the Eastern Alliance had arrived yet. The vassals’ representatives gathered in the Gesen Empire’s conference room.

Emperor Yakai of the Gesen Empire had yet to take his seat.

The high-ranking officials of these minor nations shifted nervously.

At last, someone whispered.

"Any trouble in your sector?"

"Nothing on mine. We’re off their route."

"Lost multiple mech teams. What’s the Empire’s status—"

"The Empire’s got the firepower. Besides, since Saint Cas accepted the invitation and is heading here, they must still be open to talks. The Empire plays its cards right."

"Right, right..."

Emperor Yakai stood at the door, his face dark with anger.

He hadn't entered yet, listening to the discussions inside; he looked grim and shadowed.

Only he knew that Saint Cas hadn’t so much as acknowledged the invitation sent by the Gesen Empire.

But one thing was beyond doubt—when a place became terrifyingly powerful, its name would instantly resound across the stars.

Just like the Saint Cas Empire, which had abruptly appeared before them now.