Chapter 036 Military Exercise 06

Chapter 036 Military Exercise 06

Zhou Younan ran forward with Jonathan in his arms, immediately changing direction whenever he felt the sand shifting beneath his feet.

The reef looked close, but the actual distance was far.

With Jonathan in his arms, Zhou Younan’s feet sank deep into the sand. Each step required him to pull one foot free, take a large stride, then free the other.

Though his stamina had improved greatly, even the hardiest constitution couldn’t withstand such relentless exertion. His movements slowed, the desert seeming to swallow both him and Jonathan whole.

"Your Highness—" A shout came from afar—it was Luo Ou, the captain of the royal guards.

He and two other guards were racing toward them, each riding a hoverbike.

"Give His Highness to me!" Luo Ou yelled.

Still running, Zhou Younan handed Jonathan over.

Luo Ou caught Jonathan with one arm and yanked him to safety.

Zhou Younan reached out, and another guard extended a hand to pull him onto the hoverbike.

Suddenly, a sandworm burst from the ground, tossing the guard's hoverbike. The ruptured ground sent Zhou Younan flying, slamming heavily face-down into the dunes.

As the hoverbike was flung aside, the guard was thrown onto the sand nearby.

His leg was broken, the fractured bone piercing through skin and fabric, exposed to the air. He convulsed in pain.

"Ah—"

His scream was abruptly cut short.

Another sandworm emerged where he had landed, swallowing him whole.

Zhou Younan witnessed the guard’s gruesome end.

"Get away from there!" Jonathan's shrill cry cut through the wet crunch of the feeding sandworm, ringing in Zhou Younan’s ears.

Dizzy, Zhou Younan summoned his last strength to roll twice, moving away from his landing spot.

Lying on the blazing-hot sand, his dark eyes reflected the blue sky and blazing sun. Pushing up on trembling arms, he slowly rose.

Another sandworm surfaced right where he had landed moments ago.

Now standing, Zhou Younan swayed unsteadily, his head still spinning.

A four-meter-thick column of flesh suddenly loomed before him, blocking all light.

Raising Silver Snow, Zhou Younan’s cold gaze locked onto the pillar as he pulled the trigger, emptying the entire magazine.

"KABOOM—"

The particle beam rifle Luo Ou wielded delivered devastating force, blasting a massive hole through the sandworm’s body, its severed limbs tumbling midair.

Green blood splattered across Zhou Younan’s face—shockingly cold.

The shock snapped him to alertness.

"Give me your hand!" the other guard shouted.

Zhou Younan reached out, and this time, he was successfully pulled onto the hoverbike.

"Half a klick ahead, there’s an abandoned giant sand harvester! Head there!" Luo Ou commanded.

Seated on the hoverbike, sand streamed from Zhou Younan’s hair as the wind whipped past. He wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve and scanned the hellscape behind them.

One after another, sandworms emerged from the dunes.

They gathered around the fallen sandworm, their slick, near-black bodies writhing and entwining. Sand sloughed off their glistening hides as they writhed.

Zhou Younan counted six juvenile sandworms, including the downed one.

Though each measured four meters long, they were pale imitations of the beasts in the tactical projections. These were mere juveniles, yet they'd already proven deadly.

If they were adults…

Zhou Younan shuddered, refusing to follow that thought.

***

The two hoverbikes skidded to a halt inside the abandoned sand harvester, their blue engine lights fading.

"The harvester is bolted to bedrock, and sandworms usually only move through loose sand. We can hold here temporarily."

Luo Ou swung off the bike briskly, setting Jonathan down before continuing, "We’ll wait for rescue here."

Zhou Younan also stepped off the hoverbike, sweeping the area with his gaze.

The parking area was part of the harvester’s crew quarters—a vast space containing dormitories, workshops, even a crumbling commercial strip and a small plaza.

Everything was blanketed in fine silica dust, heavily weathered. Yet a lozenge insignia was visible everywhere.

"That’s the Os family crest," Jonathan explained, walking up to Zhou Younan.

The Os family—Zhou Younan had heard of them. They were the ones who made the dried fish snacks for Wei Qing.

"Your Highness, drink some water." Luo Ou handed Jonathan a canteen.

Jonathan accepted it, tilting his head back to drain half the canteen.

Zhou Younan gave Luo Ou a stiff nod. "Thank you for earlier."

Luo Ou gave him a withering look and didn’t respond.

Once Jonathan finished drinking, Luo Ou took back the canteen and turned on his heel.

He joined the other guard, and the two began taking stock of their remaining gear and ammunition.

This was Zhou Younan’s third run-in with the guard captain, and each time, the captain had treated him with open contempt.

Had he offended him somehow?

Zhou Younan racked his brain.

Could it be… that time at the palace banquet when he got drunk and hot-wired a mech with Wei Qing?

That incident must have sent the royal guard on a base-wide manhunt.

Mulling this over, Zhou Younan found himself staring at Luo Ou. Sensing the gaze, Luo Ou wheeled to face him.

This time, Zhou Younan gave a wry smile.

Luo Ou kept a straight face.

Zhou Younan shifted uncomfortably.

Someone tugged his sleeve, and looking down, he saw Jonathan, who gestured for him to crouch.

Zhou Younan crouched, and Jonathan leaned in close to his ear, whispering, "Are Luo Ou's pecs super huge?"

Zhou Younan's gaze involuntarily drifted to Luo Ou's chest—broad shoulders, ripped muscles. Royal Guard Captain Luo Ou not only had massive pecs, but his entire body was exaggeratedly muscular.

Jonathan added, "I like his pecs. They make me feel safe. When I grow up, I want to be like that too."

Zhou Younan patted Jonathan's head. "Then once things settle down, you'll have to train hard. Start working now, and you’ll definitely succeed. Captain Luo's build wasn’t built overnight."

Jonathan nodded solemnly. "Okay."

"What's with the tattoo on Luo Ou’s forehead?" Zhou Younan asked Jonathan, suspecting Luo Ou might have once been a member of the Water Drop Army.

Just as Jonathan was about to answer, Luo Ou walked over and handed him a pistol. "Your Highness, stay here. The three of us will check out the area."

Luo Ou’s "three" included Zhou Younan.

As an adult, Zhou Younan had no objections. He followed Luo Ou’s instructions and headed south to investigate.

The southern area was a desolate small square, strewn with rusty metal pieces of varying sizes. The slightest step crumbled them to powder.

The further south he went, the stronger the wind became. Zhou Younan felt the temperature drop, getting noticeably colder.

Passing through the square and rounding a thick wall, Zhou Younan arrived at a vast, dimly lit open space where the wind was strongest.

Beneath his feet was cold stone, while overhead stood a huge metal hangar, one corner of which had collapsed, allowing sunlight to pour in and illuminate the area.

From head-height up to the ceiling, hundreds of meters high, the hangar was filled with countless tiny drill bits fixed to iron pillars, suspended in midair.

Despite the passage of time, some of the drill bits still looked razor-sharp. Light shone from the opposite side—whether it was an exit or not was unclear. But when you're trapped, more exits were always better. With that thought, Zhou Younan moved forward to investigate.

He reached the collapsed section, carefully avoiding the drill bits, and tried to proceed further. Suddenly, the metal beneath his feet gave way, and he went crashing down.

"Ah—"

The area was strewn with fallen debris, and Zhou Younan had mistaken it for solid ground. But beneath the metal was actually a cliff!

He flailed for something to grab.

Then his arm was seized. Zhou Younan looked up into Luo Ou’s intense green gaze.

Effortlessly, Luo Ou pulled him back to safety.

Once back on safe ground, Zhou Younan took two steps away from the cliff and sincerely said, "Thank you."

This time, Luo Ou didn’t remain silent. He stared at Zhou Younan and slowly asked, "In your eyes, is Wei Qing a good man?"

"Huh?" Zhou Younan glanced at the cliff beneath his feet, his heart still racing.

"You’re Wei Qing’s third husband. From a spouse’s perspective, is he a good man?" Luo Ou repeated his question.

Zhou Younan glanced at the tattoo on Luo Ou’s forehead and tentatively asked, "Were you once part of the Water Drop Army too?"

"Yes, I was. I was Taylor Harris’s deputy."

Luo Ou’s eyes—mostly whites with small irises, combined with his high cheekbones—usually carried an air of disdain when he looked at people. But as he said this, his gaze was filled with nostalgia and warmth.

Zhou Younan noticed the difference and asked, puzzled, "You and Taylor Harris...?"

"I loved him," Luo Ou said matter-of-factly.

Zhou Younan, now with his answer, felt awkward.

He never expected that Royal Guard Captain Luo Ou was actually Wei Qing’s romantic rival?! Was Wei Qing’s bad blood with him because of that?

"You still haven’t answered my question," Luo Ou said, stepping behind Zhou Younan.

With the cliff in front and Luo Ou blocking the path behind, Zhou Younan finally realized he was in danger.

Why was Luo Ou asking about his opinion of Wei Qing?

He swallowed hard and answered, "I don’t know."

"You don’t know?" Luo Ou’s expression darkened as he racked the slide of his gun, making his threat clear. "The internet is blowing up with news of your marriage. Everyone says Wei Qing genuinely loves you."

"He even stole the Emperor’s mecha to make you happy and took the punishment for you."

"In prison, the two of you played the perfect couple. And now you’re telling me you don’t know?"

Luo Ou looked unconvinced.

Zhou Younan bit his lip. He hadn’t known Wei Qing long, yet they’d already been through so much.

Wei Qing had indeed done a lot for him, but Zhou Younan honestly couldn't say.

He replied, "Yes, I don’t know."

Taking a deep breath, Zhou Younan looked up at Luo Ou seriously. Though both had green eyes, Luo Ou’s were darker than Wei Qing’s.

Meeting that gaze, Zhou Younan slowly revealed the truth: "Because I gave Wei Qing a capsule that makes him love my pheromones."

The words hung heavy for a moment.

This was the first time he’d confessed this to anyone, and Zhou Younan felt some relief. But after saying it, he was painfully aware of the reality—he was living a lie.

None of it was real.

He lowered his eyes. "Everything Wei Qing did for me... it was all because of..."

"Because of the capsule’s effect," Luo Ou finished for him.

Zhou Younan held his breath and reluctantly nodded. "Yes."

Luo Ou let out a derisive snort. "Explain further."

Zhou Younan wrapped his arms around his knees, huddled in the shadows, save for a single beam of sunlight on his grimy toes.

Slowly, he confessed the truth buried in his heart: "I was always on the streets. Two months ago, the Zhou family found me and brought me back. They forced me to take the place of the original heir of the Zhou family and marry Wei Qing."

He was nothing but a stand-in.

"I've heard about Wei Qing killing his first two wives, and I know he doesn't like me. To survive, I gave him a capsule that would make him responsive to my pheromones."

It was all about survival.

"I only saw how he acted when drawn to my pheromones, so I don’t know what Wei Qing is really like."

With every word, the spark in Zhou Younan’s eyes faded a little more. He and Wei Qing never should’ve gotten married to the beginning—their happy marriage was nothing but an illusion.

Zhou Younan knew nothing about the real Wei Qing, nor his true nature.

Luo Ou burst out laughing and stepped back.

Zhou Younan was feeling down.

Then, the cold barrel of a gun pressed to his head.

Luo Ou's voice was icy, his teeth clenched. "You drugged the Imperial Marshal? How fucking dare you!"

Zhou Younan froze—why was Luo Ou sticking up for Wei Qing again?

Noticing the tattoo on Luo Ou’s forehead, Zhou Younan realized: as a member of the Water Drop Army, Luo Ou must truly revere Wei Qing.

His voice trembled slightly. "I just wanted to live. I didn’t want to end up like Taylor Harris, killed by Wei Qing barely a week into their marriage—"

"He’s not dead!" Luo Ou roared, cutting him off. "Taylor Harris isn’t dead! Who told you he died?"

Enraged, Luo Ou fired twice, blasting apart the metal debris near Zhou Younan and sending them tumbling off the cliff.

"Alright, alright, he’s not dead. Taylor Harris isn’t dead." Zhou Younan froze, not daring to move. "Calm down."

Luo Ou stalked back and forth, gripping his gun.

One moment, he was gleeful: "Wei Qing actually got tricked by his own wife! Serves him right!"

At others, he was troubled: "Where the fuck is Taylor? Why did Wei Qing bury an empty grave for him?"

And then, sorrowful: "I should’ve told him how I felt. I liked him so much."

At this moment, Luo Ou seemed completely unhinged.

Listening to his ramblings, Zhou Younan grew even more nervous. This Royal Guard Captain was clearly off his rocker.

"Ah—Luo Ou—" Jonathan’s voice rang out.

"Your Highness!" The crazed look in Luo Ou’s eyes vanished as he left Zhou Younan behind and sprinted toward the source of the voice.

Zhou Younan scrambled to his feet and hurried after Luo Ou.

Though this Royal Guard Captain was a little unhinged, he was still doing his duty—protecting Jonathan.