Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Rejecting Xinghua Qianhua's offer to play on his behalf, as well as declining his chief assistant Leslie and deputy assistant Roy's proposals to drink for him, and even pressing down his visibly displeased father while giving his mother the same obedient smile as always, Philo quietly took his seat at the gaming table.

Considering it was a game proposed by Siluan, most participants were male insects. Among the female insects, aside from Shang Ling, Siluan's elder brother, the others were those who had already greeted Philo earlier.

Exchanging glances and nods, several female insects seemed eager to help Philo. Unfortunately, two male insects, there purely for the spectacle, had already taken the seats beside him.

These male insects, who thrived on drama, weren’t about to let the females interfere and ruin the show.

"Your Highness Siluan, as our guest, it would be impolite for us at the Toras family to let your female attendant be the drummer. How about I select another female to take on the role instead?"

From the periphery of the table, Xinghua, noticing the unfamiliar female holding the drumsticks, made his suggestion before the game even began.

But—

"No need. Finding someone more skilled than Song Emperor, a musical genius of his caliber, would be quite difficult for the Toras family on such short notice. And don’t worry about cheating—look, I’ve already prepared a blindfold."

Staring at Xinghua Toras, Siluan, as if oblivious to his own father’s darkening expression nearby, bluntly exposed the hidden intentions behind the suggestion.

At this point in the game, forcing Philo to back out would only make things more awkward.

The female insect, now wearing the blindfold, had gone entirely unnoticed despite her former title as the leader of the Meilani Orchestra.

Only now, as she picked up the drumsticks, did she draw any attention.

The jade-like drumsticks came in seven pairs, corresponding to the insect race’s F-class to S-class psychic levels. Each pair, crafted from the bones of star beasts of matching ranks, could only unleash the Thunder Drum’s true power when wielded by an insect of the corresponding level.

Of course, drumsticks made from A-class and above star beast bones were typically only seen in military use. Even so, the B-class bone drumsticks on the table were impressive enough.

After all, hunting a B-class star beast was no easy feat. While military females on the border planets might risk their lives to take down a single B-class star beast, here in the capital, male insects casually used such bones to craft party toys.

Running her fingers over the drumsticks, sensing the residual intimidating energy of the star beast, the female named Song Emperor wore an expression as cold and unyielding as the bone itself.

Then again, after indulging Siluan’s whims today, she’d likely face punishment from the two elders of the Qi Mengtu family. In her place, no one would be smiling either.

Yet, despite this, the onlookers showed little sympathy. They were far more interested in the drama about to unfold.

*Thud…*

Following tradition, the drumstick lightly tapped the drumhead for a test sound.

Playing the Thunder Drum required not just skill but also psychic energy. A full drum performance demanded greater psychic expenditure with higher-grade drumsticks, testing the drummer but delighting the audience.

Typically, for games above C-class, two drummers were prepared to prevent psychic instability. But today, it seemed Siluan intended for Song Emperor to handle it alone.

Then again, her younger brother was now the current leader of the Meilani Orchestra, no longer Siluan’s attendant, and thus no longer his drummer.

"Let’s begin."

Without further ado, as if he—not the Toras family—were the host, Siluan gave the signal. With his words, the clear, resonant drumming began.

This was Philo’s first time hearing the sound of an instrument from the Interstellar Era.

Musical scales were universal, and despite the exotic materials, the drum’s mechanics weren’t too different from Earth’s drums.

Yet, it was still unlike anything he’d heard before.

Devoid of the muffled quality typical of drums, the strikes on the drumhead carried weight, while the rim produced crisp tones—yet it was unmistakably different.

Chins lifted, and some couldn’t help but clench their fists.

At this moment, everyone had to admit the extraordinary skill of Siluan’s attendant. Though the drum was a miniature version, its sound seemed to stir their psychic energy, even evoking a familiar restlessness in some military females.

No wonder the capital’s male insects loved this game at their parties—it was exhilarating.

Smirking, Siluan glanced at the pink-filled crystal cup in his hand.

Floating Powder Wine, distilled from floating powder grass, was notorious for intoxicating even the hardiest insects and inducing hallucinations or emotional instability. First-time drinkers were especially prone to… embarrassing themselves.

Turning leisurely, he passed the cup, his gaze darkening as it lingered on a certain someone across the table.

Soon, the drumming stopped abruptly.

The "winner" wasn’t Philo.

"Bring the Dongfu Qin."

The unfamiliar male insect, though surprised to hold the cup, showed no panic. After all, this was a game they played often, a chance to showcase newly acquired skills.

The first chosen could freely pick their performance. Confidently playing a well-known insect melody, the male proved that stage fright was rare among his kind. And where male insects gathered, admiration followed—though the attending females had male relatives, witnessing a performance up close still electrified the atmosphere.

As if forgetting the game’s initial malice, the crowd, enchanted by the sensory feast, applauded warmly.

One by one, insects took their turns. Most knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses—some happily displayed their talents, while others, deliberately challenged, simply drank the expensive wine (a bottle costing over 100,000 star coins) without complaint.

Seated on cushions so soft they felt nonexistent, leaning against the chairback, Philo calmly observed the lively scene of a young insect gathering.

Strangely fair, after several rounds, luck seemed to favor him—he never once held the cup when the drumming stopped.

Even Siluan was chosen once. Dressed in opulent attire, he performed an ancient celebratory melody with practiced ease.

Watching him, the crowd seemed to remember—this A-class male wasn’t like the others who indulged in frivolity. He had graduated from an elite academy with honors and, like the young Du Dafei in his time, dedicated himself to providing psychic soothing for females.

Such a male, even if temperamental, would make a fine mate.

"Philo, it’s finally your turn."

Yes, after so many rounds, his luck had run out.

Shifting his gaze from the drummer to the pink liquid in his hand, Philo turned to the insect who’d last held the cup—coincidentally, a female.

She clearly meant no harm—few females would willingly trouble a male—but—

"Sorry, I can’t play this instrument."

"My apologies, I don’t know how to play the Sadi insect flute."

"‘Insect Spring Love Song’? Unfortunately, I’ve never heard it."

As if his earlier luck had been exhausted, as if fate had aligned perfectly—

For the next three rounds, the drumming stopped precisely when the cup reached Philo. And with each refusal, each gulp of Floating Powder Wine, the once-lively atmosphere grew colder.

Yi Jia Fa’s expression darkened beyond recognition. Xinghua and Qianhua glared icily at the drummer, while the surrounding male insects watched with leisurely amusement, as if they’d been waiting for this moment all along.

And watching the silver collar of the male already stained with pink wine stains, Shang Ling Qi Mengtu, who had not been chosen even once, tilted his head slightly and gazed with a smile at the male’s faintly visible collarbone, revealed by the dampened collar.

Siluan and Song Emperor truly did not disappoint him.

*Clink*

A transparent wine glass was placed on the expensive fragrant stone tabletop by a slender, pale hand. It had to be said that this body was tough—three cups of hard liquor down, and if it had been Zhou Nuo from Earth, he would have already collapsed. But Philo merely felt a bit feverish, his vision slightly blurred.

However—

Swirling the glass in his hand without glancing at the expressions of the insects behind him, Philo, who had been chosen three times in a row without showing anger or embarrassment, simply chugged the three cups of wine and then smiled as he looked around at the gathered insects.

"Everyone,"

"I’m new here. The hit instruments and classic songs of the capital planet you’ve mentioned—I truly don’t know any of them."

"Now, it’s getting late, and the gentleman beating the drum must be tired. I’ve already took my three drinks. So, for the finale, how about I take a turn on the Thunder Drum once to mark the end of this game? What do you say?"

What do you say?

Play the Thunder Drum?

This clueless guy… must already be drunk.

Eyebrows raised, the insects who heard Philo’s words couldn’t help but wear mixed reactions. Some were sympathetic, some thought he was drunk, and some found it amusing—in short, few seemed to take him seriously.

But things had indeed gone far enough.

If not for Philo insisting on continuing the game and remaining composed, Yi Jia Fa would have already lost his temper back when Siluan started making sarcastic remarks.

Now, with three cups of hard liquor down, pushing it further would only risk Philo passing out drunk and truly provoking Yi Jia Fa—which would be no joke. Besides, though no one knew why General Zhousha stayed quiet today, his mere presence was a warning.

After all, this was the Tulas Family, and Philo was indeed a young, high-status male.

Nodding, both male and female insects smiled and agreed. This time, even Siluan remained silent. Du Dafei’s psychic energy had already wrapped protectively around his own male offspring.

Face grim, the usually mild-mannered elder was genuinely displeased.

Standing up, Philo approached the female standing beside the Thunder Drum.

It was almost amusing—this female had been the key to the entire game, yet hardly any insects had paid attention to him.

For instance, no one noticed that the gentleman who had removed his blindfold was now sweating buckets, his lips pale and his pupils sharpened.

This condition strongly resembled the warning signs of a Psychic Outbreak that Philo had once seen in an educational video.

It seemed that repeatedly striking a B-tier Thunder Drum for so many rounds had indeed taken a heavy toll on this female’s psychic energy.

Taking the drumstick from him, Philo didn’t rush to begin. Instead, he pointed to his own vacated seat and said, "Go sit over there and rest for a while."

"...I’m fine, Your Highness." The female, whose arm muscles had tensed involuntarily as Philo approached, had braced himself for reprimand—but—

He kept his head down, hiding his expression. After a pause, he ultimately remained standing in place, his voice respectful.

Seeing his refusal, Philo didn’t let it go, simply motioning for him to step back before finally turning his attention to the surrounding insects.

Honestly, whether it was an illusion or not, at this moment, Philo seemed different from the cool, aloof guy he had been earlier.

Placing the drumstick temporarily on the drumhead, he tilted his head and leisurely undid his tightly fastened cufflinks while propping a foot on the Thunder Drum’s metal stand, his lips curling into a smile.

"To be honest, I admire all of you."

No matter what, though some insects enjoyed pranks, teasing others, and had rather warped sense of humor, it had to be admitted—these insects, especially the males, were mostly confident, flashy, and daring.

As an ex-rebellious rich kid who had also loved chasing thrills, Philo didn’t dislike these lively characters. In fact, he rather admired them.

"But fun is fun—yet to bring a battle drum into a banquet as a party game prop? I can’t help but think the genius who came up with this brilliant idea must be—out of their mind."

Author's Note:

Philo: I’m not calling out anyone specific—I’m targeting all of them.

PS: Saw all your comments! I’ll do my best to stockpile chapters these days and treat you all to a massive update later.