Chapter 153

Chapter 153

Amidst an apocalyptic torrent of artillery fire, a sudden flash of black-purple radiance cut across the void. The Fei Niao starship, which should have been defenseless due to an explosion in its power core, now rested safely within a lavender energy barrier. Stray projectiles grazed the shield, igniting wave after wave of serpentine patterns.

"Hmm?"

At the same time, aboard a small spacecraft far from the battlefield's epicenter, Eve sat cross-legged in the cockpit. Seeing this, she raised an eyebrow slightly, letting out a puzzled hum.

"Zoom in on that."

"Do you think this is StarNet browsing, where you can zoom in and out as you please?" Qi Ying, rapidly adjusting controls behind her, snorted coldly and pressed the final key with force. "This is the limit."

The perspective abruptly magnified several times, and a clearer image reappeared on the cockpit's light screen.

Eve said approvingly, "Qi, you're actually much more useful than you think."

"......" Frank, standing by the porthole with his arms crossed, glanced over and remarked coolly, "Don't objectify people so casually."

In front of the starship protected by the lavender barrier, an enormous black-purple mecha stood suspended in space. Eight mechanical, tentacle-like appendages extended from its slender humanoid form, undulating among the stardust as if alive.

A translucent, deep-blue Spiritual State drifted around the mecha. Its long, slender snout resembled a fencing foil, while its dorsal fin rose and fell like an unfolding screen, with cartilage spines protruding upward and the fin's surface shimmering with a cold silver light. The sailfish twisted and swam lightly, its banner-like fin tracing a threatening arc through the void.

Mythological Mecha: Eight-Headed Serpent. S-class Spiritual State: Stellar Sailfish.

Both were already renowned—the mecha and the Spiritual State—but because of their owner, they carried an added layer of legendary status beyond their formidable power.

Under normal circumstances, even in dire straits, Zuo Qirong would have had the confidence to fight his way out relying on his own strength.

Unfortunately, the opponent he faced today was entirely different from those past enemies who relied on mere empty threats. Besides hundreds of starships, there was also an Imperial Sector Governor and a Legion Commander overseeing the operation.

Viceroy Medici tapped her knuckles lightly on the control panel and tsked, "Zuo Qirong... an S-class powerhouse. Seems he's improved quite a bit since we crossed paths ten years ago. I thought all these years of a life of luxury would have made him regress instead."

"Do you think everyone is like you?" Luo Yuan retorted without looking up.

"What's that supposed to mean? A veteran who retired at their peak, staying out of trouble and ruling by inaction—what do you know about it?" Viceroy Medici slapped the table, displeased. "I haven't even asked why Zuo Qirong was able to purchase your Luo Clan's Mythological Mecha, and you dare mock your superior? How dare you! Hurry up and go help your Luo Clan make a clean break."

Luo Yuan: "......"

She wanted to retort that her relationship with the Luo Clan wasn't that great, and that buyers of the Mythological Mecha numbered in the thousands if not tens of thousands—how could that possibly link Zuo Qirong to the Luo Clan?

Her mouth opened and closed, but Luo Yuan ultimately found it too absurd to argue further with her habitually disingenuous superior. She stiffly replied, "Oh," and left with her head down.

Luo Yuan had been slow with words since childhood, poor at arguing. In the Luo Clan, where everyone was slick and sociable, she was an oddity. In some ways, she was even less tactful than her nephew Luo Wenzhou—who, knowing he couldn't win arguments, avoided conflicts with other Luo members and knew how to play humble. But Luo Yuan was different; even if she couldn't win an argument, she would never yield.

Fortunately, though her words fell short, her combat skills improved with time. At 14, she could defeat all her peers in the family; at 18, she enrolled in the Melee Department of the First Empire Academy's Military Academy and joined the military after graduation.

Taciturn, fierce, and short-tempered—such traits weren't particularly liked in the Luo Clan, but they were unexpectedly popular in the military. Coupled with Judy Medici's favor, Luo Yuan's promotions came in a rapid-fire style. By her early thirties, she had already become the Legion Commander of the Third Legion. One could say that if Qin Mengde didn't have the title of Fourth Princess and the prestige of killing a Royal Zerg on her first appearance, her rise might not have been faster than Luo Yuan's.

*Click, clack.* The bottom of the starship quietly opened, and a golden-red mecha slowly slid out of the bay. Viceroy Medici stared intently at the screen, muttering unintelligibly under her breath.

The front-row pilot, thinking it was an important instruction, leaned in to listen closely before realizing she was repeatedly muttering, "Evil cannot prevail, evil cannot prevail."

"......"

A Vermilion Bird circled around the mecha. Its feathers were long and loose, radiant and splendid, and its body was larger than Tachibana Maki's Three-legged Golden Crow. The members of Upside Down Wonderland weren't familiar with the four great families' Spiritual States, so upon seeing such a beautiful and spirited entity, they all turned their attention to it. Eugene asked curiously, "What Spiritual State is that? It looks so beautiful."

"It's a Vermilion Bird. Its owner is Legion Commander Marshal Luo Yuan of the Third Legion," Lorca replied. "One of the Luo Clan's top-tier S-class Spiritual States. It looks elegant, but its skills are violently explosive."

Eugene found it hard to believe and almost laughed. How could such a magnificent bird-shaped Spiritual State be the most ferocious explosive-type among offensive Spiritual States?

But before she could laugh, Luo Yuan made her move.

Thousands of slender feathers detached from the Vermilion Bird, swirling like flames toward the black-purple alien mecha. Upon contact, they exploded into sparks, illuminating the chaotic universe in an instant. The tangible heat waves seemed to burn through the small spacecraft's light screen, scorching their faces.

Eugene: "......Wow?"

"You haven't seen enough explosive-type Spiritual States," Eve remarked, reminded of another beautiful yet deadly explosive Spiritual State. Though Luo Yuan's Vermilion Bird was far stronger than Grace's Burst Wind Chime, both clearly followed the same deceptive approach. "The more beautiful the Spiritual State, the more dangerous it is."

High-level Spiritual States often require more psychic energy to sustain, so compared to mid- or low-level ones, they tend to be larger and more intricately crafted. This is especially true for Spiritual States with specialized abilities, like explosive types.

Zuo Qirong didn't wait idly. Under the onslaught of flaming feathers, the energy barrier protecting the Fei Niao starship already showed web-like cracks. A barrier of the same color appeared in front of the black-purple mecha, with an additional light shield specifically protecting the cockpit area.

Clearly, Zuo Qirong had withdrawn protection from the starship to focus on saving himself.

The sailfish broke through the wall of fire, charging straight at the Vermilion Bird. The vermilion giant bird flapped its wings and soared gracefully, its broad fins and brilliant feathers dancing across the darkness of space. Several tentacles on the Eight-Headed Serpent's back flexed and slid nimbly with mechanical movements. Meanwhile, Luo Yuan drew a golden-red metal whip from the mecha's spine, flicked her wrist, and lashed out at the black-purple alien mecha.

Eve watched for a while and had to admit that, in a one-on-one fight, she probably couldn't defeat either of them.

Good thing she hadn't been overconfident and had called for backup in time.

The starship communicator chimed. The operator saw an unfamiliar source and was about to hang up when Viceroy Medici's voice came from behind: "Wait, answer it."

Not daring to disobey, though puzzled, the operator obediently connected the call.

The signal in space was poor, and near the desolate planet, there wasn't even a signal-boosting station. Through the faint static, a young woman's voice sounded even colder.

"Tell Marshal Luo not to kill Zuo Qirong," Eve said. "We need him alive."

Viceroy Medici: "Oh, Luo Yuan knows what she's doing."

"Also, don't destroy that starship yet. There might be important evidence."

......Viceroy Medici glanced at the other operators and made a gesture. The artillery fire from hundreds of starships and vessels extinguished simultaneously.

"What were you doing earlier?" she asked, her tone rising playfully. "Did you not gather any evidence at all?"

They had actually collected some. After killing Marquis Hu Li, Eve had first dealt with the surrounding guard pirates. Then, the program Qi Ying had set up—"auto-destroy the power chamber upon jump"—activated. Seizing the chaos, they escaped via escape pods with the group detained in the Heavenly Realm.

Before leaving, Eve specifically picked up Fourth Miss Zuo. Even if she wasn't a core figure, Fourth Miss Zuo knew the location of some of Fei Niao's confidential materials and other transactions, making her an important witness. If taken back to the capital star and subjected to intense interrogation, she'd be lucky to escape with her life. Given their brief but friendly cooperation, Eve slipped her into the group of rescued hostages and sent them off together.

There was no need to explain all this to Viceroy Medici. Eve hummed and said truthfully, "Didn't find everything. We'll need to cross-check with Zuo Qirong's confession."

"You plan to interrogate him before the Imperial Court and Prosecutor's Office? Zuo Qirong is a top-priority felon. This isn't procedure."

"That's why I specifically called you, isn't it?" Eve chuckled. "Come on, stop playing dumb. Were the hostages received safely? Any news on the Princess's whereabouts?"

The hostages had been safely delivered to the legion's logistics department. Viceroy Medici arranged unified physical examinations for them. Their subsequent arrangements would depend on their own wishes.

Some had been on Fei Niao for over twenty years, suffering from indescribable ailments. The younger ones were no less brainwashed than the elders. They were both important political assets and a hot potato.

Viceroy Medici had more experience handling such special hostages than Eve, so she only briefly explained before shifting the topic to the Fourth Princess.

"I sectioned off the desolate planet into 300 zones for methodical search. Currently, three zones are most likely to contain Her Highness. The good news is the intel from Fei Niao seems accurate. The corresponding bad news is this can't become public, because the military must never be associated with treason."

Viceroy Medici's relaxed expression tightened slightly. "My suggestion is for you to communicate with Her Highness first. The Princess successfully killed a Royal Zerg and endured this ordeal. The military will have to offer compensation and concessions. You should discuss how to maximize the benefits."

"Alright."

Eve understood this well, which was why she never intended to directly target the Crown Prince and the Cavendish family behind the military from the start.

But just because she couldn't go after the big players didn't mean she'd let the small fry off the hook: "When you're done here, lend me some people."

"What do you want to do?" Viceroy Medici asked warily.

"Just to help share His Highness's burdens." Or rather, "to find him a scapegoat in advance."

Viceroy Medici's eyelid twitched. Share burdens? What burdens? It sounded more like she was going to flip the table.

But since she was already in this with her, she could only say tactfully, "...Don't go too far."

Angering the Crown Prince and the Empress was one thing, but provoking Frigga Cavendish would really require her father, who wasn't related by blood, to step in personally to protect her.

"Oh."

Eve ended the communication, glanced out the window at the intense interstellar battle, and then calmly pulled the spacecraft control lever, preparing to descend toward the barren planet according to Viceroy Medici's map.

She hadn't avoided others while making the call, so as soon as the communication ended, Eugene scoffed lightly: "Truly a case of deadwood occupying positions."

"I hope that's not directed at me," Eve replied nonchalantly while piloting the spacecraft. "But if you're criticizing someone else, I'm right there with you."

Eugene gritted her teeth: "Your temper has really improved since our Black Star days. You can tolerate something like this."

Eve found her remark unreasonable. First, if such a scandal emerged among the imperial officials, the ones who should be anxious are those living in the palace. If the emperor isn't worried and the eunuchs aren't worried, why should she, a steward from the princess's estate, be the one to panic?

Second, she already had crucial evidence in hand, had done what needed to be done, and was about to extort a hefty sum from the military. She didn't quite see how this related to "tolerance."

"I'd like to profoundly reply with 'a little impatience spoils great plans,'" Eve sighed, finally saying, "but on second thought, I don't think I've really put myself out much."

Before reaching the Imperial Supreme Court, she wouldn't give those poor defeated opponents another spare glance.

Nearby, Lorca seemed to guess what she was thinking and said quietly, "Don't worry, my dad has already made preparations."

Eve: "."

She'd almost forgotten—Family Head Oliver was also the head of the Supreme Prosecutor's Office.

This guy usually dabbled in the black market on the sly and acquired properties all over Black Star, making it easy to forget he was also a major figure in the nation's judicial system.

"Thank you, dear, you're still so thoughtful," Eve said serenely. "I'm honestly amazed at how this country has managed to function up till now."

Eve liked calling people "dear," a habit she'd picked up early on from the Second Steward of the Medici family. After saying it offhandedly, she shifted her attention back to piloting the spacecraft, completely missing the slight blush that spread across Lorca's ears.

Eugene, who was twirling her hair as she leaned against the seatback, saw it. But after her eyes rolled around a couple of times, she ultimately decided to pretend she hadn't noticed.

She had principles: not meddling in friends' private affairs was the key to maintaining friendships. After all this, though Eugene was still reluctant to admit it verbally, she had quietly considered Eve a friend again in her heart.

Besides, Eve wasn't stupid—Lorca's feelings were practically out in the open. Could she not see it? Eugene was determined not to become part of their little game.

...Although, after the spacecraft landed and she descended the ramp, she couldn't help but mention it to Qi Ying.

Unexpectedly, Qi Ying said with great seriousness: "You'd better leave these two alone. It's not something we can get involved in."

Eugene never thought she'd hear such a socially aware comment from this ice block one day. She had expected Qi Ying to simply say he wasn't interested or remain silent, murmuring absentmindedly while zoned out.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Haven't you noticed?" Qi Ying squinted at her, perhaps surprised that Eugene was being so dense this time. After a moment's thought, he mustered all his emotional intelligence and reluctantly summarized—though his summary was about as helpful as not summarizing at all: "Although the boss has no particular intention, the chief has his own rhythm."

Speaking of which, he'd learned the term "boss" from Sophia. Given the considerable salary deposited into his bank account, Qi Ying felt the title was quite appropriate.

"I overestimated you after all," Eugene said, face in her hand, warning him, "Don't say that in front of Lorca, or I'm really afraid he might actually kill you."

Qi Ying paid no mind, still walking down with an expressionless face. Frank waved at the two from ahead, smiling as he asked, "Why are you walking so slowly? Are you talking about me behind my back?"

Just then, Eugene caught up from behind and added, "But I still think Eve isn’t as heartless as you made her out to be. She treats Lorca quite differently—it’s not like she's completely uninterested."

There was some interest, but not much. After all, someone not long ago had personally stated that she and Lorca were just close business partners and would eventually part ways.

Qi Ying replied flatly, "No."

It was unclear whether this "no" was in response to Frank or to Eugene.

Meanwhile, Eve and Lorca had already followed the Wall-Imprisoned Serpent's lead and turned into a dilapidated high-rise with pale gray walls.