Chapter 85

Chapter 85

An Xin squeezed the trigger. A white laser beam shot from the barrel, piercing through the emperor's forehead and forming a small, dark hole.

No blood was seen to flow. Half of the emperor's head rapidly charred under the scorching heat of the intense energy.

The expression on the emperor's face hadn't even had time to shift to shock before he toppled rigidly to the ground with a heavy thud. The handsome, uncarbonized half of his face still wore a faint, proper smile.

The grand, brightly lit hall fell silent for a moment before the males began to scream, plunging the scene into chaos.

This incident happened completely unexpectedly, catching everyone off guard.

To all the royal family members, An Xin, this male from the backwaters, was docile, timid, and humble.

Even though he had a successful genetic match and gained the favor of the Seventh Prince, his luck ultimately ran out, leaving him to spend his days with a madman.

While they pitied him, there was also a degree of disdain.

Who could have imagined that An Xin would commit such an earth-shattering act today?

An Xin looked down at the emperor's corpse lying on the floor. From the corner of his eye, he saw the royal guards, armed and swarming towards him from all directions like a tide.

He released his grip, letting the small laser gun fall. It clattered onto the starstone floor, producing a series of crisp, ringing sounds.

Due to energy compression and size limitations, this gun could only fire once. Now, it was just a useless hunk of junk.

But one shot was enough.

One shot was all it took to kill the empire's most revered emperor.

Just as a person only lives once.

As long as it was worth it, it wasn't a waste.

...

By the time Mu Fengyuan received the news brought by Doctor Meng, An Xin had already shot the emperor and been captured on the spot.

"At the end of his rope, making a desperate gamble!" Mu Fengyuan snapped his communicator shut with a sharp click, then took a sharp breath. "I never would have guessed. He looked so gentle and obedient, yet he's ruthless."

"Anyway, the entire palace is in chaos. Everyone's rushing to Father's side now. Let's go check on Seventh Brother's situation first."

Mu Fengyuan was, after all, the empire's marshal who had weathered major events. He quickly composed himself, ordered all palace entrances and exits sealed, and then took Doctor Meng and a group of palace guards to Mu Fenggui's chambers.

Due to An Xin's prior arrangements, the chambers were now empty.

Only a tall humanoid figure, encased in a pure white carapace, remained. It was bound to a chair in a legs-spread birthing position, with shocking pools of blood covering its lower body and the floor.

"Is this... Seventh Brother?" Mu Fengyuan's pupils contracted slightly as he took in the horrifying scene.

Anyone who had lost so much blood, by all rights, should not be alive.

But what was this carapace encasing Seventh Brother?

"So, the literature about the Jade Saw Beetle is true!" Doctor Meng, however, walked over with an excited expression, carefully touching the thin, jade-like carapace covering Mu Fenggui's body.

"Doctor Meng, what do you mean? Can Seventh Brother still be saved?" Mu Fengyuan asked.

Doctor Meng nodded, his eyes never leaving Mu Fenggui. "He can be saved! He can be saved!"

Over two thousand years ago, the founding emperor of the Qingtian Dynasty was a Jade Saw Beetle.

And besides possessing extraordinary combat power, the Jade Saw Beetle had a miraculous, lesser-known ability:

Resurrection from death.

As long as the brain's central nervous system wasn't destroyed, and before death, the host possessed a strong obsession and hadn't lost the final will to survive, the Jade Saw Beetle would transform into thin sheets upon the host's death, covering their body to preserve a last shred of vitality.

The founding emperor relied on this ability to escape death time and again, ultimately establishing this vast empire.

Such a secret, crucial to life and death, naturally wouldn't be spread to the outside world. However, the Imperial Medical Institute preserved classified documents for the purpose of serving the royal descendants.

In this era where high-class females might not even undergo insectification once in their lifetimes, such literature was akin to legend. Even if seen, it couldn't be verified.

Until today.

"How do we save him?" Mu Fengyuan continued to ask.

"Prepare a special nutrient solution and immerse His Highness the Seventh Prince in it to absorb the nutrients," Doctor Meng replied. "His Highness is on the brink of death due to excessive blood loss during childbirth. It will likely take about one to two months for him to heal inside the shell."

"This process can only be carried out at the Imperial Medical Institute."

"Then what are we waiting for? Doctor, quickly take Seventh Brother to the Imperial Medical Institute for treatment," Mu Fengyuan said.

"Yes, Your Highness the Second Prince."

Doctor Meng acknowledged the order and immediately had several guards lift Mu Fenggui, chair and all, to take him to the Imperial Medical Institute.

After Doctor Meng left, Mu Fengyuan stayed in the room a while longer before hearing a report from his subordinate: "We haven't found anyone, nor have we found the child."

"Understood." Mu Fengyuan's brow furrowed deeply, followed by a heavy sigh.

...

"Lu Wei, what do you think of me?"

After the evening movie ended, amidst the dimming lights, Qin Jiayan looked at Lu Wei, who was licking an ice cream cone beside him, leaned in, and asked, his ears turning red.

"You're pretty good," Lu Wei replied, flashing him a bright smile.

"Well, you see, we've known each other for several months now, and we both have a good understanding of each other's personalities and interests." Qin Jiayan reached up to adjust his collar, masking his nervousness. "Isn't it... time to define our relationship?"

Lu Wei glanced at Qin Jiayan, internally assessing that this person was actually quite decent.

Good looks, well-versed in food, drink, and entertainment, well-mannered and polite, and patient. He still didn't know Lu Wei's true identity, yet he had accompanied Lu Wei for months, always available when called.

Having someone like this as a partner for the rest of his life would probably be quite relaxed and happy.

On his face, however, he put on an innocent expression. "Are you referring to a romantic relationship?"

"Y-yes." Qin Jiayan's ears turned bright red, and he nodded emphatically several times.

"I see... Well, let me think about it." Lu Wei stood on tiptoe, ruffled Qin Jiayan's light brown hair, and said with a grin, "Prepare a gift tomorrow. I'll see if the gift suits my taste, then I'll tell you."

This was already an indirect agreement.

"I promise, tomorrow I'll definitely prepare a gift that suits your taste!" Qin Jiayan's light brown eyes shone brightly, filled with joy as he looked at Lu Wei.

"Well then, let's talk tomorrow." Lu Wei waved at Qin Jiayan, swallowed the last bite of his ice cream cone, and turned to leave.

Relationships are a two-way street.

Since Qin Jiayan was willing to play along with him so patiently, he didn't mind pretending to be Qin Jiayan's ideal type—

a beautiful, naive male who hadn't experienced much of the world.

Though he was actually vastly experienced, the occasional pure romance wasn't so bad.

It was as if his own body and mind were being purified.

Feeling cheerful, Lu Wei returned to the Star Lord's mansion as usual.

As soon as he entered the hall, he sensed something was off. Lu Zhi, Tan Ze, and others were actually gathered together at this time. There was also an unfamiliar female holding a baby in the hall, and everyone looked grave.

"Brother, you're finally back." Lu Zhi visibly relaxed upon seeing Lu Wei.

"What's going on?" Lu Wei stepped forward and asked, "Did something happen?"

"This is Captain Xiao, a mole who escaped from the Imperial Capital Star." Tan Ze introduced the unfamiliar female holding the baby to Lu Wei, his tone strained. "The child she's holding... was born to Mu Fenggui. It's your child, Star Lord."

Lu Wei was startled and quickly walked over to the unfamiliar female, looking down at the baby in her arms.

The baby, just over a month old, was a male and looked extremely adorable. When he saw Lu Wei, his clear black eyes curved into a smile, and he grinned toothlessly.

"We've already conducted a paternity test. It is indeed the Star Lord's child," Tan Ze added from the side.

Lu Wei reached out and touched the baby's soft little face, sinking into memories.

His child...

If that was the case, it could only be from that night when Mu Fenggui returned to the military headquarters.

After a moment of thought, Lu Wei looked up at everyone. "Wait, something must have happened to An Xin, right?!"

Tan Ze sighed inwardly. Even without his memories, the Star Lord was as sharp-witted as ever, able to guess that something had happened to An Xin with just this clue. He replied with difficulty, "Yes. An Xin was publicly executed by the Empire an hour ago."

"An Xin assassinated the Emperor of Qingtian. The royal family sealed the news for a month. It was only just made public, and An Xin was executed in front of the crowd to appease the people."

Lu Wei took a deep breath, feeling heavy-hearted and somewhat sad.

An Xin had taken care of him for over a month, spending every day with him.

He had grown very fond of An Xin.

He recalled the deep gaze An Xin had given him when they parted, and the kiss he had jokingly asked for. Even then, An Xin must have known that such an outcome was possible.

He just hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

Lu Wei clenched his fists tightly.

Why, knowing full well... did he stubbornly press on anyway?

An Xin was never a fool.

Lu Wei looked at the unfamiliar female, who appeared uneasy and anxious, and forced a smile. "Since things have come to this point... you must be tired from the long journey. Everyone, go rest and calm down. We'll talk tomorrow."

With that, Lu Wei turned and left the hall. Under everyone's watchful eyes, he headed toward Nanzhao Pavilion.

Upon entering Nanzhao Pavilion, Lu Wei went straight to the study and turned on the light brain.

Since it was a public execution, the Empire would surely have widely publicized it and broadcast it extensively to serve as a warning to others.

An Xin...

The moment he put on the holographic glasses, Lu Wei found himself in the square where An Xin was executed, amidst the bustling crowd.

An Xin was wearing a loose prison uniform that barely covered his body, standing barefoot on a stone platform. His lips were tightly pressed together, his expression numb.

Clearly, he had endured brutal torture over the past month. His exposed hands, feet, and face were covered in bruises and swelling, almost obscuring his original appearance.

Soon, a coarse noose was placed around his slender neck, and the stone platform beneath his feet was kicked away.

An Xin was instantly suspended in mid-air. Perhaps due to weakness, or perhaps due to strong will, he didn't struggle much. Instead, he scanned the crowd below.

For a brief moment, An Xin's gaze swept past Lu Wei.

Then, An Xin opened his mouth, revealing to everyone his tongue-less oral cavity.

Inside, a faint golden glimmer shone.

With the last of his strength, An Xin pulled the rope around his neck with his left hand, used his right hand to dig out that faint golden glimmer from his mouth, clenched it tightly in his palm, and then raised it high.

The crowd erupted into uproar. All Lu Wei could hear were comments like "stubborn," "damned space pirate," "serves him right," "still putting on a ridiculous show even at death's door, just a bunch of lunatics"...

But An Xin stubbornly kept his right hand raised high until he breathed his last, when his hand finally loosened and fell.

A golden badge, about 2 centimeters in diameter, dull in color and looking tattered, slipped from An Xin's palm. It clinked and clattered as it rolled down from the high platform.

It traced a graceful arc on the ground and then came to a stop right at Lu Wei's feet.

Lu Wei didn't pick it up because he knew this was just a holographic projection.

He couldn't save An Xin either. This was just a recording. The real An Xin had been executed an hour ago.

An Xin... was truly a clever child who knew exactly how to tug at one's heartstrings.

Lu Wei removed the holographic glasses and sat silently in the large light brain chair for a very, very long time.

Then, he made a decision and spoke to 031 in his mind: "System, repair my damaged brain tissue."

Author's Note: An Xin gets his lunchbox, Boss Lu is about to transform, and the revelations of the past are all in the next episode~~

Mu Fenggui: Wuwuwu...