Chapter 100.1
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
Bonus chapters sponsored by Esme! Sorry it’s a bit late…
On another note: DITF is finally reaching 3 digits! 32 chapters to go~
looking back, this series’ chapters are meaty (>6k) and I always cut them into 3, so… since I picked this up from chapter 30 until now, I have posted 70 x 3 parts… 210 updates. That’s a lot lol
An Leen: Imperial Princess.
An Tyn: Imperial Prince, An Leen’s twin brother (He’s technically the Fifth Imperial Prince)
An Xei: The Emperor’s younger brother. A Prince and a scholar.
An Mhu: ex-Third Imperial Prince. Now the current Emperor.
Neitaxi: General from the Empire, the strongest mecha soldier in the Empire.
Feng: The Imperial High Advisor.
Jian: the Imperial High Advisor’s son. Studies History.
Meeting his gaze, Jian quickly waved his hand to indicate that he didn’t mind, then casually grabbed a medical tape to wrap around his finger. He looked at Chu Rong and said, “Thank you, Marshal, for taking care of my father. Prince An Tyn has already contacted my father, and they will fully cooperate with your actions from now on.”
Prince An Tyn?
Qiao Zhiya froze and looked at Chu Rong in doubt.
Chu Rong noticed his gaze, raised his hand to ruffle his hair, then turned to Jian and said, “You’ve worked hard. Your room is ready. Take a rest for now, we’ll talk more tomorrow if something happens.”
Jian glanced at Qiao Zhiya, nodded, and followed Fan Xiangnan to his room.
After Jian left, Chu Rong escorted Qiao Zhiya back to his room to rest. Then, he went to the control room with Lin Zhen and others to double-check the flight path. He also contacted Chu Huai for further coordination.
Qiao Zhiya laid in bed with his eyes closed for a while, unable to fall asleep. Eventually, he sat up and took out a baby toy he hadn’t finished making earlier. He worked on it while waiting for Chu Rong to return.
He didn’t know how long he fiddled with the toy. At some point, he finally heard a familiar footstep from the corridor outside the door.
Qiao Zhiya’s hands twitched. He hurriedly hid the toy in the quilt.
As soon as Chu Rong entered the door, he found that Qiao Zhiya was pretending to be asleep. His poor skills of pretending to be asleep have always been too easy to see through.
He squinted but didn’t catch him just yet. He turned to the bathroom for a quick wash, then changed into his pajamas, walked back to the bed, and opened the quilt to lie down as usual.
The youth who had been pretending to sleep immediately moved over naturally. With a smirk on his lips, he reached out and hugged the blond youth, his hands mischievously wandering under his pajamas.
The youth’s body visibly stiffened for a moment, and Qiao Zhiya, who had been obediently nestled against them, actually had twitchy ears in response. However, he stubbornly kept his eyes closed, refusing to drop his pretense of sleep.
So Chu Rong became even more bold in his actions, causing Qiao Zhiya’s face to grow increasingly red. His body couldn’t help but tremble, and finally, when Chu Rong’s fingers began to explore a particularly sensitive area, he couldn’t hold back any longer. With a quick motion, he opened his eyes and sat up, grabbing Chu Rong’s wandering hand. Blushing furiously, he stammered, “Y-you…”
“I’m what?” Chu Rong leisurely inquired, pulling him back under the covers and retracting his hand to gently pinch Qiao Zhiya’s waist. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
Qiao Zhiya’s attention was immediately diverted, and he nervously replied, “I-I tried to sleep, but I couldn’t… What’s the deal with Prince An Tyn that Jian mentioned earlier? What kind of arrangements did you make?”
Although he didn’t quite understand the intricacies between these major powers, An Tyn was someone he knew, so when Jian mentioned him earlier, Qiao Zhiya couldn’t help but feel a bit curious. Unable to resist any longer, he finally asked.
Chu Rong didn’t expect that Qiao Zhiya couldn’t sleep because of this. Feeling a little jealous, he pulled him closer and rubbed his back, suppressing the sourness in his heart as he replied, “An Tyn came to see me before returning to the Empire last year. He asked me to protect him and his sister, and seeing his sincerity, I helped them out by arranging the old Emperor to send them to a planet outside the Empire’s jurisdiction. They’ve hidden themselves well, not even appearing when the old Emperor passed away. Now that An Xei has shown his true colors – meanwhile, the whereabouts of the new Emperor is unknown, and the Second and Fourth Princes are likely in dire straits after being exiled. To properly hold An Xei accountable, we need a legitimate member of the royal family to step forward. An Tyn is the best candidate for that.”
Qiao Zhiya frowned, worriedly asking, “Will he be in danger?”
“Rest assured, Jian’s father will help him, and General Neitaxi will too,” Chu Rong reassured, leaning down to kiss his forehead gently. He then covered Qiao Zhiya’s eyes with his hand and said, “Alright, bedtime story is over. It’s time for you to sleep.”
Even if this was a bedtime story, it obviously wasn’t finished.
Qiao Zhiya slumped, trying to avoid his hand, and continued to ask, “What about General Neitaxi ? You … eh.”
Chu Rong silenced his questions with a gentle kiss, then released his hand and brushed his bangs aside. “Neitaxi has been suspicious of An Tyn for a while. During the previous joint military expedition, An Tyn did everything to prevent Neitaxi from joining the army, which confirmed his suspicions. After the incident broke out, Neitaxi found a way to contact me, and I shared some information with him. Now he’s considered an ally of the Chu family. So, can you sleep now?” he added playfully, his hand threatening to tickle him.
Qiao Zhiya’s ears froze, and he dared not ask again. He put his head into Chu Rong’s open embrace and closed his eyes.
Three days later, the flagship arrived at the Federation border through a special passage. Qiao Zhiya once again drew the blood traction magic array, but this time he learned to be more gentle. Instead of using a sharp knife, he condensed his magic to break open a small cut on Jian’s fingertip, allowing him to drip enough blood onto the array. Afterward, he immediately sealed the wound with magic and carefully bandaged it.
Jian narrowed his eyes as he saw Qiao Zhiya’s serious and nervous appearance. The black-haired youth’s face was pale, but he had a better parlor than yesterday.
The magic array worked again, and the direction was pointed at somewhere in the asteroid belt.
Chu Rong contacted Chu Huai again, arranged some things, and then ordered the flagship to drive towards the asteroid belt.
Fan Xiangnan and the others were entering this vast asteroid belt for the first time, all carefully observing their surroundings and attempting to draw a map of their route. Jian, on the other hand, was bursting with curiosity, eagerly pulling Qiao Zhiya aside to tell the “adventure” story of his two-month disappearance.
With good friends by his side, Qiao Zhiya appeared much livelier. Seeing this, Chu Rong relaxed and shifted his gaze away, instructing Fan Xiangnan to increase the speed of their journey.
Their voyage this time was secret and should not be delayed too long.
About a week later, after a fourth space jump, the array pointed in a slightly different direction – this time, it pointed somewhere lower than their current position.
“Back, go down.”
Chu Rong commanded, and Fan Xiangnan immediately changed the flagship course.
After traveling for about half a day, they finally found the Imperial Royal flagship in a ruinous section of the asteroid belt, where the debris was swirling at an unusually high speed. This time, the Imperial Royal flagship was in a dilapidated state, lying there like a heap of scrap metal.
It likely had to endure a chaotic journey through the asteroid belt for a long time. Its hull was pockmarked with craters caused by impacts from asteroids. Some areas were even damaged, and the navigation lights were all broken. The once pristine platinum color was now covered in dust, and the Imperial flag was torn to shreds, giving it a particularly dismal appearance.
From the end of the battle against the Zergs until now, it was about a month – it was quite impressive for the new Emperor to have managed to put the flagship in such a state. It’s important to note that this flagship was not just any warship or civilian vessel; it could function as a temporary base.
In the asteroid belt, there was no signal, making it impossible to contact the people on the Imperial Royal flagship. Chu Rong didn’t bother with that and instead instructed Fan Xiangnan to bring the flagship closer to the platinum-colored vessel, forcefully connecting the two ships with a passageway.
“Lin Zhen’s team stayed in the main control room. Others came with me with weapons.”
Chu Rong commanded, and the soldiers turned around and walked out. Qiao Zhiya, who had looked obedient in the back, immediately followed.
Chu Rong stopped and looked back at him.
Qiao Zhiya’s eyes darted around, and he reached out to grasp Chu Rong’s hand. With his other hand, he pulled out his small hammer, indicating that he was armed and ready for battle at any moment.
“……”
Fan Xiangnan, who was behind, wanted to laugh. But he managed to turn his head and coughed, stopping it just in time.
Chu Rong frowned, but ultimately he held onto Qiao Zhiya’s hand in return. He said, “Later, don’t wander off. Stay close to me. The situation on the Imperial Royal flagship is unknown, and we don’t know if the people inside will resist. Your safety is the most important thing. Understand?”
Qiao Zhiya nodded quickly, and honestly took out a protective barrier and buckled it on his wrist.
Chu Rong’s brow relaxed, and he raised his hand to affectionately pat Qiao Zhiya’s, leading him towards the docking port.
The group cautiously approached the docking port, carefully opened the sealed hatch, activated the military investigation recording, and then blasted open the door of the flagship on the opposite side. However, they found that the situation inside the flagship was completely different from what they had imagined. There was no resistance; instead, they saw Imperial soldiers wandering around like the living dead.
Their faces were pale, with sunken cheeks, as if they hadn’t eaten properly for a long time. Their eyes were lifeless, lacking focus, and their movements were slow and stiff, resembling a dead body.
Qiao Zhiya was so frightened by this weird sight that his ears fluttered madly. He subconsciously grasped Chu Rong’s hand.
Chu Rong quickly blocked his view, glanced at the soldiers’ expressions, and said, “Notify Zhuang Yu to bring the medical team over. These people seem to have had their minds clouded by the medication from the Ning family.”
Fan Xiangnan nodded. Then he selected one soldier to contact Zhuang Yu.
The crowd bypassed the imperial soldiers who seemed to be unaware. Chu Rong spread his spiritual power, while Qiao Zhiya released his magic power.
As they moved further inside, there were fewer and fewer soldiers. Considering the massive number of soldiers on the Imperial Royal flagship before entering the black hole, the current number of people on the flagship seemed normal. When they reached near the control room, the two of them stopped simultaneously, exchanged a glance, and then silently headed towards the adjacent rest area.
After reaching the lounge door, Chu Rong positioned himself in front of Qiao Zhiya, then extended his hand and pushed open the partially closed door of the lounge.
The warm yellow light spread out, finally adding a little warm color to this quiet and weird flagship that looked like a tomb of the living dead.
The figure curled up on the sofa in the lounge stirred at the sound, then turned its head, revealing a face with sunken eye sockets and scruffy beard. His vacant eyes moved slightly until they locked onto Chu Rong’s face at the door. Suddenly, a terrifying gleam flashed in his eyes, and he lunged forward, hoarsely pleading, “Save me, save me! Take me out, I don’t want to be trapped in these rocks! Take me out, I’ll be obedient, take me out, don’t kill me, don’t kill me…”
Although the tone of the voice was embarrassing, Chu Rong quickly recognized this man as the new Emperor – the previously Third Imperial Prince, An Mhu.
The once handsome and dignified new Emperor had turned into a disheveled and emaciated madman, his expression frantic as he pleaded for help. His mind was unstable, drifting erratically, with hints of underlying aggression.
In other words, his spiritual strength may have gone berserk.
Chu Rong stepped forward to stun him, bent over and threw him to the bed, leaving him for Fan Xiangnan and other soldiers to handle. He then took Qiao Zhiya and turned to the main control room.
The situation in the control room wasn’t any better. Senior officers and crew members were sprawled on the ground, bearing injuries, their expressions vacant. Signs of deliberate damage were evident on the control panel, with several monitors shattered, as if someone had furiously smashed them in a fit of rage.
It was unclear what they had gone through, but everyone aboard the ship had lost their senses. If it weren’t for the emergency protocol of the flagship, which automatically released nutrient solution sprays at regular intervals, these individuals would likely have died from dehydration long ago.
“Put them together to look after them, and search the flagship carefully.” After making this arrangement, Chu Rong turned around to see Qiao Zhiya kneeling beside the unconscious An Mhu, reaching towards his chest. Chu Rong’s expression darkened, and he quickly approached, grabbing Qiao Zhiya’s head and asking coldly, “What are you doing?”
Qiao Zhiya’s body stiffened. He immediately tilted his head and nuzzled Chu Rong’s palm. He then handed him something in his hand and tried to appease Chu Rong. “Here, I feel there’s a strange energy fluctuation from this.”
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Bonus chapters sponsored by Esme! Sorry it’s a bit late…
On another note: DITF is finally reaching 3 digits! 32 chapters to go~
looking back, this series’ chapters are meaty (>6k) and I always cut them into 3, so… since I picked this up from chapter 30 until now, I have posted 70 x 3 parts… 210 updates. That’s a lot lol
An Leen: Imperial Princess.
An Tyn: Imperial Prince, An Leen’s twin brother (He’s technically the Fifth Imperial Prince)
An Xei: The Emperor’s younger brother. A Prince and a scholar.
An Mhu: ex-Third Imperial Prince. Now the current Emperor.
Neitaxi: General from the Empire, the strongest mecha soldier in the Empire.
Feng: The Imperial High Advisor.
Jian: the Imperial High Advisor’s son. Studies History.
Meeting his gaze, Jian quickly waved his hand to indicate that he didn’t mind, then casually grabbed a medical tape to wrap around his finger. He looked at Chu Rong and said, “Thank you, Marshal, for taking care of my father. Prince An Tyn has already contacted my father, and they will fully cooperate with your actions from now on.”
Prince An Tyn?
Qiao Zhiya froze and looked at Chu Rong in doubt.
Chu Rong noticed his gaze, raised his hand to ruffle his hair, then turned to Jian and said, “You’ve worked hard. Your room is ready. Take a rest for now, we’ll talk more tomorrow if something happens.”
Jian glanced at Qiao Zhiya, nodded, and followed Fan Xiangnan to his room.
After Jian left, Chu Rong escorted Qiao Zhiya back to his room to rest. Then, he went to the control room with Lin Zhen and others to double-check the flight path. He also contacted Chu Huai for further coordination.
Qiao Zhiya laid in bed with his eyes closed for a while, unable to fall asleep. Eventually, he sat up and took out a baby toy he hadn’t finished making earlier. He worked on it while waiting for Chu Rong to return.
He didn’t know how long he fiddled with the toy. At some point, he finally heard a familiar footstep from the corridor outside the door.
Qiao Zhiya’s hands twitched. He hurriedly hid the toy in the quilt.
As soon as Chu Rong entered the door, he found that Qiao Zhiya was pretending to be asleep. His poor skills of pretending to be asleep have always been too easy to see through.
He squinted but didn’t catch him just yet. He turned to the bathroom for a quick wash, then changed into his pajamas, walked back to the bed, and opened the quilt to lie down as usual.
The youth who had been pretending to sleep immediately moved over naturally. With a smirk on his lips, he reached out and hugged the blond youth, his hands mischievously wandering under his pajamas.
The youth’s body visibly stiffened for a moment, and Qiao Zhiya, who had been obediently nestled against them, actually had twitchy ears in response. However, he stubbornly kept his eyes closed, refusing to drop his pretense of sleep.
So Chu Rong became even more bold in his actions, causing Qiao Zhiya’s face to grow increasingly red. His body couldn’t help but tremble, and finally, when Chu Rong’s fingers began to explore a particularly sensitive area, he couldn’t hold back any longer. With a quick motion, he opened his eyes and sat up, grabbing Chu Rong’s wandering hand. Blushing furiously, he stammered, “Y-you…”
“I’m what?” Chu Rong leisurely inquired, pulling him back under the covers and retracting his hand to gently pinch Qiao Zhiya’s waist. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
Qiao Zhiya’s attention was immediately diverted, and he nervously replied, “I-I tried to sleep, but I couldn’t… What’s the deal with Prince An Tyn that Jian mentioned earlier? What kind of arrangements did you make?”
Although he didn’t quite understand the intricacies between these major powers, An Tyn was someone he knew, so when Jian mentioned him earlier, Qiao Zhiya couldn’t help but feel a bit curious. Unable to resist any longer, he finally asked.
Chu Rong didn’t expect that Qiao Zhiya couldn’t sleep because of this. Feeling a little jealous, he pulled him closer and rubbed his back, suppressing the sourness in his heart as he replied, “An Tyn came to see me before returning to the Empire last year. He asked me to protect him and his sister, and seeing his sincerity, I helped them out by arranging the old Emperor to send them to a planet outside the Empire’s jurisdiction. They’ve hidden themselves well, not even appearing when the old Emperor passed away. Now that An Xei has shown his true colors – meanwhile, the whereabouts of the new Emperor is unknown, and the Second and Fourth Princes are likely in dire straits after being exiled. To properly hold An Xei accountable, we need a legitimate member of the royal family to step forward. An Tyn is the best candidate for that.”
Qiao Zhiya frowned, worriedly asking, “Will he be in danger?”
“Rest assured, Jian’s father will help him, and General Neitaxi will too,” Chu Rong reassured, leaning down to kiss his forehead gently. He then covered Qiao Zhiya’s eyes with his hand and said, “Alright, bedtime story is over. It’s time for you to sleep.”
Even if this was a bedtime story, it obviously wasn’t finished.
Qiao Zhiya slumped, trying to avoid his hand, and continued to ask, “What about General Neitaxi ? You … eh.”
Chu Rong silenced his questions with a gentle kiss, then released his hand and brushed his bangs aside. “Neitaxi has been suspicious of An Tyn for a while. During the previous joint military expedition, An Tyn did everything to prevent Neitaxi from joining the army, which confirmed his suspicions. After the incident broke out, Neitaxi found a way to contact me, and I shared some information with him. Now he’s considered an ally of the Chu family. So, can you sleep now?” he added playfully, his hand threatening to tickle him.
Qiao Zhiya’s ears froze, and he dared not ask again. He put his head into Chu Rong’s open embrace and closed his eyes.
Three days later, the flagship arrived at the Federation border through a special passage. Qiao Zhiya once again drew the blood traction magic array, but this time he learned to be more gentle. Instead of using a sharp knife, he condensed his magic to break open a small cut on Jian’s fingertip, allowing him to drip enough blood onto the array. Afterward, he immediately sealed the wound with magic and carefully bandaged it.
Jian narrowed his eyes as he saw Qiao Zhiya’s serious and nervous appearance. The black-haired youth’s face was pale, but he had a better parlor than yesterday.
The magic array worked again, and the direction was pointed at somewhere in the asteroid belt.
Chu Rong contacted Chu Huai again, arranged some things, and then ordered the flagship to drive towards the asteroid belt.
Fan Xiangnan and the others were entering this vast asteroid belt for the first time, all carefully observing their surroundings and attempting to draw a map of their route. Jian, on the other hand, was bursting with curiosity, eagerly pulling Qiao Zhiya aside to tell the “adventure” story of his two-month disappearance.
With good friends by his side, Qiao Zhiya appeared much livelier. Seeing this, Chu Rong relaxed and shifted his gaze away, instructing Fan Xiangnan to increase the speed of their journey.
Their voyage this time was secret and should not be delayed too long.
About a week later, after a fourth space jump, the array pointed in a slightly different direction – this time, it pointed somewhere lower than their current position.
“Back, go down.”
Chu Rong commanded, and Fan Xiangnan immediately changed the flagship course.
After traveling for about half a day, they finally found the Imperial Royal flagship in a ruinous section of the asteroid belt, where the debris was swirling at an unusually high speed. This time, the Imperial Royal flagship was in a dilapidated state, lying there like a heap of scrap metal.
It likely had to endure a chaotic journey through the asteroid belt for a long time. Its hull was pockmarked with craters caused by impacts from asteroids. Some areas were even damaged, and the navigation lights were all broken. The once pristine platinum color was now covered in dust, and the Imperial flag was torn to shreds, giving it a particularly dismal appearance.
From the end of the battle against the Zergs until now, it was about a month – it was quite impressive for the new Emperor to have managed to put the flagship in such a state. It’s important to note that this flagship was not just any warship or civilian vessel; it could function as a temporary base.
In the asteroid belt, there was no signal, making it impossible to contact the people on the Imperial Royal flagship. Chu Rong didn’t bother with that and instead instructed Fan Xiangnan to bring the flagship closer to the platinum-colored vessel, forcefully connecting the two ships with a passageway.
“Lin Zhen’s team stayed in the main control room. Others came with me with weapons.”
Chu Rong commanded, and the soldiers turned around and walked out. Qiao Zhiya, who had looked obedient in the back, immediately followed.
Chu Rong stopped and looked back at him.
Qiao Zhiya’s eyes darted around, and he reached out to grasp Chu Rong’s hand. With his other hand, he pulled out his small hammer, indicating that he was armed and ready for battle at any moment.
“……”
Fan Xiangnan, who was behind, wanted to laugh. But he managed to turn his head and coughed, stopping it just in time.
Chu Rong frowned, but ultimately he held onto Qiao Zhiya’s hand in return. He said, “Later, don’t wander off. Stay close to me. The situation on the Imperial Royal flagship is unknown, and we don’t know if the people inside will resist. Your safety is the most important thing. Understand?”
Qiao Zhiya nodded quickly, and honestly took out a protective barrier and buckled it on his wrist.
Chu Rong’s brow relaxed, and he raised his hand to affectionately pat Qiao Zhiya’s, leading him towards the docking port.
The group cautiously approached the docking port, carefully opened the sealed hatch, activated the military investigation recording, and then blasted open the door of the flagship on the opposite side. However, they found that the situation inside the flagship was completely different from what they had imagined. There was no resistance; instead, they saw Imperial soldiers wandering around like the living dead.
Their faces were pale, with sunken cheeks, as if they hadn’t eaten properly for a long time. Their eyes were lifeless, lacking focus, and their movements were slow and stiff, resembling a dead body.
Qiao Zhiya was so frightened by this weird sight that his ears fluttered madly. He subconsciously grasped Chu Rong’s hand.
Chu Rong quickly blocked his view, glanced at the soldiers’ expressions, and said, “Notify Zhuang Yu to bring the medical team over. These people seem to have had their minds clouded by the medication from the Ning family.”
Fan Xiangnan nodded. Then he selected one soldier to contact Zhuang Yu.
The crowd bypassed the imperial soldiers who seemed to be unaware. Chu Rong spread his spiritual power, while Qiao Zhiya released his magic power.
As they moved further inside, there were fewer and fewer soldiers. Considering the massive number of soldiers on the Imperial Royal flagship before entering the black hole, the current number of people on the flagship seemed normal. When they reached near the control room, the two of them stopped simultaneously, exchanged a glance, and then silently headed towards the adjacent rest area.
After reaching the lounge door, Chu Rong positioned himself in front of Qiao Zhiya, then extended his hand and pushed open the partially closed door of the lounge.
The warm yellow light spread out, finally adding a little warm color to this quiet and weird flagship that looked like a tomb of the living dead.
The figure curled up on the sofa in the lounge stirred at the sound, then turned its head, revealing a face with sunken eye sockets and scruffy beard. His vacant eyes moved slightly until they locked onto Chu Rong’s face at the door. Suddenly, a terrifying gleam flashed in his eyes, and he lunged forward, hoarsely pleading, “Save me, save me! Take me out, I don’t want to be trapped in these rocks! Take me out, I’ll be obedient, take me out, don’t kill me, don’t kill me…”
Although the tone of the voice was embarrassing, Chu Rong quickly recognized this man as the new Emperor – the previously Third Imperial Prince, An Mhu.
The once handsome and dignified new Emperor had turned into a disheveled and emaciated madman, his expression frantic as he pleaded for help. His mind was unstable, drifting erratically, with hints of underlying aggression.
In other words, his spiritual strength may have gone berserk.
Chu Rong stepped forward to stun him, bent over and threw him to the bed, leaving him for Fan Xiangnan and other soldiers to handle. He then took Qiao Zhiya and turned to the main control room.
The situation in the control room wasn’t any better. Senior officers and crew members were sprawled on the ground, bearing injuries, their expressions vacant. Signs of deliberate damage were evident on the control panel, with several monitors shattered, as if someone had furiously smashed them in a fit of rage.
It was unclear what they had gone through, but everyone aboard the ship had lost their senses. If it weren’t for the emergency protocol of the flagship, which automatically released nutrient solution sprays at regular intervals, these individuals would likely have died from dehydration long ago.
“Put them together to look after them, and search the flagship carefully.” After making this arrangement, Chu Rong turned around to see Qiao Zhiya kneeling beside the unconscious An Mhu, reaching towards his chest. Chu Rong’s expression darkened, and he quickly approached, grabbing Qiao Zhiya’s head and asking coldly, “What are you doing?”
Qiao Zhiya’s body stiffened. He immediately tilted his head and nuzzled Chu Rong’s palm. He then handed him something in his hand and tried to appease Chu Rong. “Here, I feel there’s a strange energy fluctuation from this.”
Bonus chapters sponsored by Esme! Sorry it's a bit lateOn another note: DITF is finally reaching 3 digits! 32 chapters to go~looking back, this series' chapters are meaty 6k and I always cut them into 3, so since I picked this up from chapter 30 until now, I have posted 70 x 3 parts 210 updates. That's a lot lolAn Leen: Imperial Princess.An Tyn: Imperial Prince, An Leen's twin brother He's technically the Fifth Imperial PrinceAn Xei: The Emperor's younger brother. A Prince and a scholar.An Mhu: ex-Third Imperial Prince. Now the current Emperor.Neitaxi: General from the Empire, the strongest mecha soldier in the Empire.Feng: The Imperial High Advisor.Jian: the Imperial High Advisor's son. Studies History.Meeting his gaze, Jian quickly waved his hand to indicate that he didn't mind, then casually grabbed a medical tape to wrap around his finger. He looked at Chu Rong and said, Thank you, Marshal, for taking care of my father. Prince An Tyn has already contacted my father, and they will fully cooperate with your actions from now on.Prince An Tyn?Qiao Zhiya froze and looked at Chu Rong in doubt.Chu Rong noticed his gaze, raised his hand to ruffle his hair, then turned to Jian and said, You've worked hard. Your room is ready. Take a rest for now, we'll talk more tomorrow if something happens.Jian glanced at Qiao Zhiya, nodded, and followed Fan Xiangnan to his room.After Jian left, Chu Rong escorted Qiao Zhiya back to his room to rest. Then, he went to the control room with Lin Zhen and others to double-check the flight path. He also contacted Chu Huai for further coordination.Qiao Zhiya laid in bed with his eyes closed for a while, unable to fall asleep. Eventually, he sat up and took out a baby toy he hadn't finished making earlier. He worked on it while waiting for Chu Rong to return.He didn't know how long he fiddled with the toy. At some point, he finally heard a familiar footstep from the corridor outside the door.Qiao Zhiya's hands twitched. He hurriedly hid the toy in the quilt.As soon as Chu Rong entered the door, he found that Qiao Zhiya was pretending to be asleep. His poor skills of pretending to be asleep have always been too easy to see through.He squinted but didn't catch him just yet. He turned to the bathroom for a quick wash, then changed into his pajamas, walked back to the bed, and opened the quilt to lie down as usual.The youth who had been pretending to sleep immediately moved over naturally. With a smirk on his lips, he reached out and hugged the blond youth, his hands mischievously wandering under his pajamas.The youth's body visibly stiffened for a moment, and Qiao Zhiya, who had been obediently nestled against them, actually had twitchy ears in response. However, he stubbornly kept his eyes closed, refusing to drop his pretense of sleep.So Chu Rong became even more bold in his actions, causing Qiao Zhiya's face to grow increasingly red. His body couldn't help but tremble, and finally, when Chu Rong's fingers began to explore a particularly sensitive area, he couldn't hold back any longer. With a quick motion, he opened his eyes and sat up, grabbing Chu Rong's wandering hand. Blushing furiously, he stammered, Y-youI'm what? Chu Rong leisurely inquired, pulling him back under the covers and retracting his hand to gently pinch Qiao Zhiya's waist. Why aren't you sleeping?Qiao Zhiya's attention was immediately diverted, and he nervously replied, I-I tried to sleep, but I couldn't What's the deal with Prince An Tyn that Jian mentioned earlier? What kind of arrangements did you make?Although he didn't quite understand the intricacies between these major powers, An Tyn was someone he knew, so when Jian mentioned him earlier, Qiao Zhiya couldn't help but feel a bit curious. Unable to resist any longer, he finally asked.Chu Rong didn't expect that Qiao Zhiya couldn't sleep because of this. Feeling a little jealous, he pulled him closer and rubbed his back, suppressing the sourness in his heart as he replied, An Tyn came to see me before returning to the Empire last year. He asked me to protect him and his sister, and seeing his sincerity, I helped them out by arranging the old Emperor to send them to a planet outside the Empire's jurisdiction. They've hidden themselves well, not even appearing when the old Emperor passed away. Now that An Xei has shown his true colors meanwhile, the whereabouts of the new Emperor is unknown, and the Second and Fourth Princes are likely in dire straits after being exiled. To properly hold An Xei accountable, we need a legitimate member of the royal family to step forward. An Tyn is the best candidate for that.Qiao Zhiya frowned, worriedly asking, Will he be in danger?Rest assured, Jian's father will help him, and General Neitaxi will too, Chu Rong reassured, leaning down to kiss his forehead gently. He then covered Qiao Zhiya's eyes with his hand and said, Alright, bedtime story is over. It's time for you to sleep.Even if this was a bedtime story, it obviously wasn't finished.Qiao Zhiya slumped, trying to avoid his hand, and continued to ask, What about General Neitaxi ? You eh.Chu Rong silenced his questions with a gentle kiss, then released his hand and brushed his bangs aside. Neitaxi has been suspicious of An Tyn for a while. During the previous joint military expedition, An Tyn did everything to prevent Neitaxi from joining the army, which confirmed his suspicions. After the incident broke out, Neitaxi found a way to contact me, and I shared some information with him. Now he's considered an ally of the Chu family. So, can you sleep now? he added playfully, his hand threatening to tickle him.Qiao Zhiya's ears froze, and he dared not ask again. He put his head into Chu Rong's open embrace and closed his eyes.Three days later, the flagship arrived at the Federation border through a special passage. Qiao Zhiya once again drew the blood traction magic array, but this time he learned to be more gentle. Instead of using a sharp knife, he condensed his magic to break open a small cut on Jian's fingertip, allowing him to drip enough blood onto the array. Afterward, he immediately sealed the wound with magic and carefully bandaged it.Jian narrowed his eyes as he saw Qiao Zhiya's serious and nervous appearance. The black-haired youth's face was pale, but he had a better parlor than yesterday.The magic array worked again, and the direction was pointed at somewhere in the asteroid belt.Chu Rong contacted Chu Huai again, arranged some things, and then ordered the flagship to drive towards the asteroid belt.Fan Xiangnan and the others were entering this vast asteroid belt for the first time, all carefully observing their surroundings and attempting to draw a map of their route. Jian, on the other hand, was bursting with curiosity, eagerly pulling Qiao Zhiya aside to tell the adventure story of his two-month disappearance.With good friends by his side, Qiao Zhiya appeared much livelier. Seeing this, Chu Rong relaxed and shifted his gaze away, instructing Fan Xiangnan to increase the speed of their journey.Their voyage this time was secret and should not be delayed too long.About a week later, after a fourth space jump, the array pointed in a slightly different direction this time, it pointed somewhere lower than their current position.Back, go down.Chu Rong commanded, and Fan Xiangnan immediately changed the flagship course.After traveling for about half a day, they finally found the Imperial Royal flagship in a ruinous section of the asteroid belt, where the debris was swirling at an unusually high speed. This time, the Imperial Royal flagship was in a dilapidated state, lying there like a heap of scrap metal.It likely had to endure a chaotic journey through the asteroid belt for a long time. Its hull was pockmarked with craters caused by impacts from asteroids. Some areas were even damaged, and the navigation lights were all broken. The once pristine platinum color was now covered in dust, and the Imperial flag was torn to shreds, giving it a particularly dismal appearance.From the end of the battle against the Zergs until now, it was about a month it was quite impressive for the new Emperor to have managed to put the flagship in such a state. It's important to note that this flagship was not just any warship or civilian vessel; it could function as a temporary base.In the asteroid belt, there was no signal, making it impossible to contact the people on the Imperial Royal flagship. Chu Rong didn't bother with that and instead instructed Fan Xiangnan to bring the flagship closer to the platinum-colored vessel, forcefully connecting the two ships with a passageway.Lin Zhen's team stayed in the main control room. Others came with me with weapons.Chu Rong commanded, and the soldiers turned around and walked out. Qiao Zhiya, who had looked obedient in the back, immediately followed.Chu Rong stopped and looked back at him.Qiao Zhiya's eyes darted around, and he reached out to grasp Chu Rong's hand. With his other hand, he pulled out his small hammer, indicating that he was armed and ready for battle at any moment.Fan Xiangnan, who was behind, wanted to laugh. But he managed to turn his head and coughed, stopping it just in time.Chu Rong frowned, but ultimately he held onto Qiao Zhiya's hand in return. He said, Later, don't wander off. Stay close to me. The situation on the Imperial Royal flagship is unknown, and we don't know if the people inside will resist. Your safety is the most important thing. Understand?Qiao Zhiya nodded quickly, and honestly took out a protective barrier and buckled it on his wrist.Chu Rong's brow relaxed, and he raised his hand to affectionately pat Qiao Zhiya's, leading him towards the docking port.The group cautiously approached the docking port, carefully opened the sealed hatch, activated the military investigation recording, and then blasted open the door of the flagship on the opposite side. However, they found that the situation inside the flagship was completely different from what they had imagined. There was no resistance; instead, they saw Imperial soldiers wandering around like the living dead.Their faces were pale, with sunken cheeks, as if they hadn't eaten properly for a long time. Their eyes were lifeless, lacking focus, and their movements were slow and stiff, resembling a dead body.Qiao Zhiya was so frightened by this weird sight that his ears fluttered madly. He subconsciously grasped Chu Rong's hand.Chu Rong quickly blocked his view, glanced at the soldiers' expressions, and said, Notify Zhuang Yu to bring the medical team over. These people seem to have had their minds clouded by the medication from the Ning family.Fan Xiangnan nodded. Then he selected one soldier to contact Zhuang Yu.The crowd bypassed the imperial soldiers who seemed to be unaware. Chu Rong spread his spiritual power, while Qiao Zhiya released his magic power.As they moved further inside, there were fewer and fewer soldiers. Considering the massive number of soldiers on the Imperial Royal flagship before entering the black hole, the current number of people on the flagship seemed normal. When they reached near the control room, the two of them stopped simultaneously, exchanged a glance, and then silently headed towards the adjacent rest area.After reaching the lounge door, Chu Rong positioned himself in front of Qiao Zhiya, then extended his hand and pushed open the partially closed door of the lounge.The warm yellow light spread out, finally adding a little warm color to this quiet and weird flagship that looked like a tomb of the living dead.The figure curled up on the sofa in the lounge stirred at the sound, then turned its head, revealing a face with sunken eye sockets and scruffy beard. His vacant eyes moved slightly until they locked onto Chu Rong's face at the door. Suddenly, a terrifying gleam flashed in his eyes, and he lunged forward, hoarsely pleading, Save me, save me! Take me out, I don't want to be trapped in these rocks! Take me out, I'll be obedient, take me out, don't kill me, don't kill meAlthough the tone of the voice was embarrassing, Chu Rong quickly recognized this man as the new Emperor the previously Third Imperial Prince, An Mhu.The once handsome and dignified new Emperor had turned into a disheveled and emaciated madman, his expression frantic as he pleaded for help. His mind was unstable, drifting erratically, with hints of underlying aggression.In other words, his spiritual strength may have gone berserk.Chu Rong stepped forward to stun him, bent over and threw him to the bed, leaving him for Fan Xiangnan and other soldiers to handle. He then took Qiao Zhiya and turned to the main control room.The situation in the control room wasn't any better. Senior officers and crew members were sprawled on the ground, bearing injuries, their expressions vacant. Signs of deliberate damage were evident on the control panel, with several monitors shattered, as if someone had furiously smashed them in a fit of rage.It was unclear what they had gone through, but everyone aboard the ship had lost their senses. If it weren't for the emergency protocol of the flagship, which automatically released nutrient solution sprays at regular intervals, these individuals would likely have died from dehydration long ago.Put them together to look after them, and search the flagship carefully. After making this arrangement, Chu Rong turned around to see Qiao Zhiya kneeling beside the unconscious An Mhu, reaching towards his chest. Chu Rong's expression darkened, and he quickly approached, grabbing Qiao Zhiya's head and asking coldly, What are you doing?Qiao Zhiya's body stiffened. He immediately tilted his head and nuzzled Chu Rong's palm. He then handed him something in his hand and tried to appease Chu Rong. Here, I feel there's a strange energy fluctuation from this.
