VAP - Chapter 131
Chapter 131: The Marshal's Journey is the Sea of Stars (27)
Yue Du waited until Sheng Xuejiu had returned to Cadina Star before returning to her own body via the star-net. Then, she piloted her mecha and headed back.
Several hours later, the Deer Song mecha landed on the base's landing field.
Sheng Xuejiu was standing at the edge of the field, leaning against a pillar. She said with a smile, "Welcome back."
Yue Du retracted her mecha and looked around. "Where's Terence?"
Sheng Xuejiu's smile vanished. "The first thing you do when you get back is ask about some insignificant, unlucky fellow?"
Yue Du said, "I was just worried you couldn't resist killing him."
In truth, killing him wouldn't have been a huge problem. After all, the Empire's military strength was inferior to the Federation's, and they still relied on the Federation's support in the war. They wouldn't dare offend Sheng Xuejiu at a critical juncture, with the Zerg launching a major offensive.
Still, it would have caused some trouble.
Understanding the implications, Sheng Xuejiu snorted lightly and jutted her chin in a certain direction. "He Yin came by. She found a particularly suitable place for that fellow, one that absolutely befits his status."
Yue Du tried to recall what was in that direction.
The training grounds, the mecha manufacturing base, and the military prison.
"..."
She had toured the military prison before. It was called a military prison, but it was effectively a torture dungeon—no place for a human being.
"Would the Imperial Royal Family agree?"
"The old emperor is no saint. He's still counting on me to send him troops. If I had killed Terence on the spot, the old emperor might have kicked up a fuss to save face. But if I say I want the Second Prince to be a guest in the Federation, he wouldn't dare utter a single word of protest."
Yue Du let out a thoughtful "Oh."
And that was indeed the case. After He Yin conveyed to the Empire their desire to invite the Second Prince for a "visit" to the Federation, the emperor, who had already received news of his second son's disappearance, not only didn't object but even stated that Terence should be a good guest and could stay for as long as he pleased.
At the same time, he tactfully requested that the Federation guarantee his son's personal safety.
Translated, it meant: I know you've captured my son. That's fine, do as you please, but please, just keep him alive.
Sheng Xuejiu was delighted when she received the response and shared her joy with Yue Du.
Joy is better when shared, and sharing it with Yue Du wasn't enough. She also had to find Terence himself in the military prison to share in the amusement.
"—This is what your dear father said." In front of the narrow prison door, Sheng Xuejiu held an intercom, her tone laced with sarcastic malice. "Such a good father, a good emperor, right?"
Inside, Terence was curled up on the metal floor.
The military prison was cold and deathly silent. The walls were soundproofed, making it difficult for even a Sentinel with keen senses to hear any outside sounds, let alone a Guide like him.
Prolonged solitude in silence could easily make a person break down, and Terence was already on the verge of collapse. But he would rather not hear the Federal Marshal's voice; he'd rather be locked up until he went mad.
Sheng Xuejiu tapped the intercom. "Speak up. How does it feel?"
Terence remained silent.
"How boring," Sheng Xuejiu said. "Aren't you going to beg me? Maybe I'll let you out."
Terence looked up, two completely opposite emotions—lifelessness and hopeful expectation—flickering in his eyes.
Then Sheng Xuejiu laughed without reservation. "Ha, you actually fell for it. As expected, a child raised in the royal greenhouse is just so naive."
"..." Terence slammed his forehead back onto the floor and went still.
Yue Du felt as if she were watching a feline with splendid, pale golden fur. Cats have a bad habit of toying with their prey, refusing to stop until their victim begins to question their own existence. Her host had exactly that kind of temperament.
After toying with him a few more times and seeing there was no more fun to be had, Sheng Xuejiu shrugged and said to Yue Du, "Let's go, my dear."
Her words were transmitted just as clearly into the cell.
Terence shuddered and suddenly roared, "Is she out there? She's not dead? Since your fiancée is perfectly fine, why are you still taking it out on me!"
Sheng Xuejiu sounded surprised. "Your shamelessness truly exceeds my imagination. My dear is safe and sound because she's capable. What does that have to do with you?"
Terence wanted to say that since no one had even died, the charge of attempted murder against him was invalid. This was clearly an abuse of power for personal revenge—
But then he remembered he'd been locked up without the approval of a military tribunal. It was already an abuse of power, so shouting about it would be useless.
Having realized this, Terence slumped down dejectedly and remained on the floor.
Sheng Xuejiu ignored him.
She took Yue Du's arm, and the two of them slowly walked out of the military prison.
"How long do you plan to keep him locked up?"
"Who knows? It depends on your Main System's mission, I suppose. The moment it's confirmed he's of no more use, we can send him to meet his ancestors."
Sheng Xuejiu looked smug, seemingly oblivious to the fact that, by blood relation, Terence's ancestors were also her own.
Yue Du was silent for only a moment before Sheng Xuejiu turned her head and asked thoughtfully, "Do you think I'm cruel?"
"I'm not about to feel sympathy for someone who wanted to kill me," Yue Du said. "Besides..." She paused, her voice turning cold. "He deserves it."
Although Terence kept trying to justify his order to bombard the planet with excuses like "it was the heat of the moment" and "I had no other choice," in Yue Du's eyes, these were nothing but self-serving justifications.
To prevent the mind-infecting Zerg from relocating, was firing the Death Ray Cannon truly the only option?
There were no habitable planets near El Star. The Zerg would have needed at least half an hour to reach their next destination after leaving. Would it have been so difficult to carry out a precision strike against them during that window?
For his own selfish reasons, he sacrificed the lives of the Federation and Empire soldiers on El Star who hadn't had time to escape. Terence deserved more than death!
Sheng Xuejiu looked at her and let out a long sigh. "Alas."
"What is it?" Yue Du asked.
"It seems my initial decision was the right one," Sheng Xuejiu said.
Yue Du was about to ask what initial decision she meant when she suddenly realized the host must be referring to how she had once hidden the state of her mental landscape.
Thinking of the sea of blood in that landscape, Yue Du realized with a pang of sorrow that her double standards were truly severe.
With the same background, if the person in question had been Terence, Yue Du would only want to send him to an early grave.
But when Sheng Xuejiu sat there, looking up at her with those beautiful, deep dark eyes, Yue Du had only one thought: I can accept this. Bring it on.
Such double standards.
Yue Du engaged in some deep self-reflection, then asked, "Would you ever make the scene in your mental landscape a reality?"
"Ah. That," Sheng Xuejiu said. "I probably have in the past. Reality might have been even more depraved, actually."
"..."
Sheng Xuejiu added unconvincingly, "But there probably wasn't any blood. It was very clean. You can rest assured on that point."
Yue Du faltered for a moment, then nonchalantly changed the subject. The Marshal cooperatively followed her lead.
Afterward, Yue Du returned to her room to organize information, preparing for the upcoming confrontation with the Zerg mother.
Sheng Xuejiu, meanwhile, stood at her office door, watching Yue Du's retreating figure as the smile on her lips slowly faded.
He Yin came looking for her. Seeing her superior standing alone at the door, she called out hesitantly, "Marshal?"
Sheng Xuejiu pushed the door open and walked inside, asking coolly, "What is it?"
He Yin was there to report on her work, mainly matters concerning the legion under her command. When she finished and looked at the Marshal again, she found her propping her chin on one hand, her gaze drifting to the side, lost in thought.
He Yin said, "Marshal, there's one more thing. Regarding your loss of control earlier, Ms. Elenda would like to speak with you."
Ms. Elenda, a contemporary of the old headmaster of the Capital Star's First Military Academy, was an outstanding and wise female Guide.
Despite her advanced age, Elenda's abilities were still strong enough for her to remain at the military base, performing mental grooming for some of the more powerful Sentinels.
A Guide like her was considered a national treasure. With her around, the health and survival rates of Sentinels could be bumped up by a decimal point.
"What does she want to talk about?" Sheng Xuejiu asked. "If it's about my mental stability, there's no need to worry. I will not allow a repeat of this incident."
He Yin hesitated.
"Hm?" Sheng Xuejiu prompted.
"...Well," He Yin began, "Ms. Elenda wants to talk to you about Yue Yao. She believes Yue Yao is a Guide."
"Have you ever seen a Guide with senses as keen and power as great as hers?" Sheng Xuejiu countered.
He Yin's expression grew more conflicted. "In fact, Ms. Elenda suspects that Yue Yao possesses the abilities of both a Sentinel and a Guide, she just doesn't know it herself."
The old woman was meticulous and knew a great deal about Sentinel-Guide compatibility. She was certain that an unbonded Sentinel who lost control would inevitably attack those around them and would be incapable of regaining their senses on their own.
Hearing that the only person with the Marshal was another female Sentinel—one whose mental state was as stable as a Guide's—the conclusion was obvious. Unless the Marshal had a secret Guide lover, then Major Yue Yao must have Guide abilities!
After listening, Sheng Xuejiu pondered for a moment before agreeing to speak with Ms. Elenda.
Their conversation was brief, but after leaving the Marshal's office, Ms. Elenda never mentioned the matter again.
On the Zerg front, after losing their only two (allegedly) mind-infecting types, they seemed to have quieted down again. For a long time, only a few scattered Zerg appeared to hunt.
Sheng Xuejiu, however, was not happy.
If no Zerg came, how were they supposed to track them to the Zerg mother? Search the entire universe with psychic power?
"They can't hold out for too long," Yue Du said. "A few months at most."
"That depends on how many rations they have stored in the hive," Sheng Xuejiu said. "Sigh. I really wish those Spiral Star people from the Empire weren't so weak, always providing a free buffet for the Zerg."
That's because the Empire's military technology isn't as advanced as the Federation's, Yue Du thought. Her mind was filled with the adages "the backward will be beaten" and "technology is the ultimate truth."
Finally, five months later, the large-scale Zerg tide they had been waiting for arrived.
Their goal wasn't conquest, but plunder. Every time the Zerg tore open a mecha, they would drag a soldier out and clamp down on them, dripping with blood. Once they had captured enough, they would immediately turn and flee.
This was all to provide nourishment for the Zerg mother.
Piloting the Deer Song, Yue Du killed as many Zerg as she could while using the Silent Watcher's gaze to track the ones that had captured prey and were about to retreat, noting their trajectory after they left the atmosphere.
She discovered that although they were retreating in all directions, a significant proportion of the Zerg were flying toward the same general area.
Therefore, that direction was the most likely location of the Zerg hive.
By now, both humans and Zerg were locked in a frenzy, fighting until the number of Zerg on the battlefield dwindled and the battle drew to a close.
Yue Du sent a message: "I'm going after them."
"I'm going too," Sheng Xuejiu replied.
The commanders of the other legions, aware of their plan, led their troops to create an opening for them.
The Zerg's attention was diverted. Not a single one noticed two conspicuous, beast-form mechas slowly fading their presence until they vanished completely.
Stealth mode was very effective.
Yue Du locked onto her targets: a few low-level Zerg traveling together. With their low intelligence and single-minded nature, the only thought in their heads was to bring food to the Zerg mother, making them the least likely to notice anything unusual.
Following the Zerg through the atmosphere, the two stealth mechas gave chase silently against the monotonous black backdrop of space.
Along the way, one of the Zerg seemed to sense something. It turned its head to look back, its compound eyes swiveling unsettlingly a few times before it turned away again.
These Zerg had strong counter-surveillance instincts. They twisted and turned, passing numerous planets and even crossing a meteorite belt.
A place like this was a true test of a pilot's skill.
Finally, they reached their destination.
Ahead of them, a planet hung silently in space. It was impossible to discern its color, as it was surrounded by a milky-white, mist-like substance that swirled and floated as if it were alive.
The Zerg passed through the mist and vanished from sight.
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