Discussing The Correct Posture To Enjoy Dog Food

Chapter 163 - Pomegranate Flavored Sentinel Gong (4)

Translated by Hua Li ^_~

The starship sliced through the sea of stars.

This time, Xiang Muchuan’s mission was officially a routine inspection of the frontier starfield, but in truth, he carried a far weightier responsibility.

Once the warship left the central star domain, he split off from the Xiang family’s main fleet, bringing only three trusted aides… and, well, his little Guide, on a separate assignment.

“Report, Young Marshal,” Barton, the pilot, tapped his headset, breaking into the discussion. “First wormhole jump in three minutes. One minute until we reach Syl Starfield’s ninth relay station. Remaining travel time: thirty-one hours. Destination: Planet 016 in the Abby system. Three wormhole jumps in total.”

Leaning over the starmap with Barton, Aiqi, and Yao Zicong, Xiang Muchuan gave a brief reply: “Prepare for the jump. After leaving the relay station, rest for ten minutes.”

“Yes, sir!”

The clicks of seatbelts fastening rang out in unison. Everyone put on their oxygen helmets; wormhole-jump drills had long since been ingrained as instinct. Their movements were swift, precise, and orderly.

Xiang Muchuan did the same—but as his hand touched the helmet, he suddenly remembered something. Unbuckling his harness, he strode toward Gou Liang.

This was his first mission with a Guide at his side. He wasn’t used to it yet—he had almost forgotten the boy was aboard.

And Gou Liang’s presence was so faint that the other three, already in mission mode, had overlooked him as well. They only realized their lapse when the Young Marshal moved.

Aiqi, the team’s sole female sentinel and the one responsible for medical potions, hurriedly undid her own harness to fetch the hibernation pod she had prepared earlier.

The more layers of space in a wormhole overlap, the stronger the shockwaves. Their planned three jumps all passed through sixfold wormholes in sequence. Even they—A-class sentinels hardened by years of anti-shock training—could only grit their teeth through it. A Guide, however, would never survive it awake. He had to be secured in the hibernation pod.

But when Xiang Muchuan drew close, he saw that Gou Liang, who had just been peering curiously at the stars outside the window, had fallen asleep at some point.

He was curled against the silver wolf’s belly, hugging its tail, with the little pink pup sprawled on his head. The silver wolf opened its eyes at its master, then shut them again, nuzzling Gou Liang with a wolfish expression that could only be called… blissful.

Xiang Muchuan paused a second, then couldn’t resist reaching out to brush Gou Liang’s cheek.

Even that slight contact filled him with a joy no less than from his spirit beast. He had intended to wake Gou Liang, but gave up the thought, carefully lifting him into his arms instead.

The silver wolf growled unhappily at losing its Guide, and Gou Liang, robbed of the tail in his arms, fumbled restlessly.

“It’s me.”

Xiang Muchuan adjusted his hold, and the moment Gou Liang recognized him, he sat up, clung to his neck, wrapped his legs around his waist—an instinctive gesture, as if he’d done it a thousand times before. He inhaled his scent, rubbed his cheek against him with sleepy dependence, and chuckled faintly, murmuring: “Meng… Meng Hao…”

Then he relaxed completely, surrendering himself to the embrace, and soon drifted back into slumber.

Xiang Muchuan stroked his head, a smile tugging unconsciously at his lips: “…”

The silver wolf, hearing its name, swished its tail proudly, as if to shoo Xiang Muchuan away. Irritated, Xiang gave it a cold look; the beast instantly tucked its tail between its legs in submission.

Seeing it still trying to nip at Gou Liang’s pant leg, Xiang calmly plucked the pink pup off the boy’s head and set it on the wolf’s nose, dismissing them both.

Thus, the famously untouchable Young Marshal returned carrying a sloth-like bundle in his arms, while his aloof silver wolf sported a tiny pink pup balanced on its nose.

The onlookers’ hearts took a critical hit.

While opening the pod, Aiqi couldn’t help but remark, “Young Madam’s… I mean, Yuan-shao’s spirit beast is so cute.”

Truth be told, they’d all been disappointed after meeting Gou Liang. The stuttering, ordinary-looking boy hardly seemed worthy of their commander. But since he was a 100% match with the Young Marshal, and their spirit beasts had already fused, Xiang Muchuan would certainly marry him—and by his character, treat him with respect. Even if they felt he deserved better, none dared show it.

Yet Xiang Muchuan’s attitude was nothing like they’d imagined. Instead of cold acceptance, he seemed… to actually enjoy it.

That was even more shocking than his sudden marriage.

Ignoring their curious stares, Xiang bent to place Gou Liang in the pod. But just as he leaned down, the boy clutched his neck and waist tightly, mumbling, “D-don’t move. Just… just let me sleep.”

oXiDI jaHRaiD QOXwwpDpV. Jp’V DpfpB AppD HFEwFBOiAqp kXOR bRzQXHiq HqFQpDpQQ, pfpD kXOR RXQ biBpDOQ.

maO kRiO Rp VXVD’O BpiqXNp kiQ ORiO, aDqXyp RXQ AFVz’Q BpwqpKXfp OpDQXFD, RXQ wiHp RiV QFwOpDpV, RXQ fFXHp XDQOXDHOXfpqz IpDOqp iQ Rp EaBEaBpV DpiB hFa WXiDI’Q piB: “Gp’Bp iAFaO OF gaEb. LFa DppV OF IpO XD ORp bFV…”

iIWOUI eI MOChg Wsrste, DOC vsHra’t JUIHBesra thOSIg HaHsr.

oXiDI wFaDV XO AFOR waDDz iDV pKiQbpBiOXDI. Jp OBXpV iIiXD OF QpO RXE VFkD, AaO hFa WXiDI FDqz HqaDI RiBVpB. GiyXDI RXE FB bBzXDI RXE Fww—AFOR QXEbqp, HBaVp FbOXFDQ—DpfpB pfpD HBFQQpV ORp EXDV Fw ORp ABXqqXiDO LFaDI jiBQRiq. Jp FDqz QOBFypV ORp AFz’Q QFwO AqiHy RiXB, QaVVpDqz iO i qFQQ wFB kRiO OF VF.

“Ahem. Young Marshal, thirty seconds until wormhole jump,” Barton reminded him dutifully, though it spoiled the rare spectacle of his commander being helpless.

Xiang Muchuan’s reason finally reengaged. He made a move to pry him off—only to be bitten.

The little Guide ground his teeth right against his artery, his face scrunched in bad temper, arms tightening like iron bands to declare he had no intention of waking, let alone separating.

…Had he always been this clingy?

Xiang Muchuan found he didn’t mind it. With the ten-second countdown starting, he simply carried Gou Liang into the pod with him.

His three aides thought in unison: We’ve just witnessed the beginning of a future where the emperor never shows up to morning court again.

Inside the pod, human senses were shielded. Neither of them felt the violent jolts of the wormhole jump. Only once they’d cleared Syl’s relay station did the attentive Aiqi release them.

“Young Marshal, twenty seconds left in the rest period.”

“Got it.”

This time, Xiang Muchuan didn’t bother to put Gou Liang down. He carried him straight out.

With his senses cut off, Gou Liang was finally waking, but the familiar embrace made him feel safe, too comfortable to open his eyes.

When Xiang Muchuan laid him across his lap, Gou Liang’s hand wandered straight to the base of his spine.

A spark jolted through Xiang’s waist, his face freezing as he looked down at the audacious boy—only to hear him murmur:

“Wh-where’s your t-tail…”

Xiang Muchuan: …He was spoiling his little Guide far too much.

Completely unaware of the man’s disapproval, Gou Liang kept groping stubbornly until the obedient spirit beast slipped out of Xiang Muchuan’s domain and shoved its materialized tail into his hand. Only then did Gou Liang finally stop harassing the Young Marshal, curling up in his arms with perfect satisfaction, clutching the fluffy tail tightly while burying his face deeper into his embrace.

The corners of Gou Liang’s lips curved—yes, this was the proper hugging posture~

“Awoo.”

The silver wolf, paws braced on the back of the seat and the pink pup perched on its head, happily stuck out its tongue to lick the only bit of Gou Liang’s ear exposed. Xiang Muchuan blocked it with a dark look, his eyes a stern warning.

The spirit beast snorted, furious but cowed by its master’s authority, and laid its head dejectedly atop Xiang Muchuan’s, its icy-blue eyes still fixed unblinkingly on Gou Liang.

Aiqi & Yao Zicong: We’ve seen too much ⊙ω⊙.

When the ten-minute rest ended and Barton, up front at the controls, hadn’t heard a single word over the comms, he turned around—nearly steering the ship into an asteroid belt from the shock of what he saw.

The usually stone-faced Young Marshal sat with the wolf’s head draped mournfully over his own, the wolf’s head stacked with the pink pup, and in his arms lay Gou Liang, who in turn hugged the wolf’s massive tail…

The food chain of this “family of four” made absolutely no sense. Why did it look like their supreme commander was crushed at the very bottom?

Surely just his imagination. Ha… ha.

Aiqi forced a laugh: “Langchuan really adores Yuan-shao. It’s like it treats him as its spirit beast. Is this what 100% compatibility looks like?”

Normally, everyone knew spirit beasts only grew close to their masters or their partner’s spirit beast. But the Young Marshal’s silver wolf—well, never mind its attitude toward its own master—how was it that it treated the little pink pup with less enthusiasm than it showed the Guide?

Only Yao Zicong caught the subtle shift—Xiang Muchuan holding the Guide even tighter, his cold expression tinged with displeasure at Gou Liang’s fondness for the wolf’s tail.

Xiang Muchuan, as if nothing had happened, said evenly: “Continue the briefing. Zicong, share the intel you gathered.”

“Yes, Young Marshal.”

The intel-gathering sentinel reined in his rampant curiosity at once, straightening to report.

Their destination, the Ebi system, lay at the edge of the Empire, bordering both the Free Alliance and the Zerg. Its strategic location made it a linchpin in both governance and military investment.

But three days ago, the garrison of Planet 017 had suddenly defected.

The betrayal was long premeditated, aimed at seizing the Zerg anesthesia weapon deployed there for testing last year. When their attempt failed, they destroyed the base out of spite.

Casualties had occurred, but the real crisis was that they hijacked the starship escorting Dr. Tandy.

Dr. Tandy was a top-secret imperial scientist, devoted his entire life to researching sentinel suppression drugs.

Six years ago, on Planet 015, he had discovered a rare herb with a calming effect on berserk sentinels nearly equal to a high-grade Guide’s fusion.

Although later evidence revealed severe side effects—even cases where A-class sentinels dropped to D-class or suffered brain damage—Tandy refused to abandon the discovery. He remained secluded on 015 for years, conducting secret experiments.

Recently, he finally succeeded. Carrying the Empire’s newest suppressant formula, he left Planet 015—only to be captured by the rebels.

For now, intel suggested his exposure was minimal, but if their true target had always been the suppressant, then both he and his work were in jeopardy.

Should Tandy and his research fall into enemy hands, the Empire would suffer an immense loss.

Thus, Xiang Muchuan’s mission was not just to eliminate traitors but to retrieve both Dr. Tandy and the suppressant safely.

The star map shifted to display the background information of a single individual—Saiya, leader of the rebels.

Born in the Seth system, stationed in the Ebi system for fifteen years, he had attained the rank of lieutenant colonel. His record and environment ruled out simple psychological resentment. If he hadn’t been corrupted by Zerg parasites into a puppet, then he was almost certainly a spy planted by the Free Alliance.

Yao Zicong said, “Based on the data I’ve gathered, he’s more likely the latter. That’s good news—at least it means Dr. Tandy might still live in Free Alliance hands.”

Had the Zerg captured him, their mission would be hopeless from the start.

“Young Marshal, we’ve narrowed the search to ten potential planets, especially Freely Star. It’s pirate territory, lawless, where dead or alive, anyone can hide.”

Xiang Muchuan trusted Yao Zicong’s analysis without question.

“Mm. After completing our first objective on Planet 016, we’ll divert to Freely Star.” He paused. “Forge Yuan Wang’s identity as a sentinel.”

“Yes, Young Marshal.”

【Master, Master! You’ve been exposed!】

Gou Liang, content in the bliss of hugging the wolf’s tail while half-listening to their discussion, was suddenly interrupted by his system gleefully throwing up a headline war.

It turned out the Xiang family had just announced his and Xiang Muchuan’s marriage registration.

Madam Xiang V: Welcoming our new family member, @Yuan Wang You’re the best! //@Xiang Corps V: Congratulations to the Young Marshal on his wedding! [Holo-footage of the military parade]

The post went live seven hours after the marriage registration.

Madam Xiang’s timing was deliberate—a mother’s protective heart. Once public, the news was bound to cause a storm, but by then Muchuan would already be gone from the central domain with Gou Liang, out of reach of the fallout.

And just as she predicted, the uproar was immense.

Xiang Muchuan wasn’t only heir to the Empire’s First Legion. He was also #TheManAllOfEmpireWantsToMarry#, #Empire’sMostHandsomeMan#, #TheManAllOfEmpireWantsToSleepWith#, #Empire’sTopRichHotList#, reigning at the top for years. The buzz he generated was staggering.

Even with the Xiang family’s clear show of support and recognition, the Empire’s people couldn’t accept the marriage. Their hostility toward Gou Liang skyrocketed, digging up his entire ancestry within minutes.

To them, compared to Xiang Muchuan’s almost divine status, Yuan Wang’s sheer mediocrity was infuriating.

What did he possibly have to offer?

Family background? The Yuan clan might be nobles of Bluewater Star, but that star itself was only a mid-tier domain among the twelve starfields. Not only was it worlds apart from the Xiangs, compared to many other families, the Yuans were scraping the bottom of the lesser aristocracy.

When it came to ability, he had only just Awakened as a Guide. His rank wasn’t yet stable enough to be officially assessed, but in all of history no Guide Awakening after eighteen had ever been rated higher than B-class.

Looks? Temperament? Intelligence?

He had none of those—worse, he was a mute with a physiological defect!

Once this information was exposed, not only Xiang Muchuan’s die-hard fans but even casual admirers declared they couldn’t accept it. On Capital Star, how many noble men and women were still obediently queuing up for a chance to marry the Young Marshal? Who could tolerate such a low-tier interloper parachuting in?

The StarNet was filled with wailing, and the Xiang family’s wedding announcement was completely drowned out.

    : I don’t believe it. This has to be fake.

    : @Yuan Wang, if you’re ugly, don’t come out here endangering society.

    : Send me @Yuan Wang’s coordinates, I’ve already packed deep-sea torpedoes!

    : @Madam Xiang, are you really his mother?

    : @Marshal Xiang, if you don’t come back, your wife’s about to go berserk.

    : Don’t stop me, I’m going to die together with @Yuan Wang!

    : Hiring a hitman for @Yuan Wang [bloodied blade].

    : Heh, @Madam Xiang, let me get you a lifelong free appointment with ophthalmology.

Even the First Legion’s fearsome prestige couldn’t stop enraged netizens from donning sockpuppets to curse Gou Liang, even Madam Xiang herself. But before the situation spiraled too far, the Empire’s Central Brain issued an official update:

—Congratulations to @Xiang Muchuan, now the second S-class Sentinel in the Empire’s 5,000-year history to achieve a 100% Guide compatibility. Congratulations on your marriage to @Yuan Wang!

The StarNet fell silent.

The aristocracy exploded.

Those who still dreamed of wiping out Gou Liang to take his place fell into despair. What did it mean to be the 100% Guide of an S-class Sentinel? It meant Xiang Muchuan had a very real chance of becoming the second super-S-class Sentinel after the Empire’s founding emperor. It also meant that if his 100% Guide died, Xiang Muchuan would be destroyed as well.

So no matter what kind of person Gou Liang was, the Xiang family would never allow him to suffer the slightest harm.

As rivals wept bitter tears, onlookers munching melon seeds posted:

@Young Marshal Xiang wasn’t really on border patrol, was he? He was running away from the wedding!

For an instant, the StarNet froze.

The next second, #HeartacheForYoungMarshalXiang was pinned as the Empire’s top trending topic.

*

【Xiaosi, spooked by the eerily calm sea of consciousness, trembled: Master, you’re not even a little mad?】

【Gou Liang sneered: Don’t you know? My favorite thing is watching them slap themselves in the face.】

【Xiaosi: …Quietly waiting obediently.jpg】

Me: 【 Silently lighting a candle.jpg】for the netizens ^.^