Read Novel Full Chapter 174 - Pomegranate Flavored Sentinel Gong (15)
Chapter 174 - Pomegranate Flavored Sentinel Gong (15)
Translated by Hua Li ^_~
Empire — Capital Star, Imperial Palace.
“Your Majesty! Urgent military report from the Border Star Domain!”
The communications officer, face ashen, stammered, “The Free Federation’s Ryan, Palmer, and three other major corps have simultaneously launched attacks on the Abby, Seth, and Talbot systems!”
All three targeted systems were territories under the Xiang family’s command.
The Emperor’s eyes widened. “What about Marshal Xiang? Has the First Corps not responded yet?”
The officer’s lips trembled. “It’s rumored that Young Marshal Xiang Muchuan’s guide was assassinated by a spy, and the Young Marshal’s current condition is unclear. The Federation’s offensive was premeditated and completely without warning. With Marshal Xiang still battling in the Nelson Star, I fear he’s too far to provide aid.”
The Emperor frowned in thought, then said, “Contact Marshal Niu—order them to send reinforcements to Nelson to support the Xiang Legion. Under no circumstances can Marshal Xiang be harmed. Also, connect with Marshals Feigen and Seville. Tell them what’s at stake—if Xiang’s territories can’t hold, they are to provide immediate support.”
The officer rushed out to execute the order.
The Emperor pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. “What in the world are the Xiangs doing—bringing a guide to the front lines, and a 100% match at that!”
He gestured impatiently. “Summon the commanders of the Second and Fifth Corps, and all cabinet members. We’re holding an emergency council.”
The attendants hurried away.
But before the council could even assemble, the same communications officer came sprinting back—this time, his face alight with joy.
“Your Majesty! Victory! We’ve won!”
The Emperor blinked. “What do you mean, won? Speak clearly.”
“Your Majesty, Marshal Xiang just sent a war report—they’ve triumphed! He has begun taking full control of the Nelson system and estimates that within ten days, all of Nelson’s sovereignty will be restored. Additionally, the five Federation corps that attacked the three systems have been struck by Xiang’s counteroffensive and forced into retreat. Word is, their losses were catastrophic!”
—The tide of war had turned completely, in only thirty-seven minutes.
Instead of joy, the Emperor felt shock. “And the Young Marshal?”
The officer replied, “Though there was an assassination attempt, the Young Marshal’s guide survived, and the Young Marshal himself was unharmed.”
The Emperor nodded to himself—so it was a ruse by the Xiangs. That explained why the Federation had fallen so swiftly, so disastrously.
The officer continued, “Marshal Xiang also reported that he intends to return to the capital in twenty days, pending Your Majesty’s approval.”
The Emperor calculated quickly—he knew it was for Xiang Muchuan’s wedding. He didn’t refuse but reminded, “Send word to Marshal Xiang: ensure Nelson’s defenses remain secure. The Federation must not be given another chance.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Meanwhile, far away in the Nelson system, the Xiang Legion had begun postwar consolidation—a process far more exhausting than battle itself.
Even Gou Liang didn’t get a moment’s rest.
He was developing a truth serum—one potent enough to make even the most tight-lipped traitor spill everything.
The “Confession Agent” created by Master Gou proved terrifyingly effective. Walker, once stubborn as a rock, confessed almost instantly: though his Imperial records listed him as an orphan, he was in fact a Federation native—his parents, both Federation soldiers, had died at the hands of the Empire. His hatred for the Empire ran deep.
Because of his exposure, his husband and Rachel—though no evidence of their involvement was found—would never again enjoy the trust or favor of Marshal Xiang’s command.
Originally, Gou Liang had wanted to personally take part in the interrogations—no one knew the Xiang Legion’s inner traitors better than he did.
But Xiang Muchuan refused.
The attempt on Gou Liang’s life had left him shaken; ever since, he wouldn’t let Gou Liang out of his sight, keeping him within arm’s reach at all times.
If he could, he’d have tied Gou Liang to his waist and carried him everywhere.
So, after completing the serum, Gou Liang simply followed Xiang Muchuan from planet to planet across the twelve newly annexed worlds of the Nelson system—establishing bases and overseeing the transfer of authority to Imperial control.
But Gou Liang had his mind on another matter—
Jack Litt.
He’d noticed Jack’s strange expression during the final battle and suspected he wasn’t planning to die with his ship. He’d been right.
Jack had survived. Or rather, before his flagship collided with the Ryan and Palmer fleets, he had already abandoned ship—floating alone into space.
An S-class sentinel’s body was resilient. Though gravely injured, he clung to life.
【Master, Jack Litt’s vital signs are strengthening. He’s been rescued—by Benjamin.】
Gou Liang’s eyes narrowed as he checked the system’s feed, surprised by what he saw.
Benjamin—the Prime Minister’s son—had left Nelson after publicly announcing his engagement. Yet instead of returning to the Federation, he had lingered nearby, calmly observing the war from a distance. His detached composure had always seemed suspicious, which was why the system had kept a close watch.
What stunned Gou Liang, though, was Benjamin’s appearance—he wasn’t wearing his usual face. He looked exactly like that male guide from Free Star—the one who’d once fought Gou Liang over Xiang Muchuan’s “special underwear.”
“Well, well. Even General Litt can look this pathetic? Haha, I really should take a picture.”
Benjamin’s words dripped with mockery.
Jack’s condition was worse than “pathetic.” His protective suit had long been corroded away; the exposed flesh on his body looked as if it had been seared by molten iron—charred, pitted, and horribly disfigured.
“What’s the situation outside?”
His voice was hoarse and guttural, the cords ravaged by damage.
“What else do you think?” Benjamin said lazily. “The Xiangs won a crushing victory. The survivors are all prisoners. Nelson belongs to Xiang now, not Litt.”
He smiled faintly, twisting the knife. “I hear the Xiangs are purging traitors. After your little fiasco, every family that’s built influence under them has been uprooted. That Xiang Muchuan… his methods are almost as charming as his face~”
Gou Liang: MMP!
Jack finally lifted his eyelids, meeting Benjamin’s amused gaze. “A pity,” he rasped, “he already has a 100% match.”
Benjamin chuckled. “So what? All it takes is erasing that guide’s mental domain… and who Xiang Muchuan belongs to after that is anyone’s guess.”
Jack sneered. “Then let me congratulate you in advance.”
“Much appreciated,” Benjamin said with a smile.
Benjamin smiled sweetly, as if Xiang Muchuan already belonged to him. Then, carrying Jack with him, he shifted locations—their destination turned out to be a pirate starship.
This man was no ordinary person.
There was no way he was the same brainless, spoiled C-rank guide son of the Federation’s Prime Minister that the rumors described.
Thinking that, Gou Liang instructed the system to extract Benjamin’s soul mirror.
【Ding! Master, Benjamin’s soul mirror has been extracted… Please prepare yourself mentally before viewing.】
Oh?
Gou Liang opened it with interest—and was completely stunned.
Benjamin, S-rank guide.
True age: eighty-two. His real identity wasn’t the Prime Minister’s son, but his uncle—a master pharmacist.
At fifteen, he’d been poisoned while experimenting on himself, an accident that left his physical appearance forever frozen in youth. From then on, his body stopped aging.
At thirty, he founded a pirate crew—the One-Eyed Pirates. The “Blind Mike” who had once framed Xiang Muchuan’s team was merely a puppet under his control. It was out of revenge for losing “the Young Marshal’s underwear” on Free Star that he had ordered Mike to help Jack frame “Black Card Mu”
At fifty, he’d been gravely injured and drifted to Bluewater Star, where the head of the Yuan family had rescued him…
—The hell?!
Gou Liang’s eyes widened, and with growing dread, he scrolled through the rest of the mirror, hoping he was wrong. He wasn’t.
Benjamin had stayed with the Yuan family for nearly ten years before fully recovering. During that time, he went by another name—Kemi.
The “Grandpa Kemi” of the original body.
…Gou Liang’s entire brain short-circuited.
From Benjamin’s perspective, those ten years of “warmth and affection” were nothing like what the original owner had believed.
The original host had been a mute child then, and Benjamin, bored while recovering, had been intrigued by how clingy the little boy was. On a whim, he decided to experiment on the boy’s genetic fragments to fix his speech defect—and, being the world-class pharmacist he was, he succeeded. He activated the boy’s speech center.
The result: the boy was still a stammerer, but it was a medical breakthrough beyond anything this world had achieved.
However, the reason the original owner grew increasingly disfigured—so unlike the rest of the Yuan family—was the side effect of Benjamin’s human experimentation.
All of these “treatments” had been done while the child was unconscious, so none of it appeared in the original soul’s memory.
To the original host, “Grandpa Kemi” had been a savior. To Benjamin, however, the “experiment falling in love with its creator” had simply been an entertaining game. He’d played his role to perfection, lavishing the boy with affection, teaching him about herbs, acting every bit the doting guardian.
The man was a consummate actor—before leaving Bluewater Star and “killing off” the Kemi identity, he even staged the perfect ending to his little game: bequeathing all his so-called “life savings” to his beloved experiment as an inheritance.
Which meant… Benjamin was the person most closely linked to the original soul’s signature.
If it ever came out that Gou Liang had “learned pharmacy from Kemi” or been “disguised by Kemi,” Benjamin would immediately realize he wasn’t the real one!
The system’s chubby face scrunched up in alarm as it hurriedly sent a distress signal to the main system, while Gou Liang’s focus was entirely elsewhere.
【Gou Liang: Holy crap! An eighty-two-year-old geezer actually lusted after my husband’s underwear?! What the hell is wrong with him?! [Angry.jpg]】
【The system, involuntarily shuddering: …Heh. Maybe he just has a youthful heart? And besides, in a B-class world, the average lifespan’s 150—technically, Benjamin’s still middle-aged…】
【Gou Liang: Whose side are you on? →_→】
【System: Uh… Just got a message from Main Control—Executor No.00401, handle this situation carefully. If another world expulsion incident occurs, your compensation penalty will increase tenfold.】
【Gou Liang: F*ck off. [middle finger emoji]】
After quietly checking its master’s soul-credit balance, the system fell silent for a moment, then dutifully began brainstorming solutions.
They were in the middle of a serious strategy discussion when Gou Liang suddenly laughed inside his consciousness.
【System, startled: M-Master, are you okay?!】
【Gou Liang rubbed his chin: So that means the Yuan family must’ve been the Federation’s spies in the Empire all along. Which means my hubby and I are technically mortal enemies now—utterly incompatible, huh? Mmm… that’s kinda hot～～】
【System: Master, you need medication!】
【Gou Liang: What would a single system like you know—】
【System, panicking: M-M-Master, bad news!!】
【Gou Liang: What now?】
【System, voice trembling: Madam Yuan just had a huge fight with her family—and she’s threatening to go public online with your real childhood identity as Kemi’s experiment and your true face!】
【Gou Liang: WHAT?!】
Gou Liang suddenly sat bolt upright.
“Xiao Keng’er？”
“Awoo？”
Xiang Muchuan, who had been discussing a few captured spies’ confessions with Marshal Xiang, immediately turned to look over, and the silver wolf that Gou Liang had been leaning against pricked up its ears in alarm.
【Phew, I stopped her just in time! Hah! She switched to Mr. Yuan’s terminal to post online, but every time she logs in, I hack it. Oh—she’s smashed the terminal now. Hehe, aren’t I clever, Master?】
【Gou Liang: …Clever, my ass! And why are you panting when you talk?!】
【System, twiddling its metaphorical fingers: I was just trying to build some suspense～】
After the Xiang family’s victory in the Nelson campaign became public, even though the entire star network was mourning the Young Marshal’s soon-to-come marriage, the empire still erupted in celebration.
But after worshiping Xiang Muchuan and Marshal Xiang online for a while, people’s opposition to the marriage only grew louder.
Most felt that someone like Gou Liang—with that face—should at best be a “contract partner.” That way, the Young Marshal could still maintain his bond to his 100%-match guide, but also have a “normal” married life with a woman.
Taking advantage of this, Madam Yuan’s estranged maternal family came knocking, eagerly pushing their nieces as alternatives.
Madam Yuan, proud as ever, shot them down, but her composure wasn’t quite up to the task; every argument with her sisters-in-law left her furious and humiliated.
So her impulsive, spiteful behavior—showing off while losing her temper—was entirely in character.
Gou Liang ordered the system to keep monitoring both the Yuan family’s and Xiang family’s external communications. Until he came up with a foolproof solution, he absolutely couldn’t allow anything about “Kemi” to leak.
He relaxed again, leaning back against the silver wolf, racking his brain for a plan. By then, Xiang Muchuan had finished talking with Marshal Xiang and was walking toward him.
Kneeling down, Xiang Muchuan cupped Gou Liang’s face and asked gently, “Are you worn out?”
After ten days of cleanup, the Xiang army had officially brought the Nelson star system under imperial rule, making it one of their own territories.
The responsibility on Xiang Muchuan’s shoulders was enormous. To prevent unrest and quickly secure Nelson’s sovereignty, he had been working day and night, sleeping barely two or three hours. Only now were they finally on their way home.
Although he had insisted that Gou Liang keep a regular schedule, the little guide had followed him everywhere, working just as hard.
Seeing Gou Liang startled awake, Xiang Muchuan gathered him up, heart aching, and rubbed his chin affectionately against Gou Liang’s hair.
Gou Liang yawned and snuggled deeper into his arms, mumbling, “You’re ti-tired. I ‘m-’-m not tired.”
Xiang Muchuan chuckled and kissed him. Since Gou Liang clearly wasn’t going back to sleep, he changed the topic. “Mother just sent over the wedding arrangements. Take a look, and if there’s anything you don’t like, just tell me.”
After a pause, he added, “She also asked if there are any classmates you’d like us to send special invitations to.”
Gou Liang’s social circle was practically nonexistent; in school, he’d always kept to himself. To avoid the guide’s side of the wedding looking pitifully empty, Madam Xiang had gone ahead and invited all his teachers and classmates.
“Not clo-close,” Gou Liang said honestly. “I don’t rem-remember na-names.”
Xiang Muchuan laughed softly and ruffled his hair.
Hearing that, Barton piped up teasingly, “Yuan-shao, you at least remember my name, right?”
Gou Liang glanced at him silently, then looked away.
Barton scratched his head. Was that a yes or a no?
Before he could embarrass himself further, Li Weike and Yao Zicong grabbed him by the arms and dragged him off—because, seriously, the Young Marshal and his little guide finally had a moment to themselves; this wasn’t the time to go fishing for attention!
Gou Liang didn’t care. Smiling up at Xiang Muchuan, he said, “Still, thirt-thirteen… days.”
Xiang Muchuan had the date memorized better than anyone. Pressing his lips to Gou Liang’s forehead, he murmured, “I can’t wait either.”
Gou Liang’s eyes curved into crescents, and after a beat, he asked casually, “Just no-now, you and, Da-dad, talk, spies? Their fam-family?”
Xiang Muchuan nodded.
“Some of them have been embedded in the Empire for generations, building deep roots,” he explained. “Others were turned later, but all of them have families and friends here. We have to double-check everyone connected to them.”
“Oh, I see-see.”
Gou Liang thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled and asked, “Then, if I we-were fr-from a spy’s family? What would you d-do?”
Xiang Muchuan blinked, amused by his serious tone, and lightly tapped his nose. “That’s impossible.”
“I say, if-f.”
Clearly wanting a real answer.
Without hesitation, Xiang Muchuan said, “If that were true, I’d destroy the premise.”
“Hm?”
“Erase the Federation from existence.”
Xiang Muchuan’s tone was calm.
If there were no Federation—no Empire—then there would be no spies.
Gou Liang’s eyes curved into delighted crescents again, and he kissed Xiang Muchuan soundly. “Handsome!”
“You like that?”
“Mm-hmm!”
Seeing him nod repeatedly with that proud little smile, Xiang Muchuan couldn’t help but laugh too.
Ten days later, father Xiang and his son finally set out on the return trip. Only then did Benjamin and Jack, who had been hiding deep within the Nelson system, dare to emerge.
Jack sneered, “Your husband’s about to marry someone else. Are you happy about that?”
When he’d first seen Benjamin calling Xiang Muchuan “my husband” online, Jack had nearly lost his mind—but by now, he was just numb to it.
Benjamin gave a disdainful snort, then looked longingly at Xiang Muchuan—cradling Gou Liang, his little guide, in his arms.
“My little darling,” Benjamin murmured, eyes full of obsession, “I can’t wait for our reunion.”