After provoking the Star Beast, it wasn’t just these star pirates and insect beasts on the scene; once they tracked down their lair, another wave of vengeance would ensue.
Don’t accuse them of being cruel—others had already provoked them at their doorstep. If they didn’t strike back, where would they place their dignity and pride?
Once the war in the cosmos ended, everything returned to tranquility.
The massive black dragon shifted into human form and landed on the starship, with his first question being about Ruan Xiao.
“Shushu is in danger. I couldn’t reach her communicator. Marshal Ruan, do you have any news about her?”
This sudden question left the other marshals bewildered, but Ruan Xiao’s face turned increasingly cold and grim.
He quickly opened his personal terminal, trying to contact Ruan Shu, but no one picked up.
Ruan Xiao’s face grew darker, his aura exuding a terrifying intensity.
Almer was equally distressed. The moment he sensed that Ruan Shu was in danger, his mood had soured. He even abandoned the starship heading back and used his innate abilities to traverse through the universe.
After three leaps, he finally arrived here.
“Let’s head back,” Almer said, turning to leave, but just then, a video call came through.
Ruan Xiao accepted the call, and in the projection, a young man with dark skin and white hair was cradling a small, soft, injured creature that looked as fragile as if it might shatter at the slightest touch. With blue eyes tinged red, the little one gazed earnestly in the direction of the screen. Her eyes lit up when she recognized the familiar figures.
Almer suddenly froze as if rooted to the ground. His body, which had started to turn away, stopped completely, and he took a few hurried steps closer to the marshal’s side.
“Shushu!”
Ruan Xiao and Almer called out her nickname in unison, their voices filled with emotion.
Seeing the familiar faces on the screen, Ruan Shu grew excited, her eyes reddening as she called out, “Dad, Almer!”
Ruan Xiao comforted her, “Don’t worry, sweetheart. Dad’s coming to find you right now.”
Everyone could clearly see the anxiety on his face. Even Ruan Linzhan was surprised; in his memory, he’d never seen his usually stoic uncle like this.
“You’re hurt.”
Almer noticed the wounds on her body, his initial joy at seeing her replaced by concern.
Ruan Shu’s current appearance was far from good.
Her usually fair face was now dirty, marred by tiny cuts, and her hair was disheveled. There were scratches on her hands and feet from falling onto glass shards.
She shook her head, her eyes red, “I’m fine. I couldn’t find Grandpa or Big Brother, or even the secretary sister who saved me, but I don’t feel any pain.”
Ruan Xiao and Almer both felt their hearts ache seeing her like this.
“Set course to return!”
“Ah Zhan, help Shushu tend to her wounds.”
As if only now remembering Ruan Linzhan, Ruan Xiao spoke in his usual cold tone, but with a hint of careful instruction.
“Shushu is afraid of pain, so don’t use any harsh antiseptics. Make sure to clean the areas around her wounds thoroughly to prevent infection.”
Almer suggested, “Use the best medicine available. Or better yet, let a professional doctor handle it.”
Typically, soldiers knew how to treat wounds, but their methods were often rough, given their own resilience. Almer feared Ruan Linzhan might end up hurting Shushu with his coarse approach.
Ruan Xiao nodded in agreement.
Ruan Linzhan, feeling a lack of trust: “…”
He glanced at the two of them—one a marshal, the other an emperor—both acting like they were facing a crisis of galactic proportions over treating a small creature’s wounds. Their grave expressions looked as serious as if they were preparing for a world war.
‘If you’re so worried, do it yourselves!’ he thought. If it weren’t for his self-restraint, Ruan Linzhan would’ve rolled his eyes.
Unable to endure their fussing, he found an excuse to end the call.
The two men on the other side of the screen watched Shushu disappear and immediately dropped their concerned faces.
One returned to his ice-cold demeanor, while the other smiled slightly, a glint of murderous intent in his eyes.
“The rebels, is it?” he said, crushing a piece of meteorite in his hand.
A flash of killing intent appeared in Ruan Xiao’s eyes. Together, the two of them, one cold and one dark, exuded such a heavy atmosphere that it felt like the temperature control system on the starship might malfunction.
Many soldiers stood with jaws dropped, especially Ruan Xiao’s troops, who had never seen him display any other expression!
Ruan Linzhan’s men were equally stunned, glancing over at the fragile little creature, who seemed so delicate that the slightest force might harm her.
“What kind of status is this!?”
For both a marshal and their emperor to show such worry and affection, this little girl was no ordinary person!
While Ruan Xiao’s behavior made some sense, given he was her father, the emperor’s concern was baffling.
“Your jaw’s dropped,” a comrade said, helping to push it back up, still in disbelief. “I never thought I’d see the marshal with an expression like that.”
“Who would’ve?”
“What’s the emperor’s connection to her?”
“Who knows?”
Ruan Linzhan shot them a half-smiling glance. “What are you all standing around for? Get back to work and help rescue the survivors from the wreckage!”
The soldiers immediately straightened, their eyes shining with renewed vigor.
“Commander, we’ve captured a few star pirates who are still alive. What are your orders?”
“Detain them for now. Xiao Liu, go call the medical officer.”
Ruan Shu shook her head, saying, “There’s no need. It doesn’t hurt. Just a little spray of medicine will do.”
She knew everyone was busy, especially the medical officers who were attending to the severely injured. Her wounds, though painful, were not serious, and she didn’t want to trouble anyone.
“I-I can just spray a bit of medicine myself,” she added.
Ruan Linzhan chuckled softly when he saw her trying to hold back tears while insisting she wasn’t in pain.
“With my little uncle and His Majesty giving me such specific instructions, if I just treat your wounds casually and they find out, I’d probably be in for it,” he said, setting her down on a relatively clean step. “Bring the medical kit.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Give me your hand.”
Ruan Linzhan crouched down in front of her, extending his palm.
Ruan Shu hesitantly looked at him, then placed her tiny hand in his.
“A-Are you my older cousin?” she asked softly.
As he treated the wounds on her palm, she winced instinctively from the pain.
With her fair skin, red-rimmed eyes, and pale face, she looked especially fragile, like a delicate porcelain doll that could shatter at any moment, her face marred with small cuts.
“Yes,” he replied gently. “I didn’t expect that, by the time I came back, Little Uncle would have a daughter.”
He handled her wounds with as much care as possible, yet Ruan Shu still found it painful. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying out, though tears began to fall uncontrollably, one after another.
“When did Little Uncle get married?” Ruan Linzhan asked, sensing there was more to the story.
Ruan Shu’s fingers curled slightly, and she lowered her head, speaking softly.
“No, it’s… it’s not like that.”
Her birth was not one of pride; it was, in fact, a mistake. But Ruan Shu wasn’t one to lie or avoid the truth. She chose not to hide or pretend.