Chapter 148: Worth More Than Worldly Possessions
The rich aroma of roasted meat made Bai Zhi’s mouth water uncontrollably. It had been a long time since she’d eaten something like this, and she really missed it.
The aroma filled the entire courtyard. Yue Junxiao had already circled the grill twice, unable to wait. "Why isn’t it ready yet?"
Bai Zhi grabbed him. "Stop spinning. You’re making me dizzy. It’s almost ready."
The big lug could only stand beside Bai Zhi, looking aggrieved.
Lang Qiu continuously flipped the beast meat on the grill, ensuring every side was cooked evenly.
Finally, the meat was ready. There wasn’t even a platter large enough to hold it all, so they had to slice some off first and place it on a large plate. Bai Zhi had her eye on a leg, so they carved one off for her.
But a single beast leg was thicker than her own thigh; there was no way she could eat that much. She broke off a portion for later, then held the main piece and started gnawing on it.
And so, everyone watched as Bai Zhi gnawed on a leg roughly the size of her own head. They all struggled to hold back their laughter, their faces turning red.
Hearing a slight commotion, Bai Zhi looked up at them, confused. "This tastes pretty good. Aren’t you guys eating? Yue Junxiao, weren’t you just starving a minute ago? Why aren’t you eating?"
Having been called out, Yue Junxiao could only point to the hot sauce smeared on Bai Zhi’s cheek. "My lady, you’ve got some sauce on your face."
Bai Zhi wiped it with the back of her hand, which immediately got sauce on it, but the spot on her cheek only smeared into a larger patch.
Lang Qiu let out a choked laugh, then took a napkin and wiped the mess off her face for her.
Bai Zhi froze at his touch. Looking up, her eyes met Lang Qiu’s lingering smile, and she said impulsively, "You’re quite handsome when you smile. Much more than when you’re serious. You should smile more."
Hearing this, the smile on Lang Qiu’s face froze. "Did I smile?"
Bai Zhi nodded emphatically. "Mhm."
Yan Yichen, his mouth slightly agape, also nodded earnestly. "I always thought you didn’t know how to smile."
With a playful grin, Yue Junxiao reached out to throw an arm around Lang Qiu, but Lang Qiu dodged him. His smile had already vanished. "We’re just talking. Keep your hands to yourself."
Sang Mo glanced sideways at them before looking down and putting a piece of meat in his mouth.
「Meanwhile, in the palace.」
Sure enough, after a few bites, the Emperor began his questioning. "What really happened in that battle all those years ago? With your abilities, how could you have been so easily defeated by the Insect Clan, and so gravely injured?"
As he spoke, Empress Leia and Zelda both turned to look at Hu Yan. Hu Ao also stopped what he was doing, his ears pricked to listen.
Hu Yan had little appetite to begin with, so he simply set down his chopsticks. "Someone secretly allied with the Insect Clan. The clan bred a new type of insect capable of creating an Illusion Realm, bewitching the mind and magnifying a person’s deepest desires. I later discovered they also developed another type that can shapeshift to look like someone else. After all these years, they’ve certainly advanced even further."
Hearing Hu Yan’s words, the Emperor frowned slightly. "The Insect Clan has evolved to that extent?"
Hu Yan’s expression grew solemn at the mention of the Insect Clan. "They reproduce and evolve quickly. At the time, I was gravely injured. To evade their pursuit and to recover, I had no choice but to hide in a remote star system. However, I recently encountered members of the Insect Clan lying in wait even there. I suspect they may invade soon. It would be best for you to make preparations early, Father."
The Emperor’s expression changed at this. "Are you certain?!"
’So that’s it,’ Hu Ao realized. ’After he was injured, Hu Yan hid in a remote star system. No wonder I had my men searching for so long and couldn’t find him! I was looking in completely the wrong direction!’
Hu Yan nodded gravely. "Every word is true."
The Emperor lost all appetite. He set down his chopsticks and looked at Hu Yan, his expression grave. "Do you have any countermeasures for the two new types of insects you mentioned?"
Hu Yan shook his head. "Not at the moment. However, those with strong mental fortitude have a better chance of resisting the first type. As for the second, careful observation should reveal its weaknesses. But if the two are combined..."
Though Hu Yan didn’t finish, no one at the table was a fool. On the contrary, they were all exceptionally sharp. The atmosphere around the table grew tense.
This was no longer a personal matter—it concerned the entire Federation!
The Insect Clan had been active along the borders in recent years, but based on what Hu Yan had just said, they were likely just biding their time, waiting for the right moment to attack.
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Hu Yan offered his theory. "While it’s true we have no countermeasure, I suspect their numbers are also very limited. Otherwise, they would have invaded with a full army long ago. Why wait this long?"
The Emperor nodded thoughtfully. "You have a point. But now that we know, we must prepare our defenses. We should see if we can find a way to defeat these two new types of insects."
Zelda quickly asked, "You encountered both of those types back then?"
As he spoke of that year, Hu Yan’s expression grew graver than ever. "Yes. One of them transformed into a trusted subordinate of mine, fooling everyone. But it’s also true that I wasn’t prepared enough, which allowed it to exploit an opening. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late."
Hu Ao immediately seized on the most important point. "So there was no betrayal? The reports back then said you were betrayed by someone close to you, and that’s why you lost the battle against the Insect Clan."
Hu Yan pressed his lips together. "There was one subordinate who betrayed me. He’s the one who led the Insect Clan’s agents in, giving them the opportunity they needed. But it was my negligence. I didn’t discover it in time. By the time I did, it was too late. That’s what led to our defeat in that battle."
Empress Leia immediately retorted, "You’re not the Beast God. How could you have possibly foreseen that the Insect Clan would produce mutated variants?"
The Emperor agreed. "The Empress, your mother, is right. You couldn’t have expected the Insect Clan to develop mutated variants. No one could have predicted that. In anyone else’s hands, the losses might have been even more severe."
Zelda knew the moment Hu Ao opened his mouth that he was up to no good. He wanted to interrupt several times, but the Emperor was sitting right across from him, and he wasn’t so arrogant as to speak over him. Fortunately, the Empress spoke up in time to defend Hu Yan’s honor.
’Even if she hadn’t spoken up, Hu Yan wouldn’t have let Hu Ao pin the blame on him,’ Zelda thought. ’But what if it planted a seed of doubt in the Emperor’s mind?’
The Emperor spoke as if suddenly remembering something. "Right, the person who saved you—where are they? They saved your life, after all. We should show our gratitude. Do they want a house? Star Coins? Or something else? We can grant their request."
Empress Leia added, "That’s right. As long as the request isn’t too outrageous, we can grant it. Your life is worth far more than any worldly possessions."