Ch 40: Interplanetary Planting Master

Submission

Su He had a dream that night.

In the dream, he brought Lu Li back to his small town. There were no dark beasts, and his master was still alive. Life in the small town was as calm and stable as the nearby river. He brought Lu Li to his master and told him that Lu Li was the sentinel he had chosen to spend his life with. The smile on his master’s face faded, and he questioned how Su He would have children if he chose a man. Su He argued that they had fallen in love at first sight and wouldn’t need children. To his surprise, Lu Li suddenly declared that he could give Su He a child.

Su He: “…”

Su He woke up abruptly, staring at the ceiling in the dark for a long time before coming to his senses. The hawk at his bedside quietly leaned over, silently accompanying Su He. Seeing the hawk, the absurd dream resurfaced in his mind. He recalled Lu Li saying he could give him a child, and he buried his face in the pillow, feeling embarrassed by such a strange dream. Perhaps, deep down, he believed Lu Li was capable of anything.

Unable to sleep, Su He found Lu Li’s image stubbornly occupying his thoughts. Reflecting on the dream, Su He found it both funny and heartwarming. Growing up in a small town in the Hua Xia Kingdom, his daily interactions were limited to his master, neighbors, and schoolmates. His master was kind and gentle, his neighbors were honest and friendly, and his classmates were lively and warm-hearted. Lu Li, however, was different from everyone he had known. At an age when his blood was boiling with youthful fervor, Lu Li appeared out of nowhere. He was strong, handsome, knowledgeable, and full of charm, embodying all the qualities Su He aspired to in his future self. Although he never admitted it, deep down, Su He hoped to become a man like Lu Li.

Su He had been avoiding the issue, unsure whether it was Lu Li’s identity as a sentinel or his identity as a man that troubled him more. The former became less of an issue as he grew to trust that Lu Li was not the type to treat guides as mere subordinates. The latter, he realized, was no longer a concern as he dreamt of defending his relationship with Lu Li to his master. He decided that falling in love with Lu Li was easy, even if it meant his master’s wish for many grandchildren would remain unfulfilled.

Su He turned over, petted the hawk, and fell asleep thinking about Lu Li.

In the command center, Lu Li held a book for a long time without turning a page, feeling Su He’s emotional fluctuations and feeling content. Shen Shen, who was on watch duty with him, came over and said sincerely, “Don’t worry, you’re worth every sentinel’s wait.”

Lu Li glanced at Shen Shen with a half-smile and said, “Forty thousand meters.”

“…” Shen Shen, putting away his playful attitude, leaned against the command desk and asked seriously, “When do you plan to bond with the guide?”

“No rush,” Lu Li replied.

This was Lu Li’s honest answer. As he got to know Su He better, he realized Su He’s resistance to sentinels and guides was mainly due to a lack of understanding. Once people become familiar with something, they often realize it’s not as they initially thought. For Su He, this was compounded by his difficulty in accepting a same-sex relationship. Whether due to unfamiliarity or mindset, Su He needed time to understand and accept, and Lu Li was patient enough to wait for his guide to grow.

Lu Li’s simple and direct answer made Shen Shen pause as if searching for the right words. He looked at Lu Li and said, “You know what the general expects, right?”

“I understand. So what?” Lu Li closed his book, waiting for Shen Shen to continue.

Shen Shen shrugged and laid it out plainly, “There’s an unspoken rule in the Federation that only bonded sentinels can lead an army. To the public, a stable sentinel is more reliable than one who might go into a feral state. After the Blue Sand Blood Battle, the central inspection department held back your commendation using this as a reason. Even though we know it’s just an excuse, many in the corps agree with it.”

General Li Zhengdao saw Lu Li as his successor, but Lu Li’s reluctance to find a guide was a major obstacle. Li Zhengdao had tried introducing guides to Lu Li in the past, but all were rejected. Now that Su He had appeared, Shen Shen, both professionally and personally, hoped Lu Li would bond with him soon.

He sincerely said, “As your subordinate, I want what’s best for you. If you stay single, the happiest people will be the Lin family. They’d love for you to remain guideless and risk going feral…”

Lu Li seemed thoughtful and suddenly asked, “What did the general promise you?”

“…” Shen Shen, frustrated, said, “Can’t I just want what’s best for you?”

Lu Li looked skeptical. Shen Shen sighed in defeat, “Alright, the general promised me a rare set of ancient Hua Xia coins if I could convince you to bond with a guide. You know those are worth a fortune on the black market.” His tone shifted as he clung to Lu Li, “Boss, think of my loyalty. You wouldn’t want to ruin my financial prospects, would you? Bond with Su He soon, and I’ll share the coins with you. How about that?”

Lu Li smiled silently, patting Shen Shen on the head.

Shen Shen had an epiphany, “Half of the coins!”

Reluctantly, Lu Li said, “Since you’re so considerate…” Shen Shen’s eyes were filled with hope. Lu Li paused and said, “I’ll think about it.”

Shen Shen: “…”

Lu Li chuckled and reopened his book. Shen Shen’s sentiments probably mirrored those of everyone on the ship—they all wanted him to bond with Su He soon. As a sentinel, no one would refuse to bond with a guide, but Lu Li thought of his parents, which gave him patience. His father had rushed into bonding with his mother due to the irresistible attraction between sentinels and guides. Although their bond made them deeply love each other, his mother spent her short life wondering if her love for his father was due to her guide instincts or genuine feelings.

For Federation sentinels and guides, their education taught them that their mutual attraction was natural and an essential part of life. Whether love at first sight or love over time, neither was considered wrong. Only wild guides who hadn’t undergone proper training would struggle with this question, getting caught in the dilemma of whether they genuinely liked someone or were just influenced by their instincts.

Because of his mother, Lu Li’s grandfather had taught him to control his instincts from a young age. Once his sentinel genes awakened, he received a different education. The conflicting teachings might have confused Lu Li in the past, but with Su He’s appearance, he understood Su He’s dilemma better. This understanding made him reluctant to force Su He into anything.

Lu Li didn’t want to discuss it further, so Shen Shen had no choice but to return to his post. Suddenly, Lu Li stood up. “What’s wrong?” Shen Shen asked, alert.

Lu Li looked outside, where the clouds obscured the moonlight. It was the darkest hour before dawn. He extended his senses, scanning deep into the desert. Initially, he sensed nothing, but soon, tiny sand particles began to tremble, the vibrations growing stronger until the entire desert undulated like waves toward the Irises.

“Green life forms,” Lu Li said concisely, pressing the alarm button. Until their intentions were clear, caution was paramount.

The shrill alarm sounded, and the sentinels quickly sprang into action. Su He woke up again, realizing only ten minutes had passed since he fell asleep. He blinked, quickly ran to the window, and saw nothing—no beast tide.

With a light “ding,” the cabin door opened, and Lu Li appeared at the entrance, turning on the light. “Su…” In the soft white light, Su He was almost entirely naked, lying by the window. When the light turned on, Su He turned around, giving Lu Li an indescribably strange look.

Lu Li was momentarily stunned but quickly said, “Get dressed, the green life forms are here.”

Su He pushed aside the absurd image in his mind of Lu Li saying he would have a child for him and hastily put on his clothes. “Should I go out? They should be afraid of me, right?” Su He asked nervously.

Lu Li straightened his collar and said, “We don’t know their intentions yet, let’s wait and see.”

Unlike the previous two times, Su He did not sense any hostility from the depths of the desert. He followed Lu Li to the command center, where the sentinels were already prepared. The Iris opened its side panels, and all weapon systems were fully charged. The black mechas rose into the air, guarding vigilantly.

The atmosphere in the command center was tense, and Su He matched their seriousness. Unlike the sentinels, who could see far into the distance, he had to gauge the situation from everyone’s expressions. The tension seemed to be escalating, causing Su He to grow anxious. Just as Lu Li was about to order the mechas to intercept the life forms, the undulating movement of the desert abruptly halted, and countless green life forms emerged. Leading them was a giant life form, its tentacles a deep green tinged with yellow.

The life form lowered its tentacles toward the Iris, releasing watermelon-sized energy stones from its body. It raised the energy stones above its head and prostrated itself on the ground in a gesture of submission.

Everyone: “…”

Like a punctured balloon, the tense atmosphere in the command center instantly deflated. Su He didn’t understand what had happened but guessed that everything was fine now.

“Stay on alert,” Lu Li commanded loudly, then turned to Su He. “Let’s go check it out.”

The two hurried to the desert’s edge, where the giant life form’s tentacles were moving. It carefully handed the energy stones to Su He, who, unaware, reached out and took them.

Lu Li: “…”

The life form’s tentacle gently touched Su He, transmitting its consciousness into his mind. Slightly larger than a grain of rice, the message was clearer.

Half an hour later, the Iris was speeding across the desert. Upon closer inspection, one could see countless green tentacles lifting the ship from below. The life forms were carrying the Iris through the desert, moving at a speed comparable to the flying mechas.

The side windows of the Iris were opened, revealing the vast yellow desert stretching out before them. The sentinels, experiencing this for the first time, crowded the open corridors, savoring this rare adventure.

Su He and Lu Li were not on the Iris; instead, they were perched atop the giant life form. As the wind from the desert depths blew past, Su He, unsteady and with hair standing on end, was nearly thrown off. Lu Li grabbed him and loudly asked, “Do you want to go back to the Iris?”

“No!” Su He shouted even louder. This was much more exciting than staying on the Iris. Encouraged, he condensed a ball of milky white energy and let it brush over the life form’s withered tentacles, revitalizing them and making the life form run even faster.

Su He almost fell again, but Lu Li pulled him back and held him close. Su He laughed at Lu Li, who then leaned down and kissed him deeply.

As they kissed in the desert’s depths, the horizon was tinged with a red glow. A giant fireball broke free from the ground, rising slowly, casting a rainbow of colors across the entire desert.

“Wow!”

Su He exclaimed in awe. The white energy stones covered the entire desert, creating a dazzling, colorful sea of energy stones.

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