Ch 51: Interplanetary Planting Master

The Divine Son

After Lu Li left, Su He didn’t sleep. The strong bond between a sentinel and a guide allowed him to sense Lu Li’s emotions — a mix of happiness, caution, and a swirl of more complex feelings. Lu Li had said he was going out to meet an acquaintance, and Su He was curious about who it could be that Lu Li knew on such a remote planet.

While playing games and waiting for Lu Li, Su He let his mind wander. In his spiritual world, the light representing Lu Li moved closer, intensifying the connection between them. Outside, Lu Li looked up at the lit bedroom window on the second floor, his senses reaching out, and a wave of warmth surged in his heart. Before he could open the door, Su He had already opened it from the inside, greeting him with a big smile.

Snow continued to fall outside, and the wind blowing in from the ice plains was sharp and biting, like icy blades. But with the door closed, the wind and snow stayed outside, and Su He’s smile melted away the coldness on Lu Li faster than the warmth inside the house.

Once inside, Lu Li gently embraced Su He and murmured affectionately, “Little Seedling.”

His breath brushed Su He’s earlobe, causing Su He to tremble slightly. Feeling ticklish, Su He tilted his head and asked curiously, “Did you meet your acquaintance? What’s that smell of blood?”

“I did,” Lu Li replied. “It’s the Inspectorate’s Special Division investigating a case. It’s got nothing to do with us.”

For a sentinel, holding his guide close only to suddenly catch the scent of blood in the air wasn’t a pleasant experience. What surprised Lu Li even more was who he discovered when he expanded his senses. Given that he would be staying on the snow-covered planet for a few more days, he thought it wise to greet them and avoid any trouble later on.

Su He was completely unfamiliar with the structure of the Federation, and upon hearing “Special Division,” he immediately associated it with the old wartime films he’d seen before. “Secret agents?” he asked.

Lu Li guessed that Su He had probably come across similar terms in the past and chuckled as he explained, “The Special Affairs Division, under the Central Inspectorate. They handle everything from misconduct of Corps Commanders to the spread of cults among civilians. It’s the Federation’s sword.”

In the past, when Lu Li was in military school, he had read about the ancient history of Earth and thought that the Inspectorate could be compared to the Federation’s version of the “Jinyiwei” — the Embroidered Uniform Guard. They weren’t popular with the various corps. In fact, when the Galactic Federation was first established, there was no Inspectorate. Due to the war, the early Federation was a fusion of military and government, with high-ranking military officers controlling the cabinet. But as humanity revived and various classes rose, the military gradually withdrew from government management. To further limit the power of the military and each corps, the Federation government created the Inspectorate to oversee the management of the military and its corps.

This topic involved internal power struggles within the Federation, and Lu Li glossed over it lightly for Su He. Su He only listened casually, quickly losing interest in the Special Affairs Division. As they lay in bed, Su He brought the conversation back to the original issue, “Are they investigating the incident we discovered?”

“Yes,” Lu Li replied. He wasn’t particularly interested in the matter, and after discovering the involvement of the Inspectorate, he became even less inclined to deal with it. Using one arm as Su He’s pillow and the other slowly stroking Su He’s back, Lu Li noticed the curious baby in his arms still wanting to ask more questions, so he decisively kissed Su He. After a long kiss, Lu Li finally released the now breathless Su He and said, “Get some sleep. The Inspectorate will handle the heresy issue; we don’t need to worry about it.”

Su He lazily nestled closer and, hugging Lu Li, fell into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning, Shen Shen piloted the spaceship back to Snowfall Star. Accompanying him were Wei Na and Liao Kai, with Jiang Bo staying behind to guard the Iris. The four of them gathered in the ground floor hall. Wei Na first reported on the situation aboard the Iris — the Red Spider pirates had been subdued and everything was under control.

After listening to them finish, Lu Li slowly said, “Yesterday, I ran into an acquaintance on Snowfall Star.”

“Who?” Liao Kai couldn’t hold back and was the first to ask.

“Shen Jin, Major Shen.”

“Big brother, what’s he doing here?” Shen Shen immediately became alert.

“This planet is a bit strange.” Lu Li briefly recounted yesterday’s encounter. “It seems that the Doctrine of Divine Grace has a strong following here, and the Special Affairs Division is here investigating.”

Shen Shen clicked his tongue twice, “A dignified Major, and Deputy Director of the Special Division, investigating a minor cult case. Seems like our big brother isn’t doing too well after leaving the Inspectorate.”

Lu Li glared at him and then said in a softer tone, “I already spoke with Major Shen yesterday. Be discreet while operating on Snowfall Star in the coming days. According to Major Shen, the Special Division sent quite a few people here, so let’s avoid any conflicts.”

Wei Na, who hadn’t spoken yet, responded calmly, “Don’t worry, boss. The Special Division doesn’t have any experts left. That bunch of idiots isn’t worth our attention.”

After she finished, Liao Kai suddenly blurted out, “It’s almost the anniversary of Aka and the others’ deaths.”

The atmosphere in the room immediately grew heavy. Lu Li glanced toward the window, where Su He, bundled up tightly, was building a snowman in the backyard. Almost at the same time, Su He sensed Lu Li’s shift in emotions, turned his head, and waved at him. His mental presence reached out, bright and warm. “What’s wrong?” Su He’s spiritual energy quickly dispelled the negative emotions shrouding Lu Li. Lu Li smiled slightly, signaling that everything was fine.

Just then, Lu Li raised an eyebrow and saw the little boy he had encountered yesterday. Wearing a ridiculous hat, the boy peeked over the wall and shouted at Su He, “Mommy!”

The heavy atmosphere in the room was immediately shattered. Shen Shen spat out his water, choking and unable to speak for a while. Wei Na and Liao Kai exchanged strange glances with Lu Li, who smiled without saying a word.

In the backyard, the nimble boy jumped over the courtyard wall and landed in front of Su He.

“A sentinel?” Wei Na remarked in surprise.

Lu Li nodded. Wei Na’s eyes gleamed with admiration, “His skills are impressive. He’s a good prospect.”

At that moment, the “good prospect” Wei Na spoke of was cheerfully moving closer to Su He. Carefully, he pulled out a crystal-clear fruit from his pocket and offered it to Su He. “Beautiful person, this is for you. It’s a divine fruit, very precious.”

“…” Su He accepted the fruit and said, “Thanks, but isn’t this just Snowfall Star’s specialty snow fruit? When did it become a divine fruit?”

The boy looked at Su He with an expression as if he were a bumpkin, exaggeratingly saying, “This isn’t just an ordinary snow fruit. The snow fruit you mentioned grows naturally on Snowfall Star. This one was grown by the divine son. I saw it with my own eyes — they didn’t do anything, just threw the seed into the ground, and within seconds, a snow tree grew and bore the snow fruit. Do you know how much effort it took me to steal this divine fruit? I couldn’t even bear to eat it, but I’m giving it to you.”

Su He laughed heartily and decided to tease him. “Is that so?”

He pulled out a vine seed, tossed it on the ground, and formed a seal with one hand. Milky white energy flowed into the seed, which immediately sprouted and grew, with green vines swirling and decorating the snow-covered world. “Too bad it doesn’t bear fruit. If it did, would it also be a divine fruit?”

Su He smiled at the boy, but to his surprise, the boy suddenly took a step back and pointed at him. “So you’re with those people!” he exclaimed, before turning around and running off swiftly, even more agile than when he had come.

Su He: “…”

Lu Li stepped out and stood beside Su He. The two exchanged a glance, both furrowing their brows.

They stayed inside the house all morning, and just before noon, Liao Kai started clamoring about wanting to try the local specialty of Snowfall Star—Qiong fish. Qiong fish is a type of fish unique to the icy seas of Snowfall Star, only about two fingers long and one finger wide. Its meat is tender, melts in your mouth, and since it dies within 24 hours of leaving the icy seas, it’s usually transported via wormhole jumps. The high transportation cost makes Qiong fish prohibitively expensive, not something the average person can afford. In the past, most members of the First Squad had only heard about it, but now that they were here, they couldn’t miss the chance to try it.

“If it’s good, we’ll buy a few buckets and take them back to the Iris for everyone to taste.”

Shen Shen glanced at him, “A few buckets? You’ll need at least a hundred thousand credits.” And that’s the local price, excluding transportation costs.

Liao Kai responded with a tone of false bravado, “We’re rich now…”

Wei Na calmly added, “Frugality is a virtue.”

Liao Kai: “…”

Everyone laughed and, draped in white cloaks, headed out the door. The streets were bustling with people. Despite the remote location and few tourists, the place served as a supply point for pirate groups and mercenary teams heading into the outer regions. Combined with the large number of locals, it was still somewhat lively. They hadn’t walked far when suddenly the crowd began surging forward. Many local residents ran out, scrambling to push towards the front.

“The Divine Son! The Divine Son is out to deliver a message from the gods!” someone shouted from the front, and hearing that the Divine Son had appeared, the crowd behind grew even more frenzied, pushing harder.

Lu Li and the others exchanged looks and extended their senses. The small square up ahead was already packed with people. In the center of the square stood a four-tiered platform, upon which a boy, looking no older than thirteen or fourteen, appeared. The boy’s forehead was marked with a tree-shaped symbol, and his expression was aloof. In front of a crowd of fanatical believers, the boy dropped a few seeds into the pool of water at his feet. The seeds took root and sprouted, growing into ice-colored saplings that trembled as they bore a dozen or so fruits.

The crowd erupted in cheers as the boy began preaching that this was a blessing from the gods. The war between humans and the dark beasts had ravaged one planet after another. Now, plants only grew in ecological boxes, no longer true life forms. But the gods had bestowed magic upon them. As long as the believers were devout, the galaxy would transform into an eternal paradise.

Everyone: “…”

Shen Shen and the others exchanged strange looks and turned their gazes to Su He. Su He was bewildered, “What’s wrong?”

Lu Li whispered a few words to him, and Su He blinked, “Do people really believe this?”

Lu Li and the others found it odd too. Belief in gods had once been widespread during Earth’s ancient history, but considering the technological background of that time, it was understandable that humans, not knowing any better, had invented the concept of gods to explain the unknown. But now, humanity had entered the cosmos, developed advanced technology, and made contact with alien species. With their broadened perspectives, why would so many people still believe in something like the Doctrine of Divine Grace?

“Hard to believe, right?” A tall figure in a white cloak squeezed in next to them and muttered under his breath. From beneath the large hood, a face strikingly similar to Shen Shen’s smirked mockingly. “That’s because these people may no longer be the same as they once were.”

Everyone: “!!!”

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