Ch 53: Interplanetary Planting Master

Reassurance

After waking up, Bai Xiaoxi appeared to show no abnormalities and seemed completely unaware of his situation. His last memory was of Su He asking him about Wulun. Taking a bite of the snow fruit that Su He had given him, Bai Xiaoxi made a funny face at the people seated in front of him, looking utterly adorable.

“Wulun is today’s ‘divine son.’ He wasn’t always called Wulun—he used to be called Zhou Xin and lived right across from my house. Then, for some reason, he changed his name and became a divine son ,” Bai Xiaoxi said, pouting. “He always wants to catch me and ‘purify’ me, saying that after being purified, I’ll be just like him. But I think he’s not the same Zhou Xin anymore. He used to be so timid, even though he was older than me, he couldn’t even beat me in a fight. Now, he has so many followers, I’m no match for him anymore.” As he said this, Bai Xiaoxi let out a sigh, imitating an adult, although his concerns were clearly childlike and different from those of the adults around him.

The group listened to him in silence. Lu Li gestured for Liao Kai to stay behind and watch over Bai Xiaoxi, then he led Su He, Shen Shen, and Wei Na out of the room.

“Did you notice anything unusual?” Lu Li asked.

The others shook their heads. Lu Li was firm in not allowing Su He to conduct a mental probe. Without being able to touch Bai Xiaoxi’s mental world, the sentinels’ sharp senses couldn’t detect anything wrong with him either. Looking out the window at the snow-covered landscape of Feixue Star, Lu Li felt as though a shadow had settled over the place. He spoke gravely, “We need to contact the General… and Shen Jin.”

Last time, Liao Kai had installed a “backdoor” in the signal relay, and now, with practiced ease, he connected to the signal frequency. Within seconds, the virtual screen flickered to life, showing Li Zhengdao’s somewhat comical face. “What’s going on?” he asked, noticing the serious expressions of the group.

Lu Li quickly explained what Su He had discovered, and Li Zhengdao’s expression grew increasingly serious as he listened. By the end, he had leaned closer to the screen. “The young guide is sure it’s a spiritual entity?”

The group shifted to reveal Su He standing behind them. Su He nodded and carefully described his perception to Li Zhengdao. “It’s like a glowing, flowing entity, vaguely human-shaped, but almost as if it’s just a translucent, silvery light.”

“Very good.” Li Zhengdao nodded kindly to Su He before turning back to Lu Li. “Stay where you are. I’ll notify Old Zhuang and have Lin Ji head to Feixue Star to bring Bai Xiaoxi back.”

Lu Li reminded, “We encountered Shen Jin from the Inspection Department here; it seems they are also investigating this matter.”

The Inspection Department and the Seventh Corps had never been on good terms, and Li Zhengdao frowned, understanding the implication in Lu Li’s words. “I’ll dig around for more information from their side. You all be careful.”

After ending the call, Li Zhengdao stood by the window, gazing outside. It was already evening on Zhenhai Star, the sun setting in the west, light retreating as darkness began to stir. The old man, who was usually optimistic and cheerful in front of others, took off his facade. His plump, round face was now full of worry. Dark beasts, parasitic alien species—he couldn’t help but connect these two issues in his mind. Who could harbor such deep malice against humanity? Could the old legend that had been circulating in the Federation be true?

Li Zhengdao sighed, expanding his senses, stretching them far enough to cover the entire headquarters of the corps. Within his sensory range, countless figures took form, some busy with work, some preparing to clock out, others planning to grab dinner with friends. He recognized every one of them—each person had once spilled blood for the Seventh Corps. He had never doubted anyone, even though Old Zhuang had clearly shown distrust toward those around him, Li Zhengdao had always dismissed it with a smile. He couldn’t bear to believe that any of these soldiers, who had long served on the frontlines to protect the Federation, could betray the corps. But if it were parasites…

Feeling unsettled, he was about to retract his senses when he suddenly noticed Han Rui and the medical officer, Aileen, in one of the break rooms. Ailin, with a cheerful smile, was handing food she had made to Han Rui. Han Rui looked a little embarrassed, trying to decline politely.

Aileen’s expression was gentle. “I made a bit too much by myself; why don’t you try it and see if you like it?” She opened the container, revealing golden-brown pastries with a fragrant aroma. Upon seeing the pastries, Han Rui’s expression subtly shifted.

Aileen’s smile deepened as she patted Han Rui on the head. “Do you like them?”

“…” Han Rui hesitated. Aileen’s behavior was odd, but he still nodded after a pause. The pastries in the box were identical to what he remembered from his childhood, one of the deepest memories left by his father. Aileen pressed the box into Han Rui’s hands. “If you like them, I can make more for you.”

“It’s too much trouble,” Han Rui quickly refused.

“How could it be?” Aileen said softly, “You’re such a sweet child; I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.”

Han Rui: “…”

Realizing her slip, Aileen quickly changed the subject with a laugh. Han Rui lowered his head, that strange feeling growing stronger.

Outside the corps’ headquarters, Lin Ji was fiddling with a small device in his hands. The conversation between Han Rui and Aileen had been transmitted to him in its entirety. Sentinels and guides tended to rely too much on their abilities, often underestimating the power of technology. Lin Ji packed away the device and silently pulled out a file. It contained genetic test results he had secretly obtained, comparing Han Rui’s DNA with the Federal citizen genome database.

Lin Ji had already gone over the information multiple times. His eyes swept across Han Rui’s genetic data, landing on the section for parents. The names Han Qi and Song Silan appeared, and every time he saw them, it hit him hard. He couldn’t believe that the person Zhuang Wei had been searching for all over broken star was right under their noses. Did Han Rui know that Zhuang Wei was looking for his father? Was he not with Han Qi because Han Qi had already passed away? And how much did Han Rui know about what happened back then?

Lin Ji then pulled out Aileen’s genetic data from the Federation records. There was no match between her DNA and either Han Rui or Song Silan. However, the feeling Lin Ji got from Aileen, as well as her unusual attention to Han Rui, made him wonder—could she be another “Song Silan”?

These thoughts circled in his mind as he gathered the documents, preparing to find Zhuang Wei. Just then, the door opened, and Zhuang Wei entered, looking grim. “Iris just sent a message. They’ve discovered a life form that parasitizes the human body.”

“Parasite?” Han Rui asked.

“Yes, a parasite.”

Shen Jin wasn’t surprised that Shen Shen would come to find him, but he hadn’t expected Shen Shen to discuss something like this with him. “Are you sure it’s a parasite?”

Shen Shen frowned. “When Guide Su He established a mental link, he was attacked. Bai Xiaoxi, having just awakened as a Sentinel, couldn’t possibly have the mental strength to attack an adult guide.”

“Guide Su He?” Shen Jin recalled Su He’s appearance. “That’s Lu Li’s guide, right?”

Shen Shen brushed past the question, impatiently urging him, “Are you going or not?”

Shen Jin replied, “I’ll bring Guide Su Qin to perform a mental probe and confirm it again.”

When Shen Shen had arrived, Lu Li had already mentioned that Shen Jin might personally confirm things, so Shen Shen didn’t refuse but did make a request. “The people from Iris won’t meet with Guide Su Qin, so I hope she won’t get overly curious.”

“Of course,” Shen Jin nodded slightly. “You head back first; I’ll be right there.”

Shen Shen turned and left. Shen Jin remained silent for a moment, then assembled the task force under his command. Before Lu Li’s group had appeared, they had already been keeping an eye on Bai Xiaoxi. Strictly speaking, Bai Xiaoxi was a pawn they had intentionally placed to lure out the “Son of God.” For the sake of the mission, Su Qin had altered Bai Xiaoxi’s memories, and he hadn’t experienced any attacks during the process. While Shen Jin didn’t doubt what Shen Shen said, what he questioned was whether there was something strange about this guide named Su He.

A few minutes later, Shen Jin arrived at Lu Li’s rented courtyard, accompanied by Su Qin. None of Lu Li’s group made an appearance, and only Su He, who was a completely unfamiliar face in the Federation, received them. Su Qin curiously glanced at Su He and secretly extended her mental probe, but it was immediately blocked by a strong mental barrier.

Su He frowned and looked toward Su Qin. Thanks to Lu Li’s guidance, Su He had learned that using a mental probe upon first meeting someone was considered impolite, and in the Federation, it could even be viewed as a provocation. Catching his gaze, Su Qin gave an embarrassed smile, her expression innocent and pure.

Su He: “…”

Being magnanimous, Su He let it slide, deciding not to hold a grudge against her.

“Wait here, I’ll go bring Bai Xiaoxi.”

Su Qin exchanged a glance with Shen Jin. Su He’s mental strength was powerful, and she couldn’t penetrate his mental world. Shen Jin frowned slightly but patiently waited for the next opportunity. Soon, Su He appeared with a very confused-looking Bai Xiaoxi. As they entered the room, the ground suddenly began to shake violently, and a loud rumble erupted from the city’s outskirts, followed by piercing alarm sirens that echoed across the sky.

In an instant, everything changed. It felt like something had forcefully burst from the underground, crashing against the surface. The metal floor cracked under the pressure, and white beasts leaped out from the ground, while a silver figure emerged from Bai Xiaoxi’s body. Just as Su He had described, it was a faintly glowing figure with a humanoid shape, and countless shimmering light points flowed within it, making it appear noble and beautiful.

The figure stretched out its arms, suddenly grabbing Su He and diving into the fissure in the ground.

“Su He!”

The sentinels rushed forward, but they could only catch a glimpse of Su He sinking into the ground. The white beasts blocked their way. In his desperation, Lu Li punched through the head of the nearest beast. In just a few seconds, the ten-meter-long fissure was filled with beasts, packed tightly like a small-scale beast tide. Lu Li summoned his falcon, which soared through the swarm of beasts, diving into the crevice after Su He.

Shen Jin issued a command, and the task force that had been lying in wait outside swiftly arrived. The members of Iris exchanged a complicated look with Shen Jin, but there was no time for conversation—finding Su He was the priority.

The sound of fighting on the surface grew more distant. The wind howled past Su He, stinging his skin, forcing him to close his eyes as he plummeted. In Su He’s mental world, the small sapling appeared above his head, and green light flowed from his body, transforming into a glowing ribbon that suspended him in midair. One end of the ribbon connected to the roots of the sapling, which worked hard to anchor itself into the surrounding icy walls. Su He slowly opened his eyes, instinctively looking up. The black falcon let out a sharp cry as it dived down toward him, and a sense of peace washed over him.

PREVIOUS TOC NEXT