Part 3
Ning Yunyi knew what he was thinking. In just one year, he had experienced so much—betrayed by his most trusted friend and almost killed. Not only that, but even his sister had been trapped there all these years while he served the Crown Prince and the Emperor for so long.
Ning Yunyi looked at him sideways. “Don’t overthink it. The one you’ve been serving wasn’t them. From beginning to end, it was for the star citizens. They are the ones you need to protect.”
Zong Hao gave a hum. “I just don’t understand… She said she was Subject 05. There were four shifters before her. She doesn’t know who they were, but the one who established that base definitely wasn’t the Crown Prince. When she was sent in, the Crown Prince was only ten years old; he couldn’t have managed that. But back then, after she fell unconscious following her desperate battle in the insect tide, she was there when she woke up.”
Initially, only people in masks came to extract her mental power. Later, she tried to escape but failed.
It wasn’t until the time Rui Hu ran away that she thought rather than living like this, she’d rather destroy the place and die together, perhaps exposing it in the process.
She partially succeeded then. The base on the ground was indeed destroyed as never before, but it was still suppressed and simply moved underwater.
This time, she never had another chance to escape until Ning Yunyi and the others found her.
Hearing these details Zong Hao had learned from Lady Zong, Ning Yunyi actually had a suspicion. However, the truth was a bit cruel, and he didn’t know whether to say it.
Zong Hao looked at him at some point, meeting Ning Yunyi’s pitying gaze. Zong Hao gave a bitter smile. “Are you… also suspecting the Emperor and my father?”
Ning Yunyi didn’t hide it and nodded. “Suspicion is one part, but you don’t have to be so pessimistic. The Emperor might be evil, but Old Master Zong might not have truly been in league with the Emperor from the beginning.”
Ning Yunyi had checked the past interstellar history after learning of this base. Years ago, the interstellar was ravaged by insect and beast tides. Initially, due to weak mental power, the star citizens were suppressed and hid.
Later, it was gradually discovered that shifter genes were powerful. If stimulated or trained, they could develop great potential, and only then did they gradually push back.
Ning Yunyi explained his theory. “Perhaps the motive of the Emperor and Old Master Zong from the beginning was to study the powerful shifter gene to change ordinary star citizens and increase their mental power to combat the insect and beast tides. However, Old Master Zong underestimated human greed. The beast and insect tides were suppressed, but shifters could resist the danger that ordinary people couldn’t. Then one day, what if… shifters wanted to be the Emperor of this empire?”
Zong Hao’s expression changed, and he remained silent with pursed lips. “You mean that perhaps their motive for establishing the base was good at first, but soon the Emperor had selfish motives and wanted the star citizens to have the same powerful genes as shifters…”
Ning Yunyi nodded gravely. “Yes. Otherwise, when Lady Zong’s identity was exposed, was the news really leaked by those other members of the Zong family? If it truly were one of them, Old Master Zong wouldn’t have allowed them to live. Perhaps… he knew the one who truly acted was someone he couldn’t touch at all. So to protect you, he could only choose to die to remove the Emperor’s suspicion of the Zong family.”
Several incompetent retainers and a child of less than ten years, plus the disaster that befell Lady Zong—the Zong family had only this much bloodline left. Old Master Zong was betting on the final trace of the high-and-mighty ruler’s pity.
A thick aura of hostility enveloped Zong Hao before he slowly suppressed it again. “So my sister’s biological parents were likely among the first four subjects?” Maybe both?
Ning Yunyi looked straight ahead. “All of this will have to be asked of the only person currently alive who knows the truth.”
The Emperor was unconscious, and the Crown Prince held power. Clearly, it wasn’t the first day the Crown Prince knew; he had likely known about this place for years. His ambition had grown day by day until finally, he wanted to be the most powerful person in the empire and orchestrated all of this.
In the book, the Crown Prince indeed succeeded—very much so.
Everything related to the Zong family was destroyed by him. Marshal Zong died a tragic death, Zong Ling became the family head, and the protagonist-gong was adopted. For several years afterward, this final winner lived very well.
Unfortunately, his throne was built on bones, and beneath his feet was the blood of countless shifters.
Ning Yunyi’s gaze was cold. Not to mention the thought that everyone in the Ning family, including the tragically killed Ning Xingyao, had been destroyed by the other.
The Crown Prince making the Emperor fall into a coma was partly because he couldn’t wait to ascend the throne, but also because something had happened in the palace that forced his hand.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken such a risky step. If he failed and the Emperor knew his own son wanted to kill him, would he let the Prince live?
So… even knowing the Emperor wasn’t a good person either, for now, the enemy of my enemy was temporarily an ally.
As Ning Yunyi explained all this, Zong Hao understood. “You plan to find a way to make the Emperor wake up and face the Crown Prince directly?”
Ning Yunyi: “When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman catches both. Most importantly, once the Emperor shows signs of waking up, unless the Crown Prince truly kills him, he won’t have time to worry about anyone else for a while.”
The next day was the day Lady Zong and her family departed. He had Ning Yunfeng carry the rabbit-form Lady Zong in a box when he went out and hand her over to Ichi’s people halfway. Then, Ichi’s arranged personnel saw City Lord Bai’s family out of Capital Planet.
On the other side, Ning Yunyi began the first formal treatment for Zong Hao. Previously, Zong Hao had used the study’s spiritual energy to suppress it himself, and Ning Yunyi had only helped suppress it once when his form was unstable on the Desert Planet.
Zong Hao changed back into the big cat and lay there quietly.
Ever since knowing Ning Yunyi knew he was Marshal Zong, he could still restrain himself from thinking about it when they were face to face. But now, lying here in the big cat form, Zong Hao rested his head on his large paws and didn’t dare look at Ning Yunyi.
Ning Yunyi found it amusing. So you know to be embarrassed now? Isn’t it a bit late?
Ning Yunyi tried his best not to notice the big cat’s expression, yet his lips still couldn’t help but curl up.
He had the big cat place its paw on the low table, held the palm, and began to channel spiritual energy into its body.
From where he touched the paw all the way to the other’s sea of consciousness, he used spiritual energy to slowly repair the damaged sea.
Zong Hao knew Ning Yunyi was powerful, but he hadn’t expected how strongly he would feel the other’s strength once the treatment truly began. It was a healing ability entirely different from a 3S-rank healer—even countless times stronger.
He didn’t know how much time had passed, only feeling that his entire body was enveloped in a layer of very warm and comfortable energy. He even felt a bit drowsy.
Ning Yunyi looked down and saw this, setting aside the jade that had been consumed and turned into dust.
Zong Hao opened his eyes just in time to see this. He pointed to the jade with his paw and then to other things.
Ning Yunyi inexplicably understood. “You want to compensate me with star coins?”
The big cat nodded. He had refused to take his family fortune before, but now that this was consumed to save him, he surely needed it, right?
Ning Yunyi stroked his chin. “Owe me for now. In the future, if the Crown Prince is taken down and you reclaim your position, just help me find more of these raw jade stones.”
There were only a few people in the Ning family; they couldn’t go looking for them. City Lord Bai now had his wife and son, and he couldn’t be made to look for them either. But Zong Hao had many people under him; wouldn’t it be more convenient for him to find them?
Investing in jade now to gain a mountain of raw jade stones later—this deal was absolutely worth it.
Zong Hao thought about it and realized he couldn’t run away anyway; he would fulfill whatever Ning Yunyi wanted in the future.
After the person and the cat reached their own equilibrium, Ning Yunyi went to prepare for the noon livestream in an excellent mood. By the way, before the stream started, he had the big cat shrink and began the usual applying of colors.
Zong Hao lay there. Because his body was small, Ning Yunyi’s face looked enlarged as he was so close. Especially when Ning Yunyi was focused on using the brush to paint his head and body, Zong Hao couldn’t help but look up and stare.
Then he quickly lowered his head. He hadn’t noticed from a distance before, but up close, Ning Yunyi’s eyes were so beautiful.
Like dark glass beads, the sunlight from outside shone into them as if he were glowing. It was so warm that he felt he couldn’t bear to leave such a life.
It wasn’t until Ning Yunyi clapped his hands and stood up, looking at his masterpiece with satisfaction. “Alright, you and Cub will have to work hard for the livestream.”
At this point, he glanced at the big cat’s tail. Fortunately, the tail was black; otherwise, the thought of having to hold someone’s tail and paint it bit by bit was something he didn’t dare imagine.
Not to mention, now that Marshal Zong knew he knew his identity, “embarrassing” didn’t even cover it.
Ning Yunyi counted on his fingers. Fortunately, there were only a few more times before the Marshal was fully healed. By then, he wouldn’t need to stay here anymore.
Doesn’t that mean… he’ll be leaving?
Ning Yunyi felt a bit complicated for a moment, but thinking of the situation they faced, a day of parting would surely come sooner or later.
After all, the big cat wasn’t a real big cat.
By then, wouldn’t the kitten cry his eyes out?
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thank you for the chapter!