Part 2
Meeting the cat’s resentful gaze, Ning Yunyi blinked innocently. “So, do you want me to peel them for you, or do you want to try it yourself?”
Zong Hao immediately held out both paws in front of him. “Meow.” (Self-reliance is the way to go. I’ll peel them myself, with pride.)
Ning Yunyi handed the fork back quite naturally, sighing with feigned relief. “That saves me so much trouble.”
Zong Hao worked with his paws, shooting a look at him: No, explaining the technique verbally would have been more efficient, but you just had to keep quiet until you secured a promise.
Content and full, Ning Yunyi’s mood was excellent. He led Zong Hao to the upstairs flower room to discuss the Base. Zong Hao’s late return suggested he had already finished negotiating with the Emperor regarding the Base’s jurisdiction.
In the flower room, Ning Yunyi turned on all the lights. The temperature was controlled. Though it had been neglected for several days, the seedlings had been well-tended by Ning Mother. Because Ning Yunyi had placed energy stones rich in spiritual power in the corners, the plants were growing rapidly.
Ning Yunyi sat on a cushion before a partitioned flower bed, and the Big Cat curled up beside him.
Zong Hao had anticipated staying in cat form, so he had prepared his bracelet in advance. Seeing Ning Yunyi settled in, he tapped the device with his paw, converting his pre-written text into a mechanical voice so Ning Yunyi wouldn’t have to keep staring at a screen.
The mechanical voice recounted the events leading up to the Base’s creation. Ning Yunyi listened with a frown. Finally, he looked at Zong Hao. “And then? What did the Emperor say about the Base?”
The mechanical voice continued as Zong Hao typed: “I told the Emperor exactly what you suggested—that this is an opportunity to change the situation at the Base. Furthermore, that place is currently the Crown Prince’s territory, filled with his people. Even if the Emperor issues an order, they might not obey. If they hear the Crown Prince has fallen, they might develop ulterior motives. Since the Emperor doesn’t know exactly how many high-level experts are inside, his only real option is to destroy the Base.”
Ning Yunyi laughed. “He didn’t agree immediately, did he?”
Zong Hao: “No. But the choice before him was clear: either blame everything on the Crown Prince’s rebellion and destroy it to save his own face, or risk the Crown Prince’s followers turning the Base into a new, independent legion. If they become a rogue force, they will be the greatest threat to the Interstellar. If he doesn’t seize them now while they are still hesitating, it will only get harder later.”
The Crown Prince likely never expected to fail, so while he took many experts into the palace, he had left the majority at the Base to prevent shifter riots or escapes.
That was why their victory in the palace had been relatively easy. However, since the full extent of the Crown Prince’s underground network on the Capital Star was still unknown, they couldn’t afford to be careless.
But the first priority was the Base.
Those shifters had been trapped for far too long. They needed freedom. However, they couldn’t simply release shifters consumed by hatred into the world, as they would become a major safety risk. They needed to establish a new organization that was transparently beneficial to shifters—one that could slowly rehabilitate and soften them.
The Emperor’s first choice for a leader was the Second Prince, since he was a shifter himself and would theoretically treat them better.
However, the Second Prince was currently in a state of mental regression and couldn’t handle the responsibility. Therefore, Zong Hao recommended someone else: Rui Hu, the leader of the Shifter Alliance.
She had escaped from that very Base; she understood their plight better than anyone. Most importantly, Rui Hu was controllable. Making her the head of the Base was currently the best option.
Ning Yunyi nodded. “Rui Hu is indeed the right choice. But… the Emperor wouldn’t agree that easily.”
Zong Hao: “Correct. The final decision is that Rui Hu will serve as the acting head. If the Second Prince recovers in the future, he will take over management.”
Ning Yunyi looked into Zong Hao’s beastly eyes with a knowing smile. “He actually agreed? What else did you say to him?”
He didn’t fully trust the Emperor’s words, just as the Crown Prince’s previous words to Zong Hao had been half-truths. However, for now, the Emperor was someone they couldn’t move. If something happened to the ruler of the Empire, the entire Interstellar would descend into endless civil war. Between internal strife and external threats, the current situation was the lesser of two evils.
Fortunately, for now, the Emperor was manageable.
The Emperor needed them to stabilize the Capital Star, so he had to cooperate.
Once the Emperor yielded, the rest was no longer up to him.
Zong Hao nodded: “I gave him two choices. Either I lead the First Legion immediately to reclaim the Base and hand full control to Rui Hu, or I resign as Marshal, take the Zong family away from the Capital Star, and stop involving myself in Imperial affairs. The Emperor… chose the first one.”
Ning Yunyi looked at Zong Hao with surprise. He hadn’t expected this man, so loyal to his sovereign, to have such a backbone. But it made sense; the Royal Family’s selfishness had caused this mess.
The Emperor hadn’t managed affairs in years. If Zong Hao walked away, the entire Empire would likely change hands in short order.
Ning Yunyi got straight to the point: “When do you leave?”
Zong Hao: “Not me. We.”
Ning Yunyi raised an eyebrow. “You want me to go with you?”
Zong Hao gave an affirmative sound: “Some of those shifters have been there for many years and need a Healer. But as you know, the Healers currently in the palace were all the Crown Prince’s confidants. I don’t trust them with the shifters. I’m also worried the Base might take drastic measures against the shifters once they learn of the situation… so we must leave the day after tomorrow at the latest.”
And when that time came, there would likely be a fierce battle. “If those at the Base resist and things take a turn for the worse, you don’t have to worry about us. Ensure your own safety first.”
Ning Yunyi glanced at Zong Hao but didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked at the flower beds. “Do you know what these are?”
Zong Hao followed his finger. “What are they?”
Ning Yunyi’s lips curved. “They are… hope.” His palm brushed over a seedling. Spiritual energy flowed from his fingertips into the plant. The yellow Monthly Rose grew at a visible speed, as if nourished by the water of life. It branched out, sprouted buds, and then—pop—like a magic trick, the tiny seedling exploded into several brilliant, dazzling flowers.
Zong Hao, lying beside the flower bed, watched the scene from inches away. The vibrant colors reflected in his deep beastly eyes, making them shine with incredible intensity. He heard Ning Yunyi’s soft voice overhead, filled with comfort and anticipation.
“So, you don’t need to be so pessimistic. You’ve already done very well, and you’ve done everything you could. After this… you only need to witness these lives of hope as they change the deadlock.”
Zong Hao listened in silence. After a long time, he raised his head and gazed at Ning Yunyi. He didn’t speak, but in that moment, it was as if he were carving Ning Yunyi’s voice and face into his very soul.
Ning Yunyi was the first to break the silence. He raised his hand, feigning another pinch of the cat’s ear. He expected Zong Hao to dodge, but instead, the Big Cat actively leaned his massive head into Ning Yunyi’s hand.
Ning Yunyi: “…”
I let my guard down. The Big Cat has learned to counter-attack.
Zong Hao: Is it possible that I just wanted you to pet my head?
Ning Yunyi agreed to head to the Base with Zong Hao. First, he had to arrange things at home. He would be traveling under his identity as the Vice-Chairman of the Shifter Alliance—the identity he used with Yus, code-named “Rui Bao” (Lucky Leopard).
While Zong Hao went to organize the Legion, Ning Yunyi took Yus to the Shifter Alliance. Although they had negotiated with the Emperor for Rui Hu to take over the Base, they hadn’t had the chance to tell her yet.
They expected Rui Hu would agree, but what if there were an unforeseen reason she couldn’t? They had to talk to her in advance, including the fact that Lady Zong had been rescued and was currently in a safe location.
However, Rui Hu would definitely go on this trip. She had been a child when she escaped and hadn’t dared to show her face due to her lack of strength. To this day, she didn’t know if her biological mother was still alive.
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