Suburbs.
Inside a secret command post hundreds of meters underground, the white fluorescent lights were harsh and glaring.
The adjutant stood beside the holographic projection console, swiping through several commands quickly before turning to report to the main seat.
“Your Highness, orbital strike complete. There are no life signs in the target area currently.”
Darren leaned back in the leather chair, his fingers crossed and resting on his abdomen.
Upon hearing this report, his tense shoulders finally relaxed.
Ambitious fanaticism leaked from his murky eyes as he tapped his fingers on the armrest in a light, brisk rhythm.
“Good. Very good.” Darren stood up, adjusted his collar. “Notify the near-orbit fleet to prepare for taking over main city defense. Issue an obituary immediately—announce that the Regent was tragically killed in a terrorist attack by space pirates.”
He walked to the command console, staring at the red dots representing the main city area, his voice rising a few tones. “The Empire cannot be without a ruler for even a day. I will temporarily serve as—”
Before he could finish.
“Bang—”
A deafening crash came from the entrance.
The half-meter-thick blast-proof alloy door of the command post shook violently.
Before the adjutant could even draw his gun to check the situation.
The alloy door was forced inward from the middle, splitting open into a gap.
Ryan’s towering figure appeared in the gap.
This S-class rough man’s eyes were bloodshot, his arm muscles bulging. With a low growl, he grabbed both sides of the gap with his bare hands, violently tearing the tens-of-tons-heavy door open.
Darren shot up from his chair in fright, his face pale, screaming in terror.
“How are you here?! Guards! Where are the guards outside?!”
A cool, lazy female voice came from behind Ryan.
“Stop shouting. It’s late at night—all the guards outside are already ‘asleep.’”
Jiang Lijin stepped through the debris at a leisurely pace, walking into the command post.
She was still wearing that plain cotton loungewear, her hem slightly dusty, her hair a bit messy and casually pinned up at the back of her head.
But she was entirely unharmed, not even a scratch.
Darren’s legs went weak, and he collapsed back into the chair. His pointing hand trembled violently, his voice shaking as well.
“You… you’re not dead?! Even an orbital strike couldn’t kill you? That’s impossible!”
He stared at Jiang Lijin as if she were a monster crawling out of hell.
Jiang Lijin walked over to the command console, placed both hands on the tabletop, and looked down at him from above.
“Sorry to disappoint you, old man,” she said mockingly. “The orbital strike was powerful, but its aim was a bit off.”
Seeing the situation was grim, the adjutant gritted his teeth and quietly reached for his sidearm, attempting a final desperate move.
“Bang!”
Jiang Lijin didn’t even need to act.
Ryan moved like lightning, and before anyone could see his gun drawn, a single shot blew apart the adjutant’s wrist.
Blood and flesh splattered as the adjutant screamed in agony and fell to the ground, clutching his severed hand and rolling around.
Darren was shaking violently. Staring into Jiang Lijin’s cold, emotionless eyes, he went completely limp in the chair, his face ashen.
It was all over! The power he had schemed for half a lifetime collapsed without even making a ripple in the face of absolute strength.
Jiang Lijin straightened up and gave her orders coldly.
“Take Darren away. Transfer him to the Oversight Bureau tonight.”
She glanced at the adjutant on the ground.
“As for his private army, have the Aegis Squad disarm them. Anyone who resists, execute on the spot.”
Ryan acknowledged with a grunt, grabbing Darren by the back of the collar and dragging him out like a dead dog.
Members of the Aegis Squad filed in, swiftly taking control of the entire command post.
After dealing with all this, Jiang Lijin turned and fixed her gaze on Tianque, who was hidden in the shadows.
Her intent to kill was undisguised, her voice icy. “Find a shadow guard, or go yourself. Darren must die tonight—inside the Oversight Bureau. Make it look like a suicide.”
Tianque didn’t ask a single unnecessary question, only replying in a low voice, “Understood.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, his tall figure vanished into the night like a ghost, disappearing without a trace.
Walking out of the underground command post, the cool night breeze hit her face, blowing away the smell of gunpowder clinging to her.
The armored vehicle was parked in the open area.
Tianyan and Tinia stood by the vehicle.
Tinia held the already-sleeping Rowan in his arms. The child lay limp on the blond boy’s shoulder, breathing evenly—terrified earlier, she was now sound asleep in Tinia’s arms.
Seeing Jiang Lijin come out, the two men’s tense bodies relaxed visibly.
Jiang Lijin walked over, her gaze passing them to look toward the main city.
Black smoke was still rising from the site of her villa.
A perfectly good home, gone just like that.
She rubbed her forehead in frustration and let out a long sigh.
“Good thing back during the spiritual power assessment, the Empire was generous and gave me three houses,” she said, with a hint of regret. “Now that this crazy old man’s blown up this one, at least I have two spare.”
She turned to Tianyan and gave an order.
“Send a message to Su Han right now. Have her check on those two houses first thing tomorrow morning to see if they’ve been seized.”
Jiang Lijin patted the armored vehicle door and added a little irritably, “If they’ve been seized, tell Su Han to use my warrant and get them unlocked immediately. My territory, no one touches.”
Tianyan, possessed of an absurdly strong mental fortitude, had already resumed his usual smiling demeanor.
“Got it, Boss. Not a single house of yours will be missing.” He tapped rapidly on his watch, sending the instructions to Su Han. “With Darren down, the old noble faction is leaderless. Tomorrow’s cabinet meeting will be the real show.”
Tinia leaned over, his eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief.
“Sister, where are we staying tonight? How about—”
Jiang Lijin gave his blond head a firm rub.
“For now, we’ll rough it at a hotel under your family’s name. Get a top-floor suite.” She yawned, tears forming in the corners of her eyes from tiredness.
“Let’s go. Been at this for most of the night—I’m dead tired.”
She opened the car door, about to get in, when she suddenly remembered something.
“And leave a message for Chiron, who’s still working overtime at the Science Academy.”
“Otherwise, he’ll come home happy tomorrow morning, see a pile of rubble, and think we all ascended to heaven together.”
Tianyan’s smile deepened. “Alright, I’ll send him the coordinates now.”
One by one, they got into the vehicle.
The armored car started smoothly and headed toward the main city.
The cabin was quiet.
Rowan slept deeply, with Tinia carefully cradling her head to keep the bumps from waking her.
Tianyan sat in the driver’s seat, autopilot engaged, already handling the aftermath.
Jiang Lijin leaned against the seatback, watching the nightscape whizz past outside.
The ruthless decisiveness from the command post had faded, replaced by a wave of exhaustion.
She turned her head, looking at Tinia beside her and Tianyan up front.
Her mind flashed back to the moment the orbital strike had landed—the instant these three males had thrown themselves over her without hesitation, shielding her with their bodies.
At that moment, they had no idea she had a protective shield.
They really were willing to trade their lives for hers to survive.
...
The night grew deep.
Inside the top-floor suite of the Yunlan Interstellar Hotel, Jiang Lijin took a hot shower, changed into a soft nightgown, and lay down on the bed, but felt no urge to sleep.
The events of tonight had unfolded far too quickly.
Although Darren’s desperate last stand had been expected, the power of the orbital cannon still sent a chill down her spine.
If it hadn’t been for the protective shield, they would have met their end there tonight.
【Host, sob sob...】 Xiao Yi’s electronic voice echoed in her mind, still trembling as if it hadn’t fully recovered from the shock.
【Can we please stop pushing our luck this far from now on? My code nearly got rattled apart. For a moment back there, I thought we were going to be reduced to ashes!】
Listening to its tearful tone, Jiang Lijin’s heart softened involuntarily.
【What’s there to be afraid of?】 She sighed, using a rare gentle tone in her mind to comfort it. 【Tonight’s trouble—we owe it all to you. If you hadn’t told me to buy that shield, we’d all have been finished right there. Xiao Yi, you’re the real hero.】
【R-really?】 Xiao Yi’s voice hiccupped, a hint of budding pride creeping in.
【Of course it’s true. I can’t do this without you.】 Jiang Lijin closed her eyes and smiled faintly. 【Don’t be scared. Darren will be dead by tonight. With me around, no one will ever hurt us again. Once we’ve settled the Guixu matter, I’ll take you on a journey across the stars, and our points will skyrocket! We’ll wake up that dormant main system and add a taste-sharing module just for you!】
【Boo hoo, Host, you’re way too good to me!】
Finally comforted, Xiao Yi sank back down into a secure, peaceful silence.
