The week passed quickly.
With Su Han’s iron-fisted methods and Chiron’s behind-the-scenes coordination, the personnel reshuffling within the Empire’s high command had already settled.
In the morning, on the private landing pad of Jade Lake Villa, a pitch-black medium-sized starship fired up its engines.
Tinia stood in loose loungewear, dark circles under his eyes. He had stayed up all night auditing the accounts of old noble estates, forcing himself to stay awake just so he could see Jiang Lijin off this morning.
“Sister, really not taking me?” Tinia tugged at her sleeve, his voice full of grievance. “I can fight, I can take hits, and I can do accounts—way better than those two who only know how to assassinate.”
Jiang Lijin pulled her sleeve free and patted his shoulder. “You’re needed on the main planet. Yunlan Group just took over so many mining planets. Without you watching things, Su Han can’t hold it all together alone.”
Tinia pouted but didn’t argue further. He knew his limits—when to act spoiled and when to get down to business.
Rowan stood nearby, staring at Jiang Lijin with eager eyes.
Jiang Lijin bent down and pinched Rowan’s cheek. “Listen to Brother Karon while I’m gone, and don’t be picky with food. He’ll take you to the weekly meetings. Pay attention if you can; if not, just drink more water.”
Rowan nodded firmly, her voice crisp: “I’ll be good.”
Xiao Yi glided over with a holographic screen floating above it, a countdown timer blinking on the display.
(￣▽￣)／
“Host, all luggage has been loaded. This butler also hacked into the Interstellar Meteorological Bureau and planned the most perfect jump route—smooth sailing guaranteed!”
Dangling from its mechanical arm were two ultra-miniature foldable shelters that Tinia had bought.
Jiang Lijin glanced at the rugged-looking machine now acting like a nanny and found it amusing. “Go board the ship.”
Xiao Yi let out a cheer, spun its treads, and scurried up the starship’s ramp.
Chiron stood not far away.
The wind tousled the black hair across his forehead as his gray eyes quietly watched her.
Jiang Lijin walked over and stopped in front of him.
“The main planet is in your hands,” she said, breaking the silence.
“Go with peace of mind.” His voice was low, carrying his usual gentleness. “I’ll keep an eye on Su Han. Tinia’s resource integration is already on track. No one in the Empire can cause any trouble now.”
Jiang Lijin nodded. She had never doubted Chiron’s ability to get things done.
Chiron pulled a silver metal disc from his pocket and handed it to her.
“What’s this?” Jiang Lijin examined the object in her hand.
“A backup key for the spatial folder,” Chiron explained. “Ten years ago, when my father took the Blue Star survivors away, he used his own space-folding technology. This key is the only clue he left behind. If you run into a spatial barrier deep in the Abyss, this might come in handy.”
Jiang Lijin tightened her grip on the metal disc and looked up at Chiron, catching the flicker of complex emotion in his eyes.
“If you meet him in the Abyss…” Chiron paused. “Tell him I miss him.”
Jiang Lijin’s heart ached. She stepped forward and pulled him into an embrace.
Chiron almost immediately wrapped his arms around her tightly. His hold was firm, his chin resting on top of her head, his breathing uneven.
“I’ll find him,” Jiang Lijin said, patting his back. “We’re family. Your father is my family too.”
Chiron closed his eyes, inhaling deeply the scent of her.
“I’ll wait for you to come back.” He let go, stepped back half a pace, and regained his usual composure.
The starship’s hatch opened slowly. Tianyan and Tianque stood at the entrance.
Tianyan leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, wearing a mischievous grin. “Any longer with that hug, and the sky’s going to turn dark. Dean Karon, we’re borrowing our wife for a few days—we’ll return her when we’re done.”
Tianque said nothing, only shot Tianyan a cold glare before striding down the ramp, taking Jiang Lijin’s backpack from her hand, and naturally falling into step behind her.
“Less teasing,” Jiang Lijin said, rolling her eyes at Tianyan as she stepped onto the ramp.
The interior of the starship was understated, but every detail screamed black-market wealth. The seats were made of top-tier memory materials, and the consoles were fitted with cutting-edge military-grade equipment.
Xiao Yi was already busy in the cockpit, its mechanical arms tapping away at the control panel.
(ง•_•)ง
“Course confirmed. Energy engines preheated. Ready for takeoff at any time!”
Jiang Lijin settled into the main seat and looked out the viewing window. The figures of Chiron, Tinia, and Rowan gradually shrank as the ship lifted off.
The starship soared into the sky, broke through the atmosphere, and entered the vast cosmos.
The jump process was tedious.
Jiang Lijin unbuckled her seatbelt and walked to the lounge area. Tianyan was mixing a blue drink, while Tianque sat nearby watching Xiao Yi.
“Want a taste?” Tianyan slid a cup toward her. “A specialty from the Abyss—blue fruit wine. Low alcohol, good for calming the nerves.”
Jiang Lijin took a sip. It was sweet with a hint of tartness—quite pleasant.
“Let’s talk business.” She set the cup down and looked at the twins. “This trip to the Abyss—what’s the specific route?”
Tianyan dropped his joking demeanor and tapped the table, projecting a three-dimensional star map.
At the center of the map was a region marked in red light, surrounded by dense asteroid belts and magnetic storms.
“This is the outer edge of the Abyss,” Tianyan said, pointing at the red zone. “The black-market town you visited last time is just the surface. The real Blue Star ruins are hidden much deeper.”
He zoomed in on the map, and a massive spiral structure appeared inside the red region.
“Ten years ago, the Withered Bloom Operation unfolded. The parasitic vines destroyed Blue Star’s ecosystem, and the core was drained dry. Right when the planetary core was about to detonate, that man appeared.”
Tianyan’s voice grew heavy. “He used a technology we’d never seen before to cut out the most central continent of Blue Star, fold it into an independent space, and anchor that space at the pole of the Abyss.”
Jiang Lijin stared at the spiral, her fingers gently tracing the rim of her cup. “Chiron’s father.”
“He really does look a lot like Chiron,” Tianyan added.
Tianque spoke up, his voice cold and hard: “He saved us, but it drained his mental energy completely. He fell into a deep coma. These past years, we’ve kept him in a hibernation pod within the ruins.”
Jiang Lijin looked up. “He’s still alive?”
“Alive, but hasn’t woken up,” Tianyan sighed. “And in recent years, the vegetation in the ruins has started to wither on a large scale. The energy shield is developing cracks. That’s why we were in such a hurry to build an intelligence network on the main planet and hunt down the revenge list. We have to find an alternative energy source—or reclaim what belongs to us—before the ruins completely collapse.”
Jiang Lijin understood now. The twins carried not only the blood debt of vengeance but also the burden of survival for the entire Blue Star remnant population.
This also made her wonder: where had the core taken by the Empire gone? Had it been used up?
“How many people are still in the ruins now?” she asked.
"Less than thirty thousand," Tianque replied, his voice tinged with sorrow. "Back then, fewer than a tenth of the population managed to escape into the folded space. Most of them were the elderly and children."
A brief silence fell over the rest area.
Xiao Yi glided over, and a chest-thumping emoji flashed across its screen.
(๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧
"Host, don't worry! I just scanned the StarNet's supply depot. The Yunlan Corporation owns three high-purity energy planets. At worst, we can have Master Tinia hollow out the mines and move everything back to the Ruins!"
Tianyan laughed at its suggestion and tapped its metal shell. "You little metal lump sure knows how to be generous with others' assets. But ore from energy planets can't replace the source core. Blue Star's ecosystem is built on spiritual energy—ordinary minerals can't drive the site's circulation systems."
Jiang Lijin leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes to gather her thoughts.
"Regardless, let's go check it out first," she said, opening her eyes with a calm tone. "Chiron gave me a key. If Seth left any contingency plans behind, we might find a way to wake him up. Once he's awake, everything will be much easier."
Tianque sheathed his short blade and nodded. "When we reach the outskirts of the Ruins, we'll need to transfer to a specially designed small shuttle to get through the magnetic storms outside."
