First Interstellar Guide Chapter 77: Gathering of Bigwigs

Chapter 77: Gathering of Bigwigs

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

At the funeral, Jiao Shuo wore a black suit, her face pale as paper. She didn’t shed a tear throughout, but her eyes remained fixed on the image on the tombstone. Red sparrows kept circling around Lu Tingyu’s tombstone, emitting mournful cries. Her mental anguish must have been crying, conveying the pain and despair that enveloped her to everyone present.

This scene made everyone at the scene incredibly sad. After Sentinel and Guide got married, it was equivalent to a soul bond. Lu Tingyu’s death was not just the loss of a spouse for Jiao Shuo. It was a pain as excruciating as flesh and soul separation, unbearable!

Lu Zexuan looked at his mother’s appearance, feeling distressed. However, he couldn’t tell her that everything was staged in advance. Because many people would come to mourn at his father’s funeral, her behavior would be carefully observed by those “interested parties”.

Today’s Nanshan Cemetery was particularly lively, with a long line of mourners dressed in black. Besides the soldiers of the Eagle Legion, there were also representatives from other federal legions, Marshal Qin Xiao, Ludwig, the president of the Guide Association, Professor Morvi from the Academy of Sciences, and even President Harrison.

All these “big shots” had actually gathered. Lu Tingyu was one of the commanders of the four major federal legions. The president came personally to pay respects, giving the Lu family considerable face.

The funeral began, and there was a three-minute silence throughout the venue. Everyone was dressed in black, and the atmosphere in the entire cemetery was incredibly sad and oppressive.

After the silence, President Harrison took the lead and bowed to Lu Tingyu’s image, placing a bouquet of flowers in front of the tombstone, his voice heavy with sorrow. “General Lu’s sacrifice, I feel extremely saddened and regretful… Director Jiao, Major General Lu, please accept my condolences.”

President Harrison, 66 years old this year, with all-white hair, looked somewhat solemn. Accompanying him were several high-ranking Sentinels from the Federal Security Department responsible for the president’s safety. This was the first time Yu Ran and Lu Zexuan had seen the president of the Federation.

Lu Zexuan appeared extremely sad on the surface because of his father’s death, his expression incredibly stiff. However, his sharp eagle-like eyes were secretly observing the guests who came to mourn. Lu Zexuan keenly noticed that the president’s left and right hands were different; while his right hand was normal, the ring finger on his left hand was significantly shorter than the index finger, giving his hand an odd appearance. Of course, it was common for most people to have differences between their left and right hands, feet, or even fingers. However, there was a tough battle ahead, and he couldn’t afford to miss any details.

This funeral, where all the big shots had gathered, was a great opportunity to observe them. After hearing the president’s words, Lu Zexuan and Yu Ran bowed together in gratitude.

Today, Yu Ran accompanied Lu Zexuan to the funeral as his “boyfriend.” Everyone knew about the stable relationship between Lu Zexuan and Yu Ran, so it was not surprising to see Yu Ran, the legendary “C-level Guide,” appearing at the funeral. Yu Ran’s performance was also impeccable, with tears reddening his eyes, looking extremely mournful.

The president turned his gaze to Yu Ran and asked gently, “Are you Yu Ran?”

Yu Ran nodded, pleasantly surprised, “Your Excellency President, do you… do you know me?”

President Harrison sighed softly and said to Yu Ran, “I’ve heard that your Guide essence match with Major General Lu reached a rare level of 98%. General Lu just lost his father and must be very sad. Having you by his side is also fortunate. I hope you can comfort his emotions.”

Yu Ran said, “I will do my best.”

As they watched the president leave, they discussed in their minds, “What did he mean just now? Asking you to control my emotions?”

Yu Ran said, “We can’t be sure whether President Harrison is a friend or foe yet. Morvi just mentioned that the president wants to be re-elected. Whether he accidentally let slip or deliberately misled my thoughts, we need to continue investigating.”

Lu Zexuan said, “I’ve memorized all the features of the president and stored them in the mental landscape. You can check them anytime.”

Yu Ran said, “Okay, let’s keep an eye on the others.”

The benefits of the mental link were numerous. For example, now, all the details Lu Zexuan saw and remembered would be synchronized into Yu Ran’s brain. The combination of the Sentinel’s excellent senses and the Guide’s outstanding thinking ability made them a truly “ace team.”

After the president finished his tribute, Federal Marshal Qin Xiao also laid a bouquet of flowers at the tombstone. He brought pure white chrysanthemums — white chrysanthemums, indicating that he was fully aware of Yu Ran’s plan and would fully cooperate.

Yu Ran lowered his eyes and bowed, showing no interaction with the marshal throughout. One military general after another came to pay their respects, including General Xie Chen from the Starlight Legion. She walked with a heroic stride, but her face looked incredibly grim. She didn’t say anything, just bowed deeply towards the tombstone.

This scene reminded her of the sacrifice of her sister years ago. She was sure that General Lu’s death was also the work of the Dark Night Organization. She hadn’t avenged her sister yet, and now another general had been killed!

Lu Zexuan lowered his head and saw the tightly clenched fingers by her side, nails leaving faint red marks on the palm. Her deep-sea black shark didn’t appear today, probably afraid of revealing its owner’s angry emotions, which she concealed. Xie Chen nodded towards the family, then turned and left decisively.

In his mind, Lu Zexuan said, “General Xie is very angry. The hand hidden in her sleeve is almost crushing her palm.”

Yu Ran watched his aunt’s figure and felt a slight pain in his heart. Over the years, his aunt had borne deep-seated grievances and must have had a difficult time. At the funeral of his parents years ago, she stood in the same position as the family, bowing in thanks to each person who came to pay respects, while bleeding inside?

Yu Ran said softly, “She has been investigating the Dark Night Organization for these years and must have obtained a lot of information. When necessary, I will take action first, pretending to control her emotions. Otherwise, I am afraid the Dark Night Organization will harm her.”

Lu Zexuan said, “Yes, it’s better to ‘kill her off’ first than let the Dark Night Organization target her personally. With Morvi and the ambitions of the mastermind behind, they will surely firmly control all the major legions, and the Starlight Legion will not escape this disaster.”

General Xie Xi was silenced years ago, and now General Xie Chen was also in great danger. Yu Ran couldn’t watch his aunt sacrifice herself like his mother did; he would protect this loved one who had been affectionate to him since childhood.

Many big shots were present today because Lu Zexuan personally sent them invitations to his father’s funeral. Out of respect for the Eagle Legion and Lu Tingyu’s prestige, almost everyone who received an invitation came.

After several military generals left, Professor Morvi stepped forward and hypocritically offered flowers. He acted extremely sorrowful, even wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief. Seeing him pretending to be sorrowful, Lu Zexuan felt nauseated. However, in front of him, Lu Zexuan still tried to portray a sorrowful and stiff expression, as if controlled by Yu Ran.

Morvi looked at Jiao Shuo and said, “Madam, please accept my condolences.”

Jiao Shuo said, “Thank you for your concern.” Her Red Sparrow’s mental energy was rapidly depleting, unable to fly anymore, and landed gently on Lu Tingyu’s tombstone, looking limp and pitiful.

Morvi couldn’t help but say, “Madam’s situation is somewhat dangerous. How about I stabilize her mental energy first?”

At that moment, a voice suddenly came from not far behind, “I’ll help too.”

Lu Zexuan and Yu Ran turned around and met a pair of bright blue eyes.

——Mr. Ludwig, the president of the Guide Association. He was wearing a black suit today, with his soft golden hair tied into a braid behind his head, still elegant and extraordinary. His appearance had hardly changed over the years. Yu Ran remembered seeing him when he was a child, and he looked the same back then. More than ten years had passed, and he still looked so young. Yu Ran wondered if he had a unique method of preservation to keep his youth.

Ludwig quickly approached, saying, “Madam has suffered such a heavy blow, it’s normal to be unable to cope for a while. The Red Sparrow’s mental energy is slowly dissipating, and it needs to be controlled as soon as possible.” He glanced at Morvi and said, “She is an S-level guide after all. How about we help her together?”

Morvi was very willing, “Of course. I wonder if Madam would like us to help you.”

Jiao Shuo seemed to come to her senses, looked at her disappearing Red Sparrow, and said softly, “Thank you both.”

Ludwig and Morvi simultaneously opened their palms. Several blue mental tendrils quickly spread from the palms of the two S+ guides, connecting to Jiao Shuo’s forehead. Jiao Shuo felt dizzy for a moment as the gentle seawater poured into her mental world, purifying one shadow after another in her mental landscape.

She herself was a healer guide. However, the blow of losing her lover was like a sudden soul separation. The Red Sparrow couldn’t find its partner, and she had no mind to tidy up her mental world. She felt as if she were in a dream, which was actually very dangerous. Once the mind scattered, and the Red Sparrow disappeared, it would be difficult to save her.

The bond between Sentinel and Guide was too deep, especially for a couple who had been loving for many years. In the history of the Federation, there had been too many precedents of guides collapsing or sentinels dying rapidly after the death of one another.

Morvi’s proactive offer to help the Madam heal didn’t seem problematic to outsiders. Only Yu Ran and Lu Zexuan knew that this was a probe — he wanted to personally check Jiao Shuo’s mental landscape to confirm if her grief and pain were genuine. As for why Ludwig suddenly intervened, it was still uncertain.

The crowd watched this scene with curiosity. The scene of two S+ guides jointly treating was truly rare.

Jiao Shuo’s emotions quickly stabilized, and the Red Sparrow regained its vitality and flew back into the sky. She rubbed her temples and looked at the two, “Thank you both. My husband’s sudden passing made me lose my composure for a while, sorry for the inconvenience.”

Ludwig smiled, “Madam is too polite. You were just overwhelmed by intense negative emotions for a moment and lost your composure. General Lu’s sacrifice is indeed regrettable. Please accept our condolences, and don’t forget, you still have a son to take care of.”

There seemed to be a deeper meaning in his words. After he finished speaking, he glanced at Lu Zexuan. Lu Zexuan bowed to him in gratitude. Ludwig didn’t say much more and left the funeral scene. Morvi also turned and left.

***

This grand funeral lasted the entire morning. After all the guests had left, Lu Zexuan supported his mother and returned home with Yu Ran. The hovercar activated its automatic navigation program, and there were only the three of them in the car. The tense emotions had cooled down, and she suddenly asked, “Zexuan, your father isn’t the impulsive type. How could he, after receiving a threat from the Star Pirates, only bring a few guards and rashly go to the meeting?”

On the day of Lu Tingyu’s sacrifice, she was in a meeting at the Academy of Sciences with several scientists. Upon hearing the sudden news of her husband’s sacrifice, she fainted on the spot. For the next two days, she stayed at home, lost in a haze of mental turmoil. She hadn’t seen Lu Zexuan, only knowing that her son was busy arranging the funeral. It wasn’t until now that they had time to talk alone.

Lu Zexuan explained, “It might be because Father was too concerned about my cousin’s situation and was eager to save him.” She wanted to say more, but Lu Zexuan interrupted, “Mom, I know you’re upset. Don’t think too much. Just go home and rest.”

He signaled to his mother, and she then noticed that many guests’ vehicles were also descending the mountain. Sentinels have keen hearing; this wasn’t the place to talk. She forcibly suppressed her doubts until the car reached the countryside estate of the Lu family. Lu Zexuan dismissed all the servants and took Yu Ran and his mother to the soundproof study on the second floor.

She then continued to ask, “Even if he was eager to save someone, he wouldn’t have gone to negotiate with those despicable Star Pirates without any preparation! There must be something more to it… Zexuan, do you know something?”

Lu Zexuan squatted down and found the box where his father usually kept confidential documents, quickly entering the password. The password for this safe was indeed the same as the activation code his father had told him for the special agent token.

Opening the box, there was a letter inside, with “For Jiao Shuo’s Eyes Only” written on it. Lu Zexuan handed the letter to his mother, and she hurriedly opened it, only to see a sentence written in bold handwriting, “Darling, you must be very upset at my funeral, aren’t you? But if you’re not upset, those people won’t be fooled. I’m sorry, I’ll make it up to you later.” 

She was speechless. He wasn’t dead! For a moment, red sparrows fluttered their wings wildly in the room, not knowing whether it was anger at his concealment or relief that he was still alive.

Lu Zexuan took the letter, crumpled it into powder, and flushed it down the adjacent toilet. He whispered, “Mom, under the guise of Dad’s ‘sacrifice,’ take a month off and go spend time with Grandma.”

Her hometown was in the Ursa Minor constellation, where the land was suitable for growing crops and was designated by the Federation as a base for various grains and fruits. There were no galactic creatures, making it very safe. Her grandmother had planted a large vineyard there. Lu Zexuan obviously wanted to send his mother away so he could proceed with his plan with Yu Ran without any worries. Otherwise, if the Dark Night Organization were to capture her as a hostage, Lu Zexuan would be in a difficult situation.

Understanding her son’s intentions, she looked at Lu Zexuan with a complicated expression. The son they had once protected and cared for had grown up. Now, it was his turn to protect his parents. Her eyes slightly moistened, “Can you handle this alone?”

Lu Zexuan’s tone was resolute, “Don’t worry, I’ll take over the Eagle Legion and take care of the soldiers. As for the Dark Night Organization, I’ll uproot them completely. Tomorrow, I’ll send a few people to escort you to Grandma’s house, and you can rest there for a while.”

She remained silent for a moment before nodding, “Okay, it’s been a long time since I visited Grandma. It’s a good opportunity to go back home.”

She knew that Lu Tingyu had been investigating the Dark Night Organization for years, and now, he had entrusted this task to his young son. Since Lu Zexuan wanted to send her away, she naturally had to hide well to avoid becoming her son’s weakness. She patted her son’s shoulder and then looked at Yu Ran, “Ranran, do you want to come with me?”

Lu Zexuan immediately said, “He can’t leave yet.”

She raised an eyebrow, “Wouldn’t it be safer for Ranran to leave with me?”

Lu Zexuan and Yu Ran exchanged a glance. She still didn’t know how strong Yu Ran’s mental energy was and thought he was a C-level guide who needed care. Yu Ran smiled faintly and said seriously, “Auntie, rest assured, I want to stay by Zexuan’s side. We have marked each other, and it’s not good to separate now.”

She, “…?!”

This boy has some guts, marking a guide before even getting married?! Facing her mother’s sharp gaze, Lu Zexuan awkwardly said, “We’ll hold a wedding later…”

Yu Ran obediently agreed, “Yes, I’ll listen to Zexuan’s arrangements.”

Lu Zexuan was speechless. It’s getting worse and worse. Clearly, I’ve been listening to you all along!

Looking at Yu Ran’s obedient appearance, she glared at Lu Zexuan with a complicated expression, “Take care of Ranran. You, this boy, wait until your father gets back to deal with you… I’m leaving, take care.”

After she left, Yu Ran’s expression quickly changed. He calmly said in his mind, “I still feel something’s not right.”

Lu Zexuan asked, “What’s wrong?”

Yu Ran said, “Morvi, if I remember correctly, his spirit body is a porpoise, a healing guide, right? Today, he also treated your mother with the president.”

Lu Zexuan said, “Yes. I saw Morvi’s spirit body at the Sanctuary’s opening ceremony, and it was indeed a cute porpoise.”

Yu Ran frowned slightly, “But that day, at Base B73, when he suddenly attacked me, my primitive forest was quickly flooded by his tsunami. What I felt… was at least S+ attack power.”

Attack-type guides mostly have basic healing skills, typically below B-level. Healing guides usually don’t have strong offensive capabilities. Guides like Yu Ran, who can both heal and attack, are rare in the Federation.

Lu Zexuan couldn’t help but be stunned, “How could this be?”

Morvi’s spirit body was clearly a cute porpoise, a healing-type spirit body. How could it have S+ attack power?

Lu Zexuan asked, “Could he also, like you, awaken as a dual spirit body, healing and attacking?”

Yu Ran shook his head, “It’s impossible. If he were a dual spirit body like me, I wouldn’t have been able to resist that day, and your snow mountain would have been exposed. I suspect… either the person we saw that day wasn’t Morvi at all, or Morvi’s spirit body can disguise itself and isn’t actually a healing porpoise.”

They looked at each other. They thought they had encountered the leader of the Dark Night Organization, but they only uncovered a tip of the iceberg of that mysterious figure.