Chapter 142: Let Uncle Chen Take a Look at Yuanxiao
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
“This Dionysus rebellion wasn’t part of our plan.”
Chen Jinshan and Godric both looked toward the young man who had spoken. The youth continued, “The residents of Duosu and Brachery unearthed something. It stirred them up—enough that they bypassed the Dawn Front’s unified command and started the uprising on their own.”
“Hold on, Moran,” Godric said. “The Sixth Legion is under the control of Alonso and Guy. The situation shouldn’t spiral out of hand. The only unpredictable factor is the Abyss Fleet. Let’s hope Alonso can talk them down.”
“What exactly did they dig up?” Chen Jinshan asked. Moran’s expression darkened. “A mass grave.”
“…”
Moran went on, “According to the intel I’ve received, the rebels believe this was a massacre orchestrated by the Empire years ago to crush their will to resist. The Dawn Front has confirmed that the mass grave actually held the remains of failed genetic experiments. Still one of the Empire’s sins, but…”
“I thought the Sixth Legion and the Dawn Front together would be enough to quell the rebellion?”
“They should’ve been. But somehow, the rebels got ahold of starships and weapons. Every time we talk one group down, another flares up. It’s like trying to pluck parasites off a hundred-knot beast—there’s no end to it.”
“I understand,” Godric said. “Thank you, Moran. I’ll pass the information along to my superiors. If—”
Just then, Chen Jinshan’s communicator chimed. He glanced at the screen, and his expression softened.
“What is it?” Godric asked.
“Xiao Xu is coming to see me. Godric, take Moran back with you to continue the discussion. Once you finalize things, report back to me. And let me know if you need anything.”
“Lin Xu?” Moran asked. “Didn’t he recently get a little dragon?”
“He did, but you won’t see them today. Maybe another time.” Godric patted Moran on the shoulder and led him to the landing platform.
Chen Jinshan replied to Lin Xu, asking when he would arrive. Lin Xu answered that his craft was already hovering above Perser Manor.
Chen Jinshan looked out the window. A black aircraft swept across the vast flower fields, its strong currents rippling the blossoms below in concentric waves. At the same time, on the landing platform, Godric and Moran had just opened the hatch of their own craft when a melodic AI alert sounded, notifying Lin Xu to land at an alternate platform to avoid mid-air collision.
Lin Xu gave their aircraft a quick glance, then followed the AI’s guidance and descended. A familiar figure caught Lin Xu’s eye—but before he could confirm, the other craft had already lifted off and disappeared into the sky. Was that… Moran? Wasn’t Moran one of Guy’s subordinates in the Star Pirates? What was he doing here on Capital Star?
Lin Xu mentally replayed the fleeting glimpse of that person, comparing it again and again with their memory until they were sure: it was Moran—only this time, he was better dressed, neater.
In theory, the identities of all Star Pirates were logged into the system network. There was no way someone like Moran could even get into Crescent District. …Which meant Moran must have another identity—just like how Guy also served as Chief Strategist for the Sixth Legion.
But was that really Moran? How did Chen Jinshan know him? The other person on the aircraft had also looked familiar. Could that have been… Godric Chapman? Lin Xu’s mind was tangled with thoughts. When he got out of the car, he almost left his backpack behind. Luckily, Yuanxiao poked their head out just as Lin Xu was about to shut the door, letting out a loud “hoooou!” to remind their papa that they were still inside.
Snapping back to the moment, Lin Xu scooped up the backpack into his arms and stepped off the platform, where Chen Jinshan was already waiting.
“Xiao Xu,” Chen Jinshan greeted with a warm smile. “What brings you here? What a surprise.”
“Mr. Chen,” Lin Xu nodded. “You asked a few days ago when you could meet Yuanxiao. So, I brought them with me.”
Chen Jinshan froze for a second, then beamed with delight. “You mean Yuanxiao Volans? Where are they?”
He glanced Lin Xu up and down but didn’t see the baby dragon anywhere—until his gaze landed on the oversized backpack Lin Xu was holding. “You carried them here… in that?”
“Mhm.” Lin Xu unzipped the backpack. A moment later, a tiny dragon head popped out, their white paws gripping the edge of the bag. “Hoou~” they chirped, flapping their little wings toward Chen Jinshan.
“I—this—” Chen Jinshan was too thrilled to form a coherent sentence. “Can I touch them?”
Lin Xu asked in their mental domain: “This is Uncle Chen Jinshan. He wants to pet you.”
“Yay!” came the eager reply.
“They’re okay with it,” Lin Xu said aloud.
Chen Jinshan took a few careful steps forward and gently tapped Yuanxiao on the forehead with one finger. Yuanxiao reflexively pulled their neck back, the lower half of their face hidden by the backpack flap—only two wide, bright blue eyes peeking out.
“Let’s take them inside,” Chen Jinshan said. “Don’t just stand here. You must be tired holding that bag. What do they like to eat? I’ll have the AI prepare something. Do they eat candy? Want some milk?”
“No, not yet. They can’t eat that kind of food for now. Dragons have their own dietary requirements.”
“I see.” Chen Jinshan looked a little disappointed by the missed chance to spoil Yuanxiao. Still, he led Lin Xu and the little one into a cozy living room furnished with wide, soft couches. A robot served Lin Xu tea and brought over a fruit platter.
Lin Xu set the backpack on the couch with the zipper still open. Yuanxiao leaned forward, and the bag tipped over until it lay flat. Chen Jinshan stared, completely entranced, an unconscious smile on his face.
Yuanxiao slowly crawled out through the open flap, but just as they reached the edge, their front paw slipped—and the little dragon rolled twice across the floor before managing to sit upright, shaking their head.
Chen Jinshan bent down to help them up, but Yuanxiao flapped their wings and suddenly lifted off, swooping through the room in gleeful circles.
“Oh! They can fly!” Chen Jinshan gasped in delight. “Can I talk to them?”
“Dragons can’t produce human speech. You can only talk to them via a mental link.”
Lin Xu explained how to communicate within the spiritual domain, but for a first-timer like Chen Jinshan, forming clear intent-based sentences proved difficult. His attempts failed.
Still, that didn’t matter. The fragmented thoughts Chen Jinshan sent out were enough to catch Yuanxiao’s attention. The baby dragon fluttered over and landed right on his knee, standing on all fours while their tail and wings twitched in excitement.
Chen Jinshan scratched under Yuanxiao’s chin, earning a loud purr.
“Yuanxiao… is it okay if I call them that?”
“Sure.”
“Sweet Yuanxiao,” Chen Jinshan said, lifting Yuanxiao’s front paws to make them sit up, “can they shift between dragon form and human form, like Marshal Chu’s father?”
“When they get a little older, probably,” Lin Xu replied. “Heinrich said switching between forms requires very precise mental control. Yuanxiao’s mind isn’t fully developed yet. It’s still too difficult for them.”
“That’s alright. They’re adorable just like this.”
“Hroaaar—”
“But, Xiao Xu…” Chen Jinshan looked at the little dragon, a familiar curiosity surfacing—one that mirrored the thoughts of many gossip-loving netizens. “That egg Yuanxiao hatched from… was it Marshal Chu who carried it?”
Lin Xu blinked. “What? It was me.”
“Oh—oh, I see…” Chen Jinshan was visibly shaken. He hadn’t expected dragon genetics to be so dominant—enough to let a human beta carry an egg.
Still holding Yuanxiao’s paw, he gently wiggled it back and forth while playing. Lin Xu asked casually, “Did you have other guests earlier?”
Calm as ever, Chen Jinshan answered, “A few old friends. I hadn’t seen them since my time on the Michael Line. Now that they’re visiting Capital Star, we’ve had a chance to catch up.”
“I see. Mr. Chen, I wanted to ask you something about the First Legion.”
This time, Chen Jinshan’s hands slowed. Yuanxiao, not understanding the pause, let out a soft whine when the play stopped.
“What would you like to know? I’ll try to answer if I can.”
“Do you know General Capricciosa Neumann?”
“We met in the early years. Right after I graduated from the Military Academy, I was deployed to the Florence front to fight the Zerg. We were comrades back then. But Neumann came from a prestigious family and rose through the ranks quickly. Later, when I got together with Marianna, I wanted to be reassigned back to Capital Star to spend more time with her. Neumann helped with that. We haven’t seen each other much these past few years—she’s been stationed in Florence for quite a while now.”
“She doesn’t handle any of the First Legion’s affairs on Capital Star?”
“Not really. She’s too busy. Most of the responsibilities here, including military meetings, are handled by another general from the Neumann family. It used to be Gasco Neumann, but he was dismissed not long ago and replaced.”
“Also, like with the Abyss Fleet, without a summons, Capricciosa Neumann isn’t allowed to return to Capital Star.”
Chen Jinshan noticed the heaviness in Lin Xu’s eyes and sighed. “You’re still investigating, aren’t you?”
Lin Xu said nothing.
“You don’t have to worry about that matter. Those responsible will be punished.”
Punished? Lin Xu looked up at Chen Jinshan, his gray eyes as deep as the sea. Chen Jinshan had spoken in future tense. The punishment he referred to hadn’t yet happened. The recent downfall of several Adjudication Bureau officials probably had nothing to do with him.
Lin Xu was continuing their investigation on their own—so what was Chen Jinshan doing behind the scenes? Why had Moran and Godric appeared in front of Chen Jinshan?
“I know. They will be punished.”
—
Chen Jinshan invited Lin Xu to have dinner in the garden. Both men had their own thoughts; only Yuanxiao remained carefree, rolling through the fields of flowers and bringing back flower sprigs as gifts for Lin Xu and Chen Jinshan.
After leaving Perser Manor, Lin Xu stopped by the commercial district and picked out a breathable, one-way visibility cat backpack—meant for carrying Yuanxiao around more comfortably. With breathable fabric, it would be easier for them to relax while outside.
By the time they returned to Cacamorra Plains, it was deep into the night. Yuanxiao had been fast asleep in the front passenger seat for most of the ride. They only stirred groggily when Lin Xu carried them up the steps.
[Star… stars,] Yuanxiao murmured, pointing toward the sky.
Thin clouds drifted like silk overhead, and on the indigo-violet canvas of night, four stars shone especially bright—their glow piercing through the haze and casting beams onto the land below.
It was the light of the Victoria and the three flagship escort vessels’ engines. These four massive warships were stationed three astronomical units from Endymion. When their engines ignited at full thrust, the light was so intense it cut through the darkness like shooting stars across space.
[That’s dada’s ship,] Lin Xu told Yuanxiao. [See the brightest one in the middle? That’s the Victoria. That’s where dada works.]
[Dada… come back… when?] Yuanxiao’s round eyes stared hard at the sky, trying to make out the stars more clearly.
[I don’t know either. He said it wouldn’t be more than half a year.]
The Abyss Fleet’s planned patrol was supposed to last three months. But this mission was primarily for combat support—if the war ended quickly, perhaps they could apply for early leave and return to the Crescent District for rest.
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