The one who should have died

Inside the​‌‌​‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‍​​​​⁠‌‍​ prison on the aircraft carrier, Zhou Jiuya was interrogating Cecilia.

A layer of reinforced glass separated them as they sat face to face. Cecilia’s hands and feet were locked in mechanical handcuffs. She had changed into a prison uniform, but it still couldn’t hide her striking figure.

Yet, becoming a prisoner didn’t seem like a particularly bad thing for Cecilia. She remained as sultry and provocative as ever, leisurely playing with her well-manicured nails.

“I’m not interested in you, Little Birdie Zhou. Ask Pei Changyun to come here in person.”

Zhou Jiuya’s expression turned cold.

“You think you’re in a position to make demands?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? Besides, is it really that important whether I was the one who leaked the intel?”

Cecilia propped her cheek on one hand, drawing idle circles on the table with a fingertip.

“The once beloved Saintess was imprisoned for over 200 years. Who do you think was to blame?”

At this, her fingers paused, and the lazy smile on her face faded into coldness.

“Jiang Jinsheng, a mere B-class alpha. He clearly didn’t have the strength to protect her, yet he just had to get involved.”

Back when the Saintess had fallen out with the Pope and was imprisoned, Cecilia, as her apostle, naturally became the object of countless desires. After all, she was an omega. And not just any omega, an A-class one.

In such a brutal environment, Cecilia had quickly adapted. It took her over two centuries, but she had finally carved out a place for herself in the cutthroat Church.

She had tried every possible method to mend the relationship between the Pope and the Saintess. Even though the results were limited and the imprisonment order was never lifted, at least Bai Min had been alive, her heart still beating.

But Jiang Jinsheng’s so-called “rescue” had ended with her beloved Minmin’s death.

“You think their original plan was flawless?” Cecilia grinned, her smile turning oddly eerie.

“His Holiness the Pope has eyes and ears everywhere. There’s nothing in the Holy Relic White Tower he doesn’t know. Every believer, and maybe even more than you can imagine…”

“—They are all one of his eyes.”

As she spoke, she suddenly pulled open her collar, exposing a large swath of pale skin across her chest.

The sudden movement caught Zhou Jiuya off guard, and he jerked back like he’d been shocked. But Cecilia was wearing a low-cut camisole beneath her clothes, it was revealing, but not vulgar.

Even though Zhou Jiuya quickly averted his gaze, his peripheral vision still caught sight of a large, blood-gold Holy Stigmata spreading from her chest to her collarbone.

That Stigmata… it was supposed to be golden.

Zhou Jiuya’s brows furrowed.

“You—”

“Oh my, it’s rare to see an old man acting so pure,” Cecilia said with a mischievous wink.

“Mm, that’s Lia’s fault. I forgot that our dear Commander is still single. He hasn’t been around any omegas in years, has he…”

At this point, Cecilia seemed to suddenly remember something amusing. She stared intently at the stiff man across from her, her eyes full of playful mischief and gossip.

“Little Birdie Zhou, don’t tell me… you’re over three hundred years old and still a virgin?”

The Legion Commander who was shot in his weakness point: “……”

After Ye Shu’s stinginess struck the first blow, Zhou Jiuya found himself besieged by the world’s collective malice.

But honestly… she wasn’t wrong.

Ever since Pei Changyun had arranged a matchmaking session long ago, he has never seen a normal, delicate and cute omega again.

Zhou Jiuya was a die-hard straight-Alpha, his sexual orientation strictly pointed toward omegas. But in the military and on the battlefield, there weren’t exactly any around. And due to his extremely high level, it was difficult to find a suitable pheromone match

More importantly, he was Pei Changyun’s right-hand man, and the main commander of the Empire’s military. If he really married an omega, it would inevitably mean dedicating a significant amount of time to family life.

Zhou Jiuya was incredibly busy. So busy, in fact, that he already regretted not being able to properly raise young Jiang Ci, let alone consider any personal matters.

And so, one rejection after another, year after year of loneliness, led to the current situation. Adding to that, the esteemed Legion Commander had always been disciplined and self-restrained, handling all his physical needs himself, never seeking out some attractive beta who didn’t require marking. As a result, he had become a three-hundred-year-old virgin.

Zhou Jiuya closed his eyes briefly and decided to change the subject. But before he could speak, Cecilia had already jumped in:

“Just call Pei Changyun here.”

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Although he had found out a few days ago about the relationship between the Marshal and His Majesty the Emperor, Zhou Jiuya still couldn’t fully accept it. In that moment, he felt a tingling numbness across his scalp.

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“Go summon His Majesty.”

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Meanwhile, the diligent Emperor was still handling matters related to Eternal Cloud Planet. Last night’s celebration had meant nothing special to him, Pei Changyun had never been one to drink, not even a drop.

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Eternal Cloud Planet was also a life-sustaining planet. Seeds and animals brought from Earth had started to flourish, so in addition to nutrient fluids, they were now able to maintain a diet roughly comparable to Earth’s. But for Pei Changyun, he was too busy. All he needed was sufficient energy to keep working.

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“Your Majesty, you only slept for three hours last night. Perhaps you should rest a bit…”

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At the moment, he himself, along with the First Legion’s main force, was stationed on Holy Dew Planet. There was a real chance the Church might redirect their efforts toward Eternal Cloud Planet. Though Pei Changyun didn’t believe they had the strength to take the planet outright, if it came to an all-out fight, the Empire would surely suffer heavy losses. The most urgent task now was to locate the Holy Relic White Tower and secure all defensive measures around the Capital…

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“The female prisoner is requesting to see you.”

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The officer hesitated and whispered awkwardly:

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His Majesty the Emperor stared at her for a few seconds, his gaze sweeping over the Holy Stigmata that crept up from her neck. It was crimson-gold and it grew darker, like a flamboyant, blooming flower.

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“I thought you wouldn’t come,”
Cecilia tilted her head, smiling sweetly.
“After all, you’ve been holed up on Eternal Cloud Planet for the past three hundred years like a turtle in its shell, not even showing your head.”

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Ever since Earth was reduced to a dead planet, Pei Changyun had never once left Eternal Cloud Planet. Even when the old Alliance was completely overthrown and the Empire began to rise, expanding its territory in all directions, he still stayed behind.

Even when countless people went to Earth to mourn Huo Chao, even the Pope himself had visited, Pei Changyun never went, not even once. This had often been used as “evidence” by those who slandered and defamed him.

For a full three centuries, Pei Changyun remained stationed on Eternal Cloud Planet.

The Empire’s autocratic system had granted him supreme power, but it also made him the heart and brain of the entire nation. Therefore, Pei Changyun could not afford to take any risks. Because if he died, the Illusory God Church would have no more reservations, they would invade again, just like they once did when they manipulated the Alliance.

So he could not die.

“Yes, you definitely mustn’t die.”

Seeing that he didn’t respond, Cecilia nodded to herself, muttering:

“After all, if His Majesty the Emperor dies, there’s no heir to succeed you.”

Pei Changyun shot her a cold glare.

“Did you ask to see me just to spout nonsense?”

“It’s been so long since we last met and your attitude is so cold, Xiao Yunyun~”

Pei Changyun simply tapped behind his ear and instructed the guard:

“Go borrow Bright Moon, and have the best mecha technician replace its outer coating.”

Bright Moon’s current coating had been done years ago, being painted by Bai Min and Cecilia.

“Yes, sir!”

The guard was about to leave when a sharp alarm suddenly shrieked from the mechanical restraints.

Bang—!

Cecilia slammed her fist onto the table, like an enraged lioness suddenly provoked.

“Pei Changyun, how dare you!”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

His Majesty arched an eyebrow and turned his head slowly. His emerald eyes were colder than ice.

“So, prisoner Cecilia, are you ready to talk properly now?”

The woman glared at him coldly before heavily sitting back down into her seat.

“Heh. Trying to threaten me… Pei Changyun, you think you’ve hidden your tail well, don’t you?”

“Tail” referred to a weakness or leverage that could be used against someone.

Just as Pei Changyun could use Bai Min to threaten her, Cecilia could use Huo Chao to threaten him.

“There’s no need to hide,”
He said flatly.
“He’s already dead.”

And unlike how Bai Min had left Cecilia the mecha Bright Moon, Pei Changyun had nothing. No leverage, no tail, and nothing, absolutely nothing, left behind from that person that could be used to threaten him.

Cecilia was silent for a few seconds, then spoke,

“What if I said that person could come back to life?”

“Don’t use the same trick on me twice.”

Pei Changyun lowered his head to adjust his cuffs, his expression cold.

“A mere fake, it only dirtied my hands.”

“Oh… you don’t believe me. It seems Zhou Jiuya didn’t tell you many things. Even His Holiness the Pope investigated this secret for over two hundred years, so it’s normal that you don’t know.”

Cecilia nodded in understanding, supporting her cheek with one hand, a meaningful smile on her face.

“Well, our Highness Huo Chao, he didn’t die in a nuclear explosion, you know.”

She looked at Pei Changyun, whose body instantly stiffened, and tilted her head amidst his suddenly icy gaze.

“The one who should have died in that nuclear explosion…”

“—was Huo Xianfeng.”