Section 339 Departure (2)
Ye Zhong ignored him. Instead, he turned around and destroyed all the communication equipment inside the starship. Shortly after, he returned and untied the red threads binding them.
"You should all know what you need to do. Now, each of you, go to your familiar posts. You," Ye Zhong pointed at the head bodyguard, "will be in command." All the bodyguards had been thoroughly searched and stripped of their belongings; they were now truly unarmed. In terms of combat, even if all of them combined, they were no match for Ye Zhong. Moreover, the young master was still in his hands.
At this point, their only chance of survival was to cooperate obediently.
"I hope none of you try anything sneaky. Otherwise..." Ye Zhong left the latter half of his sentence unspoken. But his words felt like a blade grazing everyone's necks, sending a chill down their spines.
"Go on, go on! Why are you still standing here? Do you need a knife held to my neck before you move?" The little boy sounded rather impatient, his tone oddly mature for his age.
The bodyguards exchanged glances and reluctantly turned to head towards the cockpit.
The little boy stood up, rubbing his wrists, and grumbled, "I mean, you're way too harsh. How could you be so rough with an adorable little boy like me?"
Everyone stared dumbfounded at this amusing child.
Spotting Rui Bing and Feisi, the boy's eyes lit up. He whistled, then turned to Ye Zhong, giving him a once-over before teasing, "Not bad. I never would've guessed a not-so-bright guy like you could pick up two such top-tier girls. Are they both your wives?"
Ye Zhong shook his head. "No." He answered almost involuntarily, feeling an inexplicable familiarity with the boy. Yet, Ye Zhong was certain he had never met him before. Strange—why did he feel this way?
"Then which one is?" the boy pressed.
Just as Ye Zhong was about to speak, the boy interrupted him, "Wait, wait, let me guess."
Pausing for a moment, the boy's eyes shifted between Rui Bing and Feisi before pointing at Rui Bing with absolute certainty. "She's your wife!"
"How did you know?" Ye Zhong asked, puzzled. Between Rui Bing and Feisi, the likelihood of Rui Bing becoming his wife was infinitely greater. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, if Ye Zhong were to have a wife in the future, given the current situation, he would only ever accept Rui Bing.
Whoosh—Rui Bing's previously composed face instantly turned crimson. This was the first time Ye Zhong had acknowledged her in front of others, though he didn't fully grasp what such acknowledgment implied.
"Tch, just looking at you, I can tell you're a rookie—dull and wooden, with none of a man's charm. This lady in white really drew the short straw." The boy shook his small head, sighing with an air of worldly wisdom, appearing both cute and ridiculous.
The scar-faced man sat expressionlessly beside the boy. Noticing Ye Zhong's gaze shift toward him, the boy seemed to read Ye Zhong's thoughts and lazily remarked, "Don't bother. This guy only knows how to kill." Then, straightening up, he added, "But you're really something, managing to defeat even him!"
Ye Zhong offered no response.
"Do you have Playboy?" the boy asked with a mischievous grin.
Playboy? Ye Zhong's heart skipped a beat. He suddenly thought of the Playboy and wondered how Mu and Shang were doing. But he understood what the boy meant—he was referring to a type of erotic media. Shang had been very interested in that sort of thing before.
"No," Ye Zhong shook his head.
"What about Dragon and Tiger Passion Fight?"
"No." That was another of Shang's favorite holographic films.
This boy really reminds me of Shang! The thought flashed through Ye Zhong's mind, and he froze.
Feisi watched Ye Zhong lost in thought, her own feelings a tangled mess. Love? Impossible! Feisi didn't believe she could fall for someone so easily. Then what was it? Why did she feel sad? Why had she cried? Why did her heart ache?
For Feisi, who had never experienced romance, these questions were far too complicated. Even the most seasoned psychologist would struggle to fully unravel her complex emotions. Admiration? A budding crush? The pride inherent in being a woman? Or something else entirely? Who could say?
Seeing Ye Zhong suddenly lost in thought, the boy found it very strange. He waved his small, pale hand in front of Ye Zhong's eyes. "Hey, big guy, spacing out?"
Ye Zhong snapped back to reality.
"So, where are we headed? You better not run into the armies of the Three Great Families, or you'll be in trouble," the boy said, reverting to his lazy demeanor.
The feeling was strangely warm, reminding Ye Zhong of Shang once again. He shook his head. "I've already made a plan."
"Good enough. Hey, remember to call me when it's mealtime." The boy lazily waved his hand and lay down to sleep.
"Okay," Ye Zhong replied succinctly.
How bizarre these two are! Feisi watched Ye Zhong and the boy, deeply incredulous. Old Man Poche was utterly dumbfounded.
Noticing the boy lying down, Rui Bing frowned slightly. She walked over quietly and draped a blanket over him. The boy suddenly opened his eyes, grinning mischievously. "Sis, you've had a tough time chasing him, huh?"
Rui Bing's face flushed red again. She snorted coldly and gently tapped the boy's head.
"Ow!" The boy clutched his head, complaining pitifully, "Sis, you're too rough! My skin is tender—how can it handle such force?" Then he grabbed Rui Bing's hand, rubbing his small, pale hand over hers with a look of陶醉. "So soft!"
A hint of a smile finally appeared in Rui Bing's cool eyes. She pulled her hand back and lightly flicked the boy's forehead again before turning to walk toward the corner.
"Sis, sis, talk with me!" the boy called out, but Rui Bing ignored him.
The boy muttered, "As expected—icy woman pairs perfectly with dull man. A match made in heaven!" He rolled over and fell asleep, his rhythmic snoring soon filling the room.
Feisi tugged at Old Man Poche, glanced at Ye Zhong's back, and whispered, "Grandpa Poche, where is he taking us?"
"I don't know either," Old Man Poche shook his head helplessly. "But it probably won't be too dangerous. He doesn't seem like a bad person."
"Then why did he capture us?" This question bothered Feisi deeply. Any girl would be deeply hurt by Ye Zhong's indifferent aloofness. In fact, the more knowledgeable and thoughtful a person was, the more likely they were to dwell on minor issues.
"Who knows?" Old Man Poche said dismissively, but then he patted Feisi's head with concern. "Ah, it's just a pity you got caught up in all this."
Under Ye Zhong's orders, the starship flew toward the planetary ring surrounding Zhoujian Star. The ring was filled with countless floating debris of varying sizes, forming a complete, flat ring. Generally, starships avoided planetary rings whenever possible, so when Ye Zhong announced their destination, the bodyguards looked at him as if he were an idiot.
The ring was calm, with debris silently drifting in space.
"Stay alert for obstacles," Ye Zhong said sternly.
The bodyguards were on high alert, extremely nervous. They never imagined this guy would be crazy enough to order them into a planetary ring—wasn't that suicide?
The starship's speed had slowed to a crawl. The bodyguards were extra cautious, their skills top-notch. Even so, the ship collided with several rocks. The cabin shook, and everyone looked tense. The little boy bumped his forehead against something and woke up abruptly.
"Dammit, is my forehead cursed today?" the boy cursed loudly.
Ye Zhong stared intently at the holographic screen, his expression calm and unwavering. He ordered the starship to press forward. The bodyguards were nearly driven mad; if they weren't outmatched, they would have swarmed him long ago.
"Huh?" The boy couldn't help but look thoughtful.
"Stop!" Ye Zhong suddenly commanded.
The pilots' hands jerked, nearly hitting another nearby rock. On the holographic screen was a massive rock, about three kilometers long—a relatively rare large specimen within the ring.
Ye Zhong summoned his mecha and was about to enter the cockpit when he turned to Rui Bing and said, "Keep everyone here. If anyone tries anything, don't hold back." Among all of them, Ye Zhong trusted only Rui Bing. In his heart, she was already his comrade—and he trusted his comrades implicitly.
Rui Bing, usually just aloof, now radiated a sharp, sword-like intensity, her presence overwhelming. "Mm," she acknowledged softly, her gaze so piercing no one dared meet it. Dressed in pristine white training clothes, spotless and pure, with her formidable aura, she resembled a legendary war goddess!
Feisi covered her mouth, unable to believe what she was seeing.
The boy's eyes sparkled. "Wow, so cool!" Then, resting his chin on his hand in a thoughtful pose, he murmured, "Hmm... if... these two... physically strong... considering positions... plenty of variations... potential for innovation..."
Had Rui Bing understood the boy's words, she would have immediately picked him up and given him a stern lesson in traditional values.
Just the aura Rui Bing exuded was enough to deter anyone from entertaining any foolish ideas. The pressure radiated by a Jie master was intensely oppressive, especially one like Rui Bing, who specialized in mental attacks.
Ye Zhong piloted the [Jia] mecha, carefully circling the large rock. On the holographic screen, there was nothing—the Jia had vanished without a trace the moment it left the ship. Everyone inside the starship was stunned.
Outside, Ye Zhong maneuvered the Jia to a concave area on the rock and suddenly halted.
Inside the starship, everyone stared in bewilderment.