With the hybrids intervening, the scattered Senluo people were slowly being rescued and sent back to their homeworld. Across the Neo‑Human Union, the Senluo had become living rarities—none more prized than the ruling bloodline.
The chieftain's lineage was born with silver hair and ethereal beauty, their value on the black markets beyond measure—treasures that could never be bought, only fought for.
Ye Cheng, a mere commoner, paraded Suo‑Luo around town every day, openly raising two Senluo children as well. Even without advertising, such spectacle had already drawn the gaze of Elan Star's elite—and even some from other systems.
Among Ye Cheng's three Senluo "possessions," the eldest bore mismatched eyes, while the two little ones were perfect twins. Properly trained, they'd be mesmerizing. Yet Ye Cheng was "wasting" her fortune—raising them like ordinary children, sending them to normal preschool classes, while letting the elder run laps as her sparring partner.
Did she have any idea how much it cost to train an ideal "specimen"?
Every onlooker burned with indignation and envy.
Still, Ye Cheng had ties with Kayrald, the administrative governor of neighboring Fountain Star, and her bank account was comfortably full. Many coveted the Senluo family—but none dared to bid, much less attempt theft.
She was clearly inexperienced, but investigations revealed her registered slave, Yang Yu, was far from ordinary; despite his low Night‑tier ranking, he possessed a High‑Grade Beast Hunter License.
On Elan Star, the ranking fifth among local apex predators was the Rockfire Rhino—a mere Mid‑level beast. Hunters licensed for High‑level targets were terrifying combatants, easily imagined.
Under Union law, a master's ownership of a native slave could only be revoked by capital punishment or voluntary transfer. Anyone attempting to seize another's slave could be legally executed on the spot by the defender or the slave itself.
Given the risk of provoking a man like Yang Yu—and the certainty that Suo‑Luo and the children would self‑terminate if Ye Cheng were harmed—no one could find a path or moment to strike.
Amid this vortex of jealousy and conspiracy, Ye Cheng—exhausted and oblivious—continued her daily life, dragging her radiant Senluo partner to training like nothing had changed.
To those watching, it was as if she were hauling a cart of gold through a den of starving thieves.
Finally, Elan Star's grandest festival arrived: Founding Day.
Even the Special Class cadets, usually cursed with endless drills, were granted a rare reprieve. The rest period was shortened by four days compared to official leave, but three whole days—seventy‑two hours—of freedom felt like luxury.
The day before, even the instructors showed leniency: thirty laps with thirty pounds of gear — then dismissed. After running, Ye Cheng followed her routine, sitting down at the track edge with a book while waiting for Suo‑Luo to finish his double quota. His pace had grown sharp; covering twice her distance took only one‑and‑a‑half times as long.
Elated, they walked home together. Ye Cheng was already planning vacation options. Perhaps she could take the kids sightseeing? But crowded places drew attention, and remote ones might bore them.
She was still debating when she stepped through the gate—and froze.
At the door knelt a silver‑haired girl, no older than eight or nine, naked but for the golden‑stamped letter clenched between her lips. Hearing the gate, she turned blank, glassy eyes toward Suo‑Luo before lowering her gaze to Ye Cheng. Crawling forward on her knees, she bowed and pressed her forehead lightly against Ye Cheng's pant leg—then offered the envelope by gently touching it to her fingers.
Ye Cheng looked up. Yang Yu stood by the fence and nodded, silently mouthing: "Take it."
She stooped, removed the envelope from the girl's trembling lips, and opened it. After a quick read, she folded it carefully.
"Understood. Please thank Governor Prand for me. I'll attend this evening."
Only then did the child crawl away. Moments later, an autonomous mag‑track car glided in, doors opening for her. She climbed inside and was gone.
Inside, Ye Cheng handed the letter to Yang Yu, then knelt to pet the children who had run to greet her.
"Ginkgo, Water Cypress, be good and grab some snacks, okay? We need to talk."
Obediently, the twins went off hand in hand.
Prand. Ye Cheng knew the name—governor of Elan Star, equal in rank to Kayrald.
She had never met him personally but knew his record from broadcasts and class materials: a staunch proponent of the Union's slave system, who used countless hybrid slaves and Elan's border‑world position to experiment in Star‑tree cultivation. The project's success had earned him commendation from Speaker Klin himself. It was Prand who had brought three Union dignitaries to the Academy opening last year.
Beside such achievements, Kayrald looked positively minor. Prand was the true power of Elan — a man no outsider could intimidate.
Had the invitation mentioned Ye Cheng alone, she would merely be nervous. But the line "We await you and your beautiful treasures, in full attire" made her blood run cold.
"All of them" — meaning not just Suo‑Luo, but also the children.
"What should I do?" she asked, dropping onto the sofa. Her voice was anxious.
Yang Yu's answer was instant.
"Attend."
"He demands the children too!"
"So we all go."
"We can't just hide? What's he after?"
"Obvious," Yang Yu said. "He wants them."
Ye Cheng's breath caught—the hollow eyes of that messenger flashed in her mind. She remembered her first encounter with Suo‑Luo and the twins years ago: the three‑year‑olds barely spoke, the adult man knew nothing but obedience. Ice climbed her spine.
"I won't give them up."
Yang Yu sighed. > "Do you lack money?"
She glared. He of all people knows I don't!
"Would you trade Suo‑Luo or the children for that girl?" he pressed.
Never. She couldn't save the world, nor abolish slavery alone—but she refused to sacrifice her own family to balance another's fate.
Her expression told him everything.
"Then you know he won't ask politely or by force. People like Prand and Kayrald prefer legitimacy—the appearance of virtue. So… he'll take another route."
Ye Cheng blinked—and suddenly understood.
Yang Yu lifted his hand. A holo‑file flared open from his ring: an official order of medical transfer denial.
"Your father, Mr. Ye Zhiqiu, has been placed under their custody."
Ye Cheng froze, then gritted her teeth so hard she tasted blood.
"Ye Zhiqiu… they've taken him!"
"Perhaps it's time to seek the Alliance's aid."
She shook her head instantly. No. Ye Cheng still didn't fully understand her father's ties with the Zero Domain Free Alliance. Shennong had warned her that even within the Alliance were those who wanted him dead. To approach them now could destroy everything.
"I can't…"
Yang Yu didn't press for reasons.
"Then Kayrald."
That name hit like cold water. Clarity returned instantly.
Since receiving the Twilight‑tier fruit and Duskhour‑tier mecha, she was already labeled a member of Kayrald's faction. Prand knew it too.
By targeting Ye Cheng's father and demanding her Senluo family, Prand was openly provoking Kayrald—a challenge he could not ignore without losing face.
Within seconds, Ye Cheng straightened, opened her ring, and sent a direct call request to Kayrald's office.
If she could stall with his influence, she might save them yet.
After a brief exchange with the governor's secretary, Yang Yu quietly withdrew to his room.
He opened his own ring; a line connected.
"What is it?" came Su Tie's voice.
"Administrator Prand has invited my master and our group to tonight's Slave Exchange Gala. Confirming whether there's any training assignment scheduled?"
"None."
"And the next three days? The master wishes to visit her father."
"No assignments."
"Thank you."
He ended the call, notifying the Alliance through a hidden channel right after.
The Alliance never shied from grand maneuvers. If Prand fell from power, Kayrald would gladly inherit his star—rich with the veins of Twilight‑tier crystal.
But as Yang Yu walked to the door with a neutral face, one silent thought cut through:
Careful with your appetite. A meal too large can choke even a king.