Inside the office, the light-brain screen flickered with a notification for an upcoming meeting, yet Milton sat rigidly at his desk like a statue. His long fingers clenched the document in his hand, while his entire face burned red-hot.
He bit down on his lower lip as the scene from that day replayed in his mind like a crazed carousel—the misty hot spring, the slick floor, and how, with a single misstep, he had fallen straight onto that damned male insect. Gu Qing’s skin had been scorching, his chest solid, even his breathing unbearably hot. And he… just because of a single threat—“the towel will fall”—had been forced to obediently lie sprawled on top of him.
He remembered bracing his hands against Gu Qing’s chest muscles, remembered the hot breath curling around his ear, and remembered that line—
“You’ve already seen everything and touched everything… so now, shouldn’t you think about whether you’re going to take responsibility for me?”
Milton sucked in a sharp breath and covered his face, the heat at the tips of his ears flaring as if scorched by fire. He did not even remember how he had left Gu Qing’s place afterward—only that his mind had gone completely blank, that he fled the moment he saw the door, nearly messed up controlling the hovercar, and staggered all the way back to the military headquarters on pure instinct.
Now that he thought about it calmly, he was so ashamed he wanted to crawl into a crack in the ground.
…Damn it. Gu Qing had done it on purpose!
That so-called obedient, taciturn, innocent “little white flower” in the hospital—he did not believe it for a second! That acting deserved an Imperial Best Actor award!
The pitiful act in the hospital ward, and he had actually stupidly arranged nutritious meals for him, specifically found the most popular male-insect cuisine from the main star, even picked the softest fabrics for his clothes. Those tests at the hospital… who knew, maybe they had all been part of the performance! That bastard had played him like a fiddle from start to finish!
Milton clearly remembered the look in Gu Qing’s eyes that day—smiling black pupils, yet carrying an undeniable sense of control and provocation. That was… the gaze of a predator.
And that line that completely broke his defenses—
“Maybe you shouldn’t come alone to a male insect’s home anymore, so you don’t get bullied…”
The moment Milton thought of it, his entire being bristled.
“Bullied? He really dares to say that out loud!” he ground out through clenched teeth.
He slammed both hands on the desk and stood up, his face full of fury—yet somehow looking more like a small animal that had been teased and was still stubbornly refusing to admit it.
Only Gu Qing dared to bully him like this. Other male insects? Hah. Let them try touching even a single hair on his body.
He snorted coldly and muttered through gritted teeth, “That scheming male insect… he really is hiding his strength. He’s definitely not some weak ‘ordinary insect.’ He… definitely has a problem.”
His gaze darkened as he silently made up his mind. “I will dig out his true face, no matter what.”
Far away, within the sea of consciousness, the little ball seemed to sense an inexplicable chill. It shrank into itself and shivered violently three times, screaming internally: It’s over, it’s over, it’s over—did the general explode?! Sword Venerable, with the way you flirt… you’re probably going to be finished early in a military interrogation room, wuwuwu!
Meanwhile, Gu Qing—completely unaware (or perhaps simply not caring)—was leisurely brewing tea. His black eyes curved slightly as he watched the steam rise before him, clearly in a good mood. Of course he knew he had gone a bit too far that day. But that look—his entire face flushed red, yet still stubbornly refusing to admit it… it was simply addictive.
Ever since the hot spring incident, General Milton had not set foot in Gu Qing’s residence again.
At first, the little ball craned its neck in expectation every day, poking its head out toward the door from time to time. “Aiya, not here today either~ Not scientific at all. Hey, hey, hey, you didn’t go too far with the flirting, did you? That day he was practically short-circuited by your ‘take responsibility’ line! Did you scare him? Is he hiding in the military, replaying that memory over and over while feeling both ashamed and regretful? Hahahaha!”
Gu Qing could not be bothered to respond. He simply sat quietly by the window, circulating his spiritual energy as he thought. After a long while, he finally spoke, his tone unusually heavy. “These days, my spiritual meridians show no improvement at all… Does this world have anything that can replace spiritual energy?”
“Huh?” The little ball froze, then zipped in front of him, spinning several times before saying, “Um… that’s a good question. But~ according to the data, the energy stones in this world contain a kind of high-purity energy. Although its nature is different, in theory it might be convertible into spiritual energy!”
Gu Qing raised an eyebrow. “Energy stones?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” The little ball circled him smugly. “The high-tier energy used by the military to power warships, mechs, and heavy weapons. The higher the grade, the purer the energy. Maybe it really could be converted into spiritual energy!”
Gu Qing pondered briefly, a glint of thought flashing in his eyes. “If that’s the case, it’s worth a try. Does the military have reserves?”
“Of course they do! But you, a ‘low-level’ male insect, trying to openly get high-tier energy stones from the military? That’s hard~ And they’re expensive—expensive enough to buy ten years’ worth of nutrient solution!”
Gu Qing lowered his head in thought, his fingers lightly tapping the tabletop, his ink-black eyes deep as the sea. The military—Milton’s territory. Perhaps it was time to make a trip there himself.
“Speaking of nutrient solution—” the little ball suddenly cut in, flopping in front of him like a deflated balloon. “I’m almost sick of it! This stuff is cosmic-level awful! Every day, every meal, every sip tastes exactly the same. It’s basically torture to the Dao of Heaven!”
Gu Qing remained seated, calm as still water, as though the noise beside him had nothing to do with him.
Unable to stand it anymore, the little ball drifted over, questioning existence. “Gu Qing, how can you stand eating this? Don’t you think it tastes terrible?”
“As long as there’s something to eat, it’s fine,” Gu Qing replied flatly.
The little ball shook like a blade of grass in the wind, utterly unable to understand. “There’s no soul in this flavor at all! I’m eating it to the point I’m about to turn transparent! And you actually got used to it—this is not something a normal insect can do!”
Gu Qing ignored it. But as the days passed, the little ball’s resentment toward nutrient solution evolved from complaints into wailing. Finally, it had no choice but to act cute. “Gu Qing~ I want to eat food from your world. So many of them look super delicious~”
Gu Qing’s brows twitched slightly, as if he were finally tempted, though his tone remained calm. “They’re just simple home-style dishes.” He stood up and walked slowly toward the kitchen.
The little ball brightened an entire shade, clearly not expecting Gu Qing to cook, curiosity filling it to the brim. “Wow, Sword Venerable can cook too? Then I really have to watch!”
Gu Qing rolled up his sleeves, revealing well-defined forearms. Those hands that usually held a sword now deftly handled interstellar ingredients. His movements were smooth and flowing, every cut precise, as though he were not chopping vegetables but demonstrating sword techniques.
The pot warmed gently on the energy stove, hot oil shimmering golden. With a flick of his wrist, the ingredients fell into the pan, erupting in a crisp sizzle. Scallion segments turned to fine mince under the blade, salt sprinkling down from his fingertips.
The Dao-of-Heaven little ball hovered in midair, frozen in place, glowing as if stunned. What shocked it most was that, despite using the most ordinary ingredients, Gu Qing somehow transformed them into an aroma that made one’s mouth water.
At last, the fragrant dishes were served. The little ball could not wait to hop onto a chair, sucking in mouthful after mouthful of food into its tiny energy vortex.
“Wow, wow, wow! Sword Venerable, this is way too delicious!” It was so moved it was on the verge of tears. “It’s a hundred times better than those synthetic foods at high-end restaurants! How can you be this amazing?!”
Gu Qing’s expression remained calm as he said lightly, “In the past, Gu was merely a nameless nobody. Cooking a few meals was nothing special.”
The little ball stared in awe, slurping noodles as it asked, “Then what was your identity before? Were you cultivating in some top-tier sect while moonlighting as a chef?”
Gu Qing shook his head gently, clearly unwilling to elaborate, leaving only a single line. “In between cultivation, one naturally takes care of such things oneself.”
The little ball was still full of questions, but seeing his attitude, it did not dare push further. Hugging its bowl, it sighed with emotion: so this Sword Venerable was not only capable of slaying demons and subduing evil, but even mastered the mundane matters of daily life!
After swallowing the last bite, the little ball began floating back and forth, its tone sweet and annoying.
“Hey, hey, hey, Gu Qing, you’re this good at cooking! If that general knew about this, he’d probably be completely charmed by you~”
Spinning excitedly, it sparkled. “Although~ he already got pretty badly ‘flirted with’ at the hot spring that day, right? Hehehe~ Just thinking about that ‘take responsibility’ line makes me cringe-roll even now!”
At that, the Dao-of-Heaven little ball circled him twice, suddenly shooting upward a few inches, flashing wildly. “Ahhh, you only flirted that tiny bit and the general was about to explode! If he also found out you were deliberately pretending to be weak, he’d definitely be so angry he’d have the military investigate your identity immediately!”
Gu Qing let out a soft chuckle, his finger casually tapping the rim of his bowl. “That’s assuming he can find anything.”
“!!! That tone is so punchable!” the little ball cried. “With the way you flirt, something bad is bound to happen sooner or later!! But… wow, this soup is really, really good—another bowl!”
From that day on, the little ball refused to touch nutrient solution again, pestering Gu Qing to cook every day while nodding and praising between bites. “You’re basically the imperial chef ceiling of Sword Venerables!”
However, such high-quality meals did not last long. Gu Qing soon discovered that natural ingredients were extremely expensive. Making even a half-decent meal meant the cost of a single dinner far exceeded daily expenses. The Male Protection Association provided a monthly subsidy of thirty thousand star credits. On the surface, it seemed like a lot—but in the face of this “cosmic bottomless stomach” of a glowing orb, it was nowhere near enough.
After some calculations, Gu Qing already had a plan in mind. At this rate, he would be eaten into poverty by this light ball. Moreover, he needed spiritual energy to restore his cultivation; a reclusive life alone was far from sufficient.
So he instructed the little ball to search the star network for ways to enter the military.
The little ball snickered mischievously. “Isn’t that guy already in the military? Why bother with all this? Hehe~ Want me to think of a way to make the general come invite you in himself? If he suddenly sees you appear at the military headquarters—oh man, that expression would be—wahahahaha! Just imagining it is hilarious!”
Gu Qing shot the little ball a sideways glance, his tone flat. “Last time, it was clearly his movements that went too far. I did nothing, yet it ended up looking like I forced him.”
The little ball muttered, “Oh please~ Sword Venerable, your skin is thicker than metal. You fell right into the general’s arms and can still say with a straight face that he took advantage of you…”
It let out a wicked laugh. “But honestly, you really flirted hard that day. Even I couldn’t take it, let alone him—and he’s a female insect—”
Gu Qing glanced at it coolly. “I did nothing. He fell on his own.”
“Yes, yes, yes, he fell onto you, you blew into his ear, he blushed, his heart raced, his legs went weak, and the whole time you totally didn’t do anything on purpose! Amazing, amazing—who could possibly be better at playing innocent than our Sword Venerable~” The little ball’s face screamed you’re just being stubborn.
Gu Qing could not be bothered to argue and said lightly, “The military is large. We might not even run into each other.”
“You still want to hide?” The little ball wore an I-see-through-you expression and quickly pulled up a new interface. “Here~ I found something. The Mental Sea Support Department is currently recruiting volunteer male insects. And the reason is~”
It read solemnly, “Due to increasingly intense frontline battles, some military female insects are under excessive mental strain and urgently require male insects to perform regular mental sea purification. We sincerely invite male insects with good overall qualities and stable mental power to join the support team—apply quickly, generous pay, comprehensive benefits~”
Grinning like it was watching a show, it said, “Hey, Sword Venerable, you should go~ It can help cover food expenses and support this poor little ball! And who knows, you might ‘coincidentally’ run into a certain general. Wahahaha, just thinking about it—I’m dying of laughter!”
Gu Qing glanced at the brochure, then at his nearly empty account balance, and nodded thoughtfully. “Very well.”
Little ball: “…Huh? You’re really going?!”
Gu Qing smiled faintly. “I have my own plans.”
At the same time, in a high-level office at military headquarters, Milton was seething with rage.
“That damned male insect actually signed up for mental sea support?!” He shot to his feet, nearly flipping the desk and chair. “What the hell is he trying to do?!”
Vice Officer Irelt flinched and said softly, “General… it seems he applied proactively, and his mental stability assessment was all green…”
Milton ground his teeth, eyes practically shooting sparks.
That bastard did it on purpose, didn’t he? Still daring to come to the military—was he planning to keep playing him, teasing him, provoking him?
No, this was definitely not something an ordinary male insect would come up with!
—He must be plotting something!
Milton’s expression darkened like stormy waters as he said coldly, “He’d better not fall into my hands.”
Vice Officer: “…Sir?”
Milton let out a cold laugh. “If he gets assigned to me, I’ll take very good ‘care’ of him.”