Military Headquarters. Afternoon. Gu Qing received a message from Loess.
【Clues are beginning to take shape. Xingmang Hall—meet as soon as possible.】
Gu Qing quickly glanced at Milton, who was sorting through files beside him, and closed his light-screen. His tone was concise, leaving no room for refusal: “Let’s go—to Xingmang Hall.”
Milton froze for a moment, frowning slightly. “You’re taking me to a place like that?”
“Now,” Gu Qing replied calmly. “It belongs to us.”
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze both serene and sharp. “It’s time you were involved.”
Those words struck Milton deeply. Looking at Gu Qing, he immediately understood: this was not an invitation, but a gesture of trust and responsibility—Gu Qing was directly bringing him into the inner circle for the first time.
Milton didn’t hesitate. Clutching the documents tightly, his eyes firm: “Alright.”
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the glazed dome of Xingmang Hall, casting shifting, kaleidoscopic patterns.
When Gu Qing and Milton entered, Loess was already waiting. He thought he had steeled himself, yet his chest tightened the moment he saw them.
Gu Qing and Milton walked side by side, fingers intertwined, displaying an intimate closeness.
The gentle, composed expression Loess had imagined falling on him countless times now belonged solely to someone else.
He lowered his eyes, restraining all emotions—a mix of concealment and self-discipline.
At that moment, the hall doors suddenly burst open.
“Gu Qing! You’re too much!”
An angry, youthful voice rang out.
Ace strode into the hall, frustration written across his face. “You dumped the whole Qingyuan project on me! Do you even know how swamped I’ve been lately? Have you gone love-brain crazy? You’re supposed to be the boss, yet you act like a hands-off manager!”
Gu Qing lifted his teacup, sipping slowly. “So, what happened at Qingyuan?”
Ace faltered, his momentum stalling. “…Someone’s investigating the owner of Qingyuan. I blocked some attempts using family resources, but a faction is probing thoroughly. No matter how I trace it, I can’t find the source.”
Gu Qing raised an eyebrow. “Your family knows you’re the founder?”
“Of course,” Ace sneered. “They even wanted me to hand over Qingyuan for them to manage, saying male elites should enjoy life, not worry about affairs. Dream on! I won’t let them swallow Qingyuan.”
Gu Qing nodded. “Good.”
“And the subordinate females? How are they adjusting?”
“Uh… they seem a little afraid of me,” Ace replied, his tone subtly shifting. “Whenever I cook, they nervously scramble to help, and I can’t even finish a single pot. Otherwise, it’s fine.”
Loess finally spoke. “Thank you for looking after them. They’re companions I brought out from Xingmang Hall.”
Ace glanced at him but said nothing.
Gu Qing continued: “Ace, this is Loess, my most trusted partner in Xingmang Hall.”
Loess blinked slightly. Not a subordinate, not a pawn, but a partner.
Gu Qing turned to Loess. “Ace is the founder of Qingyuan.”
Loess observed the young male, initially concerned he might look down on him, but Ace only nodded, expression cool but respectful, seemingly unpracticed in pleasantries.
Gu Qing smiled. “This is Milton, my future female consort.”
Milton blushed and nodded politely.
Ace raised an eyebrow. “I’ve heard of the general’s renown. Seeing you in person, it does not disappoint.”
Loess also smiled faintly. “You and Gu Qing… are well matched.”
The words were gentle, yet his fingers secretly clenched.
After the formalities, Loess reported the important intelligence:
“Recently, a starship entered a restricted zone quietly.”
Gu Qing arched an eyebrow. “Where exactly?”
“A star region long sealed off by the royal family and military. Rumored to be the private territory of the founding emperor of the insectoid empire. No insects know the details.”
Ace snorted. “He’s been dead for thousands of years. What’s left? Probably stripped clean long ago.”
Loess ignored him. “The starship didn’t linger; it withdrew quickly. Appears to be probing, perhaps searching for something. Its intentions may be complex.”
Gu Qing nodded, committing it to memory.
Loess handed another file. “Regarding recordings on the light net, I found they were released by the Loya family. They’re involved in the black market and linked to the attack on the general.”
Milton was startled, turning sharply to Gu Qing.
Loess bypassed his reaction: “…They suspect you may have been involved in Ivan Loya’s demotion. More directly, they want revenge for the humiliation you and General Milton caused them at the military hearing.”
Ace snorted. “Serves them right.”
Gu Qing’s expression remained unchanged. “Any other movements among the nobles?”
Loess presented the final page, voice low: “Arthur Rhine and Leo Sieg, shortly after being exiled to the frontier, committed suicide.”
Loess continued: “These noble houses… were the targets you initially instructed me to handle.”
At that moment, the air seemed to freeze.
He saw Milton’s eyes widen, fixating on Gu Qing, finally piecing together all the clues.
He had never truly understood what Gu Qing had done—until now.
This profound, protective love was more tangible than any vow, yet warm enough to shake the heart.
Loess lowered his gaze, exhaling softly.
—What a fortunate insect, to be guarded by Gu Qing…
After the meeting, Loess lingered alone in the corridor, watching Gu Qing lead Milton away, hand in hand. That intertwined silhouette made his eyes burn, his chest ache.
He already knew Gu Qing would not belong to him. Yet watching them leave together, the pain was undeniable.
Suddenly, a box of delicate sweets was placed before him.
“Here.”
It was Ace.
“The latest dessert from Qingyuan. Supposedly lifts insect spirits. You just happen to need a taste tester.”
His tone was arrogant, impatient. “Since you’re a partner, help out.”
Without waiting for Loess’s reply, he turned and left, as if fearing refusal.
Loess looked down at the box, stunned.
It was a series popular with young insects, rarely given to a female insect.
He laughed softly, fingers tightening around it—a mix of bitter and unexpectedly warm comfort.
—Is he trying to coax me like a little insect?
He watched the boy’s retreating figure.
—This guy might be even gentler than his cold exterior suggests.
On the way out of Xingmang Hall, Milton remained silent, replaying every word from the meeting in his mind—shock, confusion, and a deep, stirring emotion all tangled together.
After a while, he finally spoke softly. “…When you first entered Xingmang Hall, what was your goal?”
Gu Qing glanced at him, voice calm: “Originally, just to map the nobles’ influence and information… but the deeper I probed, the more something seemed off. The empire’s upper echelons may be colluding with the cultivation world.”
Milton frowned. “Then why did you take the female insects from Xingmang Hall under your command?”
“I didn’t take them,” Gu Qing said with a faint smile. “Loess brought them to me. That child is smart, knows how to survive storms, and how to leverage his position.”
“He’s a rare talent. I had him help gather intelligence on the nobles.”
Milton fell into thought. Suddenly, a silver flash appeared between them, and a round, tiny figure popped out.
“That’s right, that’s right!” The Celestial Mini rolled mischievously, brimming with excitement, as if about to reveal a huge secret. “You didn’t know, did you? Gu Qing even taught Loess some… uh, mind-reading and emotional control techniques from the Hehuan Sect of the cultivation world~”
“Hehuan Sect?” Milton’s brows knitted tighter.
“The fox-spirit cultivators who use dual-cultivation to probe and control spiritual power! Masters of seduction and emotional manipulation!” The little creature spun, voice ecstatic. “Don’t worry~ Gu Qing only taught the practical parts—reading hearts, guiding emotions—so Loess won’t be bullied by male insects again~”
“Hmph, I personally saw how badly they were treated at Xingmang Hall…”
It turned, eyes full of admiration for Gu Qing. “I didn’t expect the Hehuan techniques to be so useful! You’re amazing, a genius—a true genius!”
Gu Qing’s voice remained calm. “Techniques themselves are neither good nor bad; it’s how one uses them.”
Milton watched the back-and-forth, gaze fixed on Gu Qing. He had thought this insect merely decisive and meticulous; now he realized—it wasn’t just strategy.
After walking a while, he stopped, softly asking: “…You had Loess target those nobles who humiliated me at the hearing because of me?”
Gu Qing paused, eyes distant, tone even: “Simply because those male nobles should not shame female soldiers who fought for the empire with their lives.”
He continued walking. Unnoticed, the tips of his ears were faintly reddening.
A hush fell. The Celestial Mini, seemingly ignited, zipped in front of Milton, whispering conspiratorially: “Hey hey hey! I just thought of something super, super important!”
It feigned mystery, elongating its voice: “Remember when you were hunted by the black market and crashed on that barren planet—”
Milton blinked. “I… passed out then?”
“Exactly! Your mind was in chaos, and you fainted! The black market surrounded you completely. Do you know what Gu Qing did?”
The mini spun, sparkling wildly: “He carried you and plowed straight through! No one left alive! I swear, I’ve never seen him so fierce, not even against the ancient demon clan! That killing intent… those eyes… anyone who touched you, he’d tear the whole planet apart!”
“I saw him lose control for the first time—super-killer mode!”
“Shut up.”
Gu Qing finally spoke, as cold as ever, but betraying a hint of embarrassment.
The mini hovered midair, exclaiming: “Whoa—no way! Ears red!? The Ice-Hearted Swordmaster is actually shy!?”
“You’re seriously recording this, huh? ‘Cold Swordmaster Blushes for Love’—front page of the Cultivation Gossip Board!”
Gu Qing’s face stayed neutral, but his ears burned. He raised a hand to shoo the mini away, voice sharp: “Go away.”
“Hmph~ You’re just embarrassed~”
“…”
He ignored it and quickened his pace. “I don’t speak to unreasonable spirits.”
“Pft~ So stubborn~”
Milton finally laughed, quietly.
He had never imagined seeing this side of Gu Qing.
Nor had he imagined that, even without his knowledge, someone had quietly orchestrated the entire plan for him.
He gazed at that tall, upright figure ahead, a resolve forming deep in his heart—
No matter how difficult the future, he would walk it with Gu Qing.
Even if the path is thorny, he will never turn back.