TCFGBH Chapter 125

Planet LC45, one of countless ordinary planets on the Empire’s borders.

This is an agricultural planet where the temperature remains around 28 degrees Celsius year-round. The technology is underdeveloped, the people are simple, and the cost of living is extremely low.

On a remote farm, a group of young men are gathered around, watching a military live broadcast.

“…There’s an ambush on the left, quickly turn around… Ah… Lost again.” One of the men slapped his forehead in frustration. “It’s that damn Pei Shuang from Team 89 again. How does he always appear out of nowhere?”

“You lost, pay up.”

With a sigh, the man pulled out two banknotes and handed them to his friend. “If nothing unexpected happens, Team 89 will likely win the Mecha League championship.”

His friend whistled proudly. “My judgment is always sharp.”

“The battle’s not over,” another person interjected. “I bet Team 8 will win.”

The man pulled up the live stream of Team 8 and watched for five minutes. Unable to hold back, he complained, “They’re so mediocre. How could they beat Pei Shuang?”

“Team 8 has His Majesty in it.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. The group’s eyes lit up with fervent admiration and obsession, like fanatical devotees eager to talk about the supreme ruler.

The young king, who ascended the throne at a tender age, had enacted countless policies to improve the lives of the lower classes. He personally led expeditions to slay the border’s Zerg Queen.

So powerful, yet so beautiful.

Who could not love him?

Even his occasional temper and his noble, arrogant demeanor were adorably charming.

Amid this enthusiastic atmosphere, one person stood out as an anomaly. He stood at the edge cautiously, his dark brown hair messy and hanging down to cover half his face. His clothes were a bit tight, the buttons strained, faintly revealing his well-toned physique.

He stared at the virtual screen with a slightly dazed look.

But soon, the fire in his eyes, hidden beneath his bangs, burned with intense anger.

“…Grover Gillingham?”

Someone nearby, hearing him speak, turned around curiously. “You know the chief examiner? Not many of the younger generation know him.”

The man licked his dry lips. “He returned to the capital?”

“His Majesty and the king consort have been married for 123 years, and they still have no children. I heard they have no intention of having any.”

With advanced interstellar technology, same-sex couples can cultivate children using their blood, creating offspring with both of their shared bloodlines.

“The former king only had one child with the queen. Duke Xia and his wife also didn’t have a second child, leaving the heir position vacant.” He took a drag of his cigarette. “As for Grover, his child is already twelve. They recently tested the child’s mental power and it’s reportedly an SS rank.”

“???” The man was shocked. “Has he gone mad? Back then, he and His Majesty fought for the throne, which is why he was exiled. What makes him think His Majesty would make his child the heir?!”

“Maybe it’s because His Majesty is kind-hearted and won’t punish the innocent.”

So, Grover took the gamble, knowing that if he won, he’d gain everything; if he lost, he’d have nothing to lose.

The man stared hard at Grover’s face on the screen, his expression constantly shifting. Until the camera switched, he finally made up his mind.

He couldn’t let Grover get his way.

He had to expose his true identity.

No one was more qualified for this than he was.

After all… he had been a true participant back then.

He once had a bright future, but his greed led to Grover Gillingham’s family buying him off, stealing Xia Yan’s intelligence brain, and trapping him in a cheating scandal during an exam.

For over a hundred years, the Gillingham family, after initially providing him with money, likely sent mercenaries to kill him to prevent the truth from being exposed. Fortunately, he was quick-witted and managed to escape.

Afterward, he went into hiding, living a life at the bottom while experiencing the Empire’s prosperity under Xia Yan’s leadership.

Xia Yan Gardner was a competent king.

As one of the people under his protection, he had an obligation to protect the king and eliminate any threats to him.

Of course, his hatred for the Gillingham family was also a reason for his actions. Why should the mastermind be allowed to return to the Empire while he had to stay in this remote place?

Ha! Let them both sink into the abyss together.

–

Capital Star.

The young man with black hair finished annotating the last document. He picked up a cup of tea, taking a small sip. Just then, a tall, handsome man opened the discreet side door and quickly walked to his side, his brow furrowed. He went straight to the point. “Yan Yan, the person who stole the intelligence brain has turned himself in.”

“Who is it?”

Time had passed, and Xia Yan had almost forgotten the events of over a hundred years ago.

After Ludwig explained, Xia Yan remembered. He lazily rested his chin in his hand, his expression calm. “It was indeed Grover.”

Back then, Grover had overheard their conversation in the hospital room, realizing his chances of success were slim. He had decisively left the capital, avoiding the storm.

The Gillingham family had carefully kept a low profile, like a well-behaved kitten, staying out of trouble.

In the blink of an eye, a hundred years passed.

And now, they are starting to stir again.

“Since there is already a witness, according to the law, we should just judge as we should.” A little bug hopping around wasn’t enough for Xia Yan to waste his attention on.

With just a few words, the fate of Grover was sealed.

Ludwig wasn’t happy with the verdict. His restlessness made him want to kill the man. After so many years together, Xia Yan could instantly see what he was thinking.

He reached out to gently ruffle Ludwig’s soft blonde hair as a form of comfort.

How could Ludwig refuse Xia Yan’s request? He rested his head on the young man’s shoulder, affectionately rubbing against him, the faint, sweet scent filling the air.

After a moment of silence, he brought up another matter. “Yan Yan, don’t you want to have our child?”

“No.”

Xia Yan had already been able to leave this world, but he couldn’t. In the previous two worlds, his identity had been that of an ordinary person, with limited influence, and the system could easily handle the aftermath once he left.

But in this world, he was the emperor.

Countless eyes were upon him.

No one would dare to assassinate an SSS-level soldier in the royal palace, and whenever Xia Yan went out, Ludwig would always accompany him. He couldn’t just bring Ludwig to a dangerous place.

So, Xia Yan had to stay.

To be honest, this feeling wasn’t all that bad.

Material wealth was plentiful, he had a loving partner and family by his side, ample time, and after finishing his daily duties, he could still study new interstellar knowledge.

Every day was fulfilling and joyful.

As for children… when he passed away at 300 years old, he would simply choose a child from a side branch to cultivate for the next world. He couldn’t leave a child in this world, so he firmly decided against it—it would be too irresponsible.

–

The intelligent brain from the theft was well-preserved, and the data extracted showed that all the materials had been prepared by Xia Yan alone.

This matter caused another uproar online, as countless details from that time were dug up. Grover’s reputation was in tatters, and he faced decades of prison time.

—At the time, Xia Yan had been a noble, so Grover couldn’t be executed for treason, which annoyed many people.

【I can’t believe I once followed Grover??? Damn, my account is tainted now.】

【Looking through old promotional videos, Grover always deliberately made the king angry. What a green tea bitch!!!】

【Grover stirred things up, the Gillingham family must have supported him. Investigate thoroughly!!!】

【Who proposed that Grover’s son should be the heir? The king is only 100 years old, still in his prime, why are they in such a hurry?】

【…Grover probably hired his own army of trolls.】

【Agreed +1.】

……

…………

Three hundred years later, the Gillingham family, once a powerful force, had become a struggling third-rate family. The throne was passed on to a young girl from the Harrison family, while Xia Yan and Ludwig enjoyed a leisurely interstellar trip.

When the end came, Xia Yan lay in bed, his right hand tightly held by Ludwig.

Ludwig’s sapphire blue eyes were filled with tears, staring at him unblinkingly. As his vision blurred, he seemed to see Ludwig gradually becoming younger, and he heard a familiar voice saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll find you.”

Beside him, a man with red hair and jade-colored eyes lay focused on him, and in his expression, Xia Yan could faintly discern some of Ludwig’s cold demeanor.

He added, “We will find you.”

?

Was it an illusion? Xia Yan wondered in a haze.

–

In the familiar deep blue space, the system was finalizing.

[Main Mission —

Task 1, completed. Gained 300 points;

Task 2, completed. Gained 300 points;

……

Task 7, completed. Gained 300 points.]

[Main Mission completed, extra reward of five… five thousand points??] The system’s voice sounded shocked, muttering quietly, [Did I remember wrong?]

999 hopped around confusedly, continuing to observe the virtual panel.

[Character completion: 85%. Gained 850 points.]

[Side Mission — the only task, completed. (Gained 5000 points.)]

[Since the side mission was quite difficult, the host saved an entire universe, extra reward of 10,000 points.]

[He is very pleased with this world and sends you 50,000 points as thanks. PS: Waiting to meet you again.]

[Congratulations, Xia Yan. You have gained a total of 72,950 points.]

[You have accumulated 95,726 points.]

Xia Yan: [???]

System: [???]

The two of them stared at each other, both at a loss for words.

After a long while, the young man spoke shakily, [I’m just 5,000 points away from being resurrected?]

The system seemed disoriented: [It seems so… Wait, but the real point here isn’t that! Why is the Supreme God in a small world? What happened between you two? He even used honorifics—‘You’!!]

999 was full of questions, unsure of where to begin.

At this moment, Xia Yan recalled the last illusion he had before leaving. He swallowed nervously and carefully said, [He’s Ludwig… or maybe… Ian?]

[So… why would the Supreme God be in a small world?]

Xia Yan: […] He didn’t know either.

[Would he be coming to the next world?]

[…Maybe.]

[What now?]

The young man thought seriously for three minutes before answering seriously, [What else can we do but complete the tasks?]

[…Oh, right.]

The Supreme God is their boss, they are merely subordinates and workers. Besides continuing to travel through small worlds, what else could they do? Well, at least the Supreme God didn’t mean them any harm.

The system calmed itself: [Host, do you want to travel now?]

[Mm.] Xia Yan nodded. Just before leaving, he unconsciously added, [This time, I want to travel with my own feelings.]

In the past, every time he completed a task, his feelings for the people in the small world were locked by the system.

[Alright, host.]