TCPUAAV Chapter 97

 

 

The next morning, Luther arrived at the hotel early to pick up Ruan Shiqing and his group.

 

Although Rong Heng’s identity had already been revealed, the fact that he was the former crown prince of the Empire made his status sensitive. For safety reasons, he had no choice but to maintain his cub form. The little mermaid, however, no longer needed to ride in a stroller—he had finally transformed into his complete human form.

 

The new clothes Ruan Shiqing had bought for him earlier came in handy. The slender youth was now dressed in a fitted vintage-style shirt and suspenders, his long hair tied back and adorned with a gemstone-beaded chain. The delicate features of his face looked even more exquisite, as if finely sculpted.

 

Meanwhile, the little dragon cub and the little fox, too lazy to walk on their own, simply remained in their beast forms and clung to their father.

 

When Luther saw them emerge from the hotel, Ruan Shiqing was carrying two cubs in his arms, holding one by the hand, with a teenager and a small robot following on either side. The whole group looked like a family on an outing.

 

Unable to help himself, Luther chuckled. “With so many people in the family, traveling sure is a grand affair.”

 

As they stepped out of the hotel, passersby couldn’t help but cast curious glances their way.

 

Ruan Shiqing patted the cubs in his arms, signaling for them to get into the vehicle before turning to Luther. “We’ll be troubling you again.”

 

Luther waved his hand dismissively, indicating it was no trouble at all. Once everyone had boarded and settled in, he started up the land cruiser and headed toward their first destination—the Sikkim Historical Museum.

 

As the capital planet, Sikkim was full of attractions. Ruan Shiqing had planned a full week for sightseeing and had thoroughly researched their itinerary. Among all the places, he was most interested in the historical museum.

 

It was said that the Sikkim Historical Museum contained detailed records of the Galactic Empire’s cultural and technological history, making it an ideal educational visit for the cubs.

 

Moreover, the museum was located near Palka Palace. After touring the exhibits, they could conveniently visit the grand palace, a symbol of the royal family.

 

The drive from the hotel to the museum wasn’t too long—forty minutes later, they arrived at their destination.

 

Luther took the land cruiser to the parking area, while Ruan Shiqing led the cubs to wait at the main entrance. However, their group immediately attracted a lot of attention.

 

Whether it was the cubs or the adults, their diverse species and striking appearances made them stand out in the bustling crowd outside the museum. Pedestrians passing by couldn’t help but steal a few extra glances at them.

 

The cubs, unfazed by the attention, looked around with bright, curious eyes. Every now and then, they would tilt their heads up to ask Ruan Shiqing questions.

 

Ruan Shiqing patiently answered each one, his face brimming with warmth.

 

The only one who wasn’t in a good mood was Rong Heng, who was currently being carried by the little robot.

 

He discreetly glared at the two cubs occupying Ruan Shiqing’s embrace, his expression dark.

 

—That was supposed to be his spot.

 

Now that he had revealed his true identity, he felt a little embarrassed to shamelessly cling to Ruan Shiqing like before. He had hesitated for a moment when they left the hotel in the morning, and in that brief hesitation, the little dragon cub and the little fox had unceremoniously taken his place.

 

The crown prince was so furious he wanted to pummel the little brats, but he didn’t dare show his dissatisfaction in front of Ruan Shiqing.

 

So, while no one was paying attention, he stealthily tugged on the little dragon cub’s happily swishing tail.

 

The little dragon cub blinked in confusion and turned his head. “Who pulled my tail?”

 

Rong Heng kept his paws neatly folded and looked away innocently.

 

With no answer, the little dragon cub quickly lost interest and turned his attention elsewhere.

 

Then, his tail got tugged again.

 

!!!!

 

The little dragon cub’s eyes went round with indignation. He suspiciously scanned his surroundings. “Who’s pulling my tail?!”

 

The little fox gave him a disdainful shove. “Who would bother pulling your tail?”

 

But someone clearly pulled it!

 

The little dragon cub was so annoyed that he snorted out tiny sparks from his nostrils and turned to argue with the little fox about whether or not someone had pulled his tail.

 

Meanwhile, the crown prince, sitting primly with his paws tucked in, observed the chaos with satisfaction, his previously gloomy mood lifting slightly.

 

Not far away, two figures were watching this scene.

 

Siyan’s gaze was fixed on the small white cub curled up in the golden robot’s arms. That tiny figure, mischievously tugging on the black dragon cub’s tail, was a rare sight—so full of life.

 

In his memory, ever since Farah was gone, this child had grown up too quickly. At least in front of him, Rong Heng had never shown such a carefree side again.

 

His eyes lingered, unmoving.

 

Following his gaze, Garland instead noticed the black dragon cub. “A primitive human, yet he’s traveling with a merfolk, a dragon, and even a nine-tailed fox cub. Interesting.”

 

After spotting them at the hotel the other day, Garland had secretly contacted his informants to confirm that the black dragon cub was indeed unregistered.

 

With how difficult dragon reproduction was, every single dragon cub was precious. Now that an undocumented one had appeared, he naturally intended to investigate further.

 

However, given his current position, he couldn’t make a move openly—he would need to find an opportunity to approach them and gather information slowly.

 

“It is interesting,” Siyan replied indifferently, withdrawing his gaze without further discussion. Instead, he got straight to the point. “How is the surgery preparation coming along?”

 

“Everything is set.”

 

At the mention of the experiment, Garland’s expression darkened slightly. “But are you sure His Majesty can convince Old Bart to go through with the procedure? Those old foxes are more cowardly and self-serving than anyone.”

 

“You’ve already seen the experimental results yourself.” Siyan lowered his gaze, his fingers tapping lightly on the control panel. “Such a groundbreaking achievement—no one would be able to resist.”

 

Garland frowned. “The current results are indeed promising, but the risks—”

 

“There are no risks.” Siyan interrupted him with a soft chuckle. “Human-mechanical augmentation will be the greatest medical advancement in the history of the Galactic Empire. With over twenty thousand test subjects, the failure-to-death rate is only 0.0005%. Who wouldn’t be tempted?”

 

“Wouldn’t you agree?” Siyan’s gaze landed on him, eyes carrying an undeniable confidence.

 

Garland held his gaze for a moment before his furrowed brows slowly relaxed. He shrugged. “I understand what you mean. I just hope you can convince them.”

 

Siyan smiled but didn’t elaborate further. “Just focus on preparing for the surgery. Old Bart has already agreed. Once all four major financial conglomerates are under my command, taking Sijialan will just be a matter of time.”

 

At the mention of Sijialan, Garland’s expression darkened with a trace of menace. “I hope His Majesty’s actions will be as impressive as his words.”

 

Siyan ignored the skepticism in his tone. As if suddenly remembering something, he turned to him and said, “By the way, if Old Bart’s surgery goes smoothly, I’ll share some information with you—about Hector.”

 

Garland’s eyes snapped up to him, his voice cold. “A dead man isn’t worth using as a bargaining chip.”

 

Siyan’s smile deepened with hidden meaning. “How do you know he’s dead?”

 

Garland’s expression faltered for a brief moment, his gaze sharpening like a blade. “What do you know?”

 

The reports from the Ota frontlines stated that Hector had died in a Zerg ambush. They had been unable to recover his complete body—only scraps of clothing, his issued weapon, and the keepsake they had exchanged.

 

Dragons were notoriously hard to kill. At first, Garland refused to believe Hector could have perished so easily in a swarm of Zerg. But after multiple investigations, he discovered that Hector’s downfall was deeply entangled with Sijialan.

 

Hector was strong—strong enough to fend off most threats. But even he couldn’t guard against a calculated betrayal.

 

Only then did Garland accept the reality of his death. He had also more or less figured out why the Merfolk had targeted Hector.

 

Unwilling to drag the entire Dragon Clan into a war, he had instead turned to Siyan for cooperation.

 

“I don’t know much,” Siyan said, withholding details. “Our previous collaborations have always been pleasant. If nothing unexpected happens this time, you’ll get all the answers you seek.”

 

Garland clenched his jaw, forcing down the rage bubbling in his chest. After a long, piercing look at Siyan, he finally said, “I hope His Majesty keeps his word.”

 

Siyan chuckled softly and nodded, watching as Garland stepped out.

 

Once he was alone, the false warmth on his face faded bit by bit. He turned to look toward the museum entrance, but the peculiar family from earlier had already gone inside.

 

He could no longer see that little white cub.

 

His smile disappeared entirely, replaced by an expression of cold indifference.

 

After sitting in silence for ten minutes, he finally started up his land cruiser and drove toward a bakery on Julian Street, where he purchased two boxes of delicately crafted cloud cakes.

 

When he returned to Palka Palace, Queen Thea hurried over with her attendants, taking his arm with a worried expression. “Why did Your Majesty go out without an escort? That’s far too dangerous.”

 

“Yesterday, you said you had no appetite, so I went to Julian Street to buy your favorite cloud cakes.” Siyan’s gaze was gentle as he handed the two boxes to her attendants.

 

Thea’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. Joy flickered across her face, but she also blushed with embarrassment. “The attendants could have bought them. You didn’t need to go personally…”

 

“How could what I buy be the same as what they buy?” Siyan draped an arm around her shoulders and led her back toward her chambers. “You must’ve stayed up waiting for me and skipped your afternoon nap, didn’t you? A pregnant woman needs plenty of rest. Go take a nap first, and I’ll join you for tea afterward.”

 

Thea’s cheeks grew warmer. She nodded softly, casting him an affectionate glance before reluctantly releasing his arm and heading to her bedroom to rest.

 

Only after she disappeared behind the door did Siyan turn away and walk to his study.

 

He dismissed the servants, shut the door, and the warmth on his face instantly vanished without a trace.

 

Striding into the washroom, he turned on the faucet and scrubbed his hands repeatedly. Only when his pale skin turned red from friction did he finally stop.

 

Raising his head, he met his own gaze in the mirror.

 

The man reflected back at him was pale and somber, like a demon or a ghost, devoid of the gentle warmth he had feigned.

 

He stared at himself for a long time before finally breaking eye contact. Moving deliberately, he dried his hands, applied several layers of disinfectant, then walked over to the portrait of the former queen.

 

In the painting, the young woman smiled at him radiantly.

 

He touched the corner of his lips, slowly forming a rare, genuine smile, albeit unfamiliar and stiff.

 

In a quiet, murmuring voice, he whispered, “Farah, I’m so close to succeeding.”

 

No one who had taken part in that fateful event would escape retribution.

 

He would use the blood and bones of his enemies to honor his beloved.

 

And for their child—he would carve a path smooth and without troubles.

 

 

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Yup, that definitely doesn’t look like a man who would purposely attempt to kill his own son… So what is going on with Siyan???? Also, how is it that Garland couldn’t find anything about Hector’s despite being the dragon clan’s chief? Is he that powerless compared to Lucien and his group since they’re the one who asked Rong Heng to rescue him??? Or was it the influence of the mermaid’s clan? Though we clearly see that Siyan is against them? My brain orz

 

 

Thanks for reading!

For every three ko-fis, I will upload a bonus chapter~