Star Hunter.

Chapter 254 The Person Behind It

Chapter 254 The Person Behind It

Many people could understand why Pistura, Fu Qingqing, and the others came, after all, they were fellow disciples of Guan Feng. But why did the Yuan family come?

It's one thing for the Yuan family to send someone, but the person they sent was Yuan Xingchen, who is the next heir to the throne of King Fuji. Now, every move Yuan Xingchen makes represents the will of the entire Yuan family. The current King Fuji has begun to gradually relinquish power, and Yuan Xingchen is the one who appears on many occasions. Therefore, while many people are still talking about Guan Feng and Xi Lin's faults and making wild guesses and suspicions, Yuan Xingchen's arrival has silenced them.

They could keep the royal family's affairs to themselves, but they could never speak them aloud.

Meanwhile, many people's attention has shifted from the leak of Aquamarine to Xilin.

The previous King Fuji, who was also Yuan Xingchen's grandfather Yuan Liao, was not a good-tempered person.

It's an open secret in the upper echelons that Yuan Liao and Guan Feng don't get along. Many people know that Yuan Xingyao, Yuan Xingming, and others suffered a lot at Guan Feng's hands when they were at the affiliated school because Guan Feng would give these two extra lessons. After all, Guan Feng's influence at the affiliated school was quite considerable, and his status as a prince of the royal family didn't make things easy for Yuan Xingming and the others.

It seems that anyone with the character "原" in their name or who bears the label of the Ōgawa clan has never gotten a good deal with Guan Feng. Of all the students Guan Feng has personally trained over the years, only the Ōgawa clan has no students. Moreover, Guan Feng rarely appears where Yuan Liao does, and Yuan Liao rarely goes where Guan Feng stays. Even if the two must go together, they act like strangers. There is absolutely no politeness involved; it's as if even glancing at each other would be an eyesore.

These two conflicting parties would actually step forward together for the sake of Xilin, a greenhorn.

It's already good enough that the Yuan family didn't try to pin the blame on Xilin after Guan Feng's student got into this mess, let alone come to support Xilin and keep order. But that's exactly what they came for.

The Royal Guard and the Imperial Joint Guard were utterly astonished to see Yuan Xingchen chatting so amiably with Xilin when he came to see her in person.

This time, Yuan Xingyao and Yuan Xingming did not come along; only Yuan Xingchen brought the Yuan family members.

  

Inside the room, Xilin, Pistura, Fu Qingqing, Goreyo, and Yuan Xingchen sat around the table. Yuan Xingchen didn't make things difficult for Pistura and the others, and his attitude remained lukewarm, but he smiled when he was with Xilin.

Through conversations with them, Xilin learned why he was under such strict surveillance.

I initially thought that even if Aquamarine's formula was upgraded, it wouldn't be too important. However, after Xilin presented the latest formulas, things seemed to suddenly escalate. And judging from Pistura and the others' expressions, there's definitely something crucial they're hiding. They certainly know something, but they can't just blurt it out.

Since they were under surveillance and their conversations were being eavesdropped on, Yuan Xingchen didn't tell Xilin any secrets, but he dropped a bombshell.

"After this matter is over, my grandfather wants to see you. He originally wanted to come immediately, but the situation is a bit complicated right now, so he can only wait until this matter is resolved."

The first reaction of anyone who hears this is—Nonsense!

My second reaction was—how is that possible?!

My third thought was—Xilin is a member of the Yuan family!

Pistura glanced at Xilin, confident that Guan Feng knew Xilin's background and would never accept a student connected to the Yuan family. He didn't know the truth, but he believed his teacher had his reasons.

Yuan Xingchen's words weren't just for Xilin's ears. They were also for the other eavesdroppers: "The person the former King Fuji wanted to protect, dare you not treat him well?"

Goreyo and Fu Qingqing exchanged a glance, thinking: It seems that even if they didn't come this time, Xilin would still be fine without being wronged. This junior brother is really good at hiding his true intentions.

The fact that the new King Fuji wanted to find Xilin was something Xilin had anticipated. He had already made a deduction after meeting Yuan Xingchen: after so many years, was it finally going to end?

After the others left, Xilin returned to his bedroom and leaned back in his chair to read. The gray cat perched on the egg it had spat out, which was about half a person's height. It had been bored lately, but hadn't had much of an appetite either; the eggs it had eaten a few days ago should have lasted for a while. However, being confined to this wretched place was making it restless, so Xilin tossed the egg to the gray cat to play with, figuring it could just eat it when it got tired of playing.

The surface of the egg wasn't smooth, which allowed the gray cat to rub itself against it, making the egg its source of amusement during this time. Every time Xilin saw the gray cat dozing off on the egg, he had the feeling that the cat was incubating it—although the two were currently quite different in proportion.

Because he had many backers, Xilin's movements inside the building were less restricted, but the outer perimeter was still heavily guarded. Xilin felt that this lineup seemed to be more than just preventing him from leaking the formula; it was as if they were protecting Xilin himself.

Is he being targeted by someone?

Xilin always trusted his intuition. He felt that there was a pair of eyes watching him from the shadows, waiting to strike when he was off guard.

The person hiding behind this must be related to the decisions made by higher-ups, as well as information that Pistula and his group cannot disclose.

Xilin couldn't understand why he would become the target of that person in the shadows. Even though he was Guan Feng's student, he shouldn't be entitled to such treatment, right?

So when Gore came to see him the next day, Sirin asked his question: "Am I being watched by someone?"

Goryo paused, taken aback by Sirin's words, then smiled helplessly. "I knew I couldn't hide it from you." After a long sigh, Goryo asked, "You're the one who discovered that thing, aren't you?"

Xilin knew that Gorejo was referring to several formulas of Aquamarine, so he nodded.

"That's right. If we can't get that thing, it's possible to get you there."

Xilin frowned. This was far too arrogant! Wasn't this openly defying the Empire? And even going against the Royal Academy of Sciences…

No, there are people who don't care about making enemies of nobles and the Royal Academy of Sciences!

Not every advanced technology is controlled by the Royal Academy of Sciences. There are always some who refuse to join the Royal Academy, unwilling to serve the nobility, instead forming their own independent groups, scattered throughout the empire. These are the Black Viper, the empire's most troublesome group, one that has long remained unresolved and impossible to eradicate completely!

Black Viper is the Empire's largest clandestine force, with a long history. Every reigning Emperor of Lanza has tried to eradicate Black Viper's influence, but with little success. The real headache lies in the fact that each large-scale purge of Black Viper's forces inevitably involves some nobles.

They obeyed the nobles, yet they could ensnare some nobles willingly into their trap.

The Black Viper people are always reckless and unrestrained. They can turn a prosperous planet into a dead star and sell drugs or bacteria that are strictly prohibited by the Empire. And they won't get caught.

Xilin had never faced off against the Black Viper, but his three senior brothers and sisters had. So, this time, Pistura and the other two were not only there to support Xilin, but also to protect him. After all, one should trust one's own people more.

Gore glanced at Sirin's expression and guessed he understood what he was trying to say. Patting Sirin on the shoulder, Gore said, "Don't worry, we're all here guarding."

Xilin rolled her eyes at him. "I'm not scared."

"Wait five more days. If the investigation here hasn't made any progress and we still can't find those people after five days, we'll take you back to the capital."

Before leaving, Gorjo glanced at the gray cat perched on the eggs, dozing with its eyes closed. He said to Sirin, "Is that cat incubating the eggs?"

"yes."

Gore imagined a gray cat hatching the eggs, only to then eat the newborn sea creatures. It was just so bizarre. Felines really are strange creatures.

As Xilin was seeing Goreyo off, he suddenly looked out the window as if sensing something.

"What are you looking at?" Gore followed Xilin's gaze and saw only some low-rise buildings that all looked similar, which was quite monotonous, and he didn't notice anything unusual.

"No, I just wanted to look at the scenery outside. It feels like I haven't been out in ages."

"You little rascal! It's not even been ten days yet. Back in the day, Director Guan made me face the wall at gunpoint for over twenty days. You've already done pretty well." Gore laughed and punched him. "Just wait a little longer, it'll be over soon."

After Goryo left, Xilin glanced in that direction again, then looked away, flicked the gray cat's ear, and said, "Let's go, go to your room to sleep."

The gray cat opened its eyes, its sleepy, languid expression gone, replaced by a suppressed excitement. It kicked the egg off the table with its paw, then jumped down and used its paws to roll the egg towards the resting room.

Luckily, this egg was sturdy; if it were an ordinary egg, it would have turned into a mushy mess after being kicked two or three times.

Every time Xilin saw the gray cat "abusing" the egg, he would think, if the egg really did hatch into a sea monster, would that sea monster have a congenital concussion?

On the roof of another residential building not far from the building where Xilin was staying, a pair of eyes suddenly appeared, facing away from Xilin.

Four days passed after Goreyo spoke with Xilin. During this time, the investigation made no progress whatsoever, and the two abducted academicians seemed to have vanished.

"It's time tomorrow, isn't it?" the gray cat asked Xilin, perched on the egg.

"Yes." Xilin looked out the window.

The gray cat flicked its tail and muttered, "Why hasn't it appeared yet..."

"Soon."

Inside the building next door, Pistura and his group were also sitting there, but the atmosphere was very serious. The closer they got to the deadline, the more vigilant they had to be—this was the experience they had gained since their contact with the Black Viper.

In front of the three of them was the surveillance footage from Xilin's side. There were even surveillance cameras in Xilin's room. In the footage, Xilin was talking to Gray Cat and scratching Gray Cat's chin.

Yuan Xingchen was currently not far from the building where Xilin lived. He was sitting in a chair processing some documents. Even though he was not in the capital or the Yuan family headquarters, there were still some things he had to do. This was what he, the future King of Fortune, had to do, which was called "political affairs".

"Your Highness, Hatoure has arrived," a subordinate reported as he entered.

Hature was one of the people who came with Yuan Xingchen this time. Yuan Xingchen had asked him and a few others to investigate the matter of the Black Viper on the planet. Now that Hature has returned, he must have something important to do.

"Let him in." Yuan Xingchen didn't even look up, still looking at the documents in his hand.

After Hature entered, the tall, burly man respectfully bowed to Yuan Xingchen, "Your Highness, there is news!"

Because of Yuan Xingchen's identity, this building and the surrounding area are inhabited by members of the Yuan family, and other guards do not venture into this area.

Yuan Xingchen walked out of the building, followed by Hature and several other servants. He gestured to the Yuan family's guards that they didn't need to follow, as they were only going to Xilin.

With the deadline fast approaching, the defenses around the building where Xilin was located became even tighter.

When Yuan Xingchen arrived there, just like the previous times, only Yuan Xingchen was allowed to enter. The others had to wait outside.

Hatoure and his five attendants didn't give the guards outside a friendly look, but the guards pretended not to see them. Everyone was doing their duty, and their displeasure was none of their business. This was an order from above. We just had to obey.

When Yuan Xingchen arrived at Xilin's room, Xilin and the gray cat were playing with the egg, rolling it around like a ball.

Upon seeing Yuan Xingchen, Xilin looked up and smiled, "You're here!"

The gray cat left several scratches on the eggs with its claws and rubbed them together.

Yuan Xingchen nodded and pulled up a chair to sit down. "I received the news today, so I came over to let you know beforehand, so you can be prepared."

"What preparations?" Xilin stood up and faced Yuan Xingchen.

"Today might not be so peaceful."

"Is that so?" Xilin pushed the sea monster egg to a corner. Ignoring the gray cat's protesting claws, he looked at Yuan Xingchen: "I knew things wouldn't be peaceful."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a flash of silver light appeared on Xilin's hand, and he struck Yuan Xingchen with lightning speed.

laugh--

Yuan Xingchen, who was sitting there with a smile on his face, was cleaved in two. But there wasn't a trace of blood; the cut surface wasn't blood, but metal! After being split in two, it emitted a hissing sound of electricity.

This person is actually a robot!

Moreover, the scanners installed inside the building didn't detect anything at all!

The people of Pistura and the others next door could see everything that was happening in Xilin.

Something's happened! Black Viper has made its move!

Upon witnessing this unusual event, the three of them jumped out of the window at the same time and fired their guns almost simultaneously.

The five people who came with "Yuan Xingchen" were shot in the forehead almost simultaneously, but none of them bled. Moreover, these five people were still able to move normally and dodge attacks after being shot.

These five people are robots too!

Meanwhile, on Yuan Xingchen's side...

Yuan Xingchen walked to the severely deformed robot, now a pile of scrap metal, looked at it, put away his gun, and stepped over the robot's head to walk out. His subordinates had already begun their operation.

I never expected Black Viper to send out robots this time!

Once the anomaly began, the once peaceful area was instantly engulfed in war. Robots and mechanical animals poured out of the surrounding building facades.

The robots sent by Black Viper this time can not only evade the detection of the scanning system, but also change form. They are not robots that are completely controlled by humans, but more like a group of well-trained agents and assassins.

After its arm was severed, a robot transformed into a leopard-like form, leaping to evade artillery fire. Their movements were highly agile, making them difficult to lock onto.

Pisturra leaped over the soldiers, landing on a protruding corner of the building in a few bounds, while simultaneously firing a series of shots with his backhand.

Three shots, three hits.

The bullets pierced the chests of three robots, causing explosions that reduced the robots to scrap metal.

"Where's Xilin?!" Pistura asked the guard who came out of the building where Xilin was.

"I didn't see him, he disappeared!"

"Damn it! Find it!"

"yes!"

When the guards saw Yuan Xingchen approaching, they were all on high alert. After realizing that this was the real Yuan Xingchen and not a robot, they breathed a sigh of relief, but they were a little confused.

These robots could change form, making them difficult to distinguish. After Fu Qingqing exposed some of them who had infiltrated the soldiers to launch sneak attacks, the soldiers became even more tense. They didn't know or weren't sure if the people behind them were robots; everyone was suspicious, and this led to accidental injuries.

These robots are cunning. They constantly change their form, transforming from robots into different "people" and moving through the group of people at extremely high speeds. They even collect human blood and smear it on themselves when they transform into "people" to confuse the senses.

"Their goal is to stall us and prevent us from wasting time here. Their main objective is to find Xilin!" Pistura said to Fu Qingqing and Goryo.

"good!"

Fu Qingqing and Goryo decisively withdrew, leaving the matter to the Royal Guard and the Imperial Joint Guard. Yuan Xingchen also sent people to find Xilin; his status prevented him from acting as freely as Pistura and his group. Therefore, Yuan Xingchen's current task was to do his best to resolve the situation here.

The Yuan family's guards stayed close to Yuan Xingchen, giving the robots no chance whatsoever. Anyone who approached, except for these guards, was treated as a suspect and killed. As a result, the robots couldn't find an opportunity to cause trouble for Yuan Xingchen.

Many of the surrounding buildings were already damaged beyond recognition, but the original residents had been mostly evacuated by the time the guards arrived, so there wouldn't be many innocent casualties.

The robots were equipped with a wide array of devices, and they seemed tireless, firing beams and cannons in rapid succession. The emitted beams traced arcs through the air like crab legs before crashing down with a deafening roar and a tremor.

As the war zone expanded, nearby residents and planetary government officials hurriedly fled the war zone to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

While the fighting raged on this side, Xilin was also hot on their heels.