On a morning long after the polluted origin stones had been cleared, the sun remained the same sun, but the once leaden-gray sky was no longer dull. Finally, there was a hint of brightness.
The StarNet was unusually lively that day, with several heavyweight news articles consecutively trending. Without exception, all were related to a male zerg named Lu Yuan. Two months prior, the Imperial Royal Family had suddenly announced a piece of news: the Seventh Prince, Yusto, was about to get married. However, the chosen partner was neither a long-standing aristocrat from the Four Public Eight Noble Houses nor a rising figure in the city. Instead, it was an unheard-of male zerg named Lu Yuan.
With an unknown identity, an unknown appearance, and an unknown purity of blood, the only information the public could glean about this male zerg was that his name was Lu Yuan, and he had attended the Bardell Military Academy alongside Prince Yusto.
As soon as this news broke, it stirred up quite a stir on the StarNet. After all, the Gohedra family had few heirs in this generation, and Yusto was the most hopeful to inherit the throne as the imperial prince. If anyone could become his partner, it would mean becoming the future ruler of the empire—an influential position. People were intrigued about the mysterious male zerg, whom they had never heard of, managing to get engaged to the Seventh Prince!
In any era, the power of the onlookers is enormous. In just a few days, the StarNet crowd had thoroughly dug up Lu Yuan’s photos and identity information. Although some pictures were leaked by secret admirers during class, and the quality was a bit blurry, it was still not difficult to discern his handsome facial features.
The netizen who posted the photos seemed to be an enthusiastic fan of Lu Yuan from the academy: [His Excellency Lu Yuan and the Seventh Prince are truly a perfect match!!! The photos are evidence! There’s no male zerg in Bardell Military Academy more beautiful than him!]
With the photos as solid evidence, the StarNet crowd couldn’t help but collectively gasp. It was well-known that male zergs with exceptional looks often had relatively high blood purity. Given Lu Yuan’s stunning appearance, just how high was his blood purity?
[His Excellency Yusto is an S-class royal zerg. Only male zergs with a blood purity exceeding 45% can appease him. Lu Yuan’s blood purity probably can’t be lower than 45%, right?]
[Look at how beautiful that male zerg is. Despite being from a third-tier star, his blood purity might be 50%, or he wouldn’t have been able to marry into the royal family.]
[But I still think Dalaimin is more suitable for the Seventh Prince. He has the highest blood purity in the empire and a royal title. No other zerg is more compatible with him than he is~]
Dalaimin, as the male zerg with the highest publicly known blood purity in the Salaranfa Empire, would undoubtedly be a heartthrob if he were on Earth. During leisure moments, he inevitably became the subject of various fan-created pairings. This statement sparked agreement from many netizens, leading to clashes with Lu Yuan’s supporters.
[Dalaimin already has a monarch and countless consorts. Do you really want Prince Yusto to become his consort?]
[The Seventh Prince and Lu Yuan are in love, and even the Zerg Emperor has no objections. Why do you oppose it?!]
[Even if Lu Yuan doesn’t have a title, he’s not inferior to Dalaimin in any way. He treats the Seventh Prince really well, I witnessed it in the academy.]
A female zerg with a cool tone remarked, [Give it up. No matter how well a male zerg treats a female zerg, blood purity is the most practical.]
Just as the arguments on the StarNet were reaching a fever pitch, the silent Imperial Family suddenly issued a brief announcement. Although the content was simple and comprised only a few hundred words, it caused a tremendous uproar throughout the entire empire.
The announcement, personally crafted by the Imperial Public Relations Department, hinted at two main points: Firstly, His Excellency Lu Yuan is the empire’s only rare pure-blooded male zerg, with a blood purity reaching an astonishing 100%, signifying an extremely noble status. Secondly, due to his meritorious service during the mission to clear origin stones in the dense forest alongside the army, after his graduation, His Majesty would personally confer upon him the title of Grand Duke. This union with Prince Yusto was deemed a match made in heaven!
Leaving aside the astounding 100% blood purity of Lu Yuan for the moment, the latter part of the announcement was enough to leave the onlookers bewildered. A male zerg? Clearing origin stones with merit? What kind of joke is this?! Everyone knew that the empire had meticulously selected an elite force months ago, and after facing numerous life-threatening challenges, they successfully cleared the origin stones from the dense forest. But what did this have to do with Lu Yuan?!
Whether it was to make the commotion even more significant, just as the StarNet crowd was immersed in shock and speculation, the renowned Imperial news reporter, Maos, suddenly released an extensive news article that took him months to complete:
“The Expedition to the Solitiam Forest.”
Solitiam had long been known as the “forbidden land of the gods”. The outside world was well aware of its terror and danger, yet they couldn’t suppress their yearning and curiosity towards it. However, since the triumphant return of the expeditionary force, the country had maintained complete silence, revealing no information to the public. Even Maos, the journalist who had accompanied them, had remained tight-lipped and inactive on the StarNet for a long time. Now, with news finally emerging, how could anyone miss it?!
Must see! It’s a must-read!
The StarNet crowd’s minds were instantly filled with this idea, and they forgot their arguments, enthusiastically clicking into Maos’s article. The viewership and clicks skyrocketed exponentially.
Maos’s lifetime intelligence and talent shone through in his journalistic career. The article was rich in both visuals and content, providing a detailed account of his exploration with the expeditionary force into the dense forest. Whether it was the three-headed white crows, the long-haired strange birds, or the terrifying swarms of flying ants, the article satisfied the deep curiosity of the StarNet crowd. Especially the zerg warrior who slayed the ants and confronted the strange bird – absolutely cool to the extreme!
The comment section was filled with exclamation marks, all marveling at the heroic deeds of the zerg warrior.
[Zerg God! He’s simply too cool! Please tell me his name!]
[Can I marry him as my monarch?]
[Not only is his strength formidable, but his appearance is also outstanding. Whoever marries him is truly fortunate in three lifetimes!]
This praise sparked a wave of agreement. However, as the StarNet crowd continued to compliment, they suddenly felt that something was amiss. Why did the warrior who slayed the strange bird in the photos look so much like that male zerg named Lu Yuan?!
This realization sent a shiver down their spines, and in a hurry, they scrolled through the lengthy news article to the bottom. There, on the warrior list, were two clear and distinct words—
Lu Yuan!
Lu Yuan?!
It’s actually Lu Yuan?!! How can it be Lu Yuan?!!
The StarNet crowd was so shocked that their jaws dropped. Wasn’t he just an ordinary male zerg without any combat skills? How could he have joined the expedition into the dense forest and even slain a mutated creature?! Is this real?!
Prince Yusto’s future partner is just too, too, too incredible, isn’t he?!
Lu Yuan had no idea about the massive sensation he caused on the StarNet. He was peacefully sleeping in the villa he obtained through his military achievements. After all, tonight was his wedding ceremony with Prince Yusto, and he needed to rest well to be in good spirits for the occasion.
There is a rule among the Zerg Race that on the eve of the partner ceremony, the female and male zergs are not allowed to meet. Lu Yuan spent a sleepless night alone yesterday and just managed to enter the realm of dreams at dawn. In a surreal dream, he seemed to return to the shaky bus from the beginning.
“Chirp, chirp, chirp—”
It was the crisp sound of birdsong. At that moment, it was early morning, and the temperature at the mountaintop was extremely low. A thick layer of mist had condensed even on the glass windows. This undeveloped primeval forest was exceptionally quiet, with only the sound of the wind and the chirping of birds breaking the silence.
Lu Yuan felt a bit motion sick. Originally intending to take a nap against the window, he was abruptly awakened by the driver’s wild speed. As they traversed a section of a winding mountain road with extreme curves, Lu Yuan was almost thrown out.
“Damn it!”
Lu Yuan narrowly grasped the railing for support, venting his frustration with a string of curses. He angrily shouted at the driver, “Are you trying to be reborn with such reckless driving?! Can’t you slow down?!”
Strictly speaking, this vehicle could hardly be classified as a bus; at best, it was a small bus converted for use. The driver sat at the front, wearing a distinctive yellow duck tourism hat that obscured his face. However, judging by the voice, he didn’t seem very old.
“Sorry, the mountain road was slippery this morning, and the brakes couldn’t stop the speed,” he apologized.
The speed of the vehicle slowed down slightly.
Seeing the situation, Lu Yuan had no choice but to swallow his anger and sit back in his chair. He subconsciously glanced at the tour guide, who remained silent, engrossed in playing with their phone. The brim of their hat shielded their face, revealing only a pair of elegantly slender and beautiful hands rapidly tapping on the screen.
The window seat was a single seat, and Lu Yuan had initially considered sitting there. However, due to its proximity to the door, there was a risk of being thrown out with just a slight lapse in attention. So, he gave up on that idea.
At this moment, the seat was occupied by a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses. Dressed in a suit and polished shoes, he exuded an air of sophistication. A valuable laptop was placed on his knees, and he was lightly tapping on the keyboard, but he fell silent shortly after.
Lu Yuan thought that he wasn’t the only one who had joined this seemingly foolish tour group, and that brought a slight sense of relief to him.
However, the tour guide seemed to know the man. Without lifting their head, they casually asked, “Brother Yan, it seems like you haven’t been back for a long time.”
The man responded with a grunt, “The village has changed a lot. Why didn’t you go to college? Became a tour guide here?”
The tour guide smiled, “Zhixiang got sick, asked me to cover for him for a day. They combined a few villages and set up a tourist resort, but it’s not going well. Aren’t you working on tourism development? You can give some guidance when you return. There hasn’t been any activity in the Folang Village up the mountain.”
For some reason, the man remained silent.
As if realizing something, the tour guide turned off their phone screen and said, “I forgot, Uncle Er and the others don’t like outsiders entering the village… Actually, it’s not bad. Sometimes, making money isn’t that important to them. They are used to a simple life.”
The interior of the cabin fell silent once again.
Lu Yuan sat in a daze, realizing that they were all part of the same group. He subconsciously looked to his side, where another passenger sat. This person not only wore a duckbill cap but also had a mask on, covering themselves from head to toe. At the moment, they were speaking in a hushed voice on the phone, sounding frustrated, “Hurry up and find a way to get me out of here! What a desolate place. I just wanted to find a quiet place to relax. I didn’t say I wanted to become a hermit in the mountains!”
“Luxury accommodation, my ass! I slept in a dilapidated shack last night!”
“Lost civilization, my ass! That’s something for survival shows to do!”
“Who said I want to retire?! I’m just going into seclusion for further studies. I’ll still win the Best Actor award in the future!”
Lu Yuan couldn’t help but feel that the voice sounded somewhat familiar. He stared at the man next to him for a moment, and suddenly realized that the person resembled a male actor who had recently gained popularity online. It was said that the team had given him the image of a top student, but netizens had exposed that he once scored only 14 points in high school math. He had just debuted in the morning and knelt down to retire from the entertainment circle in the afternoon.
Ah, so he came here to hide.
Lu Yuan sneered inwardly, but then he remembered that he himself had scored only 6.5 points in math before, and his expression became blank again.
The bus continued its journey up the mountain, and as the altitude increased, some passengers began to experience ringing in their ears. Along the way, someone waved at the roadside, and the bus came to a stop. A clean-looking young man boarded, dressed in simple attire and holding an ancient-looking longsword. He seemed a bit out of place, perhaps a local villager.
“Grandpa San!”
As soon as the young man boarded the bus, he excitedly ran to the man in the suit and leather shoes, directly squatting in front of the seat in front and asking, “Grandpa San, why are you taking the village’s tourist bus? I was planning to go down the mountain to pick you up!”
The man’s fingers, which had been tapping on the keyboard, paused for a moment, then returned to their normal rhythm. “Don’t call me Grandpa San.”
The young man scratched his head. “You’re older than me. If I don’t call you Grandpa San, what should I call you?”
After a moment of contemplation, the young man tentatively tried a different title. “Village Chief?”
The man’s movements stiffened for a moment, and he decisively closed the laptop. “How did you get here?”
The young man twirled his sword skillfully, then tucked it behind him to avoid accidentally poking someone. Despite the bus swaying, he remained steady as if rooted to the spot. “The village recently built a road. Uncle Er was afraid you wouldn’t recognize it, so he sent me to pick you up.”
With a straightforward mind, he couldn’t keep secrets. While speaking, his gaze couldn’t help but glance at the man’s legs for a moment before quickly retracting it.
The man noticed the young man’s gaze and nonchalantly shifted his right leg backward, as if signaling some discomfort. “What else did he say?”
The young man scratched his head. “Uncle Er also said that Folang Village must remain as it was in the past, and no one is allowed to change it. He warned you not to think about doing business here, or else he’ll use a rattan cane on you.”
The man raised his hand to adjust his glasses, giving a faint smile. His eyes held a business-like coolness, indifferent to personal feelings, only concerned with gains and losses.
“Uncle Er is getting old.”
He only said that one sentence.
The young man, sitting in the front seat, turned around, propped against the seatback, and continued talking to him. “Grandpa San, why didn’t you bring that fancy little sedan this time?”
The man responded with a casual tone, showing considerable patience. “It broke down at the foot of the mountain. I saw the village below organizing a tourist bus, so I came over to take a look. If you want to ride, I’ll take you next time.”
The bus made a sharp turn, causing everyone’s bodies to sway, but the young man remained seated steadily. Seeing this, Lu Yuan couldn’t help but take a closer look. According to the tourist brochure, deep in the mountains, there was a village called Folang. The villagers there lived in seclusion for generations, practicing ancient martial arts and all being top-notch experts. It seemed to be true.
However, that had nothing to do with Lu Yuan. His face turned pale, already prone to motion sickness. The sudden turn of the bus made him feel even more nauseous. Taking a motion sickness pill, he decided to close his eyes and continue sleeping by the window.
He must have slept for a while when he was abruptly awakened by a noisy commotion. Subconsciously opening his eyes, Lu Yuan saw the bus suddenly losing control and crashing into the roadside barrier. His vision turned upside down, accompanied by a sharp pain at the back of his head. He instantly lost consciousness.
“Bang—!”
The car rolled directly down the cliff, erupting into a violent crash.
Startled, Lu Yuan woke abruptly from his dream, opened his eyes with a gasp, and sat up from the bed. His chest heaved, forehead covered in cold sweat. Anxious, he stared at the luxurious room before him. It took a good while for him to realize that he had already escaped from the car accident.
At that moment, the robotic butler strolled into the room from the corridor. Its round shape resembled a white soccer ball, and it cheerfully announced in a cute mechanical voice, [A guest has arrived, a guest has arrived. May I open the door for you?]
Its eyes, the display screens, projected the scene outside. Lu Yuan observed a group of protocol officers from the palace standing at the door. They held several sets of formal attire and were ringing the doorbell at the villa’s entrance.
Noticing the time, Lu Yuan realized it was already four in the afternoon. With only three hours left until the wedding ceremony, he urgently threw off the blanket, saying, “Quick, quick, quick! Open the door for them! Let them wait downstairs for me!”
He rushed into the bathroom, preparing to shower and change into his wedding attire. After all, it was the first and only wedding in his life, and he couldn’t afford to be late.
The wedding of Lu Yuan and Yusto was held at the Windsor Palace, with nobility and media alike gathering to witness this nationally anticipated event.
Yusto, rarely seen in anything other than military attire, donned a resplendent red and gold royal gown. While similar in style to his military uniform, the ceremonial outfit exuded even more elegance and grandeur. Observing protocol, he stood at the palace entrance, patiently awaiting Lu Yuan’s arrival. Though he appeared composed, his restless fingers betrayed an underlying anxiety. It wasn’t until he saw Lu Yuan’s aircraft approaching the palace that he quietly exhaled a sigh of relief.
As Lu Yuan descended from the wedding aircraft, he beheld Yusto standing at one end of the red carpet in his impeccably tailored military uniform. For a moment, Lu Yuan was captivated by the sight of Yusto, looking amazing and extraordinary.
Media reporters on both sides snapped countless photos, and the entire event was being broadcasted live on the internet.
Ignoring the glaring flashes of cameras, Yusto gracefully walked toward Lu Yuan. He smiled, elegantly bowed, and followed the Zerg Clan’s etiquette, inviting Lu Yuan to join him in walking from the red carpet into the palace. He whispered with a serious tone, “Your Excellency, may I have the honor?”
Amidst clinking glasses, dazzling lights, it felt as if they were in a dream.
“Honored.”
Lu Yuan gently took Yusto’s hand in front of the watching crowd and walked with him down the red carpet into the palace. Countless guests filled the sides, applauding and congratulating them. Even Emperor Apu, seated at the banquet, showed a rare hint of a smile.
The wedding ceremony officially commenced, presided over by the Imperial Master of Ceremonies. Holding a thick ancient book, he recited a section of intricate and esoteric Zerg Clan language before signaling for them to exchange rings.
Rings are usually prepared by the female zergs.
Lu Yuan didn’t understand a word, and he was unaware of this tradition. However, that didn’t stop him from truly buying a pair of stunning gemstone rings for Yusto.
He took out two simple silver rings with red gemstones from the ring box. With a smile, he gently placed one of them on Yusto’s ring finger, meeting the latter’s surprised gaze, and asked, “See, I didn’t deceive you. These kinds of rings can be worn for a lifetime.”
He finished speaking and handed the other ring to Yusto, gesturing for him to help put it on.
Yusto held the silver ring and delicately placed it on Lu Yuan’s finger, unconsciously rubbing the ring for a moment. The red gemstone on top sparkled brightly. Yusto lowered his eyes and smiled, “Very beautiful, my lord.”
He finally could address him as “my lord”…
Lu Yuan nodded softly, “Like your eyes.”
Very beautiful…
The last two words remained in his heart, unspoken. However, it didn’t matter; there was plenty of time in the future for them to slowly express their feelings.
The guests in the audience witnessed their union, the splendid crystal lights slowly cascading down like a shower of golden rain.
Yusto turned his head towards the audience below, only to see his usually reclusive brother, Gaien, sitting in the guest section. However, his position was too secluded, hidden in a corner where even the light couldn’t reach.
Gaien remained his silent and aloof self, seemingly unaffected by the outside hustle and bustle. Sitting in his place, he watched silently as Yusto completed the partner ceremony, leaving behind a gift and quietly limping away.
Compared to the radiant Yusto on the stage, Gaien seemed more like a wandering ghost in the dark, disappearing into the shadows in an instant. Despite sharing the same identity and a similar appearance, their destinies were strikingly different.
Seeing Gaien coming alone, Yusto felt an inexplicable bitterness rising in his throat, but he forcefully suppressed it.
Noticing Yusto’s unusual expression, Lu Yuan noticed and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Yusto shook his head, “It’s nothing.”
He finished speaking and gently held Lu Yuan’s hand below, half-seriously and half-jokingly saying, “I just feel sorry for other females. They are not as lucky as me to have such an excellent and gentle partner like you.”
Hearing him praise himself, Lu Yuan couldn’t help feeling a bit light-headed but then sighed softly with a smile, “Yusto, don’t speak too soon. After all, we can never predict the wonders of fate.”
Perhaps other females could also have happiness that was no less than theirs. After all, the Zerg God was so kind and generous, always guarding over this land.
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