Chapter 1: One Hand Around Yu Yan’s Waist…

Star Calendar 5022.

Aboard a spaceship belonging to a notorious band of Star Pirates.

The usually swaggering pirate crew—over a dozen members strong—was now trussed up like hogs, trembling under the watchful gaze of the White Lion as it paced through its newly claimed territory.

You Fuzhou pulled his dagger free from the skull of the pirates’ leader, flicked the blood off casually, and sheathed the blade. He turned to the dozen or so men who didn’t dare speak or even twitch, still every bit as polite as he’d been before descending like a god of war. “Mind if we borrow your ship? We won’t keep it.”

The group of burly men nodded frantically, like chickens pecking at grain. “Of course, of course! Be our guest!”

Who were they kidding?

If they’d known it was You Fuzhou, they would’ve piled into the escape pods and jumped ship without him even asking!

You Fuzhou swept his gaze over the deck’s chaotic graffiti, mildly disgusted by the crew’s taste, but since it was just a temporary loan, he let it slide. His eyes lingered for half a second on a magnetic wanted poster plastered next to the cabin door.

【Cosmic Bounty Notice

Name: You Fuzhou

Gender: Male

Identity: S-Class Sentinel (Freedom Alliance)

Threat Level: X

Reward: 10,000,000,000 Star Coins

Formerly served in the Ares Planet First Legion. Spiritual Body: White Lion. Has defected from Ares Planet to join the Freedom Alliance. Those providing leads on this individual will receive 100,000,000 Star Coins. Capturing him, dead or alive, earns the full bounty.】

The poster cycled through several photos of You Fuzhou.

The first was his service ID shot. The second, a surveillance still from his defection. The third, a snap from last month when they’d bombed the Yashe Empire’s anniversary celebration on Gemini Star.

You Fuzhou tapped the third photo, staring at the image of himself leaping through the flames to grab the rope ladder. For a moment, he said nothing.

Someone landed behind him and stepped out from the cabin. “Whoa! This photo came out awesome! Way better than the ones Xiao Duo’er took.”

The newcomer looked young, like a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old kid, with garish red-and-blue streaked hair. Perched on his shoulder was an eagle that hadn’t fully matured yet.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Proof keeps piling up that the best publicity shots always come from your enemies.”

You Fuzhou withdrew his hand without responding, just glancing sideways at him.

That single look made the eagle on Nanzi’s shoulder shudder and flap away.

Nanzi didn’t mind, muttering “Useless” under his breath, though his body betrayed him by taking an honest step back, putting a bit more distance between them.

Come on, You Fuzhou had no Guide. Three hundred out of three hundred sixty-five days a year, he was in an unstable state. Admiration was one thing—life was another!

You Fuzhou: “…”

He thought he was pretty stable today.

“Everything handled?”

But You Fuzhou didn’t bother dwelling on it. He just asked if Nanzi had finished up.

Nanzi flashed an OK sign, then couldn’t resist grumbling. “Boss, you don’t trust my skills? Name one time I didn’t get the job done.”

His words dripped with bravado, but You Fuzhou deflated him with a single sentence. “Then how’d they get this photo?”

He pointed at the third image, his tone cool. “Didn’t you say nothing but our own gear could capture my heroic figure?”

“Heroic figure” had been Nanzi’s exact words.

Nanzi choked, head drooping for a few seconds before he perked up and started chattering again. “You can’t blame me for this! What era are we in? Who uses an ancient offline camera anymore? You can barely find those on the secondhand market, Boss! Honestly, I’m starting to think someone did it on purpose. What do you think?”

You Fuzhou opened the cabin door and tossed back without looking. “I think your Spiritual Body doesn’t look like an eagle.”

Nanzi: “Huh?”

You Fuzhou’s voice carried a faint hint of amusement. “More like a chicken.”

Nanzi: “…”

He wailed. “You think I’m noisy, huh? Hate my yapping? Boss, keep this up and we’re done—friends no more!!!”

You Fuzhou ignored him, grabbing his collar and shoving him toward the control console.

Nanzi pawed at the spaceship’s controls while snarling. “Friendship over in three seconds!”

“Three, two, one.” You Fuzhou actually counted it out, then asked, “How’s it going?”

“Got it, got it.”

Nanzi smirked smugly. “I’m one of the top hackers out there. This is child’s play.”

His phrasing was a bit odd, but You Fuzhou let it pass.

Nanzi had grown up an orphan, picking his own name without schooling. His hacking skills were pure talent. Yet at fourteen, under the ID “YourGrandpaIsYourDad,” he’d breached the first layer of Ares Planet National Security’s systems and earned himself a spot on their wanted list.

That’s how You Fuzhou had noticed him. He’d tracked Nanzi down before Ares’s forces could and brought him back to the Freedom Alliance.

When You Fuzhou asked his name back then, Nanzi had said, “Nanzi. I was born in the Southern Galaxy.”

Simple and blunt. Nanzi never saw an issue with it, so You Fuzhou never suggested changing it.

That encounter cemented things. Nanzi had idolized You Fuzhou long before, and meeting him—rescued by his hero like a little hero saving the day—only intensified it. From then on, You Fuzhou’s journeys had an extra tail in tow.

Having Nanzi around had its perks. Plenty of tasks got simpler—no need to solve everything with fists or unreliable partners.

Without needing orders from his leader, Nanzi unpacked his gear: a palm-sized device linked to his optical computer.

In under five minutes, he slapped the console. “Done. Traces wiped clean.”

You Fuzhou ruffled his hair. “Good work.”

Validated and praised, Nanzi preened with a couple of huffs, grinning ear to ear. “Of course.”

Once Nanzi established the connection, their other teammate landed on the ship. “Whoa.”

She looked around. “First time on a Star Pirate ship for me.”

The girl had heterochromatic eyes like a cat’s—stunning mismatched irises resembling colored glass.

Trailing her was a black longhair cat with the same mismatched eyes, padding along with elegant cat steps, as if surveying its domain.

You Fuzhou and Nanzi’s Spiritual Bodies were outside guarding the “new home,” or the place would’ve turned into a zoo.

Mainly because Ye Songhua’s Spiritual Body was a cat. She was an adult Guide, while Nanzi wasn’t fully grown—his eagle might be a bird, but it was still a bird.

At first sight, Ye Songhua’s Century Egg (that cat) had cowered before Nanzi’s Kuku (that eagle). After getting acquainted, Century Egg decided Kuku was an ally and started bullying the eagle daily, backed by who-knows-what authority.

What infuriated Nanzi most was that Kuku wouldn’t even peck back at Century Egg!

No dignity could stand for that. Nanzi rejected outdated nonsense like “real men don’t fight women.” So every meeting with Ye Songhua turned into constant bickering: little spats every few days, big blowouts every week.

Today was a rare peaceful one.

Nanzi boasted, “This one’s not even that big. Last time Boss and I hit a ship loaded with jewels we’d never even seen—that was massive!”

He gestured wildly at Ye Songhua. “Richest haul we’ve ever scored!”

Those jewels had gone back to the Freedom Alliance for processing, funding relief efforts, people saved, even a few charity schools founded.

Nanzi had nearly been dragged off to one. He’d hidden behind You Fuzhou, who intervened amid the headache-inducing noise, sparing Nanzi the ordeal of starting from kindergarten at sixteen.

Ye Songhua was unfazed by jewels but curious about pirate ships, asking more questions. Nanzi, obligingly, bragged more.

Once the two parrots finished chattering, they realized You Fuzhou was gone from the cockpit.

.

You Fuzhou sat on the deck gazing into the vast cosmos, methodically cleaning his weapon.

His Spiritual Body lounged beside him in a false doze, resting up for the next strike.

The serene scene was undercut by Li Santian’s constant voice in You Fuzhou’s earpiece, from their mothership. “…This auction house has everything. Mind-blowing. Eye-opening stuff.”

“Boss, you see the catalog I sent? They’re openly selling Sirens from Aegean Planet… Empire power knows no bounds…”

Mid-sentence, Li Santian yelped. “Boss, they just added a mystery lot.”

Without prompting, he looped in Nanzi to dig into the surprise finale.

The line went quiet. You Fuzhou lowered his eyes, his mind not solely on the Yashe Empire auctioning Beastmen—or even Li Santian’s real reason for calling.

Issues back on Ares.

Guide training camps…

You Fuzhou’s brows twitched faintly.

“Fuzhou-ge.”

Ye Songhua’s voice came from behind. He turned to see her approaching with Century Egg in tow.

The White Lion coiled at his side flicked a glance but stayed put. Ye Songhua knew, though, that the instant she’d opened the door, he’d gone on alert.

He trusted no one… hadn’t for years. Least of all any Guide.

Ye Songhua gazed at You Fuzhou. “Mind if I sit here?”

She pointed to the spot beside You Fuzhou.

You Fuzhou nodded. “Go ahead.”

Ye Songhua chuckled lightly and sat down with him at the edge of the viewing stand. Her legs, clad in combat boots with a military knife hidden in the pant legs, swung idly back and forth. “Nanzi said we can get there before the auction ends. According to the auction procedure, all the lots get gathered in one place right before it wraps up, sold or unsold.”

“Sounds good,” You Fuzhou said. Ye Songhua extended her hand toward him. “Let me give you a quick guidance session.”

You Fuzhou instinctively pulled back. “No need.”

Ye Songhua pressed her lips together slightly. “Your mental state isn’t great…”

She was an A-Class Guide, and she could sense it.

Her gaze fell on the suppressor around You Fuzhou’s neck—a high-tech device specially developed for Sentinels. In truth, few Sentinels liked wearing them; they were a bit uncomfortable.

A Sentinel’s five senses were far too acute, which was why their mental states were often unstable.

The higher the rank, the more sounds they could hear, from farther away—not just hearing, but all their senses operated at intensities ordinary people couldn’t comprehend.

For a long time, Sentinels without Guides simply couldn’t function. Guides acted as their switches, helping them control it all so they could live normal lives.

But a thousand years ago, suppressors were invented. With one on, a Sentinel could regulate their own sensory intensity. It couldn’t boost them, but the special waves it emitted could dial things down, making Guides less essential. Unless it was a Sentinel locked in constant combat; those needed Guides to soothe the mental chaos from all the impacts.

Suppressors were originally developed to aid Sentinels and loosen the absolute bond between Sentinels and Guides.

But over time, bad actors exploited them for profit. Guides lost their unchallenged status, leading to new class divides…

Guides without strong Sentinels to protect them became fish on the chopping block.

You Fuzhou truly felt fine. “I’m good.”

He paused, then rephrased. “It’s no issue. Won’t affect tonight’s operation.”

Ye Songhua trusted You Fuzhou—she always had, ever since they were kids. In her eyes, he was the strongest Sentinel there was. But the strongest didn’t mean invincible; even he needed rest, needed guidance…

She bowed her head and fell silent. You Fuzhou waited two seconds, then sighed. “Don’t burn too much mental energy. We’ll need you for tonight’s action.”

He extended his hand, letting her fingertips brush his.

They’d grown up together, childhood friends with a touch of blood relation. He saw her as a little sister, and no big brother liked seeing his sister upset—unless she was an idiot.

The moment Ye Songhua touched You Fuzhou, she could feel how awful his condition really was.

But there was little she could do. Their compatibility rate was too low. She could only ease some of the pent-up emotions a bit before pulling back.

She wasn’t a child; she wouldn’t act on impulse. Tonight’s mission was what mattered.

If only Rong-jie were here…

~~~

Yashe Empire, Main Planet. 11 p.m.

An auction that hadn’t sold out had added a last-minute lot, hyped five hours before it started. Tickets got scalped to a hundred times the price.

As the final lot rose on the lift platform, every noble in the hall held their breath for this moment—

In the ornate cage sat their “goldfinch.”

The man gleamed under the soft lights, beautiful beyond words.

It wasn’t a soft, delicate beauty. Even draped in resplendent robes and skirts, you could tell he was all man.

The collar and chains around his neck were different from the other merchandise—crafted from gold and silver, studded with jewels. It made him look less like a prisoner and more like these people’s plaything.

Yu Yan sat in the cage. They saw him as a fragile Guide, so they’d laid out a soft blanket and padded the inside of his collar with thin velvet, as if that could whitewash their banditry.

The auctioneer beside him had changed; the auction house director himself had taken the stage.

Perfect.

Yu Yan kept his head lowered, the corners of his mouth curving faintly. His narrow, elongated eyes glinted with mockery and icy killing intent.

Half of Yashe Empire’s nobles were here—even the imperial heir. The ideal moment to strike…

“…No need for much introduction to the one beside me. You’re all here for him, and you know who he is.”

He smiled, dressed impeccably, even offering a standard bow to the cameras—a nod to the powerhouses in the VIP boxes. But his words turned stomachs: “An exceedingly rare S-Class Guide, an Adaptive Guide at that. That means over 90% compatibility with every Sentinel! The rose of our Yashe Empire… Yu Yan!”

The machinery whirred. The chain linked behind Yu Yan’s neck yanked taut twice, forcing him to tilt his head up, exposing his face to the lights. The pose sparked filthy thoughts in more than a few—especially when the director followed up with:

“What we’re auctioning today is his first Binding Right. Starting bid: one hundred billion Star Coins!”

You Fuzhou, linked to the auction house feed, let out a soft scoff. “Sometimes you just can’t tell what these people value most.”

He topped the Black List in every empire, jointly wanted and rewarded across the universe’s empires—for one hundred billion Star Coins. And here, a single use of an S-Class Guide started at the same price.

Nanzi’s voice came through the earpiece, utterly tactless: “Boss! You’re worth a trillion to me!”

You Fuzhou: “…Get lost.”

Who wanted that kind of comparison?

As they bantered, bids downstairs had already hit two hundred billion.

You Fuzhou thought these people were just too damn rich. Once the heat died down, they’d have to come back for another round—

“Fuzhou-ge.”

Ye Songhua’s voice cut in. No more words needed; You Fuzhou knew she was ready.

“Move out.”

You Fuzhou ended the chit-chat. With a single command, those who’d infiltrated the Yashe Empire sprang into action alongside the remote support team!

And when the bids hit three hundred billion, You Fuzhou blew the roof off the building.

The White Lion leaped down with him. Amid the panicked cries, Yu Yan looked up to see someone descending through the half-darkened lights, muzzle flashes lighting the way.

The flickering glow lit You Fuzhou’s face—that strikingly handsome, wildly feral visage, like a lion or cheetah on the savanna, a young wolf king.

Yu Yan’s eyelashes fluttered.

You Fuzhou cleared the second floor, then leaped down. The White Lion stood on the second-floor ring corridor and let out a low roar, cowing the cluster of Sentinels—

“It’s You Fuzhou!”

Someone buckled under the S-Class Sentinel’s pressure, terror-stricken as if beholding a demon from hell or a god from the heavens. Either way, they feared the judgment he brought.

“You lunatic, daring to invade Yashe Empire! Daring to crash the auction—do you even know whose—”

Bang!

You Fuzhou landed and blew the yammering auction house director’s head off with one shot. “Shut up.”

His brows and eyes were cold and ruthless, brash. That single shot silenced the entire hall; no one dared speak, each praying You Fuzhou’s gaze skipped them.

He was the Grim Reaper.

The living reaper strode onto the platform and ripped the cage door open with one hand, tossing it aside onto the director’s corpse.

You Fuzhou looked at Yu Yan, who stared fixedly back at him. He frowned at all the junk draped over the man.

Did they think he was a damn display stand? Hanging everything on him…

“Boss.”

Nanzi’s urgent voice crackled in the earpiece: “Slight hitch—Yashe’s heir is on-site too! Ye Songhua can’t hold him! He shot her influenced guard and is heading your way—”

“Stick to the plan. Don’t worry about me.”

You Fuzhou crouched down, issuing orders to Nanzi while eyeing Yu Yan, kneeling in the cage. Sentinels and Guides were built different; even shoving his head in felt cramped.

So You Fuzhou murmured, “Don’t be scared. We’re here to get you out. Let me undo the chains, alright?”

Yu Yan said nothing. You Fuzhou sensed a powerful foe closing in fast. Yashe’s heir was trouble—an S-Class Sentinel. You Fuzhou figured his odds at 50-60%, but the problem was he hadn’t had guidance in seven years…

You Fuzhou murmured an apology for the offense, then bent down, half his body squeezing in. As their clothes brushed, he snapped the six chains binding Yu Yan barehanded!

“Can you walk?”

You Fuzhou pulled back a bit, looking at Yu Yan.

The empire’s rose wasn’t some delicate bloom. He had a vividly striking face, aggressively invasive, heart-stopping. It put people’s nerves on edge.

Yet that face shook its head weakly, voice hoarse and raspy: “They drugged me… I can’t stand.”

“Sorry about this.” You Fuzhou hooked Yu Yan’s waist and scooped him out single-handed—

A bit heavy.

You Fuzhou glanced at Yu Yan’s feet, which hit the ground after being lifted out. He wasn’t surprised, just noting it.

That face never looked like it belonged on a willowy frame.

Just… Yu Yan was even more solid than he’d imagined.

You Fuzhou blanked for two seconds. Then his Spiritual Body suddenly growled at the doorway.

The next second, a massive cobra burst through the door, charging straight at them!

You Fuzhou’s lips curved into a faint smirk. With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the object in his hand. As the white lion roared and clashed with the cobra, the bomb landed right in front of the incoming heir.

The man reacted quickly, but those few seconds he spent dodging were enough time for You Fuzhou to whisk Yu Yan away.

You Fuzhou tossed the grappling hook from his hand, latching it onto the wall overhead. He didn’t forget to reassure Yu Yan: “Don’t be afraid.”

In the very next instant, they shot upward!

Ye Songhua had influenced the fighter pilots for just a split second. Seizing the momentum, You Fuzhou dragged Yu Yan onto one of the fighters. With a heavy thud, Yu Yan felt a jolt from somewhere—he watched as You Fuzhou gripped him tight and wrenched open the fighter’s cockpit door with one hand. Then, with a powerful kick, he sent the pilot tumbling out through the blast-proof glass window!

The shattering came not just from the glass, but from the pilot’s skull as well.

After shoving Yu Yan into the pilot’s seat, You Fuzhou contacted Nanzi: “Nanzi, take remote control. Send him back to ‘home’ first.”

Yu Yan only hesitated for half a second. He decided not to play the frail damsel and hold them back at a time like this.

Instead, he flashed You Fuzhou a soft smile. Before he could even utter a word of thanks, You Fuzhou had already leaped away without looking back. Just before jumping, he roughly jammed the violently dismantled door back into place. The last sound Yu Yan caught was: “Action officially begins.”

Yu Yan sat in the fighter jet, now under Nanzi’s remote control and hurtling toward an unknown destination. His mind replayed You Fuzhou’s crisp, decisive movements over and over.

Flamboyant. Ruthless. Unyielding.

He gently touched the spots on his body where he had just made contact with You Fuzhou. His eyes shimmered with emotion. Then, amid a deafening crash from behind him, a fiercely predatory glint flashed in his gaze.

Yu Yan turned around and saw a colossal star pirate ship slam directly into the Yashe Empire’s most prized possession, Mammon Hall. The impact pulverized the monstrous edifice—that birthplace of countless sins, witness to untold filth, devourer of so many powerless lives!

Huge fireworks exploded in Yu Yan’s eyes, swaying with brilliant, radiant flames.

You Fuzhou… You Fuzhou.