Chapter 37

Jing Chi spent two days adapting to life here.

In truth, he didn’t think it was all that different from his previous world.

The main difference was that whenever he went out, he might accidentally brush up against male or female insects locked in passionate embraces right there on the street. The bugs around here were clearly a lot more uninhibited.

Survival in this place was tough enough as it was—who had time to worry about what other bugs thought?

Jing Chi had gone from startled surprise at first to striding past without a second glance.

With free meal tickets on the way soon, he hadn’t bothered going out to pick up day labor for star coins like the original host had every day. Instead, he’d wandered aimlessly or just lounged around the house.

Finally, just when he was starting to get restless from all the idleness, the System chimed in:

“Host, level-one alert! Unknown female insect incoming.”

Jing Chi propped his chin on his hand and gazed out the window, his tone lazy. “Got it. Should I throw down with them, or…”

He didn’t finish the sentence before he spotted three female insects in crisp military uniforms approaching from the distance. Each one stood at least 1.8 meters tall, their scarlet eyes brimming with icy detachment and murderous intent.

Their arrival felt abrupt, yet brazenly conspicuous.

It was as if they wanted to make damn sure every bug around knew they weren’t here for tea and chit-chat.

Jing Chi could guess why they were putting on such a show. After all, this was an order from His Highness the Crown Prince—just offing one lowly “female insect” on some backwater dump of a planet.

If they knew Jing Chi was actually a male insect, they might hesitate for a split second. But that was all—just a split second.

Fail to carry out Lantis’s orders, and there’d be no going home for them.

Jing Chi arched a brow and asked the System, “Reckon I could take them?”

“Ahem. Host, while I have faith in your abilities, female insects go through insect transformation when they fight. They sprout tough insect armor and razor-sharp claws that can shred alien beasts’ flesh like tissue paper. Given your build, I recommend we hightail it outta here first.”

The System’s tone was firm.

Jing Chi, however, stayed utterly relaxed. “No biggie,” he said mildly. “Guess I’ll bail then.”

A wise man knew when to cut his losses. He had confidence against regular folks, but these bugs? Better play it safe.

He slipped out the back door without a sound.

Meanwhile, the three military females who’d come to eliminate Jing Chi were grilling every bug they passed.

“You know a female insect named Jing Chi around here?” one of them demanded, blocking a D-class female insect. Arrogance etched his features as he looked down on the local from this desolate star, exuding a sense of superiority.

In this society, males might reign supreme, but so did rank. Higher-ranked bugs had every right to their haughtiness.

The drunk bug cracked his eyes open groggily and shot a bleary glance at the questioner. The name rang a vague bell.

But that superior attitude rubbed him the wrong way. What gave these big-shot star females the right to look down on low-tier bugs like him? He snorted coldly. “Might’ve heard the name somewhere. But I ain’t telling you squat.”

The military female’s face darkened. He seized the drunk by the collar, his voice a low growl. “You got any idea whose orders we’re on? I suggest you play nice.”

Even he didn’t know why the Empire’s exalted Crown Prince had suddenly dispatched them to this godforsaken rock to quietly take someone out.

But they all knew failure wasn’t an option. It wouldn’t end well.

Countless military females, tough as nails, hadn’t survived the Crown Prince’s punishments.

The thought made his expression sour even further.

“Pah!” The drunk tried wrenching the hand away but couldn’t budge it. He grew frantic. “Don’t care who sent you—ain’t my problem. Let me go!”

“Tell me where that bug is, and you’re free. Otherwise, you ain’t walking away from here.”

The military female narrowed his eyes in threat.

Dropping one bug on a desolate star like this? Routine. No one would bat an eye.

The drunk clearly got the picture. He plastered on a fawning grin, his tone shifting instantly. “Right, sir, gimme a sec to think… Oh yeah! That’s Old Man Jing’s freeloading son-in-law, ain’t it? The rickety shack up ahead—that’s the place. You can let me go now, yeah?”

The three military females exchanged a glance, then zeroed in on Jing Chi’s house. They shoved the drunk aside and strode toward it.

Watching the System’s live feed, Jing Chi felt a twinge of regret. He’d been hoping to see a brawl, get a read on these military females’ strength.

And just like that—they’d sold him out.

Jing Chi might not have realized it, but ordinary female insects wouldn’t dare face off against such formidable military females. There was only one possible outcome: biting off more than they could chew.

The three military females strode into Jing Chi’s house. On this Desolate Star, insects were scarce, so there were no towering skyscrapers—only the simplest of flat-roofed homes, all built by hand for survival.

The place where Jing Chi now lived had been constructed years ago by the Old Female Insect.

One of the military females kicked open the door to Jing Chi’s home without a second thought.

Jing Chi’s heart ached at the sight. His door!

“No way, System. You have to find a way to take them out.”

System: ???

One of the military females stepped inside and poked around the yard and the single room.

He returned to the doorway and shook his head at the other two. “No insect here.”

“Looks like he fled after spotting the commotion,” the leader said, his expression icy. “We’ll wait right here. He has to come back sooner or later.”

Jing Chi was utterly speechless. They were so stubborn. Why camp out at his door instead of searching elsewhere? Now he couldn’t even go home.

“System, have you come up with a plan yet? I’ve completed two tasks for you. Don’t you owe me some special golden finger in return?”

Jing Chi reflected that he’d been a real fool before. The System was so damn useful—why had he ever let it go to waste?

Chastened by Jing Chi’s words, the System couldn’t bring itself to refuse. With great reluctance, it said, “Host, what do you want?”

Jing Chi’s eyes gleamed. “First things first: alter their memories. Make them think I’m dead so they can go back and report it. Otherwise, my days won’t be peaceful.”

“You can use your mental power for that, Host,” the System replied.

Jing Chi blinked in confusion. “Isn’t mental power just for soothing female insects? It can do this too?”

The System let out a sigh. “It’s your golden finger. Close your eyes, and you’ll see your mental silk threads. Use them to manipulate their memories—it’s like hypnosis from the human world.”

Jing Chi was very pleased with this ability.

He walked right up to his own front door in broad daylight.

The three military females stared in disbelief at the handsome female insect who had appeared of his own accord.

“You’re Jing Chi?” one of them asked.

The young man stood tall and straight, hands clasped behind his back, a smile playing on his lips as he faced them.

“If I said I wasn’t, would you believe me?”

The three exchanged glances, their wariness spiking. This female insect was far too calm.

They signaled one another with their eyes, then charged at Jing Chi together.

Rather than deploying his mental power right away, Jing Chi wanted to test the strength of these military females first.

He rolled his shoulders and stretched, catching a punch from the oncoming military female with ease. At the same time, he lashed out with a kick that sent another flying.

The third tried to flank him, but Jing Chi dodged with graceful precision.

In just a few exchanges, the military females’ faces were bruised and bloodied, their once-pristine appearances ruined. Jing Chi’s clothes were merely disheveled.

Dumbfounded to encounter such a powerful female insect out here, the three took a step back in unison.

Jing Chi watched as their human-like hands rapidly grew covered in a layer of black insect armor. Their nails sharpened into gleaming blades, glinting with a metallic chill.

“You guys have no martial virtue. Changing forms out of nowhere like that.”

Suddenly, it looked like Jing Chi—the one who couldn’t transform—was at a severe disadvantage.

The three military females ignored his complaint and rushed him again.

Jing Chi closed his eyes. Under his guidance, his mental silk threads swiftly pierced into their mental seas.

The military females froze on the spot, as if someone had hit pause. Their eyes turned vacant and dull.

Jing Chi worked quickly, rewriting their memories to his satisfaction.

He opened his eyes and slipped away before they could recover.

By the time the three military females snapped back to awareness, their minds held only the fabricated recollection Jing Chi had implanted.

In it, they had captured Jing Chi effortlessly, slain him on the spot, and tossed his corpse into a beast tide, leaving no trace behind.

The three promptly departed.

The System couldn’t help but marvel. “Host, you’re brutal to yourself. Designing such a gruesome end.”

Jing Chi shook his head. “That wasn’t my design. It’s exactly what the original host would have faced.”

After all, the original host lacked both Jing Chi’s combat prowess and his ability to tamper with memories. When these three had arrived, he hadn’t escaped in time and had been killed with ease.

The System sighed at that.

Just then, a streak of light flashed across the sky.

The System’s tone immediately brightened with excitement as it said:

“Host, another unfamiliar female insect has landed here. This time it’s the villain.”

Jing Chi hadn’t expected such perfect timing.

“Those three military females won’t run into Pei Rui, will they?”

The System replied, “No worries. The villain made an emergency landing in a pretty remote spot.”

According to the original record, Pei Rui had led his army to a resounding victory in the Alien Beast War. But during the final pursuit, after three straight days and nights of grueling battle, his warship was struck by an alien beast, forcing him to crash-land on this Desolate Star.

Following the System’s directions, Jing Chi made his way into a dense forest.

Before long, he spotted black smoke rising from not far away.

Jing Chi approached.

At the same time, a shadowy insect figure gradually came into view ahead.

The female insect wore a crisp military uniform, its silver buttons glinting faintly in the sunlight. The Empire’s signature Rose-Colored Medal gleamed on his shoulder as he limped out from the wreckage.

Silvery-white hair flowed in the wind, untouched by the dust that couldn’t mar his peerlessly handsome face—especially those ruby-red eyes, sharp and arrogant beyond concealment.

Though battered and disheveled, his posture remained ramrod straight.

Jing Chi stood at a distance, quietly taking in the sight.

Sadly, the moment of striking handsomeness didn’t last. Pei Rui finally succumbed to exhaustion and collapsed to the ground.

In his final second of consciousness, he seemed to glimpse an exquisitely handsome insect standing before him.

Then darkness claimed him completely.

Jing Chi tugged helplessly at the corner of his mouth and walked over.

He crouched down beside the fallen female insect.

Those fierce eyes were now tightly shut, revealing only a pale face and pursed lips—an unexpectedly docile look for the creature before him.

But Jing Chi knew better. This insect was the furthest thing from docile.

Jing Chi poked the female insect’s cheek and couldn’t help sighing. “So it’s soft too, huh?”

He let out a light chuckle, then scooped the female insect up into his arms.

Behind them, the black smoke gradually scattered on the wind…