“You know,” Ling Ziyun was indeed a clever woman. She seemed to read his thoughts. “No matter how brutal the Empire may be, it has unified the world and brought about a rare period of peace across the universe over these past few decades. But what exactly is the Rebel Alliance trying to do? They merely use the name of opposing the Empire to fulfill certain individuals’ ambitions.”
“What should I do?” Hao Yang suddenly asked. This question had been posed before—by the AI aboard the Titan warship.
A flicker crossed Ling Ziyun’s lips, but she remained silent, gazing instead at the distant starry sea with an expression of deep melancholy in her eyes.
Hao Yang knew Ling Ziyun was deeply conflicted. She had been raised by the Imperial Senate since childhood, trained and granted high status. After being dispatched, her greatest enemy had been none other than him. She had tried repeatedly to kill Hao Yang and failed. That she had changed so drastically was already quite remarkable.
Despite her inner turmoil, the events that had unfolded left Ling Ziyun with no choice but to stand beside Hao Yang, even if it meant severing ties with her past.
This was because a secret event had occurred involving Ling Ziyun, forcing her to make this choice.
“The Darkshade Killers are still lingering in outer space, yet here you are, their great leader, traveling around with the enemy. It’s almost amusing,” Hao Yang said with a mischievous smile.
“Don’t flatter me. You think I actually command Darkshade? We were never trained in the same school. The Darkshade were trained by elders specializing in assassination, while I was raised by elders trained in espionage. Appointing me as their leader was merely a political balancing act by the Senate,” Ling Ziyun replied. Though she appeared powerful on the surface, her position was far from easy. “The real commanders of Darkshade are the Ten Blades. After so many failures, I suppose my time as leader is up.”
“The Ten Blades?” Hao Yang mused. “I have five blades. I wonder who’d win in a fight.”
It was meant as a joke, but to Ling Ziyun, it sounded like thunder. She was visibly startled. “Don’t you dare provoke the Ten Blades of Darkshade. That’s no laughing matter.”
Hao Yang waved his hand dismissively. Truth be told, he wasn’t entirely sure about Ling Ziyun. After all, she had been an imperial spy. Though she had defected to his side for certain reasons, he couldn’t help but wonder what ulterior motives she might still harbor. After all, human hearts can be terrifyingly unpredictable.
“What I really want are the Ten Ancient Blades of the Ten-Blade School,” Hao Yang said, turning back to the topic. “Would I really have to challenge each family one by one?”
Ling Ziyun was about to speak when Amanda, who had been sulking nearby, overheard the word “blade” and stormed over angrily. “You want a sword?”
“Yang Hao is after the legendary treasures of the Ten-Blade School. Do you have any?” Ling Ziyun, never one to miss a chance to needle her rival, replied smugly.
Hao Yang inwardly groaned. Why were these two women always competing? The woman he truly loved was currently on Angel Star, leading the charge and waving banners of battle. No matter how heated the argument here became, it wouldn’t change anything. He’d much rather be holding a beauty in his arms and enjoying the scenery together.
But the two women were already at each other’s throats again. Watching women argue wasn’t usually a pleasant sight, but fortunately, both were stunning beauties, so Hao Yang could afford to watch from a safe distance. Indeed, these two were completely different types. Amanda was bold and straightforward, her fashion choices daring and sexy, especially her penchant for showing off her toned legs and midriff. Her sun-kissed skin looked radiant under the sunlight. Her style of arguing was just as blunt—she would say anything, without regard for feminine delicacy.
Ling Ziyun, on the other hand, was more composed, though her calm exterior masked a deeply calculating nature. While she didn’t shout or scream, the occasional sharp remark she let slip could cut straight to the bone.
“You had a marriage contract with Lord Dongjie. I know exactly what happened during those many days aboard his ship.”
“Bullshit!” Amanda snapped, her face flushed with anger. “How dare Dongjie touch me with even a finger!”
“Who knows what really happened, fiancée?” Ling Ziyun smirked.
“Why not call me a high-class hooker while you’re at it!” Amanda stamped her foot furiously, finally hitting the crux of the matter. “What kind of place do you think Lingfei Star Sea is? You’re probably no better than a madam who’s been ridden by thousands.”
Even with her ironclad composure, Ling Ziyun’s expression darkened at this. Although she had been stationed in various branches of the Lingfei Star Sea, she was still a disciple of the Senate—no one had ever truly dared to treat her like a prostitute. Even when she played the role of a courtesan in brothels, it was always done with decorum. Besides, her first time had actually been taken by Hao Yang, albeit under the influence of aphrodisiacs. Back then, in the Lingfei Star Sea branch near Saint Bear Star, she had disguised herself as another woman among a group of courtesans, trying to lure Hao Yang into a trap. But even after sacrificing her body, she had failed to ensnare him.
At this point, there was no turning back. Amanda reached into her bosom and pulled out a strange-looking gun, while Ling Ziyun took a fighting stance, clearly preparing for battle.
“Wait, wait! Calm down!” Hao Yang quickly stepped in. Amanda was always tinkering with mechanical gadgets, and he had no idea what that weapon could do. As for Ling Ziyun, she was even more dangerous—her skills learned from the Senate were no trifling matter.
Seeing Hao Yang block her path to Ling Ziyun, Amanda assumed he was protecting the other woman. Her heart swelled with anger and resentment. Trembling, she demanded, “Yang Hao! Why? Why are you defending her? She’s a bad person—everyone knows it. Why are you doing this?”
Why?
Hao Yang could only smile bitterly. Even he, a man with a face thick enough to shrug off particle beams, couldn’t bring himself to speak the truth aloud.
But could he really avoid explaining? Not just to Amanda, but to the entire Alliance, even to his own people—Longyun, Maya, and the Hao Sword Corps.
Why exactly? It seemed the entire world was waiting for an answer.
Hao Yang remained silent, as if sealing the secret away forever.
But then Ling Ziyun spoke. Her expression was cold, still seemingly upset by Amanda’s words. Yet with just one sentence, she silenced all doubts and questions.
“Because,” she said, a triumphant look on her face. “I’m pregnant. I’m carrying Yang Hao’s child.”
It was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, leaving Amanda speechless.
Even those not present at the moment—and those who would later hear this explanation—would be equally stunned.
Very few people knew that Hao Yang and Ling Ziyun had once shared a night of passion. Now, it turned out they had a child together. It was almost too incredible to believe.
One was the leader of the Rebel Alliance, the other a disciple of the Imperial Senate. Their union producing offspring? What kind of twist of fate was this?
But in Amanda’s mind, none of this mattered. She kept replaying Ling Ziyun’s earlier words.
“She helped Yang Hao achieve a monumental feat…” That must have been the most important thing she did for him—the reason he could overlook her past and keep her by his side.
If Amanda wanted to win Yang Hao back, her only option was to achieve an even greater feat than Ling Ziyun.
But…
“Why do you have it so good?” Hun Yuanzi voiced what many men were thinking. “Why do so many women want to stick with you?”
“Unstoppable charm, I guess,” Hao Yang replied with a grin, though inside, he felt like he was sinking into a honey jar—sweet and thick, and impossible to pull himself out of.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Of course, Hao Yang had ways to escape the situation. Retreat for cultivation was the best excuse. But even that would bring trouble, especially in such a contentious place.
It all started with his recent return from the Divine Realm. What was the Divine Realm? Everyone knew it was the domain of the gods. Few were aware that the gods had actually been imprisoned there. Most people assumed that anyone who had visited would have gained great benefits—perhaps even obtained divine secrets, becoming invincible in the world.
Moreover, immediately after returning from the Divine Realm, Hao Yang’s powers had surged. He not only led the Alliance to victory in the Battle of the Twin Suns but also defeated the legendary swordsman Situ Hai in a duel.
The Rebel Alliance seized upon this victory. Situ Hai had been the greatest wandering swordsman in the universe and a pillar of the early rebellion against the Empire. When he became an imperial subordinate, the Rebel Alliance’s morale had plummeted. Now, for Hao Yang to force Situ Hai to concede defeat in a duel was a tremendous boost for the Rebel cause. Everyone saw Hao Yang as the new hero, the new symbol of their movement.
Many Rebel soldiers quietly replaced their posters of Hede and Situ Hai with pictures of Yang Hao, secretly hoping that one day their leader would lead them to Earth.
Situ Hai’s final act before leaving—bowing to Hao Yang—elevated his reputation even further. That was a gesture reserved only for the top hundred martial artists in the world. By doing so, Situ Hai was effectively declaring to the universe that Hao Yang had joined the ranks of the top hundred martial artists in the cosmos. Any martial artist should now offer him the same respect.
Most of the top hundred martial artists were employed by the Galactic Empire. The Rebel Alliance had only Elder Hede to boast of—until now, when Hao Yang joined their ranks. Secret whispers spread that Hao Yang had received divine guidance in the Divine Realm, mastering a divine technique, and even carrying a divine secret that could make him truly invincible in the world.
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