The Imperial Marshal’s Darling at the Tip of His Heart - Chapter 5

Chenhuan Empire, “Iron Curtain” Cyber Security Center.

A cold silence once again blanketed the command hall. But this time, the silence was no longer steeped in the calm of total control; it was a taut, ready-to-strike tension that followed a sharp sting.

On the main light-screen, the signal point representing the “ghost” had vanished. All that remained was the final point of disconnection, the star sector of Star-Shatter City, a blurred halo of light.

The technicians remained as silent as cicadas in winter, heads bowed as they handled the aftermath. None dared to look at the man standing before the star map.

Ling Yao stood with his back to the crowd, his posture still as straight as a pine. However, the low-pressure aura radiating from him caused the temperature of the entire hall to drop to the freezing point. His slender fingers unconsciously tapped the edge of the star map’s console, creating a rhythmic, dull thud.

“Star-Shatter City.”

He repeated the name, his voice devoid of emotion, yet carrying the oppressive weight of a gathering mountain storm.

The adjutant cautiously presented a preliminary analysis report:

“Marshal, although the final encryption node used by the target was disrupted by self-destruction, the remaining algorithmic features have over a 78% match with the Xi Lan Federation’s ‘Stardust’ system. The methods of optimization and reconstruction are extremely unique; we have no matching records in our database. It looks like a… custom-made, top-tier handcrafted piece.”

“A handcrafted piece?”

Ling Yao finally turned around, a chilling arc curving at the corner of his mouth. “A ‘handcrafted piece’ that nearly stole something from under my nose and managed to escape unscathed?”

The adjutant immediately lowered his head. “My apologies, I misspoke.”

Ling Yao’s gaze swept across the chaotic star sector map of Star-Shatter City on the light-screen. It was marked with countless light points of varying sizes, representing various factions, smuggling rings, black market traders, and outlaws.

“The Grabbers…” he mused.

He recalled the underground organization mentioned in previous intelligence reports that was also active in Star-Shatter City.

“They are looking for this ‘ghost’ as well?”

“Yes, Marshal. We intercepted some fragmented communications. The Grabbers seem to believe the target possesses key information regarding the ‘Turbid Core’ or a cure for Crystal Erosion Disease. Their bounty is very high.”

“They are certainly well-informed,” Ling Yao sneered. “A pack of rats in the gutter, yet they dare covet the Empire’s property.”

His eyes grew sharp. “Prepare my ‘Night Owl’ assault ship. Deploy a squad of ‘Obsidian’ elites, the ones most familiar with places like Star-Shatter City. We depart in one hour.”

“You are going in person?” The adjutant was surprised. Although the Marshal often visited the front lines, personally heading to such a chaotic borderland for an unidentified cyber-intruder seemed a bit excessive.

Ling Yao glanced at him, a look that made the adjutant swallow his remaining words instantly.

“He bypassed the ‘Net Hunt,’ reached the inner shadow zone, and decisively self-destructed to escape before being locked down. Such an opponent is worth meeting in person.”

He paused, his voice dropping to a low tone carrying a trace of hunter-like excitement.

“Besides, I am curious. How did a place like Xi Lan raise such a… suicidal ghost cat?”

One hour later.

A sleek, matte-black small assault ship with no markings—the Night Owl—quietly glided out of the Imperial Central Star Region’s military port. It leaped precisely into the hyperspace lane, heading straight for Star-Shatter City.

Inside the bridge, Ling Yao had shed his heavy ceremonial Marshal’s uniform. He had changed into a black tactical suit better suited for action, which emphasized his broad shoulders and long legs, making his aura even more formidable. On the light-screen before him, the latest intelligence on Star-Shatter City and detailed profiles of the Grabbers scrolled rapidly.

“Star-Shatter City is a lawless zone, with a superficial order maintained by an alliance of the largest gangs and merchant chambers. The Grabbers are the most powerful and ruthless among them. Their leader is codenamed ‘Butcher,’ a man with high-level prosthetic modifications who is notoriously cruel. Their main business is smuggling, looting, and trafficking anything related to ‘Turbid Core’ pollution, technology, or even people…” the adjutant reported.

Ling Yao’s gaze fell on a blurred image of “Butcher”—a burly man with half his face replaced by metal prosthetics, greed and violence glinting in his lone eye.

“‘Butcher’…” he whispered the name, a flash of disgust in his eyes. “The target’s last physical location was near the Third Port District. Upon arrival, start the search from there. Every inn, rental warehouse, and underground clinic—leave no stone unturned.”

“Yes, Marshal.”

“Notify our ‘undercovers’ in Star-Shatter City. I want to know the Grabbers’ recent movements, especially their progress in searching for the ‘sickly target.’”

“Understood!”

Ling Yao closed the light-screen, leaned back into his seat, and closed his eyes. In his mind, the trajectory of the abnormal signal’s retreat reappeared—nimble, cunning, and possessing a computational power that felt almost like art. Yet, at the end, it betrayed an undeniable fatigue and weakness belonging to a living organism.

Sickly… Xi Lan… Crystal Erosion Disease…

As these words linked together, a blurred silhouette gradually sharpened in his mind. A terminal patient possessing top-tier intellect and technical skills, risking a solo infiltration into the Empire’s dragon’s den to find a sliver of life…

Interesting.

He opened his eyes and looked at the starlight streaming past the viewport, a cold smile playing on his lips.

The prey had been startled and had hidden back in its nest. The hunter was on his way.

Star-Shatter City, Third Port District, “Mole Hole” Inn, Room 7-B.

Yun Shu struggled to sit up from the cold floor, leaning against the wall, gasping for air. Every breath triggered a deep pain in his chest, and the lingering taste of blood filled his throat. The soul-stirring virtual confrontation and forced disconnection had drained nearly all his strength and accelerated the progression of his Crystal Erosion Disease.

With a trembling hand, he took a high-concentration nutrient and analgesic mix injection pen from a hidden compartment in his luggage. Lifting his sleeve, he unhesitatingly injected the cold liquid into his pale, slender arm.

The medicine took effect quickly, temporarily suppressing the suffocating pain and weakness, bringing a false, floating sense of relief. However, the throbbing pain and humming deep in his brain from the overload persisted.

He looked at the scorched portable light-computer and the bloodstains on the floor. With great effort, he stood up and began to clean the scene. He could not let the inn staff or any potential searchers find any traces. He wiped away the blood with a special solvent and placed the remains of the damaged computer into a prepared shielding bag.

After finishing this, another wave of dizziness hit him, and he had to lean against the wall to stay upright. He had to leave.

The Grabbers had searched nearby earlier; though they were interrupted by an accident, they would likely return. And Ling Yao… given that man’s ability and style, having lost the target in the virtual world, his next step would surely be a precision strike in the physical world. Although Star-Shatter City was chaotic, for a Marshal of the Chenhuan Empire, digging out a target hiding here was only a matter of time.

This inn was no longer safe.

He took a deep breath, trying to refocus his thoughts, which were somewhat blurred by the medication. What should he do next? Ling Yao’s personal arrival meant the danger level had risen exponentially.

Yet, in a way, it also validated the value of the intelligence he had stolen, the Empire clearly valued that “Primordial Genetic Sequence” immensely, enough to dispatch a figure of the Marshal’s caliber.

In crisis, opportunity lies hidden. A direct confrontation with Ling Yao might be unavoidable. But how to use that confrontation to secure a sliver of hope for himself and for Xi Lan was the key.

He needed information; he needed to know Ling Yao’s specific movements after his arrival. He needed to know the Grabbers’ intentions. He needed a new, safer hiding place, and… a way to access the network again. His damaged light-computer was useless; he had to obtain new equipment.

All of this was fraught with difficulty in the peril-filled Star-Shatter City.

He walked to the window, cautiously parted the dirty curtains, and looked down. The port district was still clamorous and chaotic; starships of all kinds rose and fell, and crowds of different races bustled about. He saw several people wearing the Grabbers’ signature black leather coats questioning a stall owner at a nearby alley entrance. Clearly, the search had not stopped.

His gaze swept across the street, finally landing on a small shop diagonally opposite. It looked equally dilapidated, hanging a sign that read “Second-Hand Electronic Repair & Decoding.”

Places like this were often melting pots—hubs for information exchange. It was possible to acquire unregulated electronic equipment there, but the risks were also exceptionally high.

He decided to gamble.

Yun Shu pulled up his hood and raised his collar, concealing most of his face, and tucked the shielding bag into the inner lining of his clothes. He performed a final check on the small gadgets hidden on his person: a miniature electromagnetic pulse (EMP) device and a canister of high-intensity sedative spray.

These were his final means of self-defense.

He pushed the door open gently; the hallway was deserted. Holding his breath, he listened to the commotion downstairs. After confirming it was temporarily safe, he moved noiselessly down the creaking wooden stairs. The Tiefling at the front desk was still dozing, oblivious to his presence.

Stepping out of the “Mole Hole,” he was greeted by a wall of turbid air and a wave of noise. He lowered the brim of his hood and merged into the crowd, walking as naturally as possible toward the electronic repair shop. His footsteps were a bit light due to physical weakness, but he forced himself to remain steady.

Just as he neared the shop entrance, a sudden commotion erupted at the end of the street!

The roar of engines approached rapidly. Several off-road vehicles, reinforced with heavy steel plates and mounted weapons, barged crudely into the street, forcing the crowd to scatter in fear. Over a dozen fully armed thugs jumped out, all bearing the prominent insignia of the “Grabbers.”

Leading them was a man with a hideous electronic eye scar—the very same leader who had searched the inn earlier!

“Seal off this street! Not even a fly is allowed to fly out!” the scarred man roared. His electronic eye pulsed with a red light as he scanned the panicked crowd. “Check everyone! Especially the fresh faces! The boss said that brat must still be hiding nearby!”

Yun Shu’s heart sank!

They had actually blockaded the street! His path forward was blocked, and there was no going back to the “Mole Hole” inn.

He turned immediately, intending to blend into a crowded bar nearby. But the scarred man’s cold electronic eye had already swept over, seemingly lingering for a moment on his hooded, thin silhouette!

“You! Stop right there!” the scarred man barked, striding over with his subordinates.

Yun Shu’s mind raced. A forced breakthrough meant certain death, and retreating to the inn was merely walking into a trap. Cold sweat instantly drenched his back.

At this critical juncture, even more piercing sirens wailed from the other end of the street!

Several vehicles painted with the crude markings of the Port Security Detail swerved into view. Their megaphones blared with muffled shouts: “Grabbers! Who gave you permission to act wildly here! Disarm immediately and submit to inspection!”

Clearly, the Grabbers’ large-scale mobilization had drawn the ire of other local powers in the port district. The security detail had come to spoil the party!

The street descended into even greater chaos. The Grabbers’ men immediately turned their weapons, entering a standoff with the security detail. Curses and shoving matches broke out everywhere.

Tied down by this sudden development, the scarred man cursed in frustration, temporarily losing track of his “suspicious target,” Yun Shu.

This was the chance!

Without hesitation, Yun Shu slipped into a nearby narrow alleyway that reeked of filth and was piled high with trash. He used every ounce of strength he had, running through the dim, winding passage with staggering steps. His lungs felt like they were on fire, and his heart pounded so hard it threatened to leap from his chest!

He didn’t know how long he ran until the noise behind him finally faded. Only then did he lean against a filthy wall, doubling over in a fit of violent coughing as his vision swam with black spots.

Safe for now.

But he knew this was only temporary. Ling Yao was closing in, and the Grabbers’ search net was tightening. He was alone, gravely ill, and trapped in this chaotic steel forest like a cornered beast.

He looked up toward the sky, dyed in eerie colors by the neon lights. A low-profile yet undeniably advanced black assault ship was silently piercing through Star-Shatter City’s thin atmosphere, descending toward the port district.

Yun Shu’s pupils constricted slightly.

He was here. The hunter had entered the game.