The Only Ultimate Alpha in the Universe - Chapter 9

Inside the VIP room of the auction house, Deken and several subordinates were filled with surprise and joy. They impatiently confirmed with Xiao Sa again and again.

“Are you truly willing to help us? You aren’t playing us for fools, are you?”

Xiao Sa nodded. “But you must first tell me where my gemstone necklace was sent. I intend to get my property back.”

Duan Feng replied, “We were originally from the Imperial Military. The channels for exchanging starships and weapons are held by certain officials within the Empire. Your item is now highly likely to be on the Empire’s Central Star. As for exactly where it ended up, I will need time to investigate.”

Xiao Sa thought for a moment and said, “Fine. As long as you agree to do a few things for me, I will sell the remaining inhibitors to you.”

“You,” Duan Feng looked at him with uncertainty and suspicion. His beast-like legs could no longer hold him up; he stumbled two steps and collapsed heavily back onto the sofa. Deken snatched the dagger from his hand.

“Boss, don’t do anything foolish!” Deken brought the two vials of high-concentration B-grade inhibitor to him. “Hurry and use one dose first.”

Duan Feng simply shook his head and pushed his hand away. “Don’t waste it.”

Inhibitor resources were daily consumables. The more severe a person’s mental pollution, the higher their frequency of use. For Deken and the other squad leaders, one dose every two or three days was enough to keep their mental entities stable and healthy.

D-grade inhibitors were the least valuable, though prices varied greatly based on concentration. Low-concentration formulations could be bought for only a hundred star coins; they were essentially a form of welfare to maintain social stability among the lower-class population.

C-grade inhibitors were immediately worth ten times more. Low-concentration versions under 50 percent were affordable for the working class if used sparingly. The Royal Mental Healer Association made a fortune daily from these, accumulating unimaginable wealth.

Because A-grade and Special-grade inhibitors were completely monopolized by the powerful and wealthy, they basically did not circulate on the market. This made B-grade inhibitors extremely precious. High-concentration B-grade formulations, despite being expensive at tens of thousands of coins per vial, would be snatched up the moment they appeared. They were luxury consumables reserved for the middle class and the wealthy.

However, given the severity of Duan Feng’s injuries, even a 90 percent concentration B-grade medicine was essentially a lost cause. Only A-grade or higher would have any effect. He had bid on these two B-grade vials to leave for his brothers to save their lives in the future.

Deken, his eyes red and unwilling to face reality, simply kept trying to shove them into his leader’s hands.

Xiao Sa spoke calmly from the side. “That is indeed a waste for him.”

Hearing this, Deken and the other squad leaders, who were fiercely loyal to Duan Feng, immediately bristled. “Mr. Alpha, what do you mean? We are asking for your help, but if you are unwilling, please do not curse our boss!”

Xiao Sa ignored their angry glares and said slowly, “I am saying that I might be able to try and clear his mental pollution.”

“Please stop… Wait, what did you say?” Deken was dazed. His eyes went wide as saucers, and he suspected he was hallucinating.

A healer’s mental entity was extremely unique; its sole purpose was to clear mental pollution. However, the process required both parties to completely open their mental seas to each other, making the entire procedure extremely dangerous.

If the healer had malicious intent, the patient could suffer anything from dementia to immediate death. If the healer made even a slight mistake, there was a high probability they would be infected or assimilated by the other party’s pollution. Very few healers were willing to take such a risk.

The others were also full of suspicion. Duan Feng frowned and said, “Sir, I know you are a mental healer, but my mental entity has already completely collapsed. My legs have fully transformed into beast limbs. Pollution of this degree has long been irreversible.”

“Even if you are a high-ranking healer, you cannot cure this!” Duan Feng was slightly out of breath after speaking, and his expression remained displeased. “You want us to do things for you? No problem. As long as it doesn’t involve my brothers throwing their lives away, we will do our best within our capabilities. But if you want to use empty words to deceive me, you had better leave.”

Looking at Xiao Sa’s young appearance, he found him completely unreliable. During his time in the military, he had seen Royal Healers, and he had never heard of one possessing such formidable martial prowess.

Seeing that they did not believe him, Xiao Sa was not angry. He simply shrugged. “If I wanted to harm you, I could have just demanded your life as compensation earlier. Why go to this much trouble? You’re a goner anyway, aren’t you? Why not try? Treat a dead horse as if it were still alive.”

When he put it that way, it seemed to make sense.

The room fell silent for a moment. Everyone turned to look at Duan Feng. Deken agonized over it for a long time before pulling on his leader’s sleeve and whispering, “Boss, why not let this gentleman try?” It was at least a final straw to grasp at.

Duan Feng pursed his dry lips. He was still somewhat resistant. As a desperate fugitive who lived by the blade, he had long grown indifferent to life and death, but he valued his dignity more than his life. To completely open his mental sea to a stranger was equivalent to being completely at someone else’s mercy. If the other party had any ill intent, he wouldn’t even be able to seek death. How could he endure that?

Xiao Sa no longer wanted to waste time with them. He rose from the armchair and brushed off his cloak. “If you are truly unwilling, then forget it. I can’t guarantee you will live anyway. You can just stay like this; maybe you’ll manage to linger on for a few more days.”

Though these words were the truth, they were particularly unpleasant to hear. Deken and the others didn’t dare talk back anymore, but their eyes grew more pained.

Unexpectedly, Duan Feng was provoked by those words into a final spark of defiance. He gritted his teeth and nodded. “Fine, Mr. Alpha. Please take these useless bones of mine and try once as if I were a dead horse. If it doesn’t work, I accept my fate. I will not blame you.”

Xiao Sa gave him a deep look and nodded. Under the extremely nervous gaze of the crowd, he slowly pressed his hand onto the Baihui point at the top of Duan Feng’s head.

With a soft hum, a nearly inaudible mental domain expanded instantly, enveloping the two of them. Mental threads invisible to the naked eye spread down from Xiao Sa’s fingertips until they fully entered Duan Feng’s open mental sea.

Central Star, Imperial Palace. A banquet was being held in the hall.

Court musicians played a soothing dance tune, and the banquet hall was filled with the clinking of glasses. Hundreds of noble guests were present, raising their cups to one another, laughing softly, and chatting. The dance floor was a sea of gorgeous, fluttering skirts.

As the protagonist of this victory banquet, Landis wore a formal silver-gray military uniform paired with high black boots. The tailored fit highlighted his tall and athletic physique. A gold-woven striped sash hung from his left chest to his waist, gleaming under the bright lights alongside the medals on his chest.

Landis held a wine glass as he sat in a corner sofa with his legs crossed. His military collar was buttoned to the very top, making him look disciplined and ascetic. He had not taken a single sip of the vintage wine in his glass. He had never liked these social occasions, let alone wasting precious time amidst decadent music.

The nobles who came to talk to him arrived with various motives, but they quickly retreated in the face of Landis’s cold attitude.

Adjutant Carlo popped a grape into his mouth and pointed toward the dance floor, smiling. “I don’t know how many single noble ladies and lords are waiting on the dance floor for you to invite them for a dance tonight.”

Landis’s ice-blue eyes scanned the various guests in the hall with indifference. “It has nothing to do with me,” he said flatly.

Carlo sighed heavily and was about to offer more advice when he heard Landis ask, “Is there any word on the person I asked you to find?”

Carlo shook his head. “I’ve sent people to investigate that planet. It is a remote, lower-tier star with countless illegal residents. There is no record of this person at any of the interstellar ports. Private ports are mostly for smugglers, making the search very difficult. This person either used a fake identity or is still there. It will take time to find him.”

He paused and added, “However, our people accidentally found traces of Duan Feng’s pirate group. Should I send men to wipe them out?”

Landis was silent for a moment. A hint of “fox mourning the rabbit” pity appeared in his eyes. “Forget it. He probably won’t live much longer anyway. Let him fend for himself, for the sake of… our time as former colleagues.”

“What are you two chatting about?”

The two looked up. Third Prince Moang Lania approached gracefully, followed by a slender young man. He looked no more than twenty, with a fair and obedient face. His formal attire bore the crest of the Lotte family.

Third Prince Moang was a famous beauty of the royal family. He wore a heavy pearl-silk shirt with ornate layered lotus-leaf sleeves. He was refined, friendly, and elegant, with striking reddish-brown curly hair. He held the young man’s hand as he sat down beside Landis.

“Admiral Landis, this is Wenxi Lotte, the youngest son of the Lotte family. He is twenty this year.”

Landis’s somewhat cold gaze fell on Wenxi. He spoke sparingly. “Pleasure.” He was tall and looked down at the other even while sitting. Wenxi shrank slightly under the oppressive gaze and stuttered, “H, Hello.”

The Third Prince smiled. “Admiral, you’ve frightened Wenxi.”

Landis retracted his gaze and said neutrally, “My apologies. In that case, I can find another sofa to rest on.”

Wenxi’s smile froze. The Third Prince was speechless, glancing at Carlo with an expression that clearly asked: Is your commander always like this?

“Ahem,” he cleared his throat and smiled. “Admiral Landis, the Lotte family should have contacted you already, but they haven’t received a response. That is why they asked me to mention it. Wenxi’s mental compatibility with you is as high as 89.9 percent. He is the first-order match Hainuo arranged for you. Such high compatibility is very rare. Furthermore, the Lotte family is a prestigious noble family. You are a perfect match in every aspect.”

Wenxi had been cautiously stealing glances at Landis. This was not the first time he had seen him. Although Landis had a cold and strong personality that made him difficult to get along with, his looks were incredibly handsome. He was the most powerful figure among the younger generation in the military, holding a position of great power and infinite prospects. Wenxi was not very highly regarded within his own family; if he could marry Landis, he would instantly become the most significant among the family’s juniors.

Landis played with the wine glass in his hand, his gaze sharp. After a long silence, he said, “I am thirty years old, and he hasn’t even graduated from university. Prince Moang, please forgive me, but I have no interest in taking care of a child.”

Wenxi’s face instantly flushed red. In a moment of impulse, he said, “Admiral, I know that for soldiers of your age, the higher the rank, the worse their mental condition becomes. Otherwise, Hainuo wouldn’t keep arranging matches for you.”

These words were somewhat offensive. Landis’s face instantly turned cold. His ice-blue pupils fixed on the other, expressionless. “What are you trying to say?”

The atmosphere almost froze. Wenxi shuddered, already regretting his rashness. Compared to Landis’s current gaze, his previous attitude could have been called “friendly.”

He braced himself and stumbled through his words. “I, I mean, we have an 89.9 percent compatibility. There will be no betrothal partner more suitable for you than me.” Even if Landis refused, Hainuo, which prioritized compatibility above all else, would still arrange a forced matchmaking session for the two.

Carlo sighed inwardly. That was true; a 90 percent compatibility was a rarity. There was no telling how long one would have to wait for another. And his commander’s mental condition was even more severe than outsiders imagined; it was just that the Admiral had always hidden it well.

Seeing that Landis did not speak for a moment, the Third Prince struck while the iron was hot. “Wenxi, why don’t you send a matchmaking date request to Hainuo right now? Father is very concerned about the Admiral’s marriage, so I’m sure he won’t refuse.”

Landis frowned slightly. “I will decide my own affairs. There is no need for the Third Prince to worry.”

In the time it took to speak, Wenxi had already quickly sent the matchmaking application. He expected the other party to receive a notification from Hainuo immediately. Instead, Wenxi’s optical brain received a message first. A large, bright rejection was displayed on the projection screen.

[Given that you are not currently the first-order match for this subject, your matchmaking application has been rejected.]

Wenxi was stunned. “This is impossible! How could anyone have a higher compatibility than me?”

The others, including Landis, were equally surprised. He subconsciously opened his optical brain and clicked on the matchmaking section he had blocked for a long time. The compatibility of the first-order match was shockingly written as 100 percent!

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