The Regent of the Zerg [Transmigration] - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

In the fifteenth year of Qiande, during a cold spring rain, the Left Prime Minister led the civil and military officials to submit a memorial. They stated that the Emperor was now fifteen years old, of age to bind his hair and attend the University, and requested the Regent to return the governance of the state.

The Regent complied joyfully, promising to return the Imperial Seal on the Emperor’s birthday and resign from all posts, spending the rest of his life as a mere wealthy, idle prince.

Late spring, during the Grain Rain. The Regent, Mu Ling, established the “Ten Policies of Public Security,” promoting new reforms across more than twenty prefectures and commanderies spanning the north and south of the national borders. He delegated the public security policies to the newly appointed prefects and governors from last year’s imperial examinations, ordering the new officials to enter the capital at the end of the year to have an audience with the Emperor, report on their duties, and discuss the merits and flaws of the policies.

At the Start of Summer, the Regent wrote the “Essentials of Military Strategy,” submitting it for the Emperor’s review and requesting it be cataloged in the Royal Library, the Tianshui Pavilion.

In mid-autumn, the walls of the capital trapped the autumn wind.

The maple forests in the north of the city turned red, and the emerald peaks in the south reached into the sky. As the west wind blew toward the evening sun and the bright moon rose to the center of heaven, the fifteenth birthday of the Qiande Emperor, Mu Ai, arrived amidst the cooling winds of the city.

The night before the grand banquet, Mu Ling entered the palace to bid his farewell, bringing with him Governance, a work he had spent eight years compiling, along with the apricot-rain pastries the Emperor loved most.

Since the Emperor ascended the throne at the age of five, Mu Ling had personally arranged a private family banquet every year on his birthday to make up for the regrets of his early orphanage and fractured family ties.

Mu Ai welcomed him joyfully, half-acting like a spoiled child and half-pleading for him not to leave the capital. Mu Ling felt a touch of bitterness amidst his helplessness: “If your Imperial Uncle does not leave, it will be difficult for you to take personal charge of the government. Furthermore, the Left Prime Minister is upright by nature and possesses vast knowledge, he can serve as the backbone of the court. You may rely on him more in the future and discuss all matters with him. The General-in-Chief will return to his station in a few days, he is arrogant and relies on his own might. You may promote his deputy to balance him—that man is mature and steady, devoted to the country, and rarely involves himself in court disputes. He is a loyal and capable general. I have been suppressing him all these years because I wanted to save him for you. The stability of the state’s military is of the utmost importance; you must be cautious and never act rashly…”

Before he could finish, Mu Ai grabbed his arm and lamented:

“Today is my birthday. Uncle, please don’t say such disappointing things.”

Mu Ling’s expression turned solemn. Looking at Mu Ai’s small face, which had yet to lose its baby fat, he said coldly: “In matters of the state, there is no such thing as ‘disappointing’ or not…”

Mu Ai’s eyes turned red and filled with tears, looking childishly cute yet innocent and pitiful. Mu Ling softened his expression: “In the future when I am not here, you must…”

“Imperial Uncle!” Mu Ai suddenly interrupted him, picking up a cup of wine from the table and handing it over: “I know everything Uncle is saying.” He no longer referred to himself as Zhen:

“You have been Regent for eleven years. I know well how much foul language has been spoken outside. How could others know that you have actually managed everything for my sake? Since you have resolved to leave the capital, I cannot stop you. I only wish that Uncle’s future is as vast as the mountains and rivers, and that you may spend the rest of your life in leisure. Your nephew has no way to repay you, except to offer this cup of wine. Cheers!”

Moved, Mu Ling’s eyes also grew moist. For a long time, he could not speak, and could only drain the wine cup in his hand.

Seeing him drink it all, Mu Ai’s expression changed slightly. After a moment of silence, he said:

“But there is one thing…I have thought back and forth, and I couldn’t find a better way.”

“Hmm? Let’s hear it.”

Mu Ai spoke slowly:

“Uncle, you have toiled for eleven years, and everyone in the court and the countryside listens only to you. The General-in-Chief is wild in character and cares for no one but you. The soldiers of the border army only know the Prince, not the Emperor. The Left Prime Minister is upright, yet he still required your instructions before he would dare advise me to take personal rule. The officials you sent out are not my officials, but your officials—if you leave like this, it is like a flood dragon entering the sea. I am very worried…”

Mu Ling’s expression remained unchanged, but his heart gradually turned cold. For a moment, he didn’t know if he was lost or enlightened. He heard himself ask in a flat voice: “What does the Emperor think?”

“I do not dare let you go, nor do I dare keep you…” Mu Ai sighed deeply, stroking his chin in deep thought. Then he punched his palm: “So, I thought of a way to have the best of both worlds.”

Mu Ling felt a sharp pain in his stomach, and the base of his tongue tasted the surging sweetness of blood. He closed his eyes heavily and collapsed into his chair. The last sound he heard was Mu Ai’s sorrowful weeping: “I can only trouble Imperial Uncle to suddenly fall ill and remain in the capital to recover, but the illness will be incurable, and you will eventually die suddenly. I will observe three years of mourning as if for a father’s funeral. How about it?”

How about it?

What else can be done?

Mu Ling was startled awake by the cold. The System was still continuing its lecture on the dangers of private desertion from the palace. His temples throbbed with pain, and he said sharply: “Be quiet.”

After three seconds of silence, the System began its muttering regarding the plot of this book.

Veins popped on Mu Ling’s forehead:

“If you mention the name ‘Mu Ai’ again, I will uninstall you. Do you think I’m sleeping too soundly?”

The System was innocent:

“Your authority is insufficient, and he is the protagonist. All the plot points I know revolve around him.”

A third-rate plot about how a soft, white, sweet little Male Zerg defeats his evil brother to upgrade into a King Zerg was enough to hear once—Mu Ling didn’t need the System to remind him; he naturally knew that this Mu Ai was not the little brat he had painstakingly raised.

He had set his heart on being a Duke of Zhou, but the other party didn’t want to be King Cheng.

Stupid brat, did he think killing him like that would end the trouble?

Facing the System’s answer, Mu Ling was very cold:

“Gossip. I am the master and you are the servant; just follow orders. Why so much nonsense?”

“I am a system. You have already illegally shielded me many times…” The System sounded pitiful. After the host mastered the mental power cultivation method, he had evolved to the point of being able to shield it. It was its own uselessness that caused the current situation: “Why do you hate the protagonist so much?”

This thing with a malfunctioning brain was actually parasitic in his own head; wasn’t the reason clear enough? Mu Ling sighed silently.

From character to looks, the little Male Mu Ai was exactly the same as his ungrateful nephew. He spent all year wearing the skin of an over-startled rabbit, with “pure and innocent” written in every pore, making Mu Ling seem very ill-intentioned by contrast. It truly made one feel disgusted just looking at him.

He smiled coldly, not wanting to argue, and simply said:

“This Prince has ‘Little White Rabbit PTSD.’ If you nag any further, I will go straight to Tang Luosi and tell him I am a Male Zerg.”

The System, concerned for the host’s life, cowered:

“The Female Zerg Tang Luosi has an extremely high danger index. When he defected back then, he left behind the body of a Male Zerg torn in half. It was confirmed to be his own Male Master. He has neither respect nor care for Males; he might even hate them deeply. Legend says he killed dozens of Males after defecting; not a single Male has ever escaped his side alive.”

As the System painted a horrific picture, Mu Ling thought of the Males he had encountered over the years and felt they deserved it, but he was too lazy to talk back to this gossip-monger, lest it make its tongue even sharper.

At this time, the spaceship’s broadcast announced:

“Dear passengers, welcome to the Bandit Gangs. Coordinates: Centaurus System, Triple-Star System, Seventh Planet—Tianshu Star North Pole. Outside temperature is -40°C, heavy snow. The ship will arrive at Tianshu North Pole Port in thirty minutes. Ground crew is currently handing over, please remain calm. Before leaving the cabin, flight crew will return your weapons and equipment. A reminder: although you were all either human scum or Zerg trash who committed various shady sins before this, do not rely on force to commit crimes here. Awaiting you is the Bandit Gangs’ most elite Female Zerg guard. Finally, the local motto: Let the past be forgotten, and follow local customs. Alright, scumbags, enjoy your new lives. Please register your identity at the exit and collect necessary supplies.”

The voice in the broadcast couldn’t help its arrogance toward the end; every syllable leaked the joy of about to unload a heavy burden.

The ship came to a steady halt. Mu Ling put on his hood and stood up. A fellow in the back row, who had been waiting for an opportunity, ran over eagerly and reached out to help him carry his bag, but Mu Ling pinned it down: “Something the matter?” He glanced at the person, unsure if it was a human; it might be a bug—judging by the appearance, it should be a Female Zerg.

The guy looked dazed, only snapping out of it when he saw Mu Ling frown:

“I’ll carry it for you, I’ll carry it.”

System prompt: C-rank Female Zerg.

Mu Ling raised an eyebrow. He was sure he wasn’t emitting any pheromones, so it was impossible for his identity as a Male to be discovered. So, for this bug to be so eager…The System said: “Seeing beauty leads to admiration, regardless of race or gender. You should be quite used to this.”

Mu Ling smiled slightly and picked up his own bag: “No need to trouble you.”

Internally, he scolded the System: “Noisy.”

The Female Zerg, who was dazed by Mu Ling’s appearance, followed him blankly: “Where are you going? I’ll follow you…Eh?”

He looked closely, but the passageway was crowded with people waiting to disembark; there was no sign of Mu Ling. He felt a sense of loss: even among Males, he had never seen anyone so good-looking. He hadn’t even asked what he was yet.

Mu Ling skillfully shook off the follower, pulled his hood tight, and asked the System:

“They say the Bandit Gangs is a lawless territory where humans and Zerg live together without order or discipline, where robbery and killing are common, and no one dares walk the streets without a weapon. But I see the people at this port act with restraint and strict discipline; the order is even better than many areas in the Empire.”

Outside the porthole, the people in charge of guiding were diverting the crowd to various security checkpoints. Among the people coming and going every day, there was no lack of violent criminals. However, the guards here were tight. Once any abnormal movement appeared, it would be suppressed quickly.

A team of fully armed Females came out to take away those who acted out. Everyone was unsurprised, they looked normal and would even politely greet the Females.

The System’s mechanical voice managed to squeeze out some indignation:

“You are already outside the plot; I am also unclear.”

“Then you should reflect on your own incompetence.” Mu Ling’s expression was cold as he added: “Silence is a virtue. If you know nothing except for Mu Ai, you should cultivate your character properly.”

System: “My functions are not as complete as the protagonist’s system; I cannot solve your problems. But it is truly very dangerous here, even if it looks calm now. Once your identity as a Male is exposed, it will trigger a riot among the local Female Zerg. By then, without the Empire’s armed suppression, the outcome will be uncontrollable.”

Mu Ling rubbed his temples. He had just told it not to be noisy, yet it rambled on with such a long string of words.

“If it were before, and you spoke like this in my Prince’s Manor, you would have been beaten to death countless times.”

“The conditions cannot be met. You would have to load me into a body first before you could beat me to death. Given your self-disciplined and frugal nature, you wouldn’t allow such waste to exist.”

The System spoke with conviction. It had long ago figured out the host’s penny-pinching nature. A grand Prince, yet he didn’t love fine clothes or famous horses, didn’t take beautiful wives or concubines, and didn’t use crowds of servants. To strictly practice frugality, he led by example. Plus, back then, he was worried about shaking the foundation of the state, so he didn’t have children, making his expenses even smaller.

Mu Ling sighed:

“Scan the crowd composition.”

“There are a total of 324 passengers on this ship. Among them are 120 Female Zerg, 110 human males, 90 human females, and a total of 4 Male Zerg, including yourself.”

“There are three others?” Mu Ling became interested.

Imperial Male Zerg perfectly combined the traits of being domineering and being as timid as a mouse. Regardless of strength, every one of them felt they were incredibly precious and wouldn’t easily step into danger; whenever they traveled, they had to be equipped with at least three Female Attendants or Female Slaves to guard their safety.

For such fellows, who wouldn’t even easily go to a slightly distant place, to actually be willing to come to this lawless area of the Empire.

If they died here, forget about relatives and friends—even if the Empire’s officials came to demand the killer, they wouldn’t get one.

“Aside from one C-rank Male, the rest are D-rank. They likely had their families destroyed and had no choice but to come here to find a way out.”

So they do exist. Mu Ling’s curiosity subsided.

Low-level Males without family support are easily turned upon by high-level Females. Although the Bandit Gangs might not be safer than their hometown, if there was already a very obvious threat at home, running away was the only choice for these weak Males.

The System, worried that he was too proud of his talents, couldn’t help but advise him earnestly:

“Even if your rank is very high, a Female Zerg riot is no joke. One or two are easy to suppress, but when hundreds or thousands, even tens of thousands of Females riot together, even a Male of your father’s level would have to avoid the brunt of it. You have no Female guards by your side; it’s even more dangerous.”

Mu Ling ignored it.

The System continued to ramble: “The Females of the Bandit Gangs are not friendly to Males, just like their leader. Later, there were also news reports of Males going missing here…”

“Be quiet,” Mu Ling said coldly.

They reached the exit. The Female Zerg in charge of registration glanced at him:

“Take off your hat.”

Mu Ling took it off as instructed. The Female froze for a good while. Mu Ling urged him: “Are you done?”

“Done, done…wait!” He finally remembered his responsibility, cleared his throat, and asked: “Race.”

“Human.”

the Female glanced at him again, nodded blankly, and lowered his head to record. After writing, he didn’t give up, looked up again and asked: “Really?”

Mu Ling smiled. This smile was even more dazzling. The Female heard him ask back: “Otherwise?”

The Female looked dejected: “Name.”

“Mu Lin.”

“Ah, how do you write it?”

Mu Ling wrote down his name: “It means ‘good neighborly relations.'” He smiled: “My father hoped I would represent humanity in developing good neighborly relations with the Zerg.”

The Female showed a bewildered expression, not knowing if Mu Ling was joking or serious, but still dutifully explained: “This is your identity bracelet.” He handed him a pure black bracelet. “Don’t lose it. No matter what you were called before or what your status was, here we only recognize the information you report. Transportation, food, lodging, internet, work—everything requires real-name registration. But don’t rely on it too much; real names can’t prevent all crimes.”

“After you go out, go left. Go through the security gate and follow the signs to find the shuttle to the city. You need to hurry into the city and find a hotel; this place isn’t safe after dark. Also, this is your respirator; you might need it. Tianshu City’s atmosphere is thin; the Zerg are fine, but some humans find it hard to adapt. Also, also, keep your distance from Females…Females are…”

“Like you?” Mu Ling said.

the Female gave a forced smile: “Yes. You might not know, but the Females here are far more dangerous than those inside the Lojia Empire. If you encounter one with abnormal behavior, remember to run quickly. Go to Tang Luosi’s building to find the Central City Guard; it’s the tallest one after you enter the city.”

“Understood.” Mu Ling didn’t ask in detail what the so-called abnormal behavior was, but the Female described it carefully: if you see a Female with unnatural trembling all over, heavy gasping, loss of emotional control, red eyes, high fever, and sweating, you must turn and run.

Mu Ling naturally knew; this was the precursor to a Female Zerg going “feral.”

The Bandit Gangs lacked mental stabilizers and Male Zerg, and gathered a large number of law-breaking Females and human villains. It was like a small barrel filled with black powder; a single spark could blow it up.

This was also one of the reasons the System kept issuing warnings.

It was the peak of winter in the polar region. When he got off the spaceship, the northern wind cut like a knife. His cloak was filled with wind, bulging like an inflated balloon. A snow-white wrist stretched out from the cloak to press down on the hood that was about to be blown away. Mu Ling gave a tsk: “This is a place with a harsh environment.”

The System quickly said:

“I checked, return tickets are still on sale.”

“The Empire’s notice will be out soon. We need to find a place to deal with this troublesome face.”

Mu Ling ignored it. He estimated the schedule based on the Empire’s work speed, accounting for the time difference. From the moment his disappearance was discovered in the palace, to the orders being passed down through the levels, and then sent to all allied countries and federations—at the latest, by the day after tomorrow morning, a “missing bug” notice printed with his headshot would appear in every street and alley.

The Bandit Gangs had a special environment, so it might be a bit later, but to be safe, he should disguise this skin well today.

He followed the port signs to find the shuttle to the Bandit Gangs’ Central City. The ticket office showed the fare was 200 Zerg crystals, which was about 7,000 yuan in human currency.

He immediately turned solemn. He heard someone at the front of the line complaining about the price. The ticket seller sneered: “Sir, Tianshu Star is short on resources, and the Empire doesn’t trade with us. It’s already very difficult to maintain normal operations. If you think it’s expensive, then hurry into the city and find work. Let me tell you first, work is hard to find; without some skill, just wait to starve to death on the street.”

To avoid detection, Mu Ling hadn’t brought too much money when he left. From the current look of it, the prices here were at least three to four times those inside the Empire. At this rate of spending, he would soon face a problem that most creatures in this world face—poverty.

This realization immediately made his teeth ache.

The Bandit Gangs was not the pure land of lawlessness described in the Empire’s propaganda. Although prices were high, basic civilized order still existed. For a land full of thugs, the cost of governance was extremely high. Coupled with the Empire’s blockade and isolation, it was difficult for this wasteland not to have regressed into a paradise for the law of the jungle.

He began to feel curious about the ruler here.

For safety, he still spent money to get on the shuttle. Humans and bugs who couldn’t afford a ticket could only travel to the Central City on foot. The distance from the port to the city area was about two hundred kilometers. If one could catch a ride, they were lucky; otherwise, the extreme cold and bandits could leave the road littered with corpses.

Most of the passengers on the bus had long criminal records. There were many people like him who wrapped themselves tightly. Mu Ling finally became inconspicuous and couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

“Hey, do you have…any bugs picking you up in the Central City?”

Just as his heart settled, someone came to hit on him. That person was winking and constantly leaning toward him until his thigh pressed against the tip of a knife. The person retreated sheepishly before the gleaming blade: “I didn’t mean anything else, just asking.”

“Ask what should be asked; don’t ask what shouldn’t.”

Regardless of whether the person was telling the truth or not, Mu Ling didn’t want the slightest connection with him. This person was a newborn calf with no sense of steadiness. He himself wasn’t stable yet and had no plans to take on followers.

“Then I’ll ask what should be asked. Hey, you, what crime did you commit before?” He had a familiar, friendly manner.

Seeing Mu Ling ignore him, he continued on his own:

“Guess what I did—you definitely won’t guess. I hacked the mainframe of the Secret Port Bank and siphoned off five million Zerg crystals. They issued an A-rank warrant to catch me!”

Only then did Mu Ling glance at him. The Secret Port was an important port for communication between the north and south of the Empire and was incredibly wealthy. A mere five million was not worth mentioning, but for the city bank’s system to be breached was a deep humiliation; that A-rank warrant was well-deserved.

The man was self-satisfied: “But still, I can’t compare to Tang Luosi. Hey, you know him, right?”

“What are you?” Mu Ling finally spared him a few words.

The man got excited: “A sub-female. I am a sub-female. What about you? A female Zerg? Doesn’t look like it…also a sub-female?”

“Human.”

the man was stuck. It turned out that after boasting for so long, the other person might not even know what his great achievements were: “Oh, let me tell you, the Secret Port is…”

“I know,” Mu Ling said flatly. “I have a lot of research on the Zerg race.”

But the Zerg had little understanding of humans; their basic knowledge stopped at the mention of a weak race in textbooks. The man secretly observed Mu Ling and felt he was different from the descriptions in the books.

“Aren’t you afraid… coming here alone?”

“Aren’t you also?”

“I have a bug picking me up in the city.” the man gave a hehe and reached out: “Let’s get to know each other. My name is Karn.”

Mu Ling covered his face tightly and slowly reached his hand out: “Mu Lin.”

Karn shook his hand up and down: “Glad to meet you, Mu Lin. Your hand is really beautiful.”

He didn’t let go after shaking; instead, he held it before his eyes to examine it carefully. Before he had time for more reflections, his claw was flipped over by Mu Ling and pressed down hard. Karn wailed repeatedly: “Ow, ow, ow, it hurts!”

“Don’t you bugs know how to shake hands?”

“I know, I know. Why are you so fierce?” Karn rubbed his wrist and complained: “I was going to say, if you don’t have a bug… human picking you up, I could give you a ride.”

“So kind-hearted?” Mu Ling sneered.

“Take a look at all the guys on this bus. At first glance, they all have murder cases on them. We technical criminals are at an absolute disadvantage. If we don’t unite, are we waiting to be raped and then killed?” He bared his teeth: “Those are female Zerg—females without Male restraint and lacking mental stabilizers. You’re a human, so you don’t know the horror of these guys. When they go crazy…”

“I know.”

As the foundation-layers of the Empire’s map and humanity’s most feared biological weapon, Female Zerg possessed tall and powerful physiques and ultra-strong combat consciousness. They were cunning and cold by nature, with extremely fierce fighting capabilities. High-level Females could externalize insect armor; a single bug was an armored vehicle with excellent mobility. Conventional cold and hot weapons couldn’t even get close. Among all currently known biological beings, Female Zerg possessed the most perfect physical bodies.

But this perfect weapon would gradually enter the crisis of going feral as they aged. If they did not bond with a Male and receive a Male’s mental mark, most Females would die from body explosion before the age of thirty-five.

Their sexual desire was as strong as their desire for combat; the worship of reproduction was etched into every Female Zerg’s genes. They were both combat weapons and reproductive machines. The lives of most Females were ignorant and short, especially for low-level Females, who had a startling mortality rate.

The suppression of Females by Males was written into the biological chain. On average, the survival of one Male could allow five to ten Females to live. High-level Males could dominate even more Females. This dominance was thought to be irreversible until that bloody case ten years ago that shocked the whole country.

The Empire’s traitorous general, Tang Luosi, killed his own Male Master. That was a Male who had just broken through to A-rank and was in his prime; reasonably, it should have been impossible for him to be killed by his own Female.

However, the fact was settled. While the Empire issued the highest warrant, it remained silent on the matter. This seemed to portend that cracks had appeared in the foundation of the Empire built upon the gene chain.

When he saw the first Female Zerg, Mu Ling had just arrived in this world, and this body was nine years old.

He didn’t know the identity of the Female Zerg; he just subjectively felt he was handsome and heroic. If he were still in power, he might have entrusted him with heavy responsibilities.

However, the warrior hurriedly bowed to him and then ran off clutching his stomach. He thought he had an emergency, but the thing in his head called a System told him—

The warrior’s egg-laying period had arrived.

This felt like a bolt of thunder striking Mu Ling’s skull.

He knew this was a Zerg world, but he still needed time to deconstruct his past worldview.

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