The Zerg Monarch’s Path to Godhood - Chapter 13

The fact that he had completely exposed his identity to Gu Nan left Wen Qi feeling a bit apprehensive.

How would Gu Nan view him now? Would he think his personality was lacking? Would he loathe him? And then there was that scene on the starship earlier. Wen Qi did not want to dwell on these things, so he used the excuse of buying a terminal to head out.

His rented house was in a remote area, so he hailed a shuttle. Two or three minutes later, he arrived near the auction house. Compared to the temporary exchange earlier, there were many more Zerg here, and it was much livelier. Although there was still very little greenery, it did not feel as desolate. Even though Gu Nan’s auction had ended, many Zerg remained in the area.

Everyone was chatting about Gu Nan being purchased, speculating about who the auctioned male ended up with, and discussing other gossip. It was bustling, but a coldness lingered in the air; the Zerg kept their distance as if every relationship was strained. Wen Qi scanned several shops selling terminals and walked into the nearest one.

He intended to buy a simple terminal that worked, but he ran into trouble as soon as he picked one up. The merchant demanded an exorbitant price, asking one hundred thousand Starcoins for a temporary terminal. He did not know if it was because his face was labeled as rich or if he simply looked like an easy target. In any case, someone was trying to bully him.

Wen Qi narrowed his eyes and put down the terminal. He looked at the female Zerg merchant, a B-rank with heavy muscles and an intimidating look, who was closing in on him to force a sale. If it were just one merchant, it would not be a problem, but in a crowded place, Wen Qi could not use his psychic means as a male. If he fought, he would be exposed.

How could he handle this reasonably without revealing himself? Wen Qi fell into thought.

“Mr. Lu Li, you have already touched this terminal. There is no reason not to buy it,” the burly merchant said, smiling at Wen Qi from a few steps away, clearly intending to scam him.

Wen Qi frowned as if troubled. “So you intend to force this sale?”

“Do not put it that way. Look at the quality of this terminal; how is it not worth one hundred fifty thousand Starcoins?” the stall owner chimed in, forcing a smile and raising the price by another fifty thousand in a single breath.

Wen Qi’s brow furrowed. An intelligent Zerg would not ruin their reputation in front of a crowd. This merchant’s provocation seemed brainless, or perhaps someone had paid him to do it. A merchant like this was easy to shake; they would back down before someone stronger, but Wen Qi had no one stronger by his side right now. If he could not use force, he could only stall. If the mastermind’s goal was met, this merchant would stop. He wondered if their target was Gu Nan or him.

Gu Nan had managed to get him here under the Tasker’s nose, so he would not let himself suffer. If the target was Wen Qi, there were two possibilities: either he had blocked someone’s path by buying Gu Nan, or it was because of his live stream. If it was the latter, all outsiders would be suspects. Since he used an anonymous temporary terminal, it would be hard to trace him specifically. Therefore, it was likely the first possibility: either the male who had competed for Gu Nan or the Tasker. Regardless of their identity, he would not give these thugs the money intended for Gu Nan’s recovery.

Furthermore, exposing his identity as a male now would be more troublesome. Based on Gu Nan’s recent attitude, that side should be fine. As for the merchant in front of him, he had to be dealt with; otherwise, it would not fit Lu Li’s character.

“Who told you I had made my choice?” Wen Qi said, looking at the stall owner with a disdainful and arrogant gaze. “This terminal’s grade is too low; it does not match my status.”

With one sentence, Wen Qi reclaimed the initiative. As an A-rank Sub-female, the wanted criminal Lu Li would not fear a B-rank female Zerg. His expression was haughty as he sneered at the owner. “Daring to offer such a low-grade terminal to me? You must have a death wish.”

He said arrogantly, “Since you want to force a sale, bring your best. I want to see just how good your terminals are. I only look at terminals worth over five hundred thousand Starcoins. Anything lower is beneath me. If you dare use inferior products to deceive me,” Wen Qi narrowed his eyes, a cold, murderous intent flickering in his gaze, “I will trash your stall.”

The owner, Pu Yizong, was stunned. Seeing Wen Qi’s expression, his pupils contracted, but he quickly steadied himself. He signaled to a nearby Zerg and entered the back warehouse, returning shortly with a terminal. The packaging looked grand. Pu Yizong carried it with a smile, though his visible nervousness was apparent.

As he approached Wen Qi, he tripped and fell with a loud crash. The atmosphere shifted; some onlookers looked worried for Wen Qi, while others prepared for a show. Wen Qi’s face filled with anger as he glared at Pu Yizong. “Would you rather smash it than sell it to me? Do you look down on me, Boss?”

Pu Yizong scrambled up to find the terminal shattered. His heart ached at the loss, but before he could plan how to recover the coins, Wen Qi’s angry voice rang out. “You have gone too far, Boss.”

The shop fell silent as the A-rank Sub-female’s fury intensified. Pu Yizong felt a lingering fear. Despite having a backer, he was in the wrong; smashing a terminal in front of someone was no different from a public insult. If this caused a major dispute, his backer might not help him. Although Lu Li was a Sub-female, he was A-rank. If it came to a fight, he might not win, especially since Lu Li had escaped from multiple A-rank female Zerg before.

Pu Yizong’s gaze flickered, and he made a decision. Wen Qi, seeing the change in Pu Yizong’s expression, grew even bolder. “You look down on me, huh?” He stepped forward, radiating coldness that felt ten times more oppressive than before. “Since you look down on me, do you dare settle this the way female Zerg do?”

Pu Yizong stood up and brushed off the dust. “What do you want to do?”

“What do I want?” Wen Qi approached him, his expression growing colder with every step. “I want to buy something! What else would I do? You have two choices: give me a terminal that satisfies me, or settle this as female Zerg do, regardless of life or death.”

Staring into Wen Qi’s cold eyes, Pu Yizong felt as if he were facing a predatory beast. Cold sweat ran down his back. For some reason, he felt that if this Zerg said it, he could do it. The sense of danger was stronger than that of a typical A-rank Sub-female. This was a Zerg he could not afford to provoke.

Biting his lip, Pu Yizong forced a stiff smile. “How could that be? We will certainly satisfy your requirements, Mr. Lu Li. I will get the best terminal for you immediately.” He hurried to the warehouse, wiping sweat from his brow once he was inside. “This Sub-female is too strange; he actually suppressed me, a female Zerg.”

He reached for a box on the highest shelf. It contained a golden terminal, a type highly favored by males and one of the most expensive on the market. Pu Yizong felt a pang of regret as he looked at it. “If I had known, I would have stocked more ten-thousand-coin units. I originally intended to use this to please that A-rank male Zerg. At least I can make back the coins from the broken one.”

Remembering the person who asked him to delay Lu Li, he muttered, “That Sub-female is not easy to deal with. Mr. Yi You has given me a difficult task; I am even losing coins on this. But since Mr. Yi You said so, whatever.”

He walked out carefully, avoiding the spot where he had tripped. He smiled at Wen Qi. “Mr. Lu Li, this terminal,” before he could finish, he stumbled again. No one could catch him. He fell face-first, and the terminal flew out of his hands, hitting a bystander before shattering on the ground.

Pu Yizong stared at the fragments in a daze. The room remained silent until Wen Qi spoke with venom. “You are truly seeking death. You go too far, Boss. Targeting me is one thing, but involving other Zerg?” He pointedly referred to the bystander who had been hit. The gazes of the onlookers turned hostile toward Pu Yizong.

Pu Yizong opened his mouth to explain but found no words for his repeated clumsiness. It looked like he was intentionally causing trouble. Wen Qi sneered, “A female Zerg is not that careless. I could consider the first time an accident, but the second?” He walked over, patted Pu Yizong’s face, and said, “You clearly look down on me!”

His coldness turned into a murderous intent. Before Pu Yizong could react, Wen Qi snatched the gun from the merchant’s waist and aimed it at him. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.

Bang!

A stream of water arched through the air and splashed onto Pu Yizong’s head. The surrounding Zerg, who had been bracing for a gunshot, fell into a stunned silence. Pu Yizong turned beet red with embarrassment, but when he caught the actual murderous intent in Wen Qi’s eyes, he froze. He realized this Zerg really wanted to kill him and was not afraid of his backer.

Wen Qi tossed the gun onto the ground and laughed. “Your gun is quite unique, Boss. A fake is a fake; one day, I will show you a real one.” Wen Qi’s pupils contracted as he noticed something hidden under a cloth near the counter, the shape of a real gun. He felt nervous but kept a cold, haughty expression. “I am in a good mood today, so I will let you go. There will not be a next time.”

He turned and left, snatching two terminals from the stall on his way out. Pu Yizong watched him leave, unable to say a word. The onlookers mocked him as he climbed up, his face turning dark as he pulled out a real gun. Gunshots rang out as the Zerg scattered, none daring to speak.

Pu Yizong looked at the door. He wanted to go after the Sub-female who had humiliated him, but he stayed his hand. “I will let you go this time,” he told himself, though he knew he was afraid. The Sub-female had noticed his real gun but did not kill him; surely he had other methods.

Once away from the shop, Wen Qi tossed the terminals in the air and exchanged them for coins, netting sixty thousand since they were high quality. He heard the gunshots but did not look back. Pu Yizong would not dare chase him. Regardless, the facade could not break. He bought a few ordinary temporary terminals from a different merchant who had witnessed Pu Yizong’s defeat and did not dare to overcharge him.

He hailed a shuttle and returned to his rented house. As he arrived, his expression darkened. The door had clearly been tampered with. He rushed inside and found Gu Nan in the living room, bandaging his right hand. Gu Nan looked at him with alert eyes that quickly softened. He said nothing and returned to his wound. This was likely Gu Nan’s true nature.

“You are injured?” Wen Qi frowned, placing the terminals on the table. “How did you get hurt? Are there other problems? How could they hurt you?” He took the gauze and gently began bandaging Gu Nan’s arm.

Gu Nan did not refuse the help. “A Zerg came to test my strength,” he said casually, as if the deep wound on his arm were a trifle.

Wen Qi frowned. “You could have avoided getting hurt, right?” Gu Nan did not answer, which was a silent admission.

“It serves you right that it hurts,” Wen Qi glared at him, though his movements grew even gentler. “I let you handle things because I trusted your strength, and you went and got yourself hurt. Can you not look after your own body? Do you enjoy the pain?”

Gu Nan looked at the contradictory male and said nothing. Wen Qi’s anger dissipated. “I am not blaming you, but I want you to get well.” He looked at Gu Nan with pity. “Why did you stop calling me Male Lord?”

“I thought you disliked it,” Gu Nan finally looked up. He added, “I will call you by your name from now on. There is nothing between us; I cannot ruin your reputation.”

“You think I have any reputation left after you called me Male Lord so many times?” Wen Qi joked. “Besides, reputation does not matter to me.” However, he smiled. He preferred this version of Gu Nan to the submissive one, which was why he had shared his real name and feelings earlier. His protagonist should not be tied down by a male; Gu Nan had his own path.

Wen Qi finished the bandage with a neat bow. “There.” Gu Nan looked at the bow, not understanding the male’s taste, but said nothing.

Wen Qi looked at the darkening sky and handed a terminal to Gu Nan. “Drink some nutrient solution and rest. I have transferred three million Starcoins to your account. Check the medicines in the cart; I do not understand these things, so buy what is appropriate. Do not worry about the coins. This terminal was bought on this planet and might have issues, but you should be able to handle it.”

“Yes,” Gu Nan nodded without ceremony. “It is easy.”

Wen Qi gave him the remaining two terminals as spares. Gu Nan stared at him and asked, “What happened when you went out today?” He had intended to buy one terminal but returned with three.

Wen Qi did not hide the events, though he made light of it. “I am tired and will rest now. You should too.” He went to his room, feeling excited to see if his live stream had been unbanned.

Gu Nan watched him leave, his gaze deepening. He checked his account and saw exactly three million Starcoins. The male had truly given it to him. Even as a prospective Domain Lord, it took time to earn that much. What was the male’s goal? He looked at the bow on his arm and the sliver of light from the male’s doorway, a strange emotion flickering in his eyes.

Wen Qi rushed to his room and found his stream still banned. He checked the forums, which were in an uproar. Half of the top trending topics were related to him. One post had billions of views and over a billion comments.

He changed into the clothes he wore for his stream, washed his hands, and used his terminal to record a video of him reading a children’s story. Ten minutes later, he posted it using his forum account, which he renamed “Reading Zerg,” adding the hashtag #DirectionOfFemaleZergPsychicHealing.

Netizens saw the update and clicked in. Within minutes, the video of the pale hands holding a book and the rhythmic voice had millions of shares. The calming effect was immediate.

“I am crying. The host posted a ninth story even while banned.”

“I am going crazy. Each story’s effect is strongest the first time. Please come back, Reading Zerg!”

“I donated one hundred thousand coins. Take care of yourself, host. We support you.”

Wen Qi saw the coins arriving. The forum’s fees were lower than the streaming platform’s, but anonymous users were limited to 1.5 million in withdrawals per month. This was why he still needed the platform. He felt a chill as he thought of the platform that had taken half his earnings and banned him.

In the next room, Gu Nan opened his eyes. He watched the video and felt his psychic distress soothed. He was amazed; the effect was stronger than before. He realized his subordinates had been wrong; this voice had a much larger impact than they thought. It felt perfectly suited to him. Just as on the starship, he felt an instinctive liking for this voice.

He looked at the comments. Many Zerg felt the same. One comment stood out: “Thank you, host. My female father can live a few more days now. With your help and my assets, I can surely get a male’s help for him.”

Gu Nan walked to the window. Through the one-way glass, he saw the dark, chaotic landscape of the Blue Sequence. These soldiers faced constant battle and psychic riots. He remembered research from thousands of years ago: female Zerg psychic riots happened because their bodies and minds grew too strong for their brains to handle. To protect itself, the brain released irritable factors, creating a cycle of pain that ended in madness. Only males with strong psychic power could reduce these factors.

He sighed. Since that discovery, ambitious males had begun competing for power with females. Even the current Emperor had killed his own brothers to take the throne. Now, with the appearance of Reading Zerg, a new power was emerging. Most high-level Zerg were females who hated males competing for power, yet they were forced to adore them. A Zerg with this ability would cause a massive disturbance.

But this host was different. His voice allowed Zerg to truly relax. Such an ability could only come from a high-grade male. Gu Nan used his mini-terminal to find a location.

“The Blue Sequence?” Gu Nan was stunned. A male like that was here. He realized the danger; in this lawless place, pirates and criminals would try to seize him. Once found, he would be fought over. Unless he could dominate them first. Gu Nan made a call.

“Yue Chuan, find a specific location for an account in the Blue Sequence. I want the planet in three minutes and the area in an hour.”

“Yes, Boss,” Yue Chuan replied. A moment later, he said, “Boss, I checked. He is on Blue Star 6, but the address is hidden. Zerg in the Seven-Color Sequence have already started looking for him. Now that he is famous, outside forces will be coming too. Should we move to get him?”

Gu Nan frowned. “It is not suitable for us to move yet. Observe from the shadows. Stay safe.”

“You stay safe too, Boss,” Yue Chuan said. “Those Zerg might come for you, and the male who bought you, their tempers are usually bad. If you cannot take it, unlock the shock collar. Most males value their lives and will listen to you.”

Their tempers are usually bad…

Gu Nan glanced at the bow on his arm. This male’s temper was incredibly good. As for his goal in letting the male buy him, he wondered how to ask the male to help comb his mental sea. Would the male refuse? Since the male was B-rank, it would take multiple sessions, which would be taxing. If the male were arrogant, he could use threats, but this male’s attitude made him reluctant to use such tactics. He had to test the waters first.

“I know what to do,” Gu Nan said. “Keep an eye on Reading Zerg, but prioritize your safety.”

After posting the story and waiting twenty minutes with no change to his stream status, Wen Qi posted his final story of the day. He then recorded several more videos, changed his clothes, and checked the routes out of Blue Star 6. Starships were the only way out.

Gu Nan could not leave yet, and there was the risk of Lu Li’s death being discovered. Furthermore, Wen Qi was now famous. He was the only one who could soothe psychic distress with just his voice. He would be targeted. He could not stay here. He had the coins and the popularity; it was time for the next step.

He looked at the map. Blue Star 1 was ruled by an honest, middle-aged female Zerg. It was the most normal planet in the sequence, with fewer criminals. It was his goal. Most medicines were available there. He packed his few belongings.

To leave, he had to remove Gu Nan’s shock collar. It was too conspicuous and could be used for tracking. He searched the web and found that only a powerful male could break the barrier within the collar.

Wen Qi felt a sense of unease at the male-dominated rules of this world. However, his psychic power had increased significantly due to his streaming; he had promoted to A-rank. He did not know if it would be enough to help an SS-rank like Gu Nan, but he had to try.

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