I Eat My Own Jealousy Chapter 76

Chapter 76

He had offered to guide the way, but Zong Ye turned his head, glanced at the person sleeping soundly on his shoulder, and decided not to wake him. He let Feiyu search for the exit instead.

They smoothly made it to the uppermost tunnel. Colin was already waiting with heavily armed troops, looking like he was about to lose his mind from anxiety. Seeing Zong Ye emerge, he stepped forward to ask questions.

Zong Ye silenced him with a look, lowering his voice to a hushed whisper, “Horton has two identical estates. The black market headquarters is beneath his other one. You can get in from here, Feiyu will lead the way. Send men down to retrieve Lanno and sweep the area. Do not miss a single shred of evidence related to Horton.”

Once he finished his orders, he carried Jian Ning back to their hotel room.

Colin immediately dispatched his troops and then shadowed Zong Ye all the way. He walked beside them in complete silence—forbidden from speaking—glancing at the boy snoring away on the Marshal’s shoulder, then back at Zong Ye. His eyes practically bulged out of his head. Just what exactly was this kid’s relationship with the Marshal, that Zong Ye would carry him all the way back without letting anyone utter a sound to wake him?

The building they were staying in had already been heavily secured. Zong Ye went upstairs, entered the suite, and headed to the guest room, gently placing Jian Ning on the bed. Tuantuan and Shirley were playing in the living room. Seeing them return, Shirley scooped Tuantuan up and ran into the room. Spotting his dad, Tuantuan leaped out of Shirley’s arms and bounded onto the bed, eager to throw himself into Zong Ye’s embrace.

Zong Ye pulled the covers over Jian Ning, reached out, pinched the scruff of Tuantuan’s neck, and lifted the little cub into the air, shooing everyone back out to the living room.

“Where’s Lanno? Why didn’t he come back with you?” As soon as the bedroom door closed, Shirley asked urgently.

“He sustained some minor injuries. Nothing serious. I’ve sent people to get him.” Zong Ye shoved the struggling cub back into Shirley’s arms. “Take him to the Queen. I have matters to discuss with Colin.”

Hearing that Lanno was hurt, Shirley’s heart leaped into her throat, only settling down slightly when she heard it wasn’t serious. Holding the squirming Tuantuan, she headed straight to Zong Yue’s room across the hall.

“Did you catch Horton?” Zong Ye asked Colin in a low, grim voice the moment Shirley left.

Colin’s face was ugly. “That old fox. I never expected him to be the mastermind. He only left a few soldiers behind to stand guard while he made a run for it.”

“Russell said he was going to stop his grandfather. Horton must have a backup plan. Increase security across Planet Rhine and all Imperial planets. Deploy the military for a full sweep—you must find him,” Zong Ye ordered, his brow heavily furrowed.

“I’ll notify the garrison commanders of every planet immediately.” Colin nodded and was about to leave when Zong Ye’s communicator began ringing frantically. He tapped to answer, and the projection of Major Zheng Feng from the Army Group appeared in mid-air.

“Marshal, a massive Zerg swarm has suddenly appeared on the outer perimeter of the Capital Planet,” Zheng Feng reported, his face tense with urgency.

“The Zerg?” Both Zong Ye and Colin’s expressions shifted violently. The Zerg were permanently barricaded outside the star system, heavily guarded by the military. How could they suddenly bypass all defenses without triggering a single alarm and appear right on the doorstep of the Capital Planet?

Horton. This absolutely had something to do with Horton. Zong Ye’s face turned icy as he snapped rapid-fire orders, “I am returning immediately. Send Yuri’s squad straight to the Emperor’s side. You must ensure His Majesty’s safety at all costs.”

He suspected that Horton had intentionally lured the Zerg in to orchestrate an assassination on Emperor Simon. With Lanno out of the picture, if Emperor Simon died, Russell would be the sole heir to the throne.

He ended the transmission. The door pushed open, and Zong Yue rushed in anxiously. She had also just received the news of the Zerg’s sudden appearance outside the Capital.

Leaving Colin behind to handle the fallout on Rhine, Zong Ye offered a few quick words of comfort to Zong Yue before rushing off to the space station with Feiyu, boarding a military warship bound for the Capital Planet.

When Jian Ning finally woke up, he opened his bedroom door and walked out. Zong Yue was sitting on the living room sofa, with Tuantuan lying flat on his back across her lap, his little belly completely exposed. He had probably overeaten and was enjoying Zong Yue rubbing his tummy, humming in sheer comfort.

Spotting Jian Ning, Tuantuan abandoned the belly rub entirely, doing a quick barrel roll off Zong Yue’s lap. Wagging his tiny tail, he hopped off the sofa and trotted over to Jian Ning.

“You’re awake. Come sit.” Zong Yue patted the empty spot beside her, gesturing for him.

Jian Ning bent down, scooped up Tuantuan, and walked over to sit. Not seeing Zong Ye anywhere in the suite, he asked, “Where is the Marshal?”

“He headed back to the Capital Planet. The Zerg suddenly appeared on the outer perimeter,” Zong Yue replied. Seeing his worried expression, she quickly reassured him, “Don’t worry. The Capital has an ample garrison force, and Zong Ye has extensive experience dealing with the Zerg. He’ll be fine.”

Jian Ning nodded, slightly relieved, then remembered Lanno. “What about Lanno? Is he back?”

“He’s back. The doctor is treating his wound in the room across the hall.” Just as Zong Yue finished speaking, Lanno wheeled in on a wheelchair, with Shirley pushing him from behind.

“Mother.” Lanno shrank his tall frame into the wheelchair, calling out to Zong Yue like a thoroughly cowed puppy.

Zong Yue was furious just looking at him. She scolded him with a stern face, “Did you have fun? Dragging Jian Ning and Shirley into your mess! Thank the stars none of you were seriously hurt. If something had happened, how was I supposed to explain it to your Eldest Uncle and General Terand?”

Lanno grumbled internally that they were the ones who insisted on coming, but he didn’t dare say it out loud, obediently admitting his fault. “I was wrong. I’ll never do it again.”

Zong Yue was prepared to scold him a bit more when Colin walked in through the front door, whispering a few words into her ear. She stood up. “I’m heading back to my room. You three stay here and do not even think about sneaking out again.”

“Understood,” the three replied in unison, nodding obediently.

“Post guards at the door,” Zong Yue ordered Colin, still uneasy, before finally leaving the room.

“Jian Ning, hurry up and get your communicator! Ask Eldest Uncle what the situation is like at the Capital right now,” Lanno urged the moment the door closed.

Jian Ning retrieved his communicator from his room. As he dialed Zong Ye’s number, he asked Lanno, “Where’s yours?”

Lanno pursed his lips. “Mother confiscated it. She was afraid I’d run off again. Besides, Eldest Uncle and my brother are both gone, and my leg is practically useless. Where could I even run to?”

“No one’s answering.” Jian Ning frowned as the call rang endlessly.

“The Marshal is probably arriving at the Capital by now. He’s busy dealing with the Zerg, so he can’t pick up,” Shirley comforted him from the side.

Jian Ning nodded, though his brows remained knitted. Filled with anxiety, he absentmindedly stroked the little furball in his lap.

In the depths of space outside the Capital Planet, the warship from Planet Rhine docked perfectly with the Army Group’s command dreadnought. As soon as Zong Ye stepped into the bridge, Major Zheng Feng was already waiting. He followed close behind Zong Ye as they moved deeper into the dreadnought, rapidly delivering his report, “The Zerg launched an attack half an hour ago and hijacked a civilian passenger ship.”

The instant the Zerg materialized near the Capital, they had struck, taking an outgoing passenger ship full of civilians hostage. With thousands of innocent lives on the line, the Army Group didn’t dare make a reckless move.

“Where are they holding right now?” Zong Ye demanded as he strode into the tactical command center.

Zheng Feng brought up the holographic star map and pointed to a specific coordinate. “Right here. Next to it is a jump point. They can initiate a slipspace jump and escape at any second.”

Zong Ye narrowed his eyes at the map. “There was no jump point here before.”

“Correct. The jump point materialized out of nowhere. It’s exactly where the Zerg swarm poured out from,” Zheng Feng replied.

A jump point appearing out of thin air—this absolutely had Horton’s fingerprints all over it. To seize the throne, the man was willing to forfeit the lives of hundreds of thousands of Imperial citizens.

Zong Ye pressed his lips into a tight line, the air pressure in the room plummeting drastically. Zheng Feng wiped the sweat off his brow, asking cautiously, “Marshal, the Zerg are using thousands of civilians as hostages. What are your orders?”

“Have the Zerg made any other moves since taking the hostages?” Zong Ye asked.

“None. After their initial strike and the hijacking of the ship, they immediately retreated back to the perimeter of the jump point,” Zheng Feng answered.

The Army Group was locked in a stalemate, terrified that the Zerg would drag the civilian ship through the jump point to feed their brood, while also paralyzed by the fear that an endless Zerg armada was lurking on the other side of the portal. Any premature strike could be a suicide mission. All they could do was hold the line and wait for reinforcements from other planets.

Something wasn’t adding up. If a massive Zerg armada was hiding within the jump point, hovering on the perimeter made absolutely no sense. Their aggressive nature would dictate a full-scale invasion of the Capital Planet immediately.

Zong Ye stared unblinkingly at the star map. Having fought the Zerg for years, he knew their hyper-aggressive racial traits better than anyone. This kind of passive, defensive posture was glaringly abnormal.

Furthermore, constructing and stabilizing a synthetic jump point took at least a decade, if not longer. How long had Horton been secretly building this one? It was highly unlikely it was stable enough to support the simultaneous transit of millions of Zerg soldiers.

A realization flashed through his mind. He turned to Zheng Feng and demanded, “Did Yuri’s squad report to His Majesty’s side?”

“They did. The moment you gave the order, I dispatched them straight to the Royal Palace,” Zheng Feng confirmed.

“Send another squad to His Majesty immediately. This entire incident is likely a diversion designed to stall for time. There is no Zerg armada waiting inside that jump point. Order the fleet to prepare for combat. Annihilate the bugs and secure the jump point. As for rescuing the hostages, leave that to Feiyu and me.” Zong Ye barked out his orders with zero hesitation.

Zheng Feng was stunned for a split second before snapping to attention. “Yes, Sir! I’ll execute the orders immediately.”

Calling for Feiyu, Zong Ye took long, commanding strides toward the mecha hangar.

Catching the Zerg completely off guard, the Army Group’s fleet launched a devastating assault. Zong Ye piloted a heavy-class combat mecha straight into the fray. Moving like a lightning bolt, Feiyu darted toward the hijacked civilian vessel, working in flawless synchronization with Zong Ye to shred the repulsive insectoids into pieces and secure the entire passenger ship.

Exactly as Zong Ye had predicted, the jump point was empty—there was no hidden armada. The battle concluded in less than thirty minutes. He left Zheng Feng to clean up the battlefield and immediately boarded a shuttle bound for the Royal Palace.

However, when he arrived at the Palace, it was in a state of utter chaos. His heart sank. He grabbed a panicked guard sprinting past and demanded, “What happened here?”

Seeing who it was, the guard hastily saluted. “Several of His Majesty’s personal guards suddenly exhibited symptoms of severe mental power rampage. They launched a direct assault on His Majesty!”

“How is His Majesty right now?” Zong Ye’s voice was grim.

“Thankfully, the First Prince intervened just in time. His Majesty is unharmed.” After finishing his report, the guard quickly led Zong Ye deep into the Palace.

“Arrest every single servant who came into contact with them today! Find out exactly what they ate!” Zong Ye heard Emperor Simon’s furious roar the moment he reached the doors.

The guards at the door pulled it open for Zong Ye. Seeing him, Simon’s rage subsided slightly. “Are the Zerg dealt with?”

“They are dealt with.” Zong Ye glanced into the bedroom, where several doctors and medical androids were rushing in and out.

“Russell took a hit trying to save me.” Simon’s expression was incredibly complicated. Zong Yue had informed him of everything Horton had done. He had always assumed Russell was the one orchestrating all of this for the throne, but these actions threw a massive wrench into that theory.

Hearing this, Zong Ye withdrew his gaze and changed the subject. “What about the guards who attacked you?”

Simon’s face darkened further. “We apprehended all of them. They have always been fiercely loyal to me. Horton must have had someone slip energy fluid extracted from energy stones into their food. I never imagined his people had infiltrated the Royal Palace so deeply.”

Just as he spoke, members of the Royal Guard escorted a shivering servant into the room. The captain reported, “Your Majesty, we caught him trying to sneak out the back door in a panic.”

The servant’s legs were shaking like leaves. Before Simon could even interrogate him, he dropped to his knees, begging for mercy through chattering teeth. “Your Majesty, General Horton threatened me! He took my family hostage! He said if I didn’t do exactly what he said, they’d all be killed!”

Zong Ye furrowed his brows and demanded, “You saw General Horton?”

The servant stuttered, “A-an hour ago, in the back garden.”

Simon’s face changed drastically. He turned to his Head Steward, “Has anyone been allowed to leave the premises in the last hour?”

The Steward hastily replied, “The moment the Marshal sent word that Your Majesty might be in danger, the Palace went into full lockdown. Absolutely no one was permitted in or out.”

“Horton is definitely still in the Palace.” Zong Ye analyzed the situation rapidly. With his underground headquarters compromised, Horton had no path of retreat left. There was no way a man like him would just give up easily.

The Captain of the Royal Guard stepped forward. “Your Majesty, it isn’t safe here. Please relocate to the panic room immediately.”

Simon nodded, turning to Zong Ye. “I leave this place in your hands. You must capture Horton.”

With that, he turned toward the door. Several guards, including the Captain, flanked Simon on all sides to escort him to the panic room. Zong Ye watched him approach the doorway and was just about to look away—when he suddenly noticed something glaringly wrong. His eyes snapped onto the guard positioned at Simon’s rear left flank… the exact same guard who had just dragged the servant into the room.