Chapter 50
Before long, the group appeared in view.
Jian Mo and a soldier were carrying a person, while the soldiers behind them supported two extremely weak middle-aged adults.
Shi Xiaowang frowned as he stared at them, itching to open the door and go out, but Jian Mo simply smiled at him from a distance.
The heart that had been lifted was now dropped back down.
After checking the middle-aged couple and giving them nutritional supplements, Jian Mo finally opened the door for Shi Xiaowang to step out.
“How are they? Are they okay? You’re okay, right?”
Shi Xiaowang grabbed Jian Mo’s arm, anxiously scanning the surroundings.
“We’re fine,” Jian Mo said.
“Little Duke.”
Seeing Shi Xiaowang, the middle-aged couple wanted to rise and salute him, but Shi Xiaowang stopped them.
“No need, no need. How do you feel now? Any injuries? Any discomfort?”
Shi Xiaowang asked, frowning. They looked extremely frail, their whole appearance almost unrecognizable.
“Their bodily functions are basically fine. It’s just contamination erosion, combined with severe malnutrition. They’ll need proper rest once back,” Jian Mo explained first.
“That’s good.”
Shi Xiaowang looked toward the stretcher and asked softly,
“How’s the Grand Marshal?”
The person on the stretcher was about the same age as His Majesty but, like Xu Qingluo’s parents, extremely emaciated.
Yet his face remained very clean.
Jian Mo was silent for a moment.
The Grand Marshal was indeed still alive, but high-level contamination, combined with previous battlefield injuries and the mortal wound Jian Mo had inflicted, had left him barely alive over this long period without proper treatment.
The middle-aged woman began to cry.
“It’s all our fault. If the Grand Marshal hadn’t come to save us, he wouldn’t have been so badly injured.”
Jian Mo looked at them but said nothing.
He had only recently learned why the Grand Marshal had encountered the queen bug.
“What exactly happened back then?”
Shi Xiaowang asked.
“That day, we heard that a very rare plant grew on a border planet, and it even bloomed. My son is a psychic specializing in plants and loves them, so we wanted to see it. But we didn’t expect to encounter the bug species there. We immediately sent out a distress signal. Not long after, the Grand Marshal personally came—we realized just how close it was to the battlefield.”
The man’s eyes were full of sorrow.
“But unexpectedly, the queen bug was hiding there as well, and we were immediately surrounded. The Grand Marshal pushed us onto the ship and got us out of danger. But that’s when he got distracted by the queen bug…”
Jian Mo clenched his fists, trembling slightly, and asked,
“There was a communication device on the ship—why didn’t you call for help?”
“We did call, but the ship hadn’t gone far before being swallowed by an unformed wormhole. We couldn’t escape, nor could we send out a signal…”
An unformed wormhole is a one-way prison.
The couple had also thought they would die here without anyone knowing.
“But later the wormhole formed, though all communications were lost, and the fuel ran out. We were forced to land here. Unexpectedly, we met the Grand Marshal here,” the woman continued.
“The Grand Marshal was covered in blood, it had dried on his clothes. We couldn’t even feel him breathing. We thought he had… But he had saved us and fought desperately to protect us. No matter what, we had to take him with us, so we placed him in the ship’s medical bay.”
“Unexpectedly, the Grand Marshal in the medical bay regained vital signs. Though he never woke up, his heart kept beating. We had to bring him home. We divided the remaining nutritional liquid in the ship into two portions—one for us, one for the Grand Marshal—to maintain his strength. Later, the wormholes here gradually recovered, and finally we got a signal. We kept calling for help until you came…”
After listening, Jian Mo finally exhaled deeply and said to them,
“Thank you.”
The woman quickly waved her hands, still crying,
“It’s our fault! It’s all our fault!”
“Let’s go home,” Shi Xiaowang said softly.
On the way back, Jian Mo communicated with Meng Zhan.
The ship’s medical bay had already been equipped with a purification core. The Grand Marshal was given a protective suit as well, so contamination wouldn’t affect the Federation.
Thus, the official announcement of the Grand Marshal’s imminent triumphant return was released.
The Federation was shocked and overjoyed. On the star network, citizens celebrated, embracing and crying.
[The Grand Marshal is still alive!!!! I told you!! He would never abandon us!!]
[Oh my god, I’m not dreaming, right?! I’m not dreaming!!]
[The Grand Marshal is finally back. The Grand Marshal is home!!]
Soon after, another question spread on the star network.
[Then why did Jian Mo say he killed the Grand Marshal back then?]
[And if the Grand Marshal wasn’t dead, why didn’t he contact us all this time? Where has he been?]
In the palace, His Majesty, dressed in splendid robes, began an official livestream.
“I know there are many doubts about the Grand Marshal and Jian Mo. Some matters, I believe, should now be made public. Jian Mo did once personally kill the Grand Marshal—it’s true. Everyone, including the Grand Marshal himself, believed he had died. Though the Grand Marshal can return triumphantly, when he will truly awaken is still uncertain.”
[What?! What’s happening with the Grand Marshal now?]
[What do you mean ‘including the Grand Marshal himself’? Why did Jian Mo attempt to assassinate him?]
“I also have a letter the Grand Marshal sent me before the great battle, which I believe is more appropriate to call a will.”
His Majesty smiled gently.
“I hope everyone who hears these words can understand the Grand Marshal’s intentions, including those of Jian Mo.”
The livestream connected to the ship Jian Mo and the others were on.
Shi Xiaowang glanced at him and quietly placed his hand over Jian Mo’s tightly gripping hand on the controls.
After a brief static, a dignified voice slowly spoke:
“I am Feng Xu. On September 12, Star Year 3974, due to my misjudgment, we were ambushed by a tide of zerg on the dwarf planet. Though they were all ultimately annihilated, I was wounded by the Queen Zerg. The venom infiltrated my mental sea. Within three days, I would descend into complete madness. On that day, I would give Jian Mo the final order to kill me and abandon my body.
“But Jian Mo is a loyal and sentimental child. He would likely blame himself for my death, preserving my image before the people as the undefeated Grand Marshal. I feared he would conceal the truth. Therefore, while I still had awareness, I informed His Majesty of everything and hoped he would show leniency. I knew Jian Mo might feel discouraged, so please allow him time to process his emotions. At the appropriate time, also clarify to the public that Jian Mo has always been an excellent commander. In this campaign, he committed no dereliction of duty. Please also pass this to him:
“As a Marshal, I am proud of you. This was a trial and a passing of glory, proving you have become a capable commander. As your elder, I am deeply sorry, child. I know you felt helpless enduring such cruelty. This is not your fault but my failure as a guardian. Your parents died on the battlefield and entrusted you to me. I have always regarded you as my own child, hoping to give you a stable home to grow freely as in your childhood. Yet in the end, I allowed you to end this yourself. I am deeply sorry. If I have any final wish, it is that you find a family to accompany you for life, so you never experience such separation again, and you can live the rest of your life mischievous and joyful, as in childhood.”
A tear fell onto Shi Xiaowang’s hand. Jian Mo held him tightly, speechless.
The long-suppressed emotions surged like a flood, almost overwhelming him.
Shi Xiaowang bit his lip, holding him, gently patting his back in comforting strokes, filled with sadness and affection.
As a commander, regardless of the enemy, as long as the Federation he protected was threatened, he had to act decisively. Yet he was still human. When he pointed his sword at a father-figure, a teacher-figure, how terrified and broken his heart must have been…
“Jian Mo, don’t be afraid. We’re going home now,” Shi Xiaowang whispered.
“Uncle Ye, the Grand Marshal, and I are all here. Jian Mo, your family is with you.”
Feeling Jian Mo clutch his clothes even tighter, Shi Xiaowang paused two seconds, then said,
“Jian Mo, there’s something I never told you. I’m not really Shi Xiaowang, or at least not the Shi Xiaowang of this world. I originally lived tens or perhaps hundreds of thousands of light-years away, where I had a family. But the old man always feared dying before me, so I was always afraid. Back then, I wished to meet someone who would never leave me, to never let me feel separation again. Perhaps the Grand Marshal heard my wish, allowing me to cross the galaxy and accompany you.”
“Jian Mo, I hope we love each other forever, always be together. Here, besides you, I have no family.”
Jian Mo looked at him, his eyes still wet from crying, brimming with love. He kissed Shi Xiaowang’s hand, saying seriously,
“I will love you forever. I’ll live a little longer so you always have a home to return to.”
“Mm.”
Shi Xiaowang smiled, brushing away the tear marks by his eyes.
“Don’t be sad, Jian Mo. The Grand Marshal will wake. We still have a long future ahead.”
Back at the base, the military and research staff greeted them excitedly but seriously.
His Majesty had already waited at the entrance, accompanied by three princes and a tearful General Xin.
Jian Mo saluted, and His Majesty patted his shoulder like a child.
“Good work.”
Jian Mo shook his head.
“It’s alright.”
Meng Zhan checked the Grand Marshal. Due to the queen bug contamination, the Marshal’s mental sea was almost completely destroyed.
Jian Mo’s mortal wound had hit his heart, but left a fraction intact. After going berserk, the cells’ rapid division helped repair that area, so he recovered in the medical bay almost by accident.
They started with purification, then gradual surgery. Whether he would wake remained uncertain.
“He will recover,” His Majesty said.
“Feng Xu is strong. He will be fine.”
After His Majesty left, Jian Mo and Shi Xiaowang stayed in the Marshal’s room.
Jian Mo gazed at the Marshal, speaking softly to Shi Xiaowang,
“When I was young, I thought the Grand Marshal was a war god sent by heaven, holding up the Federation alone. After my parents died in battle, he raised me. I saw his wit and vast knowledge. Later, I followed him to battle and saw his strategic mind—he could always anticipate several steps ahead. Truly a war god.”
Jian Mo rested his chin on Shi Xiaowang’s shoulder.
“So that day, when he went berserk and I had to kill him, my first thought was, ‘Impossible. How could I kill a war god? How could I kill my father?’”
Shi Xiaowang embraced him, silently listening.
This was the first time Jian Mo had actively recounted his past.
“But by then, few comrades remained. The bugs fought to the death. The Grand Marshal was unconscious. We tried to control him, but it would only harm more people. I had no choice but to…”
“Jian Mo,” Shi Xiaowang interrupted, kissing him on the lips.
“It’s over. The Grand Marshal is here.”
Jian Mo smiled lightly.
“Mm.”
“Jian Mo, during the Marshal’s surgery, I’ll go in too. Purification powers can repair. I’ll do all I can to help him.”
Jian Mo frowned, about to speak, but Shi Xiaowang covered his lips.
“And I promise you, I won’t overexert myself. Trust me, alright?”
Jian Mo took a deep breath.
“Alright.”
They stayed in the lab for three months. The last traces of contamination were fully purified.
On the day of surgery, Shi Xiaowang hugged Jian Mo.
“Don’t worry. We’ll all come out safely.”
The surgery lasted two days.
In the preceding three months, Shi Xiaowang, guided by Meng Zhan, attempted to repair mental seas. Soldiers returning from the battlefield became his subjects. From cautious beginnings, he grew confident. Seeing the recovered soldiers, he felt he had participated in the war too.
In the operating room, the nutritional liquid for restoring mental power was quickly consumed, but he could feel the Marshal’s mental sea gradually rebuilding.
By evening, Shi Xiaowang finally exited, meeting Jian Mo’s anxious gaze, smiling at him. Jian Mo’s eyes glimmered with tears.
He ran and hugged him.
“Thank you, darling.”
“The Grand Marshal isn’t awake yet, but his mental sea is restored. In a couple of days, he’ll call your name,” Shi Xiaowang said, eyes closed, then fell asleep.
Jian Mo gently kissed him.
“Mm, thank you, darling. Thank you for being by my side, for being my darling, and for helping restore a complete world for me.”
Shi Xiaowang slept long. When he awoke, Jian Mo and the kind-faced Grand Marshal sat by the bedside.
Shi Xiaowang blinked, rubbing his eyes.
“You’re awake. Not dreaming.”
The Grand Marshal smiled at him.
“Don’t you trust your purification power, or do you doubt my resilience?”
Hearing “old man” again, Shi Xiaowang froze.
“Huh? Why are you crying? I didn’t bully you!”
The Marshal panicked briefly, tugging Jian Mo closer, whispering,
“What happened? Is your wife really this delicate?”
The word “delicate” almost made Jian Mo laugh.
Just as he was about to say something, Shi Xiaowang looked at the Marshal again.
“Old man, can you hug me?”
His voice choked with tears, like a puppy finally finding its owner, hurt and sad.
“Oh my…”
The Marshal was instantly charmed. Though he had raised several younglings, he had never met one so adept at acting spoiled.
Ignoring how he was addressed, he quickly hugged him.
“Look at those teary eyes, no wonder you’re called Xiaowang. Don’t cry, sweetie. I’m fine, thanks to you, I can live decades longer. Don’t cry, don’t cry. You look pitiful.”
Jian Mo watched Shi Xiaowang’s tearful face, smiling with a touch of heartache.
After returning, they began treating the Grand Marshal.
Jian Mo recalled what Shi Xiaowang had said that day: in his world, an elder had raised him with love, always calling himself “old man.” Yet Jian Mo could never see him again.
Now, Jian Mo had become a Marshal and lived peacefully.
After resting a night, the three finally returned home.
Outside the once quiet Marshal’s mansion, the crowd had gathered, holding bouquets along the road.
They cheered for the Grand Marshal’s triumphant return, for Marshal Jian’s unmatched victories.
Some wished the Grand Marshal longevity, others praised Jian Mo’s talent, and many sincerely apologized to him.
The hovering vehicle slowly passed, like a belated victory parade, or perhaps a belated apology.
“You are the young talent,” Jian Mo said softly, holding Shi Xiaowang happily.
“I’m not young anymore.”
“Who says? Our Jian Da Meow will always be a baby,” Shi Xiaowang smiled.
“You even changed your name after getting married.”
The Grand Marshal laughed in the front row.
“Then I and Old Ye should change too?”
Uncle Ye, controlling the hovercar, chuckled.
“Your call.”
“Shi Xiaowang, Jian Da Meow, Old Marshal Feng, Uncle Ye—don’t we look like a family?”
The Grand Marshal said, full of interest.
Shi Xiaowang giggled crisply,
“Not like, we are a family!”
Jian Mo kissed him.
“Mm, we are family.”
—END—
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