At that moment, the military arrived. Westkin Maldo, Shaluoshu, and Torleona all came.
"General Maldo! He tried to kill me—he tried to kill me!" Ras shouted angrily, accusing Lu Yin.
Westkin Maldo looked at Lu Yin helplessly. "Why did you try to kill him?"
Lu Yin stared coldly at Ras. "I didn't."
Ras roared, "So many people saw it—how can you deny it?"
Lu Yin sneered, "Proof?"
Ras and the others looked up at the surveillance cameras, only to find they had already been destroyed. Ras immediately tried to retrieve his personal terminal. From the moment he learned Lu Yin was coming, he had started recording, intending to keep the evidence for future use. But now, his face turned pale—his personal terminal had also been crushed, and he had no idea when it happened.
Lu Yin scoffed. He wasn't a fool. Even if it was a test, he couldn't go overboard. A justifiable reason was still needed. That was the rule—no matter what you did, certain rules couldn't be broken. Unless you had absolute power.
Shaluoshu stared darkly at Ras, cursing him as a useless idiot.
Ras furiously pointed at Lu Yin. "It was you! You're the one who injured me! Mono saw it—didn't you, Mono?"
Mono quickly said, "I saw it! If I hadn't intervened, Young Master Ras would have been killed!"
Lu Yin laughed coldly. "Only an idiot would believe the testimony of two defeated losers."
"You—!" Mono was enraged.
Westkin Maldo secretly breathed a sigh of relief and stared coldly at Ras. "Do you have any other evidence?"
Ras's expression kept changing. Then he shouted, "This is my room! He attacked me in my own room—that's evidence enough!"
Everyone looked at Lu Yin.
Lu Yin pulled out a personal terminal from his pocket and activated its screen. A confession from Willow appeared. "This man bribed Willow to go after me. I confronted him—was I wrong to do so?"
The crowd fell silent—even Ras was at a loss for words. He had taken a beating for nothing. If this incident reached the Imperial Capital, not only would they not blame Lu Yin, they might even praise him—for being rational, justified, and measured. Ras, on the other hand, had acted rashly and foolishly.
Westkin Maldo said calmly, "Now that everything's clear, let's move on. Disperse."
Lu Yin said flatly, "Wait."
Westkin Maldo looked at him. "Is there anything else?"
Lu Yin swept his gaze across the crowd, finally fixing his eyes on Shaluoshu. "I may come from a primitive backwater planet, but I'm not someone to be trifled with. Some people had better keep their filthy paws to themselves, or I will chop them off one day."
Shaluoshu stared back with an icy gaze.
Lu Yin returned the glare. A star-walking powerhouse like Shaluoshu wasn't someone a newly appointed idle prince could deal with—especially since he was part of the Imperial Court's Thirteenth Squad. Even if Lu Yin held a higher rank, it wouldn't matter. Still, the warning was necessary. This was part of the test—he had just beaten up the finance vice minister's son and now was intimidating a vice-captain of the Court's Twelve Squads. Lu Yin wanted to see just how far this would go and how the emperor of the Da Yu Empire would respond. That would shape his future approach in the empire.
Soon, the crowd dispersed. Ras was taken away for treatment, and Shaluoshu didn't say a single word the entire time.
Westkin Maldo said nothing more either—as if the whole incident was simply over.
The Perseverance continued its journey through the dark universe.
A few hours later, a disciplinary notice was issued to all personnel:
"Yutang cadet Ras violated discipline and disrespected his superior. During the return journey, he is hereby demoted to soldier status to serve as a warning to others."
Everyone was stunned by this announcement. Immediately, they thought of Lu Yin—the Purple Mountain King was clearly no simple figure.
Even Lu Yin was surprised. The empire valued him more than he had imagined. To demote the finance vice minister's son just like that, and announce it to everyone—without any regard for face—meant Lu Yin had to seriously consider his positioning and style in the future.
Shaluoshu's expression was dark as he clenched his fist. He was the real backer behind Ras, and now the squad would surely blame him. Damn it.
Thanks to the Ras incident, the Perseverance quieted down considerably. No one dared stir up trouble again.
A day later, Lu Yin was studying the star map when a middle-aged man in Imperial military uniform came to see him.
"Deputy officer to General Maldo greets the Purple Mountain King," the man saluted formally. In the Da Yu Empire, there was no kneeling; the military used salutes, and the court merely bowed respectfully.
Lu Yin smiled, "Hello. What should I call you?"
"You can just call me Deputy," the man replied. "Everyone aboard the Perseverance does."
Lu Yin nodded. "Then don't call me 'Purple Mountain King'—feels awkward. Just call me Lu Yin or Lu."
The deputy nodded solemnly. "Understood. The General asked me to brief you on the empire's situation. We'll arrive at the Imperial Capital in a little over half a month."
Lu Yin gestured for him to continue.
The deputy unrolled a star map. "The Da Yu Empire spans thirteen regions in depth and is located in the central part of the Canglan Territory, stretching north to south. Its territory runs in a straight line across the Canglan region, practically dividing it in two, while also connecting to the Haoyuan and Infinite Chaos Territories..."
Lu Yin had already learned some of this in recent days—it matched the deputy's words. What he was truly curious about was the Imperial Capital. The Da Yu Empire's range was so vast, it was impossible to grasp all of it. He just wanted to understand his destination—True Universe Star.
However, his personal terminal didn't contain much detail. All he knew was that the Imperial Capital was called True Universe Star, with an area tens of thousands of times larger than Earth. It was surrounded by three outer continents, but nothing more specific.
The deputy pointed at a spot on the star map. "Here is the True Universe Star. The three outer continents are guarded by the empire's direct military forces. From inner to outer, they are known as the First Ring Army, Second Ring Army, and Third Ring Army..."
As the deputy continued his explanation, Lu Yin gradually envisioned a massive ecological planet, surrounded by iron-blooded troops, dominating the thirteen regions.
After a long while, the deputy rolled up the star map. "Do you have any other questions?"
Lu Yin asked, "The Imperial Palace, and the Imperial Court's Thirteen Squads—I want to know more about them."
"Apologies," the deputy said, "I don't have the clearance to disclose those details. If you want to know, you'll have to ask General Maldo."
"Pity," Lu Yin sighed. "And you said it'll take how much longer to reach the capital?"
"More than half a month," the deputy replied.
"Too slow," Lu Yin muttered.
The deputy explained, "This is the standard speed for regular interstellar ships. Even this is only possible because our empire has placed wormholes throughout the thirteen regions, allowing for vast distances to be crossed in one jump. Otherwise, relying solely on flight would take hundreds or even thousands of times longer."
This reminded Lu Yin of something his family had once told him—about a type of spacecraft called an Aurora-class ship. These could deconstruct matter to enhance ship performance and, in theory, upgrade endlessly. It was said that top-tier Aurora ships could tear through black holes, withstand attacks from super powerhouses, and travel at speeds hundreds or thousands of times faster than regular ships. That was every man's dream.
Unfortunately, those ships were prohibitively expensive—not something he could afford.
"Well then, thank you, Deputy," Lu Yin said.
The deputy saluted again and left.
Lu Yin stared at the star map, eyes narrowing. From a broad perspective, the territory of the Da Yu Empire looked like a sharp sword—its blade pointed directly at the Inner Universe.
In the dark cosmos, streaks of light flashed—perhaps meteors, or perhaps star energy attacks from powerhouses.
A spacecraft sped through space, racing toward the distance.
Aboard, Qing Yu stood at the highest point, gazing into the stars and swirling his wine. "I feel like I've forgotten something... Oh, right—the invitation from the Star Collector Girl. Damn, I forgot it."
"Young Master," Liu Shaoge appeared at Qing Yu's side, speaking respectfully.
Qing Yu glanced at him. "When we return to the clan, remember—don't look around. Don't raise your head. Any random person could kill you instantly."
"Yes, Young Master," Liu Shaoge replied with utmost humility.
"Of course, that doesn't mean you should let people trample on you. After all, you're my subordinate. And I am the Night King," Qing Yu said proudly.
"Yes, Young Master," Liu Shaoge quickly responded.
Qing Yu was pleased with his attitude. That was exactly why he had brought this native along. The only downside was his surname—one of the ancient solo surnames. Thankfully, that primitive planet had long been under the empire's surveillance, so his status was technically legal. "Come to think of it, I should thank you. If not for you, I wouldn't have awoken from my slumber."
Liu Shaoge's eyes flashed. "It's all thanks to your destiny, Young Master. You've awakened as the Night King—the future is yours."
Qing Yu smiled, satisfied. "Well said, haha! Once I officially inherit the Night King title, I'll go back to that primitive planet and slaughter those useless scum. You'll be returning home in glory."
"Thank you, Young Master." Liu Shaoge bowed even lower—but his gaze shone brighter than the stars.