429: Using one's body as a guide, making a deal before death, and being buried as a martyr (36k words)

“Li Su, I actually noticed your abnormality a long time ago.”

Li Su didn’t answer Qing Ti, but instead spoke to himself.

The first sentence made Qing Ti’s eyes change, and she said in disbelief, “Li Su, you knew my identity a long time ago?”

Li Su smiled and shook his head, “Li Su, although I don’t know what your true identity is, we’ve been together for so many years, and I still understand your habits. I could tell several years ago that you seemed to be preparing for something, wanting to leave this place.”

“Li Su, you once jokingly asked me if I would go with you if you were to leave one day. My answer to you then was that no matter where you went, I would always follow you!”

“It was also from then on that I noticed you seemed to have some deliberately hidden secrets, but I didn’t care. Sometimes, I would even actively erase traces you inadvertently left that might arouse suspicion from others.”

Qing Ti looked incredulous, “Li Su, you… you’ve been cleaning up after me all this time?”

Li Su smiled and nodded, “Li Su, although you handle things meticulously, you are not human after all. There are some innate habits and subconscious reactions that still reveal flaws. These flaws are very subtle, and others might not notice them, but we are the closest people, so how could I not see them?”

“Then you still treated me so well…” Qing Ti was stunned, muttering.

Li Su smiled and interrupted her, “Li Su, I’ve said it, no matter who you are, what your identity is, my love for you will never change. It wouldn’t before, it won’t now, and it certainly won’t in the future. I don’t care who you are; I only know that you are my Li Su, and I love you, regardless of any of your identities!”

Qing Ti’s eyes immediately reddened.

Li Su still smiled:

“Li Su, since you’re not human, I’ll conceal it for you, erase all traces that might arouse suspicion. If you’re preparing to leave, I’ll quietly help you prepare too. I strive to advance in rank to gain more authority, to better help you.”

“Although I don’t know why you’ve always been preparing to leave, just as I answered you, no matter where you go, I will always be with you.”

“So, Li Su, these past few years, it’s not just you who’s been working towards leaving; I’ve also been preparing for it.”

“Li Su, what… what exactly do you mean?” Qing Ti asked, trembling.

Li Su maintained his smile, and under everyone’s astonished gaze, he directly broke off one of his teeth. Inside the broken tooth, a miniature device was embedded.

Li Su reached out and pressed the miniature device.

“This is…”

Lin Yang’s eyes narrowed as he looked over.

Before he could clearly see what it was, Li Su loudly declared:

“No need to guess, this is a miniature detonator controller.”

“Detonator controller?” Lin Yang was startled.

The Old Military Officer also looked surprised and then explained, “This is a not-so-advanced technology we have here. It allows miniature devices to be directly installed in the body and, through certain methods, effectively avoids detection by instruments. It’s used for special missions, and its supervision is usually very strict, but I didn’t expect Li Su to secretly install one on himself!”

Lin Yang’s eyes narrowed again, looking at Li Su.

Installing such a device in his own body?

This… Qing Ti seemed to understand something and said tremblingly, “Li Su, what do you want to do? Don’t do anything foolish. I promise you, I won’t harm Li Mu, I won’t kill anyone here. Put down the detonator, I beg you, put down the detonator!”

With that, she directly pushed away Li Mu, whom she was holding hostage, and rushed towards Li Su.

“Li Su, there’s not much more I can do for you. This is the last thing I can help you with. You… run!”

Li Su looked at Qing Ti rushing towards him, a smile on his face, and directly detonated the controller.

Boom boom boom!

Boom boom boom!

Dozens of violent explosions erupted consecutively from all directions on the mountain.

Deafening, with dust filling the sky.

“Li Su, if you make any move while concealed, you’ll be detected. Now, I’ll detonate the surrounding space. Your Excellency Lin Yang won’t be able to pinpoint your exact location through spatial fluctuations. Hurry and go!”

In the vision obscured by dust and smoke, Li Su smiled at Qing Ti, and his own body began to turn into ashes as the miniature detonator ignited.

And in the second before turning into ashes, Li Su used all his strength to shout his last words to Qing Ti:

“Li Su, I… will always… love… you!”

Boom.

Li Su’s body transformed into a ball of fireworks, merging with the dust and smoke filling the sky.

“No!”

“Li Su!!!”

Qing Ti’s heartbreaking cry echoed through the sky.

It was sorrowful to hear.

Suddenly—

“Quick, indiscriminately sweep the surrounding space, barraging fire! Don’t let this alien escape in the chaos!”

The Old Military Officer’s sudden command broke the pervasive sorrow.

The army squad, which hadn’t retreated too far, immediately went full force, sweeping the space.

Lin Yang was silent.

Because he could feel that Qing Ti hadn’t escaped.

She was right beside them.

“Old Patriarch Li Shan, Li Mu, stay right beside me and don’t move.”

Lin Yang protected the Li Clan members behind him.

He feared that Qing Ti might go berserk and retaliate with a killing spree due to Li Su’s suicide.

However, the scene of Qing Ti’s murderous revenge that he had anticipated did not occur.

Instead, Qing Ti voluntarily emerged from the darkness, standing at the spot where Li Su had just detonated himself, her eyes filled with immense grief.

“Li Su, you sacrificed yourself to create an opportunity for me to escape, but did you ever consider, without you, what meaning does my life have?”

She reached out and embraced the void, as if holding Li Su.

Tears streamed from Qing Ti’s eyes.

Maintaining the embrace, she suddenly tilted her head slightly and rubbed it, as if rubbing against Li Su’s arm.

“Li Su, you often said that having me in this life was your greatest luck and happiness. How could I not feel the same? Having you is my greatest luck.”

Qing Ti caressed the air, seemingly stroking Li Su’s face.

“Li Su, I truly wish I wasn’t a Mingye Clan member, and I wish I hadn’t been chosen. If only I were human, I could be with you carefree until we both grew old and gray.”

“Li Su, I really wish I could have stayed with you forever! Do you know, these twelve years have been the happiest and most joyful twelve years of my life!”

“Li Su, you said we would be together for all eternity, never to be separated. Why did you leave me first!”

Qing Ti’s voice was like a sob, and she suddenly turned to look at Lin Yang, her eyes bloodshot, filled with murderous intent.

Lin Yang’s heart skipped a beat, and he unconsciously moved a step further in front of Li Mu and Li Shan, ready for battle.

However… Qing Ti did not attack.

She just stared at Lin Yang with bloodshot eyes for a long time, then suddenly looked at Li Mu, her voice somewhat hoarse, “Li Mu, I’m sorry, just now, sister-in-law… just now I scared you. I never intended to harm you. You are Li Su’s clan member, how could I bear to harm Li Su’s kin? Don’t be afraid, and don’t blame me…”

Lin Yang was stunned.

Li Mu was also momentarily taken aback, glanced at Li Shan, then at Lin Yang, bit his lip, and softly said, “Sister-in-law Qing Ti, I won’t blame you. I know you wouldn’t really kill me. You’re always so good to us, I know you have your difficulties.”

Hearing this, Qing Ti forced a smile, “Then sister-in-law is relieved. From now on, I’ll entrust you with looking after Li Su’s family.”

“Sister-in-law Qing Ti, what are you going to do?” Li Mu was startled.

Qing Ti did not answer him again, but maintained her posture of embracing Li Su, and then suddenly took her own life.

“Li Su, I’m coming for you. Walk slowly on the path to the underworld and wait for me…”

“Sister-in-law Qing Ti!”

“Qing Ti, my girl…”

Li Mu and Li Shan cried out in alarm.

“Alas…”

Lin Yang sighed in his heart, his emotions somewhat complex.

He had somewhat sensed Qing Ti’s intention to commit suicide just now, but it was completely too late to stop her. Her actions were too fast.

At this moment, he could only watch Qing Ti’s aura rapidly fade, speechless for a while.

“Lin Yang!”

Suddenly, Qing Ti, clinging to her last breath, called out to him.

“I cannot return to the Alien Management Bureau with you. With my identity, if I went to the Alien Management Bureau, they would surely interrogate me severely. Although I hate my clan, I was, after all, raised by them, and I cannot betray them too much.”

“So, I apologize, Your mission this time will fail because of me.”

Lin Yang paused, then softly said, “You don’t need to apologize to me.”

“Heh heh, Lin Yang, I know some things about you. Before I die, let’s make a deal.” Qing Ti looked up at him.

“What?” Lin Yang was somewhat surprised.

What kind of deal would she want to make at a time like this?

“I know you have some say in the Alien Management Bureau. Li Su’s attack on you just now and his act of detonating this place are enough to constitute treason. But I don’t want Li Su to die burdened with the crime of betraying humanity.”

Qing Ti spoke somewhat weakly.

“You help me settle the Alien Management Bureau’s charges against Li Su, allowing him to be buried as a normal casualty of duty. In exchange, I can tell you a secret!”

Lin Yang was silent for a moment. He glanced at Li Shan and Li Mu, then said, “Even without your secret in exchange, I will do my best.”

Although Li Su had just detonated the nearby space, as he had said before, he had also been preparing for this. Therefore, the detonation was clearly carefully calculated; it only detonated the space, causing some spatial fluctuations, and did not injure anyone.

Even if Qing Ti didn’t say anything, out of respect for the Li Clan, Lin Yang would do his best to ensure Li Su a dignified departure.

“Heh heh heh, Lin Yang, although I dislike that you arrived at such an inopportune moment, based on that sentence, I can tell you that you humans… cough cough…”

Qing Ti began to struggle for breath.

She coughed twice, signaling Lin Yang to come closer.

Lin Yang strode closer.

Qing Ti used her last bit of strength to utter a sentence: “Connect… to the Unknown Space… of the terminal universe. Go there quickly, go quickly…”

Lin Yang’s eyes narrowed, “Unknown Space? What are the specific coordinates?”

However, Qing Ti did not answer him again, or rather, was no longer able to answer him.

“Li Su… I… I’m coming for you…”

Qing Ti looked at the empty space before her, as if seeing Li Su smiling and waving at her, then murmured as she closed her eyes, utterly devoid of life.

Lin Yang sighed, gazing at Qing Ti’s body for a moment, then turned to the Old Military Officer of the Tianji Federation and said, “Please arrange a burial for Li Su and his wife as casualties of duty. I will handle the rest.”

The Old Military Officer hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement, “Understood, Your Excellency.”

Lin Yang then looked at Li Shan and Li Mu, “I apologize. Although I would very much like to visit the Li Clan again and catch up with you, Qing Ti just told me something that I must return to the Alien Management Bureau to investigate as soon as possible.”

Hearing this, Li Shan hesitated, then said, “Your Excellency Lin Yang, if you’re not in too much of a hurry, could you accompany this old man back to the clan first?”

With that, he glanced at the Level Nine battleship, “With the speed of such an advanced battleship, a trip to the Li Clan planet shouldn’t take too much time. This old man also has something I want to tell you.”

“Hmm? Old Patriarch Li Shan, is there something you can’t say here?” Lin Yang asked, puzzled.

Li Shan shook his head slightly, “Please, Your Excellency, accompany me back to the clan!”

“This… Alright.” Lin Yang could tell that Li Shan seemed to have something private he wanted to tell him.

He no longer delayed and directly had them enter the Level Nine battleship.

Previously, a round trip between Tianji Star and the Li Clan planet by ordinary spaceship would take two to three months.

But now, a single jump by the Level Nine spaceship was enough, and it wouldn’t delay too much.

He was curious as to what secret Li Shan wanted to tell him that could only be revealed back in the Li Clan.

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Chapter Two, 3600 words delivered, plus the previous chapter, it's over 6000 words. Please support with votes!