93: Belated affection is cheaper than grass.

Looking at the closed door, Tu Nan's voice was low and raspy.

"Talent... what exactly is it?"

She had asked the System but received no reply, and when Lisa and Gaia discovered the Children's Talents, they were in a state of complete chaos.

This question had always been weighed down in the depths of Tu Nan's heart.

Kong Jiamu stroked his chin.

"You've certainly asked the right person; many people probably can't explain it accurately." The corners of his mouth curled up slightly. "A Talent skill represents a shortcut to the S-rank."

"S-rank is a watershed; the world and rules above it are completely different. Lighting up a Talent skill means..." He announced conceitedly, "From that moment on, you are already using those rules."

"Therefore, breaking through that ceiling is almost a matter of course."

Tu Nan heard the hidden meaning in his words.

"Hearing you say that, are you..." The official records said Kong Jiamu was A+, but he just said he had shown S-rank Talent since he was a child? So actually, he...?

Kong Jiamu cracked his knuckles nonchalantly, revealing a dangerous smile.

"Now that you know my secret, I won't let you leave easily." He leaned over, his dark green hair falling down, enveloping Tu Nan in a green dreamscape.

Tu Nan saw a look of intense interest in his eyes, but she didn't find any threat.

It seemed this secret wasn't that rare—among the Empire's upper class, those who should know probably already did.

Tu Nan leaned in and gave his thin lips a light peck, then immediately withdrew from that deep green space and brought the topic back.

"In other words, that child is destined to reach S-rank," Tu Nan murmured.

She was thinking that Miao Miao also had a Talent skill, so both of her Two Children would be S-rank. And what exactly was that Divine Rank Gene? But this question wasn't suitable to ask just anyone—Tu Nan was certain that it was explosive information.

She wouldn't truly believe that Kong Jiamu was someone she could completely trust.

"Do you need me to give him some pointers? He'll likely reach S-rank faster."

Kong Jiamu was quite interested in that child; perhaps the monarch he served, Emperor Haoyuan, Long Jingyuan, would also be very willing to cultivate a young S-rank Genius.

He himself bore the responsibility of helping His Majesty the Emperor recruit Talents, and this could also serve as a way to help Pearl out.

Someone chosen and taken away by The Emperor for training would never have a twisted character. This would definitely only benefit Pearl, his nominal mother.

"Wouldn't that mean I'd owe even more debts?" Tu Nan was very interested. "Can Huai En join as well?"

"Of course." Kong Jiamu completely understood her desire to seek benefits for her biological daughter. Taking one or two made no difference anyway, except... "The deposit I'll be collecting is very high," Kong Jiamu said suggestively.

"That's fine, but... I need to properly evaluate on behalf of the Children whether you, as a teacher, are qualified."

Tu Nan's eyes held a seductive hook; she smiled with enchanting charm and lightly tapped a finger against Kong Jiamu's chest.

"What is your Talent skill? Could you..."

"Let me see?"

The fire in Kong Jiamu's eyes burned brighter and brighter, and the smile on his lips could no longer be suppressed.

"Hahaha." His chest vibrated with laughter. "My Talent? It can't be displayed on a starship."

Grabbing that mischievous hand, he breathed an enticing whisper: "I'll give you some time to soothe the Children. When you wake up tomorrow, I'll let you witness it."

"On the ship's roof, there's a Starry Sky Botanical Garden. Come..."

"I guarantee you won't regret it."

The two of them made an appointment, and Tu Nan knew exactly what kind of invitation it was.

The timing was right, and Tu Nan looked over this Male Beast with satisfaction. Birds needed a sense of ritual? She needed it too.

A bout of thorough passion was just the thing to serve as a complete farewell to yesterday.

***

In the absolute darkness, there wasn't a single movement.

No light, no sound, and no wind. Li remained motionless, locked in a corner.

This was the confinement room in the military; even with his Physique, he couldn't escape. He had frantically tried various methods yesterday, but they were meaningless except for worsening his injuries.

Recalling everything that had happened over the past few days, Li still found it unbelievable.

His Tu Nan had just completely vanished without a trace?

That morning, he had watched with annoyance as Sheng Ranran handed an invitation to a neighbor, thinking that his poor, lovely Foster Mother might feel a bit uncomfortable. Who would have thought she wasn't in that small courtyard, and her location was in the commercial district?

She hadn't returned for an entire night?

Li had knocked aside the useless Gaia and chased after the location, only to catch a small cat with bristling fur?

Gaia hurriedly followed, watching as Li unfastened the bracelet from the little creature's neck, along with the note tied to it.

There was only a simple line of text: I hope you can treat this little thing well.

Li's hands were trembling slightly; the kitten let out a shrill cry as his grip began to tighten uncontrollably.

Gaia snatched the cat from his hands. Thinking of the news he had heard before following him and recalling Tu Nan's unexpected actions earlier, he understood something.

Li's mind was a complete blank as he dialed the police station to report that his Foster Mother was missing.

The person who answered happened to be the officer Tu Nan had met before.

"What? Tu Nan is a Foster Mother? She escaped..."

The officer was very surprised. Such an elegant Miss Tu Nan was actually a Foster Mother? This... oh dear, this is terrible. If she's found and brought back, her owner will surely break her legs.

Gaia was about to speak, but hearing this, he suddenly shut his mouth and swallowed the words that had almost escaped.

Perhaps Tu Nan was right.

Could someone like Tu Nan, who appeared like water on the surface but had a fire burning within, really be suited to living silently in a mansion like an object, as all Foster Mothers did?

Li looked around in a daze.

He remembered that his status was different now; he was part of the military, an elite of the Sharp Blade Squad, and he could use various resources. His eyes lit up as he walked toward the city gates.

City gates, stations, caravans, mercenary agencies, spaceports—he would search them one by one... Tu Nan was with Children, she couldn't have gone far.

He would definitely, definitely find her.

Li couldn't think straight; he went from one place to another, interrogating everyone.

She wasn't at the city gates, the station said they hadn't seen such a mother and Children, and no caravans had entered or left Mata City in the last two days.

When his mind became even more chaotic, the mercenaries refused to let him check the commission list.

"It must be them! They took Tu Nan away!"

The mercenaries mocked him vulgarly for being unable to control his Foster Mother. Amidst those foul words, his reason gradually faded... In Li's eyes, his bestial nature grew stronger.

He didn't have his scimitar with him, but it didn't matter. The string in his mind suddenly snapped, and starting from his arms, his entire body gradually transformed into a Wolf Beast, except for a Tiger ear and a Tiger tail.

His opponents didn't realize the danger until he bared his teeth and charged forward, biting off one man's arm and tossing it away. The entire situation spiraled out of control. Flesh, blood, and roars mingled with the beams of thermal weapons, echoing through the area.

The entire chaos was only completely suppressed when Karl arrived with his men.

Li was thrown into this confinement room.

Clang!

The door was opened, and the blinding light made Li's eyes ache.

Karl stood at the door against the light. His tone was cold, yet it wasn't hard to hear a hint of heartache over Li's failure to live up to expectations.

"Is your head clear now? Hmm?"

Li only asked stubbornly, "Where are Tu Nan and the Children? Have they been found?"