"Brother Yun, I'll come find you to hang out in a few days," Qin Liuxing said, though he clearly didn't want to leave. Under some unspoken pressure, he finally conceded, offering a quick greeting to Zhong Yun before departing.

Hearing that address, Miss Qin the Second and the others immediately cast sideways glances. Qin Liuxing, who always acted as if he were the center of the universe, actually called the other man "Brother"—it was truly shocking to them.

All the outsiders had completely cleared out, and the bodyguards who had collapsed were carried away by people who entered afterward. The room was left utterly desolate, with only Zhong Yun and Hong Yuting remaining.

The attack by the middle-aged man surnamed Bai had coated the entire room in a thick layer of solid ice that hadn't melted yet. Various decorations and furniture throughout the room had suffered; they had shattered under the sudden, intense cold.

Even with Zhong Yun’s current physical conditioning, he felt a distinct chill. Qin Liuxing and the others, however, were clad in clothing made of specialized material with both heat-resistant and cold-repellent functions, so they seemed unaffected.

"Xiao Yu, you really gave me a scare this time," Hong Yuting said, looking at Zhong Yun with a complex expression, half-jokingly.

"It was my fault," Zhong Yun replied, feeling a warmth spread through him as he recalled Hong San’s warning call. For someone of Hong Yuting’s status to go this far was genuinely not easy. Anyone else might have simply moved to subdue him immediately just to distance themselves from the situation.

This man, despite coming from a prominent family, was certainly worth cultivating an acquaintance with. Zhong Yun thought, then smiled outwardly, "Let me treat you to a meal to calm your nerves."

"It's a deal then," Hong Yuting smiled back. He glanced at the wrecked room, his brow furrowing slightly. "We can't stay here. I'll arrange another room for you."

"Wait a moment," Zhong Yun said, walking back into the room.

Hong Yuting assumed he was going to retrieve some belongings. To his surprise, Zhong Yun emerged carrying a man—it was the vice-captain.

Hong Yuting didn't pay it much mind. There were many individuals holding the title of vice-captain aboard the Freedom. This man was merely in charge of matters on the fourth deck; to Hong Yuting, he was an insignificant figure. If he was injured, so be it. As long as he wasn't a vice-captain with real authority, Hong Yuting didn't care.

He summoned a few people and had the vice-captain escorted away, instructing his assistant to personally deliver the man to the Captain’s quarters, conveying his apologies on Hong Yuting’s behalf.

Although Hong Yuting could not compare to Gu Yue and the others, his status aboard the Freedom was still considered transcendent. He was on equal footing with the Captain. Sending his most capable aide was already considered showing significant respect, dispensing with the need for him to personally attend to an unimportant vice-captain.

Hong Yuting arranged for Zhong Yun to stay in a luxurious room on the third deck—a room he had ordered one of his subordinates to vacate. He explained that there were no private quarters on the first level, forcing him to share a room with Hong Yuting, which he feared Zhong Yun wouldn't prefer. The second level was mostly occupied by women, making it inconvenient for a man like Zhong Yun.

Zhong Yun naturally had no objections; he certainly wouldn't want to share quarters with Hong Yuting. As for the second level, the personal assistants were predominantly female, likely serving dual roles as mistresses. It would only bring him trouble if he indiscreetly tried to move up there.

"To think that even Qin Lianbai shows him some deference. It seems we underestimated his strength."

In the Hong family quarters on the first deck, Hong Yuting sat behind a writing desk, his expression somewhat grim. Hong San stood silently beside him, maintaining his usual air of cold composure, offering no comment.

Hong Yuting wasn't looking for a discussion; he was talking to himself. "According to the latest intelligence, Qin Lianbai already possesses strength at level fifty-five. Yun Zhongyu is, at most, level forty-nine. However, though his ability isn't the Law of Time, it is a top-tier Binding Art—silent, elusive, and impossible to guard against. Coupled with the combat techniques he displayed when controlling the mecha, he might be able to match a Level Five master."

He leaned back in his chair, murmuring, "Level Five, Level Five…"

If the gap between Level One and Level Two was a watershed moment, the difference between Level Four and Level Five was a chasm. Only at Level Five could one truly be called a Master, possessing the actual power to sway the outcome of small-scale battles.

A Level Five Master, equipped with an Eight-Star Mecha, could take down a 'Quasi-Planetary' class battleship.

Not to mention the disparity with ordinary people when not wearing a mecha. In advanced civilizations, if you weren't accompanied by a Level Five Master, you weren't considered a significant figure.

Someone of Hong Yuting's standing certainly didn't enjoy such privileges. The family's scarce dozen or so Masters were all assigned to the most crucial top-tier executives. His own rank was still insufficient. His sole Level Four expert had been annihilated in the battle with the pirates; now, only Hong San, a Level Three master, remained at his side.

This uproar caused by Yun Zhongyu unexpectedly revealed to Hong Yuting that three masters—Qin Lianbai, Lan Yuling, and Gu Yi—were simultaneously present on the Freedom. Initially, he hadn't taken it seriously, but upon returning, the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became. This mission to the Red Feather Federation was not important; otherwise, it wouldn't have fallen to people of their generation. This trip was meant as a chance for them, the younger members, to gain experience.

However, the appearance of these three—who were among the top experts in the Gu, Lan, and Qin families—made Hong Yuting deeply suspicious. These individuals were typically dispatched only for the most critical affairs. Their presence on such an insignificant itinerary was highly anomalous.

The more he contemplated it, the more unsettled Hong Yuting became. He had a faint intuition that this might be a grand conspiracy targeting the Hong family.

With that thought, he could no longer sit still. He ordered Hong San, "Contact the family immediately. Report that there is an important situation to relay."

"Brother Yun, why are you staying here? Why don't you come stay with me on the first level?" Qin Liuxing scrutinized Zhong Yun’s new room, offering his critique, before making the suggestion.

This was the third day after their conflict had been resolved. Miss Qin the Second had gone to attend a very important meeting, and Qin Liuxing had seized the opportunity to slip away.

Zhong Yun watched Qin Liuxing pacing around the room, feeling a headache coming on. This was the aftereffect of resolving that crisis. He slightly regretted setting the relationship between them too well when using his Mind Control technique; now he was constantly plagued by trouble.

Zhong Yun generally held little fondness for such spoiled playboys. Forcing himself to engage in polite pretense with this type of person was genuinely difficult for him. "Why go to the first level? There are too many rules there; it’s uncomfortable."

Qin Liuxing chuckled, "Brother Yun is right. I hate staying there too. My sister loves controlling people; she's always telling me don't do this, don't do that—it's no fun. I specifically make trouble for her, ruining several of her private parties. That’s why she finally banished me to the fourth level."

So that was the reason, Zhong Yun realized. He had always wondered why the esteemed Young Master Qin would be staying on the fourth level, leading to their earlier clash. It was for that very reason.

"Too bad, now my sister won't let me go down there no matter what," Qin Liuxing said with some regret. His eyes darted around, and suddenly he grabbed Zhong Yun's hand. "Follow me." He pulled him toward the door.

"Where are we going?" Zhong Yun was caught off guard—

He was pulled to his feet. As soon as he stopped, Qin Liuxing tried to drag him, but he couldn't move him. "A fun place," Qin Liuxing strained, his face flushing crimson, yet Zhong Yun’s body remained rooted. Zhong Yun had only just reached the standard for an advanced civilization—still at Level One. How could he be moved by the other?

Zhong Yun hesitated for a moment, then shook off the hand. "Let's go." Better to walk around outside than stay confined in the room with this guy. This person was truly like sticky candy—impossible to shake off.

Qin Liuxing was delighted and led the way, all the way up to the first level.

The space on the first level occupied almost half of the entire ship’s volume; it was vast beyond measure. Upon arriving here, one would never guess they were inside a spaceship. There was sunlight, grass, flowers, wind, and rain—an entirely self-contained natural environment.

Although this wasn't his first time on the first level, Zhong Yun couldn't help but marvel at the extravagance of the wealthy. In interstellar transport, space within a vessel is extremely precious. Every ship is designed to utilize its volume as efficiently as possible. This kind of wasteful design, Zhong Yun admitted, was a first for him.

Of course, the Jupiter (the ship of the Lan Sen Empire that Zhong Yun found in the Dead Zone) was an exception.

The Jupiter was 'Quasi-Stellar' class. Although it was only one level higher than the Freedom's 'Super-Planetary' class, that single level represented an immense, qualitative difference. Not to mention size: the volume of the Freedom was less than one-hundredth that of the Jupiter. The Jupiter was effectively a natural star; the Freedom was merely a vessel.

The transitions from 'Super-Satellite' to 'Quasi-Planetary,' and from 'Super-Planetary' to 'Quasi-Stellar,' were each epoch-making advancements.

Successfully constructing a 'Quasi-Planetary' class warship indicated that a nation's overall technology had reached the standard of an advanced civilization. (This was merely one criterion for ascending to advanced civilization status; possessing such a warship didn't automatically qualify a nation, as other factors were involved.)

And 'Quasi-Stellar' class warships could only be built by nations in the fourth stage of advanced civilization. The thirteen states forming the Grand Cosmic Federation maintained their dominion over twenty-five star sectors precisely because they possessed these 'Quasi-Stellar' vessels.

As for 'Stellar' class warships, only the Lan Sen Empire had managed to construct one over tens of thousands of years, and they were nearly wiped out in that great catastrophe. None had appeared since.

The legendary ultimate weapon of war, the 'Super-Stellar' class battleship, existed only in the legends of the era ruled by the four supreme civilizations.

A chorus of sweet female voices pulled Zhong Yun’s far-ranging thoughts back to reality. He looked up to see Qin Liuxing already surrounded by a throng of women, chattering animatedly.

Zhong Yun looked around. This area resembled a sports ground. Ahead, pairs of people were engaged in an activity similar to badminton. He suddenly remembered that before entering, Qin Liuxing had mentioned this was the leisure community, designated solely for recreation. Naturally, it wasn't open to just anyone.

Just then, Qin Liuxing approached, leading two young women. He had dismissed the others. He pointed to Zhong Yun and said to one of the girls, who had her hair in a ponytail, "This is Brother Yun. Your task is to keep him company."

The ponytail-wearing girl looked at Zhong Yun curiously and politely greeted him, "Hello, Brother Yun. My name is Xiao Lu."

Zhong Yun frowned at Qin Liuxing. Qin Liuxing grinned sheepishly, "It's boring with just us two guys, right?" Sensing Zhong Yun's apprehension, he added, "Don't worry, they are proper girls, not like the others who play wildly."

From Qin Liuxing’s introduction, Zhong Yun learned that these two girls were not what he had initially imagined; their family backgrounds were quite distinguished. Although significantly less influential than Qin Liuxing's, they were still weighty families in Andu.

Zhong Yun looked at Qin Liuxing with newfound respect. This kid certainly played the role of the dissolute heir convincingly. It was evident that Qin Liuxing was very popular among this group of second-generation scions. Although his family power was undoubtedly the main contributing factor, managing to keep them so compliant suggested the boy wasn't an utter good-for-nothing.

The four of them sat down at a nearby table. Shortly after, Qin Liuxing pulled the girl beside him, named Xiao Ru, onto the court to play.

Xiao Lu sipped her drink while subtly watching Zhong Yun. She could tell that this Brother Yun wasn't fond of talking, so she didn't speak frivolously, instead constantly trying to guess his true identity with her quiet thoughts. She truly couldn't fathom who he was to warrant such deference from the arrogant Crown Prince Qin. Even figures as prominent as Gu Yue and Lan Ling hadn't received such treatment from him.

"Besides this ball game, are there any other activities here?" Zhong Yun suddenly asked.

Xiao Lu was momentarily startled before replying, "Yes, there are. There's a Combat Zone, a Shooting Zone, a Ball Zone, a Swimming Zone, a Flight Zone..."

"Let's go swimming," before she could finish, Zhong Yun stood up. Xiao Lu quickly followed suit, thinking that this Brother Yun was certainly hard to please.

Qin Liuxing, noticing Zhong Yun and the girl leaving nearby, stopped playing and followed them with Xiao Ru. "Brother Yun, where are you going?"

"You go have fun by yourself. I'm going for a swim." Zhong Yun felt a mixture of amusement and helplessness; he had truly acquired a persistent little shadow that followed him everywhere.

"Let's go together," Qin Liuxing grinned. "There are plenty of unscrupulous people here. I'm worried someone might offend you. Even though you might not fear it, it's still trouble, isn't it?"

Hearing that, Zhong Yun allowed it. He was correct; in this circle, status was rigidly hierarchical, measured by lineage and standing—two things Zhong Yun couldn't compete on with these people. Having Qin Liuxing, the great troublemaker, accompanying him would naturally prevent others from seeking him out. He had a volatile temper and couldn't tolerate being provoked. But offending too many people here would make it difficult for him to stay, detrimental to his grand plan.

The four of them entered the passage leading to the swimming area. Along the way, people of all ages respectfully called out, "Young Master Qin," upon seeing Qin Liuxing. Qin Liuxing would then nod with measured restraint, exhibiting an air of aristocratic refinement.

At this, Zhong Yun would invariably roll his eyes, utterly unimpressed by their obsequious behavior. These people were either seeking favors due to his family ties or drawn by his devastatingly beautiful sister; they certainly weren't interested in him personally.

But truthfully, Qin Liuxing was quite enviable: possessing a sufficiently superior lineage and a sister whose beauty was close to demonic. Even if someone had a better family background, they would yield to him out of respect for his sister. It was no wonder he could get away with so much; he lived the life of a spoiled heir to the utmost enjoyment.

P: It's been 300 chapters; that wasn't easy. First release