Ah, the literary youth. Gu Xiechen swept Fuya.Ming into a fierce embrace, his arm wrapping around her slender yet strong waist. He threw his head back and sneered, "Crime? No, this is love! This is the flower of love, bloomed after being tested by the fires of war! The love between Fuya.Ming and me is something you pretty-faced dilettantes could never comprehend!"

He held the stiff-faced, strangely expressioned Fuya.Ming tightly. Gu Xiechen advanced a step, his dismissive gaze sweeping over the pale faces of the assembled youths. "When Prince Dao Gen betrayed us, where were you? When Fuya.Ming needed support the most, where were you? When Fuya.Ming fought bloody battles against the rebels, where were you? When Fuya.Ming was injured by the rebels and on the brink of death, where were you? When Fuya.Ming's most loyal soldiers were massacred, where were you?"

This barrage of rhetorical questions left the youths dizzy, causing them to unconsciously fall back one after another. Gu Xiechen, fueled like a gladiator hopped up on stimulants, advanced step by step toward the stiff body of Fuya.Ming he held captive: "When Fuya.Ming wept in the deep of night, where were you? When Fuya.Ming worried for the future of the Kingdom, where were you? When Fuya.Ming was reluctantly forced to relinquish her claim to the throne, where were you?"

"I!" The youth clad in a blood-red uniform suddenly puffed out his chest, intending to speak.

"You! And all of you!" Gu Xiechen mercilessly cut him off, pointing at the group of young men as he enumerated their failings: "You commanded an armada capable of confronting the fleet of the Doko Federation, waiting in the outer void of planet Yafik, hoping for Fuya.Ming and Prince Dao Gen to exhaust each other so you could seize the entire planet for yourselves!"

"Now that Fuya.Ming has successfully ascended the throne, seeing that she has finally grasped royal power after enduring calamities under the blessings of Yafik's ancestors, you pretty boys who live off your looks suddenly emerge! What do you intend to do? What are your goals? To use your exquisite, flower-like eyebrows, to rely on your 'charming grace' and your unmatched romantic prowess, your peerless allure, to bewitch Fuya.Ming, making yourselves alien princes of Yafik and ultimately controlling the planet?"

Fuya.Ming’s expression shifted constantly as Gu Xiechen roared his accusations. At first, she looked somber, but soon a determined, steadfast smile appeared. By the end, as Gu Xiechen’s voice verged on a shout, the way she looked at the thirteen young men turned ice-cold, like a wisp of death energy exhaled from hell.

"I am also very curious, sirs, what brings you here? To help me? Or to humiliate me?" Fuya.Ming’s gaze unintentionally developed a killing edge.

Affectionately patting Fuya.Ming’s shoulder, Gu Xiechen puffed out his chest and sneered, "No matter what you're here for, I apologize. She is my fiancée, and 'if nothing unexpected occurs in the future,' she will be my woman! Esteemed Highnesses, is my meaning clear enough?"

Gu Xiechen’s words were undeniably clear: If you did not contribute to securing the cake that was the Kingdom of Yafik, you had no right to a bite. The largest and juiciest piece had already been consumed by old man Gu. You thirteen pretty boys should go back to whatever it is you do; perhaps there is another princess elsewhere, oppressed by powerful officials, waiting for your rescue! The youth in the blood-red uniform roared in fury. He leaped up nearly two meters high, pointing at Gu Xiechen and screaming insults: "You base wretch, what right do you have to be insolent in front of me? You, you, you—remove that filthy, sordid hand from Fuya.Ming!"

A filthy and sordid hand? Gu Xiechen glanced down at the hand wrapped around Fuya.Ming’s waist, chuckled, and tightened his grip even more possessively.

Winking provocatively at the youth, Gu Xiechen drawled in a voice so slick anyone listening would want to punch him, "Remove it? On what grounds? She is my fiancée!"

Fuya.Ming’s face was dreadful. She felt a wild impulse to just call down a few orbital railguns to precisely bombard Gu Xiechen and those thirteen annoying flies. However, the powers behind these thirteen youths were significant. While Fuya.Ming did not want their influence creeping into the Kingdom of Yafik, she equally did not wish to completely alienate them to the point of death. So, she pulled gently on Gu Xiechen’s sleeve and spoke in a very mild tone: "Your Highness Dorun, I am sorry. Xiechen was simply overcome with emotion. I appreciate your kindness, but your fleet cannot enter Yafik’s defensive perimeter."

With a deep sigh, Fuya.Ming said helplessly, "Yafik has just survived internal strife; I must maintain the stability of the Kingdom."

Dorun, in the blood-red uniform, dramatically waved his hands and shrieked, "Can I not even help you deal with the Doko Federation? Fuya, have you forgotten—" Gu Xiechen coldly smiled, mocking him, "When I am slaughtering a lamb destined for the spit, I take care to ensure it remains undamaged."

Dorun shifted his gaze to Gu Xiechen, sneering as he pulled out a thick, single-rimmed monocle and placed it over his eye. He rapidly pressed a few buttons near the frame. With a faint hissing sound, Gu Xiechen felt a faint wave of energy scan over his body.

"!" "Strength: Three point five. Psychic Intensity: One point seven. A useless piece of trash with no abilities!" Dorun exclaimed, staring at the information fed back by the latest combat power detector, then suddenly burst into triumphant laughter.

With a wave of his hand, Dorun drew a short sword, about a foot long and inlaid with countless tiny gems, from his waist and tossed it forcefully onto the ground.

Fuya.Ming’s face went pale, and she sharply demanded, "Dorun, are you issuing a Family Duel Challenge to Lord Xiechen, to Gu-sama?"

Dorun nodded proudly, smiling faintly at Fuya.Ming. "Fuya, he has offended me, which means he has offended the Lei Wu Kingdom. Therefore, he and his family must be punished."

Fuya.Ming frowned, looking helplessly toward Gu Xiechen. Family Duels were sacred and inviolable, especially so for Fuya.Ming. As a member of the various royal houses within the Star Alliance, she lacked the authority and the power to stop a Family Duel proactively initiated by a member of a royal family.

Gu Xiechen shrugged indifferently. He bent down and forcefully picked up the exquisitely ornate short sword.

The hilt felt cold and sinister, and the blade was extremely heavy; this small short sword weighed nearly a hundred pounds. That Dorun could carry such a weapon on his belt indicated his strength was considerable. The divine sense scan also informed Gu Xiechen that Dorun's psychic power was rather strong, and a ball of blazing energy was hidden near his chest—he was likely a fire-attribute esper.

"Family Duel? A life-and-death duel between families?" Swinging the short sword in his hand, Gu Xiechen displayed a smile full of intriguing amusement.

"Very well. I am Gu Xiechen of the Gu Clan of the Earth Federation." Smiling, Gu Xiechen nodded to Dorun. "A Clan Duel? If you can defeat me, I will give you the detailed star map coordinates of the Earth Federation and all the data concerning the members of the Gu Clan."

Dorun gazed arrogantly at Gu Xiechen. "The Earth Federation? There is no record of this civilization among the upper-tier civilizations of the Star Alliance, at least none that I know of. Since you bring up this federation's name, the Lei Wu Kingdom is very interested in utterly destroying it and seizing its territory!"

Gu Xiechen laughed, a pure, innocent sound. Hua and Linghu also laughed, their expressions utterly lewd.

Lily looked at Dorun as if he were an imbecile. Only the Roman Kingdom, which had been fighting the Earth Federation for hundreds of years, understood just how terrifying the Earth Federation could be. Lily crossed her arms and prayed devoutly, "O venerable Forest Goddess, bless these foolish villains so they may slay a few more Earthlings; that is the extent of their capability."

The haughty Dorun sneered, "The Lei Wu Kingdom possesses five hundred and seventy million loyal and battle-hardened citizens, three million powerful ground troops, and twelve formidable space fleets. Anyone who dares provoke a member of the Lei Wu royal family will face a devastating reprisal from the Kingdom!"

Stepping forward forcefully, Dorun jabbed his finger into Gu Xiechen's nose and berated him, "A one-on-one duel between you and me. Before I take your life after I defeat you, I demand all data concerning your family. Hmm, I am very interested in your supposed Earth Federation. If you don't object, I might even declare war on the Earth Federation on behalf of the Lei Wu Kingdom!"

Clang, clang, clang. Fuya.Ming looked at Gu Xiechen with deep worry, regretting that things had escalated this far.

According to her earlier estimation, perhaps these honored princes would exhibit some gentlemanly decorum and depart gracefully once they learned she was engaged.

"You severely underestimated the thick skin of some people!" Gu Xiechen whispered low into Fuya.Ming's ear, chuckling. "However, considering the trouble I’ve attracted just for you—trouble that might even draw the flames of war toward my homeland—could the esteemed Princess offer me a bit more technical data in compensation?"

He blew lightly into Fuya.Ming's fair ear, and Gu Xiechen continued with a sly grin, "I don't really need much in the way of specific materials or equipment, but I truly require the technology."

Fuya.Ming’s ear flushed crimson, followed quickly by her entire face turning rosy. Dorun and the others grew even more ashen-faced; their bodies trembled slightly, clearly on the verge of exploding.