Sixty-four.

"This is a long story. Let's sit down and talk."

Inside the spacious central command room, a few individuals sat facing one another.

Soon, guided by Feng Bai's narration, Yuan Hanshuang finally understood what the Old Guard truly referred to.

It turned out that the Old Guard were the veterans of the First Legion led by Hai Dongqing back in the day. Bound together as one, they had lived through the apocalyptic insect tide and were battle-hardened comrades who had shared life and death. Even when the entire interstellar society branded Hai Dongqing a traitor, these comrades remained steadfast in their unwavering belief in him.

Given the peerless prestige Hai Dongqing enjoyed at his zenith—deeply rooted in the hearts of the people as the Empire's rising star—let alone his subordinates, even ordinary citizens' initial reaction was absolute disbelief.

"If the public felt that way, the support within the legion was naturally even stronger. The Imperial Department naturally sensed such a formidable force, which is why they have been working to fracture the power of the Old Guard all these years."

Feng Yuanming explained, "When the charge of treason against Commander Hai was first established, the First Legion underwent a major purge. After the purge, high-ranking officers who had originally served in the First Legion were transferred elsewhere. Such investigative activities have continued in the shadows for years, only pausing slightly until recently."

He shook his head with a helpless sigh, "Back then, the Old Guard was an immense force. Yet, after more than twenty years of systematic division, we have long since lost the networks and intelligence channels of our prime."

Otherwise, they would not have had to resort to eavesdropping midway just to learn that their former commander had a child.

"Young Master, why were you unaware of the Old Guard? I assumed your mother would have informed you of everything." Feng Bai, who had remained silent until now, frowned. "The communicator linked to the Old Guard was in the possession of the First Princess. After losing contact with the Commander back then, both sides sought to re-establish communication, but years of searching yielded no news whatsoever. Had we known about the Old Guard in advance, we wouldn't have had to waste so much time probing each other."

Clearly, Feng Bai was still harboring lingering resentment over the countless failed probes of the past.

He had tested Yuan Hanshuang countless times, both overtly and covertly, without the slightest result, only for his old man to step in and instantly resolve the matter—a fact that naturally left the son somewhat aggrieved.

"My mother?" Yuan Hanshuang shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I have never laid eyes on my mother since the day I was born."

This news struck like a bombshell, freezing the two men before her in sheer astonishment.

"You have never seen the First Princess since birth?"

Feng Bai and Feng Yuanming exchanged a glance, asking incredulously. A dark foreboding simultaneously gripped both their hearts.

As everyone knew, when Hai Dongqing defected, he fled with his wife. Over the years, the First Princess had similarly vanished without a trace. Though not classified as a fugitive, she was placed on the list of missing royal family members. Because of the aged Emperor's deep affection for her, the Empire had deployed almost as many personnel to search for her as they had for Hai Dongqing.

If even Yuan Hanshuang, her own child, had never set eyes on her mother, then the First Princess was likely in grave peril, exactly as the Enforcement Department's investigations suggested.

Most troubling of all was that the imperial household still remained entirely unaware of this development, particularly the old Emperor, whose profound love for his daughter made him oblivious to the truth. Yet one could easily imagine that once this news leaked, the entire StarNet would likely collapse into paralysis.

"What about your father, then? Surely he—"

Mid-sentence, Feng Bai's mind drifted to the most unthinkable conjecture: "Could it be that you don't even know what happened along the way when your father fled the Empire?"

"That's right." Yuan Hanshuang nodded. "Ever since I can remember, Dad's mental faculties were already impaired. As for the events of that year, I don't remember them clearly either. I was too young then, and my memories are blurred; I only formed relatively clear recollections after I turned two."

Though they had heard rumors, hearing her state it so bluntly still moved Feng Yuanming to the verge of tears as he removed his reading glasses.

Feng Yuanming had not participated in the operation to capture Hai Dongqing five years ago, but how could he not feel grief upon hearing that his former commander and comrade-in-arms had been reduced to such a state?

For a moment, the central command room fell profoundly silent.

"You've had a hard life all these years." Feng Bai's attention, however, rested on a different matter.

A child, growing up without a mother and with a mentally impaired father—he shuddered to imagine how the Young Master had managed to endure alone for all these years. No wonder Yuan Hanshuang had remained completely composed during his previous probes, betraying not the slightest flaw.

Yuan Hanshuang offered a faint smile. "It's fine, it's all in the past."

"Let's not dwell on this. My primary purpose in coming here today is to find out the truth about Dad."

Her goal was not to discuss these matters. Moreover, the atmosphere in the command room was far too heavy; though those years had truly been arduous, she disliked being pitied, even when that pity was well-intentioned.

"Five years ago, I encountered a ruin awakening on a low-level contaminated planet, and shortly after I returned, Dad was taken away. Over the years, I've kept investigating in secret, but I've always lacked crucial clues. I want to know why Dad leaked the information back then, the truth behind his prison break, and where Dad is right now."

"Beyond that, I also want to know why Dad chose to betray the Empire, why the Empire obtained evidence of his collusion with the Zerg, and whether Dad really stole the divine sacred artifact kept by the Empire in the Holy Temple of Light."

She fired off a string of questions like rapid-fire artillery.

These were the truths Yuan Hanshuang urgently needed to uncover.

To her disappointment, however, Feng Yuanming shook his head. "I'm apologize, Young Master. Regarding these matters, the information held by the Old Guard is also quite limited. Please don't be anxious; we will share everything we do know with you."

"First, concerning that so-called conclusive evidence of Zerg collusion."

Back then, the Enforcement Department suddenly acquired irrefutable evidence through certain channels. The evidence included video footage, communication logs, and real-time messages that had not yet been destroyed in time. Through voiceprint verification of the audio recordings, artificial intelligence detection of the video, and even eyewitnesses, everything pointed to the conclusion that Hai Dongqing had entered the Zerg primary hive with the intent to intentionally collude with Zerg high command, and that he had already put this intent into action.

"Initially, this evidence was not made public. Out of caution toward a hero like the Commander, the Empire kept a tight lid on it, holding only secret meetings within the Privy Council. Later, a scandal involving the leakage of classified Enforcement Department files broke, and the evidence was made public. Yet at first, not many people believed it. Nor did we believe it, because during the timeframe published in the video, the Commander was on leave with us, providing an ironclad alibi."

"However, just as we submitted our rebuttal to the Privy Council, the Commander suddenly told us that he had to undertake a certain task. He couldn't tell us what it was; perhaps everyone in the universe would misunderstand his actions, but he said it was something he had to accomplish, a mission he had to bear."

Feng Yuanming's increasingly clouded eyes seemed to pierce through time, recalling the past.

Twenty years ago, he had only just entered middle age, while Hai Dongqing was even younger.

That man, forever as dazzling as a flame, an imperial hero whose mere presence inspired faith and hope in everyone, rarely shed his habitual sunny confidence as he stood desolately inside the captain's quarters.

"I cannot let you take risks with me. And Chuxue has only been pregnant for a short while; I am about to become a father, yet I am turning out to be an unqualified one."

Standing by the porthole of the First Legion's warship, Hai Dongqing had turned back, gazing directly at his most trusted adjutant with a deeply solemn expression: "Yuanming, this journey of mine is bound to be fraught with extreme danger. If possible, I beg you to look after my wife and child."

Even after so many years, the scene remained vivid in his mind.

"When I heard those words—which were no different from entrusting an orphan to my care—my first instinct was to dissuade him, but it was useless."

Feng Yuanming shook his head with a bitter smile. "Once the Commander made a decision, external forces could rarely change it."

"Later on, though, for reasons unknown, the Commander still left with the First Princess, and before departing, he even stole the unrelated divine sacred artifact. Because the situation was far too urgent and he had no time to speak with us at length, we still remain unclear about the exact reason for his hurried departure. Whatever contact we maintained along the way was mostly intermittent. Later, the Empire dispatched several legions for a large-scale manhunt. After receiving news that the capture had failed, we lost touch completely, right up until five years ago."

The intelligence held by the Old Guard was actually not much more extensive than what Yuan Hanshuang already knew, with massive blank periods during the manhunt and escape.

Yuan Hanshuang could not help feeling a sense of frustration. "If only I could remember what happened back then..."

"You shouldn't blame yourself," Feng Bai said. "The Commander had been on the run for nearly a year, and you were probably just born at the time. A newborn infant is incapable of retaining memories."

*But I'm a transmigrator!* Yuan Hanshuang thought to herself.

Clearly, she had transmigrated as an infant, yet like any ordinary child, she had lost her earliest memories—how absurd was that?

"As for what happened afterward, the information we possess is even scarcer."

Feng Bai stood up from his seat and paced the expansive command room. "Seven years ago, the Privy Council somehow obtained intelligence regarding the exact coordinates of the planet where the Commander was staying, so they dispatched the First Legion to establish a branch base there. Five years ago, the First Legion suddenly received an encrypted message from an informant, directly exposing his specific identity, which prompted the Empire to launch an immediate arrest."

"At the time, the Old Guard took a calculated risk, planning to reveal our identities and present the rebuttal evidence from back then right inside the military tribunal once Hai Dongqing was escorted back to the Capital Star," Feng Bai recounted. "However, just as the Commander was awaiting trial in the central basement prison, news of a prison break broke out."

He pushed up his glasses and met Yuan Hanshuang's gaze. "Both you and I know that given the Commander's condition at the time, he lacked the capacity to break out of prison alone, and the Empire had never officially administered medical treatment to him. Subsequent intelligence we gathered confirmed this."

"The Commander was broken out of prison by someone else, and the identity of the jailer remains unknown to this day."

Feng Bai said gravely, "However, we suspect it was likely the work of a colossal entity. From the leaking of that evidence twenty years ago to the capture operation five years ago, an invisible hand has been manipulating events from behind the scenes. An organization of this magnitude ranks among the top powers in the entire interstellar society. We already have a list of suspects, but we cannot share it with you honestly until we have concrete confirmation."

"As for where the Commander is currently located, I am sorry to say that the entire Empire has no relevant clues."

Hearing this, a flash of disappointment crossed Yuan Hanshuang's face.

She had taken such a risk to make this trip, yet the information she gained was so limited. To say she wasn't disappointed would be a lie.

Observing her expression, Feng Yuanming quickly offered comfort from the side. "Though clues are scarce, the Young Master must never give up hope."

"For the Old Guard, these intelligence channels have remained stagnant for many years. Being able to find you is already the most groundbreaking progress of these past few years. Those childhood memories of yours might be retrieved through some special mimetics-based abilities. As long as you were an eyewitness, you might be able to recall the crucial evidence."

Yuan Hanshuang rallied her spirits. "All right."

Indeed, if she relied solely on herself, both her leads and clues had currently hit a dead end with no way forward. To uncover further progress, she had to seek assistance externally.

The Old Guard's intelligence was limited, but their connections within the military far outstripped those of a mere university student like her. Aligning with them had only benefits and no drawbacks—provided, of course, that their loyalty was as genuine as they claimed.

With this thought, Yuan Hanshuang felt a sense of relief.

"I will provisionally believe what you've said today."

Her mood improving, she began to stand up and retrieve items from her person.

The father and son of the Feng family watched wide-eyed as she unloaded a pile of gadgets from her body.

A locator strapped to her thigh, a camera disguised as a wristband clamped around her wrist, a panic alarm necklace resting on her collarbone, and folding laser blades concealed inside her cuffs—every single item was compact and easily concealable.

As these objects were laid out neatly on the table, Yuan Hanshuang shrugged. "What can I do? When you're running solo through the world, you always need some safety guarantees. I couldn't be certain that your approach was entirely well-intentioned, especially where Dad is concerned."

While speaking, she carefully observed their expressions.

Seeing these precautions, Feng Bai did not show the slightest displeasure at being distrusted or offended; instead, he laughed softly. "Young Master, having this level of vigilance is truly commendable."

"However, to ensure the confidentiality of our conversation, please allow me to take these items to be destroyed."

Feng Yuanming nodded repeatedly beside him, admiration evident on his face.

Yuan Hanshuang could tell that their smiles sprang from genuine sincerity, entirely devoid of negative emotions.

Very well, at least these two members of the Old Guard were indeed trustworthy.

The final taut string in her heart finally loosened gradually.

"Let's wrap it up for today. I've taken up too much of your time, Young Master." Feng Yuanming glanced down at the time, his tone carrying an apology. "The evacuation window cannot be too long, or we risk alerting the enemy. Please forgive us; we can discuss everything else next time."

"The Old Guard will forever remain your most loyal force. No matter what you encounter in the future, you can notify us in advance. Should you ever need assistance, please do not hesitate to ask."

Feng Bai handed her a neatly packaged box. "We can maintain contact through this military communicator. Rest assured, this device is completely secure."

"Alright." Yuan Hanshuang expressed her gratitude, accepted the box, and followed them out of the central command room.

As she departed, the twin-tailed girl casually brushed a lock of hair behind her ear without a trace.

In truth, she had still concealed a stealth audio recorder inside her ear canal—the kind that did not connect to any network.

Trust was one thing; leaving oneself a backup plan was entirely another. This was Yuan Hanshuang's code of conduct. Of course, whether these items could escape the detection of two high-tier Awakened ones was another matter, but the fact that they hadn't pointed it out was enough to prove that their words held substantial credibility.

Watching her leave from the library window, Feng Yuanming turned his head slightly. "Well?"

"She still had things concealed on her," Feng Bai said with a firm tone. "Such caution at her age is truly rare. Back when I was seventeen, my mind was filled solely with military academy glory."

"It seems she is not only extraordinarily talented, but also steady-tempered—a Young Master worthy of our trust," Feng Yuanming said with a smiling shake of his head. "And come to think of it, the Young Master harbors quite a few secrets. Ancient martial arts, and her mimetic ability—that fish, perhaps inherited from the First Princess's Golden Whale, which explains her impressive physique... Perhaps we old veterans really can find hope of turning the tables through her."

As if remembering something, a trace of sorrow flitted across his eyes. "What a pity. If the Commander were still lucid, knowing he has such an outstanding daughter, he would surely feel proud."

"He certainly would," Feng Bai affirmed.