A Disguised Scum Alpha Marked Her Aloof Ex-Wife - Chapter 21.2

One after another, some domesticated beast-men were pushed onto the stage. There were panicked teacup dogs that looked very young; the introduction said they would never grow up.

There were submissive fold-eared cats that had accepted their fate, dressed up beautifully, meekly obeying all commands.

There were also fierce beasts that still bared their fangs, but the moment the auctioneer casually pressed a button, the electrified collar tightened instantly, forcing even the most unyielding beast to grovel on the ground.

The auctioneer introduced nonchalantly that only ‘upper-class people’ could raise pets that matched their status. These beast-men had all been meticulously trained, or even modified… she spoke vaguely on purpose, leaving room for infinite imagination.

To be unique and win the favor of the upper class, it didn’t matter if the pet’s life was short.

They were just playthings, after all.

Perhaps when “they” passed away, they could still earn a few performative tears from their masters—wasn’t that enough?

Iselia secretly sharpened her claws, memorizing the seating coordinates of every single bastard who placed a bid. She was only waiting for Bai Shuzhou’s command to go snap those bastards’ necks.

The people Bai Shuzhou had arranged ahead of time bought up all these pitiful beast-men. Iselia actually didn’t quite understand. Clearly, this auction wouldn’t reach a conclusion, so why bother with the extra step? Once it ended, they could just go snatch the people openly.

But Bai Shuzhou insisted.

The purchased beast-men would receive some peace of mind in advance. Before being delivered to the noble guests, they would drink hot tea, wrap themselves in soft blankets, and be escorted out of this hell by dedicated attendants.

Just as Iselia met with Bai Shuzhou, the Snow Leopard Knight Regiment was already acting on Bai Shuzhou’s will, initiating the Chaotic Zone takeover procedure. This abandoned planet that no one cared about was about to be crowned with the name of the Empire.

Iselia held zero interest in the auction; she couldn’t stand this kind of stifling environment, unlike Bai Shuzhou, who gazed down at the stage calmly and gently, her expression remaining consistently faint.

By comparison, Iselia was more curious about where Zhu Yu had gone, but she didn’t dare ask, fearing she would remind Bai Shuzhou of painful memories.

A sensible ex-wife should vanish on the spot; otherwise, she wouldn’t mind helping her disappear.

Bored out of her mind, Iselia lowered her head to sharpen her claws when she suddenly noticed that Bai Shuzhou’s aura had changed—from detached to oppressive and dark.

She held her breath along with her, following Bai Shuzhou’s line of sight. What could make Bai Shuzhou care so much?

Holy shit, Zhu Yu!

Iselia’s golden pupils shrank sharply.

Weren’t they here to investigate the disappearance of Imperial citizens? How could Zhu Yu be here, and in this state!

The girl was tightly bound by restraints, curled up, her clear eyes wet. The silver bite guard meant for wild beasts looked entirely redundant on her; she looked like a gentle, harmless young animal.

What on earth was going on?

Bai Shuzhou’s aura continued to sink, a subtle murderous intent flooding the entire room.

Iselia carefully observed Bai Shuzhou’s expression. She rarely showed such intense personal emotion; Zhu Yu undoubtedly occupied a very special place in her heart.

Iselia slapped her forehead, suddenly seeing the light. “Rest assured, Your Highness. I’ll go kill her in a moment!”

Murderous intent. Zhu Yu. Kill Zhu Yu. It was that simple.

As a clever tiger, Iselia had always practiced an eye for an eye. Bai Shuzhou’s legs were severely injured; she must absolutely loathe Zhu Yu.

Heaven knew how Zhu Yu had abused her in private without the Royal Family’s protection.

Previously, when had the Princess ever worn such a cheap, dirty dress!

At that time, the woman had specifically instructed the attendants to pack that dirty dress away and not throw it out, her eyes filled with icy hatred.

She must surely be biding her time, keeping the humiliation firmly in mind!

Iselia looked at Bai Shuzhou expectantly. The woman lowered her eyes, the outward-leaking chill seemingly freezing the surroundings, and said coldly: “Raise the bid.”

“You got it!” The big tiger rubbed her hands eagerly, but by the time she realized what Bai Shuzhou was saying, it was already too late.

“Huh?”

She personally raised her hand, entirely unconcerned that her identity and actions might also be exposed. The ones observing and analyzing in secret were far from just their group.

Under the spotlight, a tiny bit of darkness remained behind the cage.

Zhu Yu huddled carefully in the shadow, the veterinary anesthetic in her sleeve warmed to her body temperature.

She had suddenly remembered just now the anesthetic she had risked her life to retrieve when she first met Bai Shuzhou.

Just as poor people primarily needed pain relief to treat illnesses, when there were no suppressants, anesthetics could actually serve as a substitute.

She heard Fractus was very potent; using a veterinary anesthetic to counter it should be about equivalent, right?

In any case, according to Nan Gong’s plan, she was supposed to sleep until the dust settled.

A minor accident had occurred, but Zhu Yu didn’t regret it. The number of times she had been brave in her barren life could be counted on one hand; even if she was afraid, it was still exhilarating.

Those birds had looked at her with sparkling eyes, revering her as a great savior, which left Zhu Yu a bit thrilled and a little embarrassed.

Her initial thoughts were nowhere near that noble; it was pure rage. Seeing the injuries on the white bird, she felt as if she could experience them firsthand, and she remembered Bai Shuzhou’s dream from that night.

Now, she only needed to inject the anesthetic into herself, and tonight would draw to a close here.

But the auctioneer’s gaze flashed, and the blood-red crystal ring on her finger was continuously magnified on the large screen. Its quality turned out to be far superior to the crystal ore auctioned earlier.

The dazzling fire flickered brilliantly, as if burning fiercely. A gemstone of this caliber could undoubtedly verify Zhu Yu’s identity.

The auctioneer waved her hand unobtrusively, and men in black wearing white gloves immediately converged, wanting to forcibly remove it for display.

Watching the dangerous aura press closer, the sharp needle already piercing her skin, Zhu Yu knew very well she should immediately plunge it in.

But at the final moment, she hesitated.

This was the first gift Bai Shuzhou had given her, and the only thing she had kept.

While losing consciousness was useful, doing so meant she would truly be left at the mercy of others.

When encountering danger or difficulties, she always wanted to escape, desperately wishing to snap awake from a dream, hoping to pull the covers over her head and find everything was just a nightmare.

Yet she was still reluctant to let go—reluctant for it to be just a dream, even if it was a nightmare.

They were two intersecting parallel lines; meeting itself was a miracle, but she still wanted to be a bit greedy, a bit more greedy.

The curled-up girl protected the ring tightly in her palm.

Even if she wasn’t strong enough, even if she wasn’t brave enough… there were still things she wanted to grip tightly.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, just as the men in black approached, the girl curled like a young beast suddenly erupted with astonishing strength. Turning her wrist, she stabbed the anesthetic into a man in black’s arm.

It was as if she had been biding her time for ages just waiting for this moment. Her speed was exceptionally fast—so fast that even the most elite guards failed to react.

The venue’s breathing seemed to freeze. The crowd only saw droplets of blood flying through the air, and the two men in black widened their eyes, collapsing blankly.

The entirety of Paradis was as silent as a grave.

A cornered beast will still fight, let alone… Zhu Yu.

There was no longer any need for that face-saving alias; her name surfaced in the minds of everyone present.

BZZT!

A blinding current flashed across the cage.

A suppressed groan rose along with the sound of the restraints tightening. The slender girl leaned heavily against the cage, using every ounce of her remaining strength to keep herself from falling.

Her shirt was already soaked with cold sweat, an abnormal flush surfaced on her face, and the fragrance of a light pheromone began to spread.

Everyone knew very well that this was the precursor to a rut, but not a single person dared to harbor any inappropriate thoughts of amusement.

Red lips and white teeth. Those dark eyes gradually lost focus, like a vengeful spirit crawling out of hell, sweeping over the spectator seats wetly, vowing to remember every single person.

Because of fear, she blustered and showed her claws. Double vision appeared within her sight; in truth, under the strong spotlights, she couldn’t see clearly at all.

At a certain moment, the girl suddenly froze, blinking her eyes hard.

She seemed to see… Bai Shuzhou.

But it lasted only an instant. The strong spotlights pierced her eyes, and under the effect of the blurrer, everyone seemed to bear the exact same face—either flat or round, distorted into different shapes.

The guests were restless; the cowardly ones had already turned their heads, attempting to leave early.

An uneasy atmosphere began to spread.

Suddenly, a low chuckle echoed from the highest box.

An attendant raised an ivory tablet, and an astonishing, astronomical price appeared on the large screen.

Everyone looked up in disbelief. It was undoubtedly a number that had never appeared before; even adding all the previous auction items together, it wouldn’t match the fraction.

So what if she was powerful? She was still wearing a collar, presented as a commodity, a plaything.

Bai Shuzhou raised her eyes, her deep vertical pupils staring at that box, her fingertips resting on the table crushing down fiercely.

The electric shock punishment was still increasing, purple light flashing around the iron cage.

Zhu Yu seemed to sense something. Slowly, very slowly, she raised her hand wearing the blood-red ring, like raising a flag high.

Will you see me?

I didn’t disgrace you.

A deathly silence, with only the sound of blood boiling and burning.

The girl in the cage had never submitted.

The holographic live broadcast equipment purchased by Paradis at a high price was transmitting this scene to all corners of the universe. Across the entire Star Net, millions of eyes stopped simultaneously in a rare occurrence, holding their breath. The comments stopped scrolling; time seemed to freeze at this moment.

Even the Federal cyber-nationalists who detested the Empire most could not utter any defamatory words at this moment. The humiliation they had anticipated did not appear; instead, it turned into a reversal worthy of the history books.

The prestige of this Imperial Star of the Commoners would reach its peak tonight—in the capacity of a captive.

Far away in the Highest Administrative Office of the Imperial Star, a cold sneer sounded. Feng Jiyan tapped one hand on the desk, her face as dark as water, letting out a sigh with a fake smile.

“Truly impressive, Zhu Yu.”

By the round table, the hands of the hacker who had fully taken over the live broadcast program also paused. Before the auction ended, this humiliation targeted at Imperial beast-men, orchestrated by Federal hawks, would conclude in a total failure.

Just as all the Imperials belatedly began to cheer and shout Zhu Yu’s name, Bai Shuzhou’s expression grew colder and colder. Standing up, she ordered coldly: “Turn off the live broadcast.”

Zhu Yu was about to lose her hold.

Her state was terrible—so terrible that Bai Shuzhou seriously doubted whether she even knew what she was doing.

Seeking death?

While everyone was marveling at Zhu Yu’s persistence and willpower, only Bai Shuzhou saw her fear and unease.

According to the plan, tonight Bai Shuzhou was supposed to step forward to stop this farce, punish the star pirates, and deal a heavy blow to the Federation; it seemed it wasn’t too late now.

A light-brain communication popped up, and Feng Jiyan stood with her hands behind her back. That smiling fox face appeared inside the box, completely unconcerned by Bai Shuzhou’s anomaly.

“No, Your Highness. Please be patient for a moment longer to maximize the effect.”

“I have made some modifications to the speech draft. Please review it. Tonight remains your home court.”

“I said, turn it off.” Bai Shuzhou’s mood had reached its absolute worst. Her voice was compressed very thin, scraping past coldly like the edge of a blade.

The rose fragrance surged out overwhelmingly. Iselia turned her face in surprise; she had never seen Bai Shuzhou like this.

Across the screen, Feng Jiyan’s smile also froze for an instant. Bai Shuzhou had always been highly rational; how could she have such a massive emotional fluctuation over a discarded pawn?

Clearly they were of a kind; clearly they should all know that the unsightly state Zhu Yu was about to expose would only incense the populace further.

This was advantageous. It was best if she died here tonight, died on the auction stage; thereby, her past sins could all be wiped clean, and she would remain immortal.

She had already paved the way for her; Bai Shuzhou only needed to step onto it.

The fox eyes narrowed completely into a line, filled with excitement and anticipation, sighing like an opera singer:

“There will never be a more perfect moment than tonight. I look forward to you standing upon the highest point—”

They would prove to the world that a clever mind was far more important than brute force. And Bai Shuzhou would undoubtedly be her perfect puppet.

The upright girl in the cage was already exhausted, her out-of-control spiritual power raging wildly within her meridians.

A murky gasp escaped her throat. In her daze, she heard Bai Shuzhou’s voice.

Another hallucination, right? Is this also a side effect of Fractus? Everything looks like Bai Shuzhou. Zhu Yu let out a small smile.

The lights blurred out, and the white spots of light within her collapsing world seemed to all turn into tiny silver dragons, wagging their tails in the world of ice and snow, tirelessly hooking onto her hand.

The spotlight at the center of the stage exploded with a pop.

“Your Highness?!”

“Iselia, stop Her Highness!”

Iselia smiled bitterly. She wanted to stop her too, but her limbs had just been bound by vines, and even she couldn’t break free. When did the Princess become this powerful?

Amidst the uproar of the full house, a silver-white silhouette arrived faster than the darkness.

A familiar fragrance. Zhu Yu’s eyes slowly lit up.

Her scattered vision refocused, the light spots dispersed, and a tiny dragon leaned in before her. The face of the person in her dream grew clearer and clearer.

Those pale blue eyes drifted with an affection Zhu Yu couldn’t comprehend, waves surging, nearly swallowing her up.

“You came!”

It wasn’t a dream.

Her burning waist was enveloped in an embrace. The woman’s ice-cold skin suddenly drew very close, steadily catching her in her arms before she could collapse to her knees.

Bai Shuzhou’s leg injuries were not healed; it wasn’t enough to support the weight of two people.

Massive silver wings unfurled, shimmering with a regal metallic luster, gently covering Zhu Yu’s vulnerability and embarrassment, completely shielding her from the prying eyes of outsiders.

Zhu Yu widened her eyes in surprise, reluctant to blink. She watched the world sink along with them, leaving only the two of them in the entire world.

In the dimness, she and Bai Shuzhou were so close—close enough to hear each other’s racing heartbeats.

Thump, thump.

A warm embrace. Those deep eyes shimmered with a pale blue light, just like shifting stars, shining only for her at this moment. The woman did not answer, but slowly gripped her wrist, locking it firmly.

Everyone present forgot to breathe. Even though the guests were people of immense influence, this was still the very first time they had laid eyes on the legendary Dragon race.

And the legendary, frail, and sickly Dragon Princess at that.

“Your Highness!! What are you doing? We need you to preside over the grand situation right now!!”

Feng Jiyan’s exasperated voice echoed from the light-brain. She had never imagined that Bai Shuzhou would cause a disruption at a time like this; the plan was completely out of control!

She was supposed to appear calmly before the camera, delivering a speech as the spokesperson of the Empire, beautiful and elegant.

But she had actually undergone beastification—why was she able to undergo beastification?!

A cold voice rang out, still very steady, carrying a force that settled people’s hearts: “Play the Federal Freedom Declaration.”

The command delivered, Bai Shuzhou simply cast aside the troublesome light-brain.

Feng Jiyan had to do as she said.

This was the optimal solution.

The image froze on the few seconds before Bai Shuzhou spread her wings to envelop Zhu Yu. The entire line was cut, turning into a blue screen.

The entire galaxy bore witness at this moment as the simplest, most majestic Federal Freedom Declaration slowly echoed.

“We vow to defend human freedom until death, letting the light of civilization flow eternally within the sea of stars—”

Silver wings, a cage torn apart by bare hands, the bite guard falling with a click.

“Do not kneel to hegemony, do not stay for ignorance—”

Slender fingertips gently caressed the scratches on her cheek, the rose aroma drawing closer and closer.

Beneath the sacred yet ironic freedom declaration, the proud silver dragon lowered her head for her. Ice-cold fingertips wiped away the burning tears, gently smoothing over the trembling back, patting it.

Don’t be afraid. You’re safe.

The woman held her hand firmly, giving it a squeeze, her cold tone raspy, suppressed, and restrained.

“Now, is there anything you want to say to me?”