Before heading to Zerg Planet, Xiao Lou placed the entrance to Peach Blossom Spring inside the cockpit of the mech Spirit Fox. Now, as everyone walks out of Peach Blossom Spring, the familiar control panel comes into view. Since the mech is in standby mode, all the buttons on the control panel are lit up with a soft blue light.
Xiao Lou walked to the control panel.
From the porthole, you can see that the area where the Zerg Planet laboratory was built has suddenly exploded.
Crimson flames shot skyward, waves of heat rolled in, and a deafening roar shook the heavens. The surrounding crystals were sent flying by the shockwave, the red crystal fragments blooming like the most dazzling fireworks in the sky—
Lu Jiuchuan's "Vermilion Bird Heavenly Fire" was indeed terrifying; the flames it spewed completely destroyed the clone laboratory. At this moment, the entire Zerg underground cavern had collapsed. The Zerg Queen, who had just arrived, let out an angry roar. Hearing the Queen's call, the evolved Zerg with wings turned around in unison and pounced towards the location of the Spirit Fox!
The Zerg swarm gathered around the Queen, like a dark cloud looming overhead.
They surrounded the spirit fox at incredible speed. Xiao Lou quickly pressed the start button: " Spirit fox, retreat!"
Upon receiving the command, the mechs immediately spread their wings, soared into the air, narrowly missing the heads of the insect swarm, and shot through the atmosphere like arrows released from a bow, flying towards the vast expanse of space.
The swarm of Zerg pursued desperately, but their flight speed was no match for the S-class intelligent mech. Just a dozen seconds later, Spirit Fox broke through the thick black clouds, leaving Zerg Planet far behind.
Xiao Lou breathed a sigh of relief and said to the spirit fox, "Leave Hilt No Mans Land as soon as possible."
The spirit fox replied, "Understood, Master."
Hearing the unfamiliar young voice, Chu Huaying couldn't help but wonder, "What is this mecha?"
Xiao Lou explained, "His Majesty left Hanjiang and me an S-class mech. The Dark Night Starship almost crashed before, and we were able to escape thanks to this mech."
Although Xiao Lou only mentioned the Dark Night Starship briefly, one could imagine the danger it posed. Chu Huaying looked at everyone and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, I was taken away by Uncle Qin at the time and didn't have time to contact you. Did Uncle Qin use clone to lure you onto the starship, and then secretly destroy it, intending to kill you all in space?"
Xiao Lou said, "Yes, Uncle Qin destroyed the Dark Night Starship's balancing system and drained its energy, setting the Clock Tower, which is prone to space sandstorms, as the navigation destination. Fortunately, we escaped the sandstorm thanks to this mech."
A hint of guilt flashed across Chu Huaying's face.
Lu Jiuchuan walked over and patted Chu Huaying on the shoulder, saying, "This isn't entirely your fault. We weren't careful enough and didn't verify the authenticity of that Chu Huaying before teleporting directly to the Dark Night Starship. Besides, Uncle Qin, that Hunter, has been lurking around you all along. Something seemed off when we interrogated him; we should have noticed sooner..."
Xiao Lou said gently, "It's all in the past, no need to blame yourself. This is a lesson learned, we need to be more careful in the future." He paused, then turned to look at Yu Hanjiang, "Didn't you find what Uncle Qin said just now strange?"
—Death? You think Hunter would be afraid of death?
Uncle Qin's maniacal laughter before his death still echoed in his ears. Yu Hanjiang stroked his chin and pondered for a moment before saying, "You mean, Hunter's fearlessness of death might not be what we suspected?"
Xiao Lou nodded: "I previously speculated that the reason why Hunters are not afraid of death is because failing to complete their mission might be more painful than death. Death is a relief for them, so they are not afraid of death."
Ye Qi scratched his head in confusion: "Isn't this reasoning quite reasonable? Survival is a human instinct, yet they would rather die than reveal any secrets about the Hunter Organization. Obviously, the consequences of leaking secrets would be worse than death?"
"That's what I thought at first too, but when Uncle Qin died just now, he didn't show any despair. He laughed wildly, as if he had completed some mission and died happily." Xiao Lou thoughtfully took out the contract book, looked at the [Team Resurrection Card] that hadn't been used yet, and said softly, " Can Hunter … be resurrected?"
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions froze simultaneously.
Ye Qi stared wide-eyed in disbelief: "No way?! If Hunter can be resurrected, that's so unfair to us! We're eliminated if we fail a mission, but can they have a second chance?"
Xiao Lou put away the contract book and looked at everyone: "Failure in our mission doesn't mean we're eliminated immediately; there's still the Nightmare Secret Room."
Ye Qi was taken aback—he had previously experienced the Nightmare Secret Room in Spade 3 " Financial Crisis ", where he struggled to survive by eating tree bark and wild grass. It was that secret room that left him with a deep fear of hunger, and the first thing he wanted to do every morning was to fill his stomach.
Lu Jiuchuan, Tang Ci, and Chu Huaying had all experienced the Nightmare Secret Room at Plum Blossom J. Jiuchuan was left with scars on his face, and Tang Ci even lost both legs... Mentioning the term " Nightmare Secret Room " made all of them look very unpleasant.
Xiao Lou said softly, " If a Challenger fails a mission, they still have one more chance to escape from the Nightmare Secret Room; after a Hunter dies, they might also have another chance, which is less difficult than the Nightmare Secret Room, so why aren't they afraid of dying? If that's the case, doesn't it make sense?"
Yu Hanjiang paused for a moment, then said, " We can't confirm where Hunter came from, or what happens to him after he dies... unless we..."
It also became Hunter.
Lu Jiuchuan raised an eyebrow: "Unless... we absolutely cannot become Hunter."
The cockpit fell silent.
Xiao Lou proactively changed the subject to ease the tension: "Ahem, let's think about what to do after we go to Capital Star. There are still two princes, Xiao Lou No. 2 and No. 3, in the palace. His Majesty is the initiator of the Noahs Ark Project, and General Lin and Lin Yan have also been confirmed to be clones. How should we deal with these people?"
Chu Huaying said, "We can't kill them all, can we?"
Lu Jiuchuan shook his head, rejecting this approach: "They've lived in Capital Star for 20 years and have developed self-awareness, unlike those mindless clones in the lab. If simply killing them would allow us to pass, this secret room would be meaningless. With your abilities, Hua Ying, wouldn't it be easy for you to sneak in using the Invisibility Cloak and kill a few people?"
Chu Huaying shrugged: "Then what do you suggest we do?"
Lu Jiuchuan wasn't quite sure either; he just felt that clearing the game wasn't as simple as just killing the clone. He could only look at Xiao Lou and ask with a smile, " What does Professor Xiao think?"
Xiao Lou calmly analyzed: "The theme of this secret room is the ' cloning- type Noahs Ark Project '. So far, we have obtained all the information related to the project, identified all the participants, and found two clone laboratories located in the deep sea Merfolk Clan, underground to the Zerg."
" Over at Merfolk Clan, we've destroyed the lab and let Mermaid Princess..." Liu Qiao ascended the throne. On the Empire's side, our next step should be to destroy all data related to the experiment, eliminating the influence of the two cloned princes and the cloned General Lin, so that I, the genuine prince, can inherit the throne. Do you all think this approach is correct?
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement with Xiao Lou's opinion.
Yu Hanjiang said, "The difficulty lies in the fact that Prince No. 2 has developed self-awareness and believes that he is the real prince. General Lin has been a replica for more than 20 years and can already pass for the real one. He holds a high position in the military and is Ninth Brother's direct superior, as well as the Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Military Region. Even if we expose the identities of these people, I doubt many people will believe us."
Xiao Lou nodded and said, "That's right. The second clone in the palace attended the engagement banquet and the 25th birthday banquet, made a public appearance, and shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with many officials. But I, the real prince, did not attend the engagement banquet and the birthday banquet. If His Majesty wants the second clone to be the real one, how can I prove my innocence?"
When the real person and the clone are exactly the same, it is difficult for outsiders to tell who is real and who is fake. At this time, His Majesty can decide Xiao Lou's life or death with a single sentence - if he says Xiao Lou is fake, who dares to refute him?
The only person who can prove that Xiao Lou is the true prince is his sister, Princess Xiao Rou.
Yu Hanjiang said, "I remember when you left Azure Planet, Xiao Rou told you that if one day you needed her to prove that you were the real prince, she would be willing to help. Although her whereabouts are being monitored by Prince Herman, she is very clever, and Dr. Edwin has been helping her. Maybe she can find an excuse to leave the palace?"
Xiao Lou's eyes lit up, and he suddenly said, "If I remember correctly, His Highness the Prince and Lin Yan have been engaged for many years, right? They are both 25 years old now. If the Prince wants to officially participate in politics, getting married first is a good choice."
Yu Hanjiang paused, then asked, "You mean, the cloned prince and the cloned Lin Yan are likely to get married soon?"
Xiao Lou said, "Judging from Qu Wanyue and Long Sen's reactions, after we left the palace, His Majesty didn't send anyone to look for me. Instead, he directly had Clone #2 move into Gemini Palace and frequently meet with Lin Yan to cultivate their relationship. This is clearly an attempt to replace me with Clone #2. Isn't it only natural that Clone #2 and Lin Yan will get married next?"
Ye Qi couldn't help but say, "Once they get married, things will be even more complicated! The prince is fake, the princess is fake, but Xiao Lou, who has never met the princess, is the real one. No one would believe that, right?"
Xiao Lou said, "So we have to hurry. Our biggest hope now is that Zhang Shaohua is still alive. She has been pretending to be crazy for so many years, she must have her own reasons. She is a close friend of the Noahs Ark Project and can prove that her husband, General Lin, and daughter, Lin Yan, are all clones."
Shao Qingge interjected, " Qu Wanyue hasn't contacted me these past two days. Should we contact her now and ask her about Professor Zhang's situation?"
Xiao Lou nodded: "Send her a message, and if it's convenient for her, ask her to call you back."
It was already 2 a.m., and Shao Qingge sent a message to Qu Wanyue as Xiao Lou had instructed. Unexpectedly, Qu Wanyue was still awake and quickly replied to the message and requested a call.
Shao Qingge connected the call.
In the video, Qu Wanyue is in her bedroom at home, not wearing pajamas, but rather a tracksuit that allows for easy movement. As soon as she sees her teammates, she anxiously says, " Professor Xiao, where are you? You need to come back as soon as possible! His Majesty is preparing to hold a secret wedding for His Highness the Prince and Miss Lin on the 1st of next month."
Everyone: "..."
Professor Xiao's prediction was truly prophetic; he actually guessed it correctly.
Xiao Lou asked, "We're on our way back. How's Zhang Shaohua doing?"
Qu Wanyue said, "She's still the same as always, with a blank stare, sitting in her wheelchair basking in the sun every day. I just came back from her place. I also learned from Lin Yan that His Highness and his fiancée are getting married. She happily shared the good news with her mother when she got home today, but Zhang Shaohua was expressionless when she heard the news."
Xiao Lou looked at Yu Hanjiang: "We only have 3 days left until the 1st of next month."
Yu Hanjiang's expression was very heavy: "Let the clone Xiao Lou and the clone Lin Yan get married, then..."
After announcing that His Highness the Prince is married, and then openly bringing the Prince to various meetings, this clone can completely replace you. His wife, Lin Yan, and his father-in-law, General Lin Zecheng, are both on his side; you have even less chance of winning.
Xiao Lou said with a wry smile, "Does His Majesty mean that I should give up and never appear in front of him again? He has already chosen number 2 as the best successor he has cultivated through the Gu-raising plan?"
"There's also Number 3 who's always been very compliant, but I don't know what role he's playing…" Yu Hanjiang looked at Xiao Lou and whispered, "We need to hurry. On the one hand, we need to contact your sister to prove your identity; on the other hand, we need to persuade Zhang Shaohua to come forward as a witness and stop this crazy plan."
He paused, his gaze softening: "You are the only prince, and no one can replace you."
Xiao Lou nodded to him, then turned to Qu Wanyue and said, " Teacher Qu, please keep a close eye on Zhang Shaohua's movements. We'll be arriving at Capital Star soon. When that happens, just drive Peach Blossom Spring to pick us up."
Qu Wanyue readily agreed, saying, "Okay, I'll wait for your news."
After cutting off the communication, Xiao Lou turned around and went to the control panel, setting the navigation destination to Azure Planet: "We have to go back and bring my sister, the key witness."
The mecha Spirit Fox turned 180 degrees ahead and flew towards Azure Planet.
***
An hour later, the mech arrived near Azure Planet.
Only Shao Qingge and Ye Qi were able to pass through the space station's security check. The two pretended to have missed the last passenger spacecraft and returned to Azure Planet from the space station.
Shao Qingge bought a hovercar and drove directly to the palace. When he was within 10 kilometers of the palace, he pressed the protrusion on his voice headset and whispered to Xiao Rou, "Princess, I am Shao Qingge, Xiao Lou's friend."
Xiao Rou was slightly taken aback upon hearing this: "Mr. Shao? What is it?"
Shao Qingge said, "His Majesty intends to have the cloned Xiao Lou marry Lin Yan, officially replacing your brother. Now only you can prove that he is the real prince, so Xiao Lou asked me to invite you to the Empire to attend this wedding."
Xiao Rou seemed a little embarrassed: "Attending a wedding, this..."
Shao Qingge said, "Or, you can escape from the palace now, and we'll take you away?"
Xiao Rou paused for a moment, then pressed the earpiece and whispered, "I understand. Don't worry, I'll find a way back to the Empire. As the older sister, I should attend my brother's wedding. Tell Xiao Lou to take good care of himself and wait for me to return."
Shao Qingge said, "Thank you, Princess."
When the two returned to the Spirit Fox cockpit, Xiao Lou was anxiously waiting for the results. Upon hearing Shao Qingge's report, Xiao Lou finally breathed a sigh of relief: "Since my sister says so, there must be a way to get back. Let's go back to the Empire and deal with Zhang Shaohua first."
Ye Qi worriedly asked, "But what if Princess Xiao Rou can't go back?"
Xiao Lou said, "It doesn't matter who is telling the truth or not. If His Majesty says which prince is the real one, everyone will support that prince. Therefore, the princess's testimony is just icing on the cake and cannot play a crucial role."
At this point, he suddenly asked a question: "What if His Majesty also has a clone?"
The teammates were stunned when they heard this.
His Majesty?
Xiao Lou said, "His Majesty is worried about the pain of losing his son and the lack of an heir to the throne. He cloned hundreds of princes to raise Gu. Would he be so foolish as not to leave himself a way out? He must have also used his own cells to clone, so that when he gets old and his organs fail, he can always replace them with new ones. Isn't this exactly his original intention in starting the Noahs Ark Project?"
Teammates: "..."
Xiao Lou's words also make sense. If His Majesty is worried about his son's death, wouldn't he also be worried about being assassinated? He's cloning his son's data, so there's no reason for him not to make a backup for himself as well.
Ye Qi's eyes lit up: "So, only by finding His Majesty's clone can we truly grasp his Achilles' heel?! Only by cutting off his escape route can we talk about ending the clone project?"
Xiao Lou nodded seriously: "That's right, both the Merfolk Clan and the Zerg have clone labs—but we haven't found the clone lab of the Luoke Empire, where the story began."
******