Chapter 48: Star Pirates

For the moment, Nian Tu had no desire to probe the matter further. Clutching the iris pendant tightly in her hand, the face of Xie Jili surfaced in her mind.

So this necklace was a gift from Xie Jili.

Where had he gone? Why hadn’t he replied?

“Uncle, when you’re not busy, could you help me find someone?” she couldn’t help but turn to Felix for assistance.

The young male she sought—was he the one who had given her this necklace?

Felix felt a twinge of discomfort but did not refuse.

“What is your relationship with him?” he asked Nian Tu, unable to hold back. “Are you thinking of choosing him as a partner?”

Felix never felt old; the average lifespan of their kind was five hundred years, and by all rights, he was still young. Yet in Nian Tu’s presence, his age always seemed to weigh heavily on him.

After all, Nian Tu was only twenty.

Would she be more easily drawn to a male of her own age, even if he was just a poor boy?

Nian Tu paused in surprise and shook her head firmly. “We’re just friends.”

It was true that Xie Jili’s family environment was poor, and he had endured many hardships—reminding her of her own past, naturally deepening her concern.

Seeing her resolute denial, Felix’s mood eased somewhat, and he promised to do his utmost.

“Thank you, Uncle!” Nian Tu sent Felix all the personal information she had of Xie Jili—his name, photos—and at last felt a measure of calm.

Felix assured her he would find news as soon as possible.

He had expected it would take at least two or three days.

Yet unexpectedly, the news came swiftly.

Arriving at the bombed-out armory, Felix found a small amount of salvageable surveillance footage left behind. He studied it carefully, focusing on the young male clad in a splendid robe, analyzing Xie’s every move.

Two seconds before the footage ended, a figure suddenly appeared beside Xie, seemingly reporting something, catching his attention.

The other wore a hood, their face hidden in shadow.

But Felix instantly recognized the figure’s familiar build and posture.

After careful comparison, he confirmed it was indeed the young male Nian Tu had asked him to find—Xie Jili.

The missing military academy student had actually become a star pirate?

Moreover, it seemed he had earned the leader’s favor, able to speak openly before Xie. He must have long-standing ties with the criminal underworld.

Such an outlaw was, astonishingly, Nian Tu’s friend.

A cold sweat broke out on Felix’s brow, and a wave of dread surged through him.

The innocent young female trusted others without guard, not even knowing who this person really was, yet she dared to befriend him. What if Xie Jili harbored ill intentions, tricked her, and abducted her? She might not even have the chance to call for help!

Felix immediately opened Nian Tu’s chat window, about to send a warning message—but then he suddenly paused.

He turned to his adjutant.

The adjutant looked questioningly at him.

“Am I remembering correctly? You’re married?” Felix asked.

The adjutant’s face flushed. “Yes.”

Not only married, but he and his wife shared a famously good relationship.

Because of this, Felix chose to seek his counsel. “If your wife did something wrong, would you correct her?”

The adjutant was shocked.

“Correct her?” He shook his head repeatedly. “No, no, no.”

He wouldn’t dare correct his wife!

Across the entire empire, there was no male so brazen.

Seeing such a strong reaction, Felix inwardly thanked his luck that he had not rashly messaged Nian Tu earlier.

There was much he still needed to learn about matters of the heart.

Humbly, he continued: “Then, if she made bad friends, how would you advise her?”

“Uh… advise…” The adjutant hesitated briefly, then suddenly a light dawned. “Male friends?”

Felix nodded.

A knowing expression crossed the adjutant’s face.

So the marshal was dealing with a rival.

“It’s common for wives to be tempted by outside males. Forceful admonishment might backfire,” the adjutant lowered his voice. “What we must do is find new ways to draw her attention back.”

A wise notion. Felix considered it deeply.

He would find every means possible to captivate Nian Tu’s attention, but that alone could not guarantee she wouldn’t be tempted again by some villain.

For a female, danger lurked everywhere.

Felix tapped the desk lightly, his gaze resolute.

Eliminating all threats to his female was the duty of a male.

“Continue tracking,” he said coolly, setting a clear course.

Unlike the disorganized star pirates, Jiao was a cunning and reckless figure. Despite several large-scale imperial sieges, they had never succeeded in capturing him.

But Felix was astute and experienced. He could see through smoke screens and pieced together the pirates’ whereabouts from subtle clues.

With the marshal leading, the imperial army advanced with high morale, while the pirates grew anxious.

“Leader, they’re closing in!”

The pirates had just arrived at their stronghold when they noticed the imperial forces approaching.

Though they had expected the empire’s wrath after bombing the armory, none anticipated such swift pursuit.

Who was commanding the empire’s troops? The keen intuition and sharp judgment were terrifying!

The gentle smile on Jiao’s face faded, his upturned eyes darkened with calculation.

“Tsk…” he sighed softly. “Could it be that terrifying lion himself has come calling?”

Marshal Felix Ryan of the empire was no easy foe.

“To be hunted personally by the marshal is an honor—one could die without regrets,” Jiao joked despite the danger, though his expression soon hardened.

“Abandon the stronghold. Depart immediately.”

Escaping Felix’s personal pursuit was no simple task. Abandoning the stronghold alone would not suffice.

Jiao made a swift decision: “Everyone, prepare to abandon ship at any moment.”

Before fleeing, Jiao ordered the pirates to discard the weapons freshly seized from the imperial armory and to detonate the entire planet hosting their base.

The entire planet was engulfed in flames within moments.

“Is this a provocation?” Felix’s adjutant slammed the table, enraged as he watched the burning world.

Felix’s gaze hardened.

The pursuit continued, the distance steadily closing. The imperial forces could now see the starship carrying the fleeing pirates.

The troops flexed their fingers, ready for battle.

Yet—

Before any engagement began, the pirates, seemingly cornered, chose to abandon ship and flee.

The massive starship broke apart in space like a chaotic cloud. Amid the confusion, countless desperados piloted small craft scattering in all directions.

“Shall we pursue, Marshal?” the adjutant asked urgently.

Felix squinted, shaking his head. “No.”

The pirates had sacrificed an entire planetary stronghold and abandoned a high-grade starship—a loss even greater than that suffered by the empire’s armory.

Though costly, it was an effective escape tactic—

The pirates fled too dispersedly, with Jiao hidden among them, impossible to pinpoint.

Sending squads to chase individually might flush Jiao out, but the soldiers were no match for him. Such efforts would likely fail and cause unnecessary casualties.

“Capture a few alive for interrogation.”

The discarded starship had shattered into countless fragments, scattered with personal effects dropped or lost during the escape.

Some soldiers were tasked with salvaging debris and reporting anything valuable.

Felix casually picked up a data pad dropped by a pirate.

With practiced ease, he navigated the system and successfully hacked it.

With a soft beep, the screen displayed a photo of a female.

Felix’s pupils contracted sharply.

Nian Tu?

On the screen, the young female looked clear-eyed and innocent, gazing at the camera like a little rabbit.