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Chapter 1

Planet Imperial Capital, Marshal Estate.

Xie Jianwei, “This is the fourth time already.”

A man clad in black military uniform—with a row of stars decorated on his shoulder, handsome facial features, and one corner of his mouth slightly raised with an evil air—grabbed onto Xie Jianwei’s waist: “Let’s do it again.”

Done speaking, he immediately did not let Xie Jianwei make excuses and bent down to kiss him. This kiss wasn’t the same as the previous three which he “put away the cup after taking a tiny sip.”1 This kiss had mouths pried open and tongues entwined. It was devastating like the destructiveness of a thousand soldiers, forceful and heated, full of pa.s.sion and intense monopolistic desire.

Xie Jianwei let out a small moan, and held down the man’s misbehaving hands: “Lu… Lu Li.”

His trembling voice at the end made the man’s movement become even more excited. The sounds they made also turned extremely s.e.xy. “…… Just a little while more.”

Three hours later, Xie Jianwei looked at his completely wrinkled military uniform, the messy tabletop, and sofa with a self-cleaning feature……

F*ck that “just a little while”.

Al least he had finally, successfully coaxed him to leave.

On planet Fior in the afternoon, there would be an important military exercise. Even with the S.S. Marshal2, going at top speed would still take it at least 2 hours to arrive on time. Lu Li couldn’t not leave.

Xie Jianwei stopped to gather his breath, and tried to stand up. The Empire may acknowledge him as having an outstanding S-cla.s.s physique, but next to Lu Li that SSS-cla.s.s pervert, he couldn’t hold a candle.

After tumbling in the sheets for a few hours, Marshal daren3 dressed up neat and proper to go to another galaxy, while strategist Xie’s legs went soft and couldn’t stand upright…… It’s really not good to compare people to people. Comparing them made him want to lose it.    

After resting for a bit, Xie Jianwei went to the bathroom to take a quick shower, changed his clothes, then afterwards left Marshal Estate.

Planet Imperial Capital had undoubtedly entered midsummer. The noonday sun was dazzling to the eyes, with golden light streaming down, bringing with it heatwaves that seemed to roast the whole world.

Waiting outside Marshal Estate, Bai Yun felt himself quickly shrivelling up. But fortunately a few minutes later, that slender elegant figure finally appeared.

As early as the Federation era, Xie Family third young master Xie Jianwei was already renowned throughout the Milky Way Galaxy.

He came from a prestigious background. His father was Speaker of Parliament; his mother was Minister of Rites; both his elder brothers held high official positions. Whether it was Xie Family or his maternal Shen Family, both were among the top influential families in the Galactic Federation.

Immediately after his birth Xie Jianwei was subjected to the public’s scrutinizing eyes, as he was tested to have the extremely unique SSS-cla.s.s mental strength.

This meant that he would grow up to have unparalleled intelligence and extraordinary logical thinking, and strong ability to lead.

Even more over the top was the fact that he also had an S-cla.s.s physique. He could be said to possess both literary and martial arts prowess.

And he did not disappoint. At the tender age of 7 he displayed talent that shocked the world. At 12 he was graduated from the top university of Imperial Capital. The same year, he joined the Federation’s Research Inst.i.tute, and followed Professor Yang to partic.i.p.ate in the research and development of the S.S. “War G.o.d”. Within two years, he proposed the reverse-control theory, solving the energy problem that had plagued the Galactic Federation for decades……

At the age of 18 he became the youngest ever Academician in the history of the Galactic Federation.

At 19, as the first inventor, his name was permanently imprinted on the left chest of the S.S. “War G.o.d”.

Three years from the collapse of the Federation, the aliens invaded. The people of the Milky Way suffered. But then the scandalous matter of Xie Family colluding with those aliens broke out, shocking the heavens. The anger of the people descended upon Xie Family. The giant tree that once towered over the heaven fell.  

Everyone thought Xie Jianwei would quietly disappear in the midst of this incident. But a mere two years later, from the distant Galaxy 67865, an unnamed army suddenly emerged. They annihilated the sinister Hundred Limbs race, and in just half a year recaptured three galaxies that had fallen into enemy hands.

One year later, the name of the army leader, Lu Li, resounded throughout the Milky Way.

G.o.d of War Lu Li. His attacks can’t not be successful, his battles can’t not be victorious!

And standing next to the “War G.o.d,” the young man, always as graceful as a pine tree and tranquil as bamboo, was precisely the long-lost Xie Family third young master——Xie Jianwei.

No one knew how Xie Jianwei and Lu Li met. Even more, no one knew how they fell in love with each other. However, everyone knew they saved all mankind, they repelled the alien invaders, they rebuilt the Milky Way Galaxy!

Bai Yun had not even faced Xie Jianwei, yet he closed his legs together and diligently performed a military salute.

Post the Empire’s establishment, Xie Jianwei relinquished all of his position and authority, choosing to stay within Marshal Estate to be “the Marshal’s lover”. Despite that, Bai Yun would always remember. In countless military operations, the man had always calmly a.n.a.lyzed the tide of battle, directed them to escape from entrapment, and gave them endless glory. That was strategist Xie.

Lu Li was their soul, and Xie Jianwei their faith!

So regardless of when, regardless of what ident.i.ty they have, in Xie Jianwei’s presence, they would always, towards him, salute.

Besides, the only person above the General was the Marshal, and there was only one marshal.

Xie Jianwei furrowed his brows: “Pay attention to your ident.i.ty.”4

Bai Yun replied, “Yes sir!”

Xie Jianwei stared at him, and did not say more. He climbed aboard the aircraft, expression sombre: “To the Lab.”

The “Lab” was deeply enclosed within the Imperial Research Inst.i.tute5. It was an inside name. The Inst.i.tute itself was already an extremely concealed existence, yet this lab was a place even more shrouded in mystery.

It was the core of the Empire, and the Marshal’s private area. Here, any equipment used for research must be the most cutting-edge, but couldn’t be necessarily made known to anyone.

Xie Jianwei naturally knew about the Lab’s existence. But ever since the Empire was formed, he had never come to visit this place, though Lu Li had invited him many times. Lu Li even wanted to put the entire Inst.i.tute in his charge; Xie Jianwei had always refused.

But today, he had purposely made Lu Li leave, and had come to this place alone.

If the one who was accompanying him here were someone else, they would probably suspect that he and Lu Li weren’t getting along, that the two people were up to something big.

But Bai Yun definitely would not harbour any doubts about these circ.u.mstances. Because this was Xie Jianwei, the person whom they, including Marshal daren, wors.h.i.+pped.

Xie Jianwei, despite coming to the “Lab” for the first time, felt nothing was unfamiliar. After all, its design plan was drawn by him. Even if he had never set foot in here, he had remembered the layout of the entire base by heart.

Along the way, the researchers all have lowered eyes. Each were quietly doing their own thing; no one looked up at him even once.

Xie Jianwei advanced through a number of security checkpoints, and directly entered the deepest location within the base.

For the last door, Bai Yun had no authorization.

Xie Jianwei faced Bai Yun and said, “You can leave first.”

Bai Yun saluted him: “Yes sir!”

Xie Jianwei stood alone in front of the tightly shut silver door. The security system activated a full-body scan, and once it finished a.n.a.lyzing his genome, the door slowly opened.

It was brightly lit outside, yet in contrast the inside was pitch black. As Xie Jianwei strided in, though his demeanor was unchanged, he couldn’t help his rapidly contracting pupils.

With his entry, light flooded in through the wide open door. A youth who was busying himself before some machines looked up. He recognized Xie Jianwei in a flash, and his entire facial expression turned stiff: “S-Sir……”

The youth was quaking in his boots, and couldn’t find any words to say. Xie Jianwei gave him a threatening glare, voice low: “Senseless!”

The youth was so frightened, he almost forgot to kneel down: “I, we were only obeying orders……”

Xie Jianwei ignored him. With a frosty expression, he moved his gaze up, and looked upon the man submerged in liquid in the centre of a cylindrical container.

This man wasn’t wearing anything, exposing his sword eyebrows and starry eyes, wide shoulders and narrow waist, flushed naked body giving off an overwhelming sense of power——without a doubt it was a very perfect body, and one that Xie Jianwei was very familiar with.

After all, for two people who’d been bedfellows for ten years, the other’s body may be familiar like it was their own.

This was Lu Li, yet this was not Lu Li.

Because this was just a clone.

A Lu Li-created “Lu Li”.

Xie Jianwei breathed deeply, opened his eyes, and took a look around at the personnel in the lab.

All faces that looked like students, and quite young ones at that.

Human cloning wasn’t any advanced technology. Xie Jianwei could’ve a.n.a.lyzed this biotechnology alone when he was 12; there was no need for him to ask any experts on the subject.

But this research facility was placed in the Lab’s deepest depth, and was heavily defended.

The reason? Only because this clone was the Empire’s marshal, the head of army, humanity’s hero, and his lover.

Xie Jianwei pinched between his eyebrows. He flipped over the experimental records. After reading his face turned even icier.    

No doubt about it.

Lu Li’s personality had begun to form separate compartments.

His memories did not correlate. The personalities increasingly developed independence. And the Lu Li’s wanted their own body.

Xie Jianwei left the Lab, boarded Bai Yun’s aircraft, and pressed down a string of numbers.  

A young man with a charming appearance appeared on the screen: “Sir!”

Xie Jianwei promptly asked, “How’s the progress?”

The young man said, “Marshal daren’s case is relatively special. It doesn’t fall under the usual category of schizophrenia. I……”

Xie Jianwei cut short his lengthy ramblings: “Two hours. Give me a solution.”

The young man repeatedly blinked: “This…… This…… ” He finally responded, “Did something happen?”

Xie Jianwei said, “He’s already producing a clone.”

The young man was shocked: “Marshal daren’s memories have already become disjointed?”

Xie Jianwei nodded: “He should receive news in the evening, before that I want the result.”

The young man’s expression became heavy. He cautiously started to speak: “Don’t have to be so rushed. Although he is dividing himself up, Marshal daren……”

Xie Jianwei’s pupils narrowed even further: “I can accept anything about him. I only won’t allow him to hurt himself.”

What the personality that had come out on its own thought. The secret of the clone. Xie Jianwei was very clear about those.

Each Lu Li wanted to kill himself, the other himself.

Xie Jianwei absolutely would not allow Lu Li to get into any danger. Even if the danger was of Lu Li’s own making.

Hearing those words, the young man’s expression became serious. He hesitated for a while, but in the end still opened his mouth: “Actually, there is a method, just that we’re not too experienced……”

Xie Jianwei, “Say it.”

The young man answered, “Sir, you have the rarely seen SSS-cla.s.s mental strength. It can theoretically interfere with someone else’s mental force……” He paused for a bit, and let out in one breath: “I can simulate a compatible magnetic field, which would allow your mental force come into contact with the Marshal daren’s. As a result, you’ll be able to face his different personalities, and find out the crux of the matter of his personality split.”

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having a little taste of something before stopping. ↩︎

“战神”号. 号 = s.h.i.+p suffix. Probably a s.p.a.ce s.h.i.+p, so –> S.S. War G.o.d. ↩︎

大人 daren - honorific showing respect towards male superiors. ↩︎

Bai Yun shouldn’t salute Xie Jianwei now that XJW no longer held an official position. ↩︎

“后院”是帝国研究院的后院. Play on words are difficult to translate. The first “后院”: 后 = back, behind. 院 = courtyard, inst.i.tution. The second 后院 = backyard. Sentence literally means: ‘the “Back Inst.i.tute” is the Imperial Research Inst.i.tute’s backyard’, with the connotation of “hidden deep behind the Research Inst.i.tute”. But as names, “Back Inst.i.tute” sounds like a place for curing back pain, while “Rear Inst.i.tute” makes my mind go places.