Chapter 9 – Endless Flight

After Wu Xing Yun said those words, the entire place was rained upon with bright flashes of cameras, the journalist encircling the vicinity and watching the event immediately scribbled articles on their notebooks, something like 《Two men’s intense fight for the husband》, or something like《How to become a third party》 the gossip magazines also speculated 《Conflict before the wedding, President Huo Bu Si officially declaring war against the Ouyang Family》,《Ouyang Family gained a lot of benefits in this arrange marriage》and so on; there’s even some nationalist news publisher focused on military affairs with sharp nose about it that surmised 《Is Ye Sui Kong inciting internal conflict in the government of Federal Union?》,《The demon army plan to launch an attack during the peace, we cannot be complacent with the peace treaty》and more articles;

The wedding ceremony was broadcasted live. Not only the people of the Federal Union are able watch it, but so are the demon army.

The President Huo Bu Si gave his promise just a while ago, now he has to honor it.

Huo Bu Si was put on the spot. First of all, Ye Sui Kong requested for Ouyang Liu to be included to the marriage escorts. Secondly, Ouyang Liu strongly stated his wish to join himself. And thirdly, he had the backing of the Vice president Ouyang Feng. He really couldn’t have the say to change it.

And yet, now that he was caught in this dilemma, Huo Bu Si was somewhat speechless.

Ouyang Feng walked down the platform and stood in front of Wu Xing Yun. He said in a hushed voice: “This is the government’s decision, you will obey!”

Wu Xing Yun didn’t say anything, he only remained silent as a proof of his insistence.

Huo Bu Si opened his mouth to talk again: “Soldier, this request is quite difficult, don’t you have some other request?”

Wu Xing Yun answered: “No, this is my only request.”

The tabloid journalists that came for the event is situated at a separate location with a divider, so even if they could see their private discussion about the request——they could only continue to make guesses of the conversation in their mind.

Therefore, Huo Bu Si, Shi Fei, Ouyang Feng, and the other high government officials went to Wu Xing Yun. Their expressions amiable as they asked: “Soldier, what is the reason why you asked for this request, can you explain it in detail? If this is based on your own personal feelings, we cannot approve of it.”

Wu Xing Yun stood in attention and replied: “First of all, I believe he does not meet the essential requirements for this mission. His physical and bureaucratic capabilities are inadequate. The wedding procession will go through the vast space. After jumping in two transmission points, we are also going to travel through an uncharted territory. I believe Ouyang Liu cannot endure hardships and challenges, he cannot arrive to the destination let alone go back after; Secondly, his marksmanship performance is a failing grade. I think that on the wedding reception, when the wedding procession puts on a shooting demonstration to show our strength and prestige, he will definitely give shame to the Federal Union; Last but not the least, I believe that his loyalty doesn’t lie towards the Federal Union, he kneeled before the enemy, seriously affecting the Federal Union’s image. I am quite sure of his political stance. After he arrived at the demon army’s side, he will definitely betray us.”

Huo Bu Si asked: “Soldier, are you sure you won’t rethink this over?”

Wu Xing Yun said: “Reporting, I already thought this over clearly.”

Huo Bu Si can’t think of anything to say anymore so it was Shi Fei’s turn to speak: “Xing Yun, this decision has been already made by the government. It is also the demon army who made this request. How about this, if Ouyang Liu’s behavior is out of line as a wedding escort, he will be stripped off his rank as a Grade A Combat Officer and he will be demoted to being a common soldier. In the event that his actions are unbecoming, the full authority to handle it will be in your discretion.”

Ouyang Feng cuts in: “Such insolence!”

Shi Fei got pissed, he raised his voice in a scolding tone and spoke without restraint: “Isn’t it enough that you had an affair with some woman and had a bastard child? It doesn’t matter how pampered you are at home and that we didn’t give a damn about what you do, but don’t fucking make us lose face. We already approved of having this trash to represent us, good enough to give you face. If you are still not content with that, this Lao Zi will shoot you down now as a traitor!”

Ouyang Feng was taken aback. He didn’t expect the Interstellar Marshal would dare to start raining curses upon him. He thought of cursing back but he thought that it would make him stoop to his low level so Ouyang Feng just sneered twice and spoke in astonishment: “The Marshal sure do have quite the audacity. Didn’t the operation with the Specter Lock Ops ended in a failure, what explanations do you have for that. And don’t forget, there’s also a trial waiting for you in the military tribunal court! Heh…Don’t act so high and mighty, you're not spotless yourself!”

Shi Fei reaches out his hands towards the side of his waist only to feel nothing in there. He then remembered that he disarmed himself to avoid injuring someone out of rage so his gun holster is empty.

Shi Fei snorted then turned around and walks away.

Huo Bu Si still spoke with a kind expression: “Soldier, since this matter has already been determined, you will be appointed as the commanding officer of this mission instead. You will have full authority to deal with every actions of your subordinates. And as for Ouyang Liu, the Federal Union takes you off the position. And if you commit a violation, you will be stripped of your military official rank. You will be transferred from the Command Division to the Infantry Division as a common rank soldier. However, as long as you obey orders, you will not lose your captain rank.”

Wu Xing Yun was still thinking of saying something when Huo Bu Si spoke first: “This is an order, soldier, obey the order.”

Wu Xing Yun can only stand in attention and salute: “Yes sir!”

After the short incident had concluded, Ouyang Liu walked towards the end of the procession, standing alone at the back of the square shaped formation. Huo Bu Si relayed his instructions to the wedding procession, and as the representative of the military, Shi Fei proclaimed Wu Xing Yun his temporary authority.

Federal Union Calendar, Year 2014 October 1, 10:00 AM, the envoy from the demon army tasked to receive the bride arrives in time.

Due to the special circumstances between both sides, the demon army sent an envoy to come over to the Federal Union. That envoy was piloting a small exhibition space ship, hovering above plaza and flying high up in the air in complicated movements.

That space ship spews out a thick red gas specifically used for exhibitions from its tail then it moves to a trajectory that creates a heart like shape, indicating that the great demon king is ready receive his male wife to be.

The brass band’s playing echoes loudly, assorted colors of confetti floats everywhere, and countless rose petals flutters down. Wu Xing Yun who was situated in front of the formation steps inside his space ship with one hundred people in a square formation following behind him.

After that, the demon army’s exhibition spaceship leads the way, following was the Federal Union spaceships for the wedding procession and the dowries. Soon after, they all flew into the boundless horizon and quickly turned into small dots as they fade away fast, until they cannot be seen anymore.

The citizens on over thousands of planets of the Federal Union watches the live broadcast till it ended. Wu Xing Yun’s father and three older brothers also got together outside the military frontlines thousands of light years away to watch the broadcast together.

When Wu Xing Yun entered the space ship and it flew away until it cannot be seen, his family embraced each other in sadness and all cried bitterly.

At this point, Wu Xing Yun entered the vast expanse of the space and took his first step towards his marriage.

Where Wu Xing Yun is at, is a huge spaceship that can fit a total of two hundred people. However, inside there are only a total of ten people consisting of Wu Xing Yun’s small squad assigned to the dowry and two lady biologist.

Surrounding the big spaceship are twenty smaller fighter spaceships.

These fighter spaceships are piloted by the wedding escorts manned by five personnel in each ships to protect the main spaceship. In case any detrimental situation arises, they are prepared to engage at all times.

Ouyang Liu is also situated in one of those fighter spaceships. Because he is just an addition, he ended up overcrowding the seemingly congested space. Those soldiers with him didn’t pay attention to him so he just stood by the window and stare at the scenery outside.

The scenery of the nebula outside was ever-changing. Some parts were red and blue, others were mixes of green. The stationary planets were flickering, the danger that can come anywhere were shrouded by the dreamy and beautiful cosmos.

Ouyang Liu recalled how difficult it was to convince his father, it even made him consider sneaking into the ranks of the wedding escorts but the thought of it was just humiliating. His father, Ouyang Feng, was not the type of person that can be moved by familial love, only for his own interest that he can be persuaded.

Ouyang Liu persuaded his father that he can get the great demon king Ye Sui Kong’s backing and that he can get also Ye Sui Kong to make a deal with Ouyang Feng in private. So that when the time comes, the demon army will even lend their strength and topple the Federal Union’s regime to rebuild it as Ouyang Feng’s empire.

After Ouyang Liu convinces him over and over again, Ouyang Feng finally agreed to give his bastard child a chance.

Ouyang Liu stared at the window pane that reflected his own face. He was daydreaming of his father’s succession in the future, the moment when he will rightfully become a prince of that empire.

And him as a prince of the empire, he can get married to the great demon king to attain true peace. Him and only him, can be the great demon king’s partner in matrimony.

As for that average sergeant, Ouyang Liu sneered in his heart. He can’t forget how that sergeant humiliated him, he vowed to himself that he will think of better ways to return the favor. That time in the Federal Union, the military and the president was there so he could not act too hasty. But the moment they arrived at the demon army’s territory, the great demon king will have his back and its only matter of time for that Wu Xing Yun to die.

That big number of spaceships soon arrived at the warp point of the Federal Union. Each warp they entered into is capable of advancing them five hundred light years in distance at a time.

The spaceships take turns in entering the warp zone, and once they’ve gone through, they will arrive at the frontlines of the battlefield where they can access most of the demon army’s territory.

That feeling of desolation in navigating the cosmos previously was gone. The number of warships in this place was several times higher compared to the planet New Delta. Those ships have been informed ahead of time so they lined up in a row on both sides to send off the wedding procession in their departure.

Particle cannons capable of shooting immense light beams fired overhead one at a time, blue beams pierces into the abyss of the universe. Once it exploded, they looked like fireworks that bloomed in the cosmos.

As the wedding procession advances, it was like a festive night sky in the space, fireworks blossomed in their wake until they arrived at the front of the demon army’s side.

The demon army also have a great number of spaceships. The only thing was that their weaponry falls short by a wide gap compared to the level of the Federal Union. These past thousands of years of battle, the demon army made up for that with solely their mutants. They were also absorbing the ordinary prisoner of wars and Federal Union citizens that seeks asylum to their side into their force, but the size of their force still remains small, and it was only recent years that their numbers started to grow.

But for the mutants of the demon army, their armors are mostly common clothing. Mounted on their backs is a jet pack that only makes it easier for them to navigate around the space.

The party of the demon army that came to welcome the wedding procession consists of a single mutant and around a thousand common soldiers.

That single mutant had a jet pack on, flying onwards until that person finally arrived in front of the wedding procession and flew in suspension in front of the viewing window of the warship where Wu Xing Yun stands.

Through the transparent window, Wu Xing Yun clearly saw that person’s appearance.

He didn’t know whether it's the effect of the mutation or not, but this male mutant’s appearance was extremely attractive as well.

But compared to Ye Sui Kong’s effortlessly perfect features, this mutant has slender frame, narrow waist, and well-proportioned muscles, creating a graceful kind of beauty.

The man’s chin was slim and pointed, the spaces between his brows presented a melancholic temperament, the strands of his long silver hair sways in the wind, and his white silk robe further accentuated his graceful features.

That man leaned closer to Wu Xing Yun then slightly bowed in courtesy.

Wu Xing Yun stood in attention and return a greeting of standard military salute.

The man's lips moved. The sound of his voice was received by the spaceship's communication device and he was heard right away.

Wu Xing Yun went through series of studies so upon hearing the man speak the language that originated in earth that Ye Sui Kong also speaks, he understood it.

The voice of that man was extremely magnetic, he spoke as if he was whispering to a lover: "Your excellency Wu Xing Yun, we welcome you to our freedom and independence state. I am Liu Meng, I am the sole representative of Lord Ye Sui Kong for this alliance, here to welcome you with highest respect and offer our warmest welcome."

As Liu Meng spoke, his pair of eyes was faintly sorrowful as he looked back at Wu Xing Yun.

Even though his manners were courteous, Wu Xing Yun still feels that his mutant called Liu Meng sizes him up and down, his gaze lingering on his face the longest.

Although Wu Xing Yun was not that off-put by it, he somehow still didn't feel like belonging to the 'Freedom and Independence Coalition'. Ever since he underwent through a lot of training, he got to know that 'Demon King', 'Demon Race', 'Demon Army', 'Demon Territory, are just titles that the Federal Union imposed on their own to Ye Sui Kong and his regime, they do not address themselves like those at all. In fact, the mutant that came over called Liu Meng is not a combatant at all. Rather, he's just a simple administrative staff that is in charge of logistics. He doesn't have any fighting prowess but he is very competent with his job.

According to what Wu Xing Yun learned in Demon Territory's formalities, he bows in courtesy in return and said: "Thank you for the welcome, I greatly appreciate it."

Wu Xing Yun practiced this line so many times so he wasn't that nervous about it.

After that, Liu Meng gave Wu Xing Yun a smile then he turned around. He led the fleet of the wedding procession and they followed closely in a row.

Ouyang Liu was amongst the ranks of the escorts so he saw the mutant named Liu Meng. In fact, he also heard Liu Meng's words just now because his voice is relayed in every space ships. Ouyang Liu was astounded by Liu Meng's beauty. Even though he knows who this person is and he already saw him in some reports, but seeing him in person floating in the vast space, melancholic yet elegant as if he came from the land of fantasy, made Ouyang Liu felt a bit inferior. He started to feel worried, if there are people as beautiful and outstanding as this man besides Ye Sui Kong, he's not confident in he could catch Ye Sui Kong's attention.

At this point, the fleet advances to the Demon territory. After passing through a warp point, they slowly travel nearer and nearer to Ye Sui Kong's Demon Race's home planet——Planet Yuan.

Standing by the viewing window of the spaceship, Wu Xing Yun could see a seemingly near small blue planet from a distance. But he clearly knows that no matter how near it appears to be, it will be apparent how far it was once he travelled across the cosmos.

A small star near it looks so small and barren. A lonely planet with its lonely star revolving around it looks so extraordinarily eye-catching.

It will still take a month before they arrive, they can take a breather.

Even though Wu Xing Yun believes so, before he can even take a seat and relax, a blaring alarm suddenly resounded throughout the spaceship.