ASFTB 23: Have You Forgotten Who Your Man Is 1

Jian Chengxi’s eyes widened in shock.

If he had been a little hazy before, the old woman’s words brought everything back to him in full. If he remembered correctly, wasn’t the signature on that photo none other than Li Lingfeng?!

The old woman said, “Do you still have anything else? If not, go over there to collect your supplies. There are people waiting behind you!”

Jian Chengxi lowered his head to look at the two children.

Even if not for himself, he should at least fight for the sake of the children’s father.

Jian Chengxi stepped forward to the table and asked, “I just wanted to know… is it possible for there to be people with the same name? My… my husband, he seems to have the same name. Could you help me check?”

The old woman frowned. “Wasn’t he called Feng-ge?”

It was clear she was questioning why Jian Chengxi couldn’t remember his own husband’s name and had suddenly changed it.

Jian Chengxi felt a pang of guilt, his gaze dropping to the children as he gave a light cough. “Feng-ge is what I call him—it’s a pet name between us. Li Lingfeng is his full name.”

The old woman’s face clearly showed her confusion.

Li Sui­sui and Li Chen: “…”

Doesn’t Daddy feel even a little ashamed when he lies?

Jian Chengxi quickly added, “Anyway, just help me check if there’s anyone else with the same name!”

The old woman looked rather reluctant, but still checked. In the end, she said, “There’s no one else with that name. Li Lingfeng’s personal data page is no longer accessible to us civilians. Since you put it that way, I can tell you this, tonight, our Minister of War, Ike, will be heading to the Zerg King’s black hole region to welcome back the honored soldiers. It’ll be broadcast live on the global channel, and there will definitely be shots of General Li. Watch it then, and you’ll know for sure if he’s your man.”

Jian Chengxi thought to himself, What’s the point of watching? I don’t even know what Li Lingfeng looks like!

But…

The photo showed his build, so he should still be able to make a comparison.

With that in mind, Jian Chengxi nodded and said, “Alright, thank you!”

In the evening, in the resource-scarce underground city, not every household even had a television.

Fortunately, taking this into account, and since today was such an important occasion, the underground city’s plaza had a massive projection screen. Beneath it, a large crowd buzzed with excitement. They wanted to see their heroes, to see the family members they had longed for through countless days and nights over the past three years.

This time, leading the mission to the Nebula Lands to welcome the soldiers home, Archangel Ike faced the camera with a confident smile and began, “Thank you to all the residents of the underground city for watching. Three years ago, our soldiers set out to battle the Zerg, but due to an accident with the fleet, tragedy struck. That disaster and suffering became a grief shared by the entire world.”

As he spoke, Ike stood in the command room. His angelic physique radiated a sacred and noble presence, yet he quickly wiped away his tears. “For years, we have suffered under the Zerg invasion. Our lands have been tainted, our environment devastated. And now, in the midst of both internal strife and external threats, our family, our friends, are finally coming home. This is momentous news—it is a blessing for our entire planet, Slant!”

Many in the underground city quietly wiped away their tears at his words.

When war comes, it is always the common people who suffer, losing family and friends. It is a pain that cuts to the bone and is the hardest to endure.

Dressed in his military uniform, Ike raised his hand in encouragement and declared, “Very soon, we’ll meet in the Nebula Zone. Please rest assured, I will bring back every one of your loved ones safe and sound!!”

It was, without question, a speech meant to stir hearts.

Sitting beside the doctor in the clinic, Jian Chengxi asked, “Is this Ike someone with a high rank?”

The doctor shot him a look that all but said, You really don’t know anything, do you? Then replied, “Three years ago, when the army set out, the one commanding all three forces was Marshal De. General Ike is Marshal Rod’s younger brother. Back then, he was only a vice commander. The mission of the three hundred thousand troops was to wipe out the Zerg, destroy their main base, and execute the Zerg King.”

Jian Chengxi asked, “Did they all depart together? Then why did everyone else disappear, and only General Ike survived?”

The doctor replied, “Marshal Rod, who commanded the troops, is a beastman with extensive combat experience. As they neared the Zerg’s black cloud, he sensed something was wrong. Three years ago, we still lacked much experience in fighting the Zerg. Back then, we relied on the divine power of the angel and elf races to scout enemy forces within a hundred-li radius and among the angels in the army, the one with the strongest spiritual power was Ike.”

“The Zerg are masters of disguise and imitation. They evaded our scouting and lured our army to the black hole,” the doctor’s voice grew heavier. “Marshal Rod fought fiercely against the enemy and sent over a hundred thousand troops with General Ike to search for a way out. He and the remaining two hundred thousand soldiers fought to the death to hold off the enemy. But by the time General Ike and his group used purification and guiding divine power to find a route and tried to contact the others, they had already been swallowed by the black hole and vanished.”

Jian Chengxi hadn’t expected there to be such a story behind it.

Beside him, the two children were also listening intently to the story.

Usually quiet, Li Chen suddenly spoke up. “Then why is Ike allowed to be a general?”

The doctor froze. “What?”

Li Chen’s young face was calm, his gaze carrying the innocence of a child, and his thoughts were straightforward. “Since it was Ike who delayed the rescue, shouldn’t he be guilty?”

The doctor said irritably, “What would a child know? If it weren’t for General Ike and those hundred thousand soldiers protecting us these past three years, how could we still be living peaceful days? General Ike didn’t delay on purpose, he’s devoted to the people and a good general. The rescue was indeed delayed, and I’m sure he’s lived with guilt ever since. These years he’s worked tirelessly for the people, and he’s had a hard life too, hasn’t he?”

Li Sui­sui, sitting beside her brother, spoke up. “No.”

The smile on the doctor’s face froze.

Jian Chengxi wanted to cover his child’s mouth, but to his surprise, the doctor grew more curious and asked, “Why not?”

Li Sui­sui shook her head, her little braids swaying with the motion. Lifting her small face, she gave a soft hum and said, “General Ike is still alive, but Sui­sui’s father is dead. Without Father at home, there’s no one to protect my brother and Daddy. Sui­sui could only eat fruit with Daddy every day. General Ike isn’t just alive, he has everything, and not only that, he even got promoted. That’s clearly getting the better end of the deal.”

Children’s words are often the most unintentional, yet also the boldest.

The doctor had never considered such things before, and her expression grew a little more solemn.

Jian Chengxi quickly scooped his daughter into his arms, forcing a smile. “Sorry, the kids are still young and don’t know any better, they’re just talking nonsense. Please don’t take it to heart. I’ll make sure to teach them properly when we get home!”

But the doctor’s face remained grave, her expression turning more serious, and the smile on Jian Chengxi’s own face slowly faded.

Then—

The doctor leaned in closer, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear. “You must never say things like that carelessly. Whether it’s true or not, Ike is an officer deeply trusted by His Majesty in Sky City. No one can challenge his position or authority. We ordinary people definitely can’t afford to cross him, understand?”

Jian Chengxi nodded immediately to show he understood, then said to the doctor, “Don’t worry, I get it. Forget officers—my kids and I will probably never leave the underground city in our lifetimes. This has nothing to do with our family, and we won’t meddle in other people’s affairs. I’ll make sure to teach the children properly when we get home.”

The doctor let out a breath of relief. “That’s good then.”

After their brief conversation ended, Jian Chengxi turned back toward the giant screen. On it, Ike’s smooth golden hair shone, making him look sacred and gentle, like a god who dutifully and selflessly toiled for all living beings. Could someone like that… truly have selfish motives?

The vast, boundless sea of stars—

Amid the gathering of countless stars, deep within the galaxy lay the Zerg’s hidden main base beyond the black hole. It was a barren plain where hardly a single blade of grass could grow.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers stood ready, a vast dark mass yet perfectly aligned in formation. The dim light fell upon their scarred armor, upon their rough, tanned skin tempered by hardship. For three whole years without any supplies or reinforcements, they had survived on the rations left in their damaged warships and through bloody battles with the Zerg. And yet, no matter how harsh the conditions, every soldier’s gaze still burned with unwavering resolve.

At the very front of the army stood one man.

Li Lingfeng’s tall figure stood like a mountain—steady and profound. The hunting wind whipped at the commander’s cloak, and before him loomed a colossal form. It was the corpse of the Zerg King, its dark green blood staining the ground, the heat from its body not yet fully gone.

Whoosh—

From the distant sky came the sound of warships circling.

The vice commander strode quickly up to Li Lingfeng, fist clasped in salute, and reported, “General, the people here to retrieve us have arrived.”

Countless warships of the Slant people appeared in the sky, familiar ships and vessels that streaked down like meteors from the heavens, carrying dazzling light. They brought with them what felt like the dawn of hope to this barren, desolate land. Three years ago, they had been the reinforcements and the beacon so many had longed to see, and now, after more than a thousand days, they had finally appeared.

Boom—

With a heavy thud, the warships landed steadily.

Before the more than one hundred thousand suffering soldiers, Archangel Ike descended in spotless white ceremonial robes, his boots immaculate. On his chest gleamed the insignia of the highest commander. Surrounded by supporters, he strode forward briskly.

Ike circled around the corpse of the Zerg King, exclaiming repeatedly, “It really is the Zerg King! Now that the Zerg’s nest has been destroyed, our planet can finally return to peace, never again plagued by the flames of war. Your Majesty, look!”

In the biting cold wind, he kept commenting on the Zerg King’s corpse, even directing the live broadcast camera crew behind him to capture it from every angle.

The king of the Slant planet, wanting to connect and offer his regards to the soldiers, sat upon a golden chair. Through a golden sphere’s broadcast, he curiously examined the Zerg King’s corpse, nodding repeatedly as he said, “Yes, yes! Well done! You soldiers have worked hard!”

A smile lingered on Ike’s face—

Until he came face-to-face with Li Lingfeng, the man standing at the head of the three armies, his entire being radiating a grim, oppressive aura.

Their eyes met and an overwhelming crush of spiritual power from one side alone!

Ike felt as if he had been frozen in place, a surge of fear and instinctive aversion to danger exploding within him, making him want to flee on the spot.

It was as if the figure before him wasn’t human at all, but a terrifying demon!

The king, however, noticed nothing and simply urged, “General Ike, quickly, let me see our great hero!”

Ike hastily snapped out of it, forcing a smile onto his face. Striding up to Li Lingfeng, he reached out to shake his hand and said warmly, “You must be Li Lingfeng, yes? General Li, it’s an honor to finally meet you. After detecting your signal, I tried every means to learn about your situation. I know that if you hadn’t endured the rampage of your spiritual power, discovered the Zerg’s weakness, and led so many soldiers in a bloody fight, we could never have achieved today’s victory!”

He spoke with deep emotion, his words moving and sincere.

Li Lingfeng lifted his eyelids to glance at him, just that single look made Ike’s heart skip. The man’s voice was low and heavy. “You?”

A brief silence followed.

On the barren plain, the tall, striking man stood in sharp, cold silver armor, gazing down at him from above.

Even though Ike was a general celebrated like a star in the Empire, in front of this man he felt at a loss. Still, the angel maintained a kindly smile. “Allow me to introduce myself—I’m Ike. When you first enlisted, you were probably still just a junior officer, so we never met. I’m Marshal Rod’s younger brother, and my current position is Military Prime Minister of the Slant planet.”

Li Lingfeng seemed to react at last. The man turned, half his face obscured by the shadow of the wasteland, his expression unreadable but the corner of his mouth curved into a cold, almost cruel smile. “Ike.”

The sound of that name was icy to the extreme.

A sudden, inexplicable panic rose in Ike’s chest, a sense of impending doom.

And sure enough—

There was no trace of emotion in Li Lingfeng’s eyes as he gave a low command. “Take him.”

Though they were both generals, the moment he gave the order, the soldiers in silver armor moved with blinding speed and strength. Before anyone could react, they had seized Ike, pinned his arms, and forced him down in front of Li Lingfeng.

Ike thrashed in disbelief, struggling violently. “Li Lingfeng, what is the meaning of this? What are you doing? Do you know this is being broadcast live to the entire world? His Majesty and all the citizens are watching you, are you out of your mind?!”

Li Lingfeng showed not the slightest sign of fear. His face was expressionless, his gaze cold as a heartless demon from hell. In a low voice, he said, “Ike, do you know where we are?”

Ike froze and asked, “Where is this?”

On the barren wasteland, behind the corpse of the Zerg King, stood rows upon rows of black tombstones, large and small, stretching so far they vanished into the horizon. They stood silently on the desolate ground, bearing no names, no photos. Here, tens of thousands of lives had come to their end in a black hole tens of thousands of light-years from home.

Before Li Lingfeng could speak, the vice commander stepped forward. “This is where Marshal Rod, and the tens of thousands of brothers who died over these three years, are buried. During the campaign, whenever a brother fell, we would keep something from him. Our planet has a tradition, those who die must be buried in the soil. The land nourished by the Mother Tree will guide their souls to rest.”

Ike stepped forward. “Rod was my brother. Of course I was saddened by his death, but—”

The vice commander’s expression flared with emotion. “But if General Ike hadn’t delayed the rescue, Marshal Rod and these tens of thousands of brothers wouldn’t have died at all!”

Ike froze, eyes widening in disbelief. But as one of the angel race, the eternal symbol of kindness and purity, he forced a smile. “You must be mistaken. Rod was my brother, how could I deliberately delay? Back then, I, along with the others, barely escaped with our lives. We fought desperately to find a way out, and everyone can testify for me…”

His words were cut off before he could even finish.

Li Lingfeng’s voice was low, his face expressionless yet radiating an overwhelming pressure. “Two years ago, when I wiped out a Zerg squad, I captured one that was in the process of passing on its memory to its kin.”

When a Zerg is near death, in order to ensure the survival of its civilization, it condenses its own memories into crystal orbs and transfers them to others of its kind.

These orbs contain the wisdom and abilities they have learned.

“The memory contained in that crystal orb showed that a year ago, Ike—you had already reached the safe zone. You should have immediately contacted Rod to inform him of the escape route. Instead, you deliberately delayed the timing of the operation.” Li Lingfeng’s voice darkened with malice. “Even if it was only a few minutes, had you sent the signal any earlier, the army would not have been swallowed by the black hole. So many deaths would not have happened here.”

At his words, everyone was stunned.

Ike’s eyes widened in disbelief. He had never imagined this matter would one day be exposed. Reflected in his dilated pupils was Li Lingfeng’s figure drawing closer, each steady step landing as if on the very nerves of his heart.

The man’s austere face seemed tinged with killing intent, like a fiend risen from the depths of hell. Looking down at him from above, as if gazing at nothing more than trash or vermin, his voice rumbled low. “Ike, you truly deserve to die.”

“No… no…” Endless fear swelled in Ike’s heart as he said, “I did nothing wrong. I only wanted one person dead, I didn’t mean to kill all of you. You can’t kill me! I’m an Archangel, a pure-blood noble! You’re just a beastman from the underground city who can’t even fully shed his animal nature, you have no right to decide my life or death! I am the Military Prime Minister, I’ve been safeguarding the planet’s security all these years, how dare you kill me!”

Li Lingfeng looked as if he had just heard the greatest joke in the world. He even seemed to relish the sight of Ike’s fear, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold smile. “Don’t worry. I have no intention of letting you die.”

A glimmer of hope lit Ike’s eyes.

Li Lingfeng turned and ordered, “Take Ike to Marshal Rod’s tomb. Seal him and imprison him here in the burial ground. He is not to leave the Zerg’s black hole by even half a step.”

The vice commander obeyed. “Yes, sir.”

Ike’s eyes widened in utter disbelief. If they left him here, it would be just like what happened to those soldiers three years ago—abandoned in this desolate, lifeless place, doomed to spend all eternity among these tombstones. With no supplies or reinforcements, he would be reduced to digging up Zerg corpses from the ground to eat. It was no different from killing him outright!!

Mad. Completely mad.

No one had ever dared to treat him this way before.

Li Lingfeng was nothing short of a complete madman!!

“You can’t do this to me.” Ike jerked away from the vice general’s grip, shouting, “My crimes should be judged by His Majesty! I am an angel, a pure-blood noble, no one can let me die! I am the Grand Marshal! You filthy underground-dwelling commoners dare commit lese-majesty against me? And you, are you all dead? Why aren’t you coming to help?!”

He had brought several thousand soldiers along this time.

Those soldiers froze for a moment, then hurried forward, raising their weapons toward Li Lingfeng and his men.

The soldiers of Slant Star Planet, bracing themselves, spoke out. “You cannot arbitrarily execute our general. He is the Military Prime Minister, punishing him on your own authority, we will neither allow nor accept it!”

The crowd turned to look.

Seizing the moment, Ike suddenly unfurled his angelic wings, sweeping aside the soldiers restraining him. With divine power surging, he shot into the air, his speed suddenly surging as he made for the nearby warship, ready to escape.

Then, in that split-second—

Bang!!

Two shadowy figures seemed to flash across the sky, and the ground erupted, throwing up great plumes of dust and ash into a choking fog.

Ike crashed hard into the ground with a cry of pain, then was flung, like a helpless chick, tens of meters away toward the rows of gravestones. He hit the earth with a force that sent shards of stone flying, the impact so great that blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

As the agony gripped him, his blurred vision caught the figure advancing toward him, like the very Judge of the Underworld came to claim his life.

“You… you dare—”

The sharp blade fell in one clean, merciless stroke.

A few crimson drops spattered across his austere profile.

Dust swirled, and the cracked, darkened ground made the place seem like the very depths of Hell.

Li Lingfeng straightened slowly, sweeping his gaze across the Slant Planet soldiers like a dangerous predator sizing up prey. His black military boots pressed into soil already stained red. Behind him stretched endless gravestones.

The man stood beside the lifeless angel, his voice cold as steel and heavy with killing intent, each word drawn out like the pull of a blade.

“Who else is unconvinced?”

“…”

Through the little golden sphere, the scene broadcast to the entire world.

In the underground city, the crowd fell into an eerie silence. Everyone was stunned by what they had just witnessed. Even Jian Chengxi froze, the man on the screen so decisive in killing, so merciless, that the chill of it seemed to seep into the bones. He hadn’t realized it before, but now he felt a sheen of cold sweat at his back.

Li Suisui tugged softly at his sleeve.

In a small voice, she said, “Daddy…”

Jian Chengxi blinked back to awareness, looked down at his daughter, and quickly pulled her into his arms.

“What is it?”

The little girl stared at the image in the golden sphere.

Quietly, she asked, “Is that Father?”

Jian Chengxi froze.

Li Chen, standing nearby, also spoke up. “Daddy said that father has the same name. Is that Father?”

“……”

Jian Chengxi lifted his gaze toward the man on the screen, his fear making him want to shrink away like an ostrich hiding its head.

Impossible, absolutely impossible.

Don’t believe rumors, don’t spread rumors!

…