Chapter 74: Identity Exposed

In a certain part of space adjacent to the Empire, countless starships silently formed a fleet.

The starships of the Empire had sleek, streamlined bodies, with a silver-white base shining with light, and the latest weapons piled on the ships as if they were free. One could immediately recognize the identity of these “spoiled soldiers.”

The starships opposing the Empire were from the Star faction. These ships did not follow any unified design, but each one had survived numerous battles, resembling veteran warriors who stood steadfast and solemn, guarding their mecha warriors.

The war was about to break out.

On the starship where Wu Lidu was stationed, everyone else was ready, but as the commander, Wu Lidu remained distracted, reciting the pre-arranged battle plans in a daze.

“Your Highness, what’s going on with you? You need to focus on the battlefield,” Gisa had noticed Wu Lidu’s strange behavior for several days. Ever since the battle planning meeting, Wu Lidu had been absent-minded, sometimes even suddenly shouting out loud. When others asked, he would cover it up.

Gisa had hoped Wu Lidu would recover his focus before the battle. Even though the commander’s skills were not impressive, he still needed to keep his mind on the battlefield. Any negligence could result in the death of the Empire’s valuable mecha warriors.

But seeing Wu Lidu in this state, Gisa’s hopes were dashed. Wu Lidu’s condition hadn’t improved; in fact, it seemed even worse.

As a battlefield commander, Wu Lidu was undoubtedly unqualified. He lacked the calm, rationality, and judgment that a commander should possess, even making the serious mistake of allowing his mind to wander during the battle.

On the battlefield, any mistakes made by a commander were first paid for by the mecha warriors. Death notices were being sent back to the command room… which meant lives were being lost.

The Empire’s army was tense.

On the Star faction’s side, Xi Ming was once again standing at the familiar command position. His gaze coldly swept over the equipment he had long memorized, and his eyes were steely. “Team 1, follow orders—”

The well-known sixth prince was even more useless than the space pirates had imagined. Even though the enemy’s fleet had more advanced equipment and better-trained soldiers, their defeat came faster than some pirate groups, with many lives lost to the space pirates.

Xi Ming had no sympathy for the sixth prince’s forces. He sent out one command after another, and with it, one life after another was claimed.

Soon, Wu Lidu could no longer bear the extent of the losses and ordered the mecha warriors to retreat and defend the starships.

Each mecha had cost a lot to assemble, and even his mother had contributed a great deal of money. Now, losing a quarter of them made Wu Lidu feel breathless from the financial blow.

Looking at the smug space pirates brandishing their weapons, Wu Lidu’s emotions were conflicted. Blood surged through his body, and disregarding the confused stares of others, he slammed his hand down on the communication button, trembling with fear, and impulsively threatened, “Xi Ming, immediately retreat your forces! Are you just going to leave those old, weak, and sick behind?!”

Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.

“…Xi Ming?” After a long pause, someone finally spoke, clearly astonished. Was that the Xi Ming?

Wu Lidu quickly realized the mistake he had just made. His face turned pale, and the terror he had suppressed earlier surged back to the surface. He hurriedly tried to disconnect the communication, but it was too late.

On the Star faction’s side, the transmission flickered, and a virtual figure appeared clearly in the Empire’s command room.

It was a face they would never forget. His appearance had been seen on every corner of the Empire. His name had struck fear into enemies, and his army had scattered the Zerg forces.

“…It’s really Xi Ming!” After the silence, chaos broke out.

“Xi Ming is still alive!” Someone exclaimed in fear.

“How could it be Xi Ming?! You’re still alive?!”

Seeing Xi Ming, whom they had assumed dead, “alive again,” many were shocked, and the command room descended into chaos. Wu Lidu, already in a panic, no longer had time to manage the people under him. As a result, news of Xi Ming’s survival quickly spread through encrypted channels back to the Capital Star.

Some were frightened, others were scheming, but one thing was certain: the news was spreading uncontrollably.

Some were frightened, some were scheming, but one thing was unstoppable: the spread of this news.

Before this, once the Star faction had gained some strength, Xi Ming had stopped hiding his identity. Many spies had already sent back intelligence that had raised suspicions among various forces. However, believing that someone long sentenced to death was still alive required more proof, so the news hadn’t spread widely.

But now, Xi Ming had no intention of hiding anymore. The war between the Empire and the Federation was already too complicated to pull back from, and space pirates were beings with no fixed loyalties. Their motivation came from the pressure of force and the allure of firepower.

Moreover, with his leverage in the form of Shi Chen and the hook of radiation treatment, both the Empire and the Federation had high-ranking officials who were willing to betray national interests for their own gain.

“Wu Lidu.” Even though it was just a projection, Wu Lidu still flinched under Xi Ming’s gaze and voice. “If you want to prevent the Empire from collapsing, you need to make the truth of that year public.”

“What happened that year?” Wu Lidu’s expression became fierce but lacking confidence. The events of that year had been well covered up, and many thought Xi Ming couldn’t have made such a simple mistake. He might have been framed, but no one linked it to Wu Lidu.

But after hearing Xi Ming’s words and seeing Wu Lidu’s reaction, even the slowest of people could connect the dots. The incident of 823 was clearly connected to Wu Lidu. Instantly, everyone’s gaze turned toward Wu Lidu.

Wu Lidu, enraged by their stares, was now firmly convinced of the “truth” he had fabricated through countless self-brainwashing sessions. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed something nearby and threw it at Xi Ming’s projection, raising his voice, attempting to control the frantic beating of his heart. “What truth? The truth is, you were greedy, slaughtering dozens of civilian planets! I wasn’t even at the border, what truth are you asking me about?”

Xi Ming didn’t bother responding to Wu Lidu’s madness and simply cut off the projection.

There were many people in the command room where Xi Ming was located, and they all heard what Wu Lidu had just said. Some of them had already suspected Xi Ming’s identity, while others had guessed it. There was little shock, more of a sense of realization that this was exactly how things had turned out.

Of course, some slower space pirates looked at each other, their expressions as if they had seen a ghost, but seeing no special reaction from others, they could only close their mouths, silently digesting this shocking news.

After thinking for a while, they realized it made sense. Only Xi Ming could have developed a force capable of challenging the Empire in such a short time.

When Xi Ming first took in the space pirates, he had been selective. Those too closely connected with the Federation or those who had personal vendettas against him were either killed or had their top ranks wiped out, leaving the remaining pirates scattered. For those still in the Star faction, even if they had grievances with Xi Ming, they could be swayed by the lure of profit and “let bygones be bygones.”

After leaving the room, a former pirate leader scratched his head, feeling a mix of emotions. “Never thought I’d end up working under Xi Ming. Back then, I was running for my life after being beaten by him, now I’m his subordinate.”

But thinking of Xi Ming’s status as a public enemy of the galaxy, becoming his subordinate and fighting against the Empire was actually thrilling.

…

This war ended abruptly, and before they could wait for Xu Lihan’s rescue, Wu Lidu fled in a disgraceful manner. He was chased down by the space pirates, who shot down several of his upgraded battle starships. The mechs inside were also stolen, causing significant losses.

If not for encountering other Imperial troops later on, Wu Lidu’s beautifully dressed starships would likely have been reduced to rubble.

As the space pirates put it, these starships, built with high-grade materials and weapons, were like coquettish young women constantly tempting them. If they didn’t seize them, they wouldn’t be real men.

Wu Lidu fled, and aside from feeling some regret for not capturing more starships, the space pirates felt little else. After all, he was just a weakling, and no matter how many times they captured and released him, he wouldn’t suddenly awaken or have a breakthrough to give them a dramatic twist.

At this moment, what concerned the space pirates the most was Xi Ming’s true identity.

Their boss! The leader of the Star Pirates! It was Xi Ming!

Xi Ming’s true identity spread quickly, like wildfire. Besides those who had already suspected, everyone else was shocked.

Those who had once been from the Empire, but had joined the Star faction for various reasons, felt a complex mix of emotions. The space pirates, however, simply marveled at the fact that it was Xi Ming, the pride of the Empire, the legendary figure of the galaxy, who was now the head of the pirates.

Of course, no matter how shocking Xi Ming’s identity was, it didn’t stop the space pirates from dividing the spoils.

Gathering around, the space pirates ogled the starships and mechs they had captured, their mouths watering. “I have to say, this is the next heir to the Empire. His wealth is impressive. I’ve been a pirate for so many years and never captured so many valuable things.”

The mecha warriors recruited by Xi Ming showed better discipline, but even they couldn’t hide their excitement. These weapons and mechs were more advanced than anything they had ever seen, even when they were on the frontlines for the Empire or the Federation.

The spoils were being carefully cataloged by Luo Liang, who would soon distribute them. As Wu Lidu’s former deputy, Luo Liang was highly efficient in managing such tasks. Since the spoils had been seized from Wu Lidu, Luo Liang would be extra meticulous, ensuring they served their proper purpose, whether in practical combat or… for propaganda.

Having survived all these years, Luo Liang was now more convinced than ever that following Xi Ming was the right choice. He also began thinking about how to embarrass the Imperial royal family.

First, he made sure that anyone who wanted the spoils would have to keep them intact. Even if they were to be modified, the original markings couldn’t be erased. The footage of this battle would be kept and, at the right time, shared on the StarNet to expose Wu Lidu’s true face. As the “big housekeeper” of the Star faction, Luo Liang had the power to do so.

He also wondered what Wu Lidu would think when he saw the pirates parading around with his family crest while attacking the Imperial army.

After the fleet returned, Shi Chen, who had been watching the entire time, immediately walked to Xi Ming’s side. Even though he knew Xi Ming hadn’t left the starship, he still used his spiritual power to check for any danger.

When the earlier conversation came up, Shi Chen looked puzzled. “What’s the point of saying that to him? If Wu Lidu had any sense of responsibility, he wouldn’t have fabricated evidence to frame you for a mistake.”

“Just saying whatever.” Xi Ming wasn’t expecting Wu Lidu to do anything commendable. “No matter what his reaction is, the truth of that year will eventually come to light.”

Xi Ming had already sent someone to monitor Wu Lidu. If Wu Lidu made more reckless mistakes in his panic, it would only further tilt the situation in Xi Ming’s favor.

Shi Chen didn’t know what to say, so he simply held Xi Ming’s hand.

Xi Ming squeezed his hand back, his gaze distant, his expression darkening.

…

The news of Xi Ming’s survival spread quickly. On the Empire’s side, it was mostly rumors of his cruelty and dishonor, claiming that he had joined forces with the pirates to attack the Empire, betraying the institution that had trained him, and the Empire that had raised him.

On the pirates’ side, the rumors carried a more mocking tone, spreading how useless Wu Lidu was, how he was beaten into retreat, and even detailing his brief conversation with Xi Ming.

The public opinion, fueled by the pirates and the Federation, quickly started to ferment, with discussions and speculations about the “truth of that year” rapidly spreading.