Chapter 42: The Interstellar Marshal Who Doesn’t Save the Female Lead

Jiujiu nodded in satisfaction. Although he was willing to help people treat illnesses to earn food for himself, he still had to be picked up by his dad in the evening. Otherwise, he wouldn’t sleep well staying with a stranger, even if that stranger was his dad’s good friend.

“Oh, right, these are all Jiujiu’s snacks. If he’s bored and you’re playing with him, you can groom his fur. If Jiujiu is naughty and flies out to play, remember to wipe his feathers clean.”

Shen Yijing, standing by, gave these instructions with a hint of worry. He didn’t know why such a small bird had so many strange rules. Every time he flew around, he felt like he was a dirty bird and would only calm down after a bath or a good wipe.

“Captain, will being treated by it affect my mission execution?”

“Basically, no, but you’d best not take any temporary missions. Jiujiu can’t go to those kinds of places.”

“Okay.”

That team member treated the bird like an ancestor, carrying it back to his dormitory. After setting it down, Jiujiu rubbed his eyes with his wings and stared at the man.

“Chirp chirp chirp!”

He pointed his wing at the sofa, signaling for the man to sit down first. There wasn’t much tacit understanding between the team member and Jiujiu, so he could only slowly guess based on Jiujiu’s actions.

“Is that right? I need to sit down while being treated by you?”

Jiujiu nodded, flew over, and landed on his shoulder, patting his head lightly with a fluffy little wing. The man initially thought the little chubby bird’s feathers were tickling him, but then he felt a very comfortable aura emanating from the contact point, and the words he wanted to say caught in his throat.

“This… this is? It really works.”

Jiujiu, being doubted again, was a little displeased. He flapped his wing at the man, as if questioning his grand self, Jiujiu! The man didn’t think much of it and didn’t notice the bird was unhappy. He thought this was also part of the treatment method, so he adjusted his posture.

“Should I continue?”

Jiujiu retracted his wing and stood there, tilting his head. He somewhat doubted if the man’s brain was working properly. How could someone beg to be “hit” again? It was truly the first time he’d seen such a thing.

When Shen Yijing returned from his mission that evening, he first went to the hospital to have his wounds bandaged. Fearing he might scare Jiujiu, he went back to wash up and change his clothes.

“Captain, is that bird really that particular?”

“Yes, he doesn’t like the smell of blood, and many other things are the same.”

It couldn’t really be said that Jiujiu was particular, because if you said he wasn’t well-behaved, he was actually very well-behaved in many ways. It was just that these smells would make him uncontrollably sneeze. One after another, even Shen Yijing, watching from the side, felt bad for him.

“Captain, does that treatment only take a week? A new research course from the Research Institute previously said it only takes five years to help a warrior fully recover their combat capability.”

“That kind of situation, you can tell it’s a scam just by hearing it. If it can be cured, it can be cured; if not, it can’t. Rather than saying they’ve developed a new method, it’s more like they just need an excuse to get more research funds.”

Shen Yijing had seen that project before. From his understanding, it was hoping for the human body’s self-recovery ability, but the energy core where Mental Power resides is not within the human body. In other words, it was telling them to leave it to fate.

“Alright, let’s talk about it tomorrow. I’ll go pick up Jiujiu first. He’ll be unhappy if it’s too late.”

“Okay, Captain, see you tomorrow.”

These people said goodbye to their captain. When they gathered to discuss the matter after the captain left, there was still a strange sense of unreality. After Jiujiu was picked up, this group of people went to the man’s dormitory and began asking for specific treatment details.

“I don’t know what method he’s using to treat me, but I definitely feel much more comfortable after his treatment.”

Not only was his Spiritual Core comfortable, but his entire being also became more peaceful. Most people with uncontrolled Mental Power become very irritable. Previously, this man would occasionally vent the anger accumulated in his heart by smashing things or carrying out missions. But now, he had been confined to this room for an entire day, yet his state seemed very good.

On the way back, being carried by his dad, Jiujiu kept chirping, complaining to his dad that the man was still doubting him.

“Hmph, if he doesn’t believe me, why did he want me to treat him? So annoying.”

“Yes, so annoying.”

That evening, Jiujiu had a full meal. It was a Natural Food dinner specially brought over by someone from the family of the person he treated today. It was still warm when it arrived. Considering that not only Jiujiu but also the captain was there and might be interested, they ordered two servings. After Jiujiu finished eating, he lay there, asking his dad to wash him because he planned to go to sleep.

Shen Yijing bathed him and blew his fur dry. While drying his fur, Jiujiu shook his head vigorously.

“Dad, isn’t there an automatic dryer?”

If the wind were any stronger, it wouldn’t be drying his fur, but blowing him away too.

“Not yet, I’ll buy one in a couple of days.”

Time passed quickly in this place. Everyone gradually received Jiujiu’s treatment and recovered to their normal peak condition. After these people felt the irritable emotions that had been bothering them gradually disappear, their gaze towards Jiujiu was like looking at their reborn parents. One by one, they lined up to hold Jiujiu’s little wing, promising him that all his Natural Food for life would be paid for by them.

When Jiujiu heard them say this, he was so happy he bounced around.

“Oh yeah~”

Shen Yijing didn’t know why he was so keen on saving money for himself. That evening, he specifically emphasized to Jiujiu again.

“Jiujiu, your dad really isn’t as poor as you think.”

“I know! My dad is super awesome, but I earn my own food, and dad’s money is saved for my snacks.”

Jiujiu calculated very clearly, even his dad’s retirement pension was well-calculated by him.

“Jiujiu also wants new clothes to wear.”

“Hmm? Do you need to wear clothes too?”

Shen Yijing stared at his goose-yellow fluff, somewhat doubting why such a big Little Chubby Bird would need to wear clothes. His fur was clearly thick and warm.

“Yes!”

He could go without clothes, but Jiujiu felt he looked better in clothes.

“Okay, then next time we go back, I’ll contact a private tailor for you and have them custom-make a few outfits according to your size.”

After he said this, the bird happily jumped onto his shoulder and kissed him. Feeling his beak, Shen Yijing slightly curved his lips. Then Jiujiu used his wing to wipe his dad’s face, and after wiping, he kissed the other side again.

“Dad is so good, Jiujiu loves Dad the most!”

Shen Yijing didn’t think he had done anything particularly good. Compared to Jiujiu’s efforts, what he did was insignificant, but Jiujiu seemed very satisfied, even happily rolling around.

“Jiujiu, once I get another medal, I’ll have the authority. Then I can make you an outfit just like mine, okay?”

This honor wasn’t something many people cared about before. One needed to earn ninety-nine Second-Class Merit medals to allow family members to wear the same uniform and share the same glory. Shen Yijing hadn’t cared about this before, but today he suddenly thought Jiujiu might like it.

“Good! So good!!”

Jiujiu was already imagining himself and his dad wearing the same clothes, wondering if he would look as invincible and handsome as his dad. He was so happy he rolled around and then leaned in to give his dad a big kiss.

“Dad, why are you so good today~”

His clear little voice now sounded sweet like honey. Shen Yijing lowered his head and gently rubbed his nose against Jiujiu’s belly. He finally understood why some people, just by being with their cub, even doing nothing, wouldn’t feel it was a waste of time. It was indeed very interesting, even just listening to him speak a few words in his familiar voice.

“Because my cub is very cute.”

This reason was quickly accepted by Jiujiu. He primped his feathers and asked his dad to take a photo of them together.

The matter of the Imperial King had always been like a sword hanging over Shen Yijing’s head, uncertain when it would fall. The only certainty was probably that the King wouldn’t act against him as long as the Empire still needed him. He had thought this matter would be very troublesome, but unexpectedly, soon after, new news came from the Imperial Capital: the King had passed away due to illness, and his son, the Eleventh Prince, had inherited the throne.

This prince was not well-known before. After the list of heirs was announced, people gradually flocked to his social media page. There were a total of one hundred and fifty posts, one hundred and thirty of which were related to Marshal Shen Yijing. It was not difficult to guess that the newly appointed King was a fervent fan of Shen Yijing.

When Shen Yijing was on vacation and wanted to take Jiujiu to get clothes made, someone from the King’s side came to him and invited him to the palace. Jiujiu, nestled in his dad’s pocket, heard this and instantly poked his head out, somewhat curious about what this person wanted with his dad.

“Chirp chirp chirp?”

Shen Yijing had no other choice but to go along. When he met the new King, he found that the King was even younger than he had guessed. He didn’t look like a King, but more like an undeveloped youth.

“Marshal, I apologize for my father’s past actions.”

Shen Yijing could tell at a glance that the King’s words were sincere; he was truly ashamed of what his father had done.

“No need to apologize. Protecting the people of the Empire is my duty.”