In addition to the Alien Races, there were also Alien Beasts and ancient Cosmic Creatures lurking in the depths of the universe.
The Human Clan therefore faced a great crisis. For the sake of survival, the humans of the mother star split into two factions.
One faction was responsible for preserving the pure bloodline, refusing to intermarry with Alien Races or undergo genetic modification, and living in seclusion for generations.
As for everyone else, they chose genetic modification and intermarriage with the interstellar human clan, completely becoming Interstellar People.
However, they had not expected that while this union strengthened the talents of most, it also left behind drawbacks.
To cut their losses, the Empire drove out a large portion of the Human Clan who possessed chaotic bloodlines, keeping only those with stronger Beast Clan Genes.
As for the group that was driven out, they pioneered new territories, clearing many planets for habitation and establishing the Federation.
From then on, the two major human factions were locked in a stalemate.
They might cooperate when fighting Alien Beasts and ancient Cosmic Creatures, but during times of peace, the disputes never ceased.
The Empire's Beast Clan bloodline was strong, but their spiritual power development was relatively weaker. Their strength lay in their physical prowess.
And while the Federation people could also undergo Beastification, they could never fully utilize this ability. Ultimately, the energy within their very flesh and blood had not been completely unlocked.
Their spiritual power, however, was developed to its absolute peak. The Federation's current Marshal was a young male with SSS-level Spiritual Power.
The two sides held each other in mutual contempt.
The Empire considered the people of the Federation to be mongrels. Yes, the term was that insulting.
After all, the most primitive genetic lines of the Beast Clan all resided in the Empire.
Meanwhile, the Federation people looked down on the Empire's monarchy and its obsession with bloodlines, feeling that they lived lives of excessive luxury and ease, lacking any real grit.
In short, the conflict had deep roots.
In this song, Lan Yuyan saw a peaceful and prosperous era. He saw a scene of elders cherishing the young, and the young respecting their elders.
Thinking of his own parents, he, who had not felt the sting of tears for many years, now felt his nose tingle.
He used his Light Computer to make a call.
A young voice came through. "Brother Lan, what are your orders?"
"Go find the contact information for me. It's for the one at number 73 on the new songs chart, a Miss Jiang Qin."
"Roger that!"
After ending the call on his Light Computer, Lan Yuyan listened to the song several more times. He had a hunch that this little female would definitely become a star.
If he weren't so short on time, he would have even bought a Spaceship Ticket to Blue Star to hear a live version.
***
At that moment, Jiang Qin was just taking the stage.
She was a bit surprised to see that nearly every booth in the bar was full.
'What's going on?'
'Is the bar running a promotion? It can't be because of the song I uploaded just a few hours ago, can it?'
But she quickly adapted. After all, back on Earth, many viral check-in spots were like this. Once they got popular, they were packed to the brim.
'I guess our bar has become one of those viral Interstellar check-in spots now.'
After composing herself, she lifted a slender hand. Her fingertips danced leisurely across the black and white keys as her red lips parted slightly.
"A quiet summer night
The sky dotted with countless stars
A longing in my heart
Longing for the sight of your face…"
An Zeyu had also come tonight and, at his fans' request, had started a live stream.
He was currently sitting in the booth closest to the stage, squinting as he swirled the drink in his hand.
[This atmosphere… it makes the Inhibitor in this cheap little bar seem high-class. If I didn't know better, I'd think this was some exclusive club.]
[Brother Yu is really living it up.]
[What's a cicada?]
[Heh, you don't know? Let your big bro educate you. A cicada is an ancient insect from the Cicadidae family. That's right, they're the ancestors of the modern Insect Race, the ones with big wings that can hit you with sonic attacks.]
[...HISS. The Insect Race? I'm out.]
[Okay, I had one foot in summer, but now I feel a chill all over my body. Suddenly it's winter.]
[Cicadas weren't like that in ancient times. Haven't you guys seen the documentaries?
Low-rise houses with red bricks and white walls, two large trees in front of the door, the cicadas chirping on a summer afternoon, a bamboo rocking chair swaying inside, and a radio telling stories.]
"The sky dotted with countless stars
A longing in my heart
Longing for the sight of your face
I can pretend that I don't see
Or I can miss you in secret…"
As Jiang Qin got into the zone, her spiritual power began to emanate. The males around her immediately felt their minds clear and their senses sharpen.
They felt as if they were experiencing their first love.
It was innocent, romantic, and naive…
On a summer night, the stars in the sky twinkled and the cicadas sang, while a young girl, tasting love for the first time, lay in bed, sweetly thinking of her lover.
All was still; only the heart stirred.
Watching Jiang Qin on stage in a floral dress, her hair in a braid hanging down her back, the crowd felt as if they could only hear the sound of their own heartbeats.
THUMP-THUMP-THUMP, again and again—
It was a sour, aching feeling, yet mingled with a hint of sweetness and joy.
You Wei clutched his chest, his expression complex.
He knew, of course, that he hadn't fallen in love with Jiang Qin. After all, he had once had a love etched into his very bones; his heart had only ever beaten for her.
But right now, he was tasting the flavor of love once more.
Because Jiang Qin's song had once again drawn their Spirit Seas into her Spirit World.
Everyone was empathizing with her emotions.
It was a cheerful song. Jiang Qin's voice was sweet, and the affection in the lyrics was pure, free of any distress.
The reason they felt a sour ache and pain was because of their own issues.
When Interstellar People heard such pure emotion, their first reaction was a sense of sourness and bitterness, because most of them had never experienced such a feeling.
Their paths were demarcated the moment they were born, and defined even more clearly after they awakened at the age of three. Many males had never tasted love.
For them, it was more about weighing pros and cons, about responsibility.
As the last note fell, Jiang Qin smiled. "This song is called 'Ningxia'."
"Little female, I love you!!!" A piercing shout erupted from one of the booths.
His companion immediately clamped a hand over his mouth, holding him down and apologizing awkwardly, "Sorry, he's probably drunk on Inhibitor. I'll drag him away right now."
Daring to harass a female in public—his friend must have a death wish. Right now, all he wanted was to save his friend's life.
Jiang Qin wasn't angry.
After all, in her first life, she had been a star of sorts, and she'd had plenty of fans chase her down shouting "Love you."
But she had been young, so most of her fans shouted things like, 'My girl, Mama loves you!' or 'My girl, Papa loves you!' or 'Your big bro/sis loves you!'
So she knew this male meant no harm; he was more like a fan who got carried away by his emotions.
So, seeing the man's nervous expression, she smiled and said, "It's alright, I know you meant no harm. But could you use my name next time? I'm not a big fan of being called 'little female'.
By the way, my name is Jiang Qin."
Even though she was a Beastman female, it still felt a little strange.