Shencheng Star Station.
The star station was vast, capable of docking tens of thousands of starships, its boundaries invisible to the naked eye.
Logically, such a large star station should be bustling with arriving and departing starships.
But as they were about to land, Jiang Ye looked out the window and saw no other starships. The situation was quite bizarre. Had the star station been abandoned? Yet, the cleanliness of the ground suggested otherwise.
The ship's intercom suddenly chimed.
"Esteemed Commander Jiang Ye and Commander's Wife, welcome to Har Star. Shencheng Star Station has been placed under lockdown and cleared in advance. You may choose your landing position freely!"
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng exchanged glances, both surprised.
The reception was indeed exceptionally high, with the entire area cleared!
The starship landed smoothly.
As Jiang Ye was about to open the hatch, the ship's intercom sounded again.
"Please wait a moment, honored guests. The honor guard will be in position shortly."
A large fleet of starships ascended from behind the star station, flying in a majestic procession!
All the starships were pure gold, their lights shining brightly, exuding a regal aura. After parking in formation, a large contingent of honor guards disembarked, forming two neat columns. A crimson carpet was unfurled for a hundred meters.
The honor guards wore golden robes and pristine white dress uniforms, carrying golden staffs. These golden staffs were religious relics of Har Star, akin to the cross for Christians. Arranged in formation, they gleamed, a truly beautiful sight.
Two figures walked slowly down the red carpet.
On the left was Li Nannan, dressed formally in a charcoal-grey uniform.
On the right was a tall woman, clad in a golden robe, her head and face concealed by her hat, her features indistinguishable. The only indication she was a woman was her figure: a slender waist and long legs.
Jiang Ye opened the hatch and stepped out with Cen Yemeng.
The woman in the golden robe extended her hand and shook Jiang Ye's.
"I am the High Priestess of Har Star, and I welcome you on behalf of the entire planet. My husband would have also come to welcome you, but a rebellion has broken out in the Southern Hemisphere, and he is at the front lines, commanding the suppression efforts. He is unable to attend, and I ask for your understanding."
At this distance, her face was visible, but she wore a golden veil, revealing only her eyes. They were bright, phoenix-shaped eyes, with green irises that possessed an exotic allure, unlike East Asian races.
"Thank you very much! I, too, extend a friendly greeting and profound respect on behalf of all citizens of Jiang Ye Star! This is my wife, Cen Yemeng."
"She is truly beautiful. As the saying goes, beauty accompanies heroism. Har Star's medical facilities will surely satisfy you." The High Priestess shook Cen Yemeng's hand. "After the child is born, I will give you a surprise."
Li Nannan did not shake hands, offering a smile to Jiang Ye and then to Cen Yemeng.
"Time flies so fast. I recall when I used to deliver letters between you two; it feels like a lifetime ago," Li Nannan said. "Enjoy your vacation here. Your accommodation is in the Divine Palace, and the conditions are exceedingly luxurious."
The four of them walked away along the red carpet.
The orchestra began to play, a grand and magnificent religious melody. The honor guard members raised their golden staffs with a flourish, the golden light cascading, creating a truly spectacular scene.
There were also reporters holding cameras, their flashes a dense flurry. Photographs from the scene would appear in the morning papers across the planet within hours, and the news would be broadcast prominently. The entire planet would see the faces of Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng.
Jiang Ye felt a sense of daze; it was the first time he had received such a grand reception.
Cen Yemeng was visibly nervous, clutching Jiang Ye's hand tightly, her palm covered in a fine sheen of sweat. After all, she had only been a small business owner of a bookstore and a dumpling shop before. She had never witnessed a planetary-scale event.
Reaching the end of the red carpet, they boarded a golden starship.
The hatch closed, and the starship slowly ascended.
The High Priestess abruptly removed her hat, lifted her veil, and tore off her golden robe.
"Damn it, I'm suffocating! I have to wrap myself up like this every time I appear in public, like a zongzi!" the High Priestess gasped, a look of relief spreading across her face.
Jiang Ye stared blankly. The High Priestess had a radiant, tanned complexion. Judging by her features, she seemed to be of mixed heritage. Her face wasn't conventionally beautiful, but her eyes were exceptionally bright, the kind that grew more appealing the longer you looked.
Her figure was incredibly shapely. Beneath her robe, she wore only a bikini, which was rather revealing.
"Is it because you're the High Priestess?" Cen Yemeng asked.
"That's right. The High Priestess cannot reveal her true appearance; she must be swathed from head to toe like a mummy. This is to facilitate the believers' imagination. After all, the imagined god is the most steadfast," the High Priestess smiled. "And nowadays, cosmetic surgery is highly advanced. If someone were to impersonate me for deceit, it would damage the church's dignity."
"Have you ever tried going incognito?" Jiang Ye was also curious.
"It's a daily routine! When I have free time, I leave the Divine Palace to go out and play, shop, and eat. No one knows I'm the High Priestess, and I often have rowdy men asking for my contact information! Their actions are punishable by death, but I don't report them, and they continue to live their lives," the High Priestess laughed heartily. "Sometimes I wonder what impact it would have on their psychology and lives if I were to reveal my identity to those men."
Li Nannan tapped the ground with her toe, conjuring a golden drink station. "Have some drinks, don't be shy, we're all friends here. Alcohol can only be consumed secretly behind closed doors. This planet prohibits alcohol, and brewing illicit liquor is a capital offense."
The High Priestess and Li Nannan skillfully retrieved golden cups from beneath the station and poured two cocktails.
Jiang Ye poured a cup of hot orange juice for himself and Cen Yemeng.
"We still have a long way to reach the Divine Palace. I've arranged a low-orbit route to show you the surrounding scenery," the High Priestess said, pulling back the curtains.
Jiang Ye and Cen Yemeng leaned towards the window.
Vast expanses of forest stretched out, with numerous points of light emanating from beneath the trees, like glowing fish swimming in a dark swamp.
"What are those lights? Some kind of animal?" Jiang Ye asked.
"No, resin harvesters." The High Priestess crossed her legs, poured some drink onto her thigh, and rubbed it vigorously. "This area is a lacquer tree forest, five hundred and fifty years old, a very rare native species. The trees you see here are centuries old."
"Paint?" Jiang Ye inquired.
"Not paint's lacquer; 'qi' is our local dialect for the sap of these trees. The sap ripens once a week. It's collected in buckets by making cuts down the trunk with a knife. The resin harvesters here are all death row inmates."
"Death row inmates?"
"The raw lacquer is toxic. Prolonged contact turns people into monsters. They swell up, their bodies become deformed, and their skin glows from beneath. Those lights you see are the transformed death row inmates," the High Priestess said with a smile.
"What exactly is this lacquer?" Jiang Ye's back prickled with goosebumps.
"It's a very special substance. The raw lacquer is milky white, and the processed lacquer turns into a beautiful black. After purification and processing, it can be made into memory medicine."
"Memory medicine?"