“Gro, don’t you have anything to explain?” As Gro stepped onto the floating stairs, preparing to return to the luxurious room on the fourth level of the Star-Moon prepared by Hassan, Lofley’s silhouette suddenly “emerged” from the corner of the stairs.
“What do I need to explain?” Gro replied gloomily, not even glancing at Lofley.
“Do you mind telling me what you were thinking during the test just now? I certainly don’t recall telling you to antagonize every martial artist present,” Lofley said, smiling as she approached Gro from behind.
“I did it for the teacher’s sake,” Gro replied, swatting away Lofley’s right hand which had rested on his shoulder. The recent humiliation of being overpowered by Agate’s brute strength had left Gro, who was proud and ambitious, fuming with anger. “If those useless fellows don’t learn their place, they’ll definitely hold us back in the future.”
“Haha! So even the arrogant Gro had a lesson coming his way,” Lofley laughed joyfully at Gro’s furious expression. After a while, she moved in front of Gro again, gazing at him with a “melancholy” expression. “However, you missed a golden opportunity to eliminate Zhang Wen this time, which is really quite disappointing. I even specially distracted that bull Agate to create the chance for you.”
“Hmph!” Gro let out a colder snort, his expression darkening further, but he did not argue back. During the recent test, Gro indeed had a perfect opportunity to eliminate Zhang Wen first. However, his overinflated confidence had caused him to miss the best timing!
“Sigh! Now that Zhang Wen has joined forces with Xie Luo and Agate, it won’t be easy to kick him out of this game anymore,” Lofley sighed softly.
“Really that troublesome?” Gro gave Lofley a deep look and sneered, “I admit I made a mistake by not eliminating Zhang Wen first. However, Zhang Wen’s situation probably isn’t that comfortable either. After all, that strange old man, Bateng, made a speech that will make Zhang Wen the target of everyone’s arrows. As long as you put in a little effort, would it really be that hard to get rid of Zhang Wen from this game?”
“Kikiki…” Lofley laughed again with a sound like silver bells. “Well then! Let bygones be bygones. This time you antagonized those martial artists, and actually did something good! I didn’t even notice, aside from Zhang Wen, among the pile of trash that boarded the ship, there were actually two unexpectedly pleasant surprises!” As she spoke, Lofley seductively stuck out her tongue and lightly licked her lips.
“Gelo, don’t you have anything to explain?” As Gelo stepped onto the floating ladder, ready to return to the luxurious room prepared for him by Hassan on the fourth floor of the Starmoon, Roflei’s figure suddenly “emerged” from the corner of the ladder.
“What do I need to explain?” Gelo’s face darkened, not even glancing at Roflei.
“What were you trying to do during the test just now? I don’t recall telling you to offend all the martial artists present,” Roflei said with a smile, walking up behind Gelo.
“I did it for the sake of our teacher,” Gelo brushed off Roflei’s right hand from his shoulder, still seething from being overpowered by Agat’s brute strength. “If we don’t show those fools their place, they’ll definitely hold us back in the future.”
“Ha! So the arrogant Gelo has been taught a lesson too.” Roflei laughed heartily at Gelo’s frustration. After a moment, she walked in front of him again, looking at him with a “melancholic” gaze. “But this time, you missed the perfect opportunity to take out Zhang Wen. It’s quite disappointing. I even went out of my way to distract Agat, that brute, to create a chance for you.”
“Hmph!” Gelo snorted, his face growing even darker, but he didn’t argue further. During the test, he indeed had a perfect chance to eliminate Zhang Wen first. However, his overconfidence caused him to miss the best moment.
“Sigh! Now that Zhang Wen has teamed up with Shura and Agat, it won’t be so easy to kick him out of this game,” Roflei sighed softly.
“Is it really that troublesome?” Gelo gave Roflei a deep look and sneered, “I made a mistake by not kicking Zhang Wen out first. But Zhang Wen’s situation isn’t exactly comfortable either. In fact, we should thank that strange Baten Ping. After his words, Zhang Wen is bound to become the target of everyone’s attention. With just a little effort, kicking him out of this game shouldn’t be too difficult, right?”
“Giggle…” Roflei let out another string of silver-bell-like laughter. “Forget it! Let bygones be bygones. This time, you offending those martial artists actually did us a favor! Even I didn’t notice that among the trash on board, there were two such unexpected surprises!” As she spoke, Roflei seductively licked her lips.
“Hmph! You’d better be careful. I don’t know what Zhang Wen is capable of, but those two are definitely more troublesome than you think,” Gelo sneered. “Besides, do you think the only skilled people on this ship are the ones who’ve shown themselves? Don’t forget, there were only sixty-seven martial artists in the third-floor hall earlier. But there are ninety-four martial artists on the Starmoon. The twenty-seven who didn’t show up are much more likely to be unexpected surprises than those sixty-seven in the hall. Don’t be so ‘surprised’ that in the end, there’s no ‘joy,’ only ‘shock.'”
“Hehe! That’s my business, no need for you to worry,” Roflei said, seemingly oblivious to Gelo’s sarcasm, laughing happily. “So many good men, I’m so happy! I’ll make sure they… enjoy… themselves.”
As she laughed, Roflei excitedly tapped her lips with her fingertips. At the same time, her sexy figure seemed to melt into the wall, gradually blending into it.
※※※
“Who was that just now?” The martial artist who called himself “Old Goat” had just left when Lelia, dressed as a maid, quietly slipped into Zhang Wen’s room.
“A martial artist trying to get close,” Zhang Wen said casually, locking the door behind him.
“Get close?” Lelia frowned.
“He feels isolated, so he wants me to help him in the upcoming matches.”
“Help him? Pfft!” Lelia burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Zhang Wen glared at Lelia, displeased.
“Captain, you’re really laid back!” Lelia laughed, lying down on the only large bed in Zhang Wen’s room.
“Ah!” The soft goose-down mattress made Lelia moan in comfort. Immediately, a pair of long, attractive legs slid out from under her purple dress. Lelia reached out, grabbed her calf, and began to massage it gently.
“Lelia, don’t act like you’re offering a piece of swan meat. I know your type. You tease people, make them want to take a bite, and then flap your wings and fly away, leaving them disappointed,” Zhang Wen snorted, annoyed by Lelia’s behavior.
“Pfft! Haha!” Lelia was so amused by Zhang Wen that she nearly rolled off the bed laughing. It took her a while to calm down, clutching her heaving chest.
“Captain Zhang Wen, I didn’t know you were so good at telling jokes. If you went to the capital, with your joke-telling skills, you’d probably be invited to noblewomen’s chambers every night,” Lelia sat up, her words a mix of praise and teasing.
At the same time, as if not satisfied, Lelia crossed her long, jade-like right leg over her left. The purple dress spread open with her movement, revealing a nearly perfect curve from her smooth, flawless feet to her shapely, sexy thighs.
What was even more dangerous was that at the moment Lelia crossed her legs, Zhang Wen was standing to her side. His gaze could easily peer into the slit of her high-cut purple dress. Although Lelia’s movement was quick, Zhang Wen, who practiced the Spring Water Technique, caught a glimpse of the black and white stripes that flashed before his eyes.
“Alright, if you have something to say, say it quickly,” Zhang Wen touched his nose. “Ryan could come back at any moment. If he sees us together, your plan will be ruined.”
“It’s ‘our’ plan,” Lelia emphasized. When she noticed Zhang Wen’s gaze on her thighs, she couldn’t help but smile meaningfully. “Captain Zhang Wen, do you even know what situation we’re in? No… perhaps I should rephrase that. Do you know how many people want you dead right now? Earlier, in the floating ladder, do you think Nash and his gang really just wanted to scare me and the two maids when they approached you?”
“What? Isn’t that the case?”
“Of course not!” Lelia shook her head with a smile. “The moment Nash and his two companions recognized you, they were planning to pick a fight and kill you. At least half of the martial artists on this ship are plotting how to take you out.”
“Oh! So you came to tell me this,” Zhang Wen nodded as if he had just realized something.
“Exactly. That’s why I came,” Lelia’s expression grew more serious. “Captain Zhang Wen, I don’t believe you don’t understand your situation. The reason those martial artists haven’t made a move on you yet is only because they’re wary of Agat. But Agat caused a scene today, and Hassan will never allow this rule-breaker to stay on the ship…” As she spoke, Lelia looked up at Zhang Wen.
“Hmm…” Zhang Wen also nodded.
Indeed, Agat’s earlier outburst, using his unreasonable brute force to disrupt Gelo’s test, seemed satisfying at the moment. But in reality, Agat had put himself in a very awkward position.
Think about it: if Agat could use his brute force to ruin Gelo’s test once, what’s to stop him from doing the same the next time he’s about to be eliminated? If that happens, no one would dare to eliminate Agat, and what’s the point of having a test then?
Putting himself in Hassan’s shoes, Zhang Wen thought the best course of action now would be to simply let Agat advance, hand him all the prize money, and politely send him on his way.
As for whether Agat would join Hassan’s second team to fight for the Southern Realm’s dominance, it didn’t matter to Hassan. If Agat joined, Hassan would gain a super-tier ally, which would be a win-win. If Agat refused, Hassan would only lose a sum of prize money. To others, this might be a fortune, but to Hassan, it was a drop in the bucket, insignificant.
Seeing that Zhang Wen remained silent after his snort, Lelia glanced at him again and frowned. “It’s not just us who can figure out that Hassan will kick Agat off the ship. As far as I know, many martial artists have already formed alliances in secret. Once Agat leaves, they’ll definitely come after you.”
Lelia didn’t doubt Zhang Wen’s intelligence, but she wasn’t so confident about his strength. Earlier, in the floating ladder, Zhang Wen’s defeat of Nash and his gang only proved his ability to seize opportunities, not that he had strength beyond the tenth tier.
“Oh? You know about this too?” Zhang Wen didn’t answer Lelia’s question but instead asked with interest.
The information Lelia revealed was similar to what Old Goat had provided earlier, only more severe. Old Goat was part of the “professional adventurers,” so it wasn’t surprising that he knew these things. But Lelia, who had just disguised herself as a maid and sneaked onto the Starmoon, had quickly learned about the professional adventurers’ plans and come to warn him, which made Zhang Wen curious.
“Do you know who you’re talking to?” Lelia smiled, her beautiful face suddenly showing a hint of pride. “Don’t think that the position of adjutant in the Imperial Army is just for commanders to vent their desires. Reconnaissance, assassination, eavesdropping… these are the adjutant’s most basic tasks. If, after six hours on a ship, I still don’t know what the passengers are thinking, then I’m failing as an adjutant.”
“Oh! I didn’t expect… I didn’t expect…” Zhang Wen laughed even more happily.
Now Zhang Wen finally understood why he felt a special closeness to Lelia from the moment they met. Even after being used by her several times, he still considered her a close confidante. He hadn’t expected that this seemingly healing-type beauty was actually a former colleague of his! Moreover, from Lelia’s confident tone, it was clear that she was a top-notch professional.
“What?” Lelia glared at Zhang Wen, displeased.
“Nothing. Don’t misunderstand. I’m not laughing at you. It’s just that your earlier demeanor reminded me of someone else,” Zhang Wen waved his hands, a smile still on his lips.
“Someone else? Not another woman, is it?” Lelia glanced at Zhang Wen, teasing.
“Indeed, a woman, but our relationship is definitely not what you imagine. She and I are mortal enemies, usually wishing each other dead. Only once…” Zhang Wen’s eyes grew brighter, but his tone became nostalgic. “We were forced to team up for some reason. I asked her, ‘Can you do it?’ Her expression was exactly like yours just now.”
“Oh? What happened to her now?” Lelia’s heart stirred.
“Now? I think I’ll never see her again,” Zhang Wen shook his head.
A flash of disappointment crossed Lelia’s eyes, but she quickly took a deep breath and spoke again. “If you don’t want to talk about the past, that’s fine. But Agat could be kicked off this ship by Hassan at any moment. Once he’s gone, we need to figure out what to do next, and you’d better think about it quickly.”
“I’ll think about it as soon as possible.”
“That’s for the best,” Lelia stood up, deliberately sighing heavily at Zhang Wen. “I have to go now. Sneaking out to warn you this time was quite risky. Hassan’s management of the maids on the Starmoon is even stricter than our Imperial Guard’s management of soldiers.”
“Well, that’s your own fault, isn’t it?” Zhang Wen’s playful joke made Lelia glare at him in annoyance.
However, before Lelia slipped out of Zhang Wen’s room, she still reminded him, “Anyway, be careful.”
“You too,” Zhang Wen said with equal seriousness.
“Hehe,” Lelia smiled indifferently, leaping out like a cat and disappearing from Zhang Wen’s sight.
Zhang Wen could tell that Lelia hadn’t taken his warning to heart. But his past experiences with women like Lelia told him that confident women like her wouldn’t listen to anything until they faced trouble. So, Zhang Wen could only smile helplessly and close the door.
Yet, just as the door to Zhang Wen’s bedroom was about to shut completely, he suddenly pulled it open again! In the next moment, Zhang Wen used the Ghost Step. Like a phantom, his figure flashed several times in the opposite direction of where Lelia had left!
“Hehe! That’s my business, so you don’t need to worry about it,” Lofley seemed completely oblivious to Gro’s sarcasm as she laughed joyfully, “So many good men, I’m really excited! I’ll make them have a really… really… wonderful… time.”
While laughing, Lofley excitedly kept tapping her lips with her fingertip. At the same time, her sexy figure seemed to melt and gradually blend into the wall.
※※※
“Who was that person just now?” As soon as the martial artist who called himself “Old Goat” left, Liliya, dressed as a maid, quietly slipped into Zhang Wen’s room.
“Some martial artist trying to get on my good side,” Zhang Wen casually replied, locking the door from the inside.
“Get on your good side?” Liliya frowned.
“He feels outnumbered and outmatched, so he wants me to help him out during the competition.”
“Help him out? Pfft!” Liliya couldn’t help but laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Zhang Wen glared at Liliya, clearly displeased.
“Captain, you sure are relaxed!” Liliya laughed, making herself comfortable on the only large bed in Zhang Wen’s room.
“Ahhh!” The soft goose-feather mattress made Liliya moan in comfort. Immediately afterward, a pair of alluring, slender legs slid out from under her purple long skirt. Liliya stretched out her hand and began gently massaging her calf.
“Don’t act like you’re offering swan meat to a hungry man, Liliya,” Zhang Wen snorted disapprovingly at Liliya’s behavior. “I know your type. You deliberately tease people until they’re drooling with desire, then flap your wings and fly away just as they’re about to take a bite, leaving them with nothing but empty longing.”
“Pfft! Hahaha!” Liliya was almost laughing so hard she rolled off the bed. It took quite a while before she managed to calm herself, her hands firmly pressing against her heaving chest.
“Captain Zhang, I didn’t expect you to be so good at telling jokes. If you went to the imperial capital, with this talent for humor, you’d probably never lack for noble ladies inviting you to their private chambers in the evenings,” Liliya sat up, her words a mix of praise and teasing.
At the same time, as if not quite satisfied, she crossed her long, jade-like right leg over her left. Her purple long skirt spread open with the movement, revealing a nearly perfect curve of her leg—from her smooth, flawless feet, up her white, shapely calves, to her evenly toned, seductive thighs.
And even more maddening was that, at the moment Liliya crossed her legs, Zhang Wen was standing right in front of her side. His line of sight could perfectly and unobstructedly peer into the slit of Liliya’s high-slit purple long skirt from the side. Although Liliya moved quickly, Zhang Wen, who practiced the Spring Water Technique, still caught a glimpse of a flash of black and white in that instant.
“Alright, if you have something to say, just say it quickly,” Zhang Wen rubbed his nose, “Ryan could come back any minute. If he finds us together, your plan will be ruined.”
“It’s ‘our’ plan,” Liliya emphasized, and when she noticed Zhang Wen’s gaze lingering on her thighs, she couldn’t help but smile knowingly, “Captain Zhang, do you even know what kind of situation we’re in? Or… maybe I should rephrase that—do you know how many people right now want you dead? Do you really think those guys from Nanson’s group who approached you on the floating stairs were just trying to scare me and those two maids?”
“What? Isn’t that the case?”
“Of course not!” Liliya shook her head with a smile, “The moment Nanson and his group first recognized you, they were already planning to provoke and eliminate you. At least half of the martial artists on this ship are plotting how to kill you.”
“Oh! So you came here for this reason.”
“Exactly. That’s precisely why I came,” Liliya’s expression turned increasingly serious, “Captain Zhang, I don’t believe you don’t understand your own situation. The reason those martial artists haven’t made a move against you yet is simply because they’re wary of Agate. However, Agate caused quite a scene today, and Hassan definitely won’t allow this rule-breaker to remain on the ship any longer…”
“Mm…” Zhang Wen nodded thoughtfully.
Indeed, Agate had caused quite a stir today, using his unreasonable bull-rush technique to completely disrupt Gro’s test, which seemed satisfying at first. But in reality, Agate had put himself in a very awkward position.
After all, if Agate could use his bull-rush technique to sabotage Gro’s test the first time, wouldn’t he use the same dirty trick again the next time he was about to be eliminated? If that happened, who would dare to eliminate Agate? Then what was the point of continuing the test?
Putting himself in Hassan’s shoes, Zhang Wen felt that the best current solution would be to simply declare Agate as having passed the test, hand over all the prize money, and politely send him on his way.
As for whether Agate would be willing to join Hassan’s second squad to help Hassan compete for dominance in the Southern Territories, Hassan probably didn’t care either way. If Agate joined, Hassan would gain a powerful ally for free, which would be great. If Agate refused, Hassan would only lose a bit of prize money—a sum that might be significant to others, but to Hassan, it was just a drop in the ocean, hardly worth mentioning.
Seeing that Zhang Wen merely grunted and then remained silent for a long time, Liliya looked at him again, frowning slightly, and said, “It’s not just us who realize Hassan will get rid of Agate. From what I know, many martial artists have already secretly allied. The moment Agate leaves, they’ll definitely come after you.”
Liliya had no doubt about Zhang Wen’s intelligence, but she wasn’t as confident about his strength. Earlier, when Zhang Wen defeated Nanson’s group on the floating stairs, it seemed to only prove his ability to seize opportunities, without demonstrating any power beyond the tenth tier.
“Really? You know about these things too?” Zhang Wen didn’t answer Liliya’s question but instead asked curiously.
Liliya’s intelligence was similar to what the old goat had provided, but even more severe. It wasn’t strange for the old goat, who was himself a “professional adventurer,” to know these things. However, Liliya, who had just infiltrated the Star-Moon disguised as a maid, could learn about the plans of those professional adventurers so quickly and secretly come to warn him, which made Zhang Wen feel quite curious.
“Do you know who you’re talking to?” Liliya smiled, her beautiful face suddenly radiating pride, “Don’t think that the reason the Imperial Army has a position of deputy officer is just to satisfy their superiors’ desires. Reconnaissance, assassination, eavesdropping… these are the basic duties of a deputy officer. If I couldn’t even figure out what the passengers on this ship were thinking six hours after boarding, then I would be failing in my duties.”
“Oh! I never thought… I never thought…” Zhang Wen couldn’t help but smile more and more happily.
Now Zhang Wen finally understood why he felt an especially warm sense of familiarity when he first met Liliya. At the same time, he had repeatedly been used by Liliya but still regarded her as a confidante. He hadn’t expected that this seemingly gentle beauty was actually his former colleague! Moreover, from Liliya’s confident tone, it was clear she was an outstanding one.
“What?” Liliya glared at Zhang Wen, clearly displeased.
“Nothing. Don’t misunderstand. I’m not laughing at you. It’s just that your manner just now reminded me of someone else,” Zhang Wen waved his hands repeatedly, his mouth curving into an uncontrollable smile.
“Someone else? I bet it’s another woman, right?” Liliya glanced at Zhang Wen teasingly.
“It is a woman, but our relationship is definitely not what you’re imagining. We were bitter enemies, always wishing each other dead. Only once…” Zhang Wen’s gaze became brighter, but his tone turned nostalgic and low, “We were forced to work together for some reason. I asked her, ‘Can you handle it?’ Her expression was exactly the same as yours just now.”
“Oh? What happened to her?” Liliya’s heart stirred.
“What happened to her? I think I’ll never see her again,” Zhang Wen shook his head.
A flash of disappointment passed through Liliya’s eyes, but she quickly inhaled deeply and continued, “Forget about the past if you don’t want to talk about it. However, Agate might be kicked off this ship by Hassan at any time. You’d better think clearly about what to do after he leaves.”
“I’ll think about it soon.”
“That’s best.” Liliya stood up, deliberately sighing heavily at Zhang Wen, “I have to go now. Sneaking out to warn you was a big risk. Hassan’s management of the maids on the Star-Moon is even stricter than how our Guards Corps manage soldiers.”
“That’s all your own doing, isn’t it?” Zhang Wen couldn’t help but make a joke, which earned him another glare from Liliya.
However, before Liliya slipped out of Zhang Wen’s room, she still gave him one last reminder: “In any case, be careful.”
“You too,” Zhang Wen replied solemnly.
“Hehe.” Liliya smiled lightly, not taking it too seriously, and like a nimble cat, she leaped away a few steps and disappeared from Zhang Wen’s sight.
Zhang Wen could tell that Liliya hadn’t really taken his warning to heart. However, his past experiences with women similar to Liliya told him that when dealing with such confident women, no matter what you say, they won’t listen until they actually run into trouble. Therefore, Zhang Wen could only helplessly smile and closed the door.
However, just as Zhang Wen was about to close the door to his bedroom almost completely, he suddenly yanked it open again! Immediately afterward, Zhang Wen actually used the Ghost Step technique. Like a ghost, his figure flickered several times in the opposite direction from where Liliya had left!
Zhang Wen, having used the Ghost Step technique, had nearly reached a speed comparable to that of an average transcendental expert. After chasing through several corridors, Zhang Wen finally saw the figure he had anticipated—the mysterious martial artist Baton Ping, with his youthful, baby-faced appearance.
In fact, Baton Ping might have been watching Zhang Wen’s every move long before even Liria had arrived at Zhang Wen’s room. However, despite Zhang Wen’s sharpened spiritual perception cultivated through the Spring Water Technique, he had sensed absolutely nothing! It wasn’t until the moment Baton Ping left that Zhang Wen finally felt a subtle sense of unease.
Baton Ping had also exerted himself fully, fleeing down the corridor for a while. But soon, he was shocked to discover that Zhang Wen had already caught up and was right behind him!
“Hey, Teacher Zhang Wen!” Before being caught, Baton Ping turned around with a sincere, innocent smile perfectly matching his youthful face.
“It’s really you,” Zhang Wen said, stopping a few steps away from Baton Ping.
Zhang Wen, who had unleashed his Ghost Step, was almost on par with ordinary super-tier masters in terms of speed. After chasing through several corridors, Zhang Wen finally caught sight of the figure he had anticipated—the mysterious martial artist with a baby face, Ba Tengping.
In fact, Ba Tengping might have been monitoring Zhang Wen’s every move long before, even before Lailiya had arrived at Zhang Wen’s room. Yet, despite Zhang Wen’s sharp senses honed by the Spring Water Technique, he had been completely unaware of it! It wasn’t until the moment Ba Tengping left that Zhang Wen sensed a subtle anomaly.
Ba Tengping also exerted all his strength, fleeing down the corridor. But to his astonishment, Zhang Wen quickly closed the distance and was soon right behind him!
“Hey! Teacher Zhang Wen,” Ba Tengping turned around with an innocent smile that perfectly matched his baby face, just before Zhang Wen could catch up.
“So it was you,” Zhang Wen stopped a few steps away from Ba Tengping.
Since Zhang Wen had caught up, it was clear he had noticed Ba Tengping’s earlier spying. There was no point in denying it now. “Teacher Zhang Wen’s strength truly surprised me!” Ba Tengping sighed with a bitter smile.
“It’s you who surprised me,” Zhang Wen smiled, instantly pushing the Spring Water Technique to its limit.
“Teacher Zhang Wen, there’s no need to be so wary of me. What I saw between you and that maid was just a misunderstanding,” Ba Tengping quickly waved his hands to explain, sensing Zhang Wen’s combat intent.
“A misunderstanding?” Zhang Wen frowned, still not letting his guard down. The previous encounter with Vicky had left a deep impression on him, and now facing an even more formidable Ba Tengping, Zhang Wen wouldn’t be careless in the slightest.
“Exactly. A complete misunderstanding. It’s true that I was investigating outside your room, but I wasn’t targeting you.”
“Oh? Then who were you targeting?”
“Heh! I know you care about that maid’s safety, Teacher Zhang Wen. But my target has nothing to do with her. Actually, I was just acting on someone else’s behalf…” Ba Tengping’s explanation was cut short by a sudden scream from the corridor.
“Ah!” The scream that reached Zhang Wen and Ba Tengping’s ears was brief, clearly cut off halfway as if someone had covered the screamer’s mouth.
Zhang Wen and Ba Tengping exchanged a glance, and almost simultaneously, they both dashed with all their might toward the source of the scream.
Though the scream was short, both Zhang Wen and Ba Tengping could tell that the high-pitched, somewhat childish scream could only have come from one person on the Starlight—Ryan! Moreover, Zhang Wen could clearly determine that the scream had come from near the floating elevator Lailiya was about to take.
Zhang Wen and Ba Tengping sprinted at full speed through the maze-like corridors of the Starlight’s second floor. After turning three or four corners, they arrived at the floating elevator where the scream had originated. Outside the elevator, Zhang Wen immediately spotted a purple sandal, part of the Starlight’s maid uniform, lying on the ground.
However, the elevator had already left the second floor and stopped at the third. Zhang Wen and Ba Tengping exchanged another glance and rushed to the nearest elevator, quickly ascending to the third floor.
“You take the left, I’ll take the right,” Ba Tengping shouted urgently as the elevator stopped on the third floor, then dashed into the corridor on the right.
Zhang Wen didn’t hesitate either, fully activating his Ghost Step as he sprinted down the left corridor.
Unlike the web-like structure of the second floor, the third floor’s corridors were divided into four separate areas—east, south, west, and north—centered around a central hall. This meant that if the culprits had exited the elevator on the third floor, they couldn’t escape Zhang Wen and Ba Tengping’s search unless they entered the central hall.
However, after thoroughly searching the entire southern area of the third floor, they found nothing—not even a shadow.
“We’ve been tricked,” Zhang Wen realized as he reached the end of the left corridor, finding nothing.
“Indeed. They must have known we’d chase them, so they deliberately paused on the third floor to make us think they’d switch elevators here, luring us up. In reality, they never left the elevator and went straight to another floor,” Ba Tengping quickly grasped the scheme with Zhang Wen’s hint.
But even though they now understood the trick, it was too late. The time they spent searching the southern area of the third floor was more than enough for the culprits to take their hostage to any floor, switch elevators, and hide.
“This is really bad,” Ba Tengping sighed as they returned to the elevator where Lailiya and Ryan had disappeared. “My employer repeatedly emphasized that I must ensure Young Master Ryan’s safe return. Now that he’s been taken right under my nose, I have no idea how to explain this to my employer.”
“Don’t worry. I suspect they weren’t after Ryan. Their target was likely Julia,” Zhang Wen said coldly, picking up the purple sandal with his left index finger.
Earlier, when Lailiya had lain down on Zhang Wen’s bed, he had noticed a simple yet practical spell mechanism on her sandals. After Lailiya infused a bit of spiritual energy, the sandals had automatically loosened. When she put them back on, it seemed the same.
As a saint-tier spell master, Lailiya’s sandals couldn’t have simply fallen off in a scuffle. This meant it was a deliberate signal she left for Zhang Wen. It was likely that Lailiya hadn’t anticipated Ryan’s sudden appearance and scream, so she left this clue to alert Zhang Wen that she had been abducted!
“If their target was Miss Julia, I’m even more concerned,” Ba Tengping’s baby face showed a hint of worry after hearing Zhang Wen’s reasoning. “If they were after Young Master Ryan, it would be simpler. After capturing him, they wouldn’t harm him until they achieved their goal using his status. But if their target was Miss Julia, then Young Master Ryan would be an unexpected complication. If I were in their position, I’d probably eliminate him quickly to avoid any complications.”
“True,” Zhang Wen nodded slightly. “So, what’s your plan?”
“Sigh! Since these people were careful enough to use a trick to shake me off, they probably didn’t leave any clues for me to follow. Now, I can only focus on ensuring Young Master Ryan’s survival,” Ba Tengping sighed again, but soon flashed his innocent smile at Zhang Wen. “And for that, I’ll need your help, Teacher Zhang Wen.”
“Go ahead. What do you need me to do?” Zhang Wen didn’t hesitate. It was clear that Ryan and Lailiya were now in the same hands. Helping Ba Tengping was equivalent to helping himself.
“Teacher Zhang Wen, I hope you can help me spread the word that both Miss Julia and Young Master Ryan have gone missing,” Ba Tengping immediately laid out his plan as they entered the elevator.
“Spread the word? Ah, I see. You want to make a big fuss. That way, everyone on the ship will be watching for Ryan and Julia’s whereabouts, and they won’t dare harm Ryan for the time being, right?”
“Exactly. I’m confident I have some means to track down Young Master Ryan’s location, but it will take time,” Ba Tengping’s baby face wore a pure smile again. “Also, it’s not suitable for me to be the one spreading the news of Young Master Ryan’s disappearance. If I do, they’ll be on guard against me, making it much harder to investigate.”
“Honestly, it’s not suitable for me either,” Zhang Wen smiled slightly, the corner of his lips curling up. “But I do have a very suitable candidate. More suitable than either of us.”
“A suitable candidate? I’m very curious!” Ba Tengping’s eyes widened with interest.
“Heh… Want to know? I’ll keep it a secret for now,” Zhang Wen chuckled as he pressed the button for the second floor.
“No, you’re the one who surprised me,” Zhang Wen replied with a smile, instantly pushing the Spring Water Technique to its peak.
“You don’t need to be so wary of me, Teacher Zhang Wen. What I saw between you and that maid was just a misunderstanding,” Baton Ping quickly raised his hands to explain, sensing Zhang Wen’s rising hostility.
“A misunderstanding?” Zhang Wen frowned slightly, still unwilling to let his guard down. Back then, Vicky had already left a deep impression on him. Now encountering someone even more formidable like Baton Ping, Zhang Wen would certainly not take any chances.
“Exactly—a complete misunderstanding. It’s true that I was indeed scoping out your room, but I wasn’t targeting you personally.”
“Oh? Then who were you after?”
“Hehe! I know, Teacher Zhang Wen, that you deeply care about the maid’s safety. However, my target has nothing to do with her. Actually, I was just acting on someone else’s request…” Before Baton Ping could finish, a sudden scream echoed down the corridor, cutting him off.
“Ahh!” The scream that reached Zhang Wen and Baton Ping’s ears was very brief, clearly interrupted halfway by someone covering the screamer’s mouth.
Zhang Wen and Baton Ping exchanged glances. Almost simultaneously, they both exerted their full strength and dashed toward the source of the scream.
Though the scream was short, both Zhang Wen and Baton Ping could clearly identify its characteristics—a high-pitched, childish shriek. On this entire Star Moon ship, only one person could make such a sound: Ryan! Moreover, Zhang Wen could accurately determine that the scream had come from near the escalator where Liria had been preparing to board.
At full speed, Zhang Wen and Baton Ping raced through the second floor’s maze-like corridors. After turning three or four corners, they arrived at the escalator where the scream had originated. Outside the escalator, Zhang Wen immediately spotted a purple sandal—one of the standard-issue shoes worn by the Star Moon’s maids—lying on the floor.
However, the escalator had already moved up and was now paused at the third floor. Zhang Wen and Baton Ping exchanged another glance before rushing to the nearest alternate escalator and quickly ascending to the third floor.
“You take left, I take right,” Baton Ping urgently shouted as soon as the escalator reached the third floor, then rushed into the corridor on the right.
Without hesitation, Zhang Wen activated the Ghost Step again and proceeded down the left corridor.
Unlike the web-like structure of the second floor, the third floor’s corridors radiated outward from a central grand hall, divided into four completely separate sections: southeast, southwest, northeast, and northwest. In other words, if their target had disembarked on the third floor, they would be unable to escape Zhang Wen and Baton Ping’s search unless they entered the grand hall itself.
However, after thoroughly searching the entire southern section of the third floor from one end to the other, the two found not even a single soul!
“We’ve been tricked,” Zhang Wen realized, reaching the end of the left corridor with nothing to show for it.
“Mm. They must have known we would follow, so they deliberately paused on the third floor to make us think they were changing escalators, luring us up here. In reality, they never actually left the escalator but immediately went to another floor instead,” Baton Ping, no fool himself, quickly grasped the trick once Zhang Wen hinted at it.
However, even though Zhang Wen and Baton Ping had now figured out their opponent’s deception, it was already too late. The time they had spent searching the southern section of the third floor had been more than enough for their adversaries to take the hostage to any floor, switch escalators, and hide.
“This is really bad,” Baton Ping sighed as they returned to the escalator where Liria and Ryan had vanished. “My employer gave me strict instructions to ensure that young Master Ryan was safely returned. Now he’s been taken right under my nose. I don’t know how I’ll explain this back to my employer.”
“You can relax. I suspect those people weren’t after Ryan. Their real target must be Julie,” Zhang Wen said coldly, lifting the purple sandal with his left index finger.
Earlier, when Liria had lain down on the bed in Zhang Wen’s room, he had noticed a very simple yet practical spiritual mechanism on her sandal. After she had injected a small amount of spiritual energy into it, the sandal had automatically loosened. It seemed she had put it back on in the same way.
As a saint-tier spiritual arts master, there was no way Liria’s sandal had come off accidentally during a struggle. In other words, she had deliberately left it behind as a signal for Zhang Wen. Most likely, she hadn’t anticipated Ryan’s sudden appearance and scream at first. Therefore, she had decided to leave a clue for Zhang Wen, alerting him that she had been abducted!
“If their target really is Miss Julie, then I’m even more worried,” Baton Ping said after hearing Zhang Wen’s explanation, his baby face now showing more concern. “If their target had been young Master Ryan, it would have been relatively easier. Before achieving their goal through Ryan’s identity, they probably wouldn’t have harmed him. However, if their target is Miss Julie, then young Master Ryan is merely an unexpected complication to them. If I were in their position, to avoid unnecessary trouble, I would quickly eliminate the witness.”
“Mm,” Zhang Wen nodded slightly. “Then what do you plan to do?”
“Sigh! Since these people were cautious enough to use tricks to shake me off, they probably won’t leave any clues for me to follow. Now, I can only try my best to ensure young Master Ryan’s safety first,” Baton Ping sighed again, but quickly turned his innocent smile toward Zhang Wen. “For this matter, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask for Teacher Zhang Wen’s help.”
“Tell me. What do you need me to do?” Zhang Wen didn’t hesitate at all. Clearly, both Ryan and Liria were now in the hands of the same group. Helping Baton Ping was essentially helping himself.
“Teacher Zhang Wen, I hope you and I can spread the news about Miss Julie and young Master Ryan’s simultaneous disappearance,” Baton Ping immediately revealed his plan as they stepped into the escalator.
“Spread the news? Oh, I see. You want to make a big deal out of it. That way, everyone on the ship will be watching for Ryan and Julie’s whereabouts. They won’t dare harm Ryan for the time being, right?”
“Exactly. I’m confident I still have some methods to track down young Master Ryan’s location. However, this will take time,” Baton Ping said with another innocent smile on his baby face. “Also, it’s not advisable for me to personally spread the news about young Master Ryan’s disappearance. Otherwise, they will definitely become wary of me. It will then be much harder to track down young Master Ryan’s whereabouts.”
“Hehe! To be honest, I’m not in a good position to do it either,” Zhang Wen smiled slightly at Baton Ping, his lips curling upward. “However, I happen to know a very suitable candidate—someone even more appropriate than either you or me.”
“A suitable candidate? I’m very curious!” Baton Ping’s eyes widened in genuine interest.
“Hehe… Want to know? For now, it’s a secret,” Zhang Wen chuckled as he pressed the button to return to the second floor.
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