“Mr. Hassan, I’m terribly sorry that such an accident occurred aboard the Star Moon,” said Anthony, the leader of the blue-robed men, his cold face displayed in the center of the psychokinetic screen mounted on the wall opposite the massage chair where Hassan sat calmly in the small room on the top cabin level of the Star Moon.
“Forget it, Anthony. There’s no need to get upset over something so trivial,” Hassan replied with a smile, waving his hand casually. “It was unavoidable that they would have an accident. The most important thing now is to figure out their identities and the reason they died. Have you made any progress on these two questions?”
“Not yet. The two murdered guests were professional assassins who destroyed their own appearances and used shapeshifting techniques when boarding the Star Moon, so we couldn’t extract any information from them. While we could conduct a more detailed investigation based on their body types, most of the guests aboard the Star Moon haven’t returned yet. Among the guests we invited, many have similar body types to the deceased, so identifying them will take some time.”
Anthony’s ability to maintain a calm mindset and expression even when answering the most awkward questions was his defining trait, and it was one of the things Hassan most appreciated about his old friend.
“I see. So, does that mean we also know nothing about the cause of their deaths and the identity of their killer?”
“One could say that. Considering the circumstances of the guests who boarded this time, we removed all the psychokinetic surveillance devices on the second level. Therefore, after those two guests entered the corridor on the second level, we were unable to continue tracking them. The only piece of information we have is that they died in the room of Kentucky’s interim sage, Eniel.”
“Oh? They died in a Kentuckian’s room? I’ve heard that Kentucky has been quite unfriendly toward the Empire recently. Could their deaths be related to the Kentuckians?”
“We haven’t been able to confirm that yet. However, according to our investigation, the Kentuckian sage was in Instructor Zhang Wen’s room at the time of the two deaths. Our investigator is quite certain that neither Eniel nor Zhang Wen would have had time to go elsewhere and commit murder.”
“Mr. Hassan, I deeply apologize for the unexpected incident that occurred on the Starlight Moon.”
In the small room atop the Starlight Moon’s cabin, Hassan sat comfortably in the central massage chair. On the wall opposite the chair hung a large psychic screen, displaying the cold face of Anthony, the leader of the blue-clad men.
“Let it go, Anthony. No need to get upset over such a trivial matter,” Hassan waved his hand nonchalantly with a smile. “It was inevitable that they would encounter an accident. The most important thing now is to figure out their identities and the reason behind their deaths. Do you have any leads on these two questions?”
“Not yet. The two guests who were killed were professional assassins who had disfigured themselves and used illusionary techniques when boarding the Starlight Moon, so we couldn’t gather any information from them. Although we can conduct a more detailed investigation based on their physical characteristics, most of the guests on the Starlight Moon haven’t returned yet. Among the guests we invited this time, there are many who resemble the two victims in physique, so it will take some time to identify them.”
Even when answering the most awkward questions, Anthony maintained his calm demeanor and expression, a trait that Hassan greatly admired in his old friend.
“Is that so? So, we’re equally clueless about the cause of their deaths and the identity of their killer?”
“You could say that. Considering the circumstances of the guests who boarded this time, we removed all psychic monitors from the second floor. Therefore, after the two guests entered the corridor on the second floor, we couldn’t continue tracking them. The only information we have is that they died in the room of Kentucky’s acting sage, Iniel.”
“Oh? They died in the room of a Kentucky native? I’ve heard that the Kentucky people have been quite unfriendly towards the Empire recently. Is there any connection between their deaths and the Kentucky people?”
“We can’t confirm that yet. However, according to our investigation, the Kentucky sage was in Instructor Zhang Wen’s room at the time of the two deaths. Our investigators are quite certain that both Iniel and Zhang Wen didn’t have the time to go elsewhere to commit the murders.”
“Oh? Our Instructor Zhang Wen has such capabilities? I’ve heard that while Kentucky men may look different from us, Kentucky women are all stunning beauties! Moreover, the women of that clan are almost all terrifyingly conservative. I once had the fortune of seeing one at the ‘Throne’ auction, but alas…” Hassan licked his lips with regret.
Anthony had no interest in Hassan’s topic and waited patiently for him to finish his musings before continuing the previous conversation.
“Besides Iniel, we also investigated the other two Kentucky people who were with her. However, those two Kentucky martial artists also have alibis. The psychic monitors we installed in the floating stairs recorded them passing by the two murdered guests. After that, they went to the casino on the first floor, so it couldn’t have been them. Additionally, purely in terms of strength, the two murdered guests were both Saint-level experts, while the two Kentucky martial artists are only at the tenth level of strength.”
“So, it’s likely that this incident has nothing to do with the Kentucky people, and those two unfortunate souls simply provoked someone they shouldn’t have. After being killed, the blame was shifted onto the Kentucky people?” Hassan pondered while stroking his chin.
“We can’t rule out that possibility. Moreover, during the investigation, I discovered something quite peculiar.”
“Oh?” Hassan looked up curiously.
“Two days ago, a maid on the Starlight Moon suddenly disappeared. Around the time of her disappearance, one of my subordinates saw two people in black cloaks with masked faces near the floating stairs.”
“Oh? The two black-cloaked individuals your subordinate mentioned must be the two guests who were killed today. What’s the background of that maid?” Hassan asked with interest.
“I looked into it, and the maid was nothing special. Just an ordinary local girl. She boarded the Starlight Moon half a year ago and was supposed to leave in another six months.”
“Hmm… So, that poor woman saw something she shouldn’t have and was silenced? Anthony, I suddenly feel that we might have more clues than just the ones you mentioned.” Hassan sneered, a glint in his eyes. “Two Saint-level experts… killed without anyone noticing. On this ship, besides our people, how many do you think could pull that off?”
“Not many.”
“Exactly! You’re absolutely right. Among the guests we invited, although there are quite a few Saint-level experts, their strengths are more or less evenly matched. If a few of them had clashed with those two unfortunate souls, even if they could win, the commotion would probably have torn the Starlight Moon apart. So, the remaining people are…”
“I understand.” Anthony nodded in comprehension. “What do you plan to do?”
“Ha! What to do? Let it cool down, of course!” Hassan joked with a laugh, but his expression quickly turned serious. “Until the South Realm Dominance War concludes, we are in a cooperative relationship with Thunder God Omega. Omega himself will board the Starlight Moon in a few days to help me complete the test. At this time, we can’t afford to fall out with Omega. Besides, regardless of who those two unfortunate souls were, their deaths don’t harm us, do they?”
“Hmm.” Anthony remained silent for a moment. “So, should we continue our investigation?”
“Of course, we should continue! Even if we don’t want to uncover the real outcome, we need to put on a show! Otherwise, the sudden deaths of two Saint-level guests would significantly damage the reputation of my Starlight Moon.” Hassan smiled, raising his glass to Anthony.
“Understood.” Anthony nodded again, ending the communication.
The chaos on the Starlight Moon lasted the entire night. The next morning, when Zhang Wen and Iniel stepped out of their room, they saw the second-floor corridor filled with expressionless blue-clad men stationed every few steps.
Throughout the journey, Iniel, feeling extremely anxious under the piercing gazes of the blue-clad men, kept her head down. It wasn’t until they entered the floating stairs and escaped the sight of all the blue-clad men that Iniel finally let out a long sigh of relief.
“Zhang Wen, what happened last night… it was all an accident! I just owed you a favor, so… that’s why I did such a thing! Anyway! Those things won’t happen again, so please don’t tell anyone!” As the floating stairs started moving, Iniel suddenly remembered something and stared at Zhang Wen with both anxiety and seriousness.
“Huh? Why? Is there some taboo for the sages of your Kentucky clan?” Zhang Wen was puzzled, his mind immediately recalling the “holy maidens” he had read about in novels.
“Not exactly.” Iniel pinched her fingers, shaking her head in embarrassment. “It’s just that the custom of our Kentucky clan is… a woman must have the witness of the ancestral sages before she can… do that with her husband… I am the acting sage of the Kentucky clan, how can I be the first to violate our clan’s rules?”
“Alright, alright. That’s no problem, I’ll definitely keep it a secret for you.” Understanding Iniel’s meaning, Zhang Wen finally felt relieved. However, while agreeing to Iniel’s request, Zhang Wen couldn’t resist teasing the Kentucky sage, who was both maturely sensual and girlishly cute.
“But, even though you repaid one favor last night, it seems you still owe me another one! Could it be that the esteemed Kentucky sage wants to renege on her debt?”
“Huh?” Iniel was momentarily stunned, then her face turned as red as if she had stepped into a steam room.
“I… I do owe you a favor… but… if you insist… I… I…” Under Zhang Wen’s amused gaze, Iniel almost buried her head in her chest.
“Ha ha!” Zhang Wen laughed heartily, waving his finger at the flustered Iniel. “Forget it. Let’s just call it even for the remaining favor. I’m not the kind of person who expects repayment for a good deed.”
“Hmph! No need for you to call it even. I am the Kentucky sage, how could I possibly renege on a debt? I’ll remember the favor I owe you. I’ll definitely repay you someday.” Zhang Wen’s smugness only fueled Iniel’s competitive spirit. The elven beauty glared at Zhang Wen, angrily exclaiming.
“Alright, alright, I’ll look forward to that day coming soon.” Zhang Wen spread his hands, his nonchalant attitude making Iniel grit her teeth in frustration.
“Fine! Let’s put that aside for now. Zhang Wen, what should we do now? With those two dead, it seems the entire ship is on high alert. How are we supposed to find that vice adjutant of the Imperial Guard?” After a moment of silence, unwilling to be defeated by Zhang Wen, Iniel brought up a new topic.
“Heh! I’m not in a hurry, why are you more anxious than me?” Zhang Wen continued to tease Iniel.
“Well… because you are the hope for the revival of our Kentucky clan! Of course, I’m anxious!” Iniel’s face turned red, but she refused to back down.
“Yes, yes. It’s only natural for you to be anxious. However, finding Leliana isn’t something that can be done just by being anxious. We need to wait for the right opportunity.”
“Sigh! I know that. But when will the opportunity you mentioned come?”
“Ha ha, don’t worry. We won’t have to wait too long.” Zhang Wen smiled mysteriously, waving his finger at Iniel as they stepped out of the floating stairs.
Pushing open the door to the third-floor hall, Zhang Wen noticed that, unlike the previous times he had been here, the hall was now sparsely populated.
The other two groups of martial artists who had returned earlier were nowhere to be seen, and the blue-clad bodyguards who usually stood around the hall had also disappeared.
Apart from Zhang Wen and Iniel, the only people in the hall were the young man who always wore a friendly smile and a few maids carrying trays of pastries.
“Where did everyone go? There’s not even a guard at the door.” Iniel picked up a few pastries from a tray and curiously asked a maid.
“Ah, well… because the second floor is short-handed, most of the guards here have gone there to stand watch.” The maid, feeling embarrassed by the sudden emptiness of the luxurious Starlight Moon hall, tried to explain to Iniel and then added, “However, there were two guards outside earlier. But just now, it was suddenly announced that the airship bringing Miss Rofle back from the south had arrived. The deck urgently needed manpower, so they were called away.”
“Rofle is back, huh.” Zhang Wen glanced at the wall clock, then suddenly grabbed Iniel’s hand and pulled her out of the hall.
“Hey, what are you doing now?” Iniel, still chewing on a pastry, grumbled in dissatisfaction.
“Shh!” Zhang Wen pulled Iniel onto the floating stairs and took her to the first floor of the Starlight Moon. Then, he dragged her straight into an empty room, covered her mouth, and made a gesture for silence.
“Mmm!” Suddenly pulled into an empty room, Iniel clearly thought that Zhang Wen was about to do something inappropriate to her in broad daylight.
Flustered, Iniel hurriedly covered her chest, her mind in complete disarray.
After all, Iniel was the acting sage of the Kentucky clan, a figure who, in terms of legal status, was on par with an Imperial planetary governor! Even the haughty aristocratic families would show her some respect on the surface, and ordinary Saint-level experts who ruled over small planets would treat her with utmost deference.
But ever since meeting Zhang Wen, the authority of Iniel, the acting sage of the Kentucky clan, seemed to diminish day by day. What was even more unbearable for Iniel was that she couldn’t bring herself to be angry at Zhang Wen’s increasingly bold “transgressions”; in fact, she seemed to be enjoying them more and more!
“How could this be?” Iniel felt more and more embarrassed, eventually turning her own face bright red.
Iniel stole a glance at Zhang Wen, only to find that he hadn’t noticed her shyness at all. Instead, he was quietly looking out the window, as if waiting for something.
“Sigh…” Iniel let out a soft sigh, unable to tell whether she was relieved or disappointed.
Boom!
Iniel’s inner turmoil didn’t last long before a heart-stopping thud suddenly echoed through the Starlight Moon.
“What’s going on?” Iniel asked Zhang Wen with her eyes, startled.
From Zhang Wen’s earlier strange behavior, Iniel could guess that the loud thud had something to do with him!
Anthony wasn’t interested in the topic Hassan had brought up. He simply waited calmly for Hassan to finish expressing his feelings before continuing with the previous subject.
“Besides Eniel, we also investigated the other two Kentuckians who came with her. However, those two Kentuckian physical artists also have alibis. Our psychokinetic surveillance devices installed in the floating stairs recorded their passing by the two murdered guests. After that, they went to the casino on the first floor, so it’s absolutely impossible for them to have committed the murders. Additionally, even if we consider their strength alone, the two murdered guests were both high-level experts at the Saint level, while those two Kentuckian physical artists are merely tenth-level experts.”
“In other words, it’s very likely that this incident has nothing to do with the Kentuckians and that those two unfortunate men simply provoked someone they shouldn’t have, only to be killed and framed by the Kentuckians?” Hassan said thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
“That possibility cannot be ruled out. Additionally, during the investigation, I discovered something quite strange.”
“Oh?” Hassan raised his head curiously.
“Two days ago, a maid aboard the Star Moon suddenly disappeared. Around the time of her disappearance, one of my subordinates saw two people wearing black cloaks and masks near the floating stairs.”
“Oh? The two cloaked figures your subordinate described should be the two murdered guests we have today. What about the maid? What’s her background?” Hassan asked with great interest.
“I did a little investigation. The maid doesn’t seem to be anything special—just an ordinary local girl. She boarded the Star Moon six months ago and was scheduled to leave in another six months.”
“Hmph… So, this poor woman must have seen something she shouldn’t have and was silenced? Anthony, I suddenly feel that, in reality, we have more clues than just the ones you’ve mentioned.” Hassan sneered, his eyes suddenly flashing with sharpness. “Two Saint-level experts… killed without a trace. On this ship right now, how many people do you think, besides our own, could accomplish such a feat?”
“Not many.”
“Hehe! You’re absolutely right. Among the guests we’ve invited, although there are quite a few Saint-level experts, their strengths are more or less equal. If any of them had fought against those two unfortunate men, even if they managed to win, the commotion would have been so loud it might have nearly torn the Star Moon apart. So, the remaining suspects can only be…”
“I understand.” Anthony nodded knowingly. “What are your orders?”
“Hehe! What should we do? Obviously, we just let things be! ” Hassan joked with a hearty laugh, but his expression quickly turned serious. “Before the Southern Lords’ Contest of Supremacy is over, we are in a cooperative relationship with Thunder God Omega. Omega himself will personally board the Star Moon in a few days to help me complete the test. At a time like this, we can’t possibly turn against Omega. Besides, no matter who those two unfortunate men were, their deaths won’t harm us, will they?”
“Hmm.” Anthony paused for a moment. “Then, should we continue the investigation?”
“Of course, we should continue! Even if we don’t want to uncover the truth, we still need to put on a show! Otherwise, if two Saint-level guests die mysteriously, it will significantly damage the reputation of my Star Moon.” Smiling, Hassan raised his wine glass in a toast to Anthony.
“Understood.” Anthony nodded again knowingly, ending the communication.
The chaos aboard the Star Moon lasted the entire night. The next morning, when Zhang Wen and Eniel stepped out of their rooms together, they saw that the second-level corridor was now heavily guarded, with blue-robed men stationed every three steps and every five steps.
Throughout the journey, Eniel, who was extremely anxious under the piercing gaze of the blue-robed men, kept her head down. Only after the two entered the floating stairs and escaped the sight of all the blue-robed men did Eniel let out a long sigh of relief.
“Zhang Wen, last night’s incident… it was just an accident! I only did what I did because I owed you a favor! So… that’s why I did those things! Anyway! Those things won’t happen again, so please, whatever you do, don’t tell anyone!” As the floating stairs started moving, Eniel suddenly remembered something and, both anxious and serious, stared at Zhang Wen.
“Eh? Why? Is there some kind of taboo among your Kentuckian sages?” Zhang Wen was taken aback, his mind immediately flashing back to the “sacred maidens” he had read about in novels before.
“That’s not it.” Eniel shook her head, embarrassed and shy as she fidgeted with her fingers. “It’s just that our Kentuckian tradition is… a woman must only be with her husband in that way after being witnessed by the ancestral sages. I am the Kentuckian sage, how can I break my clan’s rules by leading the way?”
“Okay, okay. That’s totally fine, I’ll definitely keep it a secret for you.” Understanding Eniel’s meaning, Zhang Wen finally felt relieved. However, while agreeing to Eniel’s request, Zhang Wen couldn’t resist teasing the Kentuckian sage a bit more—a woman who was both seductively mature and charmingly cute like a girl.
“But, even if you repaid me for last night’s favor, you still owe me another one, don’t you? Don’t tell me the great Kentuckian sage is planning to welsh on her debt?”
“Eh?” Eniel first froze in surprise, then her face suddenly turned as red as if it had been steamed.
“I… I did owe you a favor… but… if you really insist… I… I…” Under Zhang Wen’s amused gaze, Eniel was practically burying her head into her chest.
“Haha!” Zhang Wen laughed heartily, shaking his finger at the now speechless Eniel. “Forget it. Let’s just consider the remaining favor canceled. I’m not the kind of person who expects repayment for a good deed.”
“Hmph! I don’t need you to cancel anything. I am the Kentuckian sage, how could I ever renege on my debts? I will remember the favor I owe you. I will definitely repay it to you in the future.” Zhang Wen’s smugness only fueled Eniel’s competitive spirit. The elven beauty glared at Zhang Wen indignantly, her voice rising in anger.
“Alright, alright, I’ll be waiting for that day to come as soon as possible.” Zhang Wen shrugged carelessly, his nonchalance making Eniel clench her teeth in frustration.
“Fine! Let’s put that aside for now. Zhang Wen, what do we do now? With those two dead, it seems like the whole ship has been put on lockdown. How are we supposed to find that female deputy of the Imperial Guard?” After a moment of silence, Eniel, unwilling to be defeated by Zhang Wen so easily, thought of a new topic.
“Hehe! I haven’t even started panicking yet, so why are you in such a rush?” Zhang Wen continued to tease Eniel with a grin.
“This… because you are the hope for the revival of our Kentuckian people! Of course I have to be anxious!” Eniel’s face flushed red, but she refused to admit defeat verbally.
“Right, right. You have every reason to be anxious. But when it comes to finding Liria, anxiety alone won’t help. We need to wait for the right opportunity.”
“Sigh! I know that too. But when exactly will this ‘right opportunity’ come?”
“Haha, don’t worry. We won’t have to wait for long.” Zhang Wen smiled mysteriously, shaking his finger at Eniel as he stepped out of the floating stairs.
Pushing open the grand hall doors on the third level, Zhang Wen noticed that, unlike the previous two times when the place had been lively, the hall was now sparsely populated.
The two groups of physical artists who had returned earlier than Zhang Wen and Eniel were nowhere to be seen in the hall. The blue-robed bodyguards who had previously lined the hall’s perimeter were also nowhere to be found.
Besides Zhang Wen and Eniel, the only people in the entire hall were that ever-smiling young man and a few maids carrying trays of pastries.
“Where did everyone go? Even the door guards are missing,” Eniel asked curiously, taking a few pastries from a tray and turning to one of the maids.
“Oh, well… because of a shortage of personnel on the second level, most of the guards here have gone to stand watch there,” the maid replied apologetically, clearly embarrassed by the sudden emptiness of the once-lavish Star Moon hall. She hurriedly added, “However, there were two guards stationed outside just earlier. But suddenly, they were called to the south to meet Miss Lofele’s airship. There was an urgent need for personnel on the deck, so they were called away too.”
“Lofera is back, huh,” Zhang Wen said, glancing at the wall clock. Then he suddenly grabbed Eniel’s hand and dragged her out of the hall.
“Hey, what do you think you’re doing now?” Eniel mumbled in protest, still chewing on her pastry.
“Shh!” Zhang Wen dragged Eniel onto the floating stairs, taking her down to the first level of the Star Moon. Then he pulled her directly into one of the unoccupied small rooms, covered her mouth with his hand, and signaled her to be quiet.
“Umm!” Suddenly dragged into an empty room, Eniel clearly thought Zhang Wen was going to do those naughty things to her again in broad daylight.
Flustered and at a loss, Eniel hurriedly covered her chest, her heart in a complete tangle.
After all, Eniel was the acting sage of Kentucky, a figure of such stature that she was legally on par with an imperial planetary governor! Even those aristocrats who usually looked down on everyone else had to show her respect on the surface. As for the Saint-level experts who ruled small planets, they were even more respectful and obedient when they saw her.
Yet since meeting Zhang Wen, Eniel’s dignity as the acting sage of Kentucky had been decreasing day by day. What made Eniel even more unbearable was that she couldn’t even bring herself to be angry at Zhang Wen’s increasingly brazen “offenses”—in fact, she seemed to be enjoying them more and more!
“How could this happen?” Eniel thought, growing more and more flustered until her face turned completely red.
Eniel stole a glance at Zhang Wen and found that he hadn’t noticed her embarrassment at all. Instead, he was holding his breath and watching outside the window, as if waiting for something.
“Hmm…” Eniel let out a soft sigh, unable to tell even herself whether she felt relieved or disappointed.
Bang!
Before Eniel could dwell on her thoughts for long, a heart-stopping dull sound suddenly echoed through the Star Moon.
“What happened?” Eniel asked in alarm, her eyes seeking answers from Zhang Wen.
From Zhang Wen’s strange behavior earlier, Eniel could almost guess that the dull sound from just now had something to do with Zhang Wen!
“Quick! There’s a fight on the deck! Hurry and reinforce!” Soon, the corridor on the first floor echoed again with the panicked shouts of the blue-uniformed men. After a series of hurried footsteps, the corridor finally fell silent once more.
“Good! The moment I’ve been waiting for has arrived,” Zhang Wen said, removing his hand from Yinel’s mouth and smiling as he beckoned her over.
“What exactly is going on?” Yinel hurried to catch up with Zhang Wen, persistently demanding answers.
“Miss, you’re supposedly a wise member of the Kentucky clan. Can’t you use your head instead of asking such silly questions?” Zhang Wen sighed, pointing in the direction of the Star Moon ship’s deck. “Back when I was at the Infinite Arena, I made a plan with Lofrei. Once she returned to the Star Moon, she would pick a fight with another Saint-level expert who had an agreement with me. Naturally, the blue-uniformed guards on the Star Moon would be drawn to the deck, giving us the perfect opportunity to search for the people we need.”
“Oh! So that’s how it was! You were scheming against Lofrei from back then! And you even scared me by saying you’d kill her!”
“Shh! Speak softly! Although most of the guards are gone, the maids are still around! If they discover our movements, I’ll have no choice but to silence them permanently!”
“You’re scaring me again!”
“This time, I’m not kidding. Just think for yourself, do you think Hassan would let me off easily if he found out I’m from the Guards?”
“Hmph!!” Yinel unwillingly let out a disgruntled hum but quickly shut her mouth.
The two stealthily passed through the southern section, where the maids gathered, and entered the quiet northern section, separated only by a single gate.
“Alright, we don’t have to be so tense anymore,” Zhang Wen finally waved his hand after leading Yinel through a long, deserted corridor, signaling her to relax.
“Phew!” Yinel exhaled heavily, having been holding her breath cautiously until now. However, the pungent smell of rotten vegetables nearly brought tears to her eyes.
“Do you really think they would imprison that female deputy here?” Yinel hurriedly pinched her nose and asked in a strange tone.
“Hmm, I’ve thought about where they might hide someone many times. First, the fifth level of the Star Moon is off-limits to us. Since those two are also guests invited by Hassan, they definitely can’t go there either. As for the fourth level, that’s Lofrei’s territory. I believe they wouldn’t dare to hide a living person right under her nose. The second, third, and southern section of the first floor are bustling with people, making it impossible to hide someone there unnoticed. Therefore, the only possible location is here.”
“Alright then.” Yinel was quickly convinced by Zhang Wen’s analysis. She nodded and continued following him deeper into the northern section.
After thoroughly searching the entire northern section of the Star Moon, Zhang Wen finally stopped in front of a heavy door.
“It’s here.” Although there was no evidence proving Liria was behind this door, Zhang Wen’s intuition made him certain of it.
However, after knocking on the door’s wall, he furrowed his brows deeply.
“What’s wrong?” Yinel asked in confusion.
“This is the Star Moon’s valuable items storage room. Half-foot thick sea urchin stone walls, one-foot thick sea urchin stone door. Even a super-level expert would have difficulty breaking through it. Those guys really picked a good spot,” Zhang Wen said with a bitter smile.
“Hmm… indeed a place that makes escape impossible.” Yinel also walked over, lightly tapping the sea urchin stone door.
“Exactly. If I had enough time and no other concerns, I could force my way in. But on this ship, if I go all out against this door, the noise might be just as loud as the commotion on the deck. Before long, a large group will come to capture us…” Zhang Wen scratched his head helplessly.
He had painstakingly created this perfect opportunity, aiming to rescue Liria and the Rick locked up with her in one go. Yet, at the final moment, he encountered a simple and direct problem that left him helpless!
“Is that what you’re worried about?” Yinel suddenly giggled.
“What’s so funny about that?” Zhang Wen retorted angrily.
“Don’t worry. Leave it to me. When brute force won’t work, it’s time to use my specialty.” Seizing the rare chance to outdo Zhang Wen, Yinel couldn’t help but smile slightly as she walked to the door’s control panel.
Then, Yinel raised her hand, pressed it against the controller’s psychokinetic input port, and slowly closed her eyes.
“Quick! There’s a fight on the deck! Go reinforce!” The panicked shouts of the blue-clad men soon echoed through the corridor on the first floor. After a flurry of hurried footsteps, the corridor finally quieted down again.
“Good! The moment I mentioned has arrived,” Zhang Wen released his hand from covering Yinier’s mouth and smiled, beckoning her.
“What exactly is going on?” Yinier hurriedly caught up with Zhang Wen, relentlessly pressing for answers.
“Miss, you are supposed to be the wise one from the Kentucky clan. Use your brain, will you? Stop asking such foolish questions,” Zhang Wen sighed, pointing towards the direction of the Star Moon’s deck. “When I was in the Infinite Arena, I made a deal with Luo Fulei. As soon as she returned to the Star Moon, she would pick a fight with another saint-level expert I had an agreement with. This way, the blue guards on the Star Moon would naturally be drawn to the deck, giving us the chance to find someone.”
“Ah! So that’s how it is! You’ve been scheming against Luo Fulei since then! And you even scared me by saying you would kill her!”
“Shh! Keep your voice down! Although most of the guards have left, the maids are still here! If they discover our actions, I’ll have no choice but to silence them!”
“You’re scaring me again!”
“This time, I’m not scaring you! Think about it, if Hasan knew I was from the Imperial Guard, would he treat me kindly?”
“Hmph!” Yinier reluctantly snorted but tightly sealed her lips.
The two stealthily passed through the southern area of the first floor where the maids gathered and entered the quiet northern area, separated by just one gate.
“Alright, no need to be so tense here,” Zhang Wen finally waved his hand, signaling Yinier to relax after leading her through a long, deserted corridor.
“Phew!” Yinier, who had been holding her breath, finally exhaled deeply. However, the pungent smell of rotten vegetables that hit her nose almost brought tears to her eyes.
“Do you think they would keep the female deputy locked up in a place like this?” Yinier hurriedly pinched her nose, asking in a strange tone.
“Yes. I’ve thought a lot about where they might hide someone. First, the fifth floor of the Star Moon is off-limits to us. Since those two are also guests invited by Hasan, they certainly can’t enter there either. As for the fourth floor, that’s Luo Fulei’s territory. I believe they don’t have the capability to hide a living person right under Luo Fulei’s nose. The second, third floors, and the southern area of the first floor are all bustling with people, making it impossible to hide someone. So, the only possible location is here.”
“Alright,” Zhang Wen’s analysis quickly convinced Yinier. She nodded and continued to follow Zhang Wen deeper into the northern area.
After scouring the entire northern area of the Star Moon, Zhang Wen finally stopped in front of a heavy door.
“It’s here,” Zhang Wen nodded confidently, though there was no evidence to prove that Lailiya was behind this door.
However, when Zhang Wen knocked on the door, he frowned deeply.
“What’s wrong?” Yinier asked, puzzled.
“This is the Star Moon’s valuable storage room. Half a foot thick sea urchin stone walls, and a foot thick sea urchin stone door. Even a super-level expert would have a hard time breaking through. They really know how to pick a place,” Zhang Wen said with a bitter smile.
“Hmm… indeed a good place to ensure no one escapes,” Yinier also walked over and gently knocked on the sea urchin stone door.
“Of course. If I had enough time and no other concerns, I might be able to force my way in. But on this ship, if I were to fully attack this door, the commotion would probably be no less than that on the deck. It wouldn’t be long before a large group of people comes to arrest us…” Zhang Wen scratched his head in frustration.
He had painstakingly created this best opportunity to rescue Lailiya and Rick, who was locked up with her, in one go. Never did he expect to encounter such a straightforward yet insurmountable problem at the last moment!
“Is this what you’re worried about?” Yinier suddenly chuckled.
“What’s so funny about this?” Zhang Wen retorted angrily.
“Don’t worry. Leave it to me. When brute force doesn’t work, it’s time to use my specialty,” Yinier, finally getting a chance to outdo Zhang Wen, couldn’t help but smile as she walked over to the controller by the door.
Then, Yinier raised her hand, pressed it against the psychic energy input port of the controller, and slowly closed her eyes.
A stream of psychic energy, glowing with a faint blue light, continuously flowed from Yinier’s right hand into the controller. Soon, the screen at the top of the controller began to flash with a dizzying array of characters.
After a few more seconds, a smile reappeared on Yinier’s face.
“It’s open!” Yinier turned back with a look of triumph, glanced at Zhang Wen, and quickly walked over to the slowly opening door. As the chief contributor to opening the door, Yinier didn’t want to let Zhang Wen take the credit for rescuing the deputy of the Imperial Guard.
“Be careful!” But just as Yinier stood in front of the door, Zhang Wen’s face changed drastically. He shouted and hurriedly lunged towards Yinier.
Boom!
Two psychic bullets shot out from the room the moment the door opened, narrowly missing Yinier’s face and hitting the opposite wall.
In the next instant, two figures darted out from the room, and two more psychic bullets quickly formed, aimed at Zhang Wen and Yinier who were on the ground.
“Lailiya, it’s me!” Zhang Wen hurriedly shouted.
“Zhang Wen?” Lailiya was surprised and lowered her hand, the psychic bullet in her palm disappearing in an instant.
“What’s going on now?” Yinier looked up at Lailiya.
Yinier, who had been brooding over the debt she owed Zhang Wen, thought this was her great opportunity to repay it, only to find herself saved by Zhang Wen once again!
Doesn’t that mean I owe him twice now? Yinier thought dejectedly.
“Sorry. I didn’t know the situation outside. When I saw someone opening the door, I thought it was those two bastards who imprisoned me coming back. I thought, if it were Zhang Wen, he would surely think of this, so I didn’t hesitate to attack. After all, opportunity knocks but once,” Lailiya glanced at Yinier with a hint of surprise and helped her up.
“Alright. This time it was indeed my recklessness,” Facing Lailiya, Yinier quickly regained the demeanor befitting a wise person from the Kentucky clan. She smiled lightly and readily admitted her mistake.
Lailiya also smiled at Yinier and turned her gaze to Zhang Wen.
“Zhang Wen, how did you find us? And this lady… she must be the deputy wise person of the Kentucky clan, Yinier, right? Why is she here with you?”
“That’s a long story,” Zhang Wen stood up, listened to the surroundings, and gestured to everyone with a smile, “Your little stunt seems to have caused some commotion. Someone is coming to check. This isn’t the place to talk, let’s head back to my room first, shall we?”
“Back to your room? Alright,” Lailiya was momentarily stunned, then suddenly smiled mysteriously, her gaze shifting between Yinier and the silent Rick.
Although Zhang Wen could sense a hint of mischief in Lailiya’s smile, hearing the approaching footsteps, he decided to set aside his questions for Lailiya and led everyone to evade the searching blue-clad men, sneaking back to the second-floor room through another corridor.
A few seconds later, a smile reappeared on Yinel’s face.
“Got it open!” Yinel turned her head back with a look of pride at Zhang Wen, then quickly walked to the slowly opening door. As the chief contributor to opening the door, Yinel had no intention of letting Zhang Wen take credit for rescuing the Guards’ deputy commander.
“Watch out!” However, the moment Yinel stepped in front of the door, Zhang Wen couldn’t help but change expression. He shouted loudly and hurriedly lunged toward Yinel.
Boom!
Two psychokinetic bullets roared out from the room the moment the door opened, almost grazing Yinel’s cheek before slamming into the opposite wall.
The next moment, two figures darted out of the room like lightning, and two more psychokinetic bullets quickly formed, aiming at the fallen Zhang Wen and Yinel.
“Liria, it’s me!” Zhang Wen hastily shouted.
“Zhang Wen?” Liria was surprised, lowering her hand, and the psychokinetic bullet in her palm instantly vanished without a trace.
“What’s going on now?” Yinel lifted her head, glancing at Liria.
Still feeling resentful about owing Zhang Wen a favor, Yinel had thought this was a great opportunity to repay him. But now, she ended up being rescued by Zhang Wen again!
Doesn’t this mean she now owes him twice? Yinel thought gloomily.
“Sorry. I didn’t know what was happening outside. When I saw someone opening the door, I thought it was those two bastards who had imprisoned me. I thought, if it were Zhang Wen, he would definitely think of that, so I didn’t hesitate to attack. After all, the opportunity mustn’t be missed.” Liria looked at Yinel with slight surprise, helping her up.
“Well. This time, I indeed acted too recklessly.” In front of Liria, Yinel quickly regained the composure befitting a Kentucky wise woman. She smiled faintly and readily admitted her mistake.
Liria smiled at Yinel as well, then turned her gaze to Zhang Wen.
“Zhang Wen, how did you find us? And this lady… is she the Kentucky clan’s representative wise woman, Miss Yinel?” Why is she here with you?”
“Well, that’s a long story,” Zhang Wen stood up, listened carefully to the surrounding sounds, and smiled as he gestured to the others. “The commotion you two caused seems to have drawn some attention. People are coming to check. This isn’t the place to talk. How about we go back to my room first?”
“Back to your room? Alright.” Liria first looked puzzled, then suddenly grinned mysteriously, her gaze flickering between Yinel and the silently standing Rick.
Although Zhang Wen could sense a hint of mischief in Liria’s smile, with the approaching footsteps growing louder, he decided to set aside his thoughts about questioning Liria for now. He quickly led everyone to evade the approaching blue-uniformed guards, sneaking back to his room on the second floor through another corridor.
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