Chapter 133: Farewell to Lelia

“Mr. Hassan, I’m terribly sorry that such an accident occurred aboard the Star Moon.”

Inside the top cabin of the Star Moon, in “that room”—a small chamber—Hassan sat comfortably in the central massage chair. Opposite him, on the wall, hung a massive psychokinetic screen that covered the entire surface. The cold face of Anthony, the leader of the blue-clad men, was displayed prominently in the center.

“Forget it, Anthony. No need to get upset over such a minor issue,” Hassan replied calmly with a smile, waving his hand dismissively. “It was unavoidable that they would meet with an accident. The most important thing now is to figure out who they really were and why they died. Have you made any progress on these two questions?”

“Not yet. The two murdered guests were professional assassins who destroyed their own faces and used shape-shifting techniques when boarding the Star Moon, so we can’t extract any information from them. While we could investigate further based on their body types, most of the Star Moon’s guests haven’t returned yet. Among the guests we invited, many share similar physical characteristics with the two deceased. Therefore, identifying them will take some time.”

Anthony’s ability to remain calm and composed, even when answering the most awkward questions, was precisely his personality—and one of the reasons Hassan admired his old friend most.

“I see. So, we are equally clueless about the cause of their deaths and the identity of their killer?”

“That’s correct. Considering the circumstances of the guests on board this time, we removed all psychokinetic surveillance devices on the second floor. Therefore, once those two guests entered the corridor on the second floor, we were unable to track them further. The only information we have now 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 the Kentuckians have recently been quite unfriendly toward the Empire. Could their deaths be related to them?”

“It’s too early to say for certain. According to our investigation, the Kentuckian sage was in Instructor Zhang Wen’s room at the time of the murders. Our investigators are quite confident that neither Eniel nor Zhang Wen had the opportunity to go elsewhere and commit the murders.”

“Oh? Our Instructor Zhang has such talent? I heard that although Kentuckian men look different from us, their women are all exquisite beauties! Moreover, Kentuckian women are almost universally known for being extremely conservative. I once had the privilege of seeing one at an auction in the ‘Throne,’ but unfortunately…” Hassan said, licking his lips with regret.

Anthony showed no interest in the topic Hassan had brought up. He simply waited calmly for Hassan to finish expressing his sentiments before continuing the previous conversation.

“We also investigated the other two Kentuckians who came with Eniel. However, both Kentuckian martial artists had solid alibis. Our psychokinetic surveillance system installed at the floating staircase recorded them passing by the two deceased guests. After that, they went directly to the casino on the first floor, so it’s impossible for them to have committed the murders. Additionally, even purely from a strength standpoint, the two deceased guests were both Saint-tier experts, while those two Kentuckian martial artists are merely tenth-tier warriors.”

“In other words, it’s possible that this incident has nothing to do with the Kentuckians and that those two unfortunate souls simply crossed paths with someone they shouldn’t have, got killed, and then were framed on the Kentuckians?” Hassan mused thoughtfully, stroking his chin.

“We can’t rule out that possibility. Moreover, during the investigation, I discovered something extremely strange.”

“Oh?” Hassan looked up curiously.

“Two days ago, a female servant aboard the Star Moon suddenly disappeared. Around the time of her disappearance, one of my subordinates saw two figures in black cloaks and masks near the floating staircase.”

“Oh? The two black-cloaked figures your subordinate mentioned should be the two guests who were killed today. What about that servant girl?” Hassan asked, his interest piqued.

“I looked into it. She was nothing special—just an ordinary local girl who boarded the Star Moon six months ago and was scheduled to leave in another six months.”

“Hmph… So, perhaps that poor woman saw something she shouldn’t have and was silenced? Anthony, I suddenly feel that, in reality, we have more clues than just what you’ve told me.” Hassan smirked, his eyes flashing with sudden intensity. “Two Saint-tier experts… killed without a trace. On this ship right now, how many people do you think could pull off something like that, aside from our own people?”

“Not many.”

“Hehe! You’re absolutely right. Among the guests we’ve invited, although there are many Saint-tier experts, they’re all roughly equal in strength. If any of them had fought with those two deceased men, even if they managed to win, the commotion would have been so loud it could nearly tear the Star Moon apart. Therefore, the only remaining suspects are…”

“I understand.” Anthony nodded knowingly. “What do you plan to do?”

“Heh! What to do? Obviously, we do nothing and wait for things to cool off!” Hassan cracked a joke with a hearty laugh but quickly turned serious. “Before the Southern Lords’ battle for supremacy concludes, we’re 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 afford to turn against Omega. Besides, no matter who those two unfortunate souls were, their deaths don’t hurt us, do they?”

“Hmm.” Anthony paused thoughtfully. “Then, should we continue the investigation?”

“Of course! Even if we don’t want to uncover the truth, we still need to put on a show! Otherwise, if two Saint-tier guests die mysteriously and the news spreads, it would significantly damage the reputation of my Star Moon.” Hassan smiled, raising his glass to Anthony.

“Understood.” Anthony nodded again, ending the communication.

The chaos aboard the Star Moon continued throughout the night. The next morning, as Zhang Wen and Eniel stepped out of their room together, they saw that the second-floor corridor was now heavily guarded, with blue-clad men stationed every few steps.

Throughout the journey, Eniel, unnerved by the piercing gazes of the blue-clad men, kept her head down. Only after they entered the floating staircase and escaped the sight of the guards did she finally exhale in relief.

“Zhang Wen, last night’s incident… was just an accident! I only did what I did because I owed you a favor! So… so it won’t happen again! Promise me you won’t tell anyone!” Suddenly remembering something, Eniel anxiously and earnestly stared at Zhang Wen as the floating staircase started moving.

“Eh? Why? Does your Kentuckian clan have some kind of taboo?” Zhang Wen blinked in surprise, his mind immediately flashing to the “sacred maidens” he’d read about in novels before.

“Not exactly.” Eniel shook her head shyly, her fingers fidgeting. “It’s just that our Kentuckian customs dictate that a woman must only be with her husband after being witnessed by the ancestral sages. As the interim sage of the Kentuckian clan, how could I possibly violate our clan’s rules?”

“Alright, alright. Of course, I’ll keep your secret.” Understanding Eniel’s meaning, Zhang Wen finally relaxed. However, while agreeing to her request, he couldn’t resist teasing the Kentuckian sage, who was both sensually mature and charmingly innocent.

“But even though you repaid one favor last night, you still owe me another, don’t you? Could it be that the great Kentuckian sage wants to renege on her debt?”

“Eh?” Eniel first froze in shock, then her face turned as red as a steamed dumpling.

“I… I did owe you a favor… but… if you really insist… I… I…” Under Zhang Wen’s amused gaze, Eniel could barely bring herself to lift her head.

“Haha!” Zhang Wen chuckled, shaking his finger at the flustered Eniel. “Forget it. Let’s call it even. I’m not the kind of person who expects repayment for a favor.”

“Hmph! I don’t need you to call it even. I’m the Kentuckian sage—how could I ever renege on a debt? I’ll remember the favor you’re owed and repay it someday.” Zhang Wen’s smugness only fueled Eniel’s competitive spirit. The elven beauty glared at him indignantly, her voice rising in anger.

“Alright, alright. I look forward to that day coming soon.” Zhang Wen shrugged nonchalantly, making Eniel clench her teeth in frustration.

“Fine! Let’s set that aside for now. Zhang Wen, what do we do now? With those two dead, it seems the entire ship has been placed under lockdown. How are we supposed to find that Imperial Guards’ female deputy?” After a moment of silence, Yinel,不甘心被张文打败, shifted to a new topic.

“Hehe! I haven’t even gotten anxious yet, so why are you more nervous than me?” Zhang Wen continued smiling and teased Yinel.

“This… it’s because you’re the hope for the revival of our Kentucky clan! Of course I’m worried!” Ynair’s face turned red, but she refused to admit defeat.

“Yes, yes. You have every reason to be anxious. However, when it comes to finding Liria, anxiety alone won’t help. We need to wait for the right moment.”

“Oh! I know that too. But as for the timing you mentioned, when exactly will it ever happen?”

“Haha, don’t worry. We won’t have to wait for long,” Zhang Wen said with a mysterious smile. He wagged his finger at Iniel and stepped off the floating ladder.

Pushing open the grand doors of the third-floor hall, Zhang Wen immediately noticed that, unlike the previous two times when he had come here amidst a bustling crowd, the hall was now nearly empty, with only a few scattered figures inside.

Two other groups of bodyguards who had returned earlier than Zhang Wen’s team were not present in the grand hall. Moreover, the blue-uniformed guards who had originally been stationed around the hall as decoration had also vanished without a trace.

Besides Zhang Wen and Eneir in the entire hall, there was only that young man who always wore a warm smile, along with a few maids carrying trays of pastries.

“Where has everyone gone? There isn’t even a guard at the door,” Iniel said, taking a few pastries from the plate and curiously asking a female servant.

“Oh, well… It’s because of a shortage of staff on the second floor, so most of the guards here have gone there to work,” the maid replied rather awkwardly, as the grand hall of the Star Moon号 suddenly seemed so deserted when Yinel asked her. She made an effort to explain to Yinel, then added specifically, “But there were still two guards outside earlier. However, they suddenly received notice that the airship picking up Miss Lufelle from the south was back, and the deck urgently needed assistance, so they were called away too.”

“Roflare 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 do you want now?” Elniel mumbled discontentedly, still chewing on a snack.

“Shh!” Zhang Wen pulled Yinel onto the floating ladder and brought her to the first level of the Star Moon. Then he quickly dragged her straight into one of the unoccupied small rooms, covered her mouth with his hand, and gestured to her to be quiet.

“Waaah!” Yinel, suddenly pulled into an empty room, obviously thought that Zhang Wen was about to do those lewd things to her again, even in broad daylight.

Clumsy Elnel hurriedly covered her chest, her heart pounding in confusion.

After all, Elniel is considered a wise figure in Kentucky, a personage whose legal and rational standing is on par with an imperial planetary governor. Even those aristocrats who usually look down on others would outwardly show her respect and deference. As for the ordinary Saint-level experts who dominate smaller planets, they would be nothing but courteous and reverent in her presence.

Yet after getting to know Zhang Wen, Yinel’s authority as the acting wise woman of Kentucky was actually diminishing day by day. Even harder for Yinel to bear was the fact that instead of feeling angry about Zhang Wen’s increasingly outrageous “insults” towards her this time, she seemed to enjoy them more and more!

“How could this happen?” The more Yinel thought about it, the more embarrassed she became, until finally she herself turned her face completely red.

Elnel stole a glance at Zhang Wen, only to find him completely oblivious to her embarrassment. Instead, he was holding his breath and staring out the window, as if waiting for something.

“Hmm…” Elnir let out a soft sigh, yet she couldn’t even tell herself whether she felt relieved or disappointed.

Boom!

Nial’s hesitation didn’t last long, as a sudden, spine-chilling thud echoed through the Star Moon.

“What’s going on?” Elna looked at Zhang Wen in surprise, silently seeking an explanation with her eyes.

From Zhang Wen’s previous strange attitude, Iniel could almost guess that the muffled sound just now had something to do with Zhang Wen!

“Quick! A fight has broken out on the deck! Hurry and reinforce!” Soon, the corridors on the first floor echoed once again with the panicked shouts of the blue-clad men. After a flurry of hurried footsteps, the corridor finally fell quiet again.

“Alright! The moment I’ve been waiting for has arrived,” Zhang Wen said, releasing his hand from Yinaer’s mouth and smiling as he waved her over.

“What’s going on exactly?” Elnur caught up with Zhang Wen in a few quick steps, persistently demanding an answer.

“I’m saying, Miss, you’re at least a wise elder of the Kentucky clan. Can you use your head a bit? Stop asking such foolish questions,” Zhang Wen sighed, pointing his finger toward the deck of the Star and Moon. “Back when I was at the Infinite Arena, I already made a plan with Rovella. As soon as she returned to the Star and Moon, she would pick a fight with another Saint-level expert who also had an agreement with me. That way, those blue-robed guards on the Star and Moon will naturally be drawn up to the deck, and our chance to search for the person will finally arrive.”

“Oh! So it’s really like this! From that moment on, you had already started scheming against Roselle! And here I thought you were terrifying me by saying you’d kill her!”

“Shh! Be quiet! Although most of the guards are gone, the maids are still around. If they discover our actions, I’ll have no choice but to silence them permanently!”

“You’re scaring me again!”

“This time I’m not kidding you! Just think for yourself, if Hassan found out I was part of the Guards, do you think he’d let me off the hook easily?”

“Hmph!!” Elna grumbled unwillingly, but still pressed her lips tightly shut.

The two of them stealthily crept past the southern section where the maids gathered, and entered the quiet northern section, separated only by a single gate.

“Okay, there’s no need to be so tense anymore.” After leading Iniel through a long, deserted corridor, Zhang Wen finally waved his hand, signaling that Iniel could now relax.

“Phew!” Yinel, who had been holding her breath cautiously just moments ago, immediately exhaled deeply. However, a pungent smell of rotten vegetable leaves rushing into her nose almost made her burst into tears.

“Do you think they’d lock that female aide in a place like this?” Yinel asked in a strange tone, hastily pinching her nose.

“Well. I’ve thought about this many times regarding where they might be hiding the Tibetans. First of all, the fifth floor of the Crescent Moon is off-limits to us. Since those two individuals are also guests invited by Hassan, they definitely wouldn’t have access there either. As for the fourth floor, that’s Rofer’s territory. I believe they don’t yet have the audacity or capability to secretly hide a living person right under Rofer’s nose. As for the second floor, third floor, and south section of the first floor, these areas are bustling with people coming and going all the time; there’s absolutely no way to hide someone there. Therefore, the only possible location left must be here.”

“Okay.” Zhang Wen’s analysis quickly convinced Eneal. She nodded and continued following Zhang Wen deeper into the northern district.

After touring the entire northern section of the Star-Moon vessel, Zhang Wen finally came to a stop in front of a thick, heavy door.

“Right here,” Zhang Wen said firmly, nodding decisively despite having no evidence to prove that Liliya was indeed behind this grand gate.

However, after Zhang Wen knocked on the door panel of that large gate, he furrowed his brow deeply.

“What’s wrong?” asked Einar, puzzled.

“This is the Star and Moon’s storage room for valuable items. The walls are half a foot thick, made of sea-urchin stone, and the main door is a full foot thick, also of sea-urchin stone. Even an expert at the highest level would have quite a task trying to break through it. Those guys really knew how to pick a spot,” Zhang Wen said with a bitter smile.

“Hmm… it’s certainly a place that makes escape impossible,” said Iniel as she walked over and gently tapped on the door of the sea urchin stone.

“Of course. If I had enough time and no other concerns, I suppose I could force my way in. However, on this ship, if I go all out against this door, the noise would probably be almost as loud as what’s happening on the deck. Before long, a large group of people would come charging over to catch us…” Zhang Wen shrugged helplessly, scratching his head.

He had gone to great lengths to create this perfect opportunity, hoping to rescue both Liria and Rick, who was locked up with her, in one go. He never expected that at the very last moment, he would encounter such a simple yet direct problem—one that left him utterly helpless!

“You’re worried about *this*?” Elniel suddenly let out a ‘hmph’ laugh.

“What’s so funny about that?” Zhang Wen retorted angrily.

“Don’t worry. Leave it to me. When brute force doesn’t work, it’s time to use my specialty.” Ynair, who had finally seized an opportunity to surpass Zhang Wen, couldn’t help but smile slightly as she strolled toward the control panel by the door.

Then, Eneal raised her hand, pressed it against the controller’s telepathic input port, and slowly closed her eyes.

A faint blue light emanated from Eniel’s right hand as energy continuously flowed into the nearby control panel. Soon, the screen on top of the controller began flashing with a dazzling array of characters.

A few more seconds passed, and once again, a faint smile appeared on Eniel’s face.

“It’s open!” Elniel turned her head back with a boastful tone, glanced at Zhang Wen, and quickly walked towards the slowly opening grand door. As the chief contributor to opening the door, Elniel had no intention of letting Zhang Wen take credit for rescuing the Vanguard Corps’ deputy officer.

“Watch out!” But the moment Yinel stepped in front of the gate, Zhang Wen couldn’t help but turn pale. He shouted loudly and hurriedly rushed towards Yinel in panic.

Boom!

Two念 bullets roared out from the room the moment the door swung open, nearly grazing Eniel’s face as they flew past, and slammed into the opposite wall.

The next moment, two figures darted out of the room like lightning, and two psychokinetic bullets quickly took shape, aiming at Zhang Wen and Eniel who were lying on the ground.

“Liria, it’s me!” Zhang Wen shouted in a fluster.

“Zhang Wen?” Lailia was taken aback, her hand dropping instantly, and the念弹 resting in her palm disappeared into thin air in the blink of an eye.

“What’s going on now?” Iniel raised her head and glanced at Liria.

Inel, who had been preoccupied with the debt of gratitude she owed to Zhang Wen, thought this was finally her chance to repay him. Unexpectedly, in the end, she was rescued by Zhang Wen once again!

Wouldn’t this mean she owed him twice now? Elniel thought gloomily.

“Sorry. I had no idea what was happening outside while I was in there. When I saw someone open the door, I thought it was those two bastards who imprisoned me. I assumed that if it were Zhang Wen, he certainly would have thought of this, so I didn’t hesitate to act. After all, opportunities like this don’t come often.” Lailiya cast a slightly surprised glance at Iner, then pulled her up without delay.

“Alright. This time, I was indeed too hasty.” In front of Liria, Ynair quickly regained the composure befitting a Kentucky sage. She smiled faintly and frankly admitted her mistake.

Laila smiled at Yinel as well and then turned her gaze toward Zhang Wen.

“Zhang Wen, how did you find us? Also, this young lady… she must be Lady Eneal, the successor to the Kentucky tribe’s wisdom, right? Why is she here with you?”

“This is a long story,” Zhang Wen said, standing up and motioning with his hand. He turned his ear to listen to the surrounding sounds, then smiled at the others. “You guys must’ve made some noise just now. Someone’s coming to check things out. This isn’t a good place to talk. How about we head back to my room first?”

“Go back to your room? Fine,” said Liria, first taken aback, and then suddenly smiling in an eerie way, her gaze shifting between Eniel and Rick, who had remained silent all along.

Although Zhang Wen could sense a hint of ill intent in Riley’s smile, hearing the approaching footsteps growing closer, he set aside his suspicions about her for the moment. He quickly led everyone to evade the group of blue-clad men conducting the search, slipping away through another corridor and sneaking back to the room on the second floor.