I wonder if Ling Tianchu will be even angrier after he finds out about his thoughts.
The main family's tranquility did not represent the Ling family's tranquility; at the very least, Ling Tianji was brewing a storm. He tossed a small storage file up and down in his hand, recalling its contents: it was a video recording of a war, documenting the number of warships in the Third Fleet during the conflict.
That war was the decisive battle in the great war between the Crystalless Empire and the P4 Nebula, marking the formal entry into a stalemate.
Ling Tianji smiled, her beautiful, almost woman-like face beaming, and looked up at the ceiling of her room.
"The world will change soon, very soon." He brought the object to his red lips and kissed it lightly, uttering these words softly. His upturned peach blossom eyes were filled with laughter, recalling the past. Gradually, the laughter turned into a hint of nostalgia, which then transformed into darkness, sorrow, and hatred.
At the same time, the p4 nebula.
Si Zhongqi leaned back in his recliner. The ceiling of the room had been set up with a nebula map of two major star systems. An ordinary person would be dazzled by the dense starlight at first glance, but he had seen the map countless times and knew the position of each constellation even with his eyes closed.
At this moment, a ball of light was floating not far in front of him. If Ling Tianji were to see the scene floating inside, he would definitely be shocked—it was everything recorded in his stored data.
"This young lady from the Yan family is quite interesting, what a pity..." Si Zhongqi sighed, then withdrew his gaze and lightly tapped the armrest of his chair. Someone walked in silently from outside.
"My lord," the man kneeling on the ground addressed him respectfully, not daring to raise his head.
"Let those people start moving. Since this guy's existence is a variable for both the Empire and the Federation, let me eliminate him for General Qin." He casually decided a person's life or death. If it were someone else, they would probably be trembling with fear, but his subordinates who had followed him for many years were already used to it.
They just didn't understand why their lord, who clearly already possessed the ability, would go to the trouble of first elevating Luo Qinghe to the position.
But this question will probably never be answered; no one has the courage to ask it.
After the man left, Si Zhongqi looked up at the starry sky above, a smile slowly spreading across his lips. Suddenly, he made his move, and the starry sky map above seemed to be torn and stirred by some force, quickly shattering into nothingness.
The snake that had been coiled around his arm slowly crawled out of his sleeve, its scales shimmering with a bluish light, its scarlet forked tongue flickering in and out, and it even spoke in a hoarse human voice: "My power will soon reach its peak. You're only using this little kid to whet my appetite."
Si Zhongqi chuckled upon hearing this, and seeing a hint of doubt in the snake's eyes, he slowly said, "The little girl is small, but what she carries is not simple; it might just be the main course."
Upon hearing this, the snake, which gleamed with a bluish light, flashed with a sharp light in its eyes, and wisps of black energy emanated from beneath its scales, making it look terrifying. It excitedly said, "It's a pity that Luo Qinghe is dead and nowhere to be found, otherwise her energy would be a great supplement to me, and you could wait a few less days."
"That's alright. We've waited a hundred years already, a few more days won't make a difference," Si Zhongqi replied with a gentle smile.
Moreover—when it comes to Luo Qinghe, Si Zhongqi always felt there were still some things he hadn't figured out, but the fact that she was dead was undeniable, so he didn't pay much attention to it.
If Chaoge, who had already arrived at the center of the desolate area, knew that so many forces were concerned about her, she would probably be stunned for a moment. But that's how people are sometimes; ignorance is bliss, and the fearlessness of a newborn calf is the same reason.
They had expected that anyone coming to seize territory would first be given a hard time, so a bunch of people from Yin Yang Ji were on high alert, waiting for the local bully to cause trouble. But after they had already had lunch at their lodgings, the people who arrived arrived as expected—and they weren't even the biggest local force.
At that moment, Yan Chaoge and her group were sitting in a local bar. Chaoge was sitting on a bar stool in front of the bar with her legs crossed. She was wearing a silver-gray military jacket that was half on and half off, with one sleeve hanging in the air. A third of the scarlet liquid in her wine glass was swirling in her hand. She suddenly remembered her first meeting with a certain woman.
A smile just appeared in his deep brown eyes when a loud bang came from the doorway. Someone kicked open the metal door of the small bar, and the sound made everyone look in that direction.
"Heh! So who owns all these cargoes parked at this airport? Turns out they're some new, clueless guy..." The man who spoke had his hair shaved down to the middle, dyed a color like a male crown, which Chaoge found offensive even with just a glance.
He quickly looked down at the cup in his hand, ignoring the guy's provocative words.
Ying and Mo Nian have never been afraid of trouble, so they were naturally happy to see someone come to them asking for a beating. After all, they were all outsiders in the central area, and they were bound to have a fight anyway, but small fry were not their targets.
Yao Chen and Chao Ge were unsure of the attitude of the most powerful force in the area, which made it difficult for them to control the strength of their subordinates.
Chaoge originally didn't want to make a big fuss, but after Yaochen updated the system, his IQ skyrocketed, approaching the level of a master strategist. Chaoge took the opportunity to entrust most of the tasks to him, knowing full well that she wouldn't make things difficult for her precious brain.
Jiang Ningtao reached out and pushed Mo Nian aside, signaling him to go away if he wanted to fight, so as not to get involved. Over there, Spall also released the little female cat he was holding, and the two of them finally had a chance to loosen up their muscles. Ritter, who was on the opposite side, raised an eyebrow, followed his lead, and stroked the head of the white snake beside him, sitting in place without any intention of getting up.
“It’s not impossible to ask for something. Just give us your address. If it sounds good, we might just come and deliver it to you in person later.” Spall, who had stood up, knew that his side needed a ‘legitimate’ place to stay. He stretched and stared at the other party with an innocent smile.
The man had no intention of hiding his background; after all, he was a thug sent down from above, and upon hearing the question, he loudly announced his identity. He sized up Spall and asked, "So you're the boss of some Yin-Yang sect?"
It's such a nice-sounding name. After this guy said it, everyone in the Yin-Yang Clan felt uneasy.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but seeing you is an eyesore, so I apologize for not being able to fulfill your wish to be beaten up by me." Chao Ge twirled the wine glass in her hand, staring at the liquid in the glass without turning her head, and said this with a smile.
Hearing her say that, Sibo, who was originally planning to roll up his sleeves and go for a good time, couldn't help but take two steps back. Ying and Mo Nian, who always liked to fight, also reached out to block the light.
[These forces might not believe it, but one of the most undeniable characteristics that made you the leader is your ability to attract hatred.] Even Yao Chen mentally muttered a complaint about Chao Ge.
The defining characteristic of the entire Yin-Yang Collection is that it perfectly embodies the traits of its leader.
Seeing that they all looked at him with disbelief, the man with the rooster-like hair immediately exploded, brandishing his spiked club and charging forward.
As a result, once the fighting started... it lasted for a week.
☆ Chapter 69: The Fourth Evaluation of Subordinates
The "fight for a week" mentioned here doesn't refer to the fight with that guy with the rooster-like haircut, but rather to the fact that ever since that group came to the bar and lay sprawled on the ground, other factions have also gotten wind of it. Since then, Chaoge and his group have been constantly harassed near the airport, with three meals a day plus afternoon tea and late-night snacks.
This situation lasted for a week and seemed to have no end in sight.
What's even more puzzling is that the forces that came to cause trouble, ranging from small to large, none of them had any connection whatsoever with the strongest power in the central region.
The planet located in the center of the desolate area also has no atmosphere, so there is no daytime on the entire planet. Looking up, all you can see is the vast universe. Therefore, the only city where pirates gather on this planet is so brightly lit all year round that it is as bright as day. It is also known as the City That Never Sleeps. It is said that the city lord named it himself.
It's clearly only nighttime, so where does the "sleepless night" come from?
Listening to Yao Chen's methodical report of the information he had gathered, Chao Ge couldn't help but smile. This city lord was the most powerful figure here, someone that no other interstellar pirate dared to offend, no matter what conflicts of interest arose.
"So you mean the city lord doesn't pay attention to the pirate forces in this city, but still manages to hold the top position?" What's the secret? Chaoge wrinkled his nose, picked up a transparent cup from the small table next to him, and drank the bottled water in one gulp.
I smacked my lips and found it quite sweet; the water quality here is pretty good.
“No, I’ve checked. Before us, every time an outside force tried to gain a foothold in this City That Never Sleeps, they were initially met with fierce resistance. There were even two or three forces that dominated other places but were completely swallowed up because they failed to take over the City That Never Sleeps.” Yao Chen shook his head. His purple eyes became even more profound as he pondered, and the black bangs on his forehead curled slightly, making his face look even more exquisite.
"Some people say that after we arrived, the city lord's men deliberately didn't touch us, as if they had received a tip." After thinking for a moment, Yao Chen added, then looked up at Chao Ge, wanting to know her plans.
Chaoge immediately leaned back on the sofa, raised her right hand to cover her eyes, and sighed heavily, "I really hate people who are born with an IQ boost. I don't want to figure out what they're thinking at all, okay? Either they think we're not worth their time and can be crushed by other forces, or they have other motives and want to see who can hold out longer. Whether it's for our future peace of mind or to figure out their thoughts, we have to go and meet this city lord."
"You said you didn't want to think about it, but you've already analyzed it all." Yao Chen, exasperated, exposed Chao Ge's words.
Chaoge sat up straight again and looked seriously into Yaochen's eyes: "Yeah, so I feel like I'm overworking my brain right now. Seriously, it's a waste not to use all those thinking modules you have. Why don't you take over as the leader?"
"I'm not taking this burden! We agreed on this back then..." Yao Chen stood up angrily, even raising his voice as if he wanted to say something to Chao Ge.
"Okay, okay, I was just kidding. Lower your voice. Don't think your voice isn't dangerous right now." Chao Ge interrupted him helplessly. If he kept making a scene, people might find out something from their conversation. After all, walls have ears.
Speaking of the city lord's location, it's called Thorn Castle. I heard that the city lord loves to eat armored snake meat so much that the thorns from the edges of the armored snakes' shells are so thick that they can be used to cover the walls outside the castle to deter thieves. As for the city lord who is such a glutton but has such an artistic name, Chaoge really can't look at him the same way.
On the way to Thorn Castle, Chaoge worriedly wondered if the castle lord's style would also be on the level of being an eyesore. Unfortunately, she was only accompanied by Yaochen and Ningtao, while the others stayed at the base to eat quickly and be ready to deal with guys who came to ask for a share of energy and food.
However, upon arriving at her destination, seeing the dim yellow light emanating from the black lampshades of unknown material floating up and down in front of the castle gate, Chaoge momentarily thought she had arrived at a ghost town, rather than a place inhabited by humans.
Thinking that he was now leading a group of underlings, how could he back down in front of such a door? Chaoge pretended not to see anything and walked in, while glancing at Ningtao and Yaochen's expressions out of the corner of his eye, and then found that the two of them were completely expressionless.
Why did I bring these two boring guys with me? Where's my Shadow Baby?
When she finally met the city lord, Chaoge's expression was extremely complicated. Anyone who had lived in a future world for so long and seen so many high-tech products would probably have a very strange expression upon seeing a woman wearing a light blue European-style classical dress, a floral hat, and holding a gold and jade leaf fan.
For a moment, Chaoge thought that he had traveled through time again the moment he stepped into the castle, this time to the classical European court style of the 15th century.
Thankfully, when she turned around, Yao Chen and Ning Tao were still behind her, and she put her heart back down.
The woman had light golden hair and sea-blue eyes. A golden leaf fan in her hand obscured half of her face. She looked at Chaoge with a faint smile in her eyes: "Yan Chaoge?"
Judging from the tone of her voice when she called out the name and from the look in her eyes, she seemed to have a deep understanding of Chaoge.
The feeling of having this unknown guy know you inside and out, while you know nothing about him, is truly awful. Even thinking this, Chaoge still nodded slightly and replied unhurriedly, "Yes, I have long admired the City Lord's reputation and have come to pay a visit today."
Hearing her reply, the woman chuckled softly, lifted her elaborate skirt with her free hand, and turned to head towards the restaurant: "I understand." Following the direction she left, Chaoge happened to see the dark, gooey thing on the elegant white porcelain plate on the table. Luckily, she had a good memory and recognized it at a glance as the difficult-to-process ironclad snake chunks she had eaten before.
Ning Tao stepped forward to Chao Ge's side. Chao Ge met his gaze, and Ning Tao frowned but remained silent. Chao Ge smiled and asked in her mind, "Yuan Fang, what do you think?"
[Judging from her behavior, she probably really knows you, though the extent is hard to say.] Yao Chen stood behind her without changing his expression, answering the key points of her question through their communication channels, too lazy to bother with her outburst.
【Little Red Riding Hood, you're getting less and less interesting. Hmm, are you from the Empire or the Federation?】Chaoge complained to Yaochen in a serious tone, pondering whether she could dig out any useful information today.
However, even after the city lord finished his snacks and came over to find that she hadn't left, he spoke to them a few more times with little interest before seeing them off, and they still hadn't gotten anything to make a judgment.
Stepping out of the castle, Chaoge shook her head. "Don't try to guess what a woman is thinking. You can never figure it out. I really want to..." She stopped mid-sentence, a hint of melancholy in her eyes, and walked toward her resting place.
Yao Chen watched her retreating figure, his cat-like eyes darkening, and followed without saying a word.
He knew exactly what Chaoge wanted to say. Qin Muge's intelligence was exceptional, no matter where he was, and he was always a source of trouble for others.
Jiang Ningtao yawned, taking in their expressions. Recalling their first encounter, he felt unsure whether his choice this time was right or wrong.
Inside the castle.
The girl with the gold-rimmed fan stopped smiling and sat down in an armchair. Just then, a person came down the stairs. Half of her face was hidden in the shadows, and the half of her face that was exposed had faint dark blue patterns floating on it, which she wiped away with her hand.
"She's here?" The person standing on the stairs spoke in a tone that was clearly gentle and harmless, but now, mixed with deep longing, the emotion in that simple sentence was terrifyingly profound.
The woman holding the golden folding fan immediately closed it and replied with a laugh, "Yes, I wondered what kind of person you were so obsessed with. It turns out I've already met him."
The person standing by the stairs gripped the wooden spiral staircase handrail. The back of their hand was much paler than before. Reminded by her, a look of understanding appeared in their eyes, and a faint smile appeared on their lips, like the arc of a magnolia blossom falling from a branch: "That time in E239."
"Have you found anything about your investigation?" The woman on the chair lifted her skirt and looked at her with a questioning gaze.
When asked about what she wanted to investigate, the woman gripped the armrest, her gaze shifting to the crystal chandelier in the spacious living room. The transparent crystal reflected the light, making the chandelier sparkle brilliantly, almost dizzying to stare at. She seemed unfazed, her eyes calm, reflecting glittering golden light, as she slowly said, "The more I investigate, the more complicated it becomes. I didn't expect Qin Muge to be so capable; she was involved in Si Zhongqi's affairs so long ago. This matter requires a trip to Tianzi Star, but my identity… is too inconvenient."
What do you mean?
The person who heard the question didn't seem to intend to answer. They turned around and walked upstairs until their figure disappeared between the floors. Then, in a very soft and slow voice that only they could hear, they said, "She doesn't like... she doesn't like me lying to her."
Those sitting in European-style armchairs naturally wouldn't hear these words, and even if they did, they probably wouldn't understand their meaning.
Just when she thought the matter was over, the person's final instructions came down from upstairs: "Don't worry about the Yin Yang Collection anymore. If there are any other developments, let her know. You know what to do."
"Yes." She responded softly, reopened her folding fan to cover half of her face, her sea-blue eyes darting around mischievously, as if she were thinking about something.
☆ Chapter 70: The Third Evaluation of the Boss
The West District of the City That Never Sleeps.
The place where Yin and Yang gather.
Since Chaoge returned from the city lord, he originally thought it would be a fruitless negotiation. Unexpectedly, Yaochen said that news came from Thorn Castle that Yin Yang Group was able to deal with the warships of the Son of Heaven, which was their own ability. If anyone was envious, they could do it too, and no one would stop them. However, it would be too disgraceful for Evernight City to steal goods.
Her words seemed to imply that Chaoge and the Lord of Never Sleeps had some connection. Only Ningtao and Yaochen, who accompanied her to Never Sleeps that day, looked as bewildered as she did, completely unable to understand how the Lord's cold attitude could be considered as protecting Yin Yang Ji.
I can't figure it out.
Yao Chen was so engrossed in this matter that he lost a mental module and still couldn't connect the dots. Seeing this, Chao Ge immediately stopped trying to exhaust his brain cells and let it go. Judging from this woman's style of doing things, she was remarkably similar to the Crystalless Empire. However, Chao Ge just couldn't believe that Qin Muge could be so idle as to be busy with the war against P4 while simultaneously planting a pirate group leader in the core of the pirate gang?
Why would she bother with all this trouble?
Gathering intelligence? With Min Kaiyang on her side, it's safe to say that no unusual activity anywhere in the empire can escape her notice. Could this place possibly yield some unique intelligence about the P4 Nebula?
Yao Chen sensed her active train of thought, and his lips twitched. He no longer wanted to discuss her contradictory behavior. She said she didn't care about the matter, but in reality, her thoughts had already wandered off to who-knows-where according to her own ideas.