Chapter 199: News From Kansa

He hadn't expected the fleet Commander to act so swiftly. It hadn't been long, yet the smuggling organization already declared their inability to take them back.

On the surface, this smuggling organization seemed to have some semblance of a conscience. At least they sent out an advance notice. Otherwise, the moment the stowaways remaining on Blazing Eye Star attempted their return journey, their only fate would be getting blown to pieces by the patrol warships.

As for the prepayments made for the return trip, the other party was certainly not going to refund them. Once a shadowy organization like this decided to cut and run, they had absolutely zero scruples.

"That Commander should know the contact information for the smuggling organization..." Li Yu pondered for a moment, then shook his head. It was not a significant amount of money.

The total smuggling fee was fifty million Star Coins. Since they had already been successfully smuggled to Blazing Eye Star, the organization had completed part of their service. The return trip was only worth twenty-five million Star Coins.

It was not worth causing extra trouble. Abandoning the thought, the Blazing Light Starship slowly descended. Not far away sat the smuggling Spaceship they had previously used.

Having already been informed, the people on the Spaceship were not panicked and methodically proceeded with the resource transfer.

Claptrap was in charge of wiping the residual data left on the Spaceship.

Hunter was exceptionally satisfied with the various configurations of this Spaceship. His eyes glowed with greed as he caressed every corner of the vessel.

"Yes..." Li Yu nodded, giving Hunter a general summary of Mo Duo's slumbering state.

"To think it turned out like this." Hunter was slightly surprised, clicking his tongue in wonder. The origins of the Blazing Eye Race were actually connected to The Council.

"Huh, who is this old grandpa?" Keller stared with wide eyes at Pucha, who was frowning in thought in the corner. Sinai followed behind her, unusually silent and appearing much more haggard than before.

"One of Mo Duo's Tribesmen?" Hunter asked, noticing Pucha's dull, blazing red eyes.

"You could say that. The High Priest of the Blazing Eye Race," Li Yu explained casually.

"Pucha?" Peyton's voice rang out from the side, sounding slightly surprised.

"You know him?" Li Yu hadn't expected Peyton to actually recognize Pucha.

Peyton nodded. "I've met him a few times. The Morgan Family values him quite a bit. They spent a considerable price boosting him into an A-Tier Lifeform."

"An A-Tier Lifeform of the Morgan Family?" Hunter gasped, staggering backward repeatedly. He had previously assumed this was just one of Mo Duo's Tribesmen.

To think this was someone from the Morgan Family, and an A-Tier Lifeform to boot. The realization made his brain short-circuit; he knew full well just how terrifying A-Tier Lifeforms were.

The Augu fleet had captured A-Tier Lifeforms on more than one occasion. Although a regular A-Tier Lifeform could not withstand Augu.

However, the sheer individual might of such beings was something Hunter found very difficult to forget.

Li Yu chuckled. "Relax, he can't attack right now."

Peyton was somewhat curious, circling around Pucha a few times. "What happened to him?"

"Senile Dementia. He can't take care of himself anymore. You could point at his nose and curse him out, and it wouldn't matter," Li Yu explained.

This answer clearly did not satisfy Peyton, but Peyton also knew that he wouldn't get a real answer even if he kept asking. He simply dropped the subject and stared intently at Pucha.

He realized that the longer he followed Li Yu, the more amusing things he encountered. It had reached a point where he no longer really wanted to die—at least not until he finished exploring the fascinating mysteries right in front of him.

"Right..." Peyton suddenly recalled something and spoke up. "Keller's Identity is not simple. Her bloodline concentration has already surpassed that of a Tenth-Generation Blood Descendant."

"And?" Li Yu was a bit puzzled. He remembered Peyton mentioning last time that Keller's bloodline concentration was extremely high.

Peyton explained in detail. "Stepping into the ranks of the tenth-generation divine descendants grants one the qualifications of a Sub-God. That Blood Earl from before was merely a Tenth-Generation Blood Descendant himself; he could not have sired a Blood Descendant within the first ten generations."

Li Yu suddenly understood. "So Keller is not a descendant of that Blood Earl. Now that is interesting..."

He pondered it for a moment. Keller stared with wide eyes, completely clueless about what that bad uncle and this big brother were talking about.

Sinai clenched her fists, biting her lip so hard that the taste of blood filled her mouth. She felt a deep sense of trepidation; the more mysterious Keller's Identity proved to be, the more trouble it signified.

Unable to figure out any clues, Li Yu simply decided not to care. He patted Keller's head and said, "Who would've thought I'd manage to pick up a goddess and bring her back."

Keller did not understand, merely assuming that Li Yu was praising her, and instantly revealed a joyful expression.

"Those crude instruments alone are no longer capable of further testing. We need more advanced equipment to properly analyze her bloodline concentration." Only then did Peyton reveal his true intentions. He paused before adding:

"It will require an allocation of roughly ten billion Star Coins."

"No need." Li Yu's face darkened, and he made a prompt decision. "There's no point in continuing these tests. Let's stop right here."

"Is that a lot?" Peyton asked in confusion. "More advanced research equipment is bound to be Excellent Value For Money. It wouldn't just be for studying bloodline concentrations; it has other uses as well."

"Forget it... just forget it." Li Yu waved his hand, too lazy to chat further with this Wealthy Tycoon.

Li Ping and the Esper Group had finished transferring the supplies, and Claptrap had wiped the data from the smuggling Spaceship. The Blazing Light Starship slowly lifted off, heading straight for space.

Hundreds of kilometers away, Gratton spat out a mouthful of sand. His savage face was full of fury. On the Smart Terminal in his hand, a clear message was displayed: 'Blocked'.

"Those damned Bastards! They actually dared to swallow the money of our Slave Catching Team! Once I get out of here, I'm definitely going to kill them!"

Someone nearby immediately spoke up, complaining, "Boss, let's just focus on getting out of here first. This place is a desolate wasteland, complete with biochemical beasts and radiation zones. It's no place for a human. I definitely don't want to stay here forever."

"Relax, I'll definitely take you guys out of here..." Gratton snorted coldly. Their group was small, and his authority as the boss was not absolute.

"Boss, there's a Spaceship flying towards space!!" On the observation screen, the Blazing Light Starship was clearly visible, its trajectory caught by their scanners.

"Aren't they just courting death? The smuggling organization just sent out that notice, and they're leaving already?" someone asked in confusion.

"No..." A glimmer of cunning intelligence flashed in Gratton's eyes. "The smuggling organization must have gotten into some sort of conflict with the patrol fleet here."

"And the patrol fleet might not have reacted yet. If we seize this opportunity, it's highly likely we can leave this place!"

Gratton analyzed the situation, feeling that his theory made more and more sense as he spoke. He made a prompt decision. "Go, let's follow them and see."

"With them acting as a shield in front, even if there's danger, we'll have time to react."

Gratton's words made perfect sense, and his subordinates did not object. Soon after... the roaring engines of two Spaceships echoed as they took off, chasing along the trajectory of the Blazing Light Starship.

The friction between the Atmosphere and the surface of the Blazing Light Starship sparked an arc-shaped shield of fire, yet the people inside the Spaceship could barely feel any vibration.

"Not bad... truly not bad..." Li Yu was highly satisfied. This "surprise" now seemed passably decent in his eyes.

The patrol fleet on the outer perimeter of Blazing Eye Star immediately detected the Blazing Light Starship attempting to leave, yet not a single warship dared to attack.

This was because the Commander had long since circulated the visual characteristics of the Blazing Light Starship throughout the entire fleet, issuing strict orders that this vessel must never be attacked!

"Is the Envoy preparing to leave?" The Commander initiated communications with the Blazing Light Starship once again. Pucha looked the same as before, frowning in deep contemplation with his head bowed.

If it weren't for the fact that Li Yu's movements on the screen were different from last time, the Commander would have thought it was a recording.

"Yes, Lord Pucha needs to leave this place temporarily." Acting as Pucha's spokesperson, Li Yu masterfully grasped the haughty demeanor of a superior.

His careless tone and casual replies only served to make the other party's attitude even more respectful.

"I wish you a pleasant journey."

Right at that moment, the Commander slightly turned his head as if listening to a report. He then asked, "Are the Spaceships following behind also with the Envoy?"

"No." Li Yu shook his head. Claptrap had already detected the trailing Spaceships earlier, but Li Yu simply hadn't cared.

"Understood." The Commander nodded, promptly ending the communication.

"Hahaha..." Gratton burst into laughter. "My guess was completely right!"

Ahead of them, the Blazing Light Starship had already departed from the Space Orbit of Blazing Eye Star, and the nearby warships hadn't reacted at all, completely turning a blind eye to it.

The surrounding subordinates all looked at their boss with eyes full of reverence. He was simply too awesome!

"Full speed ahead, let's get out of this hellhole!" Gratton roared. However, in the very next moment, a massive Energy Beam pierced right through the Spaceship next to them, detonating into a brilliant, silent firework in the vacuum of space.

Before Gratton could even react, another Energy Beam shot over, and their remaining Spaceship directly exploded as well.

'How could this happen...' Gratton's consciousness was annihilated within the silent explosion.

The warship that launched the attack continued its patrol around the outer perimeter of Blazing Eye Star as if nothing had ever happened.

Piloting the Blazing Light Starship near the Tasuri Hub, Li Yu disembarked and headed straight for the smuggling organization's hideout. Unfortunately, the place was already Deserted.

The other party had moved incredibly fast, leaving not a single trace behind.

Hunter shook his head. "These organizations have long since become old foxes. Who knows how many backup evacuation plans they have. Since they dared to embezzle the money, they aren't afraid of someone coming after them."

Li Yu was not overly disappointed either; he had merely come with the mindset of giving it a try.

Buzz, buzz—

His Smart Terminal vibrated ceaselessly. Li Yu glanced down to see a communication request from Kansa. He found a quiet corner and answered the call.

"Greetings..." Kansa opened with a respectful salutation, his manners completely impeccable.

"What is it?" Li Yu nodded casually and asked.

"The Amethyst Civilization is interested in purchasing the Amethyst Core in your possession." Kansa delivered a piece of good news to Li Yu.

Only two parties knew that the Amethyst Core was in Li Yu's hands. One was Saster, who had deduced it based on partial information relayed by Dark Star.

The other was the Amethyst Civilization, who learned of it through Kansa.

It was just that the Amethyst Civilization had previously always wanted to gain something for nothing. They hadn't wanted to buy it, so they kept dragging their feet.

Li Yu raised an eyebrow. He could finally unload that useless trinket. Holding onto the Amethyst Core served him no real purpose; he could only stare at it.

"They finally couldn't hold back anymore. What's the price?" he asked.

"Eighty million Star Coins per gram," Kansa replied with some hesitation. This was twenty million lower than the market value; it was the Black Market Purchase Price.

Li Yu narrowed his eyes slightly. This Amethyst Civilization really had some nerve. Although that was the Black Market Purchase Price, that rate usually applied to scattered fragments found in the mines, which often weighed less than a single gram.

"Is this their bottom line?" Li Yu's voice turned slightly cold.

Kansa smiled bitterly. "Yes. I have already advised them that it would be very difficult to purchase it from you at this price."

"But they stubbornly clung to their own views. I had no other choice."

"No other choice." Li Yu's gaze grew profound. "I've saved you so many times and let you return, but it certainly wasn't just to hear you say you had 'no other choice'."

Kansa fell silent for a moment. Then, his voice deepening, he said, "You can afford to wait a little longer. The Star Glory Empire has already learned about the Amethyst Core, and they are currently putting pressure on the Amethyst Civilization."

"They don't want to see the Amethyst Civilization develop any further. They just want Amethyst to quietly remain as an obedient subordinate."

Li Yu was slightly surprised. "How would the Star Glory Empire know? Who leaked the news?"

"It was Saster," Kansa replied. "He's terrified that once the Amethyst Civilization obtains the core, they will have the power to kick him aside, so he informed the Star Glory Empire."

"The Amethyst Civilization is extremely anxious right now. They can't afford to wait."

"Heh..." Li Yu sneered. "Since they can't afford to wait, they sure are arrogant."

He could perfectly imagine the current predicament of the Amethyst Civilization. The Star Glory Empire was bearing down on them because of the Amethyst Core.

Yet, the Amethyst Civilization didn't actually have the Amethyst Core right now. Taking the brunt of the pressure for something they didn't even possess would leave anyone feeling aggrieved.

This would also spawn another thought: since they were already being harshly condemned for having it when they didn't, they might as well find a way to actually get their hands on it.

"Tell them the price is one hundred and twenty million, otherwise, the deal is off." Li Yu had originally intended to just sell it at market value, but since the Amethyst Civilization wanted to play games, he was going to raise the price.

"One hundred and twenty million..." Kansa seemed somewhat troubled. "I'm afraid they won't agree to this price."

"Whether they agree or not, you just need to pass on the message," Li Yu said indifferently.

"Understood..." Kansa remained silent for a long time before finally responding.

The two did not continue their conversation and disconnected the call. Hunter, who had heard everything clearly from the side, shook his head. "He wants to use the Amethyst Core as his Merit."

It was obvious that if Kansa could close the deal at a price of eighty million Star Coins, his position within Amethyst would definitely rise dramatically.

As for Kansa's claim of having advised the Amethyst Civilization otherwise, who knew whether it was true or false? After all, only he knew the truth.

"He is testing me. He wants to become a collaborator, as only a collaborator has the qualifications to negotiate terms." Li Yu's voice was calm. "He doesn't want to be a slave ordered around at will."

Hunter nodded. "That's perfectly normal. He is, after all, a highly influential member of royal descent."

"No..." Li Yu shook his head. "It's not normal. Neither Mangu nor I ever treated him like a slave; these were all terms we agreed upon beforehand."

"But for him to actively seek a change in his status now, something must have happened to trigger this kind of mindset."

Li Yu scrolled through the recent news from the Amethyst Civilization for a moment. It was nothing more than the Anti-Discrimination Movement growing increasingly intense. Kansa vaguely showed signs of becoming its leader, meaning his Status was completely different from before.

Li Yu shook his head. These things alone were not enough to make Kansa come over and test his attitude, considering that he was the one orchestrating all of this from behind the scenes.

Not to mention the bindings of the Thought Seal. With just these factors, Kansa shouldn't have dared to actively probe his attitude.