Chapter 34: Settling the Aftermath

With the improvement of Li Yu's strength and the coordination of his various talent titles, he no longer needed to exhaust himself trying to earn the trust of the main characters.

All he had to do was stand there, and combined with the effects of his talents, he appeared as an emissary of justice, the very dawn of hope.

In a corner of the Black Market, a tall figure in a black trench coat stumbled frantically through the alleys. As she hurried along, she tore off provocative, blush-inducing items from her body and tossed them away.

As those things were discarded, her eyes gradually filled with tears.

"Yo, where did this chick come from?" A hunched figure suddenly darted out from the darkness, reeking of a foul, fishy stench.

Illuminated by the occasional fiery streaks soaring through the night sky, green boils were visible all over his face. They were the grotesque side effects of smoking Green Vine, a highly addictive substance.

Startled, the woman instinctively stepped back, only to jump again when her back brushed against something soft. She whipped her head around, her pupils shrinking in terror as she came face-to-face with a visage that looked like a devil.

The figure was wrapped in simple rags, exposing large patches of skin.

"Must be my lucky day, two lost little chicks..." The hunched man licked his cracked lips. His tongue was completely green, practically trembling with excitement.

"Scram!" Widow spat out a single word, her eyes cold and indifferent.

"Haha... what a fiery temper... Urk—" Before the man could finish his sentence, his throat was pierced, sending a massive spray of blood into the air.

A pitch-black metal long whip slowly retracted into Widow's back without staining even a single drop of blood.

"It is you..." The woman recognized Widow. After all, they were both from the Junkyard, and she had seen her a few times before.

"Is that fatso dead?" Widow asked, her sharp voice piercing the air as she stared fixedly at the woman.

"D-dead... he is dead..." The woman nodded, shrinking back in fear. She had absolutely no ability to resist.

Whether it was against Third Fatty, Li Yu, or the Widow standing before her, she was utterly powerless.

Widow had suddenly received a message from Li Yu earlier. Although she was a bit suspicious, she had come anyway.

Widow's eyes flickered. Without saying another word, she led the woman away from the alley.

About two hours later, Widow looked at Li Yu, who had just managed to arrive, and frowned in displeasure. "You are late..."

"Sorry about that..." Li Yu offered an apologetic look. "I suddenly found myself being hunted down."

"The explosions stopped an hour and a half ago." Widow's gaze was indifferent as she stared at the corner of Li Yu's mouth. "Besides, you did not wipe the chili sauce off your face."

Li Yu's expression stiffened, and he let out an awkward laugh. "I suddenly spotted a restaurant on the way here selling charcoal-grilled squid. The squid was huge, and it was purple. It was my first time seeing something like that, so I queued up for a bit."

"Purple-Blooded Ancient Squid, a Starshine Empire Class 3 Protected Animal."

"A protected animal?" Li Yu was slightly surprised, then looked thoughtful. "No wonder it tasted so good."

Immediately, two murderous glares locked onto him. Li Yu straightened his expression and got down to business.

"This is..."

He looked at Third Fatty's woman, unsure of how to address her. He could hardly call her his sister-in-law, right?

"My name is... Yun Zhi..." the woman said, offering a name that could have been real or fake.

"Miss Yun Zhi, thank you for helping me kill that fatso. I have been sick of him for a long time."

Yun Zhi forced a smile. "No need, I should be the one thanking you."

"Right... about that button..." Li Yu said, acting as if it were a trivial matter.

"It is right here..." Yun Zhi knew better than to play dumb and hurriedly took it out. The purple button was only the size of a thumb, crystal clear, and shimmering with a faint glow.

This was Third Fatty's life-saving trump card that could block a D-rank attack. Yun Zhi had secretly swapped it out earlier. This single button alone was worth over a million Star Coins.

Li Yu accepted it without hesitation. Now that he was being targeted by the Ghost Squad, it was always better to have more life-saving items prepared.

"What are your plans now?" Li Yu's attitude softened considerably.

Yun Zhi's expression dimmed. "I want to go home. My home is in the Pfizer Galaxy. Ever since that guy kidnapped me, I have not been back in a long time."

"I have citizenship in the Starshine Empire. Right now, I should just be listed as a missing person, but as long as I go to the Supervisory Office, I can prove my identity."

"You will not make it off the Heavenly Desolation Star..." Widow shook her head. "Thorn Flame will not allow you to leave safely. After all, there is a high chance you have access to Third Fatty's Black Hole Bank account."

"How could... they... I..." Yun Zhi stammered, visibly anxious and panicked.

A smile crept onto Widow's scarred face. "Do not panic. I can help you leave, as long as you give me half of Third Fatty's wealth."

"Huh?" Li Yu was somewhat surprised. He rubbed his hands together and grinned. "I have a proposal. How about..."

"We split it evenly among the three of us..."

Yun Zhi's expression flickered uncertainly, but she did not hesitate for long. She might have once been a pampered young lady, but after everything she had been through, she already understood what it meant to be completely at someone else's mercy.

"Since you two are helping me so much, splitting the assets evenly is naturally not a problem."

Just as Thorn Flame had anticipated, Yun Zhi did indeed know Third Fatty's Black Hole Network account. Logically speaking, she should not have been privy to such confidential information.

But the problem was that while Third Fatty was smart, he easily got carried away, especially when his ego was being stroked.

"Thirteen million Star Coins..." Li Yu looked at the string of numbers, slightly surprised. Not because it was too much...

But because it was a bit too little...

"That folding apartment alone is worth over ten million Star Coins. Half of his wealth was tied up in it," Yun Zhi explained.

"That makes sense..." Widow nodded in agreement. Unfortunately, the folding apartment was still at the Thorn Flame stronghold, and who knew who had claimed it by now.

"Widow and I will take four million each. You can keep the rest," Li Yu decided on the allocation. Since it was not his money anyway, he felt no heartache giving it away.

Widow had no objections. In truth, she was not greedy for the money; she simply refused to work for others for free.

"Thank you..." Yun Zhi pursed her lips, tears welling up in her eyes. It had been so long, so long that she had nearly despaired and accepted her fate.

'It is a pity... my body is too dirty...' Yun Zhi pulled her trench coat tighter around herself, not daring to meet Li Yu's eyes.

Registering a Black Hole Bank account and transferring the funds was done quickly, and Widow already had her own account.

"I will have someone secretly escort you off the Heavenly Desolation Star to a nearby affiliated planet of the Starshine Empire. Once there, you can reclaim your identity."

"Thorn Flame only has some influence here on the Heavenly Desolation Star, nothing more."

Widow spoke nonchalantly, which prompted a peculiar look from Li Yu. "You still have people on the outside?"

"Of course..." Widow raised her head slightly, carrying herself like a queen.

"Never underestimate a woman, especially one desperate for revenge."

"Then why are you still scavenging for trash?" Li Yu asked, his tone laced with suspicion.

"Do you want to know the reason?" Widow asked teasingly. However, paired with her unique voice and scarred appearance, it only gave off a chilling, spine-tingling vibe.

"Never mind... forget I asked." Li Yu was not that curious and waved his hand dismissively.

"Hehe..." Li Yu offered a shy smile. "Could you do me a few small favors? I want to have a chat with a little friend, and then pick up a package."