Chapter 71: The Might of the Disaster Star and the Aftermath

"Actually, this really has nothing to do with me."

"That unprovoked disaster came at random, and as for the other stowaways and those three mechanical evil cultivators dying, it was purely because of their own greed. They never imagined that the rare treasures and artifacts smuggled in also had trackers planted in them, and they foolishly thought they could escape back to Wanfu City."

"I reckon they were also thinking of fleeing to other districts after returning, but unfortunately, they couldn't have their way."

"Men die for wealth just as birds die for food; it is the way of the world."

As Li Yu silently made excuses for himself as a potential harbinger of disaster in his heart,

he and Hong Dou crossed a small frozen hill. The cold mist suddenly thinned, and the view ahead opened up.

An ancient, massive city with sprawling, mottled walls, each brick engraved with a distorted "Fu" (Fortune) character, lay prone on the earth like an ancient giant beast.

Strictly speaking, this was the first time Li Yu had observed Wanfu City from the outside.

Even though he had been thinking of fleeing all along, he had to admit:

"Judging by its scale, it already resembles a super-metropolis from my previous life."

"The person who built this city, even if not a True God, must have been at least a demigod."

"A true wonder; it is breathtaking."

……

Around the hour of the Rabbit (5-7 AM)!

The South Gate of Wanfu City, an incomparably towering and massive stone gate engraved with all sorts of eerie Daoist patterns, was slowly opening.

There were many people queuing both inside and outside the city, some leaving, some entering.

Those returning to the city were mostly "adventurers" who hadn't managed to return in time and had spent the night outside.

The three Forbidden Lands outside the city were indeed incomparably dangerous.

However, the vast lands surrounding the Forbidden Lands and connecting to Wanfu City were quite safe, and they also produced many resources.

Where there are resources, there are gatherers.

Such as those hunting mystic creatures, gathering spirit herbs, or killing and looting.

Back then, Li Yu's two neighbors, Hong Hong Sanquan and Sikong Nian, were such adventurers, and they often engaged in killing and looting. They were frequently away from home, spending nights in safe areas outside the city, and would only return to sell their spoils after making a haul.

Before long, it was Li Yu and Hong Dou's turn.

Both wore masks, and their outward appearances had undergone significant changes. Although the ones responsible for guarding the city and collecting the entry fee were mechanical puppets, and there were many people entering the city together, it was always better to be cautious.

After Li Yu "paid the fare," they were let through directly.

He casually hailed a monster bus and began his usual routine of taking a circuitous route.

Half an incense stick's time later, Li Yu appeared on the Old Street. He pretended to be a youth out for a stroll returning home, even specifically buying a few breakfast items characteristic of the Qian, Li, and Jing Kingdoms, before finally returning to his quiet residence.

Seeing the familiar Beauty Willow and Human-Face Peach Tree in his courtyard, Li Yu finally couldn't hold it in, his face filled with helplessness and resentment.

"Round and round, and I'm back again. What is this?"

"I finally found a way to stow away and leave the city, but not only did I nearly lose my life, that path will likely be completely severed now."

"Am I a Disaster Star, or a Jinx? Is my power really that great?"

Li Yu's urge to complain in his heart was simply unstoppable.

This trip was indeed a total loss for him, and he felt extremely bitter.

The hope that had just appeared had been so cruelly snuffed out.

The most critical thing was that after such an incident, this smuggling route, which had been mature and maintained for many years, would 100% be scrapped.

Of course, there was some comfort and gain.

"The only thing to be glad about is that I didn't leak any information or leave any traces. Even those who knew that a 'passenger' like me had been on that smuggling airship are all dead, every last one of them. Even if the Sacred Nest had eyes in the sky, there is absolutely no way they could trace it back to me."

"As for gains?"

At this thought, Li Yu turned his gaze to Hong Dou.

At this moment, his mechanical maid had already shed her disguise and was inspecting the various pieces of high-end equipment she had obtained.

And perhaps it wasn't just his imagination?

Li Yu felt as if he saw a trace of a smile on that pretty fox-girl face.

Chainsword!

Melt-flame gun!

Bolter!

Spirit stone!

All of these were high-end items that Li Yu, as her master, had never been able to afford in the past. Hong Dou could truly be said to have traded up for better gear; her combat power had skyrocketed.

Compared to his maid, Li Yu had gained nothing, and had even used up a 【Sword Fiend Pill】.

Of course, these items were all things she had scavenged to save Li Yu's life.

As Hong Dou inspected these extraordinary weapons one by one, Li Yu was also carefully observing her.

Along the way, he had been reviewing everything he had experienced last night in his mind.

There wasn't much to say about the rest; it was just bad luck.

But the performance of his own maid was something that even a dull and foolish person like Li Yu couldn't help but notice was extraordinary.

"Although that pile of high-end weapons from the Tiangong Sect, each with terrifying power, could indeed split and shatter those two mechanical zombies,"

"it also depends on whose hands they are in. An ordinary mechanical puppet, even if given these weapons, would have absolutely no way of doing so."

"But Hong Dou, she handled them with ease and grace."

"And that very strange high-level clearance... even though her clearance modules were damaged because her spirit core was destroyed, she could still eavesdrop on the flesh-and-blood mechanical factory used to modify the 'Three Sages', and could even destroy and modify trackers?"

"What exactly is her background?"

"Could a Sequence 7 【Puppeteer】, even after racking their brains and pulling strings to install a top-tier Tiangong spirit core—the kind used for so-called Bell-Gong Colossi—achieve this level?"

Numerous doubtful thoughts surfaced in Li Yu's mind.

To this last question, after pondering for a moment, he shook his head slowly.

Although he didn't know much about the Tiangong Sect, Li Yu still felt that Hong Dou was not normal.

If he hadn't already peered into her once before!

Li Yu really wanted to use up a Truth Bubble right now to peek at Hong Dou's true origins.

Just as he was lost in thought, Hong Dou's mechanical fox face suddenly leaned in, her gem-like eyes flickering, as if burning the little bit of "intelligence" she had left.

Finally, she took the liberty of speculating about her master:

"Master has been watching Hong Dou for over thirty breaths. Is there any command you are hesitating about?"

"Is it still that 【Spirit-Supplementing Great Method】?"

"Do you want to issue a related bounty?"

"Supplement what? Hurry up and check that mechanical box again, confirm there's no danger, and then open it for me to see what kind of treasure you snatched!"

"Yes, Master!"

Li Yu suddenly missed the Hong Dou from before she had been repaired with that tiny bit of spirit core; she was foolish, but she didn't have any silly actions, nor would she speculate about her master.

However, her execution of orders was flawless.

As soon as the words fell, Hong Dou's brow gem erupted with red light, and she began scanning the mechanical treasure box she was carrying, which was clearly extraordinary.

That accident site!

There were many treasures on the smuggling ship belonging to the Sacred Nest, and no matter which one, their value was extremely high.

However, they were all very large and very conspicuous.

If it had just been Li Yu alone, he would have turned and fled directly, taking nothing.

Li Yu was greedy, but he wasn't greedy.

So he had a flash of inspiration and chose to let Hong Dou pick.

They were both "Tiangong Sect creations," and the one she chose must be the most valuable artifact on the smuggling ship. The feedback that followed seemed to confirm this, but Li Yu didn't feel happy.

"Beep, beep, beep!"

"Scan complete... confirmed, no risk factors present."

"Attempting to open... due to damaged clearance modules and the target's excessively high clearance, unable to open... initiating forced decryption mode, decrypting key..."

"Judgment: Time required to decrypt the key is unknown."

"Probability of successful decryption? Unknown."

When these mechanical sounds rang out.

The look of anticipation on Li Yu's face gradually faded, and he stared speechlessly at his mechanical maid, asking:

"So, Hong Dou, you can't open this mechanical box?"

"Yes, Master, at least for the time being."

"Then why did you snatch it?"

"Yes, Master, at least for the time being."

"As long as it is the most precious and portable artifact within your scan... according to Hong Dou's scan, this item was the highest-value artifact in the cargo hold at that time."

The last sentence that rang out was Li Yu's own voice from the past, played back by Hong Dou.

Li Yu was directly choked up.

But there was nothing he could do; this was indeed his order.

And looking at it now, Hong Dou had done very well.

Since even her residual high-level clearance couldn't open this mechanical box, it was enough to prove its preciousness.

"According to what those three mechanical evil cultivators said!"

"The Sacred Nest has completely colluded with the 【Tiangong Sect】, and the large number of artifacts and weapons unique to the Tiangong Sect on the smuggling ship seems to confirm this."

"So, inside this box, it's mostly likely a high-level artifact unique to the Tiangong Sect?"

"Looking at it this way, I really did pick up a super-sized leak."

"It's just that this thing is like the 'suspected high-level recipe for the Spirit Venerable path' sealed in my fifth bubble—I can see it, but I can't eat it."

"What could it be? A high-level Tiangong spirit core? The inheritance of the Artisan God path? An artificial intelligence?"

"It's just that this thing is the same as the 'suspected Spirit Venerable path high-sequence formula' sealed in my fifth bubble, I can see it, but I can't eat it."

He wanted to use his seventh bubble, which was already full, once more.

This bubble's power couldn't shake the high-level recipe, but it had a high probability of forcibly decrypting that so-called "key."

However, doing so seemed a bit extravagant, and it wasn't a life-or-death crisis; how could he waste his greatest reliance so easily?

Just as he was pondering, the bronze chicken in the courtyard suddenly let out a plague-stricken squawk.

Following it was the sound of a mechanical motorcycle sputtering smoke outside the door.

The newspaper delivery person didn't care if there was anyone in the courtyard and shouted directly:

"The new issue of the Wanfu Daily is here!"

"Additionally, our newspaper office is launching a 20% discount for annual subscriptions. Interested customers can contact nearby sales agents at any time."

As the words fell.

A roll of newspapers was thrown in through the air.

The commotion of the bronze chicken and the newspaper boy pulled Li Yu out of the mood of fleeing the city and pushed him back into his past daily routine.

Even Hong Dou joined in the fun: "According to the alarm clock set by Master in advance, it is now time for Master to go to the City Lord's Mansion to report for work."

Hearing this, Li Yu was filled with helplessness.

Tossing and turning all night!

Not only did he fail to flee Wanfu City smoothly, but just as he had cleared all the aftermath and returned home, he was urged to go to work.

And he couldn't refuse.

"The path of stowing away is temporarily blocked."

"If I want to find another path, I still have to rely on those six people from the Ninth Exploration Team."

"I have to go to this job."

After turning the thought over a few times, Li Yu made up his mind.

He took the newspaper from Hong Dou and ordered:

"Watch the house!"

"If there is any abnormality, follow the order I set in advance: set off a big firework to notify me, and then try your best to flee."

"Yes, Master!"

As Li Yu spoke, he glanced at the bronze chicken that was strutting back into the coop.

The "big firework" made of a large amount of gunpowder and a Flame-Explosion Pill was exactly this plague-stricken chicken.

Although Li Yu believed he was hiding well on this Old Street and hadn't leaked any traces of his whereabouts, he still prepared many means to deal with it!

Once something really happened, he still had room to escape.

If he couldn't mix in the South District, he would go to the East District.

If that really didn't work, the North and West Districts were also options.

With this thought, Li Yu turned and went out the door, heading for City Lord Street.

……

Because of Captain Zhan Kui's special instructions when they parted yesterday, Li Yu thought he would be working alone in the camp today.

But who would have thought, just as he arrived at the camp, and the mechanical puppet's nagging warning about "high attrition rates" began to echo in his ears,

suddenly, accompanied by a roar, the steam airship belonging to the Ninth Exploration Team flew in from afar.

Before it had even landed properly, Captain Zhan Kui, Zhu Zhu Wugou, Sang Zhu, Shu Fu, and Mi Mi Wuniang jumped down one after another.

After landing, none of their faces looked very good.

Li Yu greeted them, but before he could really ask, the team leader Captain Zhan Kui couldn't hold back and cursed angrily:

"The Sacred Nest and that so-called 【Three Sages Gang】, I don't know what kind of madness they've caught."

"They sent a whole bunch of mechanical dogs and some half-human, half-ghost evil cultivators to search everywhere on the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Ghost Frozen Plain, specifically targeting those weak wild people."

"With such a commotion, a large number of wild tribes are fleeing everywhere, causing the Qi mechanism in the Frozen Plain to be chaotic and the mystic aura to be too disturbed, startling out some powerful Forbidden Ghosts."

"We can't even explore anymore; if we're not careful, we'll lose our lives in there."

"I'm going to file a complaint with the higher-ups. If we can't move the Sacred Nest, can't we at least make that shitty Three Sages Gang suffer?"

Hearing these words, Li Yu immediately realized.

It was the aftermath of last night's accident!

It was just that the scale was so large that he hadn't expected it.

And before he could ponder more, the double-headed old man Luo Sheng, who hadn't appeared earlier, suddenly appeared in the camp on a steam elevator and brought a more certain piece of news that made Li Yu's heart tremble:

"I've found out!"

"Last night, a smuggling ship belonging to the Sacred Nest accidentally collided with a stowaway ship."

"Those stowaways, bold enough to defy the heavens, snatched all the high-end artifacts from the smuggling ship. Although they were all killed in the end, it seems that because of their meddling, a piece of extremely rare treasure fell into the hands of those wild people in the Frozen Plain."

(End of Chapter)

"Found out clearly!"

"It was last night, a smuggling ship under the Sacred Nest accidentally collided with the smuggling ship."

"Those bold smugglers even emptied the high-end wonder items in the smuggling ship. Although they were all killed in the end, it seems that because of their trouble, a very rare treasure fell into the hands of those frozen plain wild people."

(End of chapter)