Volume 6: Theft Is Robbery - Chapter 2: The Twin-Winged Violent Bear (Part 1)

Just as Kuang Chi was about to interject, Ah San’s voice suddenly came from behind him: "Young Master, we caught someone sneaking onto the ship."

Everyone turned around to see Ah San and another squad leader dragging a thin, small man by his feet. All eyes were drawn to the man being hauled upside down. Upon closer inspection, Duke Yelu let out a sudden gasp. Kuang Chi did not recognize him, but seeing the black-skinned, emaciated man, who was now completely unconscious and seemed to have had every bone in his body shattered, filled him with a sense of pity.

When they heard the Duke’s gasp, everyone turned their attention to him. Duke Yelu collected himself and said, "I recognize him. He is the person in charge of a peripheral organization of the Demon Sect on Green Leaf Planet."

Hearing the words "Demon Sect," everyone frowned. These super-sects, which had been passed down since ancient times, were forces that even the great empires of today found troublesome to provoke. Without another word, Duke Yelu pulled Jing’er to his side and said to Kuang Chi, "Handle this matter yourself. It is not our business, and we do not wish to be involved. Jing’er is coming back with me."

As he dragged the reluctant Jing’er toward the exit of the spaceport, he whispered to her, "Why stay there? The Demon Sect is a major nuisance. Even as a princess, it is best not to provoke them. Letting Young Master Kuang handle it is the most appropriate course of action; no matter how strong the Demon Sect is, they cannot afford to disrespect the Kuang family and the Sword Sect. Nothing will go wrong."

After they and their entourage had left, Kuang Chi turned to the men from Tyrannosaurus Peak. He pondered for a moment before asking, "Where did you catch this guy?"

Ah San, seemingly aware that they had brought trouble upon Kuang Chi, replied sheepishly, "In the middle cabin. This guy was tough; it took the two of us quite a bit of effort to capture him."

Kuang Chi frowned again; the fact that the man had reached the middle cabin meant he must have learned a great deal about the ship. After a moment of thought, he commanded, "Have the ship searched thoroughly again. How are you handling things, letting a man sneak on board and reach the middle cabin? Search the ship, and from now on, increase the guard. If this happens again, you will all be sent back to Oblivion Star."

Kuang Chi and Ah San then carried the man—whose bones had been shattered by the captain and his subordinate—into a cabin at the very bottom of the ship. Once inside, Kuang Chi looked around and said to Ah San and the four men behind him, "Wake him up. I have questions."

Upon hearing this, Ah San slapped the man across his face—perhaps the only part of him where the bones were still intact. With that heavy blow, the man immediately opened his eyes. Seeing the clarity in those eyes, Kuang Chi smiled; for someone so severely injured to have such clear eyes upon waking meant his cultivation and mental fortitude were exceptional.

Kuang Chi smiled and said to Ah San, "Cripple him first."

Ah San asked no questions, simply plunging a finger into the man's dantian. The man was tough; even as his cultivation was destroyed, he only let out a soft groan.

He regained his composure and looked at Kuang Chi, saying, "You must be the owner of this Phantom Pirate Ship."

Kuang Chi was stunned for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "How do you know this is a Phantom Pirate Ship?"

The man let out a dry laugh and continued, "Don't you think it’s a bit excessive to treat me this way? Although I was uninvited, I meant no harm. I only wanted to see the legendary Phantom Pirate Ship with my own eyes. Do you even know who I am?" As he spoke, he cast a glance around the room.

After listening to him and observing his expression, Kuang Chi let out a long sigh. "You are indeed extraordinary. The people of the Demon Sect certainly carry themselves differently."

It was only when Kuang Chi mentioned the Demon Sect that the man’s face filled with terror. It was obvious to anyone that if his captor knew his background and still treated him this way, his fate was sealed.

Just then, a voice came from outside the cabin door: "Young Master, we’ve caught three more guys on the ship."

Kuang Chi ignored the man on the floor and said, "Bring them in."

Soon, three Tyrannosaurus Peak disciples entered, carrying three men whose bones had also been pulverized. At a signal from Kuang Chi, and amidst three miserable screams, Ah San destroyed all of their dantians as well.

Kuang Chi asked, "How did you know this was a Phantom Pirate Ship?"

The only one still conscious let out a cold laugh and said, "The Phantom Pirate Ship belonged to our Demon Sect hundreds of years ago. Why wouldn't we know what it is?"

Kuang Chi frowned. The man chuckled again, saying, "You must be the young master of the Kuang family. I didn't expect you to emerge from the Abandoned Star Sector so quickly. You truly live up to your reputation as a genius. However, I must thank you for bringing this Phantom Pirate Ship back from the Abandoned Star Sector for our Demon Sect."

He laughed heartily, clearly unaware that this was a newly constructed ship and not the one that had crashed on Oblivion Star centuries ago. Kuang Chi narrowed his eyes and made a slashing gesture to Ah San before walking out of the cabin without looking back.

Back at the hotel, Kuang Chi found Duke Yelu and Jing’er waiting anxiously. As soon as he returned, Jing’er asked, "Fatty, what’s going on? Why is the Demon Sect targeting us?"

Kuang Chi looked at them and, after having the Duke's trusted men leave, said, "They recognized the Phantom Pirate Ship. I also learned a big secret: it seems the Phantom Pirate Ship belonged to the Demon Sect centuries ago."

Jing’er and the Duke fell into deep thought. After a long while, the Duke shook his head. "That shouldn't be possible. If it truly belonged to them, why were there blueprints for it on board? That doesn't make sense."

Jing’er interjected, "There’s nothing strange about it. Perhaps the owner of the ship was a member of the Demon Sect. Even if it didn't belong to the sect entirely, it was closely related. Their claim isn't entirely baseless."

Kuang Chi sat quietly, not saying a word.

Duke Yelu looked at them and asked, "What now? If the Demon Sect comes for us, how do we handle it?"

Jing’er looked at Kuang Chi. Kuang Chi didn't hesitate: "The ship is mine now, and I built it. If the Demon Sect wants it, that is impossible."

The Duke quickly added, "I didn't say we should give it to them. Even though we don't want to provoke them, it doesn't mean we can't handle them. I just wanted to ask how we should prepare."

Kuang Chi snorted coldly. "What is there to prepare? As long as we are strong, the Demon Sect is nothing. If they dare to come, we will just drive them away."

Jing’er turned to the Duke. "Uncle, the most important thing now is to expedite the acquisition of high-level biological spores. Once we return to Oblivion Star and bring back a group of experts from Tyrannosaurus Peak, we won't have to worry even if a Martial Sovereign comes."

The Duke nodded decisively. "Very well. A batch of over a dozen just arrived; I will have them sent over."

Kuang Chi added, "It doesn't have to be high-level biological spores; ordinary ones will do as well."

Early the next morning, Duke Yelu dragged Jing’er and Kuang Chi from their rooms, looking astonished. Jing’er asked, "Uncle, what happened? Why wake us so early?"

The Duke didn't answer immediately. He looked at them and asked, "Do you know what the Divine Martial Beasts of those guys from Tyrannosaurus Peak are?"

They shook their heads, sensing something unusual. The Duke took a deep breath. "No matter what kind of biological spores they use, their Divine Martial Beasts are all the same: a giant bear with a pair of wings and a body covered in long, snow-white fur. And they are nearly four meters tall the moment they emerge."

Kuang Chi and Jing’er were not surprised. Jing’er said dismissively, "What’s strange about that? It must be the result of the genetic mutations they've developed over the years. Let it be; at least they look beautiful."

The Duke looked at them and sighed. "Do you know how powerful those winged bears are?"

Kuang Chi asked, "Are they really that strong? What’s going on? Duke, please just tell us."

The Duke sighed again. "I can't describe it, you’ll have to see for yourselves. In any case, your strength has truly increased significantly, Kuang Chi."

Curiosity piqued, they followed the Duke to the spaceport. Upon entering the ship, they were greeted by the excited faces of the Tyrannosaurus Peak members. Before Kuang Chi could even speak, the four squad leaders, including Ah San, rushed over. "Duke Yelu, where are the biological spores? The brothers without Divine Martial Beasts are getting desperate!"