Chapter 26: Civil Unrest, Section 6

Arrogant—that was the impression Black Hair gave off.
In the noble circles of human society, such behavior would undoubtedly spark a war. But in this martial-minded Moor Empire, General Thunderstorm merely laughed upon hearing it.
“So, he wants to challenge me?”
“If it brings enough profit,” Black Hair nodded, taking a deep drag from his cigarette. “You can think of it that way.”
“Very good, excellent!” General Thunderstorm laughed heartily. Clapping his hands together, he heard a series of cracking sounds from his joints. Then he turned to Miss Veli beside him. “Master, may I accept this challenge?”
“You are a warrior, General. A warrior fights on their own terms,” Miss Veli replied with a smile.
“Thank you for your understanding,” General Thunderstorm said humbly, showing his submission to her. Then he suddenly raised his head, his gaze fixed on Blood Pupil on the stage.
“Hey, kid. If you beat me, we’ll forget this whole thing. I’ll even assign you a guard position by Miss Veli’s side. What do you say?”
The crowd around them immediately became chaotic. Their gazes toward Blood Pupil were filled with envy, jealousy, and other negative emotions. They all grumbled inwardly, “Damn it, where did this brat get his luck? How did he catch Miss Veli’s attention?”
Unfortunately, despite their envy of this Borclan brat, Blood Pupil felt nothing at all. Especially when he heard that the so-called reward was to be a guard for that “boring beauty,” he saw Black Hair’s sympathetic look.
“I refuse.”
What!?
This wasn’t just a minor disturbance. The entire venue was shocked. People’s expressions changed repeatedly—envy and jealousy instantly turned into pity.
It was General Thunderstorm’s invitation! And to be a guard for Miss Veli—God knew how glorious that was. How could this Bor man not appreciate it? Refusing a general’s challenge was like slapping him in the face. It was absolutely unforgivable!
Yet life is full of surprises. Just as everyone thought General Thunderstorm was about to lose his temper, a man dressed as a guard suddenly rushed in from outside. He quickly went to Miss Veli’s side and whispered something in her ear. Then everyone saw Miss Veli’s expression change drastically as she stood up abruptly.
“The challenge is canceled. Let’s forget this whole thing. Thunderstorm, come with me now!” With that, she left the hall immediately.

Hearing her words, Thunderstorm hesitated not for a moment. He merely smirked at Blood Pupil and left without showing any anger. Behind him, the guests in the hall were instantly stunned, and murmurs of discussion arose. Everyone wore expressions of surprise.
Black Hair was no exception. Watching the two figures leave quickly, he fell into deep thought and fell silent. He didn’t even realize that Blood Pupil had already stepped down from the platform and come to his side.
“Well, boss, how did your contact with them go? Hehe, I hope you didn’t ruin things because of me?”
Black Hair remained silent, gently shaking his hand. In just a moment, he sensed that he was on the verge of figuring something out, but he couldn’t recall what it was. Seeing his reaction, how could the Blood Wolf Pirates around him not understand? They immediately surrounded him tightly, deterring many guests who wanted to approach.
After a long while, Black Hair finally shook his head gloomily.
“I really can’t figure it out. Why did they rush to leave so quickly? Could something serious have happened in the Moor Empire? But what could be more serious than an invasion of the human world?”
“Yes, losing so many giant warships must be no small matter. Boss, then why haven’t we heard anything about it since we arrived here? Do you think they’re in a hurry to go back because they’ve received some news?” Blood Pupil asked in a low voice.
“That’s impossible. We haven’t heard anything because we’re not at the right level. Such defeats wouldn’t be made public right away. It’s been almost half a month since that battle. They must have received the news long ago. Wait, that’s not right!” Black Hair’s eyes lit up as he stopped the glass in his hand.
“There was no sign of disappointment after defeat or anger after setbacks in their eyes. That doesn’t fit the emotions of living beings. Could it be that they really haven’t received any news of the defeat? That’s… too absurd.”
Black Hair still remembered Blood Pupil’s report—that it was a flagship that fled. So, how could such a flagship lack long-distance communication devices? In any case, news should have been sent back by now. Unless…
“Unless the commander on that flagship has other plans!” Black Hair and Blood Pupil exchanged glances, both seeing shock in each other’s eyes.

With this speculation, combined with Miss Wei Li’s angry expression after receiving the report, Hei Fa seemed to see some clarity in the situation. He downed the red wine in his cup in one gulp, excitement finally appearing on his face. He waved to summon Xue Tong and lowered his voice. “Xue Tong, I know our guesses might be a bit far-fetched and absurd. But I still think it’s an opportunity. So, go back and tell Lan to have Baroka prepare ten Thunder Ships and three Storm Ships for immediate camouflage modifications. Then bring them all back. I need to change the plan.” “What do you mean?” Xue Tong’s eyes lit up, clearly thinking Hei Fa intended to cause a big stir here. “No, it’s not what you think. I think we can make use of this opportunity like this…” Hei Fa’s voice grew even lower. Once Miss Wei Li left, the entire banquet lost its original purpose. The guests in the hall immediately let go of their restraint and started talking loudly with each other. However, the topics always revolved around the recent war situation in the Moor Empire—how many more planets had been invaded, or what goods were the most valuable. In such an environment, Hei Fa, Xue Tong, and the others quietly left the scene. Soon, a floating vehicle reserved only for VIPs hovered outside the Dragon Gate Inn. After Hei Fa and the others boarded, it vanished instantly into the dense traffic. Inside the vehicle, Hei Fa lazily leaned back on a seat made of some precious leather, his eyes slightly closed. His fingers tapped lightly on his leg, lost in thought. Xue Tong, on the other hand, fiddled with a delicate silver pistol, carefully wiping away dust that wasn’t there. The Dragon Gate Inn truly lived up to its reputation as the largest and most prestigious hotel in the Moor Empire. Their floating vehicle faced almost no obstacles along the way. Even at the checkpoint outside Miss Wei Li’s residence, they were allowed in after just a simple registration. Seeing this, Hei Fa slightly opened his eyes. “Xue Tong, this Dragon Gate Inn is quite strange. It seems we’re lucky this time.” “Mm, I noticed that. There’s a special symbol on this floating vehicle. At least six guards scanned it with instruments along the way, but none tried to stop us. It seems this inn has strong connections at the highest levels of the Moor Empire. Its status is almost on par with that of a royal family.”

“Yes, this name also brings back some memories for me. I’m sure the higher-ups of the Moor Empire must know something that interests me. That’s why I need to change my plans.” By this time, the floating vehicle had entered a huge aerial garden. Black Hair gazed at the colorful world outside, his expression calm.

Hearing his words, Blood Pupil chuckled and clicked the gun’s mechanism shut. A delicate silver pistol immediately spun around his right hand before disappearing without a trace.

“But your plan is a bit too bold. If something goes wrong, we’ll both die.”

Black Hair laughed heartily and patted Blood Pupil’s shoulder. “Is death really that scary? Hearing such words from you is quite amusing. If I’m not mistaken, your contract as a mercenary seems to be only for a year—shouldn’t it have ended already?”

“And so what?” Blood Pupil shrugged nonchalantly. “Life now is much more exciting than when I was just drifting around in bars. Plus, the pay is good. Don’t even think about driving me away. I want to stay by your side for a while longer, save some money, marry a beautiful wife, and then find a planet as beautiful as Death Star to spend the rest of my life in comfort. I won’t die until then.”

“I won’t let you die either,” Black Hair replied with a smile. “If such a thing does happen, let me die before you.”

“That’s something I should say,” Blood Pupil replied awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. “You’re my employer after all.”

The two exchanged smiles, feeling a sense of camaraderie. (It feels… a bit off. Wait. Let me spit first…)

The floating vehicle stopped soon after. After announcing Black Hair’s identity, a man dressed like a butler welcomed him and the others into the living room. He said regretfully, “I’m sorry, Mr. Beck. Our master hasn’t returned yet. But she already knew you would come, so she instructed me to ask you to wait a while. She’ll be back soon.”

“Oh, I see,” Black Hair nodded lightly and sat down. Some young, beautiful women then appeared in the living room, serving them exquisite snacks. Black Hair noticed that these beautiful women all had long ears similar to rabbits. They must be the Rabbit People that Little Noby had once praised.

But he didn’t have the mood to study the beauties right now. The butler’s words had already alerted him.

“By the way, Mr. Butler. You said Miss Veri already knew we would come?”

“You may call me Cilic, Mr. Baker. You heard that right. Before you arrived, I received a message from my master. But you’d better wait until he returns to ask for details. I think it won’t take up much of your time.”
“I see. You’re a competent butler,” Blackhair praised sincerely.
“Of course. We’re the most famous butler race in the universe, born to serve our masters. Right, Cilic?” Suddenly, a clear voice rang out in the living room.
Blackhair was startled and turned around, just in time to see that familiar figure with the bamboo pole.