A small business? Who would believe that!
In the face of overwhelming strength, maintaining excessive humility is often a manifestation of arrogance and conceit.
Xavier gained a new understanding of Kane’s personality, and at the same time, grew even more curious about this planet that Kane had evaluated as “interesting.”
After Kane landed, the other Shadow-series prototype ships successively unloaded their passengers. Unlike their light travel, the transport team carried a large amount of cargo.
Led by Grisha, that team’s movements were exceptionally covert. Boxes of varying sizes were covered with isolation suits, making them almost indistinguishable in the night.
Yet Xavier caught the familiar scent of bloodlines, realizing what the “cargo” Grisha spoke of actually was.
His heart sank slightly as he stared intently at that transport team.
It wasn’t until the transport team disappeared into an inconspicuous passage that Xavier looked away, only to bump right into Kane’s gaze as the man turned his head and lowered his eyes to look at him.
The other’s calm scrutiny made him frown uncomfortably, his tone somewhat sharp, “What are you looking at?”
Kane withdrew his gaze and said indifferently, “Someone’s coming.”
It was the local forces who had gotten word and rushed over.
The newcomer had been waiting near the berth of the Shadow-shuttle, but kept his distance with good situational awareness. It wasn’t until Kane appeared that he jogged over, bowing deeply at the waist toward that towering figure.
“Lord Kane!”
“Our manager said that it is the honor of the entire Florui for you to come personally, and the arrival of the Bloodedge adds splendor to this barren land. He has already prepared a light banquet in the Rust Ring, just waiting for you to grace them with your presence.”
Kane did not speak.
The newcomer bent his waist even lower, his voice growing more humble, “The manager said he knows you dislike socializing and look down on the little show here in Florui City, and he wouldn’t dare delay your time. If you just come and sit for a moment, he will be content.”
After his long wait filled with anticipation and trepidation, the “Tyrant” finally spoke, though not to him.
“Want to go?” Kane asked.
Xavier’s mind was still on that batch of “cargo,” and he shook his head indifferently, “Not interested.”
Who is speaking?!
The member of the commercial firm, acting on orders, felt a shock in his heart. At first, he thought another force had beaten them to it, but he was also confused because he had clearly seen Lord Kane walk over alone—where did a second person come from?
He carefully raised his head and took a quick glance.
He only saw this “Tyrant,” who possessed a terrifying and notorious reputation, very casually fishing a little trinket off his left shoulder, holding it in his palm right before his eyes, asking with a patience completely inconsistent with his temperament:
“Then where do you want to go play?”
The commercial firm member, lowering his head again, thought that generally, the end for anyone who could make the “Tyrant” ask this question would essentially be ending up as space debris.
But… but the situation didn’t seem quite right?
Unable to restrain his curiosity, he couldn’t help but peek up again, but within a mere second, his spine shuddered in horror.
He happened to make eye contact with those grey-blue eyes known as the “Sea of Slaughter,” feeling as though he had been pinned down by a top predator, plunging from the back of his neck to his ankles into a terrifyingly rigid state.
It wasn’t until Kane casually withdrew his gaze that the commercial firm member was able to regain control of his limbs.
He read Kane’s rejection of the invitation and his impatience at being peered at.
Fortunately, this time the “Tyrant” let him off.
The commercial firm member’s heart hammered wildly, and he said with utmost gratitude, “Thank you, Lord Kane, for forgiving my presumption. This little one will leave right now, and I wish Lord Kane a pleasant time in Florui City.”
After finishing, he quickly backed away, and only after withdrawing a distance did he dare to turn around, his peripheral vision catching a glimpse of the “little trinket” on Kane’s hand.
Humanoid, the size of a fist, with flowing silver-and-gold long curly hair, and wearing exquisite little clothes.
It seemed to be…
A little doll?
Absurd thoughts arose in his heart, and he dared not look any more, hurriedly walking back to report.
Xavier perceived the human’s intense fear and the emotions of a survivor escaping death. Standing in Kane’s palm, he looked back and only saw that person’s retreating figure, so rushed he was almost tripping over himself.
“Is he here to invite you to a banquet? Why did he crawl away after just a few words?”
Kane said offhandedly, “He likes crawling.”
Xavier: “……?”
Listen to what kind of words these are.
Yet the man’s expression remained unchanged, asking Xavier again, “What about you? Where do you want to play?”
Xavier’s gaze flickered.
It was the same question again, making him perceive a subtlety in Kane’s attitude.
Currently, anyone who knew of his existence firmly believed he was an intelligent entity, which in Xavier’s understanding meant some sort of alchemical life form.
Even that fellow Gu Shen—although showing considerable enthusiasm when facing him and being willing to do whatever was assigned—clearly regarded him as a special intelligent entity.
Yet Kane, this arrogant star pirate leader, would persistently ask him where he “wanted” to go?
Rather than respect, it felt more like straightforward probing.
Xavier thought to himself, what a heavily controlling human.
He raised his arm and pointed toward the hidden passage Grisha had used to leave the spaceport, his rose-gold pupils glowing particularly brightly under the lights.
“I want to go there. Lord Pirate, why not take this Prince to see your… small business?”
Everything unfolded just as Kane had anticipated.
The seriousness in Xavier’s eyes just now didn’t seem fake; he really cared about that batch of “cargo” Grisha had taken away.
Was this his goal?
Kane placed Xavier back on his left shoulder.
“As you wish.”
Kane found a Phantom VF-9 hover-motorcycle that had been sealed away for quite some days from Bloodedge’s exclusive berth.
With a matte black body, low to the ground like a crouching beast, dark red air guide slots ran all the way to the tail, with no extra paint job besides that.
Parked there, the Phantom VF-9 looked like an unsheathed blade, exuding the sensory impact of violent aesthetics.
Xavier fell in love with it once again.
He found that while there were indeed many questionable aspects to Kane’s personality, his aesthetics completely coincided with his own.
He liked Kane’s battleship, he liked the mecha weapons, and he liked this vehicle very much.
Xavier jumped onto the Phantom VF-9 first, occupying the front of the vehicle, “I can just sit here.”
Kane paused with a subtle tone, “…Are you sure?”
His Highness the Prince touched the dashboard without even raising his head, “Of course.”
Kane was noncommittal.
After the Phantom entered the track, Kane poked his waist again.
His Highness the Prince impatiently brushed the man’s finger away.
Poke again. Brush away again.
After several consecutive times, Kane finally gave up.
As a top-tier hover-motorcycle, the Phantom VF-9 could accelerate to 250 kilometers per hour within three seconds.
Even with a wind-breaking system installed on the vehicle, the powerful inertia could not be ignored.
Therefore, almost the moment it started, Xavier—caught completely off-guard—was ejected from the front of the vehicle, biaji-ing right against Kane’s chest.
“I…!”
Xavier only had time to squeeze out half a character before his face was firmly pressed against Kane’s body.
Had His Highness the Prince not abstained from drinking blood for many years, he surely would have flushed red with fury.
This damn fellow deliberately didn’t remind him!
The man had changed into casual clothes before going out, with his collar slightly open. With nowhere to land after colliding with him, Xavier could only grab Kane’s collar, struggling and kicking hard against his chest.
In retaliation, he deliberately stomped a few extra heavy times on those large muscles.
“Don’t step.”
Kane scooped up the thoroughly irritated little fellow and casually placed him back on his shoulder.
“Now you won’t fall off. Sit properly.”
After the wind-breaking system was activated, the fierce wind caused by high speed could no longer affect the vehicle’s body, leaving only some shallow breezes blowing inside.
Plus, without deliberate show-off acceleration, Kane rode quickly and steadily.
Confirming that the danger was eliminated, Xavier, his anger gradually subsiding, was finally willing to sit down.
Seeing that he had quieted down, Kane let out a crisp, clear whistle with great interest, quickly blending into the wind.
Xavier rubbed his earlobe and ruthlessly evaluated: “Frivolous.”
The Phantom VF-9 drove rapidly along the hover track, heading from the No. 1 spaceport toward the direction of the Second District.
Compared to the carnival-city feel of the towering buildings in the Central District, the Second District felt more like it had “life and breath.”
Holographic advertisements of various colors flowed between buildings, and the streets on both sides were crowded with taverns, casinos, and auction houses. Aerial tracks at different heights combined together, leaving colorful, overlapping streaks of light from the tail lights of various hover-vehicles.
Complex colors crashed into Xavier’s eyes, illuminating his rose-gold pupils like gemstones reflecting fragmented light.
His silver hair, like condensed moonlight, was stirred by the following breeze. Xavier’s pupils narrowed slightly, and his entire person relaxed somewhat.
Kane parked his bike near a tavern named “Crimson.”
Seeing him put on a black half-face mask, Xavier watched as the man’s imposing aura restrained itself. If not for his towering, impossible-to-ignore physique, he looked entirely like an ordinary customer.
He brought Xavier and stepped into the “Crimson Tavern.”
Instantly, a wave of noise washed over the two of them.
Ever since waking from his slumber, this was the first time Xavier had been exposed to such a complex human environment.
The existence of the blood curse made him faintly uncomfortable, so he could only lean closer to the side of Kane’s neck—where the aura was still relatively pure—while releasing his spiritual tentacles to isolate the breaths he disliked.
And seeing the translucent, jellyfish-like spiritual tentacles manifesting around Xavier, Kane felt a mix of astonishment and trance.
For individuals with extremely strong spiritual power, if they develop deep entanglement or bonds with someone else’s spiritual power, there is a chance to see the other person’s manifested spiritual power.
Yet he never expected that spiritual power simulated by an intelligent entity would also have the possibility of manifesting.
Moreover, the soft jellyfish and slender tentacles looked beautiful and gentle, completely different from Xavier’s apparent temperament.
Kane resisted the urge to grab a “jellyfish tentacle,” pretended to be completely oblivious, and brought Xavier toward the bar.
Behind the bar sat a sharp-faced woman with coiled hair. She held an unlit jade pipe, her eyes shifting with natural, enchanting charm.
“Long time no see, Lord.”
Kane called out her name, “Feiyue.”
And Xavier caught the scent of her origins.
A half-blood magical creature, she should possess bloodline ties to Eastern spirits and monsters.
Feiyue’s gaze swept openly past Xavier, but she wisely refrained from asking too many questions, “I heard there is a huge batch of this “cargo,” so I suppose the Lord has intercepted a hunting ship of the Inquisition.”
Kane sat down and casually asked, “Are your manpower and hands sufficient on this side?”
Feiyue smiled brightly, “I wouldn’t want to trouble the Lord with asking personally. Sister Grisha has already successfully handed things over to me, everything will proceed according to plan.”
Listening to their conversation, Xavier’s initially bright eyes gradually grew cold and indifferent.
Just as he had perceived at the spaceport, the “cargo” in Feiyue and Grisha’s mouths were those magical creatures intercepted from that ship.
Most of them were half-bloods with a mingling of various bloodlines.
They had escaped the inevitable fate of death through the Inquisition’s “judgment,” yet still fell into the fate of being bought and sold.
Sai Lin said that in the interstellar era, magic was in decline and magical creatures had also seen their powers drastically reduced, leaving them at the mercy of others—and she was indeed right.
Xavier stared at their “transaction” and suddenly spoke out: “You carry the bloodline of a fox spirit.”
Feiyue’s expression changed instantly; her smile froze on her face as she looked with some astonishment at Xavier, and then at Kane.
“Who is this?”
Hearing this, Kane’s expression shifted slightly, and he asked him, “What’s wrong?”
Hearing that, Feiyue’s expression grew even stranger.
It was already very strange that Kane Valentian casually carried a little doll around with him, but she actually witnessed this Lord not only flying into a rage when the little doll abruptly interrupted him, but even patiently asking what was wrong.
Yet Xavier ignored Kane, his calm gaze falling upon the somewhat startled Feiyue.
“There’s no need to be nervous, I also have some ties of origin with the Eastern spirit and monster lineage. It’s just that, I’m afraid even “Bai Ze” would never have imagined that the spirit and monster bloodline would eventually fall to this state.”
After saying this, Xavier even deliberately distanced himself from Kane’s head.
He was annoyed with himself for giving Kane even the tiniest bit of recognition earlier, only to find out this fellow was even more devoid of a bottom line than dark creatures like him, completely wasting His Highness the Prince’s precious appreciation.
He turned his head away, his pale eyelashes half-covering his thin gold pupils, leaking a heavy, undeniable sense of detachment like a layer of frost.
Kane, who was waiting to see Xavier slip up, was caught completely off guard.
Instead, Feiyue, who was well-versed in the warmth and coldness of human relationships, reacted somewhat, recalling their earlier conversation and her identity being purposely pointed out.
She thought for a moment and spoke softly, “Please rest assured, Lord, I will settle this batch of sent-over “cargo” properly, and there will be no omissions.”
After saying that, she blinked slightly toward Xavier.
“Settle properly”?
Xavier opened his eyes slightly, his gaze shifting upward to collide with Kane’s probing, puzzled look.
Eh, did he seem to have misunderstood something?