Chapter 253 - 252

Perhaps it was because Jian Yu’s appearance was so deceptive, making it easy for people to let down their guard.

Compared to the others, Zhao Jiangyou said more to her than anyone else.

Zhao Jiangyou kept his head down, his eyes fixed on the ground, looking timid and withdrawn.

Most of what he said was about Yan Ying’s daily schedule.

With every sentence, he would look up at Jian Yu, as if observing something, or perhaps reminding her of something.

Jian Yu couldn’t figure him out and tried to respond with her wide eyes.

But her expression was too silent. A flutter of her eyelashes, a press of her lips, her large eyes widening slightly—that was the extent of her movements.

Zhao Jiangyou couldn’t help but press his lips together as well, a look of utter confusion in his eyes.

He shut his mouth and stopped volunteering information.

In the end, he just said dryly, "It’s all pretty boring. Nothing much to say."

Jian Yu: "..."

She couldn’t get much more out of him, so she had to stop for now.

She felt that Zhao Jiangyou wasn’t as harmless as he appeared.

’Or maybe he’s afraid of something and doesn’t dare say more?’

Seeing that she had stopped asking questions, Zhao Jiangyou fidgeted with his fingers, unwilling to give up.

He asked timidly, "Is there anything else you want to ask?"

Jian Yu shook her head.

’Besides, even if I ask, you’ll just say you don’t know.’

’And what am I supposed to do with all this information about Yan Ying’s schedule?’

Jian Yu paused.

Go to bed before eleven at night, wake up at eight in the morning, take an hour-long nap at noon.

The schedule was very normal. It didn’t seem to reveal anything.

But given Zhao Jiangyou’s suddenly deliberate tone, she had a faint feeling that it was important.

Jian Yu’s gaze fell on Zhao Jiangyou’s tense shoulders. He seemed extremely wary, and he was even more nervous than when they had just been talking.

The atmosphere was silent for half a minute.

People tend to unconsciously say more when they’re angry.

Jian Yu thought for a moment.

She remembered a certain trope: ’Only I’m allowed to complain about how awful my school or my planet is. No one else gets to say a word!’

Her gaze hardened. With a cold expression, she deliberately provoked him. "Emperor Wolf Star just isn’t as developed as the Imperial Capital Star. There’s nothing fun to do here, and you’re probably all still using outdated stuff. The Alliance let Admiral Yan manage this planet, and this is what he made of it? How useless."

Zhao Jiangyou lifted his head, a rare occurrence.

His eyes were flashing, the light so bright it made them sparkle.

His face flushed red as he argued back forcefully, "Don’t you dare slander Admiral Yan! Who says Emperor Wolf Star has nothing fun? There are a thousand, no, ten thousand times more fun places here than on the Imperial Capital Star!"

’Did he take the bait, or did he bite the hook on purpose?’

’It doesn’t matter.’

Jian Yu’s voice was cold, her tone arrogant. "Oh? I’m not feeling it. All I know is that anything Emperor Wolf Star has, the Imperial Capital Star has too. I’ve been asking you for ages, and you couldn’t name a single fun place. No wonder everyone says Emperor Wolf Star has gone to the dogs."

"You’re talking nonsense! You’re the one who’s gone to the dogs!" Zhao Jiangyou’s face seemed to have turned red with anger.

He once again steered the conversation back to the Slave Market he had mentioned offhandedly, his tone taking on a hint of aristocratic contempt. "Jian must have never been to a Slave Market, right?"

"No," Jian Yu said without thinking.

She didn’t even know such a place existed.

Zhao Jiangyou’s tone grew heavier. "You’ve never even been, so what could you possibly know? I have. Miss Yan Ying took me. That’s where you learn what it means to be a cut above the rest."

Jian Yu’s fingertip twirled, tracing the hem of her skirt twice.

A wisp of colorless, odorless red mist seeped into Zhao Jiangyou’s skin.

She narrowed her eyes, her gaze fixed on the spot below Zhao Jiangyou’s collarbone.

There was a chip there, about the size of a Star Brain.

She was staring too intently.

Zhao Jiangyou followed her gaze and looked down.

He gave a slight nod.

Zhao Jiangyou’s voice trembled slightly. "You’re not a noble, so it’s normal you can’t get in. All the nobles love going to the Slave Market. It’s you who’s unsophisticated, not that Emperor Wolf Star has no fun places, you country bumpkin."

Jian Yu understood. "You insulted me. You’re dead."

She thought for a moment, then flipped her wrist and pulled a dagger from her Space Ring.

"I hate Slave Markets more than anything. Fun my ass. You frequent a place like that, so you’re probably no good either."

Jian Yu’s acting skills flared, and she unleashed a wave of oppressive energy.

Zhao Jiangyou’s face turned pale.

"The Slave Market is legal on Emperor Wolf Star! What right do you have to say I can’t go!?"

Jian Yu raised her hand. The tip of her dagger, wreathed in Green Mist, slashed horizontally.

Zhao Jiangyou’s pupils contracted. "It’s not that I wanted to go! Miss Yan Ying was the one who wanted to go! I’m just a Healer, I didn’t dare refuse!"

"Junior!" Zhang Qin was stunned. When he came to his senses, he quickly called out to stop her.

He didn’t understand. They had been talking just fine, so why did she suddenly pull a knife?

Wang Hu was scared too. "P-put the knife down! We can talk this out."

’Is this still the same soft, cute little junior he knew?’

Jian Yu’s movements were swift and clean.

Flesh was sliced open, and the tip of her dagger dug out a chip.

Before anyone else could speak, they saw that Zhao Jiangyou’s wound had already healed.

"What is this thing? It’s not a tracking device for all of us, is it?" Jian Yu flicked her dagger, flinging the chip to the ground, and stomped on it twice.

She lifted her leg and stomped down, cackling wickedly.

Her every word and action were like those of a great villain. "Zhao Jiangyou can’t be left alive."

Everyone: "..."

’Why is this somehow a little cute?’

Jian Yu stomped on it a few more times, hopping up and down, but the chip didn’t even have a scratch on it.

Zhang Qin swallowed hard.

Jian Yu scratched her cheek with a finger. This was awkward.

In a fit of anger, she suddenly erupted. Tendrils of black mist transformed into sharp blades, piercing the chip from all directions.

The chip was instantly crushed to dust.

Jian Yu was satisfied.

Zhao Jiangyou’s eyes were slightly red-rimmed.

"I..." He paused for two seconds, his voice hoarse as if squeezed from his very chest. "Thank you."

Jian Yu blinked at Zhao Jiangyou, her expression innocent, her eyes well-behaved. "Is everything okay now?"

Zhao Jiangyou nodded vigorously. "Yes!"

Zhang Qin furrowed his brows.

Lu Yi’s eyes went wide.

Jiang Fei raised an eyebrow.

Wang Hu was dumbfounded.

Lu Qi asked in a small voice, "What’s going on?"

Yan Xu was silent for a moment before explaining, "That’s a surveillance chip. It’s something Emperor Wolf Star developed in the last two years. There aren’t many of them."

The way Yan Yi looked at Zhao Jiangyou changed. "Why do you have one of those on you? As far as I know, these chips are only implanted in people who have committed major crimes."

They were generally used on criminals on Emperor Wolf Star.

Zhao Jiangyou’s mouth moved. "I’m not a criminal. I just... saw something I shouldn’t have."

"Stop. Don’t say it. I don’t want to know." Yan Xu didn’t want to get involved and decisively walked away.

He had finally managed to leave Emperor Wolf Star; he had no desire to go back.

Facing the gossiping stares of the others, Zhao Jiangyou pressed his dry lips together. "It’s better if you don’t know."

As he walked, Zhang Qin looked worriedly at Zhao Jiangyou. "Will you go back?"

Zhao Jiangyou glanced at him and shook his head. "I don’t know."

Wang Hu hissed, "Yan Ying is already dead. If he goes back, he’ll just be asking to die."

Lu Qi couldn’t help but chime in, "He might get dragged back."

Seeing everyone looking at him, Lu Qi’s voice grew even quieter. "Didn’t he say he saw something he wasn’t supposed to see?"

Anyone could tell that it was Zhao Jiangyou’s Healing Soul Beast that had saved his life.