Chapter 122: Exposed
The number An Sha quoted left Bai Zhouyun completely dumbfounded.
He had never imagined that this organization would casually value a single piece of information in the billions.
This time, however, Bai Zhouyun had learned his lesson.
He felt they were probably just trying to trick him into revealing everything he knew before killing him.
If that happened, it wouldn't matter how many credits they promised him—they would just be empty words.
With that in mind, throwing around such astronomical figures suddenly made perfect sense.
"Are you telling the truth? What if you're lying to me? You're the ones in charge here. After I reveal the secret, you could just kill me. Then you wouldn't lose anything at all."
Hearing him say that so bluntly, An Sha burst into laughter.
She covered her mouth as she laughed happily.
Bai Zhouyun's gaze was involuntarily drawn toward her chest, which swayed noticeably with the force of her laughter...
He immediately looked away.
He knew perfectly well that he liked men like himself.
He had absolutely no interest in women.
The only reason he had been staring just now was because the movement had been distracting.
Taking a deep breath, Bai Zhouyun asked,
"So? What's your answer?"
An Sha gradually stopped laughing.
She found it rather surprising.
This useless Bai Zhouyun hadn't been charmed by her at all.
It seemed he really did prefer men.
Putting away her smile, she explained,
"You should know that this rule applies throughout the entire organization."
"The people who saw you wandering around outside before definitely noticed you."
"They're probably all waiting to hear what information you bring out."
"If we really killed you..."
"Not everyone here is stupid."
"There are plenty of clever people."
"If they realized you never came out, they'd immediately know something had happened to you."
"At that point, who do you think would still be willing to provide us with valuable information and secrets?"
After thinking it over, Bai Zhouyun found her reasoning convincing.
If he disappeared after entering this place, then no matter what explanation the organization gave, people like him would only believe one thing—
That he had revealed an important secret and been silenced afterward.
Word would spread from person to person.
Eventually, no one would dare reveal any valuable secrets again.
In the end, the organization itself would suffer the greatest losses.
Bai Zhouyun quietly sat there thinking.
An Sha remained beside him without interrupting.
She let him work through it himself.
Only if he convinced himself would he reveal everything without holding anything back.
After thinking for nearly two or three hours, Bai Zhouyun finally made up his mind.
"Fine."
"I'll tell you."
"But..."
"The place where that Nianshen Grass is located is rather special."
"If you really want to obtain it..."
"It probably won't be easy."
An Sha smiled.
"You don't need to worry about that."
"Nianshen Grass is so precious that every known location is protected beyond imagination."
"We've exhausted every possible method and still haven't managed to obtain even one."
"No matter how troublesome your location is..."
"Could it really be more difficult than all of those?"
Bai Zhouyun considered it before shaking his head.
"Not really."
"So far, besides himself..."
"I'm the only other person he's told about having a Nianshen Grass."
"So it should actually be much easier than the ones you mentioned."
An Sha slowly walked over.
She took out the card she had prepared earlier and placed it against the communicator on Bai Zhouyun's wrist.
A transfer notification immediately appeared.
One billion credits had already been deposited.
"The money is yours first."
"Can you tell me now?"
Bai Zhouyun swallowed nervously.
Even back when he belonged to the Bai family, he had never seen this much money in one payment.
He couldn't help feeling nervous.
But even more than that...
He was excited.
"Fine."
"I'll tell you."
"But if obtaining it turns out to be extremely difficult..."
"You can't reduce the amount you promised me."
"Don't worry."
An Sha nodded.
"We'll never go back on our word."
"As long as your information is genuine."
Bai Zhouyun looked extremely confident.
He had absolute faith in the secret he possessed.
An Sha could tell at a glance that he genuinely knew the location of an undiscovered Nianshen Grass.
This time...
They had struck gold.
Forget tens of billions.
Even hundreds of billions of credits would be worth paying.
About half an hour later, Bai Zhouyun walked out of the room.
He looked refreshed.
Even his complexion had improved considerably.
Earlier, he had already asked about his new status.
He had been promoted directly to an administrator rank.
It was merely an organizational rank without any real authority, but it granted him unrestricted access throughout this base.
Before leaving the facility, he even disguised himself and put on a mask.
Only after walking through the streets outside did he realize...
This wasn't even the Empire anymore.
The city looked prosperous.
But the architecture and unfamiliar accents spoken around him made it obvious he was in another country.
Using the local network, he searched for his wanted notice.
Nothing appeared.
This country didn't border the Empire.
Nor did it synchronize news with the Empire.
As a result...
He didn't need to hide his identity here at all.
Besides, An Sha had already promised him the highest level of cosmetic surgery.
The only condition was that it would be arranged after they confirmed the Nianshen Grass truly existed.
Bai Zhouyun wasn't dissatisfied in the slightest.
Things were already far better than before.
He slowly began adapting to his new identity.
Once he became completely accustomed to life here...
He could truly begin anew.
The moment Yu Lanfeng's shuttle entered the atmosphere, he immediately sensed the terrifying strength of the magnetic storm.
The shuttle survived less than ten seconds before becoming completely disabled.
It began plummeting toward the surface.
As it fell, violent winds repeatedly caught the shuttle, constantly altering its trajectory.
Fortunately...
Those same winds also slowed its descent.
When it finally slammed into the ground, the damage wasn't particularly severe.
After running a diagnostic, Yu Lanfeng discovered that the onboard repair robots could completely restore it using the stored materials.
That put his mind at ease.
After putting on his specialized combat suit, he programmed the shuttle to begin self-repair.
Before leaving, he also ordered it to reject anyone approaching except himself and Nan Yu.
Only then did he head toward the location marked on his map.
His communicator still contained Nan Yu's exact coordinates.
The crash site was roughly a three-hour walk from the marked location.
However...
Considering the current weather...
Yu Lanfeng estimated it would realistically take five to six hours.
Then he suddenly thought of a much faster method.
He directly activated his fire ability.
Every incoming rock, every cloud of sand, every obstacle that approached him was instantly incinerated.
With nothing left to interfere, he could charge forward at full speed.
At this rate...
He might arrive in less than three hours.
The only drawback was the enormous consumption of ability power.
If someone had prepared an ambush waiting for him...
He might end up—
Heh.
Yu Lanfeng curled his lips into a cold smile.
Cause him to stumble?
Impossible.
No one could scheme against him.
Even if every last drop of his ability power was exhausted...
He could still kill them all with his bare hands.
Most of the time...
He didn't need anything flashy to kill.
Punching them to death was enough.
As Yu Lanfeng steadily approached the house...
Nan Yu's patience finally reached its limit.
He was worried sick about Yu Lanfeng.
Yet he couldn't leave.
He could only sit there anxiously.
Hours continued to pass.
The longer he waited...
The more restless he became.
Finally, he decided to sneak out while Ye Xing and Zhang Wei weren't paying attention.
He knew perfectly well how dangerous the storm outside was.
But he remembered the device Ye Xing had given him when they first came here.
It could block the storm.
After entering the house, Ye Xing had never taken it back.
Although Nan Yu didn't know how long it would continue functioning...
If it failed...
He could always spread his mental power over his entire body as protection.
It would consume an enormous amount of mental power.
But he no longer cared.
Ye Xing and Zhang Wei had been resting in the small living room the entire time.
Walking through the living room to reach the front door...
Had a zero percent chance of succeeding.
He needed another exit.
Unfortunately...
Finding one wasn't easy.
He didn't even dare open his bedroom door.
The room's soundproofing was excellent.
He could sing at the top of his lungs without anyone outside hearing him.
But the moment the door opened...
Even the slightest sound would alert them.
That meant...
His only escape route had to be from inside the room itself.
There were no doors.
Only a window.
But who knew whether it was even real?
If it was fake...
There was no way to open it.
Soon, however, Nan Yu used his extended mental power to examine it carefully.
Although the window had been completely sealed...
Tiny gaps still existed.
Back during his very first kidnapping...
He had used the tiny amount of mental power he could barely project outside his body to pry open a door without the slightest crack.
If he could do it back then...
He could do it again now.
For this...
He even took out the Nianshen Grass he had previously sworn he would only use once.
Using it now might cause him to become a High-Tier Mental Power User earlier than planned.
But he couldn't afford to be stingy anymore.
With the Nianshen Grass assisting him, the consumption of his mental power slowed considerably.
Eventually...
A tiny opening appeared.
Immediately afterward...
He heard the roar of the storm outside.
One hour.
It had taken him a full hour to create an opening roughly the size of a fist.
But the hardest part was already over.
From here on...
Progress would be much faster.
Besides...
He didn't need a passage large enough to walk through.
He only needed one large enough to crawl through.
Nan Yu skillfully manipulated his mental power.
The hole expanded faster and faster.
About another hour and a half later...
He smiled.
"Finally."
Putting away the Nianshen Grass, he slowly began crawling outside.
The passage was extremely narrow.
He had to suck in his stomach just to squeeze through.
Outside...
The storm truly was terrifying.
Fortunately...
The device Ye Xing had given him blocked almost all of it.
Then—
Did he just hear footsteps?
His heart skipped a beat.
Had Ye Xing and Zhang Wei entered the room and discovered he was escaping?
Hurry!
Hurry!
He desperately accelerated.
Without paying attention to his posture, he scraped his arms, waist, back, and legs against the rough edges.
Several wounds were severe enough to begin bleeding immediately.
Nan Yu sucked in a sharp breath.
It hurt terribly.
Come to think of it...
These were probably the worst injuries he had suffered since his rebirth.
"Xiaoyu?"
While enduring the pain, he suddenly heard a familiar voice calling his name.
Ignoring every wound on his body, he looked toward the sound.
The distance was still too great.
Combined with the storm...
He couldn't make out the person's face.
But instinct gave him the answer.
"Brother?!"
Nan Yu called softly.
The next instant...
Before he even realized what had happened...
He was wrapped in a warm embrace.
The familiar scent immediately relaxed his entire body.
He gently hugged the man back.
"...Brother."
The newcomer was Yu Lanfeng.
Using blazing flames to clear his path, he had rushed all the way here at incredible speed.
Originally, he had assumed Nan Yu had already been moved elsewhere.
He hadn't expected him to still be here.
Such terrible conditions.
And yet they had actually dared remain here.
Did they really think so little of the Empire's ability to track people?
But now wasn't the time to think about that.
He needed to take Nan Yu back immediately and treat his injuries.
The moment he noticed the wounds and blood covering Nan Yu's body, his first thought was that he had been abused.
However...
After noticing the blood stains around the narrow tunnel Nan Yu had crawled through...
He immediately understood.
These injuries had all been caused while squeezing through that tiny opening.
"Why were you so reckless?"
"I was almost here."
"You only needed to wait a little longer."
Nan Yu looked pitiful.
"I was worried about you."
"I knew..."
"If it were you..."
"No matter how terrible the weather on this planet was..."
"You would definitely come looking for me."
"I just wanted to see you sooner."
Yu Lanfeng felt his heart itch.
For a moment...
He didn't know what to say.
Instead, he looked toward the small house.
"Are they inside?"
Nan Yu nodded.
"Yes."
"Do you remember Ye Xing?"
"The one you mentioned before?"
"He's the one who brought me here."
"The device that allowed him to secretly enter the Capital Star without being detected..."
"He built it himself."
"He kidnapped me because he wanted me to treat someone."
"You healed him?"
"Yes."
"At that time, Ye Xing was already on the verge of breaking down."
"I thought stabilizing his emotions came first."
"So I treated him."
Yu Lanfeng nodded approvingly.
"You did the right thing."
"Your own safety must always come first."
"That's the correct decision."
Nan Yu smiled faintly.
"I know."
"That's exactly what I wanted to tell you too."
"There's something else."
"They could have left this place long ago."
"I don't know what they were planning."
"But even after realizing you were already on your way..."
"They still refused to leave."
"It almost seemed as though they were deliberately waiting for you."
Nan Yu had already guessed their objective.
They wanted to use Yu Lanfeng to return safely to the Empire.
That way...
Not only would they avoid being hunted by the Empire...
They could also escape pursuit from every other nation.
A clever plan.
Unfortunately...
Yu Lanfeng had no intention whatsoever of letting Ye Xing go.
Anyone who dared kidnap Nan Yu right under his nose...
Should already know what kind of fate awaited them after being caught.
Nan Yu hesitated before asking,
"Zhang Wei is inside too."
"They say he once helped you."
"Will you still kill Ye Xing?"
What he really meant was—
If Zhang Wei, the man who had once done Yu Lanfeng a great favor, insisted on protecting Ye Xing...
Would Yu Lanfeng still kill him?
Yu Lanfeng slowly took a deep breath.
"Yes."
"A favor can mean many things."
"But not when something like this has happened."
Nan Yu quietly nodded.
In that case...
He said nothing more.
"So now—"
Yu Lanfeng interrupted him.
"Now I'm treating your injuries."
"And bandaging you properly."
Unfortunately...
The only sheltered place nearby was the very house Nan Yu had crawled out of.
Nan Yu might barely fit through that tiny tunnel again.
Yu Lanfeng certainly wouldn't.
So...
He headed straight for the front door.
Taking off his outer coat, he draped it over Nan Yu before lifting him into a bridal carry.
Then he walked to the entrance...
And kicked the door open.
Inside, Zhang Wei, who had been resting with his eyes closed on the sofa, instantly opened them and stood up.
"Yu Lanfeng?"
Yu Lanfeng kicked the door shut behind him.
His icy gaze landed directly on Zhang Wei.
"Don't think hiding him will save him."
"This time..."
"I won't repay your favor."
Zhang Wei's expression instantly changed.
The greatest reason he had allowed Ye Xing to remain nearby was because Yu Lanfeng owed him a favor.
Now...
Yu Lanfeng had personally cut off that possibility.
That made Ye Xing's situation extremely dangerous.
Fortunately...
He had hidden Ye Xing outside rather than keeping him inside the house.
Yu Lanfeng wouldn't be able to find him immediately.
Besides...
Nan Yu had somehow been injured.
That meant Yu Lanfeng would have to spend time treating and bandaging him.
There was no way that would be finished within an hour.
That gave Zhang Wei enough time to secretly bring Ye Xing back.
Yu Lanfeng didn't spare him another glance.
Still carrying Nan Yu, he headed toward the room.
After opening the door, he immediately saw the hole Nan Yu had dug through the wall.
He was about to place Nan Yu on the bed.
Then, as though remembering something, he instead laid him gently on the sofa.
"Rest here for a moment."
Working as quickly as possible, Yu Lanfeng repaired the hole.
Although faint cracks remained...
At least no storm could blow in anymore.
No sound would leak through.
Nor could anyone crawl in or out.
Nan Yu tried to stand.
Only then did he realize the abrasions on his waist and legs were actually quite serious.
Some areas even looked blackened.
For a moment he thought they had become poisoned.
Then he realized...
The black color was simply dust from outside mixed with blood.
Not poison.
Yu Lanfeng quickly removed a first-aid kit from his storage button.
He carefully examined Nan Yu from head to toe.
Every wound was cleaned.
Healing spray was applied.
After watching the injuries gradually close...
He even gave Nan Yu a bath.
The two bathed together.
Yu Lanfeng even produced Nan Yu's pajamas.
Looking at how thoroughly prepared he was, Nan Yu sighed emotionally.
"You're such a perfect person."
"I don't even know whether I'm worthy of you."
Yu Lanfeng answered without hesitation.
"If anyone in this world is worthy of me..."
"It's only you."
Nan Yu suddenly felt...
"You've become surprisingly good at saying sweet things."
"Who taught you?"
Yu Lanfeng took his hand and kissed it.
"No one."
"I just feel that..."
"If I keep those words buried inside..."
"I might lose the chance to say them."
"And..."
"Isn't saying things like this only natural?"
Nan Yu suddenly wanted to cover his face.
Great.
One impulsive decision...
And he had somehow turned Yu Lanfeng into an absolute fool for love.
Well...
It wasn't exactly a bad direction.
Looking at his freshly cleaned body and pajamas, Nan Yu sat comfortably on the sofa.
"I'm sleepy."
Yu Lanfeng had already spread a mattress over the sofa.
The blanket and quilt had all been brought by him.
"Get some proper rest."
"I'm going outside to talk with that man about everything that happened before..."
"And about where Ye Xing is now."
"I'm not letting him off so easily."
Nan Yu hesitated.
"But..."
"His talent is truly exceptional."
"If you could recruit him..."
"Wouldn't your legion become even stronger?"
"You won't consider that?"
Yu Lanfeng looked directly at him.
"So..."
"You're pleading for him?"
Nan Yu nodded.
"Just this once."
"If he commits another crime in the future..."
"You can do whatever you want."
Yu Lanfeng couldn't understand.
"Can you tell me why?"
Nan Yu remained silent for quite a while.
Finally, he spoke softly.
"It's difficult to explain."
"But..."
"I truly owed him once."
"So..."
"This time..."
"I'll repay that debt."
"After today..."
"We won't owe each other anything anymore."
Yu Lanfeng frowned deeply.
He didn't answer immediately.