The young lady had displayed extraordinary talent and aptitude for Cultivation from a very early age.
Born into a noble family with abundant resources, she never lacked anything she needed to train.
Her exceptional natural gifts, combined with her clan's unconditional support, meant only one thing: the rise of a prodigious new star in the Cultivation world. In barely a hundred years, she had advanced step by step all the way to the Void King Realm.
She possessed none of the strange temperaments common to daughters of great clans, and she treated her subordinates with remarkable kindness. On Chaoyang Star, she enjoyed immense popularity.
Had the old family master not suddenly suffered a relapse of his old injuries and fallen ill, she would likely have remained in secluded Cultivation to this day. Training was never tedious for her—she actually rather enjoyed it, savoring the sensation of her power growing stronger within her bit by bit, an indescribable joy.
Being thrust into crisis and commanded to lead the Lu family had never been her wish.
Her peaceful days of Cultivation were shattered, replaced by all manner of trivial affairs. Every morning when she opened her eyes, it was as though she heard countless mouths crying out to be fed. Over the past thirty years, she had poured her heart and soul into the Lu family, yet her own strength had not grown by even a single measure.
She simply couldn't fathom it—someone within the Lu family had actually betrayed her.
For what? What could they possibly gain?
Thirty years of devotion, and this was the betrayal she received in return? Her grip on the sword tightened, then slowly relaxed. Her gaze swept past the clan uncle and settled on the stout man called Ma. She spoke evenly: "Since the Second Commander has arrived, then the First and Third Commanders must surely be nearby as well? Why not show yourselves?"
Her beautiful eyes swept across the surroundings, her vermillion lips parting softly.
Ma Chaoqun was no weakling, but neither did she fear him. Their earlier exchange had allowed her to gauge his strength to some degree—he was roughly on par with her. Both were at the first level of the Void King Realm, with neither holding a clear advantage over the other.
Her edge lay in the sheer density of her Sacred Energy, while Ma Chaoqun's advantage was his extensive combat experience. After all, he was a space pirate—a powerhouse forged in seas of blood and mountains of corpses.
If Ma Chaoqun were the only one here, the Lu family's forces could fight their way through.
But when the Gale moved, they never held anything back.
The Gale had three commanders. The First Commander, Sheng Yao, boasted a cultivation at the second level of the Void King Realm. The Second Commander was this fair-skinned, portly Ma Chaoqun. The Third Commander,
The Gale had survived the combined efforts of numerous factions hunting them down for so long—not on luck alone, but on genuine, formidable strength.
Ma Chaoqun chuckled. "Miss Lu's concern is flattering, I'm sure, but I'm afraid I must disappoint you. Today only I have come—the Boss and the Third Commander have other matters to attend to. If Miss Lu wishes to meet them, you're welcome to come with me back to Gale territory, where you'll naturally find them."
Ma Chaoqun's smile didn't waver. "If Miss Lu cooperates, then yes—it's an invitation."
"And if I don't cooperate?"
"Heh heh..." Ma Chaoqun simply chuckled without answering. The implication was perfectly obvious.
If she didn't cooperate, then it was a threat.
Lu Huaishuang spoke calmly: "The Gale's reputation precedes you, and I've long heard of it. The star field is vast—for our paths to cross here is surely fate. We came unprepared, but the Lu family is willing to offer a modest gift so that the brothers of the Gale might enjoy some wine and tea. I would appreciate it if the Second Commander could clear a path for us."
Most space pirates cared only about wealth. If it was possible, Lu Huaishuang had no desire to clash with them. The main reason, of course, was the unease gnawing at her gut.
This place definitely did not hold just Ma Chaoqun alone.
First Commander Sheng Yao and Third Commander Ge Ming could very well be lying in ambush somewhere, waiting to strike. If a fight truly broke out, the Lu family's people would have little chance of survival, and even she herself might not escape.
Paying a fortune to avert disaster was the best outcome she could hope for.
Ma Chaoqun's eyes lit up, and he praised her: "I've long heard that the eldest miss of the Lu family is every bit the equal of any man, and meeting you today proves the reputation well deserved."
Since ancient times, women were said to be difficult to manage, yet this young lady of the Lu possessed a breadth of mind and boldness that most women simply did not. No wonder she could lead the Lu family and command half the territory on Chaoyang Star. Had she been born a man, the star field might well have gained yet another overlord before long.
He shook his large, fat head. "What a pity, though. Ma would gladly let Miss Lu pass, but I'm afraid some people wouldn't agree to that."
"Some people?" Lu Huaishuang's voice turned sharp.
A pitch-black warship suddenly tore through the thick fog, descending from the cloud layer. Its massive hull was every bit as imposing as the Lu family's own vessel—the two looked as though they had been cast from the same mold.
At its prow, a bold, unmistakable character—**He**—was clearly visible even from a considerable distance.
The crowd erupted in alarm.
"That's the He family's warship!"
"How can it be them?"
"This is a trap, damn it all!"
"The He family has actually colluded with the Gale—utterly shameless!"
The He family was the other great power on Chaoyang Star, ruling the planet alongside the Lu family in a divided dominion. As the saying went, two tigers could not share the same mountain—on a single Cultivation star, two supreme families standing opposed to each other naturally produced endless friction. One day this side attacked, the next day that side retaliated, minor clashes escalating into major ones, major ones festering into mortal grudges...
The two great families of Chaoyang Star were essentially oil and water.
But Lu Huaishuang had never imagined, not in her wildest thoughts, that the He family could be connected to the Gale.
What was the Gale? They were the single most infamous band of space pirates in the entire star field—bar none! Anyone who so much as associated with them would find their reputation permanently stained.