Eyes were dropping left and right.
Whether Sheng Yao had chosen death over submission or bent the knee to save his skin, either outcome would have been within the realm of expectation. But the man had knelt and bowed the instant he appeared — that was far beyond anything anyone had imagined.
Was this really the leader of the Gale Pirates? Was he truly a two-layer Void King Realm cultivator? A profoundly unreal feeling settled over everyone present.
But then, upon reflection, this was simply a man who knew when to yield. Wisdom lay in reading the times.
Sheng Yao clearly had no confidence in opposing this young man, which was why he had adopted such a humble posture. Only those weaker would lower their heads before those stronger.
The young man looked down at Sheng Yao, a flicker of light passing through his eyes as a faint smile curved his lips, as though he had discovered something interesting.
But soon his brow furrowed. He hadn't expected this fellow to be quite so spineless. The saying went that you don't strike a man who greets you with a smile. Though Sheng Yao had been lurking nearby the entire time, he had never once launched an attack — there was no blood feud between them.
Now that the man was being this deferential, killing him outright would be rather inappropriate.
Ma Chaoqun and He Wuzui had died because they'd brought it upon themselves. Sheng Yao, on the other hand, possessed the instinct to chase fortune and avoid disaster.
The fellow had made things difficult for him. The young man thought it over for a moment, couldn't decide what to do, and ultimately ignored him entirely, closing his eyes and standing in place.
Sheng Yao remained motionless, holding his half-kneeling posture. Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his cheeks. The feeling of being a fish on someone's chopping board was terribly unpleasant, but circumstances left him no choice — he had to bow his head.
With no reaction from the young man, the scene fell quiet once again.
Lu Huaishuang stood waiting in place for a full half-hour, but the young man showed no sign of moving.
Since she didn't move, neither did the Lu family. Neither did the Gale Pirates. The He family's remaining elites, however, exchanged glances, harboring thoughts of slipping away while no one was watching.
Lu Huaishuang cast a cold glance in their direction. She would never allow such a thing.
The Lu and He families had been locked in a death struggle on Chaoyang Star, their strengths closely matched. Both had Void King Realm experts standing guard. But after today, the He family would surely lack the power to resist any longer.
With He Wuzui dead and the He family bereft of leadership, the Lu family could seize the moment to devour their considerable assets.
If these several hundred He family elites could also be kept here, that would be ideal beyond measure.
Opportunity knocks but once. Lu Huaishuang glanced at the young man once more, made her decision in an instant, and the azure longsword in her hand blazed with brilliant light as she pointed it toward the He family crowd. A single, icy syllable escaped her lips: "Kill."
One word determined the fate of every He family member present.
She was a woman, but one utterly devoid of sentimentality. Compassion had no place in authority, and mercy had no place on the battlefield. From the day she had taken command of the Lu family, she had ceased to live for herself.
The battle was a complete rout.
Ordinarily, the Lu and He families' fighters had been comparable in both numbers and quality. But with their patriarch dead, the He family's forces had lost all cohesion. Even several hundred elites amounted to nothing more than scattered sand. The Lu family, meanwhile, had Lu Huaishuang herself directing the fight. Their hearts were united, and they swept forward like an unstoppable tide.
In the span of just half an hour, the He family's several hundred fighters were all but annihilated. Only a handful escaped with their lives.
Those few, though they had managed to flee, were nothing more than trapped beasts on this dead star — they would never stir up trouble again.
While the Lu and He families' warriors clashed, the Gale Pirates had seized the chance to vanish without a trace. The Lu family neither cared nor had the capacity to pursue such a band of pirates. Their target had always been the He family's elites.
So the Gale Pirates departed the scene without difficulty, without even attracting pursuit.
Sheng Yao had been thoroughly abandoned.
Sharing joy was easy, but sharing hardship was another matter. Who knew whether their boss would even live to see tomorrow's sun? Naturally, none of them wished to stay and hand their lives over to someone else's mercy.
Sheng Yao remained half-kneeling on the ground, his mind cursing those underlings to the depths of hell. Every day they had followed his side, eating his meat, drinking his wine, and enjoying his women — each more eager than the last. But the moment their boss had run into trouble, they had fled faster than one another. The cold warmth of the human heart was displayed here in its most vivid and thorough form.
Half an hour later, the Lu family sounded the withdrawal. Several hundred men had paid a minimal price to secure a tremendous victory. In today's battle, the He family had lost several hundred elites and their patriarch. They had even captured the He family's sole Void King-class warship.
Such a result could only be called staggering.
When they imagined the future — on Chaoyang Star, the Lu family reigning as king, the sole dominant power — everyone wore grins that threatened to split their faces.
Everyone knew that this outcome was entirely thanks to the mysterious young man who had appeared out of nowhere. Had he not slain He Wuzui, there was no telling who would have won today.
Lu Huaishuang hurried back, her clothing immaculate, her hair in perfect order, a captivating smile blooming on her stunning face. But when she looked up, she froze in surprise.
Because the spot where the young man had been standing was completely empty.
Only Sheng Yao remained, half-kneeling on the ground, utterly still. The sand beneath him was nearly soaked through with his sweat.
Lu Huaishuang frowned and looked around, but found no trace of the young man. A sudden pang of loss welled up inside her.
She stepped forward and asked, "Where did he go?"
Sheng Yao didn't answer.
"He's gone," Lu Huaishuang said again.
Sheng Yao started, then cautiously raised his head to look — and sure enough, the space before him was empty. His entire body shuddered.
There was no joy. Only shock.