Better to Kill the Innocent Than Let One Go (Second Update)

One humanoid transformed, then another, then a third.

Some took on completely animal forms, like the enormous owl that had just been shot dead.

Others retained some human traits, like the merfolk whose upper bodies were human and lower bodies were fish tails.

Gaps appeared in the once orderly line as more and more humanoids refused to be separated from their children.

But many transformed humanoids could not control themselves at all. They charged madly at everyone around them.

Whether it was the guards, the Disciplinary Officers maintaining order, or humanoids like themselves waiting in line, they attacked whoever they could get their hands on.

After transforming, humanoids possessed tremendous strength, along with many unexpected special abilities.

Some could breathe fire, while others grew feathers as hard and sharp as steel spikes after transforming.

Even untransformed humanoids were no match for them and could be torn apart with bare hands if they were not careful.

The scene became a bloody mess, and order immediately collapsed.

The Mulan City Guard stationed at the checkpoint no longer stood idly by.

They drew their weapons, mounted them atop the high walls, and began firing at the transformed humanoids attacking everywhere.

Humanoids might have immense strength and special abilities, but before an organized human guard force, they were still as fragile as paper.

Very quickly, overwhelming firepower wove into a net, driving the transformed humanoids beyond the checkpoint before crushing them in a one-sided slaughter.

That was why the Beichen Empire had a common saying: when humanoids rebel, they cannot last ten years.

The half of the humanoids who had not transformed were now kneeling on the ground with their hands over their heads, trembling in terror.

Xia Chujian and the others watched from their flying vehicle, their faces showing pity.

Even their captain, Ye Shijie, who had been the most unmoved before, was no exception.

Soon, the smoke cleared. Every humanoid who dared resist had been exterminated, and those left behind became even more meek and submissive.

Yet the man in the khaki uniform still seemed unhappy.

Wearing black military boots, he stalked back and forth among the kneeling humanoids, cursing as he went. Every so often, he would lash out with a kick and send one of them sprawling.

Only after venting his anger did he return through another passage.

But as soon as he turned around, he spotted Xia Chujian's team's flying vehicle.

The vehicle's appearance was nothing remarkable. In fact, it looked utterly ordinary.

The only unusual thing was the North Star emblem near the engine on its fuselage.

The emblem's color and shape were both extremely subtle. Unless one belonged to the upper class, one would never notice what made this vehicle special.

Even Feng Qianzhan, the assassin, had failed to recognize what was most impressive about it.

But this man did not come from an ordinary family. He recognized it at a glance.

His pupils suddenly contracted, then rapidly dilated. His nostrils flared, and even his breathing grew heavy for an instant.

He was clearly extremely tense.

"Whose flying vehicle is that?! Is it parked here to visit someone's grave?" he cursed without thinking.

One of his subordinates hurriedly obtained the records from the Mulan City Guard and showed them to him.

The instant he looked, the greed in his eyes was completely undisguised.

"...I knew I wasn't mistaken! It's actually an A7 Combat Aircraft?! Isn't that the Combat Aircraft powered by Small-Scale Controlled Nuclear Fusion?!"

Vehicles like this could not be bought on the market even with money. His heart burned with desire.

"Whose flying vehicle is it?"

"Reporting to Deputy Director Fan, it isn't the one we're looking for..."

"It really isn't? Are you sure?"

"...It truly isn't. The one we're looking for is a Civilian Flying Vehicle. This is the latest Combat Aircraft model; the model numbers do not match at all."

"Then whose is it?"

"It belongs to the Dark Night Hunter Association Mulan City Branch. Their team took it out on a mission and is required to return it afterward."

The man in the khaki uniform was Fan Chengcai, deputy director of the Governor's Office's directly administered Disciplinary Department, which controlled Guiyuan Star.

"Return it? Do you believe that?" The anger on Fan Chengcai's face suddenly vanished without a trace.

He stroked his chin, narrowed his eyes, and said, "Tell the people inside to get out. Say the Disciplinary Department needs to conduct a routine inspection."

"...Deputy Director Fan, that belongs to the Dark Night Hunter Association..." His subordinate still tried to dissuade him.

But Fan Chengcai glared at him and snapped, "On all of Guiyuan Star, the Disciplinary Department is responsible for security in every city! As deputy director, I believe that flying vehicle poses a major security risk! Can't I conduct a spot check?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" His subordinate wore a bitter expression as he said in a low voice, "But the Mulan City Guard has already inspected it... Their technicians gave it a 'Pass' mark. They were just waiting to take off."

Fan Chengcai's eyes shifted, and he came up with another excuse. "So what? I think they're suspicious! A dangerous humanoid slave riot broke out at the Mulan City Plantation. Without support from outside humans, do you think they would really dare rebel?! You, immediately! Right now! Get everyone inside to come down and submit to inspection!"

He had truly set his sights on that Combat Aircraft and was determined to get it.

His subordinate stopped trying to persuade him and immediately went to make arrangements.

The more Fan Chengcai thought about it, the happier he became.

He knew that even among the nobility of the entire Beichen Empire, only the foremost Four Great Noble Families possessed this type of aircraft.

Other nobles could only satisfy themselves by looking at them at air shows...

He had seen one with his own eyes once before, which was why that emblem looked so familiar to him.

It should be known that such emblems were not even permitted to be posted on the Star Net.

That was one of the Star Net rules under military control.

Before long, the Mulan City Guard technicians boarded Xia Chujian's flying vehicle again.

This time, no amount of cash could sway them.

With grim faces, they drove Xia Chujian and the others out of the flying vehicle.

They were rushed out in a hurry and were not allowed to bring anything with them.

Ye Shijie knew something had gone wrong, though he did not know where the problem lay.

He secretly gave Song Mingqian a meaningful look.

Although Li Fu was the best at building connections in their team,

Song Mingqian was the one best at quietly gathering information.

The reason was simple: Li Fu was too tall and burly, making him an obvious target. He was not suited to fishing in troubled waters.

Song Mingqian had a much more ordinary build.

Moreover, he was the only one on the team who had attended university, so his intelligence was considered the highest.

Song Mingqian immediately stepped forward and dealt with the Mulan City Guard technicians, casually slipping in several questions without giving himself away.

Fortunately, the technicians still remembered that they had accepted benefits from them.

Although they had no choice but to come aboard again and deliberately make things difficult, they discreetly explained the whole story to Song Mingqian at the appropriate moment.

Then, this time, the Mulan City Guard technicians changed their clearance mark from "Pass" to "Reject."

The team's flying vehicle was immediately locked onto by the checkpoint's laser Energy Cannon. The moment it dared take off, it would be shot down at once.

The five team members could only watch as their flying vehicle was blocked at the checkpoint, furious but unable to say a word.

They stood in an open area, exposed to the biting cold wind.

Song Mingqian quietly told the others, "...This isn't the Mulan City Guard's doing. It's a deputy director from the Disciplinary Department in Da Fu Prefecture, named Fan Chengcai. He gave a direct order to reinspect our flying vehicle."

Li Fu was surprised. "Our flying vehicle belongs to the Association, not our team. Does he not know that?"

Song Mingqian gave a bitter smile. "Of course he knows. It's written clearly in our electronic entry records."

"But Da Fu Prefecture is the capital of Guiyuan Star, and the Governor's Office is located there."

"The Disciplinary Department of Da Fu Prefecture oversees security work in every city on Guiyuan Star. Even Bounty Hunters fall under their jurisdiction."

"So his position happens to give him the authority to interfere with the Dark Night Hunter Association."

Because the Dark Night Hunter Association had always been a civilian Bounty Hunter organization.

"More importantly, this man's surname is Fan. The Mulan City Guard said he comes from the Da Fu Prefecture Fan Family..."

Li Fu, Ye Shijie, and Ping Qiong's faces darkened visibly.

Xia Chujian looked at them in confusion. "Is the Da Fu Prefecture Fan Family very powerful?"

"...The Fan Family is the only noble family on Guiyuan Star. You didn't know?"

Xia Chujian shrugged. "How would I know anything about nobles? I only know a few Citizens, and that's you guys..."

The corner of Ye Shijie's mouth twitched, but he still explained, "Most nobles in our Beichen Empire are on Beichen Star. But a very small number are scattered across its subordinate planets. For example, Guiyuan Star is the most backward, and only one noble family lives here. But even that one noble family can suppress the Governor, the highest government official on Guiyuan Star, until he cannot raise his head."

Xia Chujian silently shut her mouth.

She was not worthy—unworthy of knowing the background of these people above others.

At that point, Song Mingqian's voice grew even more bitter. "There's another, more fatal reason. Fan Chengcai has accused us of colluding with the humanoid slaves at the Mulan City Plantation in rebellion... Even if the Association learns that we're being targeted, they most likely won't stand up for us."

Ye Shijie's voice was low. "...Yes, because the Empire would rather kill the innocent than let anyone with suspected rebel ties go."

Thinking of the gun box she had left behind, Xia Chujian's heart began beating even faster.

Her Kongsang leaf petals and her Fresh Blood Kirin plant were all inside!

Unwilling to accept it, Xia Chujian asked quietly, "Then what does he mean? Why is he pinning such a huge accusation on us?"

"...What else could it mean? He wants our money and our lives!" A vicious glint appeared in Ye Shijie's eyes.

Ping Qiong was no fool either. Her fists clenched in an instant. "That bastard! He's got his eyes on our flying vehicle!"

"...Everyone must be careful. Don't give him any excuse to act against us. If it comes down to it, we'll give up the flying vehicle and hand it directly to him. Let him take our property if he wants, but losing our lives would not be worth it." Ye Shijie weighed the pros and cons and quickly made a decision.

Xia Chujian refused. "But there are so many valuable things on our flying vehicle! And if we give it to him, what are we supposed to use to return it to the Association?"

This was the Second Update. See you tomorrow.

For a space novel, do Dear Readers not read this kind of thing very often? It feels like many of you aren't very familiar with the setting ε=(´ο｀*))).

Anyway, it's fine if you're not familiar with it. You'll get familiar as you keep reading. (^▽^).