Hua Qiang flicked his wrist lightly. The beads of blood on his sword slid down the blade's spine, splattering into three tiny blood flowers across the starship deck.
A notification sounded in his mind: "Killed three Mademis Star Pirates. Received 26 million Slaughter Points."
"Not bad!"
Hua Qiang's heart leapt with joy. He was only one step away from entering the Void Realm.
He sheathed his sword with crisp efficiency, as though the three lives he had just taken were nothing more than dust swept from the deck.
Shi Yemin's voice still trembled with lingering fear. He clutched Hua Qiang's wrist tightly, his knuckles whitening from the force.
He thanked him over and over, incoherent with emotion. "Little brother, words cannot express my gratitude! If you hadn't stepped in, my entire family would have been buried in the stars today.
"My Shi family will never forget this debt of gratitude for the rest of our lives!"
"Little brother, from now on, this life of mine belongs to you!
"If you ever need anything, just give the word. Even if I must climb mountains of blades or plunge into seas of fire, I will not shrink back!"
His wife, Liu Yurong, hurried out of the cabin holding their daughter Shi Qingqing's hand. Liu Yurong was dressed simply, yet she could not conceal her noble bearing.
Her eyes were red as she bowed deeply to Hua Qiang. "Thank you, Young Hero Hua, for saving our lives. My daughter Qingqing is young and was badly frightened just now. I hope you will not take offense."
Standing at her mother's side, Shi Qingqing had only just recovered from her fright. The sixteen-year-old girl's cheeks still bore an unvanished blush, and her bright almond eyes sparkled as she stared at Hua Qiang.
The soul-stirring scene