Xiuka's Fear

After Heilai blew himself up and died, the remaining Heilai Bandits were nothing more than a rabble. They posed no threat at all.

The Blazing Squad quickly wiped out the whole group of Heilai Bandits. As it turned out, they had killed about as many bandits as Heilai had taken out with his self-destruction.

In a way, Heilai had actually made things easier for them!

After going through a battle, the members of the Blazing Squad seemed different. There was a world of difference between having killed someone and never having killed anyone; their auras had changed completely.

Once they had finished off the Heilai Bandits, everyone calmed down.

They all looked to Jiang Yun, waiting for his orders.

"Bu Chen, what do you think?"

Jiang Yun turned to Bu Chen, wanting to hear his answer.

"Brother Yun, I was careless this time! I'm sorry. I let my emotions get the better of me. I wanted to use this opportunity to really test myself, but I nearly made a terrible mistake!"

Bu Chen looked ashamed.

"Bu Chen, I know you want to catch up to me, but it won't happen overnight. Have you ever heard that dripping water can wear through stone, and that one mountain's stone can polish another's jade?"

Jiang Yun looked at Bu Chen and spoke calmly.

"Cultivation is about building up over time. Without taking one step at a time, how can you travel a thousand miles?"

Jiang Yun's words poured into Bu Chen's mind like a sudden revelation.

Bu Chen felt ashamed.

He was right!

There was no such thing as reaching the top in a single leap. Jiang Yun had been training longer and harder than he had. How could Bu Chen possibly catch up to him so easily?

Seeing that Bu Chen clearly understood his mistake, Jiang Yun was quietly pleased. He hoped Bu Chen wouldn't make the same mistake again.

In his previous life, Jiang Yun had read countless web novels. The sort of plot where a villain killed someone close to the protagonist, driving the protagonist to turn grief into motivation and eventually defeat the villain, was far too common.

That was why Jiang Yun had never underestimated an opponent. He always kept several trump cards in reserve. In this world where only the strong survived, using up all your trump cards meant you were close to death. He couldn't afford to be careless.

"Alright, alright! It's nothing serious. The mission's done, so let's head back!"

Jiang Yun didn't scold him too harshly. After all, he had anticipated something like this might happen.

"But, Brother Yun, the Heilai Bandits ambushed us so precisely. Someone must have told them where we were going!"

By now, Bu Chen had calmed down. He'd remembered how suspicious the whole thing was.

How had the Heilai Bandits known they were coming to wipe them out? They'd even set an ambush in advance.

If their group hadn't been somewhat capable, they'd probably have been completely wiped out.

"We've only been here for a day, and the only person we've had any dealings with is the deputy leader of the Lone Wolf Mercenary Group..."

A glint of insight shone in Jiang Yun's eyes, as if he could see right through people.

"We'll settle accounts with him when we get back!"

Jiang Yun then decided to head back.

"Yes!"

No one said anything more. They knew Jiang Yun always meant what he said.

Everyone quickly boarded the spacecraft. One of them had been damaged—the very one they'd arrived in.

An ordinary person would have been stuck, with no choice but to repair the ship before setting off again.

But Jiang Yun simply took another one out of a Hoi-Poi Capsule. Before they'd left, Dr. Brief had specifically built three spacecraft and handed them to Jiang Yun.

He'd clearly prepared them in case their ship got damaged.

The spacecraft streaked away like a comet, leaving no trace behind.

"What! What did you say?"

"You're saying they actually survived Heilai? How is that possible?!"

Xiuka paced anxiously around the room, panic written all over his face.

"It's true, Lord Xiuka! I even went to the battlefield. That asteroid belt was completely destroyed!"

The Lone Wolf Mercenary Group member looked astonished. Anyone could imagine how shocking the scene must have been.

"If they come back, then what happened to Heilai...? No, no! It must be that they escaped from Heilai!"

Xiuka's face was full of disbelief. He couldn't bring himself to believe that this was how it had ended.

"But..."

"Are you crazy? Don't say another word!"

One member tried to say something, but another stopped him. They seemed to be of the same race and on good terms.

"Shh!"

"Xiuka clearly can't accept the news. If you tell him now, he'll probably tear you apart!"

The man whispered.

The other member thought about how Xiuka usually acted and shuddered.

He said nothing more.

"What are you two whispering about?"

Xiuka glared at the two men, his gaze dark and hostile.

"Nothing, Lord Xiuka. We think you're absolutely right. They must have fled in disgrace from the Heilai Bandits!"

The more tactful of the two spoke up.

Xiuka was delighted to hear that. It seemed to ease his fear, too.

"And besides, Lord Xiuka, even if they do come back, they won't know you were the one who told the Heilai Bandits where they were. This has nothing to do with you!"

The man knew how to read his superior's thoughts, so he went along with Xiuka.

"Hahaha!"

"You're a good one. From now on, you'll be one of my personal guards. You'll work for me."

Xiuka was clearly pleased by his words. He patted the man on the shoulder.

"Yes, yes! It's an honor!"

The man's face turned green, but he didn't dare defy Xiuka. He could only play along, though in his heart he was already cursing Xiuka's ancestors back eighteen generations.

"Brother Yun, are we really going to capture Xiuka? We don't have any proof that he did it."

Bu Chen was a little surprised.

"Bu Chen, remember this: in this universe, as long as you're strong enough, whatever you do is right!"

Jiang Yun gazed into the distance. Xiuka reminded him of the sleeping God of Destruction, who would destroy a planet at the slightest provocation, and no one dared call him wrong.

In the original story, if Goku hadn't come along, Earth might not even exist. Although Beerus later got along well with Goku and the others, that was only because they had earned his approval.

The truth was, this world was no different. It was all about the survival of the fittest.

"Remember, if you want to protect Earth, you have to learn to let go of the kindness in your heart. The universe isn't some game of make-believe. It's far more cruel than you can imagine!"

Jiang Yun's words struck Bu Chen to the core, helping him understand the cruelty of the universe.

"Go ahead and handle it. It's a minor matter, so you can take care of it yourself. As for Xiuka, use your own judgment!"

Jiang Yun turned and went back to his room to rest, leaving Bu Chen deep in thought.