On Qiu Long Star, inside a plant shop in an out-of-the-way location.
The petite Meng Na carefully dripped a drop of liquid rich in life force into a flower bed.
In the center of the flower bed, an emerald-green sprout just a few centimeters tall swayed gently, light flowing over its budding leaves, as though its silent joy could be felt.
"Meng Na! Meng Na!"
An aged, excited voice broke the tranquility.
Meng Na turned and saw an old man with white hair and a white beard standing in the doorway, his face brimming with excitement.
"What is it, Great-Grandfather?" Meng Na rose curiously.
"Good news! Wonderful news!" The old man's voice trembled, and he almost failed to catch his breath. A Planetary Level Nine warrior whose life was nearing its end, he now glowed with vitality.
"Your big brother Tamu just sent word! Those three demons on Illusory Color Star... are dead! They're all dead!"
"Really?" Meng Na's limpid eyes suddenly lit up. "How is that possible? They were so powerful..."
"It's absolutely true!" The old man nodded vigorously, unable to hold back two coughs. "Tamu verified it himself! Even the Planet Lord's name has already changed!"
"I knew it! I knew this day would come for those demons sooner or later!" Tears shimmered in the old man's cloudy eyes.
Choking back sobs, he continued, "Meng Na, the demons are dead. Your parents can rest in peace now. And you... you aren't a slave. You're a shop employee now, with legal status in the Caro Empire. In the future... you can go back to Illusory Color Star and see it for me..."
He paused, his tone filling with profound hope. "After I die, could you and Tamu take my ashes back? I want... to rest forever on Illusory Color Star."
Meng Na had been fortunate. She had been brought to Qiu Long Star for sale while still an apprentice, so no slave chip had been implanted in her. More fortunately still, she had met her great-grandfather and another fellow native, Tamu.
Together, the two had bought her freedom, and after she broke through to the Planetary Level, they had helped her register for legal status. The shop owner was understanding. After learning of her circumstances, he had even given her a job, allowing her to settle down and make a living on Qiu Long Star.
"I wonder... what attitude this new lord will take toward our people from Illusory Color Star?" A trace of lingering worry remained in Meng Na's eyes.
"Great-Grandfather," Meng Na said firmly, "if that new lord isn't so... vile, and no longer sells our people at will, big brother Tamu and I will definitely bring you back to your roots, like fallen leaves returning to the tree!"
"That person... should be a kind lord, right?" The old man could not be certain.
Just then, a burly man resembling a small giant strode in. It was Tamu.
"Meng Na, it looks like Great-Grandfather has already told you the good news. Our home planet has a new lord, and I have the latest news!" Tamu's voice was loud and excited. "That lord gathered all our people on the planet at the Planetary Level and above..."
"He said he was going somewhere far away to adventure, and the planet's administration... would be handed directly to us people of Illusory Color Star! Our people are planning to pool their money to buy Great-Grandfather and me back so we can return and take charge."
"Hand administration... over to us?" Meng Na could scarcely believe her ears. "That lord... is actually that kind?"
"It's absolutely true!" Tamu nodded vigorously. "By the time I received the news, that lord had already left Illusory Color Star. They say he's the disciple of some supreme expert. Even the Black Dragon Mountain Empire's staff stationed in the Caro Empire treated them with the utmost respect."
"Big brother Tamu, do you have any information about that lord?" Overjoyed, Meng Na asked eagerly.
"Yes, our people sent back some information. The lord's name is Lei..." Tamu operated the device on his wrist as he spoke. "Yes, Lei Ming. Our people also sent footage..."
"Lei Ming?!"
Meng Na's body instantly stiffened. Finding it somewhat hard to believe, she asked in a trembling voice, "That lord named Lei Ming... is he... a young man with a single horn on his head?"
At that moment, Tamu happened to open the footage. The young, resolute face in the image instantly confirmed her guess.
"It's him! It really is him!" Meng Na stared fixedly at the footage Tamu displayed, tears pouring down her face.
"Meng Na! Meng Na! What's wrong? Why are you crying? What happened?" Both Tamu and the old man were at a loss in the face of her intense reaction.
Meng Na wiped hard at her tears, her voice choked with sobs. "I know him. Do you remember the friend I told you about, the one I met on Qiu Long Star not long ago? It's him... The first time, I just gave him directions. Later, we met again and talked about a lot of things... At the time, I only wanted to find a stranger to pour out the pain in my heart to. I never thought..."
The young man's resolute expression and words surfaced clearly in her mind: "I'm cultivating with my teacher, and I'll definitely become a powerful expert one day. Once I'm strong enough, I'll definitely help you rescue all your people on Illusory Color Star!"
At the time, Meng Na had only taken it as a distant yet warm comfort, a well-intentioned joke. She had never imagined that, after such a short time, he would actually... do it.
Meng Na held nothing back as she recounted how she and Lei Ming had met and the promise he had made. Tamu and the old man listened, dumbstruck.
"Meng Na... thank you. You're the benefactor of all our people on Illusory Color Star! You... indirectly saved every one of our people!" The old man was so overcome with emotion that tears streamed down his aged face.
"Little sister Meng Na!" Tamu's voice was also choked with sobs. "If you meet that benefactor again, please be sure to thank him properly for me!"
With a soft creak, the shop door was pushed open. The slightly plump shop owner walked in, dressed in fine clothes and wearing a smile.
"Ahem, sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop." The owner's voice was gentle and carried sincere congratulations. "Congratulations to you all."
"Boss!" The three hurriedly bowed respectfully. Their boss was powerful enough to open a shop on Qiu Long Star and had a major faction behind him.
"A Mu, Old Meng." The owner's gaze swept over Tamu and the old man. "You've been working in my shop for over five hundred years now, haven't you?"
"Yes, boss!" the old man and Tamu hurriedly replied. "Thank you for rescuing us from the slave market five hundred years ago and giving us such stable lives."
The smile on the shop owner's round face deepened. "I've seen all your hard work and loyalty. Over these years, you've long since repaid the debt for your purchase. Since your home planet has now been restored and needs you to return and take charge..." He paused, his tone gentle yet leaving no room for doubt. "I'll give you your freedom."
"Boss?" all three exclaimed at once, scarcely able to believe their ears.
"Go on." The owner waved a hand. "Illusory Color Star needs you more. Do you have enough money for interstellar tickets home? If not, I can lend you some."
The three were utterly stunned and exchanged looks. Their boss usually treated them reasonably well, but such generosity, even offering to lend them money, was truly unexpected.
Yet their longing for freedom overrode everything, and in the end, they did not refuse this unexpected gift.
Watching the three leave the shop with gratitude and anticipation, the shop owner revealed a shrewd smile on his plump face.
"Lei Ming... he should be the young man who came to Qiu Long Star with Lord Lu Qingshan a year ago, right? To think he's Lord Lu's personal disciple..."
"These slaves from Illusory Color Star have truly heaven-defying luck. They actually managed to forge a connection with that expert's disciple."
Anyone with a little power only needed a few clues to roughly piece this matter together.
Three Planet Lords had been killed, yet the Black Dragon Mountain office had not investigated. Instead, it had swiftly confirmed a new lord.
There was no explanation other than the new lord having a powerful background.
They were merely two Planetary Level slaves. To him, they amounted to little; sometimes, a single meal could cost more than that.
If these two could earn even a sliver of goodwill from that disciple, or even that person himself, it would be a deal guaranteed to turn a profit.
How could a merchant possibly do business at a loss?
(End of chapter)