Tanda saw the icy look in Li Qiang's eyes and could not help shivering. He was an exceptionally astute, deep man, and immediately said forthrightly, "All right, I'll do my best to give you a satisfactory answer. Also..." His voice dropped. "I hope you can look after my brother a little more. I raised him myself from childhood... If possible, let him come back sooner."
Tanda was actually already comfortable letting Tange follow Li Qiang, but still could not stop repeating his reminders.
Tange said, "Brother, don't worry! I'll definitely come back. Then the two of us can work together."
Li Qiang nodded, walked over to Paben, and said, "Paben..."
Paben suddenly crawled to Li Qiang's feet and sobbed, "Boss! Boss Muzi... please teach me. I want to... learn how to kill. I know... you don't want to take disciples. Just give me some pointers... I want to kill that beast with my own hands..."
What Bu Jigong had done had provoked him into becoming a different person. He had always been a timid merchant who feared trouble, wanting only to earn a little money in peace, tend to his home, and give his wife and child a comfortable life. Now Bu Jigong had destroyed it all. His world had utterly collapsed.
Li Qiang knew that if he did not give him some hope now, Paben would be completely finished. He said, "All right, Paben. I'll have Zhao Hao teach you first. But if you want to take revenge yourself, you'll have to work hard. Bu Jigong seems to have learned a few skills himself."
Paben lay slumped on the ground, nodding incessantly, his whole body trembling violently. Li Qiang barked, "Get up! A man should have some backbone. Stop fucking sniveling! What's the big deal? Paben... start all over again!" He put just a little True Essence Power into his voice.
It was as though a thunderclap had exploded in Paben's ears. He suddenly sprang up from the ground, his eyes red and the veins bulging on his neck, and roared, "I will kill him with my own hands!"
Nashan laughed loudly. "Hahaha! Paben, that's the spirit. Old Na will learn with you. Hey, senior brother, you have to teach me too."
Paben walked up to Zhao Hao and respectfully kowtowed. Then he stood up, his eyes red, and said, "No matter how much hardship or exhaustion there is, Paben can endure it!" Zhao Hao nodded slightly, reached out to grip the back of Paben's neck, and sent a thread of True Essence Power into him to examine his constitution. He was immediately astonished. Paben's constitution was extraordinarily good.
Li Qiang said, "Zhao Hao, there's no need to examine him. Their bodies have all been strengthened, including Tange and Kankanqi. They're fully capable of learning martial arts, or even cultivating."
Zhao Hao could not fathom it, no matter how hard he thought. He asked, "Master, this disciple doesn't understand. What was used to strengthen their constitutions? Practicing with a constitution like this would yield twice the results with half the effort."
Li Qiang handed him a Lesser Origin-Nurturing Pill. "This is the spirit pill. I call it a Lesser Origin-Nurturing Pill. It works quite well, but taking it wouldn't do much for you. Keep it to give to someone with whom you have a fated connection."
Tange blushed. "Boss, could you give me one too...?"
Understanding dawned on Li Qiang. He handed him one as well and said, "Tange is still thinking of his brother. Give him this one." Tange was overjoyed. Having experienced its effects himself, he knew how miraculous this spirit pill was. Holding it, he hurried over to Tanda, and the two began whispering together.
Tanda came over to thank him and took out two objects the size of credit cards. "This one contains information about the Banshou Trading House. This one is for payments. It has sixteen thousand units on it. Use that for now, and if it isn't enough, have Tange contact me. Also, the grand auction will begin soon. That crystal of yours is more than qualified for the rare treasures category. Tange knows how to participate."
Li Qiang had no concept of the money here and asked, "Sixteen thousand units? Tanda, what does that money amount to? Explain it to me. Hehe, I've never used it before..."
Tanda could not help laughing and teasing him. "A boss indeed-you never have to carry money. Well, one unit is the smallest amount. The larger the number, the more money you have. That's what it means."
Li Qiang understood and asked, "What if you don't have a card? Can anything else be used instead?"
Tanda took out rectangular blocks in four colors, each about the size of an ordinary cigarette lighter. He explained, "White is one unit, green is ten, red is a hundred, and black is a thousand."
Li Qiang suddenly felt that his entire group was utterly penniless.
He took out five Black Prison Spears and his only Crystal Origin Bow and asked, "Can these weapons be sold for money?"
He was also acting out of wounded pride. Earlier, a young woman at the eatery had played him for a fool, leaving him deeply embarrassed. Since he could no longer borrow the Supreme Radiance Shuttle's power and had to cultivate his own strength anew, his cultivation level had fallen. His worldly thoughts were therefore gradually returning as well, though he himself was not very aware of it.
Tanda took the weapons. He did not know that these were the Black Prison Spears that would later become famous throughout the Tanbang Continent, but he had a distinctive eye for weapons and could be considered a great expert in them. With just one glance, he exclaimed in surprise, "Oh? This is the first time I've seen a Spine-Piercing Spear like this. Such an unusual design, such flowing lines. Hmm, please wait a moment. I'll go test the spear."
Han Jin and Zhao Zhi began chatting with Zhao Hao. They were all from Heavenly Court Star, and even from the same country, so their conversation naturally carried an extra warmth. During their talk, Han Jin was astonished to discover that he had long since heard of Zhao Hao's great name. "Mad Saber Zhao Hao! This junior has long heard of your reputation. I heard that you were the head of the capital's foremost jewelry house, but never had the chance to meet you. To think I would meet you here." His words were full of emotion.
Zhao Hao smiled. "The chief escort of the Weiyuan Escort Agency is a good friend of mine. But after he retired into seclusion, I never visited the agency again. By then, I had more or less withdrawn to cultivate in seclusion myself, and seldom went out, until I met Master."
Zhao Zhi said enviously, "Senior, you're truly fortunate to have become the boss's disciple. We'll have to ask you to look after us in the future."
Strictly speaking, Han Jin and Zhao Zhi really were juniors. On Heavenly Court Star, they could only be considered second-rate fighters, far below Zhao Hao. Zhao Hao had been a first-rate expert on Heavenly Court Star, with a far greater reputation. He smiled. "We're all from the same homeland. Let's look after one another. You're both very clever. Follow my master and devote yourselves to cultivation from now on."
Tanda ran back excitedly. "How many more of these Spine-Piercing Spears do you have? We'll take as many as you have, at a high price. Masterpieces, true masterpieces! That bow is simply a supreme masterpiece. I wonder which master craftsman made it. It's far better than anything made by the renowned craftsmen of the spear workshops. Haha, I'm getting too excited."
Nashan said, "Our boss made them. Fine spears, aren't they? How much for each?" Tanda burst into a string of strange cries. Nashan laughed. "Don't make such a damned fuss. The boss can't understand you. Hehe, offer a good price, and next time I'll have the boss sell to your trading house again."
Tanda laughed too. "An ordinary Spine-Piercing Spear costs a thousand units. We'll pay twenty thousand each for these, and fifty thousand for the bow. That's the highest amount I can authorize. Would that do? What are these spears and the bow called?"
Li Qiang suddenly asked Tange, "How many units would that meal we had earlier have cost?"
Tange thought for a moment. "Thirty to fifty units, I suppose."
Li Qiang breathed a sigh of relief. With over a hundred thousand units, they would have enough for a while. He nodded. "All right. Tange, collect the money. You'll be in charge of the accounts from now on. Hmm... let's call these Black Prison Spears. The bow is called Crystal Origin."
Later, Tanda gave Li Qiang and the others quite a bit more money, because the Black Prison Spears ultimately sold for over a hundred thousand units each. The Crystal Origin Bow was never sold at all. Tanda quietly kept it in his own collection.
Just as Li Qiang was preparing to leave, a strange shrill whistle suddenly came from the platform in the center of the room. Tanda's expression changed drastically, and he hurried back to it. Tange was also visibly shocked. Li Qiang asked curiously, "What happened?"
Tange gave a long sigh. "War is coming... Ah, that's an alarm from the Blue Clear Trading House's headquarters."
Li Qiang and the others stayed, waiting for Tanda's news. Tange smiled bitterly. "The Tanbang Continent will know no peace from now on."
After a while, Tanda put away the platform and came over to Li Qiang. "After you leave, don't wander around for the time being. You'd best find somewhere to settle temporarily and wait until the situation stabilizes. The Tante Kingdom has just declared war on the Bangqining Kingdom."
Li Qiang suddenly recalled what the Green Tribe emissary in Rejuvenation Valley had said and asked, "Is it over the crystal mine?"
Tanda nodded. "That's right, it's over the crystal mine. Huh? How did you know?"
Li Qiang said, "I once met an emissary of your Green Tribe. I think his name was Kaben. He told me that a large crystal mine had been discovered on the border between your two countries, and relations seemed very tense because of it. So I guessed the crystal mine had caused it."
The brothers Tange and Tanda exchanged horrified looks. Tange stammered, "Emissary... Kaben! Divine Emissary Kaben! He... he's... the great god Kanbo'er's... em-emissary." He was terrified.
Li Qiang felt troubled as well. With war breaking out, the entire situation would fall into chaos. What was he to do about the Sea Agate?
Li Qiang and the others left the Blue Clear Trading House and arrived at the meeting place outside the city. Nanadun and Kankanqi were already waiting there.
Nanadun said, "Those people from the Ladu Kingdom are a tribute delegation to the Bangqining Kingdom. Their mistress is the Ladu Kingdom's Seal Maiden, named Lu Runyu, and holds a very high position. Her public identity is even more astonishing. She seems to be a princess or something of that sort. I'm not very clear on the situation in the Fan Kingdom. There wasn't time to investigate."
By now, Li Qiang had lost interest in them. He nodded. "Very good, Nanadun. I have some ideas to discuss with everyone, mainly about what we should do next. The war between the Tante Kingdom and the Bangqining Kingdom has brought us a great deal of uncertainty. To avoid getting dragged in..."
Nanadun interrupted in surprise. "What? Boss, the Tante Kingdom and the Bangqining Kingdom have gone to war? When did that happen?"
"We only just found out ourselves. There hasn't been any fighting yet, but war has already been declared. The situation will become tense immediately, so we must start preparing at once," Li Qiang said gravely.
Kankanqi said from the side, "This is bad. What about them, then? Hey... come out!"
A full seventy or eighty people climbed out of a long ditch nearby. Their leader was actually Boss Bala from the Black Prison, with Wuya following behind him. Coming up to Li Qiang, Bala smiled bitterly. "Boss... Ah, these people aren't from here at all. I couldn't bear to abandon them... I..." He wanted to say that he could not find his own homeland either. Everything here was unfamiliar.
Wuya had left a deep impression on Li Qiang. At the sight of him, Li Qiang could not help smiling. He stepped forward, took his hand, and asked, "Wuya, where is your home?"
Ever since fighting Li Qiang, Wuya had admired him greatly. He answered respectfully, "Wuya doesn't know either. My homeland wasn't like this... I remember when I was captured... there seemed to be a flash of white light, and afterward I was in the Black Prison." He truly could not explain it clearly, but Li Qiang already understood. These people were from neither Heavenly Court Star nor Tanbang Star. They must have been captured on other planets to serve as convict laborers.
Nanadun said, "Boss, your elder brother instructed us to make proper arrangements for them, so I didn't dare leave them alone. I brought them here."
Li Qiang patted Nanadun's shoulder. "Of course we can't leave them alone. We were all fellow prisoners, after all."
Li Qiang asked, "Tange, you know the situation here better. I plan to find somewhere to settle first, both to learn more about the situation and to deal with the question of protecting ourselves. These people can't return to their homelands for now, and following us would be too dangerous. I think we should simply train them as warriors. That would strengthen us and give them the ability to protect themselves."
Nanadun was the first to agree. Nashan said excitedly, "Right! If we're strong, we won't get pushed around so easily. Hmph, anyone who dares provoke us will be asking for suffering." He was the one most interested in fighting.
Tange said, "We must leave the border between the two countries and head into the Bangqining Kingdom's interior. We should set up camp somewhere not too far from a city. Hmm... Kankanqi, do you know anywhere we could go?"
Kankanqi shook his head. Li Qiang said, "Is the Sea of Wronged Souls far from here? It would be best to stay closer to it. Paben, where is the crossing from the Tanbang Continent to the Western Continent?"
Paben had been following them in a daze. Hearing this, he answered blankly, "The crossing is at Desperation Cape. You can't cross the sea now. You have to wait until the Wind of Fear stops."
"Where is Desperation Cape? Tange, do you know? Let's set up camp as close to it as we can."
Tange scratched his head. "Let's go to Fengnan City. It's near the sea. I remember a gorge where we should be able to settle, but we'll have to build our own houses."
Li Qiang was delighted. "Good, we'll go to the gorge near Fengnan City. Oh, how do we get there?"
Kankanqi suddenly said, "I have a way. We'll fly there. Don't forget, I'm the commander of the Flying Combat Regiment. I'll go find a friend. He has a flying board. Boss, I'll be right back. Everyone, wait here."
Fengnan City was a large commercial city. Because it stood right beside Desperation Cape, it was a gathering place for merchants. Fierce winds normally blew without cease; once they stopped, it was time to cross the sea. The city's buildings were mostly half underground, and all the roads had been built underground to shelter them from the wind. Looking from outside the city, one would never believe this was a great trading city with a population of a million.
A small flying board capable of carrying a hundred people glided past Fengnan City toward the distant mountains, flashing with the red light of its protective shield.
The fierce wind rocked the little flying board constantly, and it was flying almost flush with the ground. Li Qiang felt that Tanbang Star's technology lagged behind Earth's in many respects. Ordinary people really could not endure something that shook like this, and many had already begun vomiting. Li Qiang said, "Kankanqi, can you keep it a little steadier?"
Kankanqi shouted, "Boss, I can't! The wind is too strong. We don't feel it inside the shield, but it's terrible outside. We're using up too many crystals."
Tange also shouted, "Hold on a little longer, everyone! We'll be entering Great Gorge Mouth soon."
The little flying board finally plunged into a great fissure. It was a winding crevice, gloomy and without any visible vegetation, its rocks pitch-black. The flying board slowly rounded several bends. Suddenly, everyone's view opened wide, and a broad gorge mouth appeared before them. To Li Qiang's great surprise, there were vast stretches of green vegetation in the gorge.
Paben suddenly cried out, "Ah... ah..."
Nashan hastily put his arms around him. "Paben, Paben, what are you doing...?"
Paben stared, entranced, and said through sobs, "It's so like... like home... The Western Continent is green too, and it's green here... I hate the Tanbang Continent..."
Nashan sighed. "My homeland is green too!"
The little flying board stopped on a stretch of flat ground. Li Qiang stepped down and said, "Kankanqi, Tange, sorry to trouble you with another trip to Fengnan City. I need building materials, tools, food, and daily necessities. Kankanqi, could you discuss it with your friend and ask him to stay here with his flying board? Getting in and out of here without transport would be very inconvenient."
Kankanqi went to discuss it with his friend. Tange said, "Boss, we need to attend the grand auction as soon as possible. Once the war starts, prices will immediately soar. I think we should spend as much of our money as possible now and stock up on supplies. Later, we may not be able to buy them even if we have money."
Li Qiang greatly appreciated Tange's shrewdness. He smiled. "You're our quartermaster. You can decide everything. Make sure these people are properly supplied. I'll be starting their training soon, and you'll be taking part too. Hehe."
"Of course. I'll definitely take part." After saying this, Tange suddenly felt something strange. It was a fear like knowing there was danger ahead, yet being unable to stop. He rubbed his face hard, then turned and boarded the little flying board, his face full of bewilderment.
Kankanqi returned and said, "Boss, my friend doesn't want to stay here, but he can rent us the flying board. Once we reach Fengnan City, he'll go home on his own, and I'll fly it back. How does that sound?"
Li Qiang gathered everyone and counted them. He discovered that eighty-three convict laborers had followed them. Including his own group, there were ninety-three people in the gorge. Li Qiang felt the weight of his responsibility. These people who had lost their homelands and had nowhere to turn now had their future fates bound to his, unless he could help them find the planets where they had been born.
Standing on a rock, Li Qiang addressed everyone. "From today onward, we'll be living here in Great Gorge Mouth. You were fortunate enough to escape the Black Prison, but you've completely lost your homelands. If you trust me, let's fight to make our way in this world together. Are you willing?"
Li Qiang had already established great authority in the Black Prison, and the convict laborers sincerely respected him. They all shouted, "Boss, we're willing to follow you!"
"Good. Since everyone agrees, all of you must undergo training. I'll make you into brave warriors and a strong team. When Tange returns, we'll build our new home with our own hands. Dismissed. Rest for now." Li Qiang jumped down from the rock, called Zhao Hao, Nanadun, Nashan, and the others over, and began inspecting the surroundings of their new home.
The appearance of these convict laborers forced Li Qiang to face reality. To keep them from becoming a burden, he had no choice but to find a way to train them so they could protect themselves. Li Qiang's own cultivation level was ordinary, but the methods he knew were all top-tier. He was not the sort to hoard his skills as private treasures. With him teaching them, it went without saying that they could hardly fail to become formidable.
Nanadun smiled. "The Sea of Wronged Souls is on the other side of this mountain range. If these mountains didn't block the hurricanes, the Tanbang Continent might not be habitable at all." He looked up above the gorge and added, "So high. I've never heard of anyone making it up there. Even wearing flying wings might not work. The wind up there is too strong. Listen carefully."
Everyone stopped and tilted their heads to listen. Li Qiang and Zhao Hao had long since heard it clearly. The sound was like ghosts wailing and wolves howling, making their hair stand on end. Nashan cursed, "Damn it, that sounds awful."
Li Qiang smiled. "In a few days, we'll go up and take a look. We still don't know what the Sea of Wronged Souls actually looks like."