Chapter 137: The Panic of Xi Tianfeng

While everyone else was training with a fanatical intensity, as if possessed, Xi Tianfeng sat in a state of restless anxiety, his face ghastly pale.

"Damn it! What kind of nonsense is this 'Blood Fiend Squad'? They boasted to the heavens, yet so much time has passed without a single word. Could they have taken the money and run?" Xi Tianfeng roared, nearly overturning his chair in a fit of rage.

The butler replied elegantly, "Master, please rest assured. The Blood Fiend Mercenary Corps prides itself on its reputation. They have never failed to complete a task they accepted. They must have been delayed by something. With their peak-level warrior strength, dealing with Le Kai should be as easy as flipping their hands. There is no need for you to worry so much."

Xi Tianfeng said gloomily, "How can I not worry? That pig Xi Tiande has already brought shame upon our Xi family. I don't know what kind of punishment awaits us when we return to the main star. The elders are already dissatisfied with our recent actions. The new mineral planet is in desperate need of miners, and yet, while we have so many idle people here, we cannot draft them. The other four cities have already settled everything; only I have made zero progress. If it weren't for Bao'er being considered a promising talent, they would have already come after me."

The butler pondered for a moment and said, "This matter is indeed suspicious. Given Sang Qing's personality, he should have finished the job and left long ago. The lack of news for so long is truly abnormal. We cannot rule out the possibility that he has simply walked away. After all, the boy's father is the deputy leader of the mercenary corps, a man who covers the sky with one hand and acts with impunity throughout the War Wolf Empire. Such a thing might be out of character for others, but it is possible for him. Please wait, Master; I will go and inquire."

Xi Tianfeng snorted, clearly dissatisfied with the butler. *'Damn you,'* he thought, *'you only now say that kid is unreliable? You gave me your word earlier!'*

A while later, the butler returned with an ashen face, his fists clenched and trembling. This was something that had never happened to the usually composed butler. Xi Tianfeng's heart sank instantly, and he bellowed, "Did that brat really take the money and run? This is outrageous! Even if his father is a high-ranking official in the mercenary corps, I will never let this go!"

"Master, the situation is a hundred times more serious than you think!" The butler adjusted his emotions, speaking in the gentlest, softest voice he could muster. "Someone just arrived from the main star via the teleportation array, and he spoke of a terrifying matter."

Xi Tianfeng stared at the butler in shock, unable to fathom what could make him so afraid. Could it be...

"Sang Qing is dead!"

The soft, trembling words struck Xi Tianfeng's mind like a thunderbolt, causing him to lose his ability to think for a moment. He repeated mechanically, "Sang Qing... is dead?"

"Yes. It is said he was torn to shreds by a freak with sharp claws." The butler felt as if his throat were inflamed; his voice no longer sounded like his own. This terrifying news was like a nightmare, filling him with extreme dread. Sang Qing’s death was inextricably linked to him, as it occurred right after accepting his commission. If Sang Xing were to find out his only son died because of a mission for the Xi family, his fury would undoubtedly consume the entire family—a fact no one in the War Wolf Empire would doubt!

Xi Tianfeng collapsed onto the sofa, spiritless and hollow-eyed, drowning in absolute despair.

The butler steadied himself and added one more thing, pulling his crumbling soul back to reality: "It is said that Sang Qing was killed in front of Sang Xing by this freak while executing a mission on 'Xisha Planet.' That place is a million light-years away from here!"

Xi Tianfeng jolted up, staring at the butler in astonishment. "How is that possible? He was clearly..."

"Master, quiet!" The butler stopped his shouting just in time, leaning in to whisper, "That is the strange part. I checked the records, and Sang Qing and his group left our 'Azure Planet' three months ago according to their original plan. Sang Qing must have done that to pull the wool over everyone's eyes, while in reality, he was conducting some secret business here on Azure Planet. A secret so deep that even his father didn't know about it. Therefore, so far, no one knows that Sang Qing died here."

Xi Tianfeng finally understood. His trembling heart surged with a sudden, wild joy. He grabbed the butler and asked, "You mean to say that, aside from the monster who killed him, no one knows Sang Qing died on Azure Planet, and no one knows we were the ones who hired them?"

The butler nodded. "Exactly. So, Master, there is no need to panic. As long as we flatly deny it and keep the secret, this matter will never be exposed."

Xi Tianfeng was ecstatic, laughing wildly. "Heaven has not forsaken me! Good! This is wonderful!"

The butler wiped the sweat from his forehead, finally calming down. When he first heard the news, he had been terrified and lost. But after careful thought, he realized there was still a glimmer of hope.

"But who could wipe out a team as powerful as the Blood Fiend Squad? That brat Le Kai is a monster, but he surely isn't that strong, right?" Xi Tianfeng asked, puzzled.

The butler thought for a moment, his face full of confusion. "It is said to be a terrifying freak; only Sang Xing knows what he looks like. It is likely not someone from this planet. They were probably killed for their belongings—Sang Qing must have obtained some incredible treasure, caught the eye of a high-level expert, and was attacked. But there are countless people coming and going from Azure Planet every day; if a master were hidden among them, there would be no trace to find."

Xi Tianfeng asked nervously, "What about Le Kai and his group? Are they dead? By the Blood Wolf Emperor! Li Yan is with them. If she were harmed..."

Xi Tianfeng felt today was his unluckiest day. His heart could barely handle the blows; every piece of news concerned the entire family, weighing heavily on him.

The butler’s expression also shifted in horror. If the Xi family fell, he wouldn't survive either.

"Master, I will immediately and secretly dispatch experts to investigate. If Miss Li Yan has truly met with misfortune, then... we must flee!" The butler said through gritted teeth, his face resolute as he turned to leave.

"What have I done to deserve this? Is this little savage Le Kai really the bane of the Xi family?"

Xi Tianfeng slumped down, his face devoid of color. He clutched his thinning hair and pulled, looking like a madman.

Oblivious to all of this, Le Kai and his group spent their days training and studying, as if they wanted to split every second into two. Their theoretical knowledge, mental cultivation, and strength were all progressing at a terrifying rate.

Tomorrow was the deadline set by Le Kai; everyone had to engage in live combat with mutant beasts.

Though called a drill, everyone knew that mutant beasts were violent and bloodthirsty; they wouldn't understand the concept of a simulation. Fighting such a pack of terrifying wild beasts meant there was a constant risk of death.

Le Kai had spent these days crafting a large number of pills, equipping everyone with two bottles each—a display of extreme extravagance. Looking at those pills, no one could smile, for these were the "miracle drugs" Le Kai boasted could restore anyone as long as they had a breath left. His tone when handing them out had been strange: "Don't worry! If you run out of pills, I can refine more. Your boss has no other skills, but he is good at alchemy. Waste them if you must! But it would be a tragedy if you were gone while the pills were still here, wouldn't it?"

Hearing this, everyone shuddered, nearly bursting into tears.

"Move out! Remember, the last place finisher has to live alone among the beast pack for three days!"

After saying this, Le Kai waved his hand as if shooing away flies.

"Boss, you have to look after me!" Lan Bo looked at Le Kai pitifully, his gaze so desperate that it annoyed Wu Meitian. She fiercely twisted his ear and scolded, "Lan Bo, you're a grown man, show some backbone! Relying on others is worse than relying on yourself. If you stay like this, you're dead meat."

Le Kai laughed, "Go on, go on. Boss will make sure King Kong gives you special attention."

Lan Bo said happily, "Thanks, Boss! I'm off. You and cousin enjoy your time together at home!"

Le Kai didn't think much of it, but Li Yan blushed crimson and shouted indignantly, "Cousin Lan Bo, you are a real jerk!"

Watching the fiery, angry Li Yan, Le Kai smiled lightly and said, "Lan Bo is just lewd and vulgar, don't mind him. I am very pure and honest."

Li Yan said happily, "You are the reliable one. Unlike some people who are young but have nothing but dirty thoughts."

"Since I'm so well-behaved, shouldn't I get a reward?" Le Kai smiled innocently, gesturing to his cheek. Li Yan looked around shyly, and like a thief, she planted a dragonfly-light kiss on his cheek. She said bashfully, "Honest man, is that enough? Now, shouldn't you give me that miracle drug you were bragging about?"

Le Kai said happily, "It's no brag. You'll know once you try it."

He took out an exquisite jade bottle from his wrist-storage. It wasn't an ordinary item; it was the bottle the Alchemy Enthusiast had left him, now used to hold his pills to ensure maximum potency. Inside were the "Ten Thousand Spirit Pills" he had spent two days refining.

Though simple in name, these were the highest-grade pills Le Kai had refined so far. With his spirit-absorbing "entry-level" peak mental strength, he had barely managed to complete nine of them. They were incredibly rare. If auctioned, they would fetch an astronomical price; after all, a pill that could help someone break through the barrier of "Mind and Spirit as One" was unheard of.

Li Yan took the crystal-clear pill, which looked more like a pearl, and toyed with it lovingly. She crinkled her delicate nose, took a sniff, and said in surprise, "This is truly a fine medicine, completely different from the pills before. Just by inhaling it, I feel as if my internal energy increased a little. If I eat it, I might really break through my cultivation level!"