Yue Yang opened the door to find Guoguo standing outside, his face full of alarm, along with several servants equally at a loss for what to do.

Old Mao hadn’t returned, and they had no idea how to respond.

Above all, a sky-hanging mothership like the Gannet being boarded was the sort of once-in-ten-thousand-years event that left them wholly without answers. Should they go with the ship’s guards to repel the invaders, or stay in their rooms and wait for the disturbance to be quelled? If they went to repel the invaders, there was the question of whether the ship’s guards might mistake them for the enemy’s confederates — but the most important point of all was that if their master came hurrying back and couldn’t find anyone in the room, he might well fly into a thunderous rage.

“What are you all still standing here for? Come with me at once to reinforce the western sector — there are invaders there!” As they wavered, undecided, a squad of elite guards came charging up in a furious rush, and one of the deputy squad leaders bellowed frantically in their direction; the desperate fighting ahead had him grasping at every hand he could get.

“Assemble first, and move at a run. There’s an armory up ahead — you’ll be equipped there. Rest easy: you won’t actually need to fight at the front. You only need to help treat the wounded and move certain necessary supplies. I guarantee there will be no danger at all!” The squad captain, by contrast, was far more composed, and signaled for Guoguo and the others to fall in and take charge of logistics specifically.

“Understood.” Hearing that no fighting was required — only logistics — Guoguo’s morale surged at once.

A sky-hanging mothership could not be taken. And now, helping with logistics — once the fighting was quelled, wouldn’t that count as a military merit? No blood shed, and a merit gained besides; why not? To take part in repelling an invasion like this was an exceedingly rare opportunity and a shining line on one’s personal record. At the drinking table in years to come, it would furnish the most gratifying story of all!

And when his lord returned, he’d surely heap praise on him too!

At the thought, Guoguo’s delight fairly climbed onto his eyebrows.

But before the squad had even finished assembling, another guard unit came running up.

From the opposite direction. This unit had clearly taken a terrible beating: every member gravely wounded, drenched in blood. They were retreating in ragged disorder, from precisely the direction the first squad had been heading toward, as though they had just been routed by a powerful enemy. The unit’s strongest man, the captain, was missing; the deputy had lost an arm and was staggering along, propped up by two equally wounded members — a thoroughly wretched sight.

He took one look at Guoguo assembling a squad and immediately let fly with a stream of curses: “What do you people think you’re doing? Reinforcements? It’s chaos enough up front already — our own men can’t tell who’s an invader and who’s a passenger, and you want to add to the mess? We don’t need reinforcements. If you’ll just stay put in your own cabins like good little men, we’ll thank heaven and earth for it!”

Guoguo felt thoroughly wronged.

Assembling a squad to go reinforce you was your idea. And now they were griping that there might be enemy infiltrators among the passengers and telling everyone to go back and sit tight.

Truly, it was hard to be a good man! Failing to detect the invaders’ infiltrators in the first place — that was the guards’ own incompetence, their own inadequate screening. What did it have to do with them?

Sulking, and unwilling to shoulder a charge like that besides, Guoguo waved a hand in extreme displeasure and told everyone to go back and rest — they’d do nothing at all. There’d be no reward for the work anyway, and suspicion heaped on them for their trouble. Who could stand it? Granted, the sky-hanging mothership Gannet belonged to the Southeast Divine Nation and everyone had a duty to defend her — but he wasn’t one of the ship’s guards, after all. If this job didn’t have to be done by him, then all the better: go back, pull the blanket over his head, and wait for the outcome!

The sky-hanging mothership could not possibly be taken.

Perhaps these guards simply didn’t want the passengers stealing the rare military merit that was rightfully theirs!

At that thought, Guoguo inwardly sneered at these battered, defeated remnants. Things had come to this pass and they still didn’t want reinforcements? Still afraid someone would poach their credit? Truly, the roast duck is dead but its beak still holds out — so stubborn to the last… Fine. Then this gentleman would sit back and await the outcome, and see how many lives they’d feed into the fire.

Safe as it might be to go back and sit tight, they’d missed out on a war merit all the same.

The courage everyone had only just worked up drained away.

They looked at one another helplessly, and each returned to his cabin, waiting for the ship’s guards to put down the disturbance.

Not ten minutes later, more soldiers came, banging on each cabin door in turn — and bringing new orders: everyone was to hurry to the front line at once as reinforcements.

“Didn’t you say you didn’t need us? We just received orders from your superior saying we were suspected of harboring invaders and couldn’t leave our cabins to reinforce anyone — that we all had to stay inside and wait for the disturbance to be quelled!” Guoguo was riding high now. He’d known all along these grunts would come crawling back to beg him.

“Is that so? I didn’t know. It’s chaos up front right now — we urgently need some powerful reinforcements!” The blood-covered soldier couldn’t make up his mind. If he led a squad up as reinforcements and there were enemy infiltrators among them, it would indeed be fatal. But the front urgently needed reinforcement. On one hand, his superior’s orders; on the other, a desperate situation. He truly didn’t know what to do.

“Our strength isn’t sufficient. Better that we stay in the rear.” Guoguo demurred with feigned reluctance; what he really wanted was for the soldier to beg him a while longer.

“Then you all stay right here. Mind you don’t go wandering about — it’s very dangerous out there!” But who could have guessed the soldier would take him at his word? Terrified there really were infiltrators mixed in, he dashed out, lowered the bulkhead gate in the corridor outside, locked it shut, and hurried off to find fresh reinforcements elsewhere.

“…” Guoguo very nearly howled a curse. You blockheaded grunt — never mind that you can’t hear a polite refusal for what it is, you went and locked the corridor gate! Now we couldn’t go out and reinforce anyone even if we wanted to. Why do I keep running into people like this?

Yue Yang was delighted beyond words. He didn’t dare laugh openly, but the effort of holding it in nearly did him an internal injury.

The situation was serious; they’d come back to let him out to reinforce them soon enough — and when they did, he really would have to heckle those idiot soldiers a good deal more!

Hearing the din of slaughter outside, Guoguo judged the situation grim and reckoned there was still a chance at merit, so he settled down, assembled his companions in the corridor, and waited quietly for the next wave of soldiers to come begging for help. But wait as he might, two hours and more went by and no next wave came. Guoguo began to grow restless. If the sounds of fighting hadn’t still been going, he’d have suspected the invaders had been wiped out by the ship’s guards — otherwise, why had no one come to beg for help this whole time?

Another half hour passed.

The corridor’s locked bulkhead gate finally opened.

Guoguo’s face — black as thunder with dejection a moment ago — instantly took on an air of self-importance, his nose hmphing, as if to say: Well? Can’t manage without me after all, can you?

The one who opened the gate was a soldier — but not the one from before. This was another man entirely, a tall stranger none of them recognized. Unlike the blood-soaked soldiers of earlier, this man had not a trace of blood on him. He was dry and neat as a gentleman on his way to a banquet, and his face carried none of the panic and desperate urgency of the soldiers before him. On the contrary, he was all smiles.

Before Guoguo could open his mouth to gloat, the man clapped his hands and signaled for everyone to listen quietly to what he had to say.

“Not bad — you’ve already assembled. That saves me a good deal of effort. But please note: I have not come to beg you for reinforcements. Don’t misunderstand me!” The tall soldier’s face was full of smiles.

“Has the invasion been put down?” Hearing this, Guoguo’s face filled with unspeakable regret. What an opportunity, what a military merit — and it had slipped away just like that!

“The fighting you speak of has indeed ended.” The tall soldier nodded in agreement.

“Then do you still need medical personnel? I’m no specialist in medicine, but I’ve had specific training in treating external wounds.” Guoguo bitterly regretted having put on airs earlier. If he’d gone with that soldier just now, the merit would have been ten times greater than treating the wounded now. Then, the fighting hadn’t yet been quelled — that would have been charcoal delivered in the snow, precious beyond measure. And now? The fighting was over; at best it would count as flowers added to brocade, and the merit would naturally be far smaller. Most important of all, there’d surely be plenty of competitors for merit now, unlike during the chaos, when the cowards who clung to their lives wouldn’t have dared go to the front — no competitive pressure at all!

“No need!” The tall soldier waved a hand to indicate there was no call for it.

“But surely you have a great many wounded?” Guoguo cried out, aghast. Could there really be that many people competing to treat the wounded?

“We aren’t fussy about wounds. If it’s a light wound, a quick bandage will do. If it’s a serious wound and there’s no treating it, then we just throw them off the ship…” The tall soldier tossed the words off lightly.

“Then how are you any different from savage star bandits?” Guoguo reeled. He’d never heard of handling wounded soldiers like that — you’d be court-martialed for it!

“We are star bandits.” The tall soldier declared his identity with a genial chuckle.

“You’re joking, surely?” Hearing it, Guoguo’s body went rigid. He forced out a smile. “That’s not a joke to make, heh, heh!”

“You think I’m joking? Then let me prove it!” The tall soldier raised his hand and dealt Guoguo a savage slap across the face — enough to send stars bursting before his eyes and set his head spinning, knocking half a tooth clean out of his mouth. But the smile on the tall soldier’s face never wavered. Beaming, he seized Guoguo by the hair, smashed his head savagely against the wall — caving in a great section of Guoguo’s face by main force — and then, as though nothing whatsoever had happened, asked: “Now then. Do you still think I’m joking? If you still don’t believe me, I’m happy to go on proving it.”

“Mercy, my lord — m-mercy!” Blood streaming from his mouth and nose, Guoguo, heedless of the pain, begged frantically for his life in a thick, slurred voice.

“So long as you all come along quietly with me, I guarantee every one of you will be perfectly safe. Of course, if any of you fancies playing games, I don’t mind playing a round of flying trapeze with you! We’re a full ten thousand meters above the ground right now — if you were to slip and fall, tsk tsk, I’m sure the sensation would be exquisite! And of course, anyone who cares to play flying trapeze gets a complimentary rope and a ten-ton meteorite. This tie-and-drop variant is a recent innovation, but everyone who’s tried it gives it rave reviews, so I expect it’ll catch on soon!”

Everyone imagined it: a ten-ton meteorite lashed to the body, then hurled out of the ship. It would be rather like a meteor. And when it hit the ground, not even a smear would be left.

Best to play as little flying trapeze as possible. As for what was catching on — better not to be so keen on the latest fashions!

Their faces gone blue, they all hastened to declare that they had been obedient, well-behaved children since infancy, never late, never leaving early… All except Yue Yang, whose expression was entirely unchanged and who offered nothing at all.

The tall soldier had noticed Yue Yang’s presence as well. His smile didn’t waver, but his eyes turned toward him like a venomous snake’s.

Afraid this one man would be the death of them all, Guoguo hurried forward to explain: “This fellow’s a newcomer. He’s a bit slow in the head, doesn’t know how to adapt. Don’t blame us for his fault, my lord — if you must blame someone, blame him alone!”

Had he said nothing, the tall soldier would have been most displeased. But this let a friend die so long as I don’t behavior earned the man’s contempt — and, without anyone intending it, dulled the murderous intent he’d been directing at Yue Yang.

Indeed: seeing Yue Yang alone with his color unchanged, facing it all calmly, without the slightest fear, standing amid a crowd of trembling, green-faced cowards, the tall soldier found him rather pleasing to the eye. Watching these people squeeze one another out in their scramble to survive, he felt only disdain — and had they not been on opposing sides, he might well have showered Yue Yang with praise, thinking him a man mighty and unyielding.

“You’re truly not afraid to die?” The tall soldier spoke, probing a little, wanting to determine whether Yue Yang’s composure was a pretense.

“I’ve always wanted to try the flying trapeze game. Also, a ten-ton meteorite is far too light — anything under a hundred tons simply isn’t fit to offer!” Yue Yang smiled too. It was as though he were giving a demonstration: You want to smile like this, understand? Now that’s handsome. This brilliant, sunlit smile left the tall soldier staring blankly.

“Interesting. Interesting men generally don’t die young!” The tall soldier shook his head, waved a hand, and burst into roaring laughter.

“A star bandit who knows how to play flying trapeze is rather interesting himself.” Yue Yang gave as good as he got, without the slightest courtesy.

“We’ll play a round when there’s a chance — but not now. Hahaha! I never expected such a haul on this run. Good — we star bandits haven’t had fresh blood in a long while. Lucky I got here early, or if that fellow Wind Hawk had found you, he’d surely have fought me over you! How I’d love to see the jealous look on his face. Ha!” The tall soldier laughed up at the sky. As he walked out, a squad of coarse brutes came over — wearing the ship’s standard-issue soldier’s armor but plainly savage star bandits — and raised their hands in salute to the tall man in the soldier’s disguise, their expressions excited and reverent, calling him “Boss Winged Tiger.” It seemed the bandit chief’s name was Winged Tiger.

“Where’s Wind Hawk?” the tall bandit chief Winged Tiger asked one of his men offhandedly.

“Seems there’s another small disturbance over in the eastern sector; Wind Hawk took his men over there. Lord Raven has just gathered everyone at the Gladiators’ Plaza and is waiting for you to come over, boss. Boss, what’s the story with these lambs?” Having made his report, the brute noticed Guoguo and his group with surprise.

“They were locked in the cabin for some reason. I thought Mao Podi might be holding out here, so I came over to have a look.” The tall bandit chief Winged Tiger laughed. “Mao Podi I didn’t run into — but I did find a rather fine new sprout. There, that’s him!” The bandit chief pointed at Yue Yang, and gave a particular instruction: “This kid is very interesting, and has great potential — not something crude lumps like you can compare to. Mind him well for me. Even if Wind Hawk comes to poach him, you absolutely do not hand him over — not for a thousand gold. Understand?”

“Understood. This kid’s a precious little treasure, is he?” The brute laughed. “So long as he doesn’t make trouble, I’ll wait on him like a little ancestor. That do?”

“You glutton — a rare flash of cleverness!” The bandit chief Winged Tiger waved a hand at Yue Yang and laughed: “I’ve business to attend to and no time to chat with you for now. When I’m free, I’ll definitely have a couple of drinks with you. Until then, I’ll have to trouble you to come along with the brothers. I’m sure you’re a clever man and won’t put me to too much bother!”

He signaled his men to keep a close eye on Yue Yang, then leapt into the air and drifted away.

Guoguo and the rest stared at Yue Yang with jealous resentment.

At the Reception Terrace, Old Mao had singled him out for special regard and even given him an apprentice divine attendant’s post. Now, running into star bandits who had actually boarded a sky-hanging mothership, even the bandit chief held him in the highest esteem. It was truly impossible not to be jealous and resentful… Why? They were all human beings — so why was the treatment so vastly different?

The brute’s reply was a great flat boot slammed into Guoguo’s back, along with a curse: “Get lost! I’m not waiting on you flock of lambs!”

Then, turning the other way, he heaped his face with smiles for Yue Yang: “Little fellow, be good and come along with your big brother. Big Brother won’t do you wrong!”

Watching this performance, Guoguo very nearly vomited blood on the spot.

(End of Chapter 1139)