Chapter 3023 She"s My Sister!
Chu Ci did not see any awkwardness in Lin Yuan"s eyes.
She heard Lin Yuan say with a smile, "It"s naturally good for you to train with me. Speaking of which, we"ve never trained together. This time, you"ll definitely gain a lot from following me. At the very least, you"ll be able to understand the rules of survival in this world."
If Lin Yuan had the chance, he was very willing to bring his younger sister along for growth opportunities. Chu Ci was still Lin Yuan"s greatest concern in this world. She was Lin Yuan"s only relative with a bloodline connection.
In the past, Lin Yuan had rejected Chu Ci"s offer to train with him because he could not guarantee Chu Ci"s safety during the training. However, with Winter by his side now, Chu Ci"s safety could definitely be guaranteed.
In the Sky Beyond the Clouds, survival followed harsher, bloodier rules compared to the main world. Despite Chu Ci"s wealth of knowledge and experience, grasping this reality without firsthand experience proved daunting.
Upon seeing that Lin Yuan was willing to bring her along, Chu Ci jumped up excitedly. Although Chu Ci had been in seclusion in the Spirit Lock spatial zone for decades, she was still a child in front of Lin Yuan.
"Chu Ci, this is Winter. You"ve met him before. In a while, Winter will bring us to the vicinity of Treasure City. I"m going there to collect a group of star pirates. I"ll also introduce Sky City"s hunting group to you."
As Lin Yuan"s younger sister, Chu Ci might not care about Sky City"s affairs, but she was still one of Sky City"s core members. Now that Chu Ci had ended her seclusion, it was necessary to introduce her to everyone in Sky City.
When Chu Ci heard Lin Yuan"s arrangements, she felt refreshed. At present, Chu Ci could be said to lack experience in venturing outside. During Chu Ci"s years in the main world, she had ventured out with Cold Moon, and they mostly engaged in battles with various feys in the wilderness. There were hardly any opportunities for interaction with people.
Cold Moon felt that Chu Ci was too young at the time, having just entered high school, and there was no need for her to fight with other spirit qi professionals at such a young age. Now, Lin Yuan was bringing Chu Ci around to interact with others. Compared to fighting feys, Chu Ci preferred interacting with people.
Chu Ci, who had been by Lin Yuan"s side since she was little to help him manage the fey store, was not an introvert. Having to support herself in society from a young age, if she was too introverted, she would have starved to death long ago.
At present, Chu Ci was very curious about the situation in the Sky Beyond the Clouds, including the environment.
Upon hearing Lin Yuan mention Winter, Chu Ci obediently greeted him, "h.e.l.lo, Grandpa Winter. We meet again!"
Chu Ci did not feel there was anything wrong with how he addressed Winter, who looked like an elderly man. Moreover, with Winter"s strength, it was difficult to know how many years he had lived.
However, Winter felt uneasy when he heard Chu Ci address him as such. While it may be fitting for a young girl at Chu Ci"s age to refer to him as "Grandpa Winter", it shouldn"t come from Chu Ci herself. If Chu Ci addressed him as Grandpa Winter, wouldn"t that mean he would also become a grandpa to Lin Yuan? If that was the case, it was absolutely unacceptable.
Just as Winter was about to correct Chu Ci"s way of addressing him, Lin Yuan shook his head. Chu Ci"s manners were a trait that she had cultivated since she was young, so there was nothing wrong with addressing him that way.
There was no need for him to let Chu Ci know about his relations.h.i.+p with Winter. The bond between Chu Ci and Winter and between himself and Winter were separate matters. n.o.body disliked someone who understood manners, and Winter was no exception.
Winter smiled at Chu Ci. "Little Chu Ci, it"s been three or five years since I last saw you. You"ve grown into a young lady now!"
Winter said that Chu Ci was a young lady simply because of her age. In terms of looks, Chu Ci had long reached the level of a king-cla.s.s expert. Coupled with the fact that Chu Ci had contracted the Lifespan Mouse and obtained an endless lifespan, she would naturally not age at all. Chu Ci still looked like a 16 or 17-year-old girl, and she was younger than Lin Yuan.
…
Soon, Lin Yuan and Chu Ci arrived in a small county near Treasure City.
The hunting team led by Fu Mi and Yun Qingyang usually operated in this small county. In the past, due to its proximity to Treasure City, there were often star pirates stationed there, causing almost all the natives in the small county to flee.
Most of the people who came here were wicked individuals who engaged in shady business. Without exception, these people were all eliminated by the hunting team. Now, this small county had become the safest place within a few hundred kilometers. Gradually, many people had chosen to settle there. Due to the presence of the hunting team, the small county had become prosperous.
Although this county may be an inconspicuous county to Treasure City and did not even qualify to appear on the regional map in the Sky Beyond the Clouds, it was already prosperous enough for Chu Ci as it was much more prosperous than a large city in the Radiance Federation.
"Lin Yuan, this place is huge. There are shops everywhere along the way. It"s just that the people here don"t strike me as particularly strong. However, they carry a heavy murderous aura. I reckon that everyone"s body is stained with a lot of lives. Otherwise, there shouldn"t be such a heavy murderous aura."
Chu Ci felt as though her eyes were being opened for the first time. Her reaction was exactly the same as Lin Yuan"s reaction when he first came to the Sky Beyond the Clouds.
After walking in the Sky Beyond the Clouds for some time, Chu Ci realized how insignificant the city was to the Sky Beyond the Clouds. Moreover, regardless of whether they were good or evil, everyone in the Sky Beyond the Clouds was basically filled with a murderous aura. It was impossible to survive there without taking some lives.
When Lin Yuan heard Chu Ci"s sigh, he did not explain to her because he felt that there was no need to. Soon, Chu Ci"s knowledge would expand rapidly, and the experiences gained through observation and listening would be the greatest wealth for her.
Apart from selling all kinds of spiritual ingredients and feys, the surrounding shops also sold many special delicacies.
Lin Yuan did not lack these spiritual ingredients and feys. To him, their grades were somewhat low. Hence, Lin Yuan did not think much of it.
Regardless of whether it was from the Creators or Fortune Treasure Palace, the resources Lin Yuan had traded for were of a much higher level than these resources.
Still, Lin Yuan and Chu Ci were especially interested in the special delicacies sold there. Every time Chu Ci was interested in a delicacy, Lin Yuan would help her buy it and let Winter investigate the delicacy. Chu Ci would only eat these delicacies after it was confirmed that there were no problems. Lin Yuan would also taste the delicacies that he was interested in.
As he savored the delicacies, Lin Yuan contacted Fu Mi.
Soon, Fu Mi and Yun Qingyang respectfully appeared in front of Lin Yuan.
When Winter only saw Fu Mi and Yun Qingyang but not Autumn, an unexpected expression appeared on his face.
To Winter"s knowledge, Autumn would not let go of an opportunity to appear before Lin Yuan.
Winter asked Fu Mi and Yun Qingyang, "Isn"t Autumn with you?"
Upon hearing Winter"s question, Fu Mi and Yun Qingyang hurriedly said, "Mr. Autumn went to Cold Mountain City to deal with the few star pirates entrenched there. We have already gathered them together.
"Mr. Autumn has only left for half a day, so it should take another half a day for him to return. We"ve already informed Mr. Autumn of your arrival. I believe Mr. Autumn will be able to return faster!"
On regular days, Fu Mi and Yun Qingyang typically addressed Autumn as Lord. However, in the presence of Lin Yuan, only Lin Yuan received this t.i.tle. This rule was set by Autumn.
Upon hearing this, Winter nodded. Cold Mountain City, situated adjacent to Treasure City, loomed large. Although not a trading hub like Treasure City, Cold Mountain City surpa.s.sed it in size and overall strength. However, the star pirates in Cold Mountain City were significantly fewer than in Treasure City.
With Autumn venturing to Cold Mountain City to pursue star pirates, it was likely that nearby pirate groups had been largely eradicated. Even if some pirates remained, they would exercise greater caution. Given this scenario, the hunting team would find it challenging to yield substantial results in this area.
Lin Yuan introduced Fu Mi and Yun Qingyang to Chu Ci, "Chu Ci, this is the leader of the hunting team, Fu Mi. This is the vice leader of the hunting team, Yun Qingyang. They can be considered members of Sky City now!"
Fu Mi and Yun Qingyang were very respectful to Chu Ci on the surface, but in reality, they did not care much. They did not dare to use their spiritual energy to probe Chu Ci. Firstly, it was extremely impolite to use spiritual energy to investigate right away. Hence, the two of them did not know that Chu Ci was younger than Lin Yuan.
Chu Ci politely greeted Fu Mi and Yun Qingyang, and Lin Yuan introduced Chu Ci to them, "This is my sister, Chu Ci."
Lin Yuan"s words immediately sent s.h.i.+vers down Yun Qingyang and Fu Mi"s spines, and they quickly suppressed any disdain they held for Chu Ci.
Chu Ci didn"t resemble Lin Yuan much. Rather, one resembled their father while the other resembled their mother. However, the word "sister" was not used as casually in the Sky Beyond the Clouds as in the main world. Only those who were truly related by blood would address each other as siblings. Chu Ci was obviously from the same huge and mysterious faction as Lin Yuan.
Chu Ci was very polite to Fu Mi and Yun Qingyang, which made them feel flattered and fl.u.s.tered.
After introducing Chu Ci, Lin Yuan asked "How have you guys been in the past few months?"
Upon hearing Lin Yuan"s question, Fu Mi and Yun Qingyang looked a little awkward. "Lord, to be honest, we have only captured six large star pirate groups recently, but we have captured many small star pirate groups. However, the strength of these small star pirate groups is too low. Mr. Autumn has already dealt with them."
In fact, there was a limit to the number of powerful star pirates in a region. If there were too many star pirates in a region, there would definitely be intense compet.i.tion between the star pirates.
At present, the star pirates in this area had basically been hunted down. Fu Mi and Yun Qingyang were afraid that Lin Yuan would be dissatisfied with their achievements. If Lin Yuan blamed them, it would be inappropriate for them to explain themselves to him. There was no way Autumn could cover up such a matter.
Fu Mi and Yun Qingyang were extremely nervous. They had just gotten the chance to prove themselves in front of Lin Yuan, but unfortunately, they hadn"t seized the opportunity.
Lin Yuan was not as angry as they had expected. Instead, he said, "I don"t think there are many star pirates around Treasure City anymore. If you continue to hunt here, you will only get fewer and fewer star pirates. Why don"t I find another place for you so you can hunt star pirates in a different environment?"
Fu Mi and Yun Qingyang felt relieved. Lin Yuan"s words indicated not only his decisiveness in killing but also his reasonableness as a leader. Unlike others who might unfairly blame their subordinates without considering the circ.u.mstances, Lin Yuan stood out. This quality was more valuable than any resources he had provided.
In the hands of a leader p.r.o.ne to anger and outbursts, one"s safety became paramount. There was a real risk of being punished, or even killed, for any perceived failure. As the saying went, "Accompanying a ruler is akin to walking alongside a tiger."
"Lord, we don"t know where you intend for us to hunt star pirates. If you inform us in advance, it will be easier for us to prepare!"
Yun Qingyang, standing beside Fu Mi, uttered these words. He believed that even if he didn"t seek attention, he should aim for an opportunity to communicate with Lin Yuan.
If he couldn"t speak directly to Lin Yuan and allowed Fu Mi to be the spokesperson, competing for the vice leader position would be pointless.
Upon hearing Yun Qingyang"s question, Lin Yuan asked, "Don"t you think that with Autumn by your side, you won"t have a chance to attack when hunting other star pirates? You just need to set up and operate. Autumn possesses ample strength to resolve nearly all challenges.
"Thus, I am inclined to send you to a place like the Scarlet Territory, which is considerably more perilous. The star pirates entrenched there are both stronger and more numerous, ensuring greater spoils. Conveniently, I am acquainted with a Bloodian Queen in that region.
"With this Bloodian Queen"s aid, your operations there will undoubtedly be facilitated. Essentially, every Bloodian clan in the area embeds its agents among the star pirates. You can leverage the star pirates loyal to the Bloodian Queen to subdue the surrounding factions."