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Bai Zhongqi still had many questions to ask, but he knew now was not the time to continue. Although he had shot down the flying saucers, those six Benefactor warships were still there. Just now, they had been preoccupied with attacking the Yinglong Cruiser, but they would surely come back to deal with him soon.
"We don’t have time to waste, we need to leave Bei Mountain now. Although Taoran Star’s communications are blocked, it won’t be long before other Benefactors realize all their flying saucers have been destroyed," Bai Zhongqi said to Nan Ma.
Nan Ma sighed wearily, "Do we have to stay in this godforsaken place for five and a half days before rescue comes?"
Bai Zhongqi was an Agent here, while Nan Ma and Hu were personally present, facing completely different risks. Even though he knew Nan Ma was just joking, Bai Zhongqi still felt slightly apologetic since it was his order that had the Yinglong Cruiser abandon everyone and leave.
"Hang in there. Taoran Star is huge; if we hide for five and a half days, then it will be the Benefactors’ turn to call us daddy."
Nan Ma laughed casually, seemingly not too concerned.
Bai Zhongqi went over to Bu. By this time, the medical pod had nearly fully restored his nephew Bang’s body. The newly formed flesh was clearly more tender than the original body, like the skin of a baby, with a noticeable color difference. Bu’s face was filled with disbelief; he wanted to touch his nephew but feared disrupting the healing process.
"He’s mostly out of danger now," Bai Zhongqi said. "He’ll be weak for a few days, but with proper rest, he should be fine."
Looking at Bai Zhongqi, Bu said, "Thank you so much. You’ve given me back my nephew. Several other lads from our Hunting Group have also had misfortune befall them. May I ask if it’s possible…"
Bai Zhongqi shook his head, interrupting him, "I’m not an omnipotent deity. The others are already dead; they certainly won’t be coming back. But your nephew is different; he still had a breath in him."
Bu let go of his fantasy, "Anyway, thank you."
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Bai Zhongqi spoke frankly to Bu, "The alien Benefactors organizing the grand marketplace have become our enemies. They have a certain operation on Taoran Star, but they are not a threat to the Star Alliance. However, we need to reallocate forces to eliminate these Benefactors. Before our reinforcements arrive, I can only fight with my small squad. The coming battle is not something you can be part of; it will be exceptionally tough. The Benefactors may indiscriminately slaughter anyone on the plains, so this is where we part ways. Take your people back to the Shelter. My people will come looking for you later."
Bu had initially wanted to show loyalty, to make a gesture at this time and fight alongside Bai Zhongqi to gain favor. But that recent battle had made him acutely aware that a small fry like himself should not be floundering in such a pond, where being swallowed whole wouldn’t even cause a ripple.
Bai Zhongqi’s other two Agents had been busy stripping the bodies, quickly working their hands and feet. In a short while, they had brought Bai Zhongqi nearly a hundred kilograms of Eternal Crystal Stone.
"These cannot be left for those Benefactors," Bai Zhongqi said, holding a piece of the Eternal Crystal Stone that looked like glass slag.
"I suspect that the war chaos on Taoran Star and the subsequent nuclear war were all ghosts manufactured by the Controllers. The Benefactors just mentioned they had previously helped the Controllers mine the Eternal Crystal Stone on a similarly desolate, wasteland planet. The nuclear war turned Taoran Star into a radiation wasteland, and it was then that the Eternal Crystal Stone appeared, absorbing the excess radiation and making the surface of Taoran Star habitable once again. As soon as the Eternal Crystal Stone appeared, the Controllers had the Benefactors come and mine it. If there’s no connection there, I wouldn’t believe it even if you killed me," Bai Zhongqi speculated with Nan Ma.
Nan Ma laughed and said, "Regardless of whatever secrets lie beneath, our priority right now is to escape. While you’ve been holding forth, this mountain peak has been surrounded by them."
Bai Zhongqi was startled and immediately looked out; Bei Mountain’s main peak was not so precipitous. There were several paths leading down the mountain besides the drivable winding road, including a few footpaths.
At this moment, Bai Zhongqi, with his Agent’s enhanced vision, already noticed some disturbances apparently coming from the base of the mountain.
"Who are those people?"
With his binoculars poised, Bu could see clearly as well; he drew a sharp breath, exclaiming in horror, "Those aren’t people, they’re Stiff Ghosts!"
Bai Zhongqi focused his eyes and saw that the individuals swarming onto the mountain road indeed looked terrifying. Their faces were marred with livor mortis and bloodstains, resembling the zombies one might see in movies. Of course, unlike the common zombies, Stiff Ghosts retained their senses.
"In the past, Stiff Ghosts feared the aliens, never daring to come close to Bei Mountain. The aliens considered them ugly and lowly, as their presence would ’dirty’ the aliens’ eyes. Any Stiff Ghosts approaching Bei Mountain too closely would be eradicated by the aliens’ military forces. Could it be that they’re coming up the mountain to scavenge, emboldened by witnessing the aliens’ defeat?" Bu speculated.
Watching the vast swarms of Stiff Ghosts rushing up, the road completely blocked by them, Bai Zhongqi saw nearly ten thousand Stiff Ghosts madly charging towards the summit of Bei Mountain. Their gaping maws and the bloodthirsty gleam in their eyes left no doubt that their arrival would result in a bloody massacre.
"This is a bit too convenient."
"Do they really think they can stop us from descending the mountain with these half-human, half-ghost creatures?" Nan Ma said disdainfully, watching the Stiff Ghosts encircle the mountain.
"These things won’t pose much of a threat to us, but their sheer number could bog us down. The Benefactors have not yet sent additional Flying Saucers to pursue us, but if we don’t take the chance to hide well, we are likely to be discovered by a Benefactor Flying Saucer. That would be very bad," Bai Zhongqi added.
"Although Bei Mountain is large, the Benefactors could scour the entire range in five days if they wished, and they could level it to the ground if they see fit. This isn’t a good place to hide. So we need to leave Bei Mountain and find another hiding spot. We’ll take a landing boat. If we activate stealth mode, even flying beasts may not notice us. On the way, we can interrogate the two captured Benefactors further. It’s not good to keep hiding passively. If necessary, we can take the initiative to strike."
Nan Ma couldn’t help but admire, "You truly are the Chancellor. Even in such circumstances, you’re thinking of taking the battle to the enemy. Although we’re a bit short-staffed, since you’re up for it, I’ll go along with you and have some fun too."