The training was finally over!
Zeus -1 brought the captured battleship back to Skyfire.
The battleship was parked in space, and Zeus -1 returned to Skyfire's public airship hangar.
The battleship couldn't be brought back. It had the insignia of a pirate, and wasn't registered. Once it entered Skyfire's perimeter it would be attacked by the interstellar defense system.
Skyfire was the home planet of the Eastern Alliance, and its defense system wasn't as weak as the Crimson Star's.
Lan Jue's first response was to contact the Wine Master. He needed more manpower and resources to deal with the women they'd rescued.
Of course, the battleship was the same.
After some testing, the Accountant discovered that the battleship had been modified. In terms of overall performance, it wasn't much worse than Zeus -1.
It was armed to the teeth.
Unfortunately it had run into Lan Jue, and Feng Ling was in a panic. He didn't have the chance to use the battleship's full power before it was captured.
Later, when the battleship's shields were used against the dimensional turbulence, it proved crucial.
Lan Jue's face was cold. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest. Every time the light in her eyes flickered, the air around them warped.
Lan Jue watched as the soldiers led the rescued women away. Slowly, his eyes grew calm.
The Wine Master stood at his side, watching as the women were led away. He nodded. "You've done a great service.
However, since this was a private operation, the government can't comment on it.
But we can reward you in private. What do you want? "
He knew everything that had happened.
He didn't care about Lan Jue's actions.
He didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
If it weren't for the fact that Paragons couldn't show themselves, he would have done the same.
Lan Jue shook her head. "I don't want anything.
Take care of these poor women.
Help me convert the power gems we brought back from the pirates into money and give it to them. "
The Wine Master looked at Lan Jue in surprise. "Do you know how many power gems you brought back?"
Lan Jue frowned. "Is that important?
Compared to the suffering of these poor women, what was money?
Can money heal the wounds in their hearts? "
A small smile spread across the Wine Master's face. "No wonder the Clairvoyant is ahead of me.
At least in terms of judging people, he was far better than me.
The Clairvoyant once told me that even though we don't know you well enough, he can feel that you have a righteous heart. This kind of character comes from you, which is why you can perfectly control the Yang Thunder that represents the righteousness of heaven and earth.
You don't need to worry about what you said. The Alliance will handle it.
These girls will receive proper treatment at a trauma treatment facility before their families will take care of them.
At the same time, the Alliance would also give them a certain amount of compensation.
Keep the energy gems you took from the pirates.
You should understand that sometimes.
Having too much wealth isn't necessarily a good thing. "
Lan Jue's expression softened as she nodded. "Let's give that battleship to the Alliance.
Please take care of it as well.
Don't mention me, I don't want to be investigated. "
The Wine Master couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, I'll have someone take care of it.
Why do I feel like Skyfire Avenue has a place to dispose of stolen goods? "
A smile finally appeared on Lan Jue's face. "That's not a bad idea.
It looks like I'll have to make a few more trips in the future. "
The Wine Master's face grew solemn. "Since you've killed the Crimson Pirates, I'll let you off the hook for what happened last time.
But if you hear anything from the Pauper or the Gourmet, let me know immediately. "
Lan Jue suddenly remembered that the Pauper and the Gourmet had taken advantage of the conflict between the Citadels to steal a bottle of wine from the Wine Master.
Then, the two of them actually disappeared.
Lan Jue smiled wryly. "Not only did I not get to eat the meat, but I also got into trouble.
These two fellows probably drank your good wine long ago.
Don't even think about it. "
The Wine Master's face twitched. "What do you mean don't even think about it?
Don't you know that they took one of the most precious bottles of wine in my collection?
But I'm sure they haven't drunk it yet. "
Lan Jue chuckled. "Alright, I'll accompany you to find the descendants of the Three Gods of Wine.
I've been promising you this for a long time, but I've never had the time.
I don't think I have anything else to do.
How's your lead coming along? "
The Wine Master's eyes flashed. "Almost.
I'm in the middle of making the necessary arrangements. I'll let you know when I'm done.
The descendants of the Three Gods of Wine should be on a planet in the Western Alliance. "
Lan Jue nodded. "Alright.
Then I'll wait for your news. "
The students of the A.R.C. class had dispersed as soon as Zeus -1 touched down. They'd been away for so long, it was time to go home.
They also needed a good rest.
The first thing Lan Jue did was contact Wu Chun-yi. Wu Chun-yi offered to give the students a week off so they could return to class.
Lan Jue was the first to leave. She went to find the Wine Master to take care of the situation.
He didn't see the students' faces as they left.
He had been affected by the asteroid explosion and had been in a bad mood for the past few days.
"Boss." Mika's voice came from beside Lan Jue.
"Yes?" Lan Jue turned her head to look at her.
Mika's response was brief. "The A.R.C. students wanted to say goodbye to you. Tan Lingyun was looking for you as well."
Lan Jue replied. "It's not like I won't see him again.
The results of the training were good, but we need to continue. If we don't, all our previous efforts will go to waste.
Let's give them some time to rest.
I'll discuss this with Director Wu later. We'll see how we can continue the training.
Take care of the power gems we brought back, and leave them in our shop.
Once we've finished processing them, give a third to the Skyfire Avenue Council. "
Lan Jue was experienced in dealing with people. It wasn't a good idea to keep everything to oneself.
He wouldn't do that.
He couldn't just let the Skyfire Avenue Council clean up after themselves.
Even though he had a clear conscience, sometimes it was important to be fair and just.
As for the Accountant, he'd already picked up a large power gem and left.
He'd gone home to show his filial respect to his grandfather.
Lan Jue returned to the Jewelry Shop, breathing in the familiar aroma. Only then did he relax.
Once he was back in his room, he took a shower and collapsed on his bed.
His body wasn't too tired, but his mind wasn't.
He'd experienced too many things in this time.
The god-team battles, the visit from the two Citadels, the ARC classes, and then the trip to An Lun and the Shattered Starfields.
Everything was connected. It was the complete opposite of the relaxed life he'd had on Skyfire Avenue.
His life was fulfilling, but his heart was weary.
Ever since Hera's death, he'd felt as though he'd lost his purpose in life.
The absence of happiness was the most painful thing to him.
Unconsciously, he fell into a deep sleep. In his dreams, he saw the scene of the explosion, and Hera's eyes filled with tenderness and longing.
It was as though an invisible hand reached out to grab him, but couldn't reach it.
Dawn had just broken when Lan Jue awoke.
He'd recovered a great deal of his mental exhaustion, but the shadow in his mind was more pronounced than ever. He couldn't get rid of it.
Smiling bitterly, Lan Jue took a cold shower to clear his mind.
He changed into a fresh set of clothes and left the Zeus Jewelry Shop.
Now that he was back, there were many things he needed to take care of. The aftermath of the god-team battles was one of them.
He'd have to go back to school, too. His etiquette classes had been cut short …
The thought of going back to school brought a smile to Lan Jue's face. He was starting to like the feeling of being at school more and more.
Especially when it came to etiquette classes.
Only when he was an etiquette teacher did most people think of him as a normal person. They treated him like a normal person, and he immersed himself in the tranquility of life. When he was teaching his students, it was as though all the haze in his mind disappeared.
Ah, tomorrow he'd go back to school and rearrange his classes.
Today he'd figure out what to teach them.
Walking leisurely, Lan Jue soon arrived at his destination, the Daybuck Coffee Shop.
He pushed the door open. It was still early in the morning, and the place was empty. There wasn't a single customer in sight.
Behind the bar counter, two young and beautiful waitresses were busily cleaning up the place.
White shirts, coffee-colored trousers, and matching suspenders.
The Barista sat there, eyes narrowed as he enjoyed a cup of strong coffee.
When he saw Lan Jue enter, he froze for a moment. Then a smile spread across his face.
Lan Jue walked over and sat down in front of him.
She had a smile on her face. "You know, I want to beat you up."
The Barista's expression froze. "What!
You just came back yesterday, why are you so murderous?
No matter what, the Clairvoyant handed the Star Alliance over to you. Is this how you treat your comrades, your comrades?
Do you have any humanity left in you? "
Lan Jue chuckled. "Humanity?
That depends on who I'm dealing with.
For example, a clown. I don't. "
The Barista's temper subsided. In terms of cultivation, he was far from being able to compete with Lan Jue.
If everyone was piloting mechas, he might be able to put up a fight. But without one, he was a tiger without teeth. After all, his Muscle Explosion Discipline couldn't hold a candle to Lan Jue's lightning.
"You didn't come looking for me just to tell me you want to beat me up, did you?" the Barista snapped.
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