CHAPTER 1397: CHAPTER 1395: LURE AND DECEIT

A group of four, apart from Lu Ye and the middle-aged man who posted the recruitment information, also included an elder and a flat-headed young man.

They exchanged names with each other.

Lu Ye naturally gave the name Li Taibai, the middle-aged man’s name was Zhu Yuan, the elder was called Fan Yunhua, and the flat-headed young man referred to himself as Jia Yu.

No one delved into the truth of these names; for cultivators traveling outside, it’s common to hide their real names and origins. After all, this was just a short-term collaboration, and even the employer Zhu Yuan was in no position to dig deep into the backgrounds of those he recruited.

Pay money for labor, do the job for payment, that’s how it goes.

However, what puzzled Lu Ye slightly was that he had the lowest cultivation among the four, with the other three all in the Constellation Late Stage.

That being said, when Zhu Yuan recruited him, he didn’t seem to ask about his cultivation level either, promptly offering a price of fifteen hundred jade, and then they reached an agreement after a few exchanges.

This might be his way of doing things, or perhaps he has keen eyesight and saw that Lu Ye’s cultivation wasn’t low. Either way, since he had joined this small group, they would be fellow travelers until the task was completed.

"Everyone’s here, let’s set off. This journey will take several months. I hope you three can work with me in unity through this challenge!" Zhu Yuan said.

Lu Ye frowned slightly, "Aren’t we going to Zhongzheng Island?"

Though this was his first time taking on such a job, he had learned a lot from half a year with Piao Ke, especially regarding surviving in the All Phenomena Ocean.

Normally, after recruiting three helpers like this, Zhu Yuan should visit Zhongzheng Island to transport resources back to the Tianyan Star System. Before departing, he needs to make a stop at Zhongzheng Island because he can’t be sure if the three people he recruited are trustworthy or might scheme halfway. This requires some special means of identification, which may not precisely discern good from bad, but can assess a cultivator’s capabilities through comparisons.

Zhongzheng Island is named for its fairness, and it also carries out fair actions.

There, an artifact crafted jointly by powerful figures from the All Phenomena Galaxy and several star systems, called Zhongzheng Register, allows employers to take recruited individuals there to leave their mark.

Just like now, Zhu Yuan could easily take the three to Zhongzheng Island, leave their energy imprints on the Zhongzheng Register, and through those imprints, examine the history of their various tasks, how many recruitments they had accepted before, how many they had completed or failed, and even reviews left by previous employers...

If this task is completed smoothly, Zhu Yuan could also return here and leave appropriate reviews based on their performance during the task.

Of course, if the task isn’t completed or if Zhu Yuan dies halfway, it will invariably add a failed task count to their history on the Zhongzheng Register, a blemish on the record that cultivators depending on this for a living can’t erase.

The Zhongzheng Register doesn’t record names, so no matter what name is used, as long as there’s no change in the energy, the Zhongzheng Register can trace back and investigate a cultivator’s history in the All Phenomena Ocean.

One could say that the existence of the Zhongzheng Register significantly regulates and restrains the temperament of many cultivators. Which of the cultivators looking for work on Zhaolai Island doesn’t want to make their résumé perfect? Who would willingly leave a blemish on their record?

A decent résumé can make it easier for a cultivator to find a source of livelihood; conversely, a poor record means no one would want to hire them.

In the All Phenomena Galaxy, several gangs engage in banditry, some due to their nature, hoping to make a fortune through such means. But many can’t find work on Zhaolai Island; their résumé on the Zhongzheng Register is too poor, leaving them no choice but to resort to robbery.

Lu Ye had never left an energy imprint on the Zhongzheng Register, so his record was naturally blank, but the same couldn’t be said for Fan Yunhua and Jia Yu.

Since they are transporting resources back to the Tianyan Star System, Zhu Yuan certainly carries valuable items. Taking the three to Zhongzheng Island to leave an energy imprint and make some inquiries would also be a form of assurance.

Lu Ye kindly reminded him, wanting to leave a good impression on his first employer, as he wanted to make connections during the journey.

However, Zhu Yuan shook his head and said, "No need for such trouble. Zhongzheng Island is crowded, and just lining up might take several days. The goods are urgently needed, so there’s no time to delay." He laughed as he spoke, looking at the three meaningfully, "Besides, I trust my own judgment!"

Lu Ye reckoned that he likely trusted his own skills more than any so-called judgment...

Yet, he had an indistinct feeling that something was off. Whether it was Zhu Yuan’s previous recruitment or his current demeanor, it all seemed too casual. After all, if he were in Zhu Yuan’s position, tasked with transporting resources back to the domain, he wouldn’t conduct himself so carelessly and lackadaisically.

Moreover, even if it were urgent, how could a few days delay be unacceptable, considering this trip would take several months?

But for those hired, the employer is everything, like heaven, like the earth, whatever they say goes, and there’s no room for contradiction.

Zhu Yuan summoned a starboat; the four boarded in succession. In a moment, the starboat transformed into a stream of light and flew into the distance.

The journey was quite dull. Zhu Yuan controlled the starboat from the array hub, while Fan Yunhua held a wine jar, occasionally taking a sip.

The young Jia Yu closed his eyes to rest.

With nothing else to do, Lu Ye continued to develop his As-Close-As-Siblings Spirit Runes, though he didn’t completely immerse himself in it, instead keeping part of his mind alert to his surroundings.

Having sensed something was amiss, he naturally remained extra vigilant.

The starboat departed from the All Phenomena Ocean, piercing into the depths of the stellar space. Turning back, Lu Ye once again witnessed the awe-inspiring marvel of the starry sky.

Being inside it felt enormous, while observing from a distance, it appeared even more magnificent.

Two days later, Fan Yunhua suddenly spoke up, "Master, this direction isn’t towards the Insect Path of the Tianyan Star System, where are we heading?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Ye took out his star map to compare and found that the direction was indeed off.

Jia Yu, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them, looking towards Zhu Yuan.

Zhu Yuan explained, "Naturally, it is to receive the goods; the items to be sent back are not with me at the moment."

Lu Ye didn’t understand his meaning, but Fan Yunhua chuckled softly, "Looks like there’s a problem with this batch of goods."

If there were no issues, the goods could have been delivered directly on the All Phenomena Ocean. Only problematic goods would be taken far away into the depths of stellar space.

Zhu Yuan remained silent, merely steering the spirit ark quietly.

Fan Yunhua also fell silent, having casually mentioned it; it was not something to delve deeper into.

A day later, the starboat arrived on a desolate planet, a place so harsh that even cultivators with low cultivation couldn’t venture deeper, let alone mortals.

Nevertheless, all four were Constellations, with strong adaptability. Zhu Yuan stowed the starboat away and led the way.

Lu Ye and the others followed closely behind. Upon arrival, Lu Ye increasingly felt something was amiss. Even if Zhu Yuan wanted to trade goods with someone, there was no need to choose such a location. The stellar space is vast, any secluded place would do as long as it’s unoccupied.

This place was more suited for an ambush rather than exchanging goods.

Of course, it might also be due to excessive caution.

Fan Yunhua and Jia Yu also sensed something, exchanging wary glances.

It’s common for hired people to plot against their employers, but not all employers are trustworthy. Some malicious individuals prefer luring people to remote places to attack them, leaving them penniless and in trouble.

Each person quietly expanded their Mental Consciousness outwards to investigate the surroundings, finding nothing unusual.

A little while later, Zhu Yuan led the three to the foot of a barren mountain, facing a dark cave entrance.

His expression suddenly turned solemn, standing still at the mouth of the cave!

Behind him, Lu Ye and the two others simultaneously felt a chill run up their spines, tension evident in their demeanor. Though the cave appeared empty, and their Mental Consciousness detected nothing, all three inexplicably felt like rabbits straying into a tiger’s den.

Within that cave, it seemed as if an ancient ferocious beast was ready to erupt at any moment.

As they looked around, the dark cave wasn’t merely due to dim light; it was genuinely filled with a black substance, flowing...

Lu Ye slowly raised his hand, grasping the hilt of the Boulder Mountain Saber.

On either side, Fan Yunhua and Jia Yu similarly began channeling spirit force, readying themselves!

Throughout the journey, Lu Ye felt that something was off, and at this point, he was finally certain of one thing: Zhu Yuan was no good. The return of goods to the Tianyan Star System was a facade. Luring the three here was the actual plan, but the exact purpose... was unknown, though it was likely the usual scheme of murder and robbery.

Only one thing puzzled Lu Ye: for there to be a presence of such strength that even their Mental Consciousness, at the Constellation Realm, couldn’t detect it, it had to be above that of a Moon Jade, and not just any ordinary one.

Would such a person be interested in Constellations? Robbing Constellations wouldn’t be very rewarding, making this an utterly illogical act.

Nevertheless, the three had indeed fallen into Zhu Yuan’s trap. The reason that fellow didn’t go to Zhongzheng Island before setting off was that it was unnecessary from the start.

They had been careless, ultimately due to a lack of experience, and because Lu Ye was eager to establish good relations with Zhu Yuan, needing someone as a guarantor to pass through Tianyan.

Yet, life is like this, always full of unforeseen events, impossible to guard against.

"Go!" Fan Yunhua suddenly shouted in a low voice, channeling an unknown secret technique and transforming into a streak of blood light, fleeing to the left.

Simultaneously, the sound of a sword echoed, and Jia Yu merged with the sword light, fleeing to the right.

Clearly, both knew their own strength wasn’t enough to be a match for the cave’s powerful being. Not being familiar with each other, collaboration was out of the question. So, fleeing in opposite directions meant that if the cave’s powerful being pursued one, the other had a significant chance to escape.