"Does that feel good?"
"So good~"
Bai Yimo, under the alias Mo Ji, gently brought her delicate right hand to the scar on the giant’s bronze skin. She kneaded and massaged it slowly, her fingertips then lifting with a silken touch, leaving behind a lingering, fragrant warmth.
HUFF~
A moist, cat-like exhale.
"Does it still hurt?"
The five-meter-tall giant shook his head, his expression blissful. He reached out with a huge hand and pulled Bai Yimo into his embrace.
Bai Yimo’s [Forgetful Paradise] activated at the perfect moment. The giant’s limbs stretched out as he lay among the gnarled, intertwining roots of an ancient tree.
This was the [Assassination Star]’s branch on Treasure Star, a place where no one would disturb them.
Only a single, colossal tree towered here, its crown reaching for the starry river above.
Bai Yimo’s numbered Nirvana skill essentially conquered different opponents by exploiting four basic biological instincts. And right now, this towering giant, nearly three times her size, was being played like a fiddle without a clue... An Elder Ancestor-level figure like her could naturally strike with swift precision, targeting weaknesses to make her prey fall for her unwittingly.
"We... Assassination Star, *huff*, our business covers all the surrounding... Cosmic Countries. The one thing we don’t lack... *huff*, is... Cosmic Crystals."
"Is... that... so... *huff*~"
Immense force shook the branches of the ten-thousand-year-old tree, needlessly scattering countless leaves. They rose and fell in the low, restrained atmosphere, spinning and drifting with the wind. From time to time, a heavy, seed-filled fruit would fall from the tree and land on the earth, letting out an unrestrained and blossoming POP.
「A long time later.」
HUFF~
A strangely fragrant smoke began to swirl beneath the ancient tree. This was "Star God Smoke," the most famous specialty from the distant Cloud Smoke Star. While it was said to cause some hallucinations, the side effects were negligible for Nirvana Powerhouses. Instead, it plunged one into a hazy, dreamlike state, creating an exquisitely subtle feeling.
"Mo Ji, I really don’t know how to make it up to you."
The giant was referring to the matter of the bounty on Shi Ming.
According to the commission, the task would be considered a success as long as they found a genuine clue and drew the Employer’s attention, causing them to descend. This would have earned them 500,000 Cosmic Crystals without having to pay any treasure tax—an absolutely terrifying fortune. But due to the series of mishaps that followed, the Sovereign lost face completely, and the upper echelons of Assassination Star were shocked. With things being so tense, no one dared to press the Sovereign to fulfill his promise.
For Assassination Star, this was likely to become a bad debt.
But this five-meter-tall giant had already promised Bai Yimo that they would advance her 60% of the Cosmic Crystals from this bounty, along with another one. In his eyes, however, failing to satisfy Mo Ji with this arrangement was still a great regret.
’If only my authority were a little higher, if I could access more funds, wouldn’t that solve everything perfectly?’
’Maybe I should be more aggressive!’
’Old Deng, it’s time for you to step aside!’
Bai Yimo, however, looked at the giant tenderly.
"Yanbao, you’ve already done more than enough. It’s me... I was too eager for revenge, and that put too much pressure on you without me realizing it. Maybe I shouldn’t be this way. I should forget my past hatred, forget my exiled people, and start a new life."
The giant’s name was Blast River Rock, a member of the rare Star Rock Race.
"Yanbao" was Bai Yimo’s "exclusive nickname" for the giant. An exclusive nickname was highly effective for closing the distance, deepening affection, and strengthening bonds. No matter the stage of a relationship, it was an emotional adhesive.
And [Assassination Star] was also a family organization. Its current leader was Blast River Rock’s father, Dark Breath Rock, a King-Level Nirvana Powerhouse.
"No..."
"We are all independent lives and individuals, not someone else’s vassal. You shouldn’t abandon your people and your past for my sake."
"I’ll gather the final 400,000 as soon as possible."
Bai Yimo seemed extremely moved.
Her eyes glistened as she buried her head in his solid arm. Her hair brushed against his stone-like skin, a softness that reached straight to the heart.
...
...
...
"Look at this!"
"800,000 Cosmic Crystals, not a single one missing!"
Bai Yimo twirled a dazzling armlet around her fingertip. The armlet was a common Spatial Attribute treasure containing a pocket dimension. Though not very large, its main advantage was its stability, making it extremely difficult to break. As such, it was often used to store precious treasures or Cosmic Crystals.
At this moment, it was piled high with a massive amount of Cosmic Crystals.
A full 800,000 of them.
"Oh?"
Shi Ming was a little surprised.
To have obtained the entire bounty under these circumstances was truly beyond his expectations. This just went to show how skillful this Elder Ancestor before him really was.
’She’s a decent employee.’
"Not bad."
Shi Ming nodded, took the armlet, and casually used his Eye of Destiny to inspect it.
There were no unusual traps or tributaries of fate that would lead to a worse future.
"Just ’not bad’? Is that the only way you praise your employees?" Bai Yimo was quite displeased with Shi Ming’s reaction. It was an exceptionally perfunctory assessment.
’This boss really has no idea how to motivate his staff.’
Shi Ming toyed with a piece of jade in his hand, tossing it high into the air.
It was the ultimate treasure he had just recently obtained, the Ten Thousand Flowers Jade.
The Ten Thousand Flowers Jade was thrown up, and it spun as it fell.
When it was level with Shi Ming’s line of sight, Bai Yimo’s figure was analyzed within the Ten Thousand Flowers Jade, breaking down into layered, symmetrical points of iridescent light. They revolved around the center of the kaleidoscope, displaying fragmented visions of light and shadow, revealing the Destiny and karma of this Desire Demon Ancestor—
She was born within the Twelfth Cosmic Country’s forbidden zone, the [Insatiable Abyss of Desire];
Her talent was astonishing. She touched upon the most fundamental principle of desire in the Star Sea, and her Holy Hall Origin evolved into the numbered Nirvana skill [Desire]. This Nirvana skill could be customized, and by coincidence, she figured out the technique to deconstruct and synthesize Nirvana Origin;