Chapter 24: The Punishment System

“What’s the price for the Light Elixir and the Holy Elixir?”

Old Tang was just as excited, asking eagerly, as if a healthy body and a long life were beckoning to him.

Yun Qimu did a quick calculation in her mind, then decisively decided to double the price of the elixirs in the village chief’s exchange shop.

With a hand on her heart, she said sincerely, “The Light Elixir is 200,000 spirit coins. As for the Holy Elixir, just one bottle will instantly purge all the dark matter from your body and restore you to your optimal state. That one’s a bit more expensive—2 million spirit coins.”

She added, “The exchange rate is one energy coin to a hundred spirit coins, by the way.”

Old Tang’s face fell, nearly suffering a heart attack.

A bit more expensive? That’s not a bit, that’s a billion bits!

“I—I don’t have any energy coins,” he stammered, clutching his chest tightly. His scruffy beard quivered, and he looked like a fish out of water, eyes glazed over, so heartbroken he could barely breathe.

Why on earth did he blow all his energy coins? Wouldn’t it have been better to save them for a fancy gold-and-diamond inlaid coffin for himself?

Maybe he could even sell the coffin now to get some energy coins back.

Yun Qimu looked at the old man with some sympathy and tried to encourage him. “It’s okay if you don’t have any energy coins. You can earn them slowly. If you can’t afford the Holy Elixir, just buy the Light Elixir for now and hang in there. Keep at it, and you’ll eventually save up enough spirit coins for the Holy Elixir. Once you get it, just one gulp and you’ll be reborn, full of vitality again. You could live another few thousand years, maybe even marry a beautiful young wife—doesn’t that sound tempting?”

Old Tang: ……

Why does this sales pitch sound so strangely familiar?

In the end, Old Tang still thanked her and awkwardly changed the subject. “Is there some use in not killing that group of interstellar pirates led by Zack? My brat may not be the most respectful, but he’s strong and capable. If you need help, just order him around.”

“Dad!”

Tang En’s handsome face twisted in frustration. Not respectful? Wasn’t that making the village chief misunderstand him? He was a polite, well-mannered, positive young man!

Who needs a biological father anyway?

But when Yun Qimu looked over, he immediately straightened up and put on his most polite smile, showing off eight neat, white, gleaming teeth.

“Is there anything I can do for you, Chief?”

Yun Qimu smiled slightly and shifted her gaze away from the nervous sweat on his forehead. “Actually, there is something. Help me tie up these star pirates. I want to ask if they have any other accomplices.”

She glanced at the group of pirates sprawled haphazardly on the ground, some of them bleeding profusely. She really didn’t want to bother healing them.

But if she didn’t, they might just die, and then she’d fail her mission to save twenty residents. She’d have to find some substitutes.

Of course, Tang En didn’t know what she was thinking. He just praised her for being so considerate, then ran off and somehow found a thick, long rope, quickly tying up eighteen of them like a string of sausages.

When Skinny woke up groggily from the pain, a small, golden, gleaming axe was waving in front of his face, as if hesitating where to start chopping.

Having witnessed the axe’s power, he shuddered, every hair standing on end, eyes wide with terror. All the malice he’d shown earlier toward Zhu Zhu vanished, and he caved instantly.

“Miss, please spare me! It was him—it was him who said there was a delicate noble lady here, so the boss brought us along!”

He knelt on the ground, turning angrily to glare at the big guy tied up next to him, who was shrinking back and trembling, his tone full of resentment.

“Oh?” Yun Qimu followed his gaze, eyes narrowing. Now that she thought about it, this big guy did look a bit familiar.

“A grown man cowering there like a shy little wife—aren’t you ashamed? Lift your head and let me see you.”

“I…I…” Haru’s burly, gym-trainer-like body was shaking violently.

Yun Qimu wouldn’t take no for an answer. “Lift your head.”

Her calm voice carried a heavy threat. A strong sense of danger forced Haru to look up, revealing a rough face, eyes wide in terror.

Yun Qimu looked down at him, eyes narrowed. “Oh, it’s you—the one sitting by the window, third row on the right side of the spaceship. My… fellow passenger.”

“Didn’t you leave early? How did you know I stayed here?”

Haru shrank his neck, this big guy now looking like a terrified chick, desperately trying to hide behind the others. But Skinny and another pirate wouldn’t let him; they glared and shoved him forward.

They threatened fiercely, “The lady’s asking you a question! Answer, or I’ll kill you!”

“Yeah, we’ll kill you! Hurry up and talk…”

The other pirates all joined in, eager to shift the blame.

Poor, helpless Haru, snot and tears streaming, shook his head and denied it. “No, it wasn’t me! It was Fei Jie—Fei Jie told me to tell Zack and the others you were here!”

“Fei Jie, huh.” Yun Qimu quickly matched the name to a certain sly, villainous face.

Smiling on the surface, but scheming in the shadows—that was just like him.

Haru was still trying to explain, desperate to clear his name. “After we got off the ship yesterday, I was planning to go to Molan City with the others, but it got dark so fast, and we ran into a magnetic storm. We got separated. I was unlucky and ran into a berserk beast—almost became its dinner. Fei Jie and his friends saved me. I thought he was a good guy, but—pah! Just now, when he saw Zack and the others looking for a kid, he told me to repay him by telling Zack where you were. Otherwise, he said he’d throw me back to the beast just like he saved me. I had no choice…”

He rambled on and on, cursing Fei Jie as cunning and shameless, insisting he was innocent. But everyone present, even Yun Xiaoyu, who barely reached his thigh, looked down on him.

Yun Qimu frowned impatiently. “So where’s Fei Jie now?”

Haru froze, then muttered, “He…he’s probably already gone.”

“Then why did you stay and come here with them?”

Yun Qimu sneered, “Did you think I was easy prey and wanted a share of the spoils?”

Haru, who’d left early yesterday and hadn’t seen Yun Qimu kill anyone, had indeed thought that. But now, he was so scared he nearly wet himself.

He’d mistaken an eagle for a rabbit—what a huge mistake!

No wonder Fei Jie didn’t do it himself.

But now, it was all too late.

Haru cursed inwardly, his face ashen with despair."