Chapter 14: Star Ocean (Part 2)

  Ding Haitao smiled slyly at the furious old tree bark, haha, it really does look like that, with a bit of Cao Sen's shadow.

  Xiao Cao Sen was also watching "himself" with great interest, showing off his might. He thought to himself: "He's so handsome, so cool! No wonder he has so many beautiful girls liking him every day. It turns out it's because of this kind of aura, this kind of masculine charm."

  "Don't take it lightly, this world is vast. According to the standards set by humans for ability classification, I don't know how many creatures are above level 20. You, Huo Yun, what's your level? You, Jin Da Chui, what's your level? And you, Mei Fang, how confident are you in defeating a level 20 ability user?" Old Tree Bark asked angrily.

  Everyone felt that the problem was a bit serious. If what Lao Pizi said was true, then without even a level 20 ability user, just someone at level 17 or 18 would be enough to take out everyone present. But the question was, both Jin Dahu and Huo Yun had been involved in the world of abilities for many years, yet they had never encountered anyone above level 15. Just now, Mei Fang suddenly broke through to level 11, which already made her a strong person in their eyes. So how credible were Lao Pizi's words?

  "Fine, I'm leaving. I won't stay on this damn broken ship with a bunch of good-for-nothings." Old Tree Bark saw that no one believed him and huffed off, wanting to leave.

  "Halt!" said Ding Haitao. "Lao Shupi, you've thought it through, since you're already with us, don't think about leaving. If those things exist, won't they catch a lone straggler to interrogate for internal information before finding Mu Mu?"

  Xiao Cao Sen's lips opened and closed, he also wanted to say this, but unfortunately, he could only make "wu wu ya ya" sounds, anxious and unable to speak, sweating profusely. Mei Fang carefully wiped his sweat, Xiao Cao Sen impatiently pushed away Mei Fang's hand, staring at the old tree bark, he had too many questions to ask, too many words to say, yet couldn't utter a single complete sentence, in frustration and humiliation, Xiao Cao Sen let out a sharp cry.

  Everyone looked at Little Cao Sen in surprise, what's wrong?

  "Is there something you want to say?" Mei Fang asked.

  Xiao Cao nodded.

  Where can I find someone who can read minds?

  "I... I can see what he wants to say." a timid voice said.

  It was Female Ghost Jing Zhe, she appeared and floated around Little Cao Sen.

  Xiao Cao was overjoyed and gestured wildly for Jing Zhe to translate for him.

  Jing Zhe stared at Xiao Cao Sen's little head, hesitantly saying: "Old tree bark, you...you...he...damn want to rebel or not?"

  It's really awkward to hear such a foul language coming out of Jing Zhe's mouth, which is otherwise beautiful and elegant. Although I know it's Cao Sen's inner voice, it still makes people uncomfortable. A super beautiful female ghost like Jing Zhe should say something like "才下眉头，又上心头" or "秋色连波，波上寒烟翠", which suits her beauty.

  Cao Sen doesn't care about these things anymore, he has been speechless for a long time and has been suffocated by them. With a megaphone, he immediately launches into a lengthy and eloquent speech.

  "Old tree bark, you run, you'll run to the depths of the mountain valley, hide in the pagoda forest, I'll dig you out and throw...throw you into the desert to bask in the sun!"

  Xiang Xiang couldn't help but laugh at Jing Zhe, a delicate female ghost who was speaking in a domineering and threatening tone.

  " 'I asked you,' Jing Zhe continued to recount Cao Sen's inner thoughts, 'are my parents all right?' "

  Mei Fang frowned again and looked at Jing Zhe with dissatisfaction.

  "It's all right, everything is fine. I'll take care of the Second Elder for Eldest Brother, you can rest assured, they're all doing well." Lao Shu Pi lost his momentum from earlier and replied with his head hung low.

  "This damn... turbulent Star Ocean, I don't even know what's going on. Since it happened, I'm not afraid either. Whoever comes, come on, whoever comes, I'll destroy them!" Jing Zhe tried to imitate Cao Sen's tone, but it still sounded stiff. Moreover, in her memory, Cao Sen didn't like to say "I" (old self) before, maybe it was a habit he developed after becoming a child.

  "Tao Tao, got a cigarette? Give me a drag, damn it... I'm suffocating!"

  After hearing Jing Zhe's remark, Ding Haitao subconsciously pulled out a cigarette and handed it to Xiao Caosen, but was caught by Mei Fang.

  "No way, you're still young and growing up, can't even have a single puff of cigarette!" Meifang said firmly.

  Jing Zhe, tell this crazy woman to get lost! Cao Sen almost shouted this in his heart, he was really fed up.

  Jing Zhe glanced at Mei Fang and shook his head, refusing to translate.

  Damn it! Cao Sen cursed in his heart, he knew Jing Zhe's kindness, and no matter what, he wouldn't speak for him, so he could only watch as Mei Fang threw the cigarette aside. He calmed himself down and clearly outlined his plan in his mind.

  "Old Tree Bark, please continue to impersonate me," Jing Zhe said.

  Everyone knew at once that the word "please" was added by Jing Zhe himself.

  "Tao Tao, you and Teng Fei have nothing better to do than train Old Tree Bark to impersonate me. Not only should he look like me, but also act like me."

  "It's essential to strictly seal off the news that I've turned into a toddler. Make outsiders believe that Star Ocean has been transferred into this toddler's body. If people come to snatch Star Ocean or something else, and you can't resist, just hand me over to them. Humph, Star Ocean, if anyone can take it away, I'll even thank him. Old Tree Bark, be careful too, those ability users from the Ancient Path will think that Star Ocean is inside your belly."

  At this point, Jing Zhe paused and looked at Xiao Cao Sen.

  The old tree's bark is wrinkled and its face is gloomy, which is a bit of a nuisance.

  Cao Sen played with the bullet that Teng Fei had tossed him, thinking for a moment before letting Jing Zhe continue speaking.

  "Everyone staying with me day and night will definitely affect normal work. Some working brothers have simply quit or taken sick leave. I want to set up a company, casually name it, and let Huo Da Ge and those special warfare brothers all be listed, each person getting at least 10,000 yuan per month. Taotao, you and Tengfei take care of this matter."

  Ding Haitao nodded in agreement.

  Xiang Xiang interrupted: "I'll protect you with my life, and I want a high salary too! How about one million per month?"

  "He... He said he'll give you ten bucks every month." Jing Zhe glanced at Xiang Xiang with a hint of disdain.

  Xiang Xiang didn't get angry either, and with a smile, she playfully waved her fist at Little Cao Sen.

  Huo Yun wanted to open his mouth to decline, but Jing Zhe spoke again.

  "He wants me to tell everyone that at any time and under any circumstances, they must ensure their own safety, don't fight with the enemy to the death. Those who come for him are doing it for Xinghai, not to take anyone's life, there is no need to fight to the bitter end."

  "Alright, we know what to do," Ding Haitao said discontentedly, glancing at Xiao Caosen. "Your head has shrunk, and so have your eyes, you're being petty."

  "Damn it!" Little Cao Sen scolded on his own without needing Jing Zhe's translation and flipped him the bird.

  Mei Fang grabbed Cao Sen's hand and folded his middle finger in, "Don't make this gesture, don't scold people."

  "Hmm... He said he wants to sleep alone from now on." Jing Zhe told Mei Fang.

  "No way!" Meifang replied without hesitation, firmly picking up Little Cao Sen.

  Cao Sen really had no way with this stubborn woman, and to be honest, he also quite liked that warm and comfortable embrace, so he didn't insist anymore.

  The old tree bark coughed and said, "Old Cao, I have something to say."

  Cao Sen looked at Jing Zhe, who shook his head, "It's really hard to hear, I won't say it."

  Ts'ao's son was helpless.

  "Speak out if you have something to say, fart out if you have gas!" Ding Haitao is Cao Sen's confidant and speaks out what's on his mind.

  Cao Sen stretched out his small hand from Mei Fang's arms and gave Ding Haitao a thumbs up.

  "Hey, hey, I'm saying," Old Tree Bark returned to his usual withered tone and demeanor, "Actually, protecting Mu Mu... Ah, no, it's a big deal, should be the common responsibility of humans and all kind creatures. I'm extremely sensitive to aura, from that large-scale fluctuation just now, the energy contained in Star Ocean is a treasure that almost all ability users, including ghosts, monsters, demons, and devils yearn for. If it falls into the hands of someone with an evil heart, it will be a catastrophic disaster."

  Mei Fang's sudden surge in power made a great commentary on the old tree bark, and everyone suddenly felt that the burden on their shoulders had become much heavier.

  The old tree bark continued: "Since I have been independent, I have witnessed many massacres between humans, such as the Queue Army. Before entering the pass, they killed over 10 million Han people in Liaodong. After entering the pass, from Yangzhou to Jiaxing, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Datong, and Jinhua, they slaughtered their way through, with deaths numbering in the tens of millions."

  Everyone was puzzled why Lao Tzu said these things.

  "Going further back, the nomadic tribes invaded the Central Plains, and compared to them, the queue-cutting soldiers were like children encountering a small witch seeing a big witch. Those horse-riding nations were like mad demons, killing as many as 70 million." Old Tree Bark spat out another astonishing number.

  Huo Yun had previously been fascinated by history, and upon hearing what Lao Shu Pi said, he felt a mix of emotions. "Alas, that's right. It was recorded in the 1985 edition of 'Guinness World Records' as the largest ethnic genocide in the world."

  Xiang Xiang exclaimed in surprise: "So many people? 700 million?! So, we can talk here today, are the survivors of the massacre back then? Eh, Old Tree Bark, what's the point of saying this? Is it related to Xiao Mu Mu's Star Sea?"

  "Of course," Old Tree Bark's gaze swept quickly across Xiang Xiang's chest, his throat moving up and down as he continued to speak. "Killing so many people is indeed due to the commander's bloodlust, but a greater reason is the energy of human souls."

  Soul energy? Everyone looked at Lao Tuzi in confusion.

  "Humans are the spirits of all things, born with a powerful soul that other races do not possess. This soul is a rare energy for many evil demons and heretics, so they try every means to obtain more human souls. The fastest and most effective method is war, as well as slaughter after war. After humans die, their souls are ownerless, and they can be absorbed at will."

  "Are you saying that the massacres just now were instigated by some people with ulterior motives, who secretly stirred up the trouble and caused so many deaths?" Huo Yun asked.

  "That's right." The old tree bark's face showed a compassionate and sorrowful expression, "How many innocent lives!"

  "What does this have to do with Mu Mu?" Ding Haitao didn't care about how many people had died before, he cared about Cao Sen's safety.

  "Several tens of millions of souls were absorbed, you say, how much energy did those demons gain?" Old Tree Bark retorted.

  "How would I know? I'm not one of them." Ding Haitao replied.

  "Hey, I can only describe their skills as 'top-notch'," said Old Tree Bark.

  "But now we haven't seen a guy like that." Xiang Xiang suspected that Lao Shu Pi was bragging.

  "This is exactly what I was worried about," said the old tree bark slowly. "Those demons who suddenly disappeared collectively two hundred years ago, and those human cultivators with great divine powers, all vanished without a trace, as if they were rushing to an appointment at the same time. Those left in the mortal world are just some shrimp soldiers and crab generals. It's rare to encounter a level 12 ability user. Probably several decades ago, I accidentally discovered a group of strange ability users holding a mysterious ritual, seemingly trying to summon a powerful creature from another world into our world. An evil and icy aura kept overflowing from the altar, and just as I was terrified, the summoning ritual was interrupted due to insufficient energy."

  "I think what they're trying to summon is some kind of vanished evil spirit, and the key to their failure lies in not having a Star Sea." Old Tree Bark said this as he looked towards Little Cao Sen.

  Caosen's thoughtful gaze was also fixed on the old tree bark. This cunning old fellow, last time at Taifeng Mountain when he was subdued by me, said that he could only transform into a pagoda tree shape; later he could also transform into my appearance. At first glance, people thought him to be lewd and lustful, hiding in the mountains, ignorant and inexperienced. Now what he says indicates that he is experienced and knowledgeable, how many real abilities has he hidden?

  Huo Da Ge followed me because of brotherly love, Jin Da Chui was because of enthusiasm, Mei Shi sisters' reason doesn't need to be said. But what about Lao Shu Pi? Whatever the reason, it won't be because he was defeated by me once and then blindly follow me. Hey, you're not that naive, Lao Shu Pi, and I, Cao Sen, am not that naive either. Hehe, let's ride a donkey and watch a play while we walk.

  The old tree bark dodged Cao Sen's gaze, his eyes fell on Xiangxiang's bare feet, looking at the ten toes as smooth as flower petals, and his throat made a "gulp" sound.

  "Alright," Ding Haitao slapped the old tree bark with force, for some reason he was extremely disgusted by the old tree bark's lewd expression in Cao Sen's form. "We all understand the importance of guarding the wooden responsibility, now get out of my sight and practice drawing your gun 1000 times."