Chapter 927 - 926: Secret
The smugglers could be said to be well-traveled, having set foot on many planets, but they had never seen a Flaming Firebird before. After all, the Flaming Firebird is a product of radiation; finding its kind is indeed not easy.
So, after completing their trade and earning a sum of money, wouldn't it be an even more delightful thing to catch a rare bird and sell it to a suitable buyer for another sum of money?
Driven by greed, the smugglers began to hunt the Little Flaming Firebird.
To sell it for a good price, they decided not to harm the small bird, even though they didn't have the proper tools to catch it. They decided to chase the bird with a spaceship, reasoning that it would eventually have to land when it got tired of flying, and then it would be easy to catch.
The Little Flaming Firebird is an intelligent creature. When it saw something strange flying towards it, instinctively, it started to escape.
This played right into the smugglers' hands, so they pursued the Little Flaming Firebird at a leisurely pace, waiting for it to land.
On the spaceship, they spotted Jiang Cheng and Yanran. Although they were slightly surprised, they didn't pay much attention to the two individuals, thinking they had more people and didn't notice any weapons in or around the pair.
The smugglers swaggered towards Jiang Cheng and Yanran, completely ignoring the two people. If these two knew what was good for them, they would hand over the Little Flaming Firebird hidden behind them without a fuss; otherwise, well...
They were determined to get what they wanted.
As they approached the pair, they noticed the woman holding a bow, which almost made them laugh. What era was this? To think someone would use such a primitive weapon only put them more at ease.
In the minds of those smugglers, a bow and arrow could never compare to their laser weapons.
A group of unexpected intruding smugglers discovered the Little Flaming Firebird. They intended to capture it and sell it for a good price, not realizing that their inadvertent actions made it easier for Jiang Cheng and Yanran to leave the Nameless Planet.
Now, the smugglers noticed Jiang Cheng and Yanran, but they didn't take them seriously, especially since Yanran was holding a bow, making them feel even more at ease about the Little Flaming Firebird behind them, which they were determined to capture.
Seeing the group approaching fearlessly, Jiang Cheng and Yanran remained silent, and the Little Flaming Firebird hidden behind them seemed too scared to make a sound.
Just as the smugglers got a clear view of their faces, one of the leaders suddenly quickened his pace, widening his eyes as he stared at Yanran standing before Jiang Cheng.
Clearly, his gaze wasn't focused on the seemingly laughable bow in Yanran's hand.
"Oh my god!" the leader suddenly shouted, "Look! An Alorri Busby, a woman of the Fergus race!"
Someone behind him chimed in, "Old Bit, are you losing it over women?"
"The race you're talking about has been extinct for many years."
"I told you to read more! Danglein!" the one called Old Bit cursed angrily, "Not only are you ignorant, but you also doubt my eyesight?!"
The one behind didn't dare make a sound after being scolded.
The one called Old Bit turned around, his gaze on Yanran growing more intense and greedy. "Oh my god, she hasn't married or had children; she's still a maiden!"
The group burst into laughter.
"Old Bit, young women are all the same!"
"Since when did Old Bit become an expert on women?"
"This old dog is only interested in certain parts of women; what kind of expert is he, really?"
The vulgar words fell from the lips of the crude group, mocking Old Bit.
"Silence!" Old Bit waved his hand, red-faced, scolding his companions, "A maiden! This is an unmated, never-married Alorri Busby of the Fergus race!"
"You ignorant fools, do you have any idea what this means?" Old Bit looked satisfied as his companions fell silent, their eyes flashing with a look that said "we don't know."
She means..." Old Bit abruptly stopped his words, "Forget it, I can't explain it to you guys, but she means a lot of money! A great fortune."
Someone asked suspiciously, "Even though this woman is young and beautiful, besides that, isn't she just like any other young woman like Yuan Liang?"
The people beside him nodded in agreement.
Old Bit shook his head with disdain, "You ignorant fools, this woman alone is worth a lot of money! An unmated Alorri Busby of the Fergus race as a maiden! Decades ago, the Governor of Edris Planet issued a notice; he wanted to find such a young woman to be his third wife.
Another asked, "Is this woman worth more than that strange bird?"
"Of course, of course," Old Bit nodded, "she's worth far more than that little bird."
"So what are we waiting for?"
With that, they started walking towards Yanran.
But the one called Old Bit didn't forget to call out from behind: "Be careful not to harm the little beauty, not even a bit. And also, don't harm that little bird."
Their conversation showed that they were oblivious to everything around them, completely disregarding the man backing that mysterious tribal girl, even though his appearance and attire were not the same as theirs, in their eyes, that man was not worthy of attention.
They were talking in the universal language of the galaxy, so Jiang Cheng and Yanran could understand everything clearly. To Jiang Cheng's ears, the one called Old Bit was cryptic, as if Yanran was hiding some secret.
And to Yanran, their conversation was no different from an insult, but as a girl, she didn't like killing, though giving those guys a lesson was necessary.
Yanran put down the bow in her hands, which the smugglers clearly misunderstood.
"Old Bit, is this why you say this woman is worth a fortune? She's indeed smart.
"Little beauty, you're doing the right thing; that ridiculous weapon of yours is useless against us.
"Yes, this way we won't harm you."
The group appeared particularly relaxed, interpreting Yanran putting down her bow as a sign of surrender.
As they spoke, they already stood before Yanran, and two of them stepped forward, reaching out to grab Yanran's arms.
Two strong men dealing with a helpless lamb; isn't the result obvious?
They were wrong this time, and they were very wrong indeed.