The role the Kustar race played in this remains unclear to Qian Qingbao, the Intelligence Minister, though analysis of various signs suggests they are undoubtedly connected to the matter.

Yet, Yang Ying knew in his heart, as clearly as looking into a mirror, that the gap in strength between himself and the Kustar race was as wide as heaven and earth. Directly confronting the Kustar race was clearly unwise; this was not a simple brawl between commoners. How to deal with this powerful race, which had inherited its legacy for tens of thousands of years and ranked fourth in the Orion Arm, required careful, long-term planning.

With various thoughts swirling in his mind, Yang Ying’s heart suddenly stirred. He used telepathy to address Worengas and the three newly subjugated third-level assassins: “You all leave shortly. There are experts on Planet Baant. That fight just now might have attracted some attention. I will go up first to scout things out. Do you have a way to slip away discreetly?”

“No problem, withdrawing from the scene after the operation is fundamental skill for assassination. This boundless ocean provides ample cover. If we still couldn't leave, we wouldn’t have survived this long,” one assassin replied.

“Very good.” Yang Ying was satisfied. “Worengas, stay with me. You three depart separately and rendezvous at the landing pad.”

“Yes!” The three assassins left individually.

They were already close to the sea surface. After ascending for a short while longer, Yang Ying and Worengas broke the surface. Indeed, they sensed people nearby. Looking up, they saw more than a dozen figures of the Octopods appearing in the sky. They stood suspended in the void, as if standing on invisible ground, completely disregarding the existence of gravity.

The leading Octopod looked ancient, his facial skin unevenly wrinkled, his eyelids drooping heavily, and his posture lax, appearing listless. If he were not floating in the void, one would have easily mistaken him for just a frail old man. The thirteen Octopods beside him all wore uniforms equivalent to Captains of the Security Force, while the old Octopod’s attire was particularly solemn, signaling at a glance that he was a person of importance.

“Greetings, Elder,” Yang Ying offered a salute. “If I haven't guessed wrong, you must be the Commander-in-Chief of the fourteen Security Squads of Baant?”

The old Octopod opened his eyes a slit and spoke with a voice full of vicissitudes, “Indeed, I am. May I ask your name, esteemed guest? A master passing through should have warranted a proper welcome from me, Baabolote. I apologize for the oversight, as I was unaware of your presence.”

“Not at all, not at all. I am Yang Ying from Earth,” Yang Ying exchanged pleasantries, then inquired, “May I ask why you have brought the captains here, Elder?”

“The situation is this,” the old Octopod paused slightly. “I received an urgent report that a fight broke out at the entrance to the Water City, so I went to investigate. Although the bystanders were all flash-frozen, and by the time they recovered, the battle had moved elsewhere, what was left at the scene indicated that the two sides exchanged only a few moves, each one carrying considerable power—the work of peak third-level experts. I presume one of them was you.”

“It was me.”

Yang Ying made no attempt to conceal his cultivation. The old Octopod could sense the surging, immense spiritual power contained within Yang Ying, just as Yang Ying could sense the formidable strength of the old Octopod.

Upon hearing Yang Ying’s confirmation, the old Octopod said, “First, I must thank you for considering the lives of passersby during the fight and protecting them from the residual shockwaves.”

Yang Ying replied, “It was nothing, a mere trifle, nothing to thank me for. But Elder, how do you know the protector was me, and not my opponent?”

“Because I questioned Phipynaf. He said he remembered an ice-blue flash passing by, and then he knew nothing else. You are Phipynaf’s employer; if it wasn’t you, who else could it be?”

Yang Ying smiled, “I see. How is Phipynaf?”

“He is fine,” the old Octopod pondered. “However, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Security Forces, I must inquire: what exactly happened beneath the sea? Who was your opponent? And why did two peak third-level masters choose to fight on Planet Baant?”

Yang Ying adopted a thoughtful expression and said slowly, “This matter is a long story, and in truth, it has nothing to do with Planet Baant. The one who attacked me came because of an issue concerning an extraterrestrial matter, and I have already driven him off. I guarantee he will not return.”

He had deliberately omitted the death of Tarlin, opting instead to deploy a smokescreen, hoping to stall for time and prevent the news from spreading, which might alert the Assassin Organization and complicate his subsequent plans.

“This battle nearly caused many casualties. You expect to smooth things over by saying nothing?” A captain, clearly impatient and dissatisfied with Yang Ying’s answer, thinking their superior numbers gave them the upper hand, blurted out the question.

Before Yang Ying could speak, the old Octopod suddenly raised a hand, stopping the captain, and spoke in a low voice, “You said it nearly caused many casualties. The fact is, no one was injured. Don’t be so belligerent.”

“But that captain—”

“No ‘buts.’ Listen to me,” the old Octopod interrupted him. He paused, then turned back to Yang Ying, “Can you guarantee that the opponent you fought will not return?”

“I can,” Yang Ying replied confidently.

“Since that is the case, I shall pursue the matter no further,” the old Octopod stated.

“Commander!” That hot-tempered captain tried to speak again.

“Silence. This matter is settled,” the old Octopod commanded unequivocally.

“Yes.” The captain muttered in dissatisfaction but still submitted to the Commander’s authority.

The old Octopod then turned to Yang Ying and said, “Phipynaf mentioned that you came to Planet Baant simply to rest during your journey, and that you would leave tomorrow after attending the Guluo Grass auction. Is this correct?”

“That is correct,” Yang Ying replied.

“Good!” The old Octopod declared. “To thank you for not forgetting to protect the bystanders during your battle, my gratitude cannot be merely verbal. I propose to give you half of this batch of Guluo Grass that is about to be listed, as a token of thanks. Furthermore, you may forgo tonight’s auction and depart immediately. What do you say?”

Yang Ying finally understood. It seemed the old Octopod still harbored some disbelief and wished to resolve the trouble by giving away wealth and sending this plague god away as soon as possible.

In fact, Yang Ying himself preferred to leave early. Having just recruited three third-level assassins, he was eager to arrange things quickly before the opportunity passed—the military adage speed is essential held true.

Thus, Yang Ying responded, “Agreed, it is settled then. I will return to the ship now. We shall meet again.”

The old Octopod replied, “Please, take your leave. I will arrange for the Guluo Grass to be sent to your vessel. I wish you a smooth journey, and we shall meet again.”

Yang Ying sent a mental message to Worengas: “Let’s go!” The two shot out of the sea and soared toward the landmass.

The dozen or so Octopods remained in place. The hot-tempered captain, seeing Yang Ying flying far away, asked the old Octopod, “Commander, are we just letting them go like that?”

The old Octopod replied, “Of course. Are we supposed to fight them and arrest them?”

“But—that captain,”

“There is no ‘but.’ I am telling you,” the old Octopod cut him off. He thought for a moment, then addressed Yang Ying again, “That is how I have decided to handle it.”

“But, Commander, that seems different from your usual methods,” another captain remarked.

The old Octopod observed the expressions of the other captains; seeing their confusion, he pondered for a moment and said, “You are right. The leniency shown this time has other reasons as well.”

The thirteen captains exchanged glances. One asked, “May we know this reason, Commander?”

The old Octopod replied, “In truth, it’s nothing major once it’s revealed. When I saw this Yang Ying just now, I glimpsed a thread of the future. This person is extremely important to us Baant people. We will be able to borrow his strength to elevate our entire race to a higher level.”

“You foresaw the future again!”

The thirteen captains erupted in shock. Commander Baabolote, in his youth, had left Baant Star to wander, later apprenticing under a fourth-level master and receiving a blessing. A trace of fourth-level spiritual power was infused into his bloodline, granting him the potential of a seer. He could foresee the trend of future development at crucial junctures, preventing him from making mistakes with severe consequences.

Because of this prophetic ability, Planet Baant had avoided many detours and averted numerous troubles. Now, this power had manifested again.

“If it is the Commander’s prophecy, we have nothing more to say. We shall obey all your decisions, Commander,” the thirteen captains said respectfully.

“Very good. The matter is concluded; let’s not linger here. Everyone, return!” Baabolote issued the command, executed a turn, and flew toward the land at the forefront.

“Yes, Commander.” The thirteen captains also turned and followed him toward the land.

Yang Ying and Worengas had already returned to the landing pad and boarded the Behemoth. After waiting a short while, the three third-level assassins arrived one after another. They were all masters of invisibility techniques, causing no disturbance upon their arrival.

Yang Ying arranged accommodations for them and simultaneously scheduled meetings with his staff officers, aiming to quickly devise a plan to subdue that assassin organization. Not long after, the people sent by Baabolote to deliver the Guluo Grass arrived.

There were sixteen jars of Guluo Grass listed in this batch. Half of them—eight jars—were delivered, exactly double the amount Yang Ying had won at the auction previously. Given the prior agreement, Yang Ying accepted them gracefully and even presented twenty jars of ice wine for the Commander and the captains as a return gift.

Since he had accepted the goods, Yang Ying felt awkward staying any longer. He ordered Howard to set course immediately, leave Planet Baant, and return to the Solar System.