Chapter 679: Chapter 452: The Second Star Map Relic?
Celia, upon confirming that the three corpses in the corridor were indeed the Bearded man and his companions, hesitated not a moment before she went back to her room, picked up little Manker, and came out.
No more words were needed; the corpses said it all.
Mu Fan walked in front with steady steps, going down floor by floor. In the eerily quiet building, only the footsteps of their small group echoed.
Every time Celia saw the bodies in each corridor, a deep hatred glinted in her eyes.
But amid the silence around her, a sense of foreboding crept into the depths of her heart.
“Excuse me… sir,” she thought for a moment before deciding to address Mu Fan as “sir,” “may I ask how Rodrick is doing?”
The young woman’s eyes, gentle and imploring, sought answers.
Mu Fan stopped, looked into Celia’s eyes, and shook his head without saying a word.
Celia covered her mouth with her hand, trying hard to keep the tears at bay. But she eventually asked, “Sir, where are you taking my son and me?”
“The best thing for you would be to leave Blue Capital Star. I’m only responsible for getting you safely onto the spaceship.”
“Are you a good friend of Rodrick’s?”
“No.”
The atmosphere turned eerily calm for a moment, before the beautiful lady softly said, “Those people didn’t touch anything in the house when they took us. I want to go back and get some things, and then, sir, you can take anything you need.”
Now Celia had regained the demeanor of a noblewoman she used to be. With little Manker by her side, what did it matter where in the universe they went?
Mu Fan was somewhat surprised by the woman’s attitude but agreed with her in his mind.
He who hesitates is lost.
“I need to leave by 3 a.m.”
Checking his watch, which read 23:20, Mu Fan ultimately agreed.
The last thing Rodrick did, after all, was a man’s promise, a duty to the loyal.
“It won’t take long.”
The two finally vanished within the building, leaving behind forty-nine corpses.
…
The vehicles summoned by Black were parked on the perimeter. Mu Fan stood in a second-floor room of the villa, silently taking in his surroundings.
As soon as Celia entered, she activated a hidden switch beneath a pen holder, then turned the dial on a safe hidden behind a painting. Little Manker curiously watched Mu Fan.
The room was spacious and understated. The pale white décor made it look impeccably tidy, although it seemed to have gone a month without inhabitants, as dust layered everything in sight.
“This villa was secretly purchased by Rodrick. He said any Mechanical Master who lives more than five years has a group of enemies. But I didn’t expect someone to come knocking,” Celia said, sounding forlorn.
Mu Fan didn’t respond. Rodrick was not hunted down by enemies, but used as a pawn and killed by Mu Fan himself.
If he revealed this now, it would probably shatter this woman mentally.
“Alright.”
Celia struggled to move a small metal cabinet. Inside, neatly arranged, were four large compartments holding cards, jewelry, photos, and other trinkets.
She took out a stack of bank cards, chose two, slipped them into her pocket, and offered the rest to Mu Fan.
“Thank you for saving our lives. These are anonymous saving cards Rodrick usually gave me, universally accepted in the Federation, secured with a simple numerical passcode that’s a sequence of the numbers represented by each letter of his name.”
The beautiful young woman’s eyes shone with gratitude. “You are a good person. This is what you deserve. I have only taken two cards, enough to live comfortably.”
As Mu Fan saw little Manker inadvertently pull out a photograph of the family of three, his eyes suddenly narrowed.
“Madam, I do not need these cards. If it’s possible, may I have that stone?”
Beneath that photograph, Mu Fan saw a stone with a strikingly familiar shape.
Which is why Mu Fan’s expression was so bizarre.
It couldn’t be that much of a coincidence…
The shape of this stone was almost identical to the Star Map Relic that had shed its outer layer in the bank vault!
How hadn’t it been long since I’d encountered the second Star Map Relic by such a coincidence?
Could it be that fate intended for me to seek out the ancient ruins as quickly as possible?
Celia looked surprised in the direction Mu Fan pointed and nodded, “Of course, it’s possible. Rodrick only said that he had exchanged everything he had for this stone, but whenever I asked, he never told me, only mentioning it occasionally when playing with little Manker. He said it was the key to unlocking the dream of the sea of stars.”
After speaking, the beautiful woman looked tenderly toward the boy with sapphire eyes, “Little Manker, shall we give this stone to our life-saving benefactor?”
“Um, yes, little Manker knows gratitude.” The little boy nodded firmly.
Thus, Celia handed the heavy stone to Mu Fan.
As he carefully felt the patterns on the stone, and after seeing the pale yellow mica patterns woven with the purple-blue background creating a natural design, Mu Fan sighed internally.
Another Three-color Relic!?
Black had said these things were extremely rare, how had I obtained two in a month?
But for now, Black didn’t know, as there were no cameras here to provide it with vision, so it’s better to wait until I return to tell Black.
After confirming once more that Mu Fan really did not need the bank cards, Celia transferred the items from the small iron cabinet to a handbag, then changed into a set of clothes in the adjoining bedroom before coming out.
Mu Fan needed money, but he wasn’t about to covet the funds left to a widow.
At this time, the clock pointed to 00:27.
“Alright, may I ask, benefactor, where shall we go now?”
“Madam, which planet would you like to go to?”
“The Second Star District, Chiyou Star,” Celia replied.
Mu Fan tapped the back of his wristwatch twice and soon heard Black’s voice in his ear; seconds later, Mu Fan spoke,
“I won’t be moving with you next. The car outside will automatically take you to the 19th Space Port, the journey will take 58 minutes. Twenty minutes after you arrive, a spaceship flying to Chiyou Star will dock, and you can just board it.”
Celia felt like she was listening to a fantasy, troubled, she said, “But we don’t have boarding passes.”
“Your identities have already been retrieved from the database. Just scan your palm prints when you get there; both of you are under aliases, Li Sai and Roman,” Mu Fan concluded, and casually opened up Sky Communication to show the boarding information on the flight 78 minutes later.
At that moment, Celia looked at Mu Fan as if seeing an alien creature.
Such means were unheard of!
This person had miraculous abilities, did not admit to being Rodrick’s friend, yet arranged everything for her and her son.
Who exactly was he?
With deep doubts, Celia and her son eventually got into the unmanned Floating Car.
Watching the vehicle disappear into the distance, Mu Fan weighed the Star Map Relic in his hand.
He spoke strangely to the air, “Black.”
“What is it?”
“I’ve found the second Star Map Relic.”
“What!” The voice in his ear suddenly became sharp.
“It’s another Three-color Relic.”
Mu Fan spoke earnestly.
*****
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