Chapter 880: A small talk

Zhao Tian glanced at Lirien, "You go and tell them that the fight has ended already and I am chatting with her."

Lirien's golden eyes lingered on Yuliya for a moment.

The massive loong hesitated, as every instinct screamed against leaving her lord alone with the woman who had just tried to kill him.

But obedience won.

"As you say, my lord."

With a slow, graceful sweep, Lirien turned, vanishing toward the Elven planet.

Zhao Tian turned back to Yuliya "Let's change the place for our conversation."

Yuliya nodded once and raised her left hand.

A faint spatial ripple appeared beside her, and from the storage ring a black ark appeared.

The side hatch irised open silently.

"Let's go in."

They stepped inside together.

The main hall was spacious, almost luxurious, with low lighting from crimson-and-gold panels.

Weapons hung tastefully on display racks of katanas and curved daggers.

Yuliya gestured toward the couch with an open palm.

"Sit. I'll be right back; I need to change out of these rags before I bleed all over my own furniture."

As she disappeared through a sliding panel at the far end of the hall, he let out a quiet sigh in his heart.

'She clearly didn't have killing intentions toward me.'

'Seems like she just wanted a fair duel. But what's the reason...'

A woman like Yuliya De Valtoria, leader of the Space Pirates Organization, terror of High Star shipping lanes, risked her life for just a duel?

There had to be more. Curiosity alone could only carry someone so far.

A few minutes passed and then the panel slid open again.

Yuliya stepped back into the hall and she had changed completely.

She was wearing a high-collared robe and her long black hair, still tipped with red, had been pulled into a loose, high ponytail that left her neck and shoulders bare.

She crossed the room with unhurried grace and sat opposite him on the couch.

She crossed one leg over the other and leaned forward slightly with her elbows on her thighs.

"Better?" she asked, a faint smile playing at the corner of her mouth.

Zhao Tian looked at her for a moment "Much."

After a moment of silence, he asked "So what's the real reason?"

She tilted her head slightly in confusion "What do you mean..."

He gave her a blank stare "If others in High Stars or the Astral realm came to know that the Honoured One is in Elven Star, they would invade the planet and try to kill me."

"But you just wanted to fight me?"

Upon hearing this, Yuliya smiled faintly and leaned back against the couch, crossing her arms loosely under her chest.

"To put it bluntly, our Valtoria family admires the First Honoured One. And also fears her. Mostly admires, though."

"Our ancestor was one of her rivals. They fought a lot of duels... dozens, maybe hundreds over the centuries. Never to the death."

"She broke my ancestors more times than they could count, and every time they came back stronger. The Valtoria bloodline still carries that... hunger."

Yuliya's gaze returned to Zhao Tian, "So when word reached me that the next Honoured One had appeared... naturally, I had to do a duel."

"Haa... but as we expected, when you were born in the Astral Realm, everything there crumbled, and you somehow escaped from there."

"There are people out there still searching for you."

She grinned "Don't think that everyone in the High Stars wants to kill you, Honoured One."

"There are still people who remember what the First did. She didn't just fight the Eldritchfiends. She saved entire sectors when no one else could or would. Some of us still carry that debt."

Zhao Tian sighed inwardly, as he is also part Eldritchfiend now.

With a slight frown he asked, "So that's the reason you wanted to duel me, huh…"

Yuliya nodded enthusiastically, then winked "Exactly. And don't get too comfortable. I will always try to duel you whenever I get the chance. It's in the blood."

As the last word left her mouth, a katana materialized in her right hand and slashed at him without warning.

*sleesh* But it cleaved only empty air.

Zhao Tian had already teleported and reappeared at the doorway on the opposite side of the hall, leaning casually against the frame with one shoulder. "I see."

Yuliya blinked with her blade still extended where his neck had been a moment ago.

She slowly straightened, letting the katana vanish back into her storage ring "You have really mastered the space law well."

Looking at her, he asked "How did you find that I am in Elven Star?"

With a shrug, she replied "I have always known that the First Honoured One had connections to the Elven star."

"Also thinking that you would come to this star someday, I wanted to plant a mole in that star for information."

"But we can't infiltrate the star because of the barrier."

"That's when one of the Elders came to the moon. Elder Lyralei, right? Three months ago. She came to tend the sacred grove on Elyndra moon."

"I used one of my members to plant a chip on her. Tiny thing. Sees through her eyes when I want it to, hears what she hears."

"And... that's how we know."

Zhao Tian's frown deepened and noticing his expression, she hurriedly waved her hand "Don't worry, the Elder won't die. She will just be sick for a few days. The chip self-destructs harmlessly once I give the command."

With a soft sigh, he asked "Does anyone else know about this? I don't want word to spread that I am here."

Shaking her head, she replied "You don't need to worry about that. Only three people know that you are here, and the other two are my servants."

He gave a faint nod "That's good."

Yuliya's smile returned "See? I'm already proving useful. Information control, and I have a large fleet behind me. And..."

She winked. "...someone who can give you a proper spar whenever you get bored of being worshipped in that Elven Star."

Zhao Tian's lips twitched and he shook his head helplessly "For the time being I will consider you as my ally."

She pouted her lips slightly "What do you mean 'for the time being' I am always your ally."

"Also if you wish, you can come back to our home planet and visit my Valtoria family."

He looked at her for a moment and replied "When I have time. But I am leaving now."

Hm? Yuliya stood up from the couch "Why are you in a hurry? Stay for a bit... I will make something for you to drink."

Zhao Tian: -_-