Chapter 818: Zhao Lin's Return

"So how did Brother Qiyan end up here? Didn't you get the invitation from Sister Stacia?"

In the tavern, Zhao Lin sat down beside Ye Qiyan.

She stuffed the Calamity Moon Beast into an airline-approved pet carrier specifically used for transporting pets.

Although the creature voiced its displeasure, it quieted down for the time being.

Ye Qiyan leisurely sipped his fruit wine, and when he heard Zhao Lin's question, he casually replied.

"Something like that."

"Oh, right, Brother Qiyan, this is for you."

Zhao Lin pursed her lips, then reached into a card pack hanging from her waist and took out a card, placing it directly in front of Ye Qiyan.

The moment she produced it, a tiny dinosaur also leaped out from the card's surface.

Upon seeing Ye Qiyan, the little dinosaur immediately displayed a mix of surprise, embarrassment, and a hint of fear.

【Game Card - Weapon Era】

This was the Game Card that had been forcibly affected through Sublimation during his battle with Holmes Laine, the previous holder of the Emperor's Order's Game Card.

He had originally considered searching for it directly.

But since he wasn't particularly fond of Game Cards, he hadn't been in a hurry to track it down.

In the end, Zhao Lin had found and obtained it.

After going around in a full circle, this card appeared before Ye Qiyan once again.

He took the Card Sequence from Zhao Lin's hands.

What was somewhat unexpected was that...

Despite her reluctance, Zhao Lin still released her grip, letting the card come into Ye Qiyan's hands.

Ye Qiyan toyed with the Game Card in his hand, then glanced at the little dinosaur hiding awkwardly behind Zhao Lin, and laughed out loud.

"Looks like you two get along well. You're really quite foolish, you know - you finally got your hands on one, why not just keep its existence a secret from me?"

Zhao Lin bit her lip once more, but her eyes were filled with unwavering determination.

She shook her head, meeting Ye Qiyan's gaze directly.

"Brother Qiyan, what belongs to you should be yours. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't care at all about this kind of thing - once it came into my hands, it would belong to me. As a Train Conductor, I understand this very well.

But... Brother Qiyan, you're the only exception."

"Why?"

Zhao Lin didn't hesitate at all, didn't even overthink it, and blurted out the deepest thoughts in her heart.

"Because you are my luck."

She seemed to realize that what she'd just said was a bit inappropriate, and her pretty face was instantly flooded with crimson.

Zhao Lin quickly waved her hands, trying to patch up what she had just said.

"I-I mean, if it weren't for you, Brother Qiyan, I would have died so many times already. So how could I possibly take your card? Unless it's an equal trade, just like this time.

My luck is really good right now.

Although I don't know why, I inexplicably became a bit more unlucky at the last station, but thanks to the advanced forbidden spell you sold me, I managed to get through it safely."

Ye Qiyan continued to toy with the Game Card without saying a word.

After a long moment, the corners of his mouth curved upward. He beckoned to the little dinosaur and absorbed it into his Card Sequence.

But instead of tossing it into the Void Card Repository, he directly placed it in the pocket of his coat.

"Perfect timing, actually - I still have a use for your luck. As for that card, well, thanks a lot."

Returning the item to its original owner?

How should one put it...

Even now that it was in his hands, Ye Qiyan wasn't particularly excited about that Game Card.

His Demon Card and Disaster Card were far more comprehensive and practical compared to the Game Card.

That wasn't to say the Game Card was useless - it was just that this Weapon Era wasn't really suited for someone like him.

Of course.

If it could be used as currency to exchange for high-value items, that wouldn't be bad at all.

Hopefully, that treasure chest would yield something just as precious as last time.

Whoosh!

The tavern door was rudely shoved open.

Several men and women dressed in RUN Company courier uniforms walked in.

They looked at Ye Qiyan and Zhao Lin with a hint of disgust in their eyes.

Even the Road Tyrant White Bear parked outside had been surrounded by a group of people.

"Are you Train Conductors from the Wasteland? Haven't you read RUN Company's rules? Outside Train Conductors are forbidden from leaving the company building and heading to the Village! Violators will be expelled from the headquarters world!"

Ye Qiyan glanced toward Zhao Lin.

That was him asking whether such a rule really existed.

"I think it does exist? But I never really paid attention to it... Brother Qiyan, should we just make them all lose their memory and then head back?"

Zhao Lin pulled out a Staff from who-knows-where and waved it around.

Seeing this, those RUN Company couriers immediately drew their weapons and aimed them at the pair.

"Freeze! Are you trying to oppose the Company!?"

These couriers had no idea they were dealing with powerful Train Conductors in Ye Qiyan and Zhao Lin.

Because in their understanding...

Powerful outside Train Conductors would never go through the tedious procedures to come to this resource-barren area outside the Company.

Only those slave hunters who wanted to capture native humans and turn them into slaves would do something like that.

And those slave hunters were usually not very strong.

Driven by such habitual thinking, they didn't even bother to consider the tavern owner who had been beaming with joy moments ago, and launched their attack.

A hail of bullets came flying over.

Zhao Lin's expression turned cold, completely dropping the facade she had shown in front of Ye Qiyan.

With a wave of her Staff,

a Magic Power barrier intercepted all the attacks, then redirected them, sending them straight back at those couriers.

"Damn Outsiders! Someone! Catch them!"

The leader hid behind the corpse of his companion.

When Zhao Lin reflected the attacks just now, this guy had immediately grabbed the companion beside him and used him as a human shield.

He shouted loudly, wanting the others outside the tavern to rush in.

But he found that no one responded to his call.

"Roar!"

A thunderous roar.

Outside the tavern.

The Frost Sky White Bear, clad in Mecha armor, stood at the entrance, instantly draining those couriers of any will to fight.

"If I remember correctly, RUN Company is supposed to be fighting for the native humans, isn't it? That attack of yours just now nearly killed your own companions, you know."

Ye Qiyan held up his wine glass, looking at the only courier still standing in place, and smiled faintly.

"Or is this how your Boss, Russell, taught you to behave?"

Even though Ye Qiyan looked completely harmless and hadn't produced any weapon,

just him sitting there made that courier feel as if he were drowning, unable to breathe.

What he was drowning in wasn't water.

It was the fear that came from 【Malice】.

Even if Ye Qiyan hadn't taken out any Demon Card, even if he hadn't revealed his 【Ring of Evil】,

as long as he existed here,

he was the master of all 【Malice】 in this world.

Thud.

The last courier who could still stand in the tavern collapsed.

Unlike the others, who had mostly been severely injured by Zhao Lin's reflection,

this bastard who had used his own companion as a human shield

had been scared to death by Ye Qiyan's 【Malice】, dying right there on the spot.