Barren Star – Chapter 6
by Little PandaDo you want to take off my clothes?
Ning Buyi had no desire to discuss her “legs” with a woman of unknown identity.
The topic was too ambiguous, and not suitable for them.
Instead of “Ah Zhuo’s legs,” she was more interested in “Hua Zhuoyu.”
“I heard Hua Zhuoyu is the predetermined Crown Princess?”
Hua Zhuoyu’s smile was a bit peculiar. She glanced at Ning Buyi and slowly said, “Did you hear that from the Ning family?”
Ning Buyi replied vaguely, “Sort of.” In fact, she had no contact with the Ning family; she learned it from reading novels. “A perfect match in social status and appearance,” Ning Buyi mused.
Hua Zhuoyu chuckled at this: “You have no interest in the Imperial Crown Prince, so do you fancy Hua Zhuoyu instead?”
Ning Buyi: “…” How could she not understand human speech?! Ah Zhuo’s focus was so strange; did she like women? Ning Buyi glanced at the door between the living room and the bedroom and suddenly felt a bit endangered. She met Hua Zhuoyu’s gaze, “Until the new house is built, you’ll have to make do with staying in the administrative hall. Your back isn’t well, but don’t worry, Beidou will help move your bed over.”
Hua Zhuoyu lowered her lashes and asked, puzzled, “Isn’t there space in the living room?”
Ning Buyi gave a forced smile: “I’m afraid you might have improper intentions towards me.”
Hua Zhuoyu: “…”
Although there was an unexpected guest at the base, the night passed peacefully.
Upon waking, Ning Buyi checked the door lock and found no signs of tampering, which improved her mood. She walked briskly to the administrative hall, only to find an empty bed. As for Ah Zhuo—she was nowhere to be found.
Could she have quietly left the base? Ning Buyi frowned, but relaxed after seeing a note stuck to the head of the bed.
“I went out.” The handwriting was elegant and flowing, like iron strokes and silver hooks (strong and vigorous calligraphy). It’s noteworthy that modern interstellar people no longer need to use such ancient mediums as paper to record information. Consequently, the frequency and time spent writing have greatly reduced, and few can produce such beautiful handwriting; probably only the Empire’s nobility has the leisure for this.
What is Ah Zhuo’s background? Is she related to Hua Zhuoyu? As Ning Buyi pondered these questions, she headed towards the vegetable garden.
Beidou was watering with an old red-painted bucket. Upon seeing Ning Buyi, it immediately bowed, “Master.”
Ning Buyi casually asked, “Do you know where Ah Zhuo went?”
Beidou replied, “Night Wolf Mountain.”
Night Wolf Mountain is a low hill three kilometers from the base, named after the interstellar beasts—the Night Wolves—that inhabit the area. Night Wolves are much larger than the wolves Ning Buyi was familiar with. These beasts are very cruel; any prey they catch will be tortured to death. Additionally, this pack holds grudges fiercely; if you kill even one wolf, the rest will pursue you relentlessly.
In short, upon hearing these three words, Ning Buyi could no longer smile.
Beidou said, “She has weapons.”
Ning Buyi asked, “Guns? All the advanced weapons in the base were taken away. Finding an energy blade here would be considered lucky.”
Beidou replied, “…Mecha.”
Ning Buyi, annoyed, said, “Forget it, just hope she doesn’t lead the Night Wolves—wait, what did you just say?”
Beidou met Ning Buyi’s gaze and seriously said, “Mecha. Last night, her mecha replenished energy at the base. It recovered five percent.” At first, Beidou wanted to stop her, but remembering the black lock inside her body, it considered her the master’s slave. A strong slave signifies a strong master.
Upon hearing the word “mecha,” Ning Buyi was no longer worried about Ah Zhuo’s life or death, but rather full of envy. In the three great civilizations described in the book, the insect race has mimicry in battle, the beast race has its original form, and humans rely only on mechas. However, mechas are extremely expensive, and they demand high physical and mental strength from the pilot. As for her current self, it’s simply out of the question.
Ah Zhuo’s possession of a mecha indicates her unusual status, right? If she were just a commoner, how could she maintain such a calm demeanor after realizing she became a “captive”? In fact, that’s putting it nicely; in Ning Buyi’s view, Ah Zhuo’s demeanor is more like that of an ancestor (someone behaving with lofty detachment or superiority).
Ning Buyi asked again, “Beidou, do you think I have a chance to pilot a mecha?”
Beidou replied earnestly, “The master’s physical strength is insufficient, but mental strength is abundant.”
Ning Buyi understood. Anyway, she didn’t have extra money to buy a mecha. She stopped worrying about such unreachable things and focused her thoughts on the Mountain Sea Atlas. The golden finger’s species are extremely detailed, not just plants but also animals, such as chickens, ducks, and geese common in the past world. She needed a balanced diet of meat and vegetables; she wasn’t a rabbit, so how could she endure a life of eating only leaves for long? However, with her current “assets,” having “meat dishes” was simply a fantasy. She was currently interested in a plant called “Red Bramble,” which only required ten cubic meters of dark matter to purchase ten saplings. Its ability to absorb dark pollution is low, but she needed to buy only ten plants, and they would quickly grow into a small bramble forest. However, unlike the “beginner’s gift pack,” it needed to be watered with nutrients.
The base’s nutrient supply was already insufficient, as there was an extra mouth to feed with Ah Zhuo, and now the plants needed nourishment too—truly worrisome.
After tending to the vegetable garden for a while, Ning Buyi focused on researching the Starlight Platform matters, planning to discuss with Ah Zhuo about the pricing once she returned.
Ning Buyi waited for half a day.
Around noon, there were two loud thuds outside. Hearing the noise, Ning Buyi hurriedly ran out of the house, first seeing two enormous Night Wolves emitting an eerie aura, and then her gaze fell on Ah Zhuo.
Ah Zhuo was pale, with bloodstains on her clothes, but it was unclear whose blood it was. More importantly, the alarm from the Mountain Sea Atlas—
The dark pollution, which had subsided for a night, was boiling up again, threatening to exceed the critical point.
Ning Buyi hesitated a bit.
If Ah Zhuo were unconscious, she would directly absorb the dark pollution, but at this moment, it was clear that Ah Zhuo showed no signs of fainting. Perhaps she had already guessed Ning Buyi’s ability, but there was still a slight difference between suspecting and having it exposed directly in front of her.
Hua Zhuoyu’s temples were throbbing, with the nerves in her entire brain pulsating intensely, eager to assert their presence.
She lifted her gaze to look at the person still scrutinizing her and revealed a bitter smile. She raised a blood-stained hand to her forehead and spoke tiredly, “Purification, I know you have this ability. You’ve received the blessing of the planetary will, haven’t you?”
Ning Buyi was momentarily stunned, then quickly understood. The book mentioned the planetary will only a few times, but it did establish the setting of a purification skill bestowed by the planetary will. The original book merely touched upon it, but when she entered this derived real world, those incomplete parts were filled in. Although it wasn’t exactly like that, Ning Buyi nodded in agreement with Hua Zhuoyu’s words.
“I won’t divulge your secret,” Hua Zhuoyu said.
“I want to believe you, but—”
Hearing the conjunction, Hua Zhuoyu realized the other party would be hard to persuade. She sighed softly and said, “Hua, my surname is Hua.”
“Is your given name Zhuoyu?” Ning Buyi probed.
Hua Zhuoyu responded, “Yes.”
With her suspicion confirmed, Ning Buyi suddenly felt a sense of “dust settling” (a situation becoming clear or resolved). However, she didn’t move forward due to Hua Zhuoyu’s “honesty” and instead had Beidou enter combat mode.
Hua Zhuoyu was the protagonist in the original book, the Grand Inquisitor of Star Court! Her abilities… in the content Ning Buyi had read, had never been revealed. “This name makes you even more dangerous,” Ning Buyi stated bluntly.
“I swear by the name of Star Court not to disclose the secrets of the Barren Star or yours,” Hua Zhuoyu smiled and added, “I still don’t know who is lurking in the shadows; I need to stay on the Barren Star for a while.”
Ning Buyi looked at Hua Zhuoyu strangely, “Are you asking me to keep a ‘time bomb’?” She was probably the first person ever to inject a “black lock” into an Inquisitor’s body, right? It seemed interesting to think about, yet it was obviously a suicidal act. The Hua Zhuoyu in the novel was as noble and righteous as the Star Court, the symbol of “greatness and justice.” But the one standing in front of her… had clearly deviated from the novel’s outline. Who knows what Hua Zhuoyu might do in the future? But this is a book world, so does the protagonist have a halo? Will she die?
Hua Zhuoyu said helplessly, “Can’t there be a bit more trust between people?”
Ning Buyi replied, “It’s quite difficult.” The trust between her and Ah Zhuo was already shaky, and once Ah Zhuo became Hua Zhuoyu, it completely collapsed. She wasn’t planning to kill Hua Zhuoyu this time; if the other was protected by the protagonist’s halo, wouldn’t her situation be worse? The black lock and golden finger had given her courage, and she was willing to take a risk this once.
Hua Zhuoyu grew up in a battlefield filled with fire and blood, extremely sensitive to danger.
Ning Buyi’s expression was blank, but indeed, she bore no murderous intent.
Her mental state relaxed, and she let her hands hang by her sides. “Then just let me die.”
Ning Buyi: “…” What kind of person is this? Completely different from how she was portrayed in the novel. She gestured for Hua Zhuoyu to come over and said rather bluntly, “Come here.”
Hua Zhuoyu complied and walked forward, noticing Ning Buyi’s gaze falling on her chest. She even had the mood to joke, “Do you want me to take off my clothes?”
Ning Buyi’s face instantly turned red. She looked up and shouted angrily, “Shameless!”
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