Chapter 284: The Price for Helping

Zi Luo Heaven was open to the public, but at the same time, it was also a society with a strict hierarchy.

So almost everyone who frequented the area near Gu Nan's residence were in this cultivation realm, and there were also very few conflicts normally. He didn't expect to encounter such a thing as soon as he returned.

"Master…" The maid ran over nervously and quickly reported, "There seems to be several Lords searching o-outside…"

Gu Nan frowned slightly, waved for the maid to leave, and walked outside himself.

Sure enough, as the maid said, a small team was carefully searching outside. Although they tried to be discreet due to having apprehensions about the identities of the residents here, in the end, they still made a lot of noise.

And that loud sound from before didn't sound like it was caused by a search at all.

"What happened?" Gu Nan asked Roman next to him.

This neighbor of Gu Nan's wasn't like him. Roman had settled in Zi Luo Heaven all year round, and he spent most of his time at home doing indecent things. At this time, of course, he was also disturbed.

From Roman's somewhat ugly expression, he'd obviously been interrupted when he was in the middle of something.

"They're from the Seven Stars League." Roman explained with a heavy voice, "They claim they're looking for a woman who stole something, but who knows if that's true or not…"

Gu Nan had stayed in Zi Luo Heaven for quite a while now, so he naturally knew what the Seven Stars League was.

Although Astral Gate was open to the entire public and recruited people from all planes, that didn't mean their internal structure was lacking in cohesion like scattered sand.

In fact, inside Astral Gate, there was also a distinction between core members and outer members. Only the truly loyal members could join Astral Gate's core organizations, and those like Gu Nan could only stay on the outer edges forever.

There were many internal organizations in Astral Gate, numbering over a hundred in total. The Seven Stars League was one of them, and it had an impressive reputation for its fighting prowess.

Gu Nan couldn't help chuckling when he heard Roman's words.

Seven Stars League hadn't gotten so bored that it would run to the Void Cutter cultivators' residential area and rummage through it for no reason. In all likelihood, Roman's happy time had been interrupted, and his heart was filled with anger.

At this moment, Seven Stars League's team members also saw Gu Nan, and soon someone came up to ask him if he'd seen a woman.

The attitude of those in the Seven Stars League was very respectful and professional. Not only did they take out detailed information on the person they were looking for, but they also had images and photos.

Gu Nan glanced at this woman with an average-looking face named "Fang Jing" and shook his head.

He really didn't recognize this person, but he was also a little baffled—even with such detailed information, this woman was still able to run away. 'Is the Seven Stars League too useless, or is there something strange about this woman?'

Void Cutter cultivators appeared one after another, and the staff of Seven Stars League also went up to ask them, only to be disappointed. Nobody could provide valuable information.

It was only after they left that Roman sighed with emotion, "This woman is not simple! If someone wasn't already helping her, then I must add her to my collection!"

This was the area where Void Cutter figures gathered. A woman who was able to hide her whereabouts here would certainly not be simple.

When he said this, Roman's eyes were filled with light.

Roman was a very strange Void Cutter cultivator. He didn't grow up fighting battles to the death on a small plane. Instead, he was born in Zi Luo Heaven, so his personality wasn't very bloodthirsty.

He was extremely obsessed with all kinds of women, but at the same time, he wasn't a disloyal and fickle person, and he was sincere to every single woman around him.

Roman's collection referred to keeping a woman by his side, then using his long lifespan to keep her company throughout her life, and finally making her a specimen to add to his permanent collection after she died from old age.

Gu Nan wasn't interested in Roman's special hobby, so he calmly went back to his house.

But not even Roman noticed that the instant Gu Nan closed his door, the power of shadows had completely surrounded the entire room.

A woman was standing in front of him.

Gu Nan might not have recognized this face before today, but he just saw an image of her face. Moreover, he was all too familiar with her energy signature.

Appearances could be changed and names could be faked, but the unique energy signature from one's soul couldn't be covered up.

Gu Nan once had direct contact with the other party's soul, so this flimsy disguise couldn't fool him.

"So it's you!" Gu Nan sealed off the surrounding area with the power of shadows while saying, "Last time you could find me in Star Realm, and this time you could find me again… What's your relationship with that uncle named Zi Dian?"

Gu Nan's two questions seemed entirely unrelated. The only connection seemed to be that they both asked about the most crucial matter.

The person who appeared before Gu Nan was precisely the Star Ruler Zi Yi, who had entered a personal dungeon with him and then forcibly cleared a phase with her overwhelming ability.

And when Gu Nan returned to Star Realm, Zi Yi once sent out a tendril of her soul to possess Duanmu Yin, trying to lead Gu Nan to the Duanmu family's ancestral tomb.

Gu Nan had every reason to believe that her target was Zi Dian.

Zi Yi wasn't surprised by Gu Nan's questions. Since she revealed herself, she was naturally prepared for these questions.

Zi Yi's appearance gradually reverted to her original state, and she selectively answered the latter question, "Zi Dian is my son."

"Aiya!" Gu Nan suddenly clapped his hands together. "I really didn't expect this answer. Looking at the two of you, I thought you were his daughter."

No matter how one looked at it, Zi Dian, who looked like a middle-aged uncle, seemed much more mature than Zi Yi, even in terms of personality.

Besides, the trope of the daughter saving her father seemed way more reliable!

In the face of Gu Nan's exaggerated antics, Zi Yi remained indifferent. "They know you're in Zi Luo Heaven, so they had me find you."

"Their location might've already been exposed. Zuo Zuo's people will find them soon. You can help—"

"Why should I help?" Gu Nan interrupted before she could finish.

Zi Yi was dazed. It seemed that she didn't expect Gu Nan's answer to be so blunt and direct. "That one in Star Realm asked you to protect the current Blood Ancestor, and you agreed."

"Can't I renege on the agreement?" Gu Nan asked with an odd expression.

Players never cared about what they promised. If NPCs wanted them to accept a mission, then they could only give the appropriate reward.

Of course, at the end of the day, it was because Ying Ge's ability to enter the Myriad Heavens Starry Road was now useless to Gu Nan—he could advance to Tier 5 through origin crystals alone, and the efficiency wasn't low either.

Furthermore, once he entered Tier 5, he'd be able to enter the Inner World himself. What would he still need Ying Ge for?

To abandon anything useless—players consistently treated any equipment, pets, and NPCs with such an attitude.

This was the first time Zi Yi saw someone who spoke so honorably about reneging. She took a deep breath and stared at Gu Nan. "Will it benefit you in any way for Zuo Zuo to take away Star Realm?"

"It won't hurt either." Gu Nan looked indifferent. Anyhow, Immortal Demon World's origin had already been shattered, and its coordinates had also jumped to who-knows-where. Zuo Zuo wouldn't be able to make trouble for him.

Faced with such an unresponsive fellow, Zi Yi was completely helpless, and her face gradually showed an angry look. "Then what do you want to be willing to help?!"

"Very simple!" Gu Nan answered, as if this was proper and to be expected as a matter of course, "Just give me money. I need… 100,000 units of origin crystals."

Zi Yi's eyes widened, and then, as if afraid Gu Nan would renege on this too, quickly agreed, "Deal!"