Star Odyssey

he saw Old Cai’s bored face, Lu Yin’s eyes flashed, and he respectfully asked, “I’m from Astral-10.
Might I ask, is there any way for the academy to protect me?”

Old Cai’s brows rose.
“What do you mean? Are you asking us old folks to be your bodyguards?”

“Of course not.
It’s just that this is the treasury, and I’d like to find some items to protect myself.” Lu Yin explained with anticipation.

Old Cai’s eyes narrowed as he licked his lips.
“Items, eh? There are some in the treasury, but…” Old Cai started tapping the table with his right hand as his voice drawled off.
With each tap, his thumb brushed against his index and middle finger.
He’d then tap the table again and repeat the movement.
It was so obvious that he wanted money, but he wasn’t doing it in an in-your-face way.
Also, the light tapping sound had some sense of unpredictability to it.

Lu Yin stared at Old Cai’s fingers and grew excited; that movement was too cool! He remembered how he had asked for money in the past, but his attempts had all been incredibly uncouth, inelegant, and petty.
Old Cai’s movements were incredibly sophisticated, but easily understood without appearing too crude.
This way of asking money must have come from years of practice.

Lu Yin stared at him in a daze, already knowing what his greatest profit today was.
It was this movement—this almighty movement that blatantly showed that he wanted money.

Old Cai was confused when Lu Yin kept staring at his right hand.
He coughed.
“Why are you zoning out, kid?”

Lu Yin froze.
When he regained his senses, he could not help but say, “There’s so much that I need to learn from you, sir.”

Old Cai was completely lost.

It was only then that Lu Yin realized that Old Cai had been using what had happened in the Northline Flowzone to scare him.
His words had all been said for the sake of coaxing money from him.
The old man’s desire for money was no less than Lu Yin’s own.

“I managed to earn some money by selling the pike to the Northline Flowzone, and I’d like to donate it to the academy.
Would you be willing to accept it, sir?” Lu Yin asked, speaking very carefully, as if he was afraid of destroying the sophisticated aura that Old Cai had established with the way he was asking for money.

Old Cai smiled, and his face became kind as he looked at Lu Yin.
“So you’ve grown up now and know that you should repay your school? Good.
Very good.
Hand it over to me.
The academy is planning on taking in new students, so we do need the money.”

Lu Yin grimaced and took out a Mavis Bank card even as he felt his heart bleeding.
“There are one million star crystals in this card.
Please accept it on behalf of the academy.”

Old Cai’s eyes lit up, but he did not act very excited.
He continued to tap the table in a leisurely manner.

It was not enough, that was obviously what his actions meant.

“Is that your grandpa, Seventh Bro? It seems that greed for money must run in your family,” the monkey commented.

Lu Yin grew annoyed and blocked the monkey off before taking out another card.
“There’s a million star crystals in this card as well.
Please accept it.”

Old Cai started breathing faster as he grinned.
However, he didn’t reach out and instead continued staring into the sky.

Lu Yin gulped, his expression becoming even worse than before.
This old man must know that he had received a hundred star essence from the Northgate Family.
Was this old fart trying to take it all from him? That was a hundred star essence! That was the same as ten million star crystals! What a jerk.

Still, Lu Yin was willing to part with money if it was a good investment.
Since this old man had brought up the kind of troubles that Lu Yin might face in the future, that meant that he was already prepared to help him.
However, the money that Lu Yin was offering Old Cai simply hadn’t met his expectations yet.

Lu Yin decided to throw caution to the wind.
He took out thirty star essence and two million star crystals and offered them to Old Cai.

Old Cai grinned and looked over at Lu Yin in praise.
“You’re so loyal! What a good kid you are! The academy did well in nurturing you, and now, you’ve contributed back to the academy.
It doesn’t make sense for us to not treat you well.
Take this.” Old Cai tossed Lu Yin a strange-looking item.
It was a cube about the size of a fist.
It had a strange, jade-green bamboo frame, and there was a black metallic ball floating in the middle.
The frame had three seals on it, as well as one that was open.

Lu Yin was rather surprised as he held the box.
“What is this?”

“That’s called a Money Bomb.
Don’t underestimate it, kid.
Hold it tightly and open up that side while aiming it at your enemy.
That thing has the ability to kill a Hunter in one shot.
Of course, that’s only if nothing goes wrong,” Old Cai said in a mysterious manner.

Lu Yin’s pupils shrank as he looked at the item in his hands.
“This thing can kill Hunters in one blow?”

Old Cai proudly answered, “But of course! This is a special weapon of my own design, and I’m the only one who makes them in the universe.”

Lu Yin suddenly had a feeling that he had been cheated.

“What, don’t you trust me?” Old Cai became annoyed.

Lu Yin studied the Money Bomb.
He really didn’t trust this old man, but that was because this box was supposed to be something that could save his life.
He had spent nearly fifty star essence on it.
This was all? Lu Yin was a bit annoyed.

However, the money had already been spent, and from what he knew of Old Cai, there was no way he was getting his money back.
Lu Yin had no choice but to stow the box away and bitterly say to the old mentor, “Thank you for this gift, sir.”

Old Cai stroked his mustache.
“A Money Bomb costs fifty star essence.
Two would cost eighty star essence, and three for a hundred… You can have as many as you want.
Make sure to buy them from me in the future, kid.
Hahaha!”

Lu Yin skulked off in annoyance.

He had used up fifty star essence just like that, and Lu Yin couldn’t help but aggrieved.
He had expected that Old Cai would give him something to scare his enemies away, but he’d just gotten was this stupid little box.

As he walked around, Lu Yin felt increasingly frustrated, but he didn’t dare to ask the old man for a refund.
Still stewing in anger, he headed to the Sand Ocean.