Starforce Warriors-Chapter 883: Fallen Zones (1)

Spatial Point Theft couldn’t transport Liu Shaji, so they had no choice but to exit through the Purple Nebula Forbidden Zone, with their first stop being the planet Shang Yu.

“I’ve been here before,” said Liu Shaji, feeling a rush of excitement. He felt like he had returned to an old haunt.

He headed straight into a moneyhouse. No one knew what he did inside, but when he emerged, he already had an SSS-tier top-level VIP card in hand.

“Dead for hundreds of years, and finally I get to enjoy myself again.”

Grabbing Li Xiaofei by the arm, Liu Shaji dragged him into the largest entertainment venue in Starblossom City. He wasted no time ordering the most expensive liquor, calling for the most popular women, and setting the mood with the most explosive music.

“Haha! Don’t look so reluctant—come on.” With an arm around Li Xiaofei’s shoulders, Liu Shaji grinned and said, “There’s a rhythm to the arts of war and peace. There must be tension and relaxation. Only after eating and drinking well can we go into battle together.”

As he spoke, he raised his glass high and shouted, “Tonight’s tab is on Young Master Liu!”

The dance floor erupted in cheers. Li Xiaofei felt a cold sweat forming on his brow.

Are you really here to fight battles? Watching Liu Shaji laugh and flirt with several dancers, Li Xiaofei began to wonder, is this the kind of battle he meant?

That night, Liu Shaji partied to his heart’s content. It was already noon when Liu Shaji finally woke up the next day.

Seeing the calm and serious expression on Li Xiaofei’s face, Liu Shaji burst out laughing and said, “You’ve got to understand, I’m an old man! I’ve been dead for so many years. Now that I’m alive again, I need to indulge in a little pleasure. Otherwise, what’s the point of coming back to life?”

Li Xiaofei replied, “We need to move quickly.”

Liu Shaji gave a small smile and replied, “Relax. I’m known for being reliable. Even when I’m having fun, I never forget the real mission.”

Just as he finished speaking, there was a sudden knock at the door.

“You see? Business has arrived,” Liu Shaji grinned. “I’d placed an order last night for a batch of top-tier weapons and armors. If we’re heading into the Fallen Zones, we need to be fully prepared. Without reinforcements, it’s too easy to run out of ammunition and supplies.”

“So you were just relaxing last night while waiting for the gear to arrive?” asked Li Xiaofei. He finally understood, and suddenly felt that maybe he had been a little too harsh on this older senior of his.

The man had merely passed the time while waiting for his delivery, and yet he had given him a cold face. It was completely uncalled for.

“I’ll help you receive the delivery,” Li Xiaofei offered and walked over to open the door.

But the moment he did, his expression darkened. The delivery was one hundred and twenty-one kinds of the most extravagant liquors. Each jar was worth millions in celestial jade, and all marked as ultra-expedited shipments. Clearly, they had been transported from other planets at great cost.

“These are the ‘weapons’ you ordered?” Li Xiaofei asked, half-laughing in disbelief.

Liu Shaji also looked completely taken aback.

“That’s odd... This batch of liquor was supposed to be the last to arrive. Why did it come so early?” He muttered as he stored the jars into his spatial pouch.

“I can’t wait any longer,” Li Xiaofei said. “Senior, if you still have other matters to handle, I’ll head out first and wait for you over there.”

“Now listen to yourself,” Liu Shaji replied, shaking his head. “That kind of talk is unlucky.”

Then he added, “But what if I told you... this batch of wine is exactly the weapon I need most? Would you believe me?”

Li Xiaofei rubbed his forehead, thinking, Do I look like an idiot to you?

Just then, there was another knock at the door. Li Xiaofei glanced at Liu Shaji and snorted, saying nothing.

“This time, I’m sure it’s the actual gear,” Liu Shaji said, and personally went to receive the delivery.

Moments later, a look of guilt returned to Li Xiaofei’s face. Because when Liu Shaji opened the shipment, it truly was a large cache of weapons and equipment. Most of it was all kinds of swords. There were red, white, purple, blue, and green ones. They were large, small, heavy, light, long, and short. Each was at the level of Immortal Artifacts.

There were also full sets of armor. Mythril in great quantities. Antidote pills, herbs, potions, and leather gear. There was even a collection of manuals and scrolls. It was an overwhelming array of treasures. Li Xiaofei’s eyes practically blurred from the sight.

“How much did all of this cost?” Li Xiaofei couldn’t help but swallow hard.

He wasn’t exactly unfamiliar with wealth... But he had never seen money spent like this before. Li Xiaofei couldn’t help but think that even the entire merchant alliance of the Xiao Kuang Star Region might still not be able to produce such an enormous fortune overnight to purchase all these supplies.

“Just a light drizzle,” Liu Shaji said with a wide grin, shrugging it off as though it were nothing. “Back when I was alive, I held both status and position. Just cashing out a tiny piece of my inheritance is enough to last me for ages.”

Li Xiaofei was momentarily stunned. Then it hit him. Of course. The spirits resting in the Cemetery of the Ancestors had each been a dominating force in their own right, peak figures among the human race.

Even a single strand of hair from them would be thicker than most people’s legs. Given that, it was no surprise Liu Shaji had such staggering wealth.

“But... won’t spending such a massive amount reveal your identity?” Li Xiaofei couldn’t help but ask again. “Wouldn’t that attract unwanted attention?”

He recalled how they had discussed this very issue back in Heaven. Since Liu Shaji had returned to the world of the living, he wasn’t supposed to use his former identity.

At least, he had to wait until the other ancient spirits had fully revived and rebuilt their strength. The resurrection plan had to be kept secret to avoid interference from the Reapers.

Liu Shaji smiled faintly and replied, “You think a veteran like me wouldn’t have thought of that? Don’t worry. When I was alive, I had more than one identity. My aliases are everywhere. I just slipped into another one, so no one will recognize me.”

Well damn. Li Xiaofei couldn’t help but give him a mental thumbs-up as he thought, Just what kind of man were you when you were alive? Respect.

“Don’t just stand there. Pack your share,” Liu Shaji said. “I bought everything in duplicate. Take your set. Don’t come asking me for spares later.”

Li Xiaofei suddenly felt even more guilty. He really had misjudged the guy earlier.

“Sorry. I was out of line before.” He carefully stowed away his share and added, “Thanks.”

Soon after, both of them had finished gearing up.

“How do you plan to enter the Fallen Zones?” Liu Shaji asked once they were aboard the shuttle leaving Shang Yu Star.

Li Xiaofei replied, “I’ll ask a friend for help. And if that doesn’t work... I’ll sneak in.”

“Smuggling yourself in?” Liu Shaji’s eyes widened and asked, “No way. Is this friend of yours even reliable?”

Li Xiaofei thought it over. Given how he had turned the tide in the battle at Stargate Base on Planet Nock, convincing Xiao Shi and Mi Youyin to open the spatial anchor point for him shouldn’t be too difficult.

He said boldly, “Just wait and see.”

“Tsk tsk tsk, someone’s feeling bold today.” Liu Shaji smirked.

Li Xiaofei said proudly, “Of course. This time, I’m going to show this freshly unearthed old man the weight and influence I carry in this star region.”

“Alright then.” Liu Shaji grinned mischievously. “Go on, I’ll sit back and watch you show off.”

***

Three days later. Planet Nock, Stargate Base.

Xiao Shi rejected Li Xiaofei’s request without hesitation.

“Sorry. Whether from the perspective of personal friendship or military regulations, I absolutely cannot allow you to use the spatial anchor to enter the passage in reverse.”

Her tone left no room for negotiation.

Mi Youyin, standing nearby, played the gentle part of the duo, patiently explaining, “So far, there hasn’t been a single instance of humans entering the Fallen Zones through this anchor point. It might not even be feasible. Brother Xiaofei, this isn’t something you can decide on your own. Your current status is important; you can’t afford to take this kind of risk.”

Li Xiaofei felt a dull headache forming in his temples. Meanwhile, Liu Shaji was laughing so hard his stomach hurt. He took great joy in watching Li Xiaofei’s grandstanding fall flat.

The two had bickered and bantered so often along the way that they’d grown into unlikely close friends despite the age gap. Somewhere along the way, tearing down each other’s pride had become one of Liu Shaji’s favorite pastimes.

“Girls, you don’t have to worry. There’s no danger with me around,” Liu Shaji said with the air of a seasoned veteran, patting his chest confidently. “I heard before coming here that the Reapers have been sneaking out through the anchor point to harass people again. We’ll just blend in with them, it’ll be a breeze getting into the Fallen Zones.”

To his dismay, neither of the female officers even glanced at him. The moment this unknown soldier popped out with such an outrageous claim, they were both convinced that Li Xiaofei’s determination to head into the Fallen Zones must have been egged on by this troublemaking friend of his. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Liu Shaji was speechless.

“You two little girls have no respect for your elders whatsoever.” He huffed indignantly. “You don’t believe me? I could make one call right now and have you both escort us through the spatial anchor yourselves!”

“Who is this guy?” Xiao Shi turned to Li Xiaofei and asked, “Your friend? Are you even close with him?”

Li Xiaofei glanced at Liu Shaji. Under the latter’s hopeful gaze, he hesitated, then said, “Uh... not really. Don’t get the wrong idea, we’re not close. At all.”

Liu Shaji was rendered speechless once again.

Seriously? Just because you embarrassed yourself, you’re throwing me under the bus?

Grumbling under his breath, Liu Shaji stormed off as if he really were going to make that call.

Xiao Shi snorted, saying, “In the future, don’t bring unfamiliar people into places this sensitive. What if he’s a spy from Eden? Just the fact that he’s egging you on like this is enough to make me question his motives. Youyin, look into him properly.”

Mi Youyin pushed up her gold-rimmed glasses and replied, “Already did.”

“Then what did you find?” Xiao Shi asked, full of confidence in her long-time partner’s skills.

“Nothing.”

“What?” A flicker of surprise passed across Xiao Shi’s sharp and striking face. “How could that be? Is it a clearance issue? Or are the records incomplete?”

Mi Youyin shook her head and said, “Neither.”

“Just who is this friend of yours?” Xiao Shi looked at Li Xiaofei again, this time with a more serious gaze.

Much of her earlier attitude had been teasing. She wasn’t stupid; if Li Xiaofei had brought this person here, he had to be someone trustworthy and truly qualified to be called a friend.

Li Xiaofei said simply, “A master.”

“A master?” Xiao Shi crossed her arms, her posture lifting the curves of her chest. “How much of a master?”

“Well...” Li Xiaofei paused to find the right words. “Let’s just say... maybe he really can make a single call and have you fully cooperate with our plan.”

“Impossible.” Xiao Shi answered without hesitation, brimming with confidence. “There is absolutely no room for negotiation on this matter.”