Chapter 95: The Remnants of Old Scar 1

When the two men walked into the stone building carrying the One-Eye by the collar, Erniao was leading two space pirates to count the supplies that the One-Eye had hidden.

Seeing them come back, he immediately put down the account book in his hand and came forward: "You two, this guy..."

"Tie him up and gag him." Ye Heng didn't give Duyan a chance to explain.

With a few twists and turns, the man was dragged to the corner of the wall. The vines wrapped around him three times, leaving only his head exposed.

The one-eyed creature struggled twice, but was immediately frozen in place by Ye Heng's cold glance.

There was a timid look in his eyes, and he wanted to glance at Lin Yao, hoping to get some favor.

Lin Yao didn't look at him, but followed Ye Heng to the desk in the inner room.

The two birds also understood and immediately took over the supervision of the one-eyed man.

Ye Heng sat down at the desk and took out the pass he got from the black market.

Half a piece of metal with a blue glow, and fine star patterns engraved on the edge.

Then Ye Heng connected his terminal to the secret compartment under the desk. The pass map was now activated as the terminal started up, casting tiny spots of light on the desktop.

"He said the remnants of Old Scar's group were in the abandoned Starport East Third District." Lin Yao leaned against the table. "He mumbled it three times, and each time the place name was off by half a block. No one would believe him."

Ye Heng's fingertips slid quickly across the terminal, and the light spots gathered on the desktop to form a vague outline of a star map.

He hummed, his voice buried in the low hum of the terminal: "If the One-Eye's words are to be believed, even Mo Yun can eat vegetarian food."

He tapped his fingertip on a dark pattern on the star map, and the terminal suddenly flashed red. "The pass map has been encrypted three times."

Lin Yao leaned over to take a look. The terminal screen was covered with intertwined codes, like a tangled ball of thread. It was indeed much more complicated than the ciphertext they had deciphered before.

"Do you need help? I remember you taught me how to read star coordinates before."

Ye Heng turned his head to look at him, the blue light from the terminal reflected in his eyes, softening the coldness a little:

"There's a wave lock mixed in this encryption, you can't understand it." He raised his hand and pressed Lin Yao's shoulder.

"Go rest next door. You've been busy all night."

Lin Yao didn't move. His eyes swept across the one-eyed man's house and then fell back to the corners of Ye Heng's eyes, which were bloodshot.

From yesterday till now, Ye Heng has not slept a wink.

What's more, Lin Yao disliked Duyan's territory from the bottom of his heart.

He reached out and pushed the cushion on the table to the edge, then sat down next to it: "I'll stay here with you."

"Mumu!"

"I won't cause any more trouble." Lin Yao interrupted him, hooking his sleeves with his fingertips.

"You take off your clothes, and I'll watch. If I'm really sleepy, I'll just lie down here and sleep. It won't take up any space."

Ye Heng's fingertips paused.

The light from the terminal fell on the top of Lin Yao's head, and a soft strand of hair hung in front of his forehead. He was obviously tired, with a faint blue tint under his eyes, but he insisted on staying here.

The only sounds in the room were the hum of the terminal and Lin Yao's gentle breathing.

"...Yeah." Ye Heng responded softly, and when he turned back, the strength on his fingertips loosened a little.

He didn't chase anyone away, but just moved the terminal to the edge of the table so that the light from the screen would not be too glaring.

Lin Yao just sat there quietly, occasionally reaching out to brush away some of Ye Heng's fallen hair, or quietly handing him a cup of warm water when he frowned.

Mo Yun curled up at the door, keeping watch, his tail occasionally sweeping across the ground.

As daylight approached, the terminal suddenly made a soft "beep" sound, and the dark patterns on the star map completely stretched out, with the complete coordinates clearly visible in the blue light.

Ye Heng breathed a sigh of relief, put away the terminal and was about to turn around to speak, but he saw Lin Yao leaning on the table with his head tilted, his eyelashes drooping, and his breathing even.

First turn your head and look towards the table.

Lin Yao tilted his head and rested it on his arm, his eyelashes drooped low, and his breathing was as even as falling snow.

I was already fast asleep, with a piece of candy still loosely clenched in my hand, the one I had said I would take to relieve my fatigue.

He stood up quietly and squatted beside Lin Yao, watching for a moment.

The boy's eyes were pale blue, but the corners of his lips were still slightly raised, perhaps he had a peaceful dream.

Ye Heng reached out to brush away the loose hair on his forehead and carefully picked him up sideways.

Lin Yao snorted softly, but didn't wake up. She just rubbed against his arms like a cat seeking warmth.

Ye Heng took out a blanket from the storage ring, wrapped it loosely around Lin Yao, and then carried him to the soft cushion in the corner.

He didn't let Lin Yao lie down anywhere else, he lay down first, and then gently put the person on top.

She let him lean on her, with the blanket just enough to cover both of them.

Lin Yao seemed to be comforted by the warmth and leaned into his arms again.

She adjusted her posture slightly, and her breath was warm against his neck.

Under the blanket, Ye Heng raised his hands to hold his back, and his big hands could feel his gentle rise and fall.

Mo Yun also quietly moved to block some of the wind from blowing through the hall for them.

Ye Heng lowered his head to glance at the top of the head of the person in his arms. His nose rubbed against the soft hair, and his shoulders, which had been tense for most of the night, slowly relaxed.

He whispered something, his voice so soft as if he was afraid of disturbing the morning mist, and then he closed his eyes, resting his chin on the top of Lin Yao's head, and his breathing gradually became even with that of the person in his arms.

-

When the sunlight crept up to the window frame, Lin Yao woke up first.

His whole body was warm, Ye Heng's arms were still loosely around him, the blanket had slid down to his waist, and he could see the other's well-defined collarbone.

Lin Yao moved, and Ye Heng's eyelashes trembled, but he didn't open his eyes.

He just pressed the person into his arms again, and said in a hoarse voice with a hint of laziness from just waking up: "Lie down for a while."

"It's almost noon." Lin Yao poked his waist.

Ye Heng finally opened his eyes, with a thin layer of mist still covering his eyes. It took him two seconds to fully clear his eyes.

He loosened his hand and when he sat up, a few shallow scratches on his forearm were exposed.

I accidentally left it here last night.

Lin Yao stood up and brushed his wound with his fingertips, which Ye Heng grasped with his backhand: "It's okay."

The two of them washed up quickly and pushed the door open to go out.

The square no longer had the dead silence of the early morning.

Erniao was squatting by the pile of supplies, counting the items. When he saw them coming out, he immediately came over, holding the account book high in his hand.

"Are you two awake? Look, the square is clean, the 'black carbon' has been dragged to the mine tunnel, and all the supplies have been accounted for."

Lin Yao glanced at the square and found it was indeed much cleaner than last night.

The scattered tables and chairs were put back in place, the bloodstains were covered by sand, and only a few newly filled pits still showed some traces.

The pirates were divided into several teams, some were cleaning their weapons, some were moving boxes. Although they were still a little nervous, they were no longer in the chaos as before. It was obvious that Erniao had put his heart into it.

Ye Heng didn't ask any more questions, but just patted him on the shoulder and said, "Keep watching. I'll take a headcount this afternoon."

The two birds responded promptly, turned around and went back to work, shouting.

The two of them went around to the corner of the square to look at the red spaceship.

The wreckage was still on the trestle, the hull was hot from the sun,

The cockpit glass was completely shattered, and a pool of dark brown blood formed on the seat.

Another part seeped down through the seams of the chairs, forming a small pool at the bottom of the cabin, which had already solidified.

Apart from that, there was no trace left, no personal belongings, no identification marks, even a recognizable piece of cloth was lost in yesterday's melee.

Lin Yao squatted by the cabin and watched for a while, "Not even a name was left."

He whispered, his voice a little muffled.

Ye Heng stood behind him, his eyes fixed on the pool of blood, without saying a word.

After a while, he raised his hand and pressed the back of Lin Yao's neck.

Lin Yao was silent for a while, then he pulled the corner of his mouth as he stood up: "Let's get down to business first."

"Yeah." Ye Heng nodded.

"I'll stay here to screen people. There must be a few who can be used among this group. Let's establish the rules first.

Go to the Stargazing House to pick up Lao Kui and the others."

"Okay." Lin Yao agreed, and then reminded, "Don't be too hasty when screening. Leave those cunning ones alone for now and let Erniao keep an eye on them. He knows people."

"I know." Ye Heng straightened his collar, which was messed up by the wind. "Be careful on the road."

Lin Yao didn't say anything more and turned to walk towards the stargazing cottage.

Shasha slipped out of his sleeve and wrapped around his wrist, as if accompanying him on this journey.

—

Ye Heng stood where he was, watching his back as he turned the corner of the alley, before turning and walking towards the group of pirates who were secretly watching him.

Mo Yun slid out from the shadows and coiled around him, his huge head slightly raised and a low roar coming from his throat.

It was a warning and also a way to establish authority.

The pirates suddenly fell silent, not even daring to breathe.

"Stand in three rows." Ye Heng's voice was not loud, but it was clearly heard by everyone.

The group of star pirates didn't dare to say anything more and quickly stood still.

Ye Heng looked at them and said, "If you want to live, put your thoughts aside. From now on, I have the final say on Black Fish Star."

The sun was shining brightly, making the square hot and everyone feel uneasy.

No one doubted his words. After all, the fate of One-Eye and the others was right in front of them, and the man in front of them,

Not only because of his former identity and the fact that he still held Old Scar's token in his hand, but also because of his means, he was more than capable of suppressing this group of space pirates.

On the other side, when Lin Yao was about to reach the Stargazing House, he saw Lao Kui squatting at the door smoking from afar.

The little girl and the lamb were sitting on the steps. The lamb was drawing something on the ground with a branch to make her happy.

The doll was still held in her arms, and the dirty parts were carefully wiped, making it cleaner than before.

"Lao Kui." Lin Yao called out.

Lao Kui immediately put out his cigarette and stood up. Xiao Yangzai also looked up, and his eyes lit up when he saw him: "Brother Lin! You're back!"

Lin Yao also greeted the little lamb and the little girl.

But the little girl heard the sound, shrank behind the lamb, and held the doll tighter in her arms.

She didn't look up, but buried her face in the dirty fur of the doll, but her fingertips quietly hooked the corner of the lamb's clothes.

That was the only intimacy she was willing to show.

The little lamb immediately understood and turned back to smile at Lin Yao.

He lowered his head again, drew a crooked star beast on the ground with a branch, and whispered something in the little girl's ear.

The little girl's shoulders shook slightly. Although she didn't say anything, she leaned closer to him as a response.

Lin Yao saw it, but didn't move forward. He just waved to the little lamb and said softly, "Take her to the yard to play for a while."

"Hey!" The little lamb responded quickly and carefully took the little girl's hand.

The little girl let him pull her and walked into the yard step by step.

He took two steps and turned back, glanced at Lin Yao quickly, then quickly lowered his head like a frightened little animal.

Only after the two figures disappeared did Lin Yao turn around and look at Lao Kui.

Lao Kui was sitting on the steps and patted the seat next to him: "Sit."

Lin Yao sat down next to him and picked up the dust on the corner of his clothes with his fingertips:

"The pirates' nest is settled. We haven't dealt with the one-eyed one yet. He's still useful. Ye Heng is screening for people who can be used."

Lao Kui nodded, didn't respond, and just looked at the place where the two people disappeared.

Lao Kui sighed and his voice became deeper:

"That kid...where's her brother? The one who drives the red spaceship. Have you found him?"

Lin Yao's fingertips paused.

The wind blew in from outside the courtyard wall, carrying a hint of hay.

He was silent for a moment, then shook his head gently, his voice so low it seemed to be blown away by the wind:

"No, there's nothing left of that man."

Lao Kui said "Oh" and didn't say anything else. He just raised his hand to touch the cigarette in his pocket and put it down again.

After a long while, he whispered:

"Poor thing. That child sat with her stuffed doll for half the night last night. She didn't cry or make a fuss. She just stared at the door. I'm afraid she's waiting for her brother to come pick her up."

Lin Yao didn't respond, but just looked at the people coming and going on the road ahead.

After a long while, Lin Yao suddenly said, "Let's keep it a secret for now. Let's wait until she recovers a bit before we tell her."

Lao Kui nodded: "Well, it's better to keep it a secret."

Then Lao Kui asked the little girl what to do?

Lin Yao asked Lao Kui what he thought. The little girl must be taken back, but he and Ye Heng were busy and definitely could not take care of her.

The little girl gets along well with the lamb, who is usually taken care of by Lao Kui.

So Lin Yao meant, could Lao Kui help take care of the little girl? He and Ye Heng could provide them with daily necessities.

Lao Kui agreed without hesitation. After all, in the pirates' den, raising one is the same as raising two.

What's more, he could see the little girl's condition. She ignored everyone without the little lamb around. It was possible that the little lamb would be the one who would worry about her in the future.

After discussing the matter of the little girl, the two of them just sat there without saying anything else.

The sun slowly moved westward, and occasionally the gentle laughter of a lamb could be heard from the yard.

Occasionally, there was a very light, almost inaudible whisper from a little girl, as if she was responding to something.