Chapter 306: Chapter 306: Scapegoat

Jiang Qin only put away her precious protective box after Qing Luo had finally killed the last Beastman.

It was called a box, but it looked more like a small shipping container, large enough to fit five or six people inside.

Next, it was time to clean up the battlefield.

She was just about to go closer and pick up the items the men had dropped when Long Hao stopped her.

“Be careful.”

The abilities of a Beastman’s beast form were bizarre and varied. He had once seen a Beastman who could feign death for a short time.

So he had to check them first and deliver a finishing blow to each.

The Beastmen killed by Xiang Liu and the Flying Monkey didn’t need to be checked, as their bodies were no longer in one piece. Only the one the White Tiger had smashed to death with its tail needed to be examined.

And then there was the one Qing Luo had killed.

After confirming they were all completely dead and beheading them just to be sure, Long Hao began to strip them of their Space Buttons and Light Computers.

However, several of the items were damaged. For the two killed by Xiang Liu in particular, everything on their bodies had been corroded away, leaving only bones.

Perhaps because he was controlling three beasts at once, Xiang Liu’s appearance hadn’t brought rain this time.

’Maybe he can get rid of that side effect next time,’ Jiang Qin thought. ’After all, an ability like that is a bit of a waste of Superpower.’

…

Without Jiang Qin and Bai Ruo having to lift a finger, Long Hao and Qing Luo quickly finished cleaning up the battlefield.

Qing Luo only took the loot from the man he had killed himself, leaving the rest untouched.

Long Hao assumed Jiang Qin still had her Space Button, since she often took things out, so he handed all the spoils to her.

He had even taken care to wrap them in something.

“They’re a bit dirty, so don’t touch them. Just stick them in a corner for now. We’ll deal with them once we get to the city.”

Everywhere on Chaotic Star, people bought things with no questions asked.

Goods obtained from robberies like this were all too common.

Once they finished packing up, they continued toward the tall city walls visible in the distance.

Along the way, they continued to encounter many Beastmen lying in ambush.

Some looked ready to strike, while others simply glanced at them before looking away.

It was obvious they were all here to ambush Long Hao.

Perhaps because they had just heard the sounds of the distant fight, these people, despite giving the group greedy looks, never actually made a move.

After they had passed, someone asked, “Brother Hao, are we just going to watch them walk by?”

“Yeah, what’s the big deal? It’s just three males and a female Half-beastman. They don’t even look that strong.”

“Don’t forget, those people are carrying the wealth of those Sea Sand Gang members!”

Star Thieves make their living by robbing and plundering, so those men must have been incredibly wealthy.

The more the man thought about it, the greedier he became. He whispered to his boss, “Brother Hao, they were just in a fight with those guys. Even if they won, they must’ve been injured.”

“Should we…”

The man made a throat-slitting gesture.

The man called Brother Hao had two scars running across his entire face.

He was completely unmoved by his subordinate’s suggestion, saying coolly:

“Before you get any ideas about them, do yourselves a favor and think about whether you’re stronger than those guys from the Sea Sand Gang.”

“If not, then don’t go lusting after a fortune that’s beyond your strength. Otherwise, you won’t even know what hit you.”

’Did he really think I didn’t know they were carrying loot?’

’But just think about it. Their group only has three males, yet they wiped out all six members of the Sea Sand Gang without suffering any obvious injuries. Isn’t that proof enough that they’re a tough bunch?’

’Can’t you see that plenty of others are interested, yet not one of them has made a move?’

’They’re all just waiting for someone else to go first.’

’It was only these noisy new recruits of his making a scene; everyone else knew how to be patient.’

Just as it seemed Jiang Qin and her group were about to enter the city and sell off their spoils, someone finally stepped forward.

…

This was a group of men with facial tattoos.

Each male had a triangular pattern tattooed on his left cheek.

Qing Luo offered a timely warning, “They’re from the Pyramid Gang.”

“We mean you no harm. We just want to buy something from you.”

“We’re not traveling merchants. What would we have to sell to you?” Qing Luo retorted, exasperated.

The man didn’t get angry. He just laughed and said, “Come on, now, there’s no need for that. You made such a commotion earlier. Everyone knows you slaughtered those guys from the Sea Sand Gang.”

“I truly have no ill intent. I just want to buy back something from you that they stole.”

“What is it? Go on.”

Qing Luo didn’t know what loot Jiang Qin had, but the Beastman he himself had killed certainly wasn’t rich.

The most valuable items on him had been his Light Computer and Space Button.

He guessed that all their belongings had likely been held by the lead Beastman for safekeeping.

It was also possible they had stashed their valuables somewhere or hidden them away and hadn’t been carrying much money.

After all, that was what he himself did.

“Is there a black and gold metal case among your spoils? I want to buy it.”

Qing Luo looked through the contents of the Space Buttons, then shook his head. “Don’t have it.”

The man didn’t believe him. “How could you not? Even if you don’t want to sell, there’s no need to lie.”

“One of our fighters has corrosive abilities. A few of the guys we fought were melted down to their bones. Forget loot, not a single hair was left.”

“If you don’t believe me, send someone over to see for yourself!”

The man hadn’t expected that.

He didn’t send anyone to check. Since the other party had put it that way, it was probably true.

It was just… the thought of that item being destroyed made his heart ache.

’What a waste!’

“If there’s nothing else, we’ll be on our way. You can also stop guessing what we might be carrying.”

“Like I said, most of the loot was destroyed. Besides, they weren’t idiots. How much wealth would someone bring with them to an ambush?”

That was indeed true.

After this exchange, many people in the crowd regretfully gave up on their plans.

The most valuable Space Buttons and Light Computers had been melted down. What was even left to rob?

They couldn’t possibly be after the men’s bones, right?

***

All the way to the city gate, people were still lying in wait on all sides.

This spectacle made Long Hao scoff.

’These people really think too highly of me,’ he thought. ’It seems like every Beastman on this planet with a bit of strength has shown up.’

’I wonder what price that damn research institute put up to make them all go this crazy.’

Jiang Qin remembered this as well and quietly asked Long Hao, “I heard you stole some important data from the research institute?”

“Hah, they’re just pinning the blame on me. I was completely focused on finding you. Why would I have gone to their data room?”

Jiang Qin believed him, but outsiders wouldn’t.

Now, everyone “knew” that Long Hao had not only blown up the research institute but had also snatched a load of research data while he was at it.

Returning that data would earn the person a huge bounty, a favor from the institute, and their choice of any one piece of its technology as a reward.

So how could the Beastmen not be driven into a frenzy?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep