Star Rank Hunter

Original and most up to date translations are posted at volaretranslations.

Translator's Notes: Due to the sheer length of chapter 205 I may have to post only 2 chapters next week. My bosses are using me as an emergency hose and fires are everywhere. Sorry.

Chapter 204: Look! It’s That Ghost Something Butterfly Dude Who Owe Us Money! [Part 2]

The person Mo Heng sent to escort Cillin back to his base was one of the two majors who acted as his bodyguard. Although this person’s face was lacking in expression as ever, he no longer looked at Cillin with cold and indifferent eyes. Both majors were impressed with Cillin’s abilities, and they understood now why Mo Heng had valued him so greatly. A person who could turn those veteran scholars and authorities speechless was definitely a rarity.

Originally, the major was going to escort him back to Vanguard’s planetoid on the satellite belt, but due to the way things were about to turn out Cillin was sent directly to another place on the large planet instead.

Just a few hours after Cillin was sent off, the military announced their intention to organize a meeting. All invited forces were told to gather at a certain location.

Of course, the people who were attending the meeting were all VIPs and leaders of the various forces. They were allowed to bring a group of people with them, but the numbers and weapons they could bring were restricted.

Vanguard had left behind all their B Squadron members on the planetoid, but Songba Leruo and Barthus had brought the gray cat and Czedow with them. They were the ones who told Cillin to head over to the meeting directly.

Right now, the small teams dispatched by all forces had already reached the coordinates they received on the large planet. Naturally, everyone had arranged the forces they left behind accordingly. No one here was stupid, and everyone had a few tricks up their sleeves. They wouldn’t trust in the military fully. Plus, everyone who was invited had had their fair share of conflicts. They wouldn’t feel comfortable enough to fight otherwise.

The meeting spot they had to visit was specifically chosen by the military for meeting purposes. However, it was decided that flying a spaceplane into the meeting spot wouldn’t be wise. After all, the spaceplane Cillin was sitting in had belonged to the military. If Cillin had exited the military’s spaceplane before everyone’s eyes and returned to Vanguard right after that, some people might be tempted to make some noise about it.

That was why Cillin had exited the spaceplane, extended his hoverboard and flew towards the meeting spot when it was still a way off.

The leaders were all missing doing god knows what. The meeting hadn’t started yet, and not a single VIP could be seen around the area. However, the underlings who already showed up were chatting with each other. People could be seen roaming everywhere at anytime outside. Cillin hadn’t drawn anyone’s attention because there were too many people at his age roaming around the area.

A large majority of the Hunters who showed up for the meeting had belonged to the great four. However, they were practically strangers to each other.

While Cillin was flying towards the coordinate he received and passing by a certain area, he suddenly sensed abnormal movement behind him and turned sideways to avoid a thrown whip. He adjusted the hoverboard with his feet and stopped the vehicle skillfully after avoiding the blow.

The person who attacked him didn’t look like they would continue the attack any further. The attack earlier didn’t contain any murderous intent as well. It was more like a greeting.

That was why Cillin had not counterattacked. After swiftly stabilizing himself and keeping the hoverboard at one place, Cillin turned around to look at the attacker behind him.

“Yo, it really is you!!” The attacker exclaimed with a joyful tone.

Cillin raised his eyebrows. It was a familiar person.

“Long time no see, Little Stache.”

The person who attacked Cillin was none other than the woman who disguised herself as a man, Little Stache, back when they encountered each other in Sector S’ prison. Cillin’s impression was ‘Little Stache’ was fairly positive; at the very least she did attempt to pull him free and not escape on her own back when the door was closing. This meant that Little Stache wasn’t a bad person.

Right now ‘Little Stache’ had changed to a new disguise. She was still disguised as a man with a pair of mustaches, and she was grinning at Cillin on top of her own hoverboard.

Cillin looked at the ground beneath them and asked, “Are you a part of ‘Fire Phoenix’?”

This area was divided to Sector S’ people as their resting spot. Right beneath them was ‘Fire Phoenix’s’ territory.

Both ‘Fire Phoenix’ and ‘Flying Snake’ were one of the few reputable and powerful forces in Sector S. Back when Cillin was still travelling with Lung ‘Fire Phoenix’s’ territory was not among their plotted course. However, he didn’t think that Little Stache would show up there as neither a convict or a prison guard. There were no ‘Fire Phoenix’ member in that prison.

Of course, Cillin didn’t ask in depth about the secret conflicts of those forces in Sector S. He wouldn’t get a real answer even if he did.

“Yeah, I’m a part of ‘Fire Phoenix’. We’re lucky to meet each other again, and we are comrades-in-arms who went through hard times together after all. So let me introduce myself. I’m called Pian Huo. I’m only here with ‘Fire Phoenix’ to join in the fun.” After a pause, Pian Huo asked, “What are you called? And which force do you belong to? You don’t look like one of those forces in Sector S.”

“I’m Cillin, a member of Vanguard.” Cillin wasn’t going to hide this bit of info.

“Oh~ Vanguard of the great four Hunter regiments, huh? They’re pretty famous. I didn’t realize that you came from a powerful organization. I heard that everyone who could come here are all VIPs among the great four’s internal divisions.”

“I’m not a VIP. It is luck that I showed up here.”

Pian Huo didn’t believe Cillin’s words, but she didn’t want to continue further along this line of question either. Therefore, she asked, “Hey, it’s pretty boring right now. Do you have any interesting to recommend?”

“No, I’m going back to report for duty. I’m not free.”

“Tsk, how boring.”

While they were chatting with each other, another person flew towards them from below. This time however, the person didn’t come from ‘Fire Phoenix’s’ territory but ‘Flying Snake’s’.

“Eh? Little Flying Snake?” Pian Huo said in surprise. With her understanding of him, she thought that Qi Geyou, the Little Flying Snake, didn’t care much for outsiders.

“Long time no see, Cillin!” Qi Geyou smiled and greeted.

Qi Geyou had coincidentally caught sight of Cillin and Pian Huo in the sky while he was looking around with his binoculars in boredom. The main reason he flew over was Cillin. He hadn’t gotten a chance to chat with Cillin properly back at sector S because he had too many things to handle. He hadn’t had the chance to pay attention to Cillin and Lung’s whereabouts either since he was busy for a very long period of time. The duo was already gone by the time he was free. He didn’t think that he would meet a familiar face here, so of course he had to come over to greet him.

“Long time no see, Qi Geyou.” Cillin smiled and bumped fists with Qi Geyou.

“You two know each other?” Pian Huo glanced at the duo and noted the smile on Qi Geyou’s face. These two people shared a good relationship with each other; at the very least their relationship was better than Cillin and hers, “You’re acquaintances. So when did Little Flying Snake and Vanguard come to know each other?”

“We ran into each other by coincidence at Sector S.” Cillin said. He didn’t mention anything about Qi Geyou’s rescue, however.

Qi Geyou was grateful for Cillin’s explanation. After all, no one would like something like that to be announced to the public, and especially not to another big organization in Sector S such as Fire Phoenix.

Qi Geyou looked at their surroundings before asking, “Where’s Lung? Had he come over?”

“He should be around, just not in this area. I’m from Vanguard and he belongs to another force. Why don’t you pass me your contact number, and I’ll tell you his number once I managed to contact him?”

The military had set up a special communications network in this meeting zone. A special communications frequency was covering this area.

“Sure.”

Even if he were to exclude the fact that both Cillin and Lung had once saved his life, Qi Geyou was sure that networking with them was very beneficial for his own development. Qi Geyou believed in his own insight.

Pian Huo also came over to exchange contact numbers with Cillin. Her time here had been extremely boring, and she heard that they would have to stay here for several days. The meeting wouldn’t end in just one day, and there were a lot of her old friends who hadn’t come along to this meeting. Pian Huo wasn’t an idle person, and it had been a long while before she finally met a - probably? - acquaintance. If she were to add Little Flying Snake to the mix and that, mm, Lung they talked about either, then things shouldn’t turn out too boring.

After they had exchanged contact numbers, Cillin continued to head towards Vanguard. After Cillin had left, Pian Huo followed behind Qi Geyou and asked with relative interest, “Hey, how did you guys know each other? Do you want to exchange info with me?”

Qi Geyou cast her a sideway glance, “Did you tell him that you’re the current Fire Phoenix’s disciple?”

“No, I didn’t tell him that.” Pian Huo lifted a thumb and stroked her mustaches. There were a lot of people who paid her identity as the disciple of current generation’s Fire Phoenix their little minds. That was why Pian Huo had often disguised herself first before she skipped home and travelled around the universe. The Fire Phoenix themselves had ignored this behavior because it was a form of growth for Pian Huo. It would be detrimental to Pian Huo’s growth instead if they were to restrict her freedom.

“Is there a need?” Pian Huo looked at Qi Geyou.

Qi Geyou’s response was noncommittal. He didn’t say anything in return.

Cillin saw the cat crouching on top of Songba Leruo’s head from far, far away the moment he arrived at Vanguard’s territory.

Right now, the gray cat was impatiently swinging its claws from above Sonba Leruo’s hat while Barthus was teasing the cat with his beard. At first, the gray cat had simply flicked its ears and ignored Barthus’ teasings, but after enduring a persistent period of harassment by the naughty old man it finally began using its claws.

Previously, the gray cat was feeling gloomy because B Squadron members weren’t allowed to attend the meeting. Then, Barthus and Sonba Leruo expressed their intentions to bring the gray cat and Czedow over to the meeting. The gray cat had agreed after some thought. With Barthus and Songba Leruo around, the gray cat wasn’t afraid that the military or some mad scientist would try to capture it. But it was only after they arrived on the planet that the gray cat realized that this place was completely filled with strangers!

The gray cat was just about to extend its sharp claws and give the old man a good shave when it suddenly looked towards the sky as if it had sensed something. The gray cat almost burst out into a cry when it saw Cillin: My savior!

The gray cat jumped off Songba Leruo’s hat and climbed up Cillin’s legs before the hoverboard had even fully descended. Then, it crouched on Cillin’s shoulder and threw Barthus a ‘what can you do now’ look.

Barthus simply stroked his beard with a faint smile and said nothing.

Cillin jumped down from the hoverboard and put it away. After flicking the gray cat’s head once, he looked at Barthus and Songba Leruo and greeted them.

“Are you done with your work over there, little Cillin?” Barthus asked.

“Yeah, I’m done. The military’s internal division will take over the rest.”

Barthus nodded and stopped asking about that.

Since Barthus and Songba Leruo had been walking all this time, they had arrived at the edge of Vanguard’s territory. If they were to walk any further, they would enter Blue Butterfly’s domain.

Cillin and Barthus was just talking about this newly ‘illuminated’ Sector when the gray cat suddenly let out a loud cry, raised its claws and pointed at a direction.

“Cillin, look! It’s that Ghost something Butterfly dude who owe us money!”