158: Chapter 158 Weighing the Options

Xing Yaoyan stared intently at the thin black flake shimmering with starlight before her.

She didn't speak, but the glimmer in her eyes betrayed her inner turmoil.

"You haven't answered my question directly..."

"Alright, alright..."

Seeing that the young girl was still wary of him, Moss wasn't in a hurry.

Because he knew his words had already struck a chord with her.

Sigh, it's always such a hassle to recruit people, but I must succeed with Miss Xing today...

"It's actually quite simple. Although you're wearing a mask, Miss Xing, the sound of you swallowing was a bit too loud. Generally speaking, only specific Star Beasts develop an appetite for star marrow when gathering astral phenomena..."

"..."

Xing Yaoyan felt secretly annoyed with herself, not expecting her subconscious reaction to be so obvious.

However... she felt a bit lost now. She was certain that Moss wasn't lying to her; at the very least, he was a Star Beast just like her.

The Astral Power he radiated felt completely different from what Tushan Qing had demonstrated using Hidden Edge. While Tushan Qing's converted Astral Power was similar—enough to fool a detector—it wasn't as authentic as Moss's.

It was a feeling, as if this was his natural state.

"So, how about it? Why not come with me? It's easier for us Star Beasts to look out for one another if we're together."

Sensing the wavering in the girl's eyes, Moss struck while the iron was hot and revealed his ultimate goal.

He was considered a veteran of the Bridge of Worlds and had recruited many rational Star Beasts before.

After such a long buildup, combined with the girl's current expression, he was actually ninety percent sure he would succeed.

But the girl's next words made his smile freeze.

"I'm sorry, but I won't be joining you..."

If it had been back when she first arrived, and she had known the Bridge of Worlds Hu Wang Senior spoke of had become a mutual aid organization for Star Beasts, she definitely would have accepted the invitation.

But now, her backer was the entire Kingdom of Myriad Demons. In terms of both strength and resources, the Kingdom of Myriad Demons was undoubtedly superior.

Since the Kingdom of Myriad Demons could better help her achieve her future goals, why would she abandon the essentials for the trivial? Why switch to the weaker Bridge of Worlds just because of a shared origin?

Furthermore, the conduct of the Bridge of Worlds was too hard for her to accept.

It was one thing for an organization to be obscure—one could spin that as being mysterious. But every time they appeared, they were either stealing something or on their way to steal something. It was just too low-class!

As if sensing what was on the girl's mind, Moss continued to try and persuade her.

"Miss Xing, seeing as you can produce so many spirit crystals, I know you're doing fairly well for yourself on this planet. But after all, we aren't natives here. Every living thing on this planet rejects us."

"Only by standing together can we survive on this planet!"

"How about this: you can give me your contact information and just have your name registered with the organization for now..."

Looking at the man's extremely earnest gaze, Xing Yaoyan suddenly realized something, and a slight smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"But I'm not that strong. If I join the organization, I'll likely just be a burden and won't be able to help anyone..."

Upon hearing this, Moss excitedly clapped his hands and interrupted her, leaning his body slightly forward.

"Who said that? You're the savior of our organization! Because..."

Suddenly, as if realizing something, he cut himself off.

"Because of what? Because I'm rich and can help the organization solve its budget deficit?"

Looking at the girl with her curved eyebrows and smiling eyes, Moss quickly straightened his posture and regained his previous composed demeanor.

"Ahem... you shouldn't put it like that. We're all Star Beasts, helping each other is only natural..."

Seeing the man's feigned seriousness, Xing Yaoyan became even more certain of her suspicion.

Based on his earlier conversation with Manager Ming, he had been selling fakes for quite some time. As for the reason, it was definitely to make money.

After learning she was a Gold Member of the Dark Pavilion and a Star Beast, he had generously offered her so much star marrow. It didn't take a genius to figure out he was trying to win her over.

After all, what pauper wouldn't want to get close to a wealthy woman?

Although she was well aware of Moss's ulterior motives, Xing Yaoyan didn't refuse him outright.

She wasn't the type of person who enjoyed considering others' needs.

The starting point for everything she had done previously was always herself.

For instance, risking her life for Blood Refining was for the resources of the Kingdom of Myriad Demons; helping Qian Mo was partly to collect Star Souls; even reconciling with Captain Li Qiaoyan was done with the consideration that her status in the Security Bureau would surely rise after this incident, providing her with another set of eyes and ears, and so on.

And this time was no exception.

Even though Moss had rambled on, there were several tangible benefits she could see.

First, he belonged to the Bridge of Worlds. Although the organization was "low-profile," the fact that it had survived since its founding by Hu Wang Senior hundreds of years ago spoke volumes.

Second, she could sense Moss's strength. Befriending such an expert was a win-no-matter-what scenario.

The most important point was the strange and exotic hidden resources behind the Bridge of Worlds.

For example, while the source of this star marrow was unknown, they at least had it, and could even produce this much at once.

Although their overall resources couldn't compare to what the Kingdom of Myriad Demons could provide, an organization like this might be able to solve her urgent need for a Breakthrough to the Four Marks, just like today...

"While I can't join you, being a partner is still an option..."

After careful consideration, Xing Yaoyan finally spoke in a low voice.

"Huh? You won't join but want to be a partner? You won't put in any work or effort, and you'll run faster than anyone the moment there's trouble. It's too risky; I don't do such unstable business..."

Moss refused decisively.

In reality, this was just an excuse. He couldn't tolerate a little Three-Mark Level Star Beast becoming a partner on equal footing with a veteran like himself.

Furthermore, even if the organization was poor now, they weren't so desperate as to turn to anyone for help. His attempt to recruit her was merely to ease some financial pressure; it wouldn't solve the problem at its root...

"Anyway, I'm just here to let you know. Join if you want, and if not, I won't force you. After all, the Bridge of Worlds is famous for being peace-loving..."

Suddenly, Moss's eyes widened.

The girl before him had removed her mask at some point.

"Now... do you think I can become a partner of the Bridge of Worlds, Mr. Moss?"