Originally in the storyline, it’s not just that he sacrificed himself to save Star Lord, but even when Star Lord swapped the Power Stone for a doll and handed it to him, he merely smiled.
After hearing Kraglin’s words, Yongdu also nodded slightly before heading toward the direction of the Collector’s Hall, accompanied by several trusted allies.
Just as he arrived at the imposing gate fortified with considerable power, the heavy door slowly opened, and a voice emerged from within.
"Come in, Mr. Yongdu."
There sat Tao Yu, dressed in a white robe, perfectly positioned in the Collector’s seat, sipping on an unknown tea collected by the Collector from across the cosmos, as though he had foreseen Yongdu’s arrival.
Having already sorted through the threads and made some adjustments, Tao Yu had relatively minimal need for Yongdu anymore.
Initially, seeking out Yongdu was merely to obtain the Power Stone. With this arrangement now, Ronan would bring the Power Stone over himself—just in time.
Seeing Tao Yu’s reassuring presence, which seemed to radiate an aura akin to the avatar of Justice itself, some of Yongdu’s uncertainties were eased.
"Oh, honorable Mage, I don’t recall us having any prior dealings."
As a raider, Yongdu—even daring to ditch Ego’s assignments and shelter Star Lord—was undoubtedly a bold figure.
Even faced with Tao Yu’s overwhelming power, he showed no signs of yielding.
Without hesitation, Yongdu pulled out a chair for himself and casually sat down.
"Indeed, we haven’t had any connection before. But if you’d like to deal with Ego’s trouble, then perhaps there is now."
Now that everyone was here, Tao Yu naturally intended to reveal some things.
Although he had previously relied on the Mind Stone and the Celestial God’s head, which only allowed him limited foresight of the nearby area’s future, it hadn’t offered any insights regarding Ego.
Nevertheless, Tao Yu possessed divination abilities himself. While not completely certain, he could at least judge that significant benefits awaited him.
The yield wouldn’t be as substantial as Rocket’s situation, but it would still be worthwhile.
"Oh, Ego is a very mysterious and powerful individual..."
Yongdu looked somewhat dazed. Back when he was abducting children for Ego, guilt had always simmered in the depths of his heart. His indulgence of Star Lord was, in a sense, a form of implicit compensation.
"I don’t even know what value I hold for you to face such a formidable adversary."
Yongdu was well aware of his own limitations. Despite his modest fame and a crew with varying levels of competency, in the eyes of major figures, he was fairly insignificant.
Certainly, not enough for anyone to confront someone like Ego on his behalf.
Though Yongdu wasn’t entirely clear about Ego’s true form, he understood that Ego was undoubtedly a mighty individual, a forceful ruler in his own right...
"At least you have some self-awareness."
Tao Yu nodded approvingly at Yongdu’s self-deprecating comment.
"You can simply think of it as me being interested in Ego from the start. Helping you is just convenient. By utilizing the people around you, I can more easily locate him."
Yongdu froze for a moment at Tao Yu’s deeply meaningful words, but quickly understood whom Tao Yu was referring to. He responded in a low tone,
"Well, sorry to tell you, that little brat already betrayed me."
"It doesn’t matter. I trust in the fate between the two of you."
Tao Yu replied indifferently, his face calm and unaffected.
"If you feel the payoff isn’t sufficient, I can take you to another place in the future, where you can work for me instead.
"As for the future compensation..."
Tao Yu gave Yongdu a faint smile.
"I can reveal to you part of the world’s truth."
Starshine was going to reap the harvest here, and Tao Yu also felt that his own power, once this independent world was assimilated, could expand even further to draw larger harvests.
The State Capital was a chaotic blend of factions, with many forces present. Even the Bai Family remained cautious, but venturing into other territories seemed equally viable.
The key was grasping appropriate control.
Rushing directly to forcibly annex something might not yield much. Catastrophe Level beings serve as bargaining chips for good reason—their industries are far too fragile to endure blows.
At times like these, having suitable manpower was crucial, and it explained why powerful figures always carried followers.
Yongdu, while considered morally ambivalent, had a commendable reputation for executing tasks reliably, making him quite suitable.
After all, it was simply a matter of convenience and required no additional expenditure.
"If you can truly resolve the issue with Ego, then I suppose it wouldn’t be a problem."
Yongdu nodded in agreement almost without hesitation.
The experience of abducting children for Ego had nearly turned into a haunting demon for him.
Not only had he been expelled from the raider community, but upon realizing that the children he kidnapped had likely been killed by Ego, his heart was wracked with guilt.
If this matter could truly be settled, then what did it matter who he completed the task for?
Tao Yu, having anticipated Yongdu’s decision well in advance, wasted no further words and simply stated,
"Alright, prepare yourself. First, get on your ship and leave the Land of Nihility."
Finishing his sentence, Tao Yu adjusted his robe and stood up.
"Uh, leave the Land of Nihility? Sir, is there some task you intend to assign to me? Well, the matter with Ego hasn’t even been resolved yet, but I am expecting payment."
Yongdu paused, assuming Tao Yu had some mission for him.
"Not at all. I just don’t want you to die here, that’s all. I’d say you have about half an hour left."
Tao Yu spoke casually.
"Die? Ego is already here? He wants to kill me?!"