Chapter 26: Purification Complete

The boy appeared to be around eleven or twelve years old, dressed in finely crafted and opulent attire, clearly the scion of a prestigious family from the city.

The young man turned to look at Qianye, his face filled with astonishment.

When the young man first dashed into view, Qianye had already aimed his gun at his head.

Although powder-fired weapons were inferior to origin force guns, a close-range triple shot could still severely injure a Blood Race. However, Qianye felt the trigger was unusually heavy, almost impossible to pull.

This should be a normal person… Qianye couldn’t help but think.

Was it necessary to shoot a disarmed, normal teenager without a word? Although it was an order.

Suddenly, the young man extended his hands toward Qianye, as if seeking protection. His left cheek was dirty, and there were some bloodstains of unknown origin. Such conditions were common on chaotic battlefields.

Qianye’s finger loosened slightly, and the barrel of the gun lowered, moving away from the young man’s forehead.

At that moment, the young man suddenly lunged at Qianye, his movements swift and inhuman! He opened his mouth wide, saliva dripping abnormally from his teeth, and his eyes fixed on Qianye’s carotid artery, instantly filled with bloodshot veins and a red glow, appearing utterly menacing!

Qianye’s gun instantly rose, aiming once again at the young man’s brow. Time seemed to slow, and Qianye’s finger slowly pressed back on the trigger.

Suddenly, a large foot flew out, kicking the young man sideways, slamming him hard against a wall dozens of meters away! A dull thud followed, and the young man stuck to the wall, his bones and tendons broken. He then slid down, leaving a thick, bloody trail.

“Rookie! What’s wrong with you?” The Red Scorpion captain emerged from a nearby alley, sternly reprimanding Qianye.

“No, nothing. I just… wanted to see what other abilities he had,” Qianye said, feeling a bit guilty.

“That’s a blood slave! They only have the instincts of beasts, no special abilities. There’s nothing to see. Rookie, put away your curiosity; these things are more dangerous than you can imagine! If one of them bites you and their saliva gets into your bloodstream, you’d better kill yourself immediately to avoid me having to blow your head off with a bullet!”

The captain’s stern voice made it clear he was not joking.

Qianye complied and continued searching. Along the way, he eliminated over a dozen blood slaves and one hidden vampire. These blood slaves had not been converted for long and still largely resembled humans, with many wearing clean clothes.

However, all the blood slaves attacked like wild beasts, their desire for flesh overpowering any semblance of reason. Among them were elderly, young women, and even children as young as three or four. No matter who they once were, they now became mindless beasts.

As Qianye shot, he silently counted, as if to distract himself from the possibility that there might still be human survivors among them.

Blood slaves were the result of vampires draining blood or merely biting. Unlike the first embrace, they did not become new Blood Race members because they lacked the infusion of noble blood.

Their minds were eroded by the blood poison, turning them into half-blood, half-beast monsters. Their existence would be driven solely by an insatiable hunger for flesh and a fear and obedience to true Blood Race.

So far, humanity had no effective means to counter the blood poison. After being bitten by a vampire, a human’s brain would be completely destroyed within a day or two, leading to a loss of sanity and transformation into a blood slave. This process was irreversible, and even the Blood Race themselves could not reverse it.

Worse still, blood slaves also carried the blood poison, sometimes more potent than that of true Blood Race. Anyone bitten by a blood slave would likely become one as well. This small town, which had fallen just a few days ago, was already overrun with blood slaves.

Among the dark races, blood slaves were the lowest of the low, barely even considered cannon fodder. They didn’t live long and were often used as food for lower dark races or to feed war beasts.

Whether in the Eternal Night or in the Dawn, the fate of blood slaves was invariably tragic and unchangeable, beyond redemption.

The Great Qin Empire and other human nations had a consistent stance: any blood slave or person contaminated by the blood poison was to be executed.

Thus, despite not being the most powerful or numerous, the Blood Race was always seen as the greatest enemy by humans. This was the essence of a predator-prey relationship.

The battle in the small town soon came to an end. All the vampires and blood slaves were eradicated, and the streets were filled with corpses and flowing blood. Qianye’s boots squelched as he walked through the blood.

“To the people of the city, come out now and gather at the central square! You have ten minutes, I repeat, ten minutes. Anyone not at the central square by the deadline will be considered a blood slave and executed on sight!”

A loud voice echoed from the vehicle’s loudspeaker, reverberating throughout the town. Minutes later, some people cautiously emerged from their homes, heading to the central square.

As Qianye walked along the street, he was stopped by an old Black Scorpion soldier.

“Rookie, follow me. It’s time for a lesson!”

A lesson? Puzzled, Qianye followed the veteran to the central square.

Hundreds of people had gathered, filled with unease. However, their expressions indicated they still retained their sanity. Some had injuries, carefully concealing their wounds. But Qianye, let alone the experienced Red Scorpion soldiers, saw through their attempts to hide.

Red Scorpion soldiers and rookies surrounded the square, blocking all exits.

The veteran who brought Qianye over turned and said, “If anyone tries to run, blow their heads off! Understand?”

“Understood!”

A Red Scorpion captain addressed the local army commander, “Now, have your men search the entire city. Don’t miss a single corner! You have… twenty minutes!”

The commander, startled by the time limit, scurried off, shouting orders to his troops to search the city as quickly as possible.

Soon, sporadic gunfire and occasional screams echoed through the city. Those who hid and were found were executed on the spot.

Twenty minutes felt like an eternity, and the city gradually fell silent, with no more gunfire or screams.

The Red Scorpion captain raised his right hand, pointed at the square, and made a slicing gesture across his throat!

Qianye’s heart shuddered. This was the order for a massacre!

Qianye raised his gun expressionlessly but did not pull the trigger. Not only Qianye, but many rookies’ faces paled, while the old Black Scorpions looked at the people in the square with cold, indifferent eyes.

They were still normal people!

Qianye and many rookies thought the same.

“Captain! They don’t look like blood slaves!” Finally, a rookie shouted.

The Red Scorpion captain said coldly, “There are a few blood slaves among them, and we’re not sure about the others. The proper procedure is to send them to a black mine to dig until they die. But we don’t have the time, and there’s no black mine nearby. So, execution is the best method. Do you understand, rookie?”

The rookie shook his head vehemently, pointing at a few normal-looking people, shouting, “They have no injuries! How can they be blood slaves!”

The Red Scorpion captain replied, “Blood poison isn’t transmitted only through blood. Any deep contact can lead to infection, though the chances are slim. We can’t take that risk. Given enough time, one blood slave can destroy an entire city! I can’t afford that responsibility, and neither can you, rookie! As punishment for questioning my orders, you’ll be confined for ten days, and your membership in the Red Scorpion Legion will be suspended. You can reapply after killing a hundred blood slaves!”

The rookie turned pale.

This punishment effectively removed him from the Red Scorpion Legion. Even if he returned, he would struggle to regain favor. Red Scorpion positions were highly coveted, and many families would be eyeing his vacant spot.

The captain’s gaze swept over the rookies, and his voice grew severe. “Rookies! This is war! A war that has lasted for thousands of years! Between us and those dark filth, there’s only a fight to the death. Any compromise is a betrayal of our comrades! So, put away your pathetic sympathy and obey orders. Kill all enemies you see; that is the fate of an imperial soldier! Now, rookies, raise your guns and fire!”

All the rookies’ guns blazed, and Qianye instinctively pulled the trigger. His muscles stiffened, and the automatic rifle bucked in his hands as metal bullets tore through the bodies, tearing them apart.

In moments, the eighty-round magazine was empty. Mechanically, Qianye replaced it and continued firing. When all the rookies emptied two magazines, no one in the square was standing.

After a brief silence, the local army commander rushed over, his flabby cheeks twitching, sweat pouring down. He approached the Red Scorpion captain, asking for further instructions.

“There are still many people hiding in the city. Your soldiers seem to have overlooked them.”

The captain’s words made the commander break out in a cold sweat. “Give me another twenty minutes, no, ten! I’ll root out every last person, I promise!”

The captain looked at the blood flowing on the ground and shook his head. “No need. This city is thoroughly contaminated and uninhabitable. So, I will burn it down.”

“Burn… it down?” The commander was aghast. A city, even a small one, was a considerable asset, and he was to burn it?

The captain nodded meaningfully. “Yes, burn it. This is the consequence of entanglement with the Blood Race!”

The commander broke out in a fresh wave of sweat, bowing and nodding. “Yes, I understand! Burn it, right away!”

Trucks rumbled, slowly departing the battlefield.

Qianye looked back, seeing flames rising high, and the sounds of explosions still echoing. The town was engulfed in fire and would soon become ruins. Such total destruction was not uncommon in the empire’s history.

Qianye felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see a veteran sitting beside him.