Chapter 1: A Call for Aid

No matter how the world changes, the Silent Flame Plain remains the same.

Occasionally, the wind blows, stirring up fine red soil that dances like leaping flames, mirroring Qian Ye’s chaotic emotions.

He moved forward almost mechanically, but his mind was a storm not just of Zhao Jundu’s words, but more so of memories, memories that belonged solely to him.

Now, in retrospect, when Qian Ye learned from Song Zining that his scars were the result of origin power plunder, he had already vaguely sensed something. His survival through such a taboo event could not be attributed to mere coincidence or luck.

Therefore, in reality, Qian Ye never truly wanted to know the answer. Besides more conspiracies and death, pain and blood, he could not fathom what else there could be.

Qian Ye had never been more eager to return to the Eternal Night Continent. At least there, he had his little abode and people waiting for him, something tangible and real.

It was only when the remote Pupaw Town came into view that he realized a day and night had passed.

Pupaw Town was still as simple, and the Master was busy in his dilapidated shop. No one would associate this humble store in a desolate area with the incredibly powerful “bullet.”

As Qian Ye pushed the door open, the Master was working on something at his half-manual, half-automated machine. Even when Qian Ye stood behind him, the Master remained oblivious.

On the machine was an exquisitely crafted silver piece, no larger than a fingernail, intricately engraved with patterns. Qian Ye finally recognized it as a component of the bullet. The lathe the Master used was quite common, yet it produced such precision.

After finishing the silver piece, the Master let out a long breath, looked at Qian Ye, and said, “You’re here for the ‘bullet’ again, I suppose?”

“Yes,” Qian Ye respectfully replied. “I brought some necessary materials.”

As the Master carefully inspected the thin, cicada-wing-like silver piece under an origin light, he said slowly, “I owe Old Saber only one favor, and that last bullet has already repaid it.”

“I understand,” Qian Ye said, knowing full well after witnessing the astonishing effect of the bullet that the price of a hundred gold coins was absurdly low.

The Master asked, “What did you use the last one for?”

“Against a viscount of the Banen Clan of the Blood Race.”

The Master nodded, “That’s more like it. My masterpiece, used on a viscount, is barely acceptable. Show me the materials you brought.”

Qian Ye took out two small boxes, one containing two small pieces of mythril exchanged from the Tulip Market, and the other holding four vampire fangs.

The Master glanced at the mythril and said, “Hmm, enough for three bullets.”

He then examined the fangs carefully, “These are the fangs of a Blood Race viscount. They can also be made into bullets, but they are only effective against dawn creatures, less so against dark races.”

The Master put away the materials and handed over two finished mythril bullets to Qian Ye. This time, excluding the materials, the labor cost alone was four hundred gold coins per bullet, the true price of the “bullet.”

Qian Ye stayed in Pupaw Town for only half a day before boarding a smuggler’s airship back to the Empire. The special origin bullets made from the fangs would be delivered via Old Saber.

The airship traversed the void, crossed the imperial mainland, and after several flights, Qian Ye finally returned to Blackstream City.

Indeed, the war had ended. In Weiyang City, soldiers with the insignia of the Imperial main forces could still be seen, while Blackstream City had fully returned to normal.

Although signs of battle remained outside the city, Wei Bairen’s turtle strategy had prevented the dark races from launching a large-scale attack on Blackstream City. Thus, once the dark races withdrew, Blackstream City quickly regained its vitality.

Upon entering Blackstream City, the first place Qian Ye visited was the Darkfire Mercenary Corps. As he approached the camp, he almost failed to recognize the bustling construction site.

The Darkfire Mercenary Corps had originally occupied an abandoned factory in a corner of the city, vast but largely unused, making it appear very empty. But now, Qian Ye saw a very noisy, large-scale construction site.

Several large earthmoving machines were digging deep trenches. In the completed sections, a heavy crane was slowly lowering a tree-thick steel pipe into the trench.

Qian Ye was startled. The steel pipes were engraved with the pattern of a power tower, clearly indicating the installation of a dedicated energy pipeline for power steam. This was no small project, and only professional large military camps required such pipelines.

Looking around, Qian Ye saw barracks, a fortified compound wall, and two watchtowers under construction. Given the scale of the project, the camp could easily accommodate a regiment.

While Qian Ye had ambitions for the Darkfire Mercenary Corps, they hadn’t yet grown to this extent.

Song Hu, informed of Qian Ye’s return, immediately rushed over. He was followed by several unfamiliar mercenaries, apparently in the middle of a business discussion.

The other mercenary leaders greeted Qian Ye and left, allowing him to point at the large construction site and ask, “What’s going on here?”

Song Hu dismissed it with a wave, “Just accelerating development.”

Qian Ye knew this was about accelerated development, but it was too fast.

Though the Darkfire Mercenary Corps had suffered some losses in the war, the accumulated war achievements from those two major battles had earned them a substantial reward, with little deducted by the expeditionary headquarters. Wei Bairen, unlike other generals, didn’t siphon off the funds.

With the money distributed, Song Hu began a significant expansion without hesitation. The corps had expanded to two thousand members, and the camp was being built to the specifications of a fully equipped light division.

The mercenaries who had accompanied Song Hu were the leaders of nearby cities that had broken defenses during the war, as well as the original Blackstream City mercenary groups. Song Hu was negotiating with them, planning to merge them, forming a three-thousand-strong force.

However, even the empire’s generous rewards couldn’t account for such a large amount. Song Hu had spent all the reward money and borrowed everything he could. Thus, Qian Ye now found himself burdened with a debt of fifty thousand gold coins!

Qian Ye was at a loss for words.

Seeing Qian Ye’s grim expression, Song Hu comforted him, “Lord Qian Ye, don’t worry. We still have some money in the account, enough to cover the next two months’ payroll.”

Qian Ye exhaled deeply, not overly concerned about the debt. The rare materials from Anduya’s space, though few, included a high-purity solid mythril worth thirty thousand gold coins, solving his financial troubles.

Yet, Song Hu’s actions were extremely risky. If Qian Ye hadn’t returned or hadn’t gained anything from Anduya’s space, what would happen in two months? Would he have to disband the corps?

Before Qian Ye could respond, Song Hu took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to him, saying, “This is a letter from Young Master Zining, specifically addressed to you.”

Qian Ye was taken aback, suddenly remembering the unsettled account with Song Zining. He opened the letter and read the first line: “Qian Ye, save me!”

Qian Ye was startled. Even during their time in the Underworld Training Camp, where life and death hung in the balance, Song Zining had never been so frantic!

He immediately asked, “When did this letter arrive?”

Song Hu, noticing Qian Ye’s distress, was also alarmed, “Only two days ago. Young Master Zining’s messenger said you should be returning soon, so I stayed in the camp to wait for you.”

As Qian Ye listened, he hurriedly read on. The letter did not mention the danger, only that Song Zining was in Yicheng of Qinghe County and needed Qian Ye to come immediately.

Qian Ye crumpled the letter and said, “Book me on the next airship to Yicheng in Qinghe County. You remain in charge here. Put further expansion on hold until I return.”

In the following hours, Qian Ye was exceedingly busy, not stopping for a moment. He first met with Wei Bairen to learn about the latest developments in the Eternal Night Continent, bringing back a stack of gazettes, which he barely had time to skim.

Then, Qian Ye went to an underground trading channel to sell the mythril he hadn’t been able to sell at the Zhao clan’s Prosperous Merchant House, leaving the money for the mercenary corps.

When Song Hu saw the sum, his eyes lit up, but Qian Ye had already restricted any further expansion. Otherwise, with this additional capital, Qian Ye’s debt would only increase upon his return.

Of course, Qian Ye didn’t forget to send agents to the Black Mud Town in the Great Swamp to investigate Lu Jianan’s whereabouts. When he returned to his quarters that night, he was warmly welcomed by A Qi and A Jiu. Only then did he realize it had been several months since he last fed them his blood.

Considering the sisters’ origins, Qian Ye worried even more about Song Zining’s situation. That guy dared to trade with rebels and got caught in Zhao territory. Who knew what trouble he was in now? Yet, what problem could Qian Ye solve for him?

After a night of turmoil and passion, Qian Ye awoke in the Eternal Night Continent’s dark morning. A Jiu still curled beside him, while A Qi was already up, her light footsteps and the sound of washing water heard outside.

Qian Ye pulled the blanket over A Jiu’s naked body and quietly left the room. A Qi, busy with her chores, turned and saw Qian Ye, her small face lighting up with joy.

Qian Ye smiled, ruffled her hair, and started dressing.

Thus, ties were formed layer by layer—some desired, some unintended, some out of duty, and some chosen. In a world where tomorrow was uncertain, Qian Ye felt a strong desire to build a small haven, a place to shelter those around him.

In the morning, the first light fell on the airship landing field outside Blackstream City as Qian Ye boarded the airship to Yicheng.

His destination was in Qinghe County, deep within human territory, untouched by the recent war. It was the true headquarters of the Nanyuan Group in the Eternal Night.