Chapter 12: The Final Hunt

Qian Ye reached out and shook her hand, feeling it as cold as an ice cube, then said, “Your name is quite unusual, but it sounds lovely. My name is Qian Ye, and as for my surname… I’ve forgotten it.”

“Even a surname can be forgotten, huh? Hehe.” Yè Tóng smiled, but did not press further.

This was their formal introduction.

Yè Tóng glanced around, her gaze lingering momentarily on the tripwire grenade trap at the door, then said, “As you can see, someone is after me. If possible, could you give me some food, preferably with some medication, stimulants will do. Also, I need my weapons.”

“I happen to have everything you need,” Qian Ye felt a bit odd.

Yè Tóng’s demeanor was composed, but she seemed to know everything about what he had on hand. This sense of being seen through made him uncomfortable.

A moment later, Yè Tóng and Qian Ye were seated in the bar’s kitchen, both devouring the feast laid out on the table.

In the barren Eternal Night Continent, high-calorie food was precious. The platters of beef on the table were Qian Ye’s food supply for two months.

Though the mysterious girl and old man had left him several dozen imperial gold coins, in the lawless Abandoned Lands, spending them was not easy. Even if no one dared to rob him for now, he could not use them directly for trade; he would have to find underground channels to exchange them.

Since silver had special destructive properties against the Blood Race, it was also one of the Empire’s strategic materials. The so-called silver coins contained only a little silver, mostly nickel. In the early days of the monetary system, silver coins were used to check if people were tainted by the Dark Blood. Over time, the silver content in the coins decreased.

Now, Qian Ye could handle silver coins without much trouble, using some tricks to minimize contact time. If possible, he would rather take a few hundred silver coins, which would save him a lot of trouble.

Besides the food, there were two large cups of strong liquor on the table. Then, Qian Ye took out a small steel flask from his pocket and carefully poured its contents into the cups. This time, he didn’t just add a drop but poured a small half-flask into each cup.

Yè Tóng’s eyes flickered, and she picked up the cup, sniffed it, and said, “Is this the combat stimulant used by the Imperial Elite Corps? Oh, it’s not pure, but it contains the main components. I heard that this stuff can make a person incredibly strong in a short time, turning them into a killing machine. Did you make this? How did you know the formula?”

Qian Ye was surprised by Yè Tóng’s erudition but didn’t reveal his past, simply saying, “Someone in my line of work has many channels. Getting such a formula isn’t hard, just a few silver coins. But gathering the herbs is challenging. Fortunately, I found the main ingredients nearby, so I made some. It’s not as strong as the original, but it lasts longer, for several hours. It also suppresses the thirst caused by the Dark Blood.”

Yè Tóng’s eyes lit up, and she grabbed the steel flask, saying, “Good stuff! Can I have the rest?”

Qian Ye calmly retrieved the flask, saying, “I need it too, and this is all I have. Oh, by the way, who is after you?”

Yè Tóng, while slicing the beef, said nonchalantly, “I’m a hunter for a certain organization, someone who hunts the dark races and collects bounties from the Empire. Now, I’m being chased by a group of vampires.”

At first, Qian Ye raised an eyebrow; in the Abandoned Lands, bounty hunters were slightly higher than scavengers, but not by much. However, at the last word, he couldn’t help but ask, “Vampires?”

There was a slight, almost imperceptible tremor in Qian Ye’s voice.

“They’re not blood slaves, but proper vampire warriors. There’s even one with a title!”

Qian Ye fell silent.

He finished the food on his plate, stood up, and put the remaining meat from the pot onto the plate, continuing to eat.

Yè Tóng glanced at him and asked, “I need a lot of energy for my escape and fight. Why are you eating so hurriedly? This is far more than your usual meal, right?”

Qian Ye said coolly, “I’ll join you in the battle. I’ll escort you to the border of the dark race’s controlled territory in the west.”

Surprise appeared on Yè Tóng’s face, unmasked, “You want to fight with me? Don’t joke. Those chasing me are real vampires. With your weak combat power, you’re just going to die. Let me see… You’re not even a third-level warrior, are you?”

Qian Ye’s heart skipped a beat. Under her gaze, it seemed like no secret was safe. But he insisted, “I have a way to deal with vampires.”

Yè Tóng frowned, “But if I go with you, I’ll be dragged down! I don’t want to move with a weakling! Stay here, and if I escape, I’ll send you the reward!”

Qian Ye disliked Yè Tóng’s tone, a bone-deep disdain for the weak. Even if Yè Tóng meant well, her attitude was extremely uncomfortable. Moreover, Qian Ye had other plans and ignored her attitude and objections.

“We’ll move along the route, maintaining a distance, and act independently,” Qian Ye frowned.

Yè Tóng added, “If we do this, won’t you become my bait?”

Qian Ye smiled, “Even if I am the bait, the vampires will have to swallow it!”

Yè Tóng looked deeply at Qian Ye, the haze in her eyes receded, revealing her pride and coldness, “It seems you’re very confident. But in my eyes, this confidence is no different from stupidity! A mere second-level warrior is nothing but an ant to a high-ranking vampire. If you insist on coming, then so be it. I can only tell you that you’re heading to certain death by following me.”

“Long ago, someone predicted I would die. But I’ve lived to this day, and I’ve lived well,” Qian Ye’s voice grew colder.

Yè Tóng frowned, “If you’re doing this to regain your dignity and to try to seduce me, it’s unnecessary. Weakness has no dignity, and I will never be attracted to a weakling. Don’t die without value; that’s my final advice, given that you saved me.”

Qian Ye tapped the table, “I have no interest in you. I just want to kill those damned vampires!”

“Suit yourself.”

Their conversation ended on a sour note, and they silently finished the food. Qian Ye then spread out a paper map on the table and drew a route heading west.

The route was winding, passing through two valleys, over a mountain peak, through a vast forest, and past an abandoned industrial area and a wrecked starship.

“This is the path to the west.”

“Why is it so complicated?” Yè Tóng couldn’t help but ask.

“A complex route helps shake off those damn vampire bastards following you,” Qian Ye replied, then pointed to a small mountain ridge, “Our final destination is here. This should be a secret base of the vampires, where high-ranking ones have been spotted. From their badges and behavior, they’re likely part of the ‘New Party.’ They’re relatively mild in the vampire world; perhaps you’ll have a chance for a first embrace and become one of them.”

A hint of interest finally appeared in Yè Tóng’s eyes, “You know about the ‘New Party,’ so your past must be quite interesting. You can’t have always been just the owner of this bar, right?”

“These aren’t secrets; many people in the Empire know about them.”

“But finding a secret vampire base without being detected is rare. A second-level warrior who can do this is practically unheard of.”

“That’s not important. What’s important is that you might get a first embrace and continue to live. If you join the ‘New Party,’ we might meet less often on the battlefield.”

Qian Ye tapped the map forcefully, “Remember the route; I’ll burn this map soon.”

He checked the time, “We leave in twenty minutes!”

For a moment, Qian Ye felt like he was back in the Red Scorpion, making decisive kills.

Yè Tóng, seeing the map and the chosen route, and the marked vampire base, finally became a little curious about Qian Ye.

Could this weak little guy really do something?

Time passed quickly. When the three o’clock bell chimed, the back door of the bar quietly opened, and Yè Tóng left, disappearing into the night.

Yè Tóng would leave first, followed by Qian Ye ten minutes later. As for who was the bait, it would depend on the situation.

Yè Tóng, displaying her proud nature, refused to travel with Qian Ye. Qian Ye also had many secrets he didn’t want her to see, leading to this solitary hunter mode.

In the wild, this was a classic tactic of the Red Scorpion. Two skilled partners could wipe out a dozen equally powerful dark race fighters over several days and nights.

After Yè Tóng left, Qian Ye dug up the floor in the center of the hall, revealing a stone slab with a pull ring. He pulled the slab, revealing a deep pit with a dark red suitcase about a meter long.

Qian Ye placed the case on the ground and carefully dialed the combination lock. Hearing a soft click, he relaxed and opened the lid.

Inside the case was a heavy, somewhat clumsy-looking rifle with force inscriptions, covered with special black paint. This paint blocked the light from the activated inscriptions without affecting the absorption of ambient force. The paint alone was worth more than a high-precision sniper rifle.

Qian Ye took out the rifle, assembling it with practiced ease. The rifle, fully black, exuded a menacing aura even when still.

Qian Ye had always wanted to avenge his Red Scorpion comrades, but now the Dark Blood was becoming uncontrollable, and he knew his time was limited. Optimistically, he had a year, but more realistically, only a few months.

So now, Qian Ye only hoped to drag a few vampires with him when he returned to the darkness.