Ning Zining’s record could be considered glorious, with several battles where he had felled multiple dark viscounts. However, such a record was anything but normal. The Evernight world was not the Upper Continent; seizing cities and territories held little significance. So why would a small, resource-poor city like Heilu attract such overwhelming forces?
The intentions of the dark races were somewhat understandable. Luther’s grinding, water-dripping tactics seemed aimed at capturing the city’s defending generals. In large-scale battles, without an overwhelming advantage, it was much harder to capture an enemy general than to kill him. But in the eyes of the higher-ups in the Evernight faction, aside from strong fighters, everyone else was merely cannon fodder, and the death toll of such fodder never mattered.
What was most talked about in Ning Zining’s recent battle was his personal guard—completely composed of women, yet their combat prowess was on par with the guards of the main legion generals of the empire. Behind this seemingly alluring gossip, Qian Ye saw a dire crisis. This meant that under the relentless offensive, Ning Zining’s trump cards were being slowly revealed one by one.
Now, with reinforcements constantly arriving for Luther, his forces only grew stronger after each battle, increasing in number. On the other hand, despite Ning Zining’s impressive displays of power, cutting down several dark strongholds, he received no aid or replenishment. As a result, whether it was supplies or troops, Heilu City would inevitably run out as the battle continued. Given more time, even if he wielded his troops like a god, he would still face a losing situation.
Qian Ye, while feeling angry, was more surprised. In this bloody conflict, Heilu City, as a key front in the Three Rivers County, should have received reinforcements once it was embroiled in a stalemate. If it wasn’t taken in one fell swoop, it should not have been left alone.
Without going into details, there were several divisions of the expeditionary army in the Three Rivers County, and they must be aware of the consequences of Heilu City falling. After all, before the war began, they had preemptively sent a fully-equipped battalion. Now, with Heilu City in dire straits, why were they holding back?
Most divisions of the expeditionary army were local power brokers. While their combat capabilities might be lacking, they were no fools and understood the principle of mutual dependency. Moreover, with Ning Zining’s formidable strength, just the addition of reinforcements would force the dark army to consider the possibility of being attacked from both fronts, making it impossible for them to leisurely besiege the city for over ten days.
Pushing it further, even if we consider extreme scenarios, the Song Clan had their own units in the Iron Curtain. They couldn’t ignore this situation. Ning Zining was, at least nominally, the second-in-line heir to the family. If he were captured by the dark races, the Song Clan would lose everything, both in terms of honor and power.
Yet, Heilu City received no aid.
The apprentice brought a large tactical backpack, which the middle-aged man placed at Qian Ye’s feet. “This is the best survival kit for the wilderness, containing all the supplies, ammunition, and tools you need. You still have some credit left; do you want to exchange for something else?”
Qian Ye looked up from the paper in his hands, “I want to know more about this piece of information.”
The middle-aged man leaned over and took a look, his expression changing slightly.
“Keep the remaining credit,” Qian Ye said. “I want to know why Heilu City hasn’t received any aid.”
The middle-aged man quickly made a note in the exchange records, smiling, “This information is widely known, and you can find out by asking around. But I can’t return this to you.” The remaining credit was still quite valuable, truly a windfall.
Next, the middle-aged man briefly recounted what he knew and added some personal insights.
It turned out that the Nan Gong private army’s main division had already arrived near Heilu City and had completely blocked off the route to the city. They even openly declared that anyone who dared to aid Heilu City would be considered an enemy of the Nan Gong family.
Under the threat of the Nan Gong family, the various divisions of the expeditionary army chose to remain inactive. Even if they did act, it would be futile. The Nan Gong family’s main division, along with several powerful fighters, could easily overwhelm the expeditionary army, even if three or five divisions combined. Not to mention, the old monster, Nan Gong Yuanwang, was stationed there.
Although Nan Gong Yuanwang, who was close to becoming a Divine General, could not act directly under the Iron Curtain, his long-standing reputation was enough to deter anyone. Even if the generals from the expeditionary headquarters came, they would still have to carefully consider the situation.
After hearing this, Qian Ye’s surface remained calm, but his heart pulsed faintly.
Thud!
Everyone in the inn heard the sound like a drumbeat from ancient times. For a moment, it felt as if a heavy stone was pressing down on their hearts, and their breaths stopped.
Bang! A hunter’s wine glass shattered, splashing him with alcohol, but he remained motionless, staring blankly. In the Hunters’ Inn, there was a moment of dead silence.
Qian Ye took a deep breath, calming his blood core, and the invisible pressure slowly dissipated. Although the hunters regained their ability to move, none dared to make a sound, and their hands trembled uncontrollably.
It was Qian Ye’s voice that broke the silence, “With the Nan Gong family acting this way, is the Song Clan not reacting at all?”
“The Song Clan?” The middle-aged man recovered the fastest, showing a disdainful expression, “Those soft eggs only hire people like us to form squads and fight for military merit. Their top rank is still filled with those who sacrificed their lives. The Nan Gong family has been doing this for a long time, and there hasn’t been a single response from the Song Clan.”
At this point, a hunter interjected, “The Song Clan has never produced any outstanding figures for so many years. Only this seventh young master is a true hero. Now, the seventh young master is fighting bitterly in Heilu City, and the Nan Gong family has cut off his reinforcements, yet the Song Clan doesn’t even fart. Do they deserve to be one of the four great clans?”
Another hunter chimed in, “Exactly! I heard that the seventh young master, shortly after becoming a War General, killed several viscounts. If given time, he would surely become a Marshal!”
The hunters grew more heated, expressing their contempt for the Song Clan without reservation.
Qian Ye listened quietly for a while, then placed a few pieces of paper on the counter, thanked the middle-aged man, and picked up the tactical backpack, heading out.
He placed the papers very gently, as if touching the most delicate flower, afraid of damaging it. Several sharp-eyed hunters, noticing his movements, immediately stopped talking, their eyes full of confusion.
Qian Ye had already left, and a gust of wind blew through the half-closed door, causing a chill in the room. Everyone shivered. The counter, hit by the wind, suddenly turned into countless tiny dust particles, vanishing. The papers, now floating in the dust, slowly landed on the ground.
Instantly, the inn was deathly silent, and cold sweat poured from the hunters’ foreheads.
“Why did such a fierce person come to our small place?” a hunter forced a smile.
The middle-aged man, having grabbed his ledger, looked complex, and whispered, “Looks like… the Nan Gong family is in for trouble.”
Near the city gate of Tianhe County, a three-story building stood, bustling with activity. People wanting to board airships to other places mostly came here to buy tickets and register.
Qian Ye moved quickly through the crowd, pushing people aside with slight effort, creating a path. Some, eager to curse, found themselves strangely chilled upon seeing Qian Ye’s unimposing figure, swallowing their harsh words.
Soon, Qian Ye reached the front, looking at the row of counters. He saw an empty table at the end, marked for several small airships. He walked over and knocked on the counter, “I need an airship, departing immediately.”
The lean, shrewd-looking man behind the counter raised his eyebrows, “A private airship? That’s not cheap! Where are you going?”
“Heilu City.”
The man was startled, quickly saying, “No way! Absolutely not!”
Qian Ye’s brows furrowed, “Why?”
“That place is not only under the Iron Curtain but also a war zone! Going there is suicide! And the Nan Gong family has issued a notice: any airship bound for Heilu City must land at their base, or they will be attacked upon entering.” The man spoke rapidly.
“I’ll pay extra.”
Those three words carried weight. The man hesitated, his gaze darting around, then asked in a low voice, “How much extra?”
“Three times the price.”
“Not enough. At least seven times, and maybe someone will dare to go.”
“Deal.”
The man approached Qian Ye, quickly giving him an address, “Go to this place at midnight tonight, bring enough money, and someone will arrange it for you.”
Qian Ye nodded and prepared to leave. Just then, a small, hooded figure squeezed in, “Do you have an airship to Heilu City?”
Qian Ye was slightly surprised; he hadn’t expected anyone else to be going to Heilu at this time. But he didn’t care and left, hearing the two behind him arguing, their voices growing louder.
As midnight approached, Qian Ye headed to the designated location. The streets were empty, and the road narrowed, with dilapidated buildings on either side, sewage, and garbage piling up. It was the edge of the city slums, a place where all sorts of people mingled.
After passing two street corners, the road turned into an alley. Qian Ye suddenly stopped, a small figure emerging from the shadows, blocking his path.
“Are you going to Heilu City? Can you take me along?”
Qian Ye’s brows furrowed, “Who are you? Besides, I’m not going to Heilu City.”
The figure was wrapped in a thick cloak, with a protrusion in the back, suggesting a sizable weapon. Hearing Qian Ye’s refusal, the figure grew anxious, “I clearly heard you say you’re chartering an airship to Heilu City!”
Qian Ye’s expression darkened, his eyes filled with killing intent, “Knowing too much can be fatal.”
“No, I didn’t mean to pry into your secrets! I just want to go to Heilu City.”
Qian Ye suddenly leaned back, a flying knife whizzed past, piercing the wall of a house on the other side of the alley. The knife was powerful, capable of penetrating even the armor of the main legion.
Qian Ye looked in the direction of the knife, and several men emerged from the darkness, all with sinister expressions. One of them sneered, “Kid, you’re the one who wants to join the fun in Heilu City?”
“Who are you?” Qian Ye’s voice was icy.
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