Chapter 32: An Unpleasant Interlude

As Qian Ye left the Hunter’s abode, the sky had already begun to darken.

He casually found a tavern, downed a couple of drinks, and then inquired from a waitress about any nearby houses for sale. An hour later, Qian Ye had secured his first residence in Dark Blood City.

The two-story house with its own courtyard was astonishingly priced at only five gold coins. It was so cheap because it was separated from the slums by just one wall. The slums were a den of chaos, filth, and depravity. It was easy to imagine that every night, several thieves would visit the house.

No one wanted to live in such a place, and they would move out as soon as possible if they could.

Qian Ye, however, wasn’t afraid of trouble. He bought many parts and set up traps both inside and outside the main building’s windows and doors, as well as at strategic points in the yard. These simple-looking gadgets were actually quite effective. They wouldn’t easily take lives, but they would certainly cause physical pain. After setting them up, Qian Ye painted a large warning on the outer wall: “Traps Inside, Enter at Your Own Risk.”

After writing this, Qian Ye locked the gate and prepared to head into the wilderness for hunting. The shortest route to the city gate was through the slums. Ignoring the hostile glares of the idle ruffians, he walked into a narrow alley that was almost too narrow to pass through without turning sideways.

The alley was crooked and filled with debris, making it even more crowded. Some places were almost impossible to step on, and the ground was littered with garbage and dirty water. Children with faces so dirty you couldn’t recognize their original features ran and played, darting from one alley to another.

On both sides were low, shabby huts. Even a man of average height had to bend to enter or exit. Some women stood at the door, constantly waving at passersby. For just ten coppers, they would sleep with you.

These scenes did not disgust Qian Ye; instead, they evoked a sense of nostalgia. The place where he grew up was even worse. The airship graveyard had no roads, and every step was on metal fragments or chunks. People lived in abandoned hulls and even pipes.

Children never thought of playing; they had to save their strength due to lack of food. The only reason to fight was to secure food.

To Qian Ye, these narrow, winding alleys at least had a basic order, and the running children represented vitality.

Qian Ye walked through the long, narrow alley until he reached a small open space where several paths converged. After a brief orientation, he headed towards the widest and highest street. At nearly every alley entrance, there were two or three suspicious locals who cast unfriendly glances at him as he passed.

Qian Ye didn’t flinch and made no effort to avoid them. His leather armor, assault rifle on his back, and the short axe at his waist clearly indicated that he was not to be trifled with.

But as he passed an alley, a scrawny boy suddenly burst out, charging straight at him like a cannonball. Qian Ye easily sidestepped him.

The boy fell face-first, his lips and teeth hitting the muddy ground. As he struggled to get up, he suddenly sniffed the air with his unusually large nose and screamed, “Bloodline Origin Rifle! I can smell it! I can smell it!”

At the boy’s scream, the entire slum erupted!

A Bloodline Origin Rifle was a priceless treasure. Whoever got it could change their fate!

Qian Ye was surprised. This boy’s nose was exceptionally sharp, able to detect the Golden Rose carefully wrapped in his backpack. And he was yelling about something far more valuable than mere gold coins, clearly not just babbling. It seemed that even in the slums, there were many naturally gifted individuals, though most were destined to remain hidden.

Many raggedly dressed people slowly surrounded Qian Ye, brandishing crude weapons like wooden sticks and knives.

Qian Ye was helpless. Once such a situation formed, it often didn’t end without bloodshed. He shouldered his assault rifle, pulled back the bolt with a heavy click, and aimed the barrel at the crowd.

“Whoever dares to come closer, dies! Now, clear the way!” Qian Ye shouted.

But his words had no effect. The riotous mob didn’t retreat; instead, after a brief exchange of looks, they tightened their circle. Their breathing was heavy, and their eyes began to redden with greed, staring at Qian Ye’s backpack with hungry, avaricious glints.

A bony, emaciated man suddenly lunged at Qian Ye. As he moved, Qian Ye turned as if he could see behind him, aiming the gun directly at the man’s forehead.

The man froze, but seeing that Qian Ye didn’t shoot, he lowered himself like a feral dog and even growled a low, threatening snarl at Qian Ye.

Qian Ye knew things had gone bad.

But perhaps due to lingering thoughts from his earlier stroll, or perhaps the familiar, metallic stench in the air, Qian Ye’s finger squeezed the trigger tighter, but never fully pulled it.

The “Assaulter’s” power could not only blow the head off the madman in front of him but also topple those to his left, and finally collapse the hut at the alley entrance.

Seeing that Qian Ye hadn’t fired, the man’s courage swelled. Without hesitation, he leaped and bit fiercely at Qian Ye’s throat!

Qian Ye hesitated, sighed, released the trigger, and shifted his grip on the rifle to hold it vertically, ready to knock the man out with the butt. With his current level three warrior strength, he could force his way out of this spot.

Just then, a gunshot echoed from the side, and the man’s head exploded, splattering blood and brain matter all over Qian Ye!

That was the sight of a large-caliber bullet hit!

Qian Ye turned sharply and saw a woman in tight combat gear standing on a rooftop, holding a clearly modified firearm. The unusually large barrel was still smoking.

She moved her gun, aiming at the boy with the large nose, and sneered, “Die, little brat!”

“Wait!” Qian Ye’s voice and the gunshot sounded simultaneously.

The powerful recoil pushed the woman’s ample chest back slightly, and the boy’s head and upper body exploded.

The mob was instantly panicked, and some turned to flee. But most were spurred to even greater ferocity, and several roared and pounced, grabbing at the straps of Qian Ye’s backpack. In the chaos, two makeshift daggers were thrust toward his back.

These rioters were weak and easily defeated, but their attacks were absolutely vicious and ruthless. They cared nothing for their own lives.

Qian Ye sighed, swung his hand back, and grabbed the two dagger hilts precisely. The attackers tried to pull or stab, but the blades were stuck as if welded.

Suddenly, a metal object trailing smoke flew through the air—a grenade!

Qian Ye cursed and, with no choice, leaped over two huts, landing on the other side of the street and immediately crouched down.

Boom! Two rioters were launched high into the air, and several severed limbs were thrown. The blast wave destroyed the surrounding huts, sending wood and debris flying past Qian Ye, cutting into his skin.

This was a military-grade, high-explosive grenade! Qian Ye instantly deduced. This was a formidable weapon against lower-level dark races. Even a formal Bloodline warrior caught in the blast would be injured!

If Qian Ye had thought it was just a regular grenade and hadn’t dodged with all his might, he would have been severely wounded by the indiscriminate attack.

He silently cursed the woman for her ruthless tactics, using a weapon meant for the battlefield in the city!

The blast killed over a dozen people, and the rest fled in terror.

A commotion arose in the distant streets, and soon, several fully armed expeditionary soldiers rushed over.

When they saw the woman on the roof, they paused, and their attitude became respectful. “Miss Yú Yīngnán, what happened? You seem to have used a weapon not allowed in the city.”

The young woman sneered, “It’s nothing serious. Some thugs were trying to rob a member of our Hunter’s Guild. I took care of a few to teach them a lesson. As for the grenade, it accidentally went off. Not my fault.”

The lead soldier, a corporal, nodded and turned to his comrades, “We’ve figured it out. Someone accidentally triggered a hidden grenade. Alright, let’s go!”

The soldiers left, ignoring the bodies on the ground.

Witnessing this, Qian Ye remained silent. In the Red Scorpion, he had encountered death quotas, but they were for the local nobles. This kind of situation was something he had heard from veterans in regular armies, but it was his first time experiencing it.

The young woman jumped down from the roof, landing in front of Qian Ye, and gave him a thorough once-over. She then showed him a four-star Hunter’s badge, saying, “Come with me. Let’s go for a drink.”

Moments later, they were seated in a bar.

Qian Ye followed her because a four-star hunter required not only the corresponding achievements but also at least fourth-level strength.

Only now did Qian Ye have the chance to observe her closely.

She was a young woman, around twenty years old, wearing deep brown and dark gray armor. The material seemed to be from some fierce beast’s hide, with metal plating on key areas. Her armor was far superior to Qian Ye’s, and it fit her perfectly, clearly custom-made or adjusted.

Her face was both heroic and wild, very beautiful. A small scar on her forehead, instead of marring her beauty, added a touch of rebellious charm when she tilted her head and raised her eyebrows.

The girl was tall, only slightly shorter than Qian Ye, with a body full of energy and power. Her deep brown hair was tied in a ponytail.

She leaned forward, seemingly unaware that her chest was pressing against the table.

With the casual air of a seasoned veteran, she tapped the table and said to Qian Ye, “I’m Yú Yīngnán. You can call me Yīngnán or Nán Jie. But, kid, are you really going to drink this watery stuff?”