Chapter 34: The Quest

Qian Ye was starting to understand the character of this four-star female hunter. It was evident she had abundant hunting experience and was accustomed to a gender-neutral battlefield life, which made her so unbound by trivialities. In the wilderness, hunters lived on the edge of life and death, their bonds far closer than those of ordinary people.

Qian Ye’s gaze swept over several scars on her body, and with just a glance at their shapes, he knew which creatures had inflicted them.

The two continued chatting through the bathroom door, and Qian Ye roughly understood the basic details of the mission.

A complete werewolf tribe consisted of the alpha, elders, and common warriors. Some tribes also included special types like shadow wolves, needle wolves, war wolves, or berserker wolves.

The werewolf tribes near the磐石领 had relatively balanced strength. The alphas were usually between levels five and six, the elders slightly weaker, and the special types varied. However, it was rare for a powerful entity to disrupt the ecological balance, as such a situation would trigger internal conflicts within the dark races to redefine their territories. A traditional werewolf tribe typically had around a hundred adult warriors; any more would make the hunting grounds insufficient.

With Yu Yingnan’s team’s strength, it was impossible to confront the entire werewolf tribe head-on. But that wasn’t her goal; she aimed to raid and plunder. Yu Yingnan had acquired a costly force elixir through certain channels, capable of severely damaging the werewolves’ sense of smell, drastically reducing their combat power in a short time.

In the female hunter’s plan, this elixir was perfect for use in the enclosed environment of a wolf den, with an expected effect lasting about half an hour. The hunters would have to strike swiftly, seize the totem, and flee at full speed. They would then need to evade the pursuing werewolves on their return journey, marking their success.

However, the entire operation left Qian Ye with a deep unease. Every step of the plan seemed fraught with uncertainties. Especially the final phase, where escaping dozens of recovered and fully powered werewolves in the wilderness would be unimaginably difficult.

When Qian Ye voiced his concerns, Yu Yingnan dismissed them nonchalantly. “Oh, come on! There’s always a bit of unexpected in every mission. We just need to be well-prepared. Don’t worry, I’ve brought Yang Tian along. He’s an expert in dealing with those gray-skinned dogs. We’ll meet this afternoon to finalize the preparations and roles. You come with me, and you can meet the other members too, so you know what you’re getting into.”

Qian Ye was taken aback. From start to finish, he hadn’t agreed to join, yet Yu Yingnan assumed he was on board. Their relationship, if you could call it that, was only a night of drinking, and she had been knocked out by him.

After lunch, Yu Yingnan took Qian Ye to a weapons shop on Xuan Tong Street and pushed the door open.

The shop owner, a middle-aged man with a full beard, pointed to the back room when he saw them. “They’re all waiting inside.”

As they entered, it turned out not to be a single room but a hallway with a spiral staircase leading down to a basement. The space was surprisingly spacious, well-lit by gas lamps, filled with various compartments, steel tracks, and machinery—a small workshop.

Yu Yingnan led Qian Ye into a room closest to the stairs, a weapons manufacturing studio.

Four workbenches lined the walls, laden with parts and semi-finished products. One bench held a bowl of crystal grains, which, once polished, would form the core of blank force bullets.

In the corner, shelves stacked high with raw steel bars reached the ceiling.

The walls, with large patches of plaster peeling off, were covered with various firearms and two design diagrams nailed up.

Qian Ye glanced at the diagrams, noticing several parameters circled in black ink. To his surprise, they were the standard values for a second-tier force weapon.

He paused, taking in the entire blueprint. It was indeed a self-designed force weapon, barely meeting the second-tier standard, surpassing the standard-issue weapons of the expeditionary forces, which surprised Qian Ye. However, workshop-made weapons often had issues with mass production and reliability, so Qian Ye still preferred the military-issued ones.

Three others were already in the room: two seated, and a dark-skinned young man busy at a workbench. When Yu Yingnan and Qian Ye entered, their gazes all fell on Qian Ye, filled with curiosity, admiration, and some hostility.

Yu Yingnan introduced them briefly.

Yang Tian, like her, was a four-star hunter, in his forties, looking like a sturdy, honest uncle. He shook Qian Ye’s hand, smiling. “You’re the first person I’ve seen knock out Yingnan at a drinking table! Welcome aboard!”

The other two were named Zaxi and Li Lunzhe.

Zaxi remained at his workbench, only glancing at Qian Ye briefly before focusing back on his parts. Even when greeting Qian Ye or answering Yu Yingnan’s questions, his eyes never left his work—clearly a technical fanatic.

Li Lunzhe was young, around twenty-four or five, but his strength was already at level four, equal to Yu Yingnan and Yang Tian.

He greeted Qian Ye with a subtle arrogance, shaking hands reluctantly. “Sister Nan, this guy looks green. Does he have any combat experience? Should we test him?”

Yang Tian interjected, “No need. If Yingnan vouches for him, he must be good. Besides, Second Master has approved him.”

Hearing Second Master’s approval, Li Lunzhe grumbled but said no more. His hostility toward Qian Ye, however, was still painfully obvious and unhidden.

They then discussed their roles and detailed action plans.

The hunters would split up, meeting at a predetermined location outside the target valley to avoid being detected by the werewolves. Zaxi would handle the escape route, while Qian Ye followed Yu Yingnan. Once the totem was seized, he would take it and the others would cover their retreat. Qian Ye’s main task was to use his speed to bring the totem back safely.

After finalizing the plan, Yu Yingnan tapped the table. “Next is the usual—equipment allocation and deposit. Qian Ye’s share will be on me!”

Qian Ye had intended to pay his own deposit, but seeing the others each put down five gold coins, he fell silent. After settling the bill last night, he had only one gold coin and a few silver coins left.

Since arriving in Dark Blood City, his only income had been ten bounty gold coins from the Hunter’s Lodge, which didn’t cover the expenses of settling in, buying equipment, and supplies. This was why, despite his unease, he hadn’t refused Yu Yingnan’s mission.

Yang Tian and Zaxi did not oppose Yu Yingnan’s decision, but Li Lunzhe’s hostility toward Qian Ye only grew.

They dispersed, agreeing to meet at the designated location in three days.

As they walked out of the shop, Yu Yingnan patted Qian Ye’s shoulder. “Come with me. We’ll set out tonight.” Qian Ye had no say in her arrangements.

They had just passed two blocks when Yu Yingnan suddenly stopped.

This street was neither wide nor narrow, fairly clean. Most buildings were single-story, with a few two-story houses. Over half of them were various shops.

It was around three or four in the afternoon, and the sky was beginning to darken. Gas lamps lit up, signaling the peak time for hunters returning to the city. Normally, this street should have been bustling, but now it was eerily quiet, empty of any human presence.

All doors and windows were tightly shut, as if the entire street had closed down simultaneously. The dim glow of the gas lamps cast a blurry, weak light on the lone signs, making them even more indistinct in the twilight.

Yu Yingnan looked around, then laughed coldly. “You’re here, so stop hiding!”

A strange, mocking voice came from behind them. “Of course, we’re afraid you’ll see us and run away!”

With a creak, a gaunt man emerged from a house behind them.

Doors on both sides of the street opened, and a dozen men appeared, surrounding Yu Yingnan and Qian Ye. More than half were level one warriors, and the mocking man was a level three warrior.

Qian Ye scanned the group, noticing snake tattoos on their exposed arms. They were members of the Sky Snake Gang, a major faction in Dark Blood City.

The Sky Snake Gang was the third-largest gang in Dark Blood City, with significant influence, and this street was part of their territory.

Qian Ye quickly assessed the surroundings. The buildings provided no real obstacle, and even if there were more hidden enemies inside, they wouldn’t be able to stop Yu Yingnan and Qian Ye. But while they might escape now, the Sky Snake Gang would be a persistent threat later.

Yu Yingnan raised an eyebrow. “Flower Snake, cut the nonsense. What do you want? If it’s a trap, I’m leaving. Then I’ll settle scores with you lot later.”

Flower Snake smiled. “Leave? And abandon your business in the city?”

Yu Yingnan replied calmly, “I don’t care. But from now on, no Sky Snake Gang member, especially you, will leave the city alone. Prepare for your funerals if you want to go out.”

Flower Snake’s face darkened, and his arrogance waned. They were indeed numerous and formidable in the city, but in the wilderness, they were no match for experienced hunters like Yu Yingnan. If she decided to hound them, few would dare venture far from the city.

Qian Ye’s opinion of Yu Yingnan improved. He had thought she was just a woman of brawn and violence, but a four-star hunter, regardless of their personality, was never easy to deal with.

Flower Snake’s smile faded. “Fine, Yu Yingnan, you’re ruthless. Now, what about the debt you owe Big Brother? It’s fine if you delay, but our Big Brother said he’d take it up with Second Master. You won’t get away without paying interest and penalties, not even a copper coin!”