As expected, the plan received strong support from Wei Po Tian and Zhao Yuying, and resolute opposition from Song Zining. With three against one, the plan was smoothly passed. Qian Ye no longer intended to delve into the details of the plan with them. He had come to realize that whenever these three were together, their collective intelligence seemed to plummet.
Before officially heading west, Qian Ye planned to scout the Dark Nation himself, to see if there were any new developments in the military situation. His destination was the Silver Flow Gorge, a sharp turn in a great river, where steep cliffs formed a natural barrier.
The towering cliffs, hundreds of meters high, overlooked the opposite bank of the river for dozens of kilometers. If heavy artillery could be transported up there, an effective defensive network could be established. Additionally, the dark races had already built a stronghold on the mountaintop, but the guards stationed there were not particularly strong.
The others were not very at ease with Qian Ye venturing alone. Except for Wei Po Tian, who was unable to join, both Song Zining and Zhao Yuying wanted to accompany him. However, this idea was firmly rejected by Qian Ye. In terms of reconnaissance and combat experience in the wilderness, even Zhao Yuying fell far short of his abilities. Alone, he would be safer.
In fact, Qian Ye had another unspeakable destination. The werewolf tribes mentioned by William were also near the westward route. Qian Ye planned to take a detour to check on the situation, something he had not yet decided whether to tell even Song Zining.
Over the next few days, Qian Ye was busy preparing for his journey and arranging the affairs of the mercenary group. When he arrived at the garage, he suddenly noticed many people coming and going, and a power line being installed. Inside the garage, the roar of machinery was deafening.
Qian Ye was somewhat surprised and walked briskly into the garage. This small garage was reserved for the use of a few high-ranking members of Dark Flame, housing dual-wheeled motorcycles and lightweight off-road vehicles. It was usually not open to the public; only Qian Ye, Song Hu, and a few others came here when they needed a means of transportation.
But why were there so many people here now?
As soon as he entered the garage, Qian Ye saw a familiar figure: Zhao Yuying. Though she was dressed in a worker’s uniform and wearing sturdy boots, her striking beauty made her instantly recognizable.
At the moment, Zhao Yuying was standing next to an elderly man, discussing something over a set of blueprints. Nearby, a dozen workers were busy calibrating several heavy machines, while a few others were struggling to move the core component of a small stamping machine to its designated position.
Qian Ye recognized the man beside Zhao Yuying as the current chief mechanical engineer of Dark Flame, responsible for maintaining and modifying various war machines. It appeared he was mostly listening, while Zhao Yuying was giving instructions.
The engineer then took the blueprints and gathered a few assistants to study them. Meanwhile, Zhao Yuying picked up a spare parts box and approached a partially disassembled dual-wheeled motorcycle.
The workers’ eyes widened in surprise. The spare parts box, about a meter square, weighed at least a ton. Usually, it was moved on a cart or required several strong men to carry, but Zhao Yuying lifted it effortlessly with one hand, as if it were a lunchbox.
She squatted down beside the motorcycle and began to modify it herself.
Qian Ye quietly walked to Zhao Yuying’s side and watched intently. She clearly had a deep understanding of the motorcycle’s structure, and her movements were skillful. In a few swift actions, she removed the entire engine and began adjusting the frame.
This process showcased Zhao Yuying’s Combat General-level strength. A stream of purplish-black origin power surged from her hands, transforming into a light blue flame under some mysterious technique. She used the flame to heat and soften the frame, then manually bent and shaped it with her bare hands. In moments, the part of the frame she was working on had taken on a completely different shape.
She repeated this process, making adjustments to several other parts. In less than ten minutes, the frame was completely transformed, capable of fitting a larger engine.
“I never thought you knew how to modify motorcycles,” Qian Ye said.
Zhao Yuying, with a long screw between her teeth, replied disdainfully, “Don’t think all aristocratic children are just good at cultivation or eating, drinking, and merrymaking. On the battlefield, anything can happen. Do you expect to wait for an engineer to fix your weapon if it breaks?”
“Most engineers can’t compare to you,” Qian Ye said sincerely. Her ability to transform origin power into flame and modify castings by hand was something only a Combat General could achieve.
“Of course! Just look at who I am!” Zhao Yuying had never known what humility meant.
“But is all this really useful?” Qian Ye was a bit skeptical. Not only did mastering mechanics require a lot of time, but in a real battle, precious origin power would be reserved for killing enemies. Motorcycles, war vehicles, and even heavy artillery were expendable.
Zhao Yuying pulled out an engine from the parts box and began installing it, explaining, “Of course, it’s useful, but mainly not on the ground. It’s for aerial warships and star-class floating vessels that travel between continents. Imagine if a floating vessel breaks down in the void—where would you land to repair it?”
Qian Ye understood.
Zhao Yuying snorted, “Obviously, you’re a country bumpkin who’s never been in an aerial battle!”
Indeed, Qian Ye had never participated in large-scale aerial combat. The Red Scorpion was an elite force specializing in special operations, primarily fighting on the ground. The most advanced warship he had ever been on was a light frigate.
Zhao Yuying continued, “Aerial fleet battles are completely different from ground battles. Even a Combat General might not be able to protect themselves up there. Since you have no experience, it’s best not to get involved and risk becoming cannon fodder. If we have the chance, I’ll take you to the front lines to gain some experience. Follow me, little brother, and you won’t regret it!”
Although Zhao Yuying’s words could be harsh, her last few sentences stirred a strange feeling in Qian Ye’s heart.
The Zhao family looked down on the weak and viewed them as dust. But once they acknowledged someone, they showed a completely different side. A pride of lions would only accept another lion; a wild wolf would become food.
As he got to know them better, Qian Ye was alarmed to find that the hardest corner of his heart was beginning to soften. Occasionally, thinking back to those events, his anger and hatred seemed to diminish each time.
This motorcycle was prepared for Qian Ye by Zhao Yuying. After entering the wilderness, he began to appreciate its advantages.
The rear of the motorcycle had a storage rack, with a large backpack on one side containing various wilderness supplies and provisions, and on the other side, the East Peak. Despite this heavy load, the motorcycle still had plenty of power, and Qian Ye felt it could easily carry another East Peak. Such power even surpassed many lightweight armored off-road vehicles.
After leaving Blackflow City, Qian Ye jumped off the motorcycle and stored the East Peak and backpack in Anduia’s mystical realm, where more ammunition and supplies were already stacked.
Once the East Peak was stowed, the motorcycle regained its full vitality. As it sped through the wilderness, the specially equipped silencer produced a faint, almost inaudible sound. Without fully accelerating, its speed already approached 100 kilometers per hour. The noise of the tires on the ground was insignificant compared to the sound of nocturnal beasts running.
The only issue was the motorcycle’s suspension. After special adjustments, it allowed the motorcycle to travel at high speeds over rough terrain, but it required a rider with exceptional physical fitness. Qian Ye felt that anyone below the level of Combat General would be dizzy and vomiting within half an hour at such speeds.
This was truly a land vehicle designed for a Combat General.
Qian Ye’s gaze fell on the motorcycle’s engine cover, where a portrait of a carefree, cigar-smoking beauty was painted. The face and demeanor unmistakably resembled Zhao Yuying herself. He hadn’t expected Zhao Yuying to have such a talent.
Looking at the boldly drawn portrait, a smile appeared on Qian Ye’s face. With these people around, the Domain of Eternal Night didn’t seem as dark and lonely.
The motorcycle sped northwest, and after nearly a hundred kilometers, it left the actual control area of Blackflow City. The swift, black river lay ahead in the distance.
Here, the true gray zone began, where both the dark races and humans operated. However, the enemy was not just the opposing camp. In this lawless land, any life encountered could be an enemy.
Qian Ye adjusted his direction, paralleling the black river to the west. Ahead, the terrain became hilly, and the river would turn north. Qian Ye would then change direction, entering the mountainous region to scout the positions and towns of the dark races.
Along the way, Qian Ye encountered several human hunters and adventurers. They mostly traveled in small groups and were amazed by the speed of his motorcycle. Qian Ye ignored them, passing quickly at a distance. In the wilderness, the line between friend and foe could be blurred, and sometimes, fellow humans were more dangerous than the dark races.
Qian Ye wasn’t afraid, but he didn’t want to waste time. He didn’t want to point his gun at humans unless absolutely necessary.
As he was about to enter the territory of the Dark Nation, several plumes of black smoke rose in the distance.
Qian Ye’s extraordinary vision caught sight of three lightweight off-road vehicles, nicknamed “Mountain Spiders,” speeding towards him. Each vehicle carried three or four adventurers, most wearing leather armor and sporting extensive tattoos on their faces and bodies. Their ears, noses, and even lips were adorned with metal rings.
These adventurers were among the most dangerous in the wilderness. They feared nothing, daring to attack the strongholds of the dark races and even the expeditionary fleets, driven by a thirst for excitement and a disregard for death.
They were known as the Carrion Vultures, willing to do anything for a piece of rotten flesh or simply the thrill of dancing on the edge of life and death.
Qian Ye slightly altered his direction, steering clear of the oncoming vehicles, and pressed the accelerator, intending to bypass the trouble ahead.
In the lead vehicle, a woman with black lips stared at Qian Ye, her eyes suddenly lighting up. “Shasha, that guy’s motorcycle is unusual!”
The one called Shasha was a bald, burly man with a ferocious snake tattoo on his head and the back of his neck. He glanced at Qian Ye, and his eyes narrowed. “Damn, it’s top-notch stuff!”
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