The leader of the blood clan was a middle-aged man dressed in a long, black windbreaker with blood-red roses embroidered on the collar and cuffs. His face was exceedingly pale, and his eyes shone a pure, vivid crimson like rubies.
This was unmistakably a noble, high-ranking blood noble!
He saw the corpses of blood clan warriors scattered about, and in a blink, he appeared beside the body of the elder. When he noticed that all the fangs of the dead warriors had been removed, a wave of fury flashed across his face, and he let out a heavy, angry hum. The surrounding grass and shrubs mysterously flattened and then sprang back up again.
He took a deep breath, discerning the lingering scents in the air, and then fixed his gaze on the direction where Qian Ye had fled. A look of confusion flickered across his face, “Strange! How could there be the scent of a high-ranking blood noble? This smell… this smell…”
He was about to pursue, but at that moment, a few sparks suddenly flashed in the distant sky, followed by faint thunder.
A black-and-red striped airship, burning fiercely, plummeted from the sky, pursued closely by several monstrous warships that broke through the clouds. Silver-white beams of light continuously struck the falling airship.
The airship ahead was clearly in the blood clan’s style, with the same blood-red roses adorning its hull as the decorations on the high-ranking blood noble. His expression immediately changed, and then, a sharp, piercing buzz sounded from the distance, growing increasingly shrill.
Blood surged in the middle-aged man’s eyes, and he roared in anger, “These despicable, vile humans! They only know how to win by numbers! Hmph!”
A young female blood noble said, “My lord, this is an urgent summons. We need to arrive within the designated time.”
The middle-aged blood noble harrumphed again, unwillingly casting one more glance in the direction Qian Ye had fled before heading towards the source of the buzzing. Over a dozen blood clan warriors surrounded him, and they swiftly departed.
At that moment, Qian Ye was running madly across the wasteland, paying no heed to hiding his tracks. Just now, a powerful consciousness had swept over him twice, locking onto him firmly. Sensing such power, Qian Ye knew he had encountered an enemy far beyond his capacity to fight; his only option was to flee with all his might.
Fortunately, that consciousness seemed to have encountered something, or perhaps it found the weak Qian Ye uninteresting, and it suddenly withdrew, never to reappear. Yet Qian Ye did not dare to stop, sprinting at full speed for over a hundred kilometers until he finally reached the control area of the imperial expeditionary army, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief.
After a brief rest, Qian Ye headed towards Darkblood City. It seemed that some significant event had occurred in the wasteland recently, with high-ranking dark races appearing frequently, and the human empire’s Red Scorpion Legion also made its presence known in the area. A massive storm was brewing, and the wasteland was no longer a suitable place for hunters.
Leaving Stonecliff Territory at this time was not a good choice, as public transportation had likely been suspended, and the ground was fraught with danger. Qian Ye planned to take refuge in Darkblood City for a while, closing off for deep cultivation and improving his original force. He just hoped that the endearingly clumsy little rookie had managed to return safely.
Even as the wasteland became turbulent, Darkblood City remained open and imposing. But Qian Ye now knew that, facing those terrifying high-ranking dark races, whether the city gates were closed or not made little difference.
As Qian Ye adjusted his attire and prepared to enter the city, he encountered a large contingent of the expeditionary army marching into Darkblood City.
This endless line of troops numbered nearly ten thousand soldiers, with hundreds of war chariots flanking the central formation, and the prominently displayed imperial flag belonged to a brigadier general. He stood on the command vehicle, hands behind his back, with a straight military posture and a stern expression. Although his hair was flecked with gray, his aura was so thick with killing intent that it felt almost tangible, marking him as a ruthless, seasoned killer.
It seemed the expeditionary army had finally responded to the situation in the wasteland, greatly reinforcing the defenses of Darkblood City. Qian Ye waited for a full half hour, until the entire expeditionary force had entered the city, before blending into the crowd and entering himself.
The sudden doubling of the expeditionary force in the city instantly disrupted the balance, causing all factions to cautiously rein in their activities. Even the small-time gangsters from the major gangs were rarely seen on the streets.
Qian Ye, of course, would not return to his previous residence. Instead, he avoided South Pond District and found a small inn in the slums near East Lake. Then he headed to Black Copper Street, where he immediately locked the door upon entering Old Yi’s Gun Shop.
Old Man Yi was wearing a multi-purpose eyepiece, examining a broken metal shard. When he heard the noise, he looked up, and upon seeing Qian Ye, his expression darkened. “Why are you here again?”
Qian Ye had completely altered his appearance, not only changing his face but also altering his clothing to make his figure look different, yet he was still recognized by the old man at a glance.
Qian Ye now knew that this old man was not a simple figure, but he could not bring himself to feel any respect for him.
Leaning against the counter, Qian Ye lit a cigarette and said, “So, do you not want to do business?”
“Skysnake would love to tear you apart! You killed many of his subordinates, including Blackwolf, and scared Fei Niao back. That boy has never shown fear before. If Skysnake doesn’t get results from his bounty, his reputation will be ruined. So, he has increased the reward tenfold; your head is now worth a thousand imperial gold coins. And Skysnake has also declared that anyone who dares to trade with you is the enemy of the Skysnake Gang. How can I possibly do business with you?”
Old Man Yi rambled on, and Qian Ye simply replied, “I have blood clan weapons.”
“Let me see them, all of them!” The old man’s expression instantly changed.
Seeing Old Man Yi’s face, which suddenly lit up like spring flowers, Qian Ye felt a wave of helplessness. Silently, he opened his backpack and placed five first-grade primal force guns and two primal force swords on the counter.
Old Man Yi took a quick look, and his entire body stiffened. He gasped, “Blood Rose Family’s standard pistol! These two long swords are also squad-standard weapons. Did you take down a Blood Rose squad?!”
“That’s not important.” Qian Ye didn’t intend to say much. He was already wary of the old man, whose keen eye could discern many subtle details. If Qian Ye revealed anything, he might expose information he shouldn’t.
Old Man Yi steadied himself, picked up a primal force gun, and examined it carefully, muttering, “This craftsmanship… yes, it’s from the Blood Rose Clan’s army. Hmm, there’s a mark here… it’s three years old.”
Old Man Yi’s fingers suddenly danced, quickly disassembling the primal force gun into parts, then reassembling it in seconds. This series of actions left Qian Ye dazed, further increasing his caution.
Putting down the primal force gun, Old Man Yi gave Qian Ye a deep look and said, “A Blood Rose squad leader is at least a fifth-grade warrior. He should be equipped with a second-grade primal force gun and sword. Don’t you plan to show them?”
Qian Ye raised his eyebrows, impressed by Old Man Yi’s extensive knowledge. But he simply said, “They won’t fetch a good price here.”
“Only I can buy the goods you have. If you try to sell them elsewhere, Skysnake will find you in minutes.” Old Man Yi said coldly, full of threat.
Qian Ye remained indifferent to the old man’s unfriendly tone, “I can wait to sell them, or even use them myself. And maybe in a while, Skysnake will meet with some unexpected misfortune. The world changes quickly, doesn’t it?”
Old Man Yi frowned, then said, “I’ll give you twenty percent of the upper continent market price!”
“Thirty percent,” Qian Ye replied.
“Twenty-five percent, but for the next three months, you must bring me a bottle of wine and three packs of cigarettes, the special ones.”
“Twenty-seven percent. I’ll give you fifty milliliters of a special stimulant solution, main legion grade.”
“Deal!”
Qian Ye then took out the second-grade blood clan primal force gun and sword, along with a pile of miscellaneous items from the grunts, and placed them on the counter. He also took out two money bags and dumped over a hundred gold and crystal coins on the counter.
The items on the counter were now worth nearly a thousand imperial gold coins. Qian Ye pushed them forward, fixing his gaze on Old Man Yi, and said, “I want an Eagle Strike!”
Old Man Yi’s eye twitched, and he said slowly, “These aren’t enough for an Eagle Strike.”
“You will find a way. I just need one that’s eighty percent new.”
“Fifty percent new!”
“No, at least seventy percent. An Eagle Strike can’t be too old.”
Old Man Yi gently tapped the counter and said, “You’re quite the expert, young man! I’m getting curious about you.”
“That’s not important. Nothing is more important than business.”
“How do you know I can get an Eagle Strike?”
“A feeling.”
Old Man Yi chuckled and said, “Come back in three days.”
Qian Ye didn’t say more and placed the half-empty pack of cigarettes on the counter before leaving Old Yi’s Gun Shop.
Eagle Strike was the standard long-range sniper rifle of the imperial main legions, classified as a fourth-grade primal force gun. Such weapons were only issued to officers at the rank of major or higher. Although the expeditionary army was also part of the main legions, due to its bloated size, only colonels received Eagle Strikes.
Despite the steady flow of official weapons from the expeditionary army to the black market, fourth-grade primal force guns, especially powerful long-range sniper rifles, were still extremely rare. On one hand, the sources were limited, and on the other, there weren’t many civilian snipers capable of using them.
Long-range sniper rifles differ from ordinary primal force guns; they must be relatively new to maintain accuracy. Anything below sixty percent new condition would see a sharp decline in precision. Moreover, spare parts for a rifle of Eagle Strike’s caliber were almost impossible to obtain individually, and there were no substitutes from civilian artisans.
Qian Ye hadn’t held out much hope, figuring that if he couldn’t get an Eagle Strike, a third-grade “Probe” would suffice. But this old man, who had first appeared as a trickster, had the means not only to handle so many blood clan weapons but also to acquire a seventy percent new Eagle Strike.
After three days of training, Qian Ye returned to Old Yi’s Gun Shop in a different guise.
Old Man Yi threw him a tattered canvas bag, smeared with large patches of mechanical lubricant. Qian Ye opened it and saw it filled with various parts.
With a few other customers in the shop, Qian Ye casually took out a part and examined it.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage