The visitors immediately noticed the obvious signs of wear on the parts, instantly losing interest, and their eyes turned to Qian Ye with disdain.
A young mercenary glanced at the force gun inside the counter and said directly, “Damn, what a lousy shop. Can’t even find a decent second-grade item.”
Yiye’s face darkened, and he pointed to the tattered canvas bag in front of Qian Ye, saying, “I have something even more formidable than a second-grade right here!”
The mercenaries looked from the tattered canvas bag to the heavily worn old parts in Qian Ye’s hands, bursting into laughter, thinking the old man had gone mad from poverty.
After the group left, a sly smile crept onto Qian Ye’s lips.
These parts were almost brand new, only artificially aged by special techniques. The overall condition of this Eagle Strike was roughly 70% new, but some key components were about 80% new. Just these few parts alone could increase the Eagle Strike’s accuracy by about 10%.
These mercenaries might never see an Eagle Strike in their lifetime, let alone recognize its unique parts. Qian Ye, however, had learned to use, repair, and understand the internal structure of all the empire’s standard firearms, and nearly all the Dark Race’s guns below grade five were included in his studies. For a Red Scorpion warrior, even if the scorpion needle in hand was destroyed, they could immediately use any Dark Race gun they picked up.
Qian Ye inspected each part of the Eagle Strike, and Yiye’s gaze grew increasingly puzzled.
When Qian Ye put the last part back into the bag and fastened it, Yiye finally couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you going to assemble it and try it out?”
“The parts are all there, no need to assemble it,” Qian Ye replied, slinging the canvas bag over his shoulder.
A shrewd glint flashed in Yiye’s eyes as he said with hidden intent, “Very few people have seen an Eagle Strike. Even fewer know its internal structure so well.”
“Not many people can get their hands on an Eagle Strike, can they?”
The old man and the young man stared at each other for a moment before Qian Ye walked away.
Back at the small inn, Qian Ye ordered some food, changed his appearance after eating, and then began assembling the Eagle Strike.
Soon, a nearly two-meter-long sniper rifle appeared in Qian Ye’s hands.
As Qian Ye channeled a trace of force, the dark body of the gun didn’t even reflect light, but he could feel the force arrays inside the energy compression chamber lighting up one by one. Only when facing the barrel would you see a faint green glow within, with not a hint of light escaping. This was a true weapon of destruction! Qian Ye was very satisfied with the gun’s condition.
The night had deepened, but Dark Blood City was bustling. In this city, there were always plenty of people seeking pleasure at any time. Mercenaries, hunters, and adventurers were professions that constantly danced with death. They might not know if they would live to see tomorrow, so they indulged their desires more recklessly.
In this city, the expeditionary army’s status wasn’t much higher than that of the hunters. The expeditionary troops were fierce fighters, but discipline was lax, with each regiment acting independently, forming factions akin to a large gang. From officers to soldiers, the meager allowances weren’t enough to support their lives. Therefore, everyone, from top to bottom, engaged in various side businesses, which was an open secret. If not for this, the Eagle Strike wouldn’t have ended up in Qian Ye’s hands.
Qian Ye wrapped the Eagle Strike in cloth and slung it over his shoulder, leaving the inn under the cover of night. He quickly blended into the night of Dark Blood City, becoming one among the thousands of pedestrians.
Soon, Qian Ye appeared beside the courtyard of the Sky Serpent Gang. He silently circled the courtyard, then climbed up a nearby building. The building was twenty stories tall, with a dirty and black exterior, clearly long neglected. It was packed with countless families, and a tiny room might house seven or eight people.
The hallways were filled with garbage, dirty water, and clutter. Qian Ye climbed the stairs, kicking aside a decomposing corpse and subduing two drunken troublemakers, finally reaching the top floor. Qian Ye peeked through a window without glass at the corner of the hallway, found a suitable spot, and broke in.
It was a cramped room, with two military cots occupying most of the space. Four people lived there, two men and two women. When Qian Ye burst in, two were sleeping, while the other pair was in a passionate embrace. The man, startled by Qian Ye, immediately went limp.
Under the threat of the dark barrel, the four complied, getting tied up and huddled in a corner. The two nearly naked women writhed, rubbing against Qian Ye’s legs.
But Qian Ye was uninterested in these ghastly and possibly unwashed women. He pushed them away with the Eagle Strike, and they shrank back, trembling.
The room reeked of post-passion stench, mold from years without sunlight, and other indiscernible odors.
Qian Ye, however, was quite pleased with this environment. The strong smells covered his own scent, making it impossible for enemies to track him here, effectively eliminating a clue.
Qian Ye pushed open a window secured with wooden planks, peering out. As he expected, it offered a perfect view of the Sky Serpent Gang’s headquarters, the entire front within range. Qian Ye removed a few planks, creating a shooting and observation space, and set the Eagle Strike on the windowsill.
Qian Ye pulled a chair, sat down, and waited patiently.
Sky Serpent was still out, but he would surely return to the headquarters tonight.
From Qian Ye’s position to the Sky Serpent’s headquarters, the straight-line distance was about a thousand meters, beyond the range of most force guns. Even for an excellent force sniper rifle like the Eagle Strike, it was near its limit. Perhaps weapons like the Dawn Pulse Cannon or Force Crossbow could achieve precise long-range strikes, but such field weapons with massive destructive power were not standard equipment, even for the main imperial forces. There might not be a single one in the whole Dark Blood City.
Sky Serpent never imagined he would be sniped from such a distance.
Two hours later, Qian Ye saw a convoy of six cars returning to the Sky Serpent Gang. Sky Serpent stepped out of the middle car, stretching lazily, looking very tired.
Qian Ye already had the crosshairs of the scope firmly on Sky Serpent, and force surged through the entire array. Holding his breath, calm, Qian Ye slowly squeezed the trigger.
The Eagle Strike jerked, pushing Qian Ye and the chair back a meter, the deafening roar echoing through the building! A dark red force bolt streaked across the night, heading straight for Sky Serpent.
Sky Serpent’s soul nearly left his body, relying on battle instincts to curl up, force erupting around him, forming a pale blue shield.
With a boom, the force bolt shattered the shield, then sent Sky Serpent’s massive body flying. Spreading force ignited, red sparks exploding, dancing like fireworks. Sky Serpent flew several meters, crashing into the wall, then sliding to the ground.
In the moment of life and death, Sky Serpent managed to move, rolling and crawling into the headquarters, finding a dead angle. Once inside, Sky Serpent fell to his knees, spewing a gush of blood that sprayed several meters.
Sky Serpent wobbled, collapsed, and lost consciousness.
The Eagle Strike truly lived up to its name as the king of snipers, inflicting severe damage on the level-five Sky Serpent even at its range limit. Though a grade-four sniper rifle, its single-shot power far exceeded that of its peers. According to the empire’s firearm classification, the Eagle Strike’s power was twelve, while a typical grade-four gun’s power was only eight.
Qian Ye could barely handle the Eagle Strike, using up half his force in one shot, due to his deeper reserves compared to his peers. A normal third-grade soldier couldn’t use the Eagle Strike. In fact, the Eagle Strike was not for fifth-grade soldiers; it was a professional sniper’s weapon for those with sixth-grade power.
Qian Ye knew one shot wouldn’t kill Sky Serpent, so he didn’t wait for the outcome, standing up to pack the gun. He disassembled the still-hot Eagle Strike, splitting it into two pieces and rewrapping it. Then, Qian Ye took out a small vial of stimulant, drank it, and felt his spirits lift. The hollow burning sensation from excessive force use eased.
Qian Ye walked outside, pausing to glance at the bound figures in the corner. He instinctively thought of a solution—burn the place, erasing all witnesses and clues. Qian Ye hesitated, his brow furrowed.
Finally, Qian Ye shook his head, rejecting the idea. These four were civilians, unable to see through his disguise, and even if they survived, they couldn’t reveal much. Sky Serpent wouldn’t find him with such flimsy clues.
Qian Ye drew his dagger, cut the ropes binding the others, and in a low, indifferent tone, said, “The more you know, the faster you die. Best to forget what you saw.”
With that, Qian Ye left the room, closing the door behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief. He knew if the risk of exposure was too high, he would have silenced them. But in his mind, civilians and soldiers were different.
Qian Ye walked down the narrow, dark staircase, passing rooms without any particular reaction. It seemed the people here understood: if misfortune hadn’t come knocking, it didn’t exist.
Turning a corner, a young girl suddenly rushed up, nearly colliding with him!
In an instant, Qian Ye and the girl both sidestepped, passing each other.
Both sensed the immense threat from the other!
Qian Ye’s sharp, dark red eyes flashed, activating his night vision, and his hand gripped the hilt of his dagger. The girl arched her body, her fingers spread wide.
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