Chapter 53: The Distance

The woman responded and made to leave. It was clear she did not wish to linger by Yu Renyan’s side.

“Wait a moment!” Yu Renyan called out to her.

The young woman trembled, but she dared not show it, mustering only a forced smile.

Yu Renyan suddenly shook his head and said, “Never mind, you may go.”

After the young woman left, Yu Renyan sank into an armchair, lost in thought. Since returning, he had sensed something amiss, as if he had overlooked something important. He decided to calm down and carefully recall every place and event from the time he entered the city until he returned to his residence.

He suddenly slapped his thigh, his pupils narrowing into dangerous slits! He remembered—the problem lay with that young man who brushed past him, the one carrying the Eagle Strike!

The young man was dressed like an adventurer, reeking of the stench of the slums. Yet beneath that pungent odor, there lingered a sweet, familiar scent. This was the taste of origin power, unmistakable!

That young man was the one who killed Brigadier General Wu Zhengnan’s illegitimate son, Qi Yue! At the time, Yu Renyan had sensed something odd, but his attention was soon drawn to the large, swaggering werewolf on the street, causing him to overlook the crucial detail.

Yu Renyan had not expected that his momentary lapse would cause him to miss the core target of his mission!

He stood up abruptly, then slowly sat back down, a playful smile on his face.

Thinking of the young man’s swift movements and the Eagle Strike on his back, Yu Renyan found the game even more intriguing. The Eagle Strike was not something just anyone could handle. However, the traces of origin power explosions he saw at the scene of Qi Yue’s murder indicated that the opponent was no higher than level four. Could someone below level four really wield the Eagle Strike? This defied common sense.

Yu Renyan pulled out a map of Dark Blood City and began to examine the area where he encountered the young man. His fingers traced several streets, paused on Black Copper Street, and then measured the distance to the South Lake and East Lake districts.

Since he had seen the man himself, it didn’t matter if the latter had changed his appearance or disguise. With time, they would meet again in this storm-ravaged city.

Yu Renyan was not in a rush. He had a premonition that the chase and battles leading up to the revelation would be particularly interesting. Level three or four origin power, military combat techniques, the Eagle Strike, and ultra-long-range sniper skills—what would Brigadier General Wu Zhengnan’s reaction be if he knew all this?

In a small inn, Qian Ye finally awoke from his deep sleep. He asked for a large basin of hot water, unwrapped the bandages from his wounds, and prepared to change the dressings. To his surprise, most of the wounds had already closed, and the dark origin power within them had vanished, healing much faster than he had anticipated!

In the deepest wound on his left ribcage, a trace of dark origin power remained. After washing off the coagulated medicine, Qian Ye finally noticed what was happening.

Almost all the blood energy in his body was gathering around the wound, including the purple thread. These energies were tearing at the dark origin power, assimilating it bit by bit. Clearly, over the past three days, each wound had been purifying itself in this manner.

The most troublesome part of his injuries had resolved itself!

The purple blood energy devoured the dark origin power faster than the other seven threads combined. After consuming most of it, it lazily slithered into the bloodline rune, nesting there. The purple energy began to visibly grow, continuously emitting fine blood threads, merging into the bloodline rune.

The rune began to grow and transform into a more intricate new rune. During this process, all the blood energy in Qian Ye’s body surged, his heart pulsated strongly, and the blood flow increased several times!

The origin power in Qian Ye’s body flowed towards his heart, was absorbed, and then expelled in bright, colorful streams, flowing to every part of his body.

As this special blood spread throughout his body, Qian Ye felt as if tens of thousands of ants were crawling inside him, causing pain and itching. He swayed, and except for his mind, his entire body seemed disconnected from his central nervous system, and he finally collapsed onto the bed.

In Qian Ye’s body, the smallest cells were activated to their maximum potential, with blood, muscles, and bones growing and changing structure. It was a profound sensation, as if the whole world had come alive, with even the tiniest air and dust forming their own worlds, born, grown, aged, and perished.

Qian Ye felt as if he were hanging on a cliff, the changes in his inner world likely related to his origin power realm. He could not determine what the problem was now.

Qian Ye did not know how a human with Dawn origin power would fall to the side of Eternal Night. On the battlefield of the Blood Rose squad, the black sun seemed to break through the barrier, and since then, he had a lingering fear. At this moment, the only thing he could do was to grit his teeth and stay conscious, as if this could keep the light.

Qian Ye’s origin power rapidly depleted, and in moments, his heart had sucked it all out!

Only then did his heart stop pumping the special blood. But the changes and growth within his body continued for another day and night before gradually stopping.

When the process was complete, Qian Ye finally managed to get off the bed. He stood barefoot on the cold stone floor, examining his limbs. There seemed to be nothing unusual, but his body felt strange, as if his central nervous system and his limbs were far apart, making movement difficult.

He walked towards the mirror near the wardrobe but stumbled, catching the chair back for support. With a creak, the iron pipe chair back was bent out of shape by Qian Ye’s grip!

Qian Ye was startled, looking at his hands, unsure of what to do. He suddenly grabbed the chair, kneaded it a few times, and turned it into a pile of scrap metal. What kind of strength was this?

Originally, Qian Ye could match a level five warrior in sheer physical power. Now, even a physically powerful warrior like Heaven Snake, who specialized in brute strength, would be suppressed by him without using origin power!

The bloodline rune was still present, but it had now become an advanced ability.

Qian Ye took out a dagger and cut his arm. The sensation was like cutting through specially treated animal skin, requiring considerable force to penetrate. Qian Ye applied more pressure, the blade sinking into his skin, leaving a one-finger-long, one-centimeter-deep wound.

As soon as the wound appeared, the surrounding muscles contracted, and only a few drops of blood oozed out. The blood energy in Qian Ye’s body gathered around the wound, and it began to close, with a tingling and itchy feeling indicating it was already healing. At this rate, he estimated it would be fully healed by morning.

Amidst his surprise, Qian Ye memorized the relevant data, becoming more cautious about future battles with high-ranking blood kin.

He put down the dagger and moved his limbs, performing some basic military combat techniques. As he became familiar with his body, the sense of imbalance faded.

Qian Ye looked in the mirror and was relieved to see that he still looked human, with no significant changes in appearance. Except for a more refined, softer contour and smoother, poreless skin, everything else was the same.

Qian Ye’s face darkened, and he kicked the full-length mirror, flipping it over.

He looked at the mechanical clock on the wall; it was three hours until midnight, and he still had time to eat. Qian Ye opened his disguise kit, angrily setting aside the fake beard and wrinkles, and used a skin dye to give himself a malnourished, yellowish complexion.

Over the next three hours, Qian Ye ate at four different restaurants, each meal enough to feed five adult men, before his churning insides finally felt a little better.

After the bloodline rune became an advanced ability, Qian Ye’s body screamed for food, a common symptom of energy depletion after advancement. Without energy potions, he had to rely on ordinary food, and the massive portions seemed to fill an endless void.

Finally, Qian Ye settled his stomach before the planned action time and disappeared into the night of Dark Blood City like a ghost.

At the Heaven Snake Gang headquarters, Heaven Snake finally awoke from his coma. He moved slightly, feeling a sharp pain in his left side. Fortunately, he still had sensation in his arms and legs, which reassured him.

“Where is everyone?” Heaven Snake called out, and his family doctor and trusted servant immediately entered. He waved away the doctor’s examination and said, “I’m not dead yet. Call everyone here.”

By the time Heaven Snake was helped to sit in the dining room, all the high-ranking members of the gang had arrived. A sumptuous late-night meal was laid out on the large round table, but the empty seats made the atmosphere seem desolate.

The veins on Heaven Snake’s temples throbbed, and he asked, “Where is Mr. Liao?”

An elder of the Heaven Snake Gang looked around, seeing no one speak, and reluctantly said, “Mr. Liao… is dead. Last night, his heart was blown to pieces by an origin power gun at home.”

“What kind of gun?” Heaven Snake asked coldly.

“From the traces at the scene, it might be… Butcher.”

Heaven Snake’s pupils contracted. This ruled out a simple robbery by an unskilled thief. Someone who could afford a Butcher would not do such a thankless, dirty job. This could only mean that the perpetrator had come for the Heaven Snake Gang.

Heaven Snake’s gaze swept over the table again, and he asked, “What about Wild Bee?”

The others exchanged glances, and the elder finally said, “Wild Bee announced his departure from the Heaven Snake Gang and joined the Earth Flame Society.”

Bang! Heaven Snake slammed his fist on the table, causing the dishes to rattle. The exertion reopened his wounds, causing him to grimace in pain.

Wild Bee was one of the top four experts in the Heaven Snake Gang. His departure at this critical moment was a heavy blow. However, the Earth Flame Society was the largest gang in Dark Blood City, led by a level six expert, and Heaven Snake could not afford to provoke them. He had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill.

Heaven Snake stood up and said, “Find the sniping spot? Let’s go and take a look!” The fine golden silkwood table crumbled into pieces, with dishes and food scattered everywhere. Heaven Snake did not even glance at the mess as he led the way out.

A short while later, Heaven Snake stood at the spot where Qian Ye had sniped him. He walked to the window, pulled a chair, and, mimicking Qian Ye’s posture, looked out. From this vantage point, he had a perfect view of the front of the Heaven Snake Gang headquarters, with an impeccable angle.

He turned and looked sternly at his subordinates, noting their shifty eyes and unwillingness to meet his gaze. Even the usually defiant Flying Bird was staring at the ground.

Everyone knew the angle was not the problem.

The problem was the distance.