The young man gritted his teeth and said, “Don’t worry! I can afford to lose this much! I will send the ‘Black Tooth’ to you tomorrow, along with five specially made origin force bullets!”
“Thank you, then.” The man finished speaking and left the private room, quietly disappearing.
The young man stood by the window, staring at Qianye, his gaze growing colder by the second.
Liu Zifan also descended from the round platform. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and walked up to Qianye, making no attempt to hide the murderous intent in his eyes. He coldly said, “Impressive military combat skills, didn’t expect you to be a true expert. It’s surprising that someone like you would sell your life for a thug. But, kid, this isn’t over yet. How about a real bloody fight?”
Qianye raised an eyebrow slightly and replied, “Can’t afford to lose?”
Anger surged within Liu Zifan as he said sternly, “Virtual fighting is just a game for kids! It’s not the same as a real fight to the death! What, are you scared? Or are you just a pretty boy who can’t stand the sight of blood?”
In the face of such blatant provocation, to everyone’s surprise, Qianye suddenly smiled and said, “I really can’t stand the sight of blood.”
With that, Qianye walked behind Young Master Zhao, his eyes slightly lowered, no longer paying attention to anything else.
Young Master Zhao waved to Min’er and said, “Come here.”
Min’er bit her lip and whispered, “I…”
“You’re from Beacon Town, which means you’re one of mine. Come here!” Young Master Zhao said calmly.
Just as Min’er was about to move, a blade suddenly pressed against her neck, wielded by one of Yan Laohu’s henchmen.
Young Master Zhao shot a cold glance at the henchman and said, “I’ll count to three. If you don’t put down the knife, you won’t be leaving here alive!”
The henchman’s face alternated between pale and green, trembling for a moment before finally withdrawing the knife. It was clear that Yan Laohu’s power was waning, and following him meant certain death.
Young Master Zhao smiled and said, “Good, you’re smart and obedient. I like people who are smart and follow orders. Come with me, and you can work for me from now on!”
The henchman immediately ran over and bowed repeatedly, saying, “Thank you, Young Master Zhao!”
After a moment’s hesitation, Min’er also came over.
Young Master Zhao threw her a piece of clothing and said, “I like to finish what I start. As long as you’re my person, even if you make mistakes, as long as you’re willing to come back, you’re still my person. I, Zhao, will never abandon any of my brothers! Let’s go, we’re going home!”
But Liu Zifan stepped forward, blocking Qianye, and said sternly, “Think you can leave? It’s not that easy! Explain your origins! No one can toy with me like that!”
Young Master Zhao frowned and started to speak, “Instructor Liu—”
Before he could finish, Liu Zifan rudely interrupted, “Get out of here! This is the Expeditionary Army’s business. Who do you think you are, getting involved?”
Young Master Zhao’s face turned from pale to red. At most, he was a leader in a town, a minor player in Blackstream City. How could he stand up to the might of the Expeditionary Army? Even as an instructor with no real power, Liu Zifan was someone he couldn’t afford to offend.
This wasn’t just because of Liu Zifan’s status but also because it concerned the face of the Expeditionary Army. Every officer of the Expeditionary Army strutted around outside. If it weren’t for Qianye’s exceptional military combat skills, obviously linked to the Empire’s military, Liu Zifan would have already killed him on the spot.
Qianye looked at Liu Zifan and suddenly smiled, saying, “Are you really planning to escalate this?”
Liu Zifan’s face darkened, and he said coldly, “What do you mean?”
“What I mean is, if this really gets to the higher-ups of the Expeditionary Army, there won’t be a good outcome for either of us. But do you think your fate will be any better than mine?”
Liu Zifan narrowed his eyes and sneered, “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Let me make it clearer. You lost in virtual combat and yet, in front of so many people, you can’t accept defeat and even claim virtual combat is just a child’s game. Even if you don’t completely disgrace the Expeditionary Army, how do you think the many great figures who rose through virtual combat will let you off? The military places great importance on honor. Do you think they’ll give you a light punishment once they hear about this? In my opinion, you’ll end up in the cannon fodder corps!”
Liu Zifan’s face changed, and he snorted, slowly saying, “You know the Expeditionary Army well. That makes me even more curious about you.”
Qianye said calmly, “It seems you have too much free time, no wonder your combat skills are so poor. Too much curiosity can get you killed.”
With that, Qianye ignored Liu Zifan, gave a push to Young Master Zhao, and they walked out together.
“Qianye, are you okay?” Young Master Zhao asked with concern.
“It’s fine.”
As they left the underground arena, a young man approached them and casually asked, “Are you Qianye? What’s your surname?”
“I don’t have a surname,” Qianye replied.
His body instinctively tensed as the young man got within ten meters, a reaction to a formidable opponent. This young man was unexpectedly powerful, far more than a mere Level 2 soldier.
The young man smiled and said, “I’m Qi Yue. You’re quite impressive; even I was fooled, and I lost a lot of money because of it, which doesn’t make me happy. In Blackstream City, if Qi Yue isn’t happy, someone’s going to suffer. But not you. You can come with me, and I’ll be happy.”
Qianye frowned and said, “I… will think about it.”
“Fine, but don’t take too long. I’m not very patient.” With that, Qi Yue turned and left.
Young Master Zhao’s face darkened, and he sighed, “Sorry, I’ve dragged you into this. You should seriously consider his offer. I’ve heard… although Young Master Qi isn’t easy to get along with, he treats his subordinates well. You might even get an origin force gun.”
“We’ll talk about it later. For now, let’s go back. I don’t want to walk a hundred kilometers on foot,” Qianye said.
Young Master Zhao patted Qianye’s shoulder and got into the vehicle first. Soon, two trucks rumbled away, heading home.
When Qianye returned to Manshu Shahu, it was already nine o’clock at night. As soon as he entered the bar, he rushed to his bedroom, took a pill bottle, poured out a tablet, and swallowed it. His face began to flush abnormally.
It was a nerve-relaxing agent, effective against the pain caused by drug addiction. Qianye used it to alleviate the agony of Dark Blood outbreaks, with some success.
However, this medicine only alleviated symptoms and did not cure the problem. The effects of Dark Blood were still becoming worse each time. Moreover, this medicine was hard to come by; Young Master Zhao had only managed to get some through his connections.
After the thirst and hunger somewhat subsided, Qianye shook the pill bottle, and the faint, empty sound indicated only a few pills were left. This meant that until Young Master Zhao obtained new supplies, Qianye would have to endure a week of battling Dark Blood on his own.
Qianye exhaled deeply, sat cross-legged, and began to practice Bingfa Jue. The pain from the surging origin force during cultivation helped him temporarily forget the bloodthirsty hunger.
Under the dark night sky, the wasteland was not peaceful. A blood-red full moon hung high, casting a thick, dark red hue over the entire land. This crimson moon lasted unusually long, but people were numb to it. Whether the Dark Gate opened or not, life must go on until death’s bony fingers clutched their throats.
On the wasteland, several roaming night wolves seemed to sense something, their ears perking up, and they growled anxiously. They suddenly turned and dashed away.
A shadow moved swiftly across the wasteland under the cover of night.
It was a slender figure, with a dozen more shadows chasing her closely. They spread out in a fan shape, clearly intending to surround her.
The pursuers chased and the pursued fled. Under the blood moon, a skilled warrior could see the dark red waves connecting both parties.
The figure ahead suddenly stopped and flipped to strike!
The eerie moonlight revealed an extremely beautiful woman, her pale face adding to her mystique. Her eyes suddenly became as clear and transparent as rubies, each reflecting the image of a pursuer!
The two pursuers suddenly froze, completely immobile!
The young woman darted past them like lightning, her hands slicing open their throats effortlessly. Blood spurted out, splattering several meters!
She then turned to two other pursuers. As their images appeared in her eyes, those two also stiffened, their throats slit.
“This is bad! On this blood moon night, her power is too strong!”
“We can’t match her right now!”
“Let’s retreat for now. She won’t escape anyway.”
The pursuers slowed down. One, who appeared to be a leader, shouted, “Nighteye! You’re already bound by our Blood Shackles. There’s no escape! Surrender, come back with us, and you’ll have a chance to explain to the Elders!”
The woman, Nighteye, sneered, “Surrender? Dream on! Even if I want to explain to the Elders, it will be after I kill all of you and those behind you!”
The leader wasn’t angry and said, “With the Blood Shackles, both our powers are suppressed below Level 5. This is human territory. If you keep going, you should know the consequences. Duke Walden will be here by morning, and you’ll have no chance then.”
Nighteye snorted coldly and said, “We’ll see when Walden arrives.”
The leader seemed resolute and said, “Lady Nighteye, it’s not just us hunting you. There are… other Sacred Blood races as well.”
Nighteye’s eyes sharpened, her killing intent rising. She said coldly, “You actually conspired with those filthy wolves?”
The leader didn’t deny it, sighed, and said, “You know what happens if they find you. The werewolves are not under our control. You should come back with us.”
Nighteye sneered, “I will never submit to those who ally with werewolves! If you don’t leave, I won’t be polite!”
The leader gritted his teeth and waved, “Let’s go!”
The remaining pursuers retreated slowly into the darkness.
Nighteye stood for a while longer before turning and sprinting away, like a black lightning bolt, streaking across the ground toward the distance.
In the deep darkness, a faint light appeared.
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