Chapter 134: A New Quest

Qian Ye paid little attention to Li Wei Shi’s actions, continuing to flip through the intelligence in his hand. The record of merits and rewards, along with the exchange, were his top priorities. Two swords made from dark titanium, no matter how pure, couldn’t compare to the Li family’s credibility. Given they were currently in need of manpower, they wouldn’t tamper with such matters.

“General Qian Ye, do you need anything else?” Li Wei Shi walked back over with a warm expression.

Qian Ye just turned the page, and there was a portrait of a demon, with only a name and title written beside it. The face of the demon was blurry and indistinct.

Aiden, Dark Abyss, Earl, member of the Evernight Council’s “Black Sun,” and a five-star sword guardian.

Qian Ye looked at the portrait. Although the rank of the demon was lower than expected, and the sniper rifle he held differed from the one used by the attacker in the Misty Forest, the build and posture were similar. The style and decoration of the sniper rifle also bore a striking resemblance.

The most crucial point was that the artist could draw the subject so vividly, clearly having seen the demon in person, but the blurred face indicated that the opponent had a strong talent for concealment or some powerful secret arts.

“General Li, do you have any more information on this demon?” Qian Ye asked, pointing at the portrait.

Li Wei Shi glanced at it and answered directly, “Yes, this demon is quite a figure. Please wait a moment, I’ll go fetch the information.”

Moments later, Li Wei Shi returned, placing a piece of paper in front of Qian Ye. “This information isn’t cheap, but given the two items you brought earlier, I’ll let this one go for free.”

“The demon you’re interested in is quite famous in the noble Demon clan, the Dark Abyss. By their reckoning, he’s still young, having served the Evernight Council, as a member of their direct unit, the ‘Black Sun.’ You can imagine how formidable he is. Oh, it’s said that in the last battle, he acquired a portion of the Void Essence, which means he has likely grown even stronger recently.”

Qian Ye nodded, looking at the paper. This information included a clear portrait, seemingly an archive specifically for important figures of the dark races, detailing Aiden’s background, lineage, and past positions. However, these details were vague, lacking the specific classifications of his strength, innate abilities, and areas of expertise that Qian Ye sought.

Li Wei Shi provided more information than what was on the paper. Qian Ye put it down and continued listening.

“In fact, Aiden has indeed become much stronger. Not long ago, a team encountered him at the edge of the Misty Forest, and they engaged in a fierce battle, resulting in heavy losses. Four warriors surrounded him, and only one managed to escape. It’s said that he excels in sniping, but he’s not weak in close combat either. The surviving warrior suspects that his field of vision is much greater than that of an ordinary person, though we don’t know about his other senses.”

Shaking his head, Li Wei Shi added, “But a single enhanced sense of vision is enough. If he has all sensory advantages, the Misty Forest would be his perfect hunting ground. We might need to report to the Imperial military and request reinforcements to suppress him.”

However, Qian Ye knew that Li Wei Shi was merely talking. In the current situation where the entire floating land was in dire straits, seeking help from the Imperial military would come at a great cost, at least in terms of post-war merit deductions. The Li family might prefer to use manpower to stack the odds.

Qian Ye inquired, “How long ago was ‘not long ago’?”

“Twelve days ago.”

Qian Ye calculated; that would have been when Aiden first entered the Misty Forest, aligning with the timeline.

After a moment’s thought, he said, “Even if this person hasn’t reached the rank of a Garter Earl yet, his combat power is already on par. He uses a level seven or higher heavy sniper rifle, capable of breaking through high-defense armor, and his sidearm has similar penetrating power. In the Misty Forest, his range of vision is at least twice that of an ordinary person, though we don’t know about his other sensory ranges.”

Li Wei Shi’s face darkened. Having such a powerful dark force linger in the Li family’s war zone was a major problem. He suddenly realized something, “Did you encounter him too?”

Qian Ye nodded nonchalantly.

Stunned, Li Wei Shi’s gaze toward Qian Ye changed. Though he knew Qian Ye was strong, he hadn’t thought he’d be a match for the dark earl. Now, seeing Qian Ye return unscathed and not seriously injured, Li Wei Shi felt that the Li family’s assessment of Qian Ye’s strength needed to be re-evaluated.

Li Wei Shi immediately asked about the weapons Aiden used. Qian Ye couldn’t clearly see the sidearm, but the heavy sniper rifle was easy to describe. Recalling it, Li Wei Shi’s face changed, “Shadow Ode!”

“A named weapon?” Qian Ye was curious. Any named weapon among the demons and vampires had a history, and their owners were certainly not ordinary.

Li Wei Shi, who had already shown enthusiasm, became even more respectful. “The information you brought is extremely important! I need to adjust the recent warning standards. If you need high-level intelligence in the future, feel free to come to me directly!”

Qian Ye returned the paper with Aiden’s dossier to Li Wei Shi and watched him leave hurriedly. Shadow Blade, Shadow Ode—this Aiden seemed to be a formidable adversary. Yet, the Li family knew a great deal about the mysterious Demon clan.

Though there was no in-depth information on innate abilities or skills, the surface-level details about weapons and equipment were hard-earned, and the clear portrait gave Qian Ye a sense of familiarity, though he couldn’t place it.

As Qian Ye stepped out of the room, several piercing gazes fell upon him. He collected his thoughts and looked back. The gazes remained intense and unyielding. The temperature in the room dropped slightly, and everyone noticed, the noise instantly quieting.

They exchanged glances without further action, each minding their own business, like beasts meeting for the first time, wary and testing each other.

One particular bald, smiling, fat man exerted an especially strong pressure on Qian Ye.

Qian Ye quickly completed the exchange, replenishing his supplies. As he left the exchange area, a female officer approached, saying, “General Qian Ye, the family has issued new tasks, and the elder will explain them. Please follow me.”

“Tasks?”

“Yes, these are not mandatory, but completing them will earn extra compensation. Additionally, the family will establish a Merit List from this month, with extra rewards for those with high merit scores.”

Qian Ye frowned slightly. In prolonged stalemate battles, the Imperial military or various factions often issued tasks to attract outsiders with high rewards. These tasks were often dangerous, requiring special skills, or simply to increase the number of enemy casualties, reducing pressure on the war zone.

While Qian Ye wasn’t concerned about the tasks, having seen many such recruitment drives in the Evernight, the Merit List meant trouble.

Soon, Qian Ye was led to a conference room next to the storage area, where several strong individuals were already seated, including Lu Sha from their previous meeting. Qian Ye found a seat and closed his eyes, waiting.

During the few minutes of waiting, Qian Ye felt several gazes sweep over him. Most were scrutinizing, like what he would do to others. However, one gaze was malicious, lingering on his vital points.

A cold smile formed on Qian Ye’s lips, and suddenly, the Dongyue sword sprang out, sheath and all, pressing towards a nearby burly man. The move was lightning-fast, and before the man could react, the heavy sword was already upon him.

“What are you…” The man managed half a sentence before being cut off. He crossed his arms, desperately trying to block the Dongyue. The pressure from the heavy sword was like a mountain collapsing, and he felt as if he was holding not a sword but solid rock.

With a bang, the chair under the man shattered, and he was pressed to the ground. His body began to sink into the floor inch by inch.

The man’s arms creaked, and as his bones were about to shatter, the pressure suddenly disappeared. The Dongyue was retracted gracefully, like a falling leaf, and Qian Ye placed it casually on the ground beside him.

Throughout the incident, Qian Ye’s eyes never opened, and his posture hardly changed. The change happened in an instant, and most people in the room didn’t have time to react. Those who had initially dismissed Qian Ye now looked up.

Ignoring their reactions, Qian Ye kept his eyes half-closed and said coolly, “I have a bit of a temper. Watch your eyes. On the battlefield, I would have dug those things out by now.”

Silence fell in the room. Qian Ye’s words were more for everyone’s ears than for the burly man alone.

Those seated here were mostly arrogant and experienced, and seeing the Level 11 burly man unable to defend against a casual move, they naturally recognized Qian Ye’s strength. In the face of absolute power, a few words of provocation were meaningless.

The burly man struggled to his feet, both ashamed and angry, and unable to stay, he turned to leave. However, an old man stood at the door, and with a low growl of “Get lost!” he charged straight into him.

It was like hitting a steel wall, with all his original force rebounding. The burly man was dazed and stumbled, collapsing slowly.

The old man walked in, sweeping the burly man aside with his cane, as if disposing of trash.

“Since you’re here, why rush to leave? I am Li Tian Quan, handling some miscellaneous affairs for the Li family.”

At the mention of Li Tian Quan, the faces of the strong individuals turned grave.

This was a well-known name among the Li family’s elders, one of the few still wielding significant power. That the Li family sent him here meant this task and the Merit List were no small matter.

Li Tian Quan was straightforward, distributing the tasks without preamble. These tasks were mostly about hunting, with increased rewards for dark warriors below the rank of Viscount. There were also new categories and prices for the acquisition of various materials and spoils.

Having served in the military, Qian Ye understood that the Li family’s situation on the front lines was grim. Only if the war was intense would they include the killing of ordinary soldiers in the early stages.

The materials and spoils were likely for a war economy, with the Li family recycling the scattered resources collected by free agents. The newly built workshops on the camp’s side were probably for this purpose.

Flipping to the next page, a few special tasks piqued Qian Ye’s interest.