Chapter 3: The Shaking Foundations

Two Baron-level spider demons, in Qian Ye’s eyes, were nothing but two moving bundles of military merit. He suddenly accelerated, rushing down the slope, brushing past the Bai family warriors, and crashed headlong into the spider demons.

A muffled sound even overshadowed the wails of the spider demons. The one hit directly by Qian Ye was sent flying, crashing to the ground with its eight twisted limbs bent at unnatural angles.

Qian Ye took a sidestep, instantly pressing against the other dazed spider demon. With a mere shoulder nudge, the spider demon’s hard exoskeleton along with all its internal organs were shattered, softening like freshly baked bread. At the same time, the vampiric blade in his hand pierced into its vital spot.

Qian Ye paused for a moment, then pulled out the vampiric blade, walked over to the downed spider demon, and delivered a finishing blow. Only then did he turn to look at the Bai family warriors.

They stood not far away, showing no intention of helping. Seeing Qian Ye so easily slay the two spider demons, they immediately became extremely wary, constantly scrutinizing the Zhao family crest on his battle armor. If not for the fact that they were already at their wits’ end, too exhausted to even move after a brief respite, they might have already fled.

The battlefields of the major clans often intersected and changed according to the situation. Generally, it was nothing out of the ordinary to encounter another clan’s forces within one’s own territory. However, meeting the Bai, Nan Gong, Kong, and other clans’ warriors in the Zhao territory meant something significant. Qian Ye had long known the current situation from the Zhao family’s battle reports.

Seeing the Bai family warriors in this state, Qian Ye already had a good idea. He didn’t rush, waiting until he had drained the spider demons’ blood, then with a light flick of his wrist, pulled out the vampiric blade and walked toward them.

“Drop all your weapons, or I’ll send you to join those two spider demons.” Qian Ye said coldly.

The Bai family warriors looked at each other, still gripping their origin guns, aiming at Qian Ye.

Qian Ye sneered, flicked his finger, and a thunderous sound echoed as an air bullet pierced through the strongest warrior’s head like lightning!

His face full of shock, he fell backward.

The others, filled with anger and alarm, one of them shouted, “You dare kill someone from the Bai family…?” Before he could finish, another thunderous sound rang out, and a bloody hole appeared in his forehead, toppling him over.

The remaining two, greatly alarmed, hastily threw down their origin guns and began unstrapping their gear.

Qian Ye’s gaze swept between the two, asking, “Where is Bai Kongzhao?”

The tall, lanky Bai family warrior hesitated, then plucked up the courage to say, “How could we, mere soldiers, know the whereabouts of Miss Kongzhao?”

Qian Ye, noting the flicker in his eyes, coldly turned to the other Bai family warrior and asked, “What about you?”

The other just opened his mouth when a thunderous sound echoed, and his companion’s body slowly tilted, a bloody hole piercing his head. He was rendered speechless, the short sword he was halfway through unstrapping falling to the ground, smashing onto his foot.

Qian Ye said coolly, “I don’t have time for lies. Answer my question, or die. If you won’t tell me, I’m sure the Bai clan has more than just your team nearby.”

The man’s voice trembled as he spoke, “We last saw Miss Kongzhao three days ago. She only appears during battles, and her location is unknown most of the time, truly!”

Qian Ye’s eyes narrowed, continuing, “Then how did you end up in such a state?”

“Miss Kongzhao hasn’t shown up in several battles. Our numbers dwindled, and… this isn’t our territory. Supplies are insufficient, and we were ambushed by a powerful spider demon force. Now, only a few of us remain,” he swallowed, eyeing the Yanyun Iron Cavalry emblem on Qian Ye’s shoulder fearfully.

“Hand over your battle map, and mark all the locations and times where Bai Kongzhao has been seen in the past month,” Qian Ye commanded.

The man crouched, retrieving the battle map from his tactical backpack, his hands visibly trembling as he marked the details. Clearly, the pressure from both the family and Bai Kongzhao was immense, but the immediate threat of death forced him to comply.

Qian Ye examined the map, repeatedly questioning the details, finally confirming the man hadn’t lied. He waved his hand, saying, “Go, if you want to live longer, don’t let me see you again in the Zhao territory.”

The man fled in panic, while Qian Ye continued studying the map, piecing together Bai Kongzhao’s possible movements, a cold, murderous intent in his eyes. He rubbed the map, turning it to dust, and then set off in the chosen direction, vanishing into the forest.

For a day and night, Qian Ye covered hundreds of kilometers, engaging in numerous skirmishes. Most were against the dark races, but once, he encountered a human squad’s internal conflict, though it didn’t involve the Zhao.

In these battles, Qian Ye entered the fray with overwhelming force, directly slaying the strongest dark race leader, then subduing the human squads. In the human conflict, he simply beat down both captains and questioned them.

Qian Ye was primarily tracking Bai Kongzhao and checking on other Zhao squads.

However, all the information he gathered indicated that Bai Kongzhao had last been seen three days ago. Her battles had included engagements with the dark races, the Zhao, and even third parties. Regardless of the enemy, the outcome was always total annihilation, leaving no survivors.

After traveling hundreds of kilometers, Qian Ye traversed half the Zhao’s northwest territory without catching a glimpse of Bai Kongzhao. All reports were consistent, suggesting she had vanished three days ago, never to be seen again.

As the sky brightened, Qian Ye halted. A sudden, inexplicable intuition told him that Bai Kongzhao had sensed his arrival and gone into hiding, or possibly left entirely.

How Bai Kongzhao could have detected Qian Ye’s return to the Curtain remained a mystery—perhaps through some communication with the Curtain’s will, or perhaps her own keen instincts.

This demonic girl had many inexplicable abilities. Her combat instincts and intuition were beyond belief. In previous face-to-face battles, despite Qian Ye’s superior power, she always managed to escape through incredible means.

Since Bai Kongzhao might have left the Zhao territory, Qian Ye ceased wasting time searching for her and instead hunted other clans’ squads. Over several days, he chased and drove away two clan squads, crippled one each from the Zhang, Bai, and Nan Gong, and rescued a trapped Zhao squad.

Against Qian Ye, these squads had little chance. Those who resisted were killed on the spot, without mercy.

Qian Ye had the surviving Zhao warriors escort the captured clan warriors back to the forward base. What the Zhao would do with them—whether they’d be executed or ransomed—was not his concern.

The Curtain had become unstable, and the overall war entered a fierce stage. Both the dark races and the Empire’s remaining forces were seasoned elites, making every victory a bloody affair.

Qian Ye and Jun Du each moved independently in this complex region, sometimes crossing into the Dark Realm or other clans’ territories, yet they never met.

They moved freely, like two large stones cast into a lake, sending ripples far and wide across the battlefield.

On a mountain peak, Jun Du, holding the Jade Sky, sat alone on a rock. His battle armor was cracked, but his martial robes inside were intact, marred only by traces of smoke. He sat upright, his back as straight as a pike, gazing over the vast plain, his perfect face cold and impassive.

In the distance, a svelte, enticing figure appeared, causing Jun Du to frown but stay seated. Dusk’s shadow approached quickly, standing atop the peak in an instant.

Dusk, undeterred by Jun Du’s obvious displeasure, walked up to him, smiling, “I’ve found a Zhang clan squad active on the other side of the battlefield. I’ll send people to deal with them. In return, I need you to kill a powerful vampire in Area C13.”

Jun Du said coldly, “I really dislike seeing you.”

Dusk smiled seductively, “This is actually a good deal…”

“I don’t trade with dark races!” Jun Du interrupted.

Dusk’s smile grew more pleasant, “We’ve already cooperated, which is a trade! Many of your clans secretly engage in various deals. If you don’t cooperate with me, won’t you face enemies on two fronts? Fourth Prince, even if you’re formidable, you can only protect yourself, right? Oh, by the way, I’ve seen Qian Ye twice recently.”

Jun Du, after a moment’s silence, said softly, “I will never accept threats.”

“This isn’t a threat, but a reminder of what you’ve gained from me. For everything gained, there must be a price. Our exchanges haven’t harmed either side, nor have they affected the bigger picture, right?” Dusk coaxed, “The war continues, and we continue to kill. Perhaps we’ve killed more enemies than our opponents. Now, we simply need to transfer some benefits from our opponents to ourselves.”

Jun Du slowly stood, “You make a good point, but I have my principles. Our dealings end here. Next time, we fight.”

Dusk’s face, cold and beautiful, smiled with a bewitching allure, “Fourth Prince, your resolve impresses me. But you may not know, I have Qian Ye’s recent movements.”

Jun Du fixed Dusk with a steady gaze, his eyes dark purple. He exhaled, saying, “Qian Ye… must grow on his own. I can’t protect him forever. And under the Curtain, you may not be able to kill him either.”

“If I add a condition to watch over him appropriately, would you reconsider? Qian Ye is quite a handsome boy, and his temper is somewhat like yours, Fourth Prince!” Dusk smiled, her perception keen, often reading the smallest changes in people’s hearts. Her voice softened, like a witch’s incantation, “Fourth Prince, you… wavered just now, didn’t you?”