Chapter 98: Journey Home

The battle here had come to an end, but Qian Ye did not intend to return to the Western Continent with the Zhao army. Blackflow and Darkflame were his foundation, and moreover, Nighteye was there.

When bidding farewell to Zhao Jundu, Qian Ye was somewhat concerned that he would need to use his eloquence, but unexpectedly, the usually assertive Zhao Jundu did not object this time.

From him, Qian Ye also learned a secret of the Zhao family: only those who had participated in the Great Sacrifice Ritual were considered true core members. They needed to leave a trace of their bloodline essence on the ancestral shrine’s formation array. If they died outside, the family would be informed, and if necessary, the family could also locate them through secret methods.

Upon hearing this secret, Qian Ye’s heart skipped a beat. He first understood how the Zhao family had found where Zhao Weihuang and Yeki had hidden, and then he realized another issue. Since the ancestral shrine formation array could record and trace the bloodline essence, did it have other functions?

Zhao Jundu had given Qian Ye nominal protection within the clan, but initially, he did not intend for Qian Ye to participate in the war under the Zhao name, even when the Zhao family’s position on the military merit list was perilous. Now, thinking back, it wasn’t because he underestimated Qian Ye’s combat power. Had Zhao Jundu guessed something or was he worried about something?

Thinking of Duke Youguo’s seemingly ordinary yet profound actions, whether it was the unhidden admiration in front of others or the casual mention of Qian Ye not having the right to inherit the clan leadership during their deep conversation, Qian Ye, who disliked overly complex interpersonal relations, could only smile wryly.

As the Imperial fleet sailed away, Qian Ye shook off his myriad thoughts and turned, climbing into the off-road vehicle, starting the engine, and heading towards Blackflow City.

The Evernight continent, which had just ended a war, was quite peaceful, and Qian Ye smoothly returned to Blackflow City without any complications. Although the city and its surroundings still bore the scars of widespread destruction, most of the damaged city defenses had been repaired, and the city was bustling with crowds. The city, originally capable of accommodating ten thousand people, now housed over twenty thousand.

Since the beginning of the Blood War, Blackflow City, located behind the Iron Curtain, had become a key location. A large number of mercenaries and hunters used it as their frontline supply base. In the later stages, as regular armies entered the battlefield, the residents of rural towns and settlements were forced to flee to the city for refuge.

With Song Zining guarding Blackflow, the city gained a fearsome reputation from the siege and territorial battles. By the later stages, few dark races were willing to come and meet their doom. As a result, even more people sought shelter in Blackflow, and various traders and merchants made it a transit point, leading to a booming market.

For reasons unknown, Song Zining generally accepted anyone who came, as long as they paid taxes. Fortunately, he had prepared in advance by storing a large amount of food, or it would have been difficult to survive the later stages of the Blood War.

When Qian Ye drove up to the gates of Blackflow, he saw busy workers everywhere, not only repairing and reinforcing the walls but also building two new towers, large enough to house fortress cannons.

Blackflow’s original fortress cannons had been specially modified by Nan Gongxiaoniao, allowing the cannons to cover all four sides of the city. With the addition of two more fortress cannons, the city’s defenses were significantly enhanced. If the demonic Marquis Roderick tried to attack now, his forces would likely suffer heavy losses just from the cannon barrage.

Qian Ye drove into the city with the flow of people. The gate guards were meticulous, stopping even vehicles with the Imperial Legion emblem, until they recognized Qian Ye, and then let him pass.

Inside Blackflow, the streets were noisy and bustling. Song Zining had initially attracted dozens of large trading houses, but now, looking up, there were a myriad of signs, with the number of new small and large trading houses being several times greater. Just walking down one main street, he saw six or seven shops being renovated, ready to open soon.

While Blackflow was lively, the order was maintained, with patrolling Darkflame warriors frequently seen. Both unruly mercenaries and haughty aristocratic children showed reverence and caution toward the Darkflame warriors, not daring to cause trouble.

This was all due to Song Zining’s efforts. During the Blood War, he had used a firm hand to quell unrest, dealing with anyone who caused trouble, regardless of who they were. Even direct descendants of the Nan Gong family were executed, and no one dared to test the Seventh Young Master after that.

Although the human settlements in the wilderness had been largely destroyed, Blackflow was not just a single city at this point. The Blood War had ended in a stalemate between the Empire and Evernight, but the Blackflow theater was different. In the early stages, Song Zining had achieved successive victories, sweeping through the dark armies, while in the later stages, Qian Ye alone had pierced through several dark regions, leaving very few dark races willing to come to Blackflow and meet their doom.

In the neighboring dark lands, the territory of Count Stuka of the Spider Demon Clan had mostly fallen under Darkflame control, even the count’s castle was captured, leaving only a few remaining baronies, each fragmented. These small territories remained intact only because Darkflame’s forces were stretched thin, unable to absorb such a large area, and thus, they had been temporarily left alone.

However, seeing the recruitment posters everywhere, Qian Ye knew that Song Zining’s ambitions had not ended. Otherwise, why would he be so eager to expand the army after the war? The next battlefront for the Empire would be on the Void Floating Islands, and Darkflame had no way to participate. Neither Qian Ye nor Song Zining had enough funds to transport an army of three divisions to the Void Floating Islands.

Blackflow had become a massive construction site, but the Darkflame headquarters remained unchanged. After turning a corner, Qian Ye saw the grand entrance of Darkflame, but he did not head there, instead, he went straight home.

The courtyard had some changes compared to the last time, the most noticeable being the addition of a large tree, whose shade covered much of the yard, making the environment particularly serene and quiet.

Nighteye was sitting in the courtyard reading, with a plate of fruit beside her.

Qian Ye sat down at the table, and Nighteye looked up at him, smiling faintly, “You’re back?”

“Yeah, I’m back.”

Nighteye smiled again, “Good, I’ll go make dinner.”

Qian Ye hurriedly said, “No, you shouldn’t. Let me do it!”

Nighteye glared at him, huffed, but still followed Qian Ye into the kitchen.

This vampire noblewoman was shockingly lacking in culinary talent. Even with identical ingredients and cooking procedures, her food was always “special,” and no amount of practice improved it. Qian Ye had given up teaching her and would cook himself whenever he had the time.

While preparing the ingredients, Qian Ye casually asked, “Why is there a new tree in the courtyard?”

Ever since Song Zining’s Thousand Leaf Secret Art became more profound, Qian Ye developed a shadow over trees and leaves, feeling as if there were eyes hidden in the dense foliage.

Hearing Qian Ye’s question, Nighteye said nonchalantly, “Seventh Young Master Song sent it, saying it would block sunlight and purify the air. So I had it planted in the courtyard.”

Qian Ye was taken aback, “Song Zining sent it?”

“Yes, what’s wrong?”

Qian Ye felt a bit uneasy, “Have you noticed anything strange lately?”

Nighteye thought for a moment, then shook her head, “No.”

“When you go out, do you feel like someone is secretly watching you?”

This time, Nighteye nodded, “Yes.”

Qian Ye clenched his teeth, furious, “That brat must be itching for a beating!”

Nighteye looked confused, “What are you talking about?”

Feeling something was amiss, Qian Ye asked, “Who was secretly watching you?”

Without hesitation, Nighteye replied, “Nan Gong Xiaoniao.”

“Ah? Her?” This answer surprised Qian Ye.

“Yes, she came to spy on me several times, but I ignored her. One night, she tried to sneak into my room.”

“Well…” Qian Ye didn’t know what to say. Nan Gong Xiaoniao was a genius in force arrays and machinery, but she was often absent-minded.

“I don’t know what she wanted, so I just watched her quietly. But…” Nighteye’s face lit up with a smile, “But she actually tried to crawl through the ventilation skylight. The window was too small, and she got stuck halfway.”

Hearing this, Qian Ye couldn’t help but think of Nan Gong Xiaoniao’s ample chest. With such a figure, crawling through a small window was indeed difficult.

“What happened next?” Qian Ye asked with interest.

Nighteye gave Qian Ye a half-smile, slowly saying, “Of course, I had to get her down. It was a bit difficult, and she lost three buttons from her shirt.”

Qian Ye’s heart raced, sensing something amiss. Why exactly three buttons?

Despite his experience, Qian Ye’s expression remained unchanged, “Oh, and then?”

“Nothing much. No matter what I asked, she wouldn’t say a word. Her face was so red, I almost wanted to bite her!”

This was indeed typical of Nan Gong Xiaoniao. Considering the situation, it was impressive that she hadn’t fainted immediately.

Qian Ye thought this incident was over, believing Nan Gong Xiaoniao wouldn’t do anything drastic. With her character, she could only be at the mercy of Nighteye.

As for what Nighteye did next, whether she let her go or taught her a lesson, Qian Ye didn’t care and didn’t want to know. Almost everyone in the upper ranks of Darkflame knew Nan Gong Xiaoniao’s feelings for Qian Ye, and such matters were best left unsaid.

But Nighteye wasn’t done, “The window was really small. When I was pulling her down, I accidentally scratched her a bit. Her blood has a rather unusual taste.”

Qian Ye tensed, running his hand through Nighteye’s black hair, “Are you thirsty lately?”

Nighteye shot him a glare, “Do you think I’m like those impure bloods? Those who awaken their ancestor’s bloodline don’t experience blood thirst. Except during major rituals, I don’t drink blood. Blood without strong force is useless and doesn’t taste good.”

Qian Ye breathed a sigh of relief. Though he knew some things from the Blood River inheritance, he still worried about Nighteye. Hearing her confirm it, he felt a bit more at ease.

If Nighteye needed blood, it wasn’t impossible. On the Evernight continent, there were plenty of bandits and outlaws, numerous prisoners, and slaves were abundant.

In Qian Ye’s view, compared to humans, powerful creatures, including fierce beasts and monsters, as well as werewolves and spider demons, could provide rich, high-quality blood.

However, as a high-intelligence race, vampires, like humans, had a sense of belief, rooted in their hearts from a young age, almost becoming a part of their life. Qian Ye had once gently suggested to Nighteye that he could get her some blood from werewolves or spider demons, or even powerful beasts.

To his surprise, at the mention of werewolf blood, Nighteye reacted strongly, almost turning against Qian Ye. To her, touching werewolf blood was the greatest humiliation. Seeing her reaction, Qian Ye wisely kept silent and soon left for the Imperial army.

Now, reunited, he thought about how long it had been since Nighteye had absorbed blood. Although she didn’t experience blood thirst, Qian Ye still worried. While dark races had their own cultivation methods, plundering was still the fastest way to grow in power, especially for vampires and spider demons. In comparison, the demonic race was more similar to humans, prioritizing cultivation over predation.

Qian Ye repeatedly questioned her, only relaxing when he was sure Nighteye wouldn’t have any issues in the near future.

At this point, Nighteye said, “That Nan Gong Xiaoniao is a bit strange. Be careful of her.”