Chapter 5: The Dark Shadow

Just then, a plump middle-aged man jogged over, stopping in front of Qian Ye. Bending over to catch his breath, he said, “Are you the Lord Commander? I am Hu Wei, the current mayor of Black Mud Town. Please take care of me in the future, Lord Qian Ye!”

Qian Ye sized up Hu Wei and was slightly surprised to find that this fat man was a second-level warrior.

After reviewing the situation in Black Mud Town, Qian Ye had already realized that this place was completely different from Lighthouse Town, whether in terms of importance or danger. It could not be compared to the peaceful town he had once stayed in. For Hu Wei to hold the position of mayor with only a second-level ranking, he either possessed strength beyond his rank or had some hidden background. But if he truly had a powerful background, why would he run to such a dangerous place instead of finding a safer occupation?

Qian Ye pointed at the vagrants lying on the ground and asked, “Mayor Hu, what’s going on here?”

Hu Wei smiled obsequiously, “This town is now yours, Lord. Please, don’t call me mayor anymore. Just call me Hu Wei, or Little Hu, if you don’t mind.”

Looking at this fat man whose face was already lined with wrinkles, Qian Ye frowned and asked, “What about these people?”

Glancing at the vagrants, Hu Wei explained, “They are scavengers who survive by collecting herbs and resources in the Great Swamp. But only a few of them are real gatherers; the rest are just gambling with their lives.”

Gathering herbs was a skilled profession; otherwise, there was a risk of mistaking similar-looking herbs, and certain harmless plants could become highly toxic when mixed together. Nevertheless, it was a high-profit venture, more valuable than the scrap metal found all over the Evernight Continent, so scavengers still flocked to it.

Qian Ye was standing at the entrance of an alley. Looking down, he saw that in the alley stretching for a dozen meters, at least twenty to thirty people were lying down. The sound of his voice woke the sleeping vagrants, who sat up and stared at Qian Ye and Hu Wei with animal-like gazes.

Suddenly, Qian Ye saw a shadow walking past the other end of the alley!

It was an ordinary-looking adventurer, entirely shrouded in a dark cloak, making it impossible to see his true appearance. Yet, his gait and posture made Qian Ye feel as if the man was gliding on water rather than walking on flat ground!

“Wait!” Qian Ye rushed into the alley, but the vagrants were lying too densely, making it nearly impossible for him to find a place to step.

Seeing Qian Ye approaching, the vagrants, driven by some unknown thoughts, began to move. Some deliberately lifted their legs to create more obstacles, while others reached out to grab Qian Ye. The greedy gleam in their eyes told him that if they managed to pull him down, he would be stripped of everything he had.

Qian Ye wasn’t about to be stopped by these ordinary people. He leaped, using the walls of the buildings on either side to jump onto the roof, and then chased after the direction where the adventurer had disappeared.

But in the short time it took for Qian Ye to climb up, he couldn’t find any trace of the figure among the closely packed rooftops. Patches of dim light illuminated the ground, but most of the vagrants were still asleep, and the town remained quiet except for the disturbance.

Qian Ye’s heart sank slightly. Such speed and agility were not inferior to Gu Liyu’s, and perhaps even surpassed him. After scanning the town and seeing nothing unusual, Qian Ye leaped down from the roof and landed in front of Hu Wei.

“Lord Qian, who was that just now… a friend of yours?” Hu Wei asked tentatively.

“No, that was a Blood Noble, a high-ranking one.”

Hu Wei’s chubby face turned ashen, and he let out a sharp cry before quickly lowering his voice, “A high-ranking Blood Noble! How high?”

“At least a Marquis.”

This answer nearly made Hu Wei faint. His voice trembled, “A Marquis! Why would he come here? We have nothing in this small place!”

“Enough with people,” an expeditionary officer interjected.

“It’s impossible. Though the town has many people, why would a high-ranking Blood Noble be interested in them?” Hu Wei almost screamed again, but he knew better than to make a scene and managed to control his volume.

Qian Ye was slightly surprised and glanced at Hu Wei again. How did a frontier town mayor know such things?

The Empire’s propaganda about Blood Nobles was extreme and simplistic. The mere fact that commoners feared being contaminated by Blood Slaves showed that the Empire had no intention of spreading knowledge. Even in the elite corps, Qian Ye had no access to such confidential information.

It wasn’t until he himself had tasted blood that he understood that the real attraction for Blood Nobles was the origin power contained in fresh blood. For high-ranking Blood Nobles, only blood rich in origin power could pique their interest. These vagrants, who had no origin power, would not be particularly appetizing even if they were clean.

Hu Wei glared at the vagrants in the alley and suddenly charged forward, kicking one of them to the ground and kicking him while shouting, “How dare you block the Lord’s path! You really have blind eyes! If not for you, the Lord would have caught that Blood Noble! Today, I won’t stop until I cripple you lot! Don’t think this Black Mud Town is your territory!”

Saying this, Hu Wei, feeling that kicking wasn’t enough, pulled out a whip and lashed the vagrants. They wailed and scrambled, and in no time, the alley was empty.

These vagrants seemed to fear Hu Wei greatly, not daring to resist, only fleeing.

“These scoundrels, they need to be beaten every day!” Hu Wei panted. That bout of whipping had required quite a bit of effort from him.

Qian Ye didn’t comment. After touring the town and inspecting various places, he followed Hu Wei to his home.

The mayor’s residence was a sturdy, three-story stone building in the center of Black Mud Town. The windows were narrow and small, giving the entire structure the appearance of a miniature fortress.

Entering the building, Qian Ye discovered that Hu Wei’s room was on the third floor, with the second floor serving as guest rooms and the first floor housing the kitchen and living quarters for the expeditionary officers. Thus, the actual space belonging to Hu Wei was quite limited.

After a tour, Qian Ye sat down in a cramped reception room on the third floor. Standing in the room, it felt like he could touch both walls by extending his arms, and it was crowded with just a few people seated.

“I don’t see your family around?”

Hu Wei laughed bitterly, “Lord, how can one have a family in such a godforsaken place? Who knows when those black-blooded beasts will come rushing out of the swamp? If that happens, forget holding our ground; we might not even escape.”

Pausing, Hu Wei lowered his voice, “Actually, I have a child. He is staying with his aunt in Red Pine City…” His tone softened, filled with a fatherly affection.

Qian Ye chatted with Hu Wei for a while, learning about the environment and history of the Black Mud Swamp. Midway through the conversation, Hu Wei suddenly remembered something and almost jumped up, exclaiming, “There’s another high-ranking Blood Noble in the town!”

Qian Ye replied indifferently, “So what?”

Hu Wei immediately understood why Qian Ye hadn’t ordered a search and why the expeditionary officers hadn’t moved. In such a complex environment, a titled Blood Noble could easily hide or escape into the swamp. Dealing with such an enemy, besides setting traps and waiting for them to fall into it, there were no good options.

Qian Ye’s words implied that under normal circumstances, Black Mud Town had nothing to attract a Marquis unless Hu Wei was hiding something.

Understanding this, Hu Wei broke into a cold sweat and hurriedly declared his innocence. Then, frowning, he muttered, “What could I possibly have that would attract a noble like a Marquis?”

Qian Ye, seeing that Hu Wei didn’t seem to be lying, simply said, “If there’s nothing, then it’s nothing. It’s best if the Blood Noble’s appearance was just a coincidence. My soldiers will arrive in two days to take over the defense, about two hundred of them. Make some preparations.”

Relieved, Hu Wei clapped his hands and said, “Rest assured, Lord, I will take good care of them!”

Qian Ye looked at Hu Wei curiously and asked with a half-smile, “You’re that eager for my men to come?”

Qian Ye’s question had a deeper meaning. It was well-known that the Empire’s military discipline was poor, and the expeditionary forces were particularly notorious. Under the guise of hunting Blood Slaves, they could do anything they wanted. Qian Ye had seen this firsthand and experienced it personally. As for mercenary groups, their misconduct was slightly less because they lacked the strength and authority, not because of better discipline. In the wilderness, mercenaries and bandits were often indistinguishable.

However, the elite corps like Red Scorpion, where Qian Ye belonged, rarely disturbed the civilians. This wasn’t due to strict discipline, but because their supplies were so abundant that they didn’t bother with the meager possessions of the common folk. However, the elite corps were notorious in another area: the so-called “casualty quotas.” To local officials and minor nobles, the elite corps were as terrifying as the dark races.

So, as a low-ranking bureaucrat, Hu Wei should be wary of the expeditionary forces and mercenaries. Typically, mayors had their own armed forces, strong enough to negotiate with the expeditionary forces.

Hu Wei laughed bitterly, “If a Marquis has appeared, it means a major battle is imminent. Besides, my place is so poor that the expeditionary forces can take whatever they want, as long as they protect the town. But even so, fewer and fewer of them are willing to come. By the way, how did you identify that as a high-ranking Blood Noble?”

“Experience,” Qian Ye answered simply.

In truth, the Blood Noble might have been too confident that no one in this small human settlement could detect him, and he didn’t bother to conceal his aura. The thick blood power had triggered a reaction in the gold and purple blood energy within Qian Ye, revealing the Blood Noble’s presence.

Qian Ye had no intention of resting. He instructed Hu Wei to prepare some rations and, taking his gear, left the town alone, preparing to enter the Black Mud Swamp that night.