Chapter 25: The Final Gift

Du Yuanze roared, “Who dares?!” The soldiers of the expeditionary force behind him quickly drew their guns.

But the officers of Darkflame were much faster and more ruthless. Gunshots rang out in the reception room, flashes of origin power flickered, and after the smoke cleared, the air was filled with the stench of blood. All of Du Yuanze’s subordinates lay dead in pools of crimson.

Du Yuanze’s limbs grew cold, his words barely coherent as he stammered, “You… you really dared…”

He had only ordered his men to draw their weapons as a threat to Qian Ye, never intending to take action at Darkflame’s headquarters. Now that Blackstream City and its surrounding areas were largely under his control, Darkflame would only be wiped out if they resisted.

Who knew that Qian Ye’s subordinates would act so brazenly, killing without hesitation? The uniforms of the expeditionary forces did not intimidate them at all.

Qian Ye’s expression remained calm as he said in a casual tone, “As you can see, I don’t like the way you gave me a lifeline, so I’ll forge my own path.”

Duan Hao sneered, approaching Du Yuanze. He roughly searched him from head to toe, taking away all his weapons. Although Du Yuanze was a seventh-rank warrior, he didn’t dare move a muscle. In this room, Duan Hao alone could kill him.

Qian Ye handed the appointment letter from Dong Qifeng to Song Hu, instructing, “Deliver this to General Wei Banian; then the handover is complete. Also, inform General Wei to leave Blackstream City by dusk tomorrow.”

Song Hu understood immediately and quickly left.

Hearing Qian Ye’s message to the Far East Wei family’s general, Du Yuanze shivered. According to his information, Darkflame had grown rapidly in just half a year due to their reliance on the Wei family.

This was also one of the main reasons they intended to use drastic measures to disband the mercenary group. Dong Qifeng had paid a high price for the appointment, determined to make a significant impact, and thus needed an absolutely compliant jurisdiction. Old powers had to be eliminated, and the newly built base and mineral resources of Darkflame were highly coveted.

But how could a mercenary group that relied on the Wei family dare to speak to Wei Banian in such a manner?

After the initial shock, Du Yuanze recalled the implications of Qian Ye’s words, a terrible thought creeping into his mind. He stammered, “You… you’re going to…”

Qian Ye interrupted, “Exactly. There’s no need for Colonel Du to mobilize the 7th Division. After I take Blackstream City, we can talk properly.”

Du Yuanze was a smart man; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been a regimental advisor. His main advantage was that he had already taken over most of the 7th Division. To him, hunters, mercenaries, adventurers, and local gangs were nothing but cannon fodder. These local forces couldn’t stand up to an organized expeditionary force, nor would they dare to resist.

Therefore, Du Yuanze never imagined there would be any obstacles in cleaning up Blackstream City, and he was even prepared to exterminate a few leading organizations to set an example.

But what happened with Darkflame exceeded his expectations. Qian Ye clearly knew they had taken over the 7th Division, yet he was unfazed and even planning to attack it? Du Yuanze seemed to sense a plot, cold sweat trickling down his forehead.

He blurted out, “You’re rebelling!”

Qian Ye glanced at Du Yuanze and said calmly, “It seems Colonel Du just came from the upper continent and isn’t familiar with the rules of Evernight. Here, territory isn’t officially granted by the empire. Whoever wins, gets it.”

Now, the two of them faced each other, and no one restrained Du Yuanze. He wasn’t bound or cuffed, and aside from having no weapons, he was free. But the more freedom he had, the more afraid he was to make any small moves. He knew that if Qian Ye allowed him such freedom, it meant Qian Ye was confident he could instantly kill him at any sign of trouble.

Outside the window, the Darkflame base bustled with order. Warriors poured out, gathering on the parade ground, while various weapons and equipment were moved out of the warehouse in a steady stream.

Hearing the sounds of a large military mobilization outside, Du Yuanze finally couldn’t help but walk to the window and look out. His face paled as he turned to look at Qianze, who was listening quietly to the reports from his officers, his body drenched in cold sweat.

At this moment, Du Yuanze deeply regretted trusting the higher-ups at the expeditionary force headquarters too much, and for letting his guard down when he saw the Wei family’s cooperative attitude. As for the information provided by the expeditionary force, it was now clear that it had been tampered with. If he had known, he should have delayed the plan and come to Blackstream City himself.

The best way to deal with a fierce and powerful group like Darkflame was to cooperate on the surface and slowly squeeze their living space. Even if it took more time, it would be better than the current predicament. Even now, Du Yuanze found it hard to believe that Darkflame actually dared to take action!

Song Hu pushed the door open and whispered a few words in Qian Ye’s ear.

In the past hour, Song Hu had been busy. He personally delivered a letter to Wei Banian, sent a prearranged message to Song Zining, who had arrived on the Evernight Continent two days ago, and finally sent people to inform the local factions in Blackstream City that they should remain neutral if there was any unrest in the city.

Song Hu didn’t wait for responses from the factions because he knew Qian Ye’s intentions. At the moment of action, anyone standing with Dong Qifeng would be eradicated without mercy. Qian Ye also wanted to clean up his backyard.

After hearing Song Hu’s report, Qian Ye nodded, stood up, and before leaving, he instructed, “Treat Colonel Du well.”

Song Hu looked at Du Yuanze with a sinister smile and said, “Don’t worry, Lord Qian.”

Du Yuanze felt a chill from afar. He suddenly realized that despite being a seventh-rank, he was intimidated by this sixth-rank veteran.

The old tavern on Qingye Street was famous in Blackstream City, existing since the city’s founding. It had been destroyed and rebuilt several times, with everything inside being new except for the wooden sign at the entrance, bearing burn marks.

Conspiracies, assassinations, betrayals, secret affairs, and everything else that could happen in a bar had all occurred here.

When Qian Ye arrived at the old tavern, there were hardly any customers, and most tables were empty. He chose a corner table, ordered seven portions of the signature grilled meat pies, and began to eat leisurely.

The old tavern was neither too close nor too far from the 7th Division headquarters, making it a good meeting spot.

Soon, the tavern door opened, and a man with his coat collar up walked in. He scanned the tavern and walked straight to Qian Ye, sitting down at the table.

“Why choose this place?” Wei Banian asked.

“I heard the food here is good, and it’s close to your side,” Qian Ye said, pushing a large plate forward.

Wei Banian unceremoniously grabbed a large piece of meat pie, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed, and praised, “Not bad, indeed not bad. It’s very satisfying.”

Then, they stopped talking, eating in silence, and soon finished the meat pies that covered half the table.

Wei Banian drank a large mouthful of beer, satisfied, and said, “Good meal. Alright, let’s get to business. I received the message you sent. But, I want to hear your reasoning.”

“Conflict of interest,” Qian Ye said simply.

Though Wei Banian had anticipated it, his face changed slightly when he heard it. “So soon?”

Wei Banian knew Darkflame’s strength and development momentum. Any division commander would be uncomfortable with such a non-loyal force in their jurisdiction, and conflicts were inevitable. He just didn’t expect that before the official transfer, they would reach the point of war.

Qian Ye briefly described the content of the military announcement issued by Dong Qifeng, “General Dong clearly doesn’t intend to get along with me. So, I’ll take Blackstream City first, and then we can sit down and talk properly.”

Wei Banian nodded. Whatever they talked about, they needed sufficient leverage, and control of Blackstream City was significant.

Evernight wasn’t the upper continent of the empire. Here, the strong dictated the order, and even the expeditionary forces couldn’t control everything, which was why so many grey areas and grey forces existed. In reality, the expeditionary forces themselves carried a layer of grey. As long as Qian Ye was strong enough, he could make the changes to Blackstream City a reality.

Wei Banian pondered for a moment, “Dong Qifeng’s order is indeed a handle to appeal. I can’t do it directly, but I can find some military connections to help you. But it has to be after you win.”

In theory, a division commander had full authority over their defense zone, but Dong Qifeng’s actions were too aggressive, even squeezing the local forces in the city, something even grass-roots commanders rarely did.

If it were a civilian division commander, it might not matter, but the Dong family was a mid-level aristocratic family. Even if Dong Qifeng had no face, his family could not afford to lose face.

However, to do anything, he first had to take Blackstream City to gain the necessary voice. No one listened to the weak.

As for Qian Ye, after swallowing Blackstream City, he would not easily spit it out. What to discuss with Dong Qifeng afterward was a matter for the future.

Looking at this elder-like general, Qian Ye felt very grateful and smiled, “I won’t hide it from you, General. I have plans in this regard. A friend of mine will speak to some key figures at the expeditionary force headquarters.”

“Why not ask me to stay? With me and my people, it would be much easier to suppress the 7th Division.”

“Taking Blackstream City is just the beginning. This matter won’t end so simply. Since the Wei family has an agreement with the expeditionary force, if you and your people are involved, it means direct confrontation with the expeditionary force. The Wei family’s interests in Evernight are not core, and the war in the Far East is still ongoing. Don’t create more enemies for me.”

Wei Banian looked at Qian Ye, his eyes glinting, deep in thought. Suddenly, he laughed, “Good! Since you are confident, I won’t interfere. It seems our generation is indeed getting old.”

Qian Ye sincerely said, “General Wei, thank you for your guidance and care during this time.”

Wei Banian waved his hand and took out a map, spreading it on the table. It was a defensive map of the Blackstream City combat zone.

He pointed to several markings, “These three are the main camps of the 7th Division. Military strength and defenses are detailed here. When I return, I’ll order the entire division to rest for a day, not leaving the camp, and provide extra rations and allow alcohol tonight. And here, is the private camp of the Wei family. Everyone will evacuate by nightfall, but heavy equipment and ammunition will be left there.”

Since Qian Ye had already detained Du Yuanze, even if the Dong family had people outside, they lacked a commander. At least for tonight, Wei Banian’s orders still held.

Qian Ye understood; these arrangements were Wei Banian’s final gift to him.

Wei Banian stood up, extending his hand to Qian Ye, “I wish you success!”

Qian Ye shook Wei Banian’s hand, smiling, “I will succeed.”

Wei Banian suddenly noticed that Qian Ye’s hand was slightly colder than normal, but firm and powerful, like gripping the hardest rock.

The strength represented by both hands was nearly equal.