As the great battle loomed, even the local tyrants of Blackstream City wouldn’t be so blind as to intimidate the new forces. Moreover, Wei Bainian’s control over the city was extremely strict during this critical period; any disturbances would be rigorously investigated afterward.
Qian Ye didn’t accelerate to lose his pursuer but instead walked a large circle from the north gate to the south gate in Blackstream City, observing the city’s situation while also trying to understand the reactions of the surveillance.
The feeling of being watched never ceased, clearly indicating that the surveillers were well-trained. Qian Ye finally confirmed that they were highly professional and unafraid of being detected, which was rather surprising. He glanced at the sky, circled around the city gate, and then strolled leisurely towards the east. The surveillers, no matter how patient, should have appeared after following him around the entire city.
Qian Ye veered off the road and headed for a secluded wasteland, maintaining a steady pace. Sure enough, movement emerged behind him after a while.
The roar of engines grew louder and closer, and in an instant, an off-road vehicle burst out from the side and, with a screech of brakes, drifted sideways, blocking Qian Ye’s path.
Qian Ye stopped and quietly observed the off-road vehicle blocking his way.
The vehicle bore no insignias, but its tall body and six oversized tires were unmistakable trademarks of Hound Bikes. As the largest manufacturer of various off-road vehicles, “Hound” was always a significant supplier to the Imperial military, and such high-end models were rarely seen among the expeditionary forces.
A young and dashing soldier leaped from the “Hound,” his tall, almost perfectly proportioned figure complemented by disheveled black hair from the high-speed ride, softening his appearance but not masking the sharpness in his eyes. He wore no rank insignia, but his uniform was distinctly different from that of the expeditionary forces. It was the uniform of an Imperial main force officer.
Qian Ye gazed at the young soldier, deep in thought. Even without paying attention to the details, he knew who this person was, as his information had long been committed to memory.
The young man moved with agile and steady steps, indicating considerable strength. He stopped a few meters away from Qian Ye and said with a smile, “I am Gu Liyu, from the Imperial Military. I’m sure you’ve heard of me and recognize my appearance.”
Qian Ye responded mildly, “You should recognize me even more.”
Even with Gu Liyu’s composure, his handsome face twitched slightly before he laughed, “You are indeed a wise one, leaving Qi Qi on your own.”
Hearing this pointed remark, Qian Ye’s expression remained unchanged, his obsidian-like eyes showing no ripples as he looked at Gu Liyu.
Under such a clear gaze, Gu Liyu became a bit uneasy and continued, “I heard you have taken shelter under the Wei family and even set up some kind of mercenary group here. So, I came by to see what tricks Qi Qi’s little toy could pull off.”
Qian Ye remained calm, “How do you feel about it?”
“Not bad, quite impressive!” Gu Liyu clapped and praised, then lowered his voice, saying with a meaningful tone, “But there will be another war soon. You’d better be careful. Otherwise, your mercenary group might be wiped out in another battle, and if those beautiful twin sisters and the bloodline seeds fall into the hands of the dark races, who knows what might happen!”
At this point, Gu Liyu revealed a sinister look and gritted his teeth, “Don’t think that just because you’re protected by the Wei family, I can’t get rid of you!”
Qian Ye still showed no significant emotion, only sighed and asked quietly, “So many soldiers from the 131st Regiment shouldn’t have died that way. Doesn’t it make you sleepless at night?”
“That’s their fate!” Gu Liyu laughed heartily.
“But this matter isn’t over yet!” Qian Ye suddenly smiled, his smile as clear and pure as crystal, with a hint of boyish innocence. Just like when he killed for the first time in Lighthouse Town.
Gu Liyu leaned forward slowly, laughing exaggeratedly, “What if it’s not over? Evidence! Do you have evidence? You don’t! Don’t forget, I’m a staff officer of the Imperial Military, and I come from a prestigious clan. No matter which identity, I’m ten times stronger than you. If you try to kill me in a city with so many witnesses, you won’t be able to bear the consequences! Even Yin Qi Qi wouldn’t dare to do anything to me, what can you do?”
Gu Liyu’s twisted smile froze on his face as he stared in shock at Qian Ye pulling out the Twin Flowers, aiming at him, the beautiful and eerie patterns on the gun rapidly lighting up!
“You… what are you doing?!” At this moment, Gu Liyu finally panicked, involuntarily stepping back, even forgetting that he was a rank higher than Qian Ye.
Qian Ye said word by word, “Killing you!”
The Twin Flowers roared simultaneously, the gunshots echoing over Blackstream City. Gu Liyu, who had already fled dozens of meters, screamed in pain as his pale blue origin force shield shattered instantly. Blood splattered, and his left arm hung limply, seeming ready to detach at any moment.
Compared to the blooming warm red flowers, the Twin Flowers’ illusion in front of Qian Ye was no longer as prominent.
Gu Liyu fled at full speed, his harsh cry echoing from afar, “You wait! I will return this injury a hundredfold!”
Qian Ye, with a face as still as water, leapt onto a ten-meter-high roof and chased after Gu Liyu at full speed. This person’s strength was indeed extraordinary; even at such close range, the Twin Flowers’ combined attack couldn’t kill him, only breaking one arm.
At this moment, Qian Ye’s killing intent surged. Since Gu Liyu had appeared so obligingly in front of him, he couldn’t let this golden opportunity slip. No matter what, he couldn’t let him leave Blackstream City alive, or he would never know where to find him again.
The injury seemed to hardly affect Gu Liyu’s movements; his actions remained light and graceful, like a bird, soaring for over ten meters before gently landing. He leapt from rooftop to rooftop, like a wisp of smoke, quickly reaching the city wall. With a single leap, Gu Liyu reached the top of the wall, placed his hand on the wall, and leapt over it, escaping the city.
Qian Ye pursued relentlessly, but even with his speed, he couldn’t close the distance. Clearly, Gu Liyu’s forte was his agility; if not for the injury, his speed would have far surpassed Qian Ye’s.
In no time, Qian Ye reached the city wall, leaping and climbing. But as he started to rise, he suddenly sensed a strong sense of danger. Without hesitation, Qian Ye kicked the wall forcefully, turning his upward momentum into a backward flight.
Boom! A one-meter-wide pit suddenly appeared in the wall, fragments of stone flying and hitting Qian Ye’s face and body, causing a stinging sensation.
Qian Ye turned mid-air and saw a female officer standing on a roof several hundred meters away, holding a super-long sniper rifle, clearly an Eagle Strike.
Qian Ye gave her a deep look, memorizing her features, and then made a throat-cutting gesture towards her.
The female officer’s face paled slightly. The meaning of the gesture was clear; regardless of who she was, Qian Ye would kill her on sight, just like he treated Gu Liyu. She wasn’t easily scared, but under the gaze of the youth with clear eyes, she felt a chill, as if the killing intent would descend upon her through the streets at any moment.
Qian Ye continued to charge towards the city wall, using the momentum to step several times and vault over the not-so-tall wall of Blackstream City.
The fight between them was nearly instantaneous, and only now did a small commotion arise in Blackstream City, but the expeditionary patrol was nowhere to be seen.
The veterans were experienced. Hearing the unique sound of high-grade origin force weapons like the Twin Flowers and the Eagle Strike, they knew that elite warriors were fighting. They weren’t eager to live, so they wouldn’t rush out. Only when the situation was clear and both fighters were far away would they appear to assess the damage.
Standing on the city wall, Qian Ye saw Gu Liyu already entering the wilderness, fleeing rapidly. Delayed by the woman for just a moment, Gu Liyu had already escaped several hundred meters.
Qian Ye took a deep breath, leapt down from the wall, and pursued. In the wilderness, Gu Liyu’s speed was even slightly faster than Qian Ye’s. However, Qian Ye showed no intention of giving up, determined to exhaust Gu Liyu.
The two ran for dozens of kilometers, the distance between them gradually widening to a kilometer. During this time, Gu Liyu had no chance to use the terrain to shake off his pursuer and had to run in a straight line, relying on his speed to slowly increase the gap.
Ahead, Gu Liyu suddenly drew a syringe and injected it into his injured arm. A scream like that of a wounded beast followed, but his weakening aura stabilized and even began to recover. His steps became firmer and quicker, and his speed increased again.
Qian Ye’s heart skipped a beat. Although he had the advantages of a vampire’s physique and a long breath, far surpassing others at his level, Gu Liyu was clearly no ordinary Level 7 warrior, perhaps just a step away from Level 8. Throughout the chase, he hadn’t gained any advantage.
Seeing Gu Liyu’s reaction after the injection, it was likely a top-tier comprehensive combat drug issued by the Empire to important officers. This drug, combining stimulants, nutrients, and potential activators, could significantly boost a user’s physical abilities for about a day, even temporarily raising their origin force level. Such drugs were extremely expensive, available only through military merit, with a single dose equivalent to a Level 5 origin force gun.
Qian Ye hadn’t expected Gu Liyu to have such a weapon, a crucial tool for turning the tide in battle. He had hoped Gu Liyu would turn back and confront him after the boost, but it seemed he had no such intention. As the distance between them widened, Qian Ye could only shake his head. Still, he didn’t give up and continued the pursuit.
One thousand five hundred meters, two thousand meters… one hour, two hours…
After five hours, Gu Liyu was a small black dot in Qian Ye’s vision. Ahead, a continuous mountain range appeared, and once he entered the mountains, the abundant terrain would make catching Gu Liyu impossible.
Moments later, Qian Ye climbed a peak and looked around.
Under the night sky, the vast mountains stretched endlessly, with no sign of Gu Liyu. This was within Qian Ye’s expectations, and he wasn’t too disappointed.
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