Chapter 272: The Magpie’s Nest Usurped by the Sparrow

Home at last?

“Wouldn’t it be better to continue sleeping at home?” The little one was clearly reluctant to leave Qian Ye, even though she had grown a lot. But after just a few days, she still had the innocence of a young girl.

Qian Ye, very patiently, replied, “But our house is in a bit of a mess right now and needs cleaning.”

“Aren’t there people to do the cleaning? Oh, are we going to fight?” The little one perked up immediately. For her, the most interesting things in life were eating, sleeping, and fighting.

“We are going to fight, but you need to be careful. Don’t kill anyone recklessly, and certainly no poisoning inside our own home. Understand?”

“Why can’t I use poison? If I don’t, my throat feels itchy.”

Qian Ye couldn’t help but smile wryly. It was clear that the little one’s innate talent was awakening, and she was becoming more adept at using poison, instinctively wanting to use it. Furthermore, with the accumulated venom, it seemed like she needed to let it out. However, Xiao Zhuji’s venom could make even the mysterious entity in the Pool of Eternity pale. If she were to spray it, everything within several miles would instantly become a dead zone. This could not be used in South Azure City, where Qian Ye’s foundation lay.

“Even Count Stuka would be poisoned by her, wouldn’t he?” Qian Ye thought.

As the true biological father of Xiao Zhuji, Count Stuka’s only commendable skill was his poison. However, his toxic power was something that slightly stronger human cultivators could withstand, not on the same level as Xiao Zhuji. Therefore, Song Zining often suspected that Xiao Zhuji had no real connection to Count Stuka and was merely placed in the incubator for unknown reasons.

After repeatedly instructing Xiao Zhuji not to use poison, Qian Ye took her and headed towards South Azure City.

South Azure City was as bustling as ever, with convoys of cargo trucks frequently entering and exiting the city gates, indicating a busy commercial scene. But to Qian Ye’s eyes, compared to when he left, the city was much desolate. Moreover, most of the convoys carried the flags of merchants, and none bore the insignia of Dark Flame.

At this moment, there weren’t many people or vehicles on the road. The sentries on the city wall noticed Qian Ye and Zhuji from a distance. It was impossible not to notice them; Qian Ye, carrying Zhuji, strode confidently down the middle of the street. Even if a truck came, it would have to give way.

The lookout on the city wall was an old soldier. He rubbed his eyes hard, staring at Qian Ye for a long time, and then looked through his binoculars. Suddenly, he threw the binoculars aside and shouted, “It’s Qian Ye! Qian Ye has returned! Quickly, close the city gates! Ring the bell! Go ring the bell!”

Instant chaos erupted on the city wall. People scampered about like frightened rabbits. The man in charge of ringing the bell, in his panic, fumbled several times before dropping the clapper. It took quite some effort before the warning bells finally sounded. The bell’s peals fluctuated in intensity, without any rhythm, clearly revealing the tremulous and feeble state of the ringer.

Ringing the bell was easy, but closing the city gates was another matter. The gates of South Azure City were mechanically powered, and after Song Zining’s arrival, they were even more extravagantly modified to be directly powered by energy towers. Without mechanical assistance, these gates, weighing tens of tons each, were impossible to close or open.

South Azure City was now a place of bustling trade, with the presence of the Dark Flame mercenaries and numerous strong figures, making it unwise for any bandit to attempt a raid.

However, with the energy towers providing power, the gates could be closed with the flip of a switch, eliminating the need for brute force. But even after the alarm had rung several times, and soldiers had been dispatched to close the gates, they remained unmoved.

The officer in charge of the gates rushed to the city wall, roaring, “What’s going on! Why aren’t the gates closed yet? Have all the men died? Another moment, and once that man enters, will you still be alive?”

As the officer ranted, the seasoned soldiers on the wall exchanged odd glances, none of them moving. Just as the officer was about to explode, his adjutant discreetly tugged at his sleeve, whispering, “Sir, do we really need to close the gate?”

“Do you want to die by not closing the gate?”

The adjutant responded, “It’s precisely because the men don’t want to die that the gate must remain open.”

The officer, taken aback, asked, “Why?”

The adjutant explained, “These walls and gates are only useful to us. Against that particular master, can they really hold him back? Closing the gates would only show our hostility. That one is ruthless. Many of our brothers who participated in that mercenary battle were too scared to resist and simply surrendered.”

“The battle where tens of thousands died?” The officer’s face paled visibly.

“Not quite, but certainly many.”

“What should we do? The bell has already rung!” The officer was truly panicked now.

“Ringing the bell is fine, but closing the gate is not. If that master seeks revenge, those who close the gates will be the first to face his wrath!”

The officer finally understood and began giving orders: “Notify the lords in the city, and keep ringing the bell. Make sure they hear it!”

The warning bells rang more frantically, echoing through South Azure City, causing instant pandemonium. Troops mobilized almost immediately, showing their quick response.

But the city gates in front of Qian Ye remained open. Not only were the gates not closed, but the guards on the city wall were also nowhere to be seen, all of them hiding behind the walls or inside the towers, not daring to show themselves.

With this, Qian Ye knew something was amiss in South Azure City. He let out a cold laugh, confirming Song Zining’s predictions. Judging from the chaos, it seemed that the situation in the city was not under complete control, at least not by the person attempting to take over South Azure City.

Qian Ye rose slowly into the air, hovering above the city, overlooking the entire South Azure City, and declared, “I am Qian Ye. I have returned from the Maelstrom. Regardless of what has happened, those who shouldn’t be here, this is your last chance. Leave now, and you may keep your lives.”

Qian Ye’s voice, though not particularly loud, echoed in everyone’s ears as if he stood right next to them. Ordinary people marveled, but the expressions of many strong individuals in the city changed, with fear visible in their eyes. Broadcasting the voice throughout the city was not difficult, but maintaining consistent volume everywhere was. A deeper reflection revealed the terrifying control of origin power.

Additionally, those familiar with Qian Ye knew that he was never ostentatious, often preferring to stay inconspicuous. In the past, Song Zining and Ji Tianqing usually handled matters in South Azure City. But upon his return, Qian Ye’s style had drastically changed. Though his words seemed generous, in the Neutral Zone, a place drenched in blood, every individual was a desperado, valuing pride above all. Even those planning to slip away secretly would likely stay and fight, for leaving now would mean never holding their heads high again.

A few individuals thought of the current resident in the original Dark Flame headquarters and sighed inwardly.

No sooner had Qian Ye finished speaking than a cold, sinister voice replied, “How dare you! What do you think you are, giving us a last chance?”

A figure flew up from below, standing opposite Qian Ye. It was a man around thirty, with a youthful appearance, though the dark circles under his eyes made him look haggard, appearing older than he was.

Four more figures flew in from different directions, forming an arc around the young man, protecting him.

Upon their arrival, the young man grew bolder. He first laughed crazily, almost gasping, then pointed at Qian Ye and said, “You, you tell me, what do you think you are, spouting such nonsense? Let me be clear, I’ve taken this city. What can you do about it? Eh? Speak, what can you do?”

The young man’s finger was almost touching Qian Ye’s nose, but Qian Ye remained composed, calmly asking, “What about the people in Dark Flame?”

The young man sneered, “What about them? Most of them submitted. A few are imprisoned, and the stubborn ones were executed. Ha, the so-called top mercenary group, I killed a few, and the rest surrendered. But your mercenaries aren’t well-trained. None of them are even decent looking, making me so frustrated that I had to find entertainment in the city’s businesses.”

Ignoring the provocation, Qian Ye asked, “And the businesses and workshops under Dark Flame?”

The young man burst into laughter, “If the mercenaries were weak, what do you expect from the merchants and craftsmen? They are dogs, loyal to whoever throws them a bone.”

“So, they all submitted to you?”

“Of course, all under a binding oath,” the young man boasted.

Qian Ye exhaled, his tense face relaxing slightly. His gaze swept over the four figures behind the young man, and he said, “These are your bodyguards?”

“And what if they are? Use your tiny brain to figure out who I am if I can afford such guards…”

Before he could finish, Qian Ye interrupted, “They are a bit weak. Let me test them for you.”

In a flash, Qian Ye leapt forward, throwing a simple punch at one of the bearded men.

The punch was neither fast nor fierce, and the origin power fluctuations were ordinary, far from martial arts. The bearded man, a specialist in fist techniques, smirked, and with a roar, charged forward, unleashing a powerful punch that aimed to shatter mountains and cut rivers!

His punch struck Qian Ye’s fist in an instant. The bearded man’s massive hand was twice the size of Qian Ye’s, and his momentum far surpassed Qian Ye’s.

The onlookers instinctively prepared to scream, expecting Qian Ye’s arm to break.

The moment the fists clashed, the bearded man poured all his force into Qian Ye’s body. But his smirk froze as his supposed strength met the full force of Qian Ye’s fist!

All the force was instantly repelled, and the fist pressed down. The bearded man didn’t even manage a scream before he exploded into a mist of blood.

Without pausing, Qian Ye delivered a light, casual punch to his next target.