The gates of Nanqing City swung wide open, and a convoy composed of several trucks rolled out. The convoy wasn’t large, consisting only of three cargo trucks and four armed personnel carriers. However, what caught the eye was the conspicuous Darkflame emblem on the vehicles.
After Song Zining’s defeat and capture, Darkflame became the target of many. Both the notorious major mercenary groups and the opportunistic hunter squads wanted to take a bite out of Darkflane. Therefore, any convoy bearing the Darkflame mark would often be attacked multiple times along its journey.
This situation didn’t change until Qian Ye unleashed his power, inflicting heavy damage on his opponents outside Listening Tide City. The major mercenary groups, fearing Qian Ye’s retribution, were more cautious, but the lone wolves continued to act recklessly. Even with Song Zining’s return and the rebuilding of Darkflame, the situation hadn’t improved much. Many hunters and lone wolves were skilled snipers, and their constant harassment often resulted in casualties and compensation for the convoys.
In such circumstances, some large merchant houses opted to hire other mercenary groups and increase their escort forces as a precaution. However, this also significantly raised costs, making some convoys unprofitable.
Qian Ye stood on the roof of the lead vehicle, surveying the vast wilderness. He hadn’t accompanied a convoy for some time and was surprised by how dire the situation had become. The transactions with the Lord of Listening Tide and the appearance and departure of Liu Gonggong seemed too high-level; only the upper echelons would be aware, while the lone wolves at the bottom of the food chain hadn’t yet received this information.
The steward in charge of the convoy approached and flattered, “With Lord Qian Ye personally leading the way, everything will go smoothly…”
Before the steward could finish, Qian Ye suddenly reached out and pressed down on the steward’s head, slamming him into the vehicle. A sharp whistling sound followed, and a force bullet flew over the steward’s head. Had it been a moment later, the steward would have had a transparent hole in his body.
The steward turned ashen, frantically feeling his body for injuries. At that moment, Qian Ye produced a force gun, pointing it in the direction from which the bullet had come.
Several hundred meters away, behind a bush, hid a hunter with a thick beard. He had already signaled victory to his companions, but his hand froze mid-air. Through the scope of his force gun, he saw the young man beside the steward suddenly reach out and push the steward down, causing the sniper shot to miss.
The hunter, with years of experience, had never encountered such a situation. Shocked, he failed to react even as Qian Ye calmly pulled out his force gun and aimed back.
The hunter’s hair stood on end as he realized his position had been exposed. He didn’t believe the young man could hit him from such a distance. After all, he had carefully chosen his sniper position and aimed for a long time before firing.
However, exposure meant he had to move quickly. As an experienced sniper, he always considered close combat the dirty work of lower mercenaries.
The bearded man leaped up, ready to flee, but a flash of light appeared in his vision. A force bullet materialized right in front of him!
He froze, his mind unable to process, and his upper body exploded into a cloud of blood.
Several figures simultaneously jumped up and fled. Judging by their attire, they were part of the same team as the bearded sniper. This small team was skilled and experienced, choosing an impeccable ambush location and timing. Their only mistake was not knowing Qian Ye was with the convoy.
Gunshots echoed across the wilderness. Each shot felled a hunter. The last one fell a kilometer away but still couldn’t escape death’s call.
Qian Ye lowered his sniper rifle, pulled the steward up, and said calmly, “Let’s go.”
The steward, still trembling, stammered, “Y-Yes!”
He weakly signaled the rear vehicles to continue and then collapsed in the vehicle. Even in the Neutral Zone, not everyone was fearless, and the recent brush with death left him breathless.
The convoy proceeded for some time, and Qian Ye suddenly raised his sniper rifle, firing several shots. Each shot found its mark, and each mercenary or hunter fell, writhing in pain before hitting the ground. Whether it was 300 meters or 1,000 meters, Qian Ye never missed.
This round of shooting wiped out at least two hunter squads. Larger mercenary groups no longer dared to operate on this route. Qian Ye surveyed the area, ensuring no one was hiding, and then signaled the convoy to continue.
Throughout the journey, Qian Ye alternated between sniping from the vehicle and disappearing. When he returned, the older mercenaries’ tension would ease. They knew it was a sign of danger being neutralized, indicating hidden threats had been eliminated or driven away. Given Qian Ye’s presence, they believed the threats were likely eliminated.
The steward, now calmer, approached Qian Ye and said, “Lord, some small fry can be dealt with by the others. Why must you take matters into your own hands?”
Qian Ye smiled faintly, “No need. If I let them handle it, some would always escape.”
The steward gasped, “Lord, are you planning to wipe them out completely?”
“Exactly,” Qian Ye nodded, “I can’t always protect you, so I’ll use this opportunity to eliminate anyone who dares to cause trouble and set a precedent for the future.”
The steward cautiously replied, “Lord, this seems somewhat inappropriate. In the Neutral Zone, the usual practice is for wealth, and mercenaries and hunters need a way to survive. They don’t usually try to wipe each other out. If a convoy is ambushed, they leave the vehicles, and if the ambush fails, the guards don’t pursue too far. These mercenaries live on the edge, and wiping them out could provoke hatred from others, leading to serious consequences.”
Qian Ye replied indifferently, “Those are others’ rules. From now on, wherever Darkflame goes, my rules apply. Anyone who disagrees, bring it on.”
The steward shivered, recalling Qian Ye’s past deeds, and hurriedly smiled, “Yes, yes, if Lord wants to set the rules, then it’s natural to do so.”
But his face betrayed his worry. Qian Ye glanced at him and said, “You should have a way to spread this news. Let those who want revenge come. But those who come won’t be able to leave. No matter how large the Neutral Zone is, I will hunt them down.”
The steward trembled again, “Yes, yes! When we reach Guanlan City, I will spread the message. Let those fools get as far away as possible.”
Before he finished, Qian Ye had already vanished. A thousand meters away, several agonizing screams echoed. The steward wiped his cold sweat, regretting his earlier words.
Qian Ye stood in the wilderness, looking at the bodies falling in front of him, slightly surprised. These people were exceptionally fierce, though not particularly strong, they were tenacious. Even after being pierced by Qian Ye’s blood-draining blade, losing all their blood, they still managed to scream warnings.
Several hundred meters away, three figures were fleeing, two stronger ones seemingly guardians, protecting a young man.
To Qian Ye, the distance was negligible. He didn’t use spatial teleportation, just exerted force, leaving deep pits in the dust as he chased them. Qian Ye took strides of dozens of meters, quickly closing in, then leapt a hundred meters to block their path.
The young man turned pale, his force disrupted, barely able to stand. The two guardians, facing a formidable enemy, had despair in their eyes. They were quite strong, just a step away from becoming War Generals, but their experience made them realize the gap in strength, leading to greater despair.
An old man suddenly appeared beside Qian Ye, stroking his long beard, his eyes sharp. “Young man, why must you be so ruthless? For the sake of my face, let’s forget this, shall we?”
Qian Ye slowly turned, gazing indifferently at the old man, “Do you think I didn’t notice you?”
The old man’s hand, stroking his beard, trembled involuntarily, then regained composure, “The young master was just playing, with no ill intent. Remember, our families in Guanlan City have centuries of history, with depths you can’t imagine. Back in my day…”
The old man’s words were cut off as a powerful force pressed down, sinking his feet into the ground up to his knees. His knees, unable to withstand the pressure, snapped with a crack. As he resisted, a red light flashed, and the blood-draining blade pierced his chest.
Qian Ye waited a few seconds, then slowly withdrew the blade, “I have no interest in who you are.”
The old man struggled, his eyes dimming. Only now did he understand that Qian Ye had the power to instantly kill him. Unfortunately, he realized it too late.
Qian Ye turned, looking at the pale-faced young master. Qian Ye’s bright smile, with his white teeth, was chilling to the young man, “I have no interest in who you are either.”
The young man, terrified, nearly collapsed, “No, no, you can’t kill me! I’m the young lord of the Tian family, my great-grandfather dotes on me! If you kill me, my family will never rest until we destroy you.”
“Never rest? I like that,” Qian Ye’s smile was enchantingly deadly.
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