Elder Yi finally let out a breath, “I heard that Lao Er recently took in a promising young talent, but he’s also quite the troublemaker. Recently, he even got the Sky Serpent Gang to issue an extermination order. That person is you, right?”
Qian Ye smiled and said, “Trouble? I just felt there was no need to swallow my pride. A mere Sky Serpent Gang doesn’t deserve it!”
Elder Yi looked Qian Ye up and down and sneered, “You have quite the mouth, but what good does it do if you don’t have the strength to back it up? You can’t defeat the Sky Serpent, and there are several Level Four experts in the gang.”
“Does not being able to defeat them mean I shouldn’t try?” Qian Ye retorted.
Elder Yi sighed, “When I was young, I had the same mindset as you. But now I know, if you can’t win, it’s best not to fight—that’s the wise thing to do.”
Qian Ye smiled, “Then I’ll just be unwise.”
Elder Yi shook his head, “Alright, what do you want?”
“I have something I’d like to sell you.”
Qian Ye took out the Flowing Gold Rose and placed it on the counter, pushing it over.
Elder Yi immediately stood up and exclaimed, “The Flowing Gold Rose!”
He pulled out a magnifying glass and meticulously examined every detail of the Flowing Gold Rose, then said, “Yes! This is indeed a handmade Flowing Gold Rose from the Niederchai family, a masterpiece among masterpieces in this series of origin guns.”
Elder Yi glanced at Qian Ye and said, “I heard the Sky Serpent Gang also lost a Flowing Gold Rose. So, it won’t be easy to get rid of this one now.”
Qian Ye’s faintly smiling face, slightly obscured by the smoke, said, “Since I’ve met Second Elder, I knew you, Elder Yi, would have a way to sell this.”
Elder Yi nodded, “That’s true, though it might be a bit troublesome. However, this Flowing Gold Rose is worth the trouble. But, given the current situation, the price won’t be very good. What do you want in return?”
Qian Ye pondered for a moment and said, “I want a Level Three pistol or shotgun with high firepower. I don’t care about fire rate or range. Also, I need some origin bullets, blank or infused.”
In reality, this deal was equivalent to exchanging the Flowing Gold Rose for a regular Level Three origin gun. In the Upper Continent, a Flowing Gold Rose could easily fetch four high-quality Level Three origin guns.
Elder Yi put away the Flowing Gold Rose, went to the back, and returned a moment later with a holster and a box of ammunition, placing them in front of Qian Ye.
“A refurbished Butcher Type III, with added attachments to the origin array for a slight increase in power. Here’s a box of blank origin bullets, ten rounds.”
Qian Ye picked up the Butcher pistol and inspected it. It was a revolver, but its drum could only hold four solid origin bullets. The barrel was unusually large, reaching forty centimeters, and the muzzle was so big it could fit a child’s fist. It certainly lived up to its name, “Butcher.”
The Butcher series was a widely used type of origin gun. This pistol prioritized high firepower, with a maximum energy level equivalent to a large-caliber cannon in powder weapons. It was essentially a small steel cannon in your hand, capable of easily piercing the armor of an armored vehicle.
The gun was about seventy percent new, and the internal work suggested that a skilled craftsman had modified it, increasing its power by another ten percent.
Qian Ye was very satisfied with this “Butcher” and immediately slipped it into the holster, hanging it on his waist.
“You’d better leave Dark Blood City immediately,” Elder Yi said.
“I’m leaving now,” Qian Ye replied. “But whether inside or outside the city, it makes no difference to me.”
Leaving Old One’s Gun Shop, Qian Ye hadn’t gone far when he saw a group of Sky Serpent Gang members approaching from the opposite street. These people were no longer casually strolling; they held their guns in their hands, fingers near the triggers, looking like they were ready for a fierce battle. Behind him, Qian Ye sensed more people rapidly closing in, apparently planning to surround him.
Qian Ye hadn’t hidden his presence, so the Sky Serpent Gang members quickly spotted him.
“It’s that brat!”
“Don’t let him escape!”
The Sky Serpent Gang members rushed forward, drawing their knives and shouting, while the sound of sharp objects cutting through the air came from behind.
On the Black Bronze Street, using guns was forbidden, an unwritten rule. Breaking it meant challenging all the store owners on the street. Those who dared to break this rule in the past soon became corpses found in the sewers.
Although the shops on Black Bronze Street were small, they all dealt in weapons.
Qian Ye was well aware of this rule. He stood still, merely grasping his small axe in his right hand.
Two groups charged towards him, about to trap Qian Ye in the middle. Just a few more steps, and the blade of the first person would reach his back.
Qian Ye moved, taking a step forward and crashing into the group, sending two men flying backward. Then, with a flash of cold light, the hand axe sliced through the waists of the remaining three!
Qian Ye dashed ten meters away, then stopped, slowly turning around.
Thud, thud—two gang members hit the ground, twitching and struggling but unable to rise. The other three clutched their waists and slowly fell, blood spreading quickly.
The three gang members behind Qian Ye halted in shock, staring at him, unable to move. The five in front were instantly taken down; going up now would be suicide. They suddenly screamed and turned to run!
Qian Ye picked up a knife and threw it with force. The knife spun like lightning, whistling as it embedded itself in the back of one of the gang members!
The other two ran even faster, disappearing into the end of Black Bronze Street. If Qian Ye wanted, he could easily catch them, but he didn’t bother, quickly leaving the street and using the night as cover to climb the intricate web of pipes.
Late at night, Qian Ye appeared unexpectedly near the city gate, passing by a Sky Serpent checkpoint, and boldly walked through the grand city gate, heading far away.
That night, Sky Serpent slept uneasily, feeling restless and waking up frequently.
After sleeping for most of the night, he not only failed to recover but felt even more exhausted. His mood was terrible, and his beloved son was still lying in bed, uncertain if he would fully recover.
Qian Ye had been ruthless, nearly shattering the young man’s knee with a single shot.
Such injuries were difficult to heal, and the metal fragments in the bone needed multiple cleanings. The doctors in the city couldn’t handle such delicate work well, and to avoid complications, he would need to be sent to the expeditionary headquarters or even the Upper Continent.
Thinking of the enormous costs, Sky Serpent felt restless.
If it weren’t for this son’s exceptional talent, having already reached the threshold of Level Three and showing potential to reach Level Five, Sky Serpent would have given up on him and fathered more sons. But a Level Five heir wasn’t something easily born, and he was meant to take over his position. So, Sky Serpent now hated Qian Ye to the bone.
In Sky Serpent’s eyes, this brat not only failed to show gratitude for letting him live after the incident at the Sky Serpent Gang, but he also injured his son in such a cruel manner and dared to openly defy him at the Hunter’s Home. He must be killed, no matter what!
Tormented by anger and worry, Sky Serpent was on the brink of insomnia. Whenever he was awake, he heard faint footsteps and occasional noisy voices outside.
“These worthless fools! Can’t do anything right!” Sky Serpent cursed in his heart.
But the noise outside did not quiet down as he hoped; it only grew louder and more chaotic.
Finally, unable to sleep, Sky Serpent sat up, summoning his origin power and roaring, “What the hell is all this racket about?!”
Outside, everything fell silent.
Sky Serpent, with a dark expression, put on his robe and stepped out, his eyes flashing as he scanned the guards. The men shivered, their faces pale, standing stiffly.
Sky Serpent walked to the spiral staircase, looking down at the great hall where the Sky Serpent Gang’s leaders gathered and discussed matters.
Now, the hall was filled with people, including some who weren’t on duty today. They looked drowsy, clearly just woken up.
From his vantage point, Sky Serpent’s eyes, like lightning, swept over the crowd, and he roared, “What’s going on?”
Facing Sky Serpent’s fury, everyone instinctively trembled. No one dared to disobey when Sky Serpent was angry.
Finally, someone stepped forward, “Boss, we suffered many casualties tonight.”
“How many is ‘many’?” Sky Serpent almost roared.
“One hundred… one hundred and thirty,” the man reported, under pressure.
Hearing this number, Sky Serpent was shocked but quickly regained his composure, “Who did this?”
“That kid, Qian Ye.”
Boom! Sky Serpent smashed the banister with his fist and leaped down from the second floor, causing the entire hall to shake.
Sky Serpent’s eyes swept over his trusted lieutenants, and he growled, “We lost so many people, so where is Qian Ye’s body?”
No one answered. Sky Serpent’s face grew even darker.
The heavy toll made everyone realize they had truly provoked a formidable foe. Though Qian Ye’s level wasn’t high, he had killed so many Sky Serpent Gang members in one night—a feat not easily accomplished. Even Sky Serpent himself, at Level Three, couldn’t have done so cleanly.
This kid must not be left alive!
Sky Serpent calmed down and asked, “Where is he now?”
“Someone saw him leave the city.”
“Saw?” Sky Serpent’s eyes flashed with killing intent.
The speaker immediately realized his mistake and hurriedly corrected, “It was someone outside the gang who saw him.”
Sky Serpent had issued an extermination order; any member of the Sky Serpent Gang who saw Qian Ye should have killed him on the spot. Seeing him and not acting was disobedience. Of course, the regular members were afraid of Qian Ye, but the gang’s orders left no room for fear.
Seeing the man correct himself quickly, Sky Serpent didn’t pursue the matter. He turned and walked to the central sofa, sitting down to think.
After a moment, Sky Serpent said slowly, “Black Wolf, Flying Bird, you two take the Enforcement Team and go find that brat outside the city. Bring him back.”
A dark-skinned man stepped forward when called, nodding silently.
Flying Bird, a young, fair-skinned man, was twirling a thin, razor-sharp throwing knife. Hearing Sky Serpent’s order, he frowned, “That brat is just a Level Three newbie. Do you really need both Black Wolf and me?”
“That kid is cunning and dangerous. Flying Bird, don’t be too careless!”
Hearing this, Flying Bird shrugged and said nothing.
“Any news from Yu Ying Nan?” Sky Serpent asked.
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