Chapter 21: Kin and Kindred

Just as the chaos erupted, Mr. Wang had drawn his gun with the swiftest speed of his life. Yet, by the time Qian Ye felled five men outside and shot his arm, Mr. Wang’s weapon was still not aimed.

This should never have happened! Not to mention the speed of drawing the gun, Mr. Wang, a first-level combatant, shouldn’t have been incapacitated by such a firearm. But Qian Ye’s shot hit the joint precisely, rendering his entire arm useless.

Terrified and shocked, Mr. Wang clutched his arm and exclaimed, “You are no ordinary person! Who… who are you?”

Qian Ye’s speed and accuracy were unprecedented in Mr. Wang’s experience. From the moment he burst through the door, every move, even when speaking, was executed with the utmost efficiency. This was the epitome of military discipline, something that could not be taught by ordinary special forces.

Although the records showed Qian Ye as a first-level combatant, Mr. Wang now knew there was something amiss. With the speed, strength, and terrifying precision Qian Ye had demonstrated, even third-level experts would likely fall at his hands on the battlefield.

How could such a skilled warrior hide in a small, backwater town, running a shabby little bar?

Ignoring the escaping Mr. Wang and Yan Laohu, Qian Ye picked up a magazine, reloaded, and his gun spat fire. Two shots hit Yan Laohu in the knees, causing him to scream and collapse just as he reached the stairs.

Then, Qian Ye leaned over the railing, firing four more shots. This time, Mr. Wang, who had leaped over the railing and was sprinting toward the exit, screamed as he was hit in both hands and legs, falling backward.

Qian Ye examined the crude gun in his hand, shaking his head in disappointment. Four shots, none of which broke Mr. Wang’s bones; at most, they caused flesh wounds. As a first-level combatant, Mr. Wang still had some fight left in him.

When the first origin node is activated, a cultivator’s physical attributes increase significantly, about 50% higher than before. Each subsequent level further enhances these attributes. Thus, against higher-level combatants, conventional firearms become increasingly ineffective, gradually fading from use.

Qian Ye leaped down from the third floor, picked up another magazine, reloaded, and walked to Mr. Wang. “I forgot to mention, I don’t like you either.”

Qian Ye raised his pistol, aiming at Mr. Wang’s forehead. A glint of cunning flashed in Mr. Wang’s eyes, but his face was one of terror. Qian Ye suddenly smiled, and the gun moved slightly.

Mr. Wang’s expression changed drastically. Now genuinely terrified, he shouted, “No! Don’t kill me! We can talk, anything!”

Mr. Wang lifted his arms to shield his head, dropping all pretenses. With his first-level combatant physique, Qian Ye’s bullet couldn’t penetrate his skull, allowing room for feigning death. However, Qian Ye shifted the aim directly to his eyes!

Not even a seventh-level combatant’s eyes could withstand a bullet. Mr. Wang immediately realized his trick wouldn’t work.

Qian Ye said coolly, “Unfortunate, I heard things I shouldn’t have.”

Bang!

The shot struck Mr. Wang’s groin, another area that couldn’t resist a bullet.

Mr. Wang screamed, clutching his wounded parts.

Seeing the gun aimed again at his eyes, no matter how he dodged, Mr. Wang cried, “You can’t kill me! I’m Qi Yue’s uncle. If you kill me, the Qi family will never let you go! No matter how strong you are, you can’t escape the Imperial Expeditionary Force!”

“Qi family, huh…” Qian Ye seemed to ponder. Suddenly, he swung his gun, firing several shots through the wall, taking out more lurking foes.

Now, there was only one bullet left.

Qian Ye raised the gun again, pointing at Mr. Wang, and said, “I’ll settle with Qi Yue too. You’re just going first. Don’t worry, he’ll follow soon.”

Mr. Wang was truly stunned. “You… you want to kill our young master? You’re crazy, absolutely mad! Do you know who he is? Do you think he’s just the Qi family’s son? He…”

Bang!

The shot rang out, and a blood flower bloomed on Mr. Wang’s eye. He collapsed, speechless, staring blankly as he fell back.

Qian Ye turned to look at Yan Laohu, half-hanging from the third-floor steps.

Yan Laohu was petrified, huddled in a corner, drenched in sweat from fear and pain. Unlike Mr. Wang, his bones weren’t strong enough. Qian Ye’s two shots had shattered his knees.

He looked at Qian Ye in despair, knowing he was done for. How he regretted ever coming here, if only he could turn back time, he’d never have tried to take this town, thus avoiding Qian Ye, this god of death.

Yan Laohu, a man who had seen much bloodshed, had never encountered anyone as terrifying as Qian Ye. Though not the strongest he’d faced, Qian Ye’s calm and collected demeanor while killing was bone-chilling. Yan Laohu had heard that only the most elite, mysterious units of the Imperial Army produced such monsters, born solely for slaughter.

Unbeknownst to Yan Laohu, his guess was close to the truth. Among the hundreds of Imperial special forces, Red Scorpion was always in the top three.

Seeing Yan Laohu’s state, Qian Ye lost interest in tormenting him.

“Where is Miner?”

“She’s locked in the ground floor, the farthest room.” Yan Laohu answered honestly.

Nodding, Qian Ye approached and slit Yan Laohu’s throat with a dagger, ending his life.

Returning to the room, Qian Ye picked up Mr. Wang’s dropped pistol and inspected it.

It was a Dawnlight Model One Origin Pistol, an antique designed before the Dawn War, with only a 10% conversion rate. At over half a meter long, it was more akin to a portable assault rifle than a pistol.

The Dawnlight series remained in use because of its affordability, simplicity, and ease of maintenance. A single custom-made Scorpion Sting could buy tens of thousands of Dawnlights.

Despite its age and low conversion rate, the Dawnlight Model One was still an Origin Gun, as powerful as a large-caliber rifle at close range. A combatant armed with an Origin Gun was a different class of fighter.

This Dawnlight was well-maintained, showing Mr. Wang’s care. Satisfied, Qian Ye took it in his left hand, picked up a double-barreled shotgun with his right, and left the room.

As he stepped out, a barrage of bullets greeted him!

Qian Ye flipped, dodging the gunfire, and landed on the ground, having jumped from the third floor.

The two gunmen on a huge, broken machine in the northwest corner of the hall were dumbfounded. He had jumped three stories and landed without a scratch, instantly raising his gun to aim at them!

They quickly took cover behind a piece of scrap metal. Their reaction was swift and correct, but Qian Ye pulled the trigger on the Dawnlight!

A glowing orange Origin Bullet shot out, blasting through a two-centimeter-thick steel plate, shredding the two gunmen. Metal and flesh fragments flew everywhere.

This outcome was expected by Qian Ye. If Origin Guns lacked such power, how could humanity stand against the dark races? They might as well stick to swords and knives. Moreover, Qian Ye’s Origin Power was exceptionally violent, making his bullets more potent than usual.

Qian Ye continuously channeled Origin Power into the Dawnlight, slowly forming a new Origin Bullet. With his current level, he could fire three shots. Mr. Wang, a first-level combatant, could only manage one.

Waiting for the new bullet to form, Qian Ye headed to the room at the end of the hall. Yan Laohu’s subordinates, few in number, had fled after losing a dozen to Qian Ye.

The room was unlocked. When Qian Ye entered, a stench of blood and decay hit him.

Chained to the wall was a naked woman, her body riddled with wounds, covered in filth, and infested with maggots.

She lifted her head with difficulty. Despite the wounds, her youthful figure was recognizable as Miner. But seeing her, Qian Ye knew she was beyond saving.

Hearing the sound, Miner struggled to raise her head. Blood was flowing from her closed eyes, and Qian Ye saw that her eyes had been gouged out!

Qian Ye’s hand trembled. If he had known earlier, Yan Laohu and Mr. Wang would have suffered more.

“Who is it?” Miner asked, tilting her head to listen.

“…It’s me, Qian Ye.”

Miner smiled, saying, “You came! What about the others outside?”

“Yan Laohu and Mr. Wang are dead. Qi Yue is next; he won’t escape.” Qian Ye spoke calmly, as if chatting over a quiet afternoon cup of tea.

Miner laughed, “After they killed Zhao, Qi Yue wanted me to entertain him. I agreed and did my best. Then, when he was least expecting it, I bit him. It felt so good! Every shake of my head, he screamed, louder than in bed!”

She laughed, then sighed, “Unfortunately, you Origin Power users are monsters. He was too tough. I bit as hard as I could but couldn’t break anything. I lost several teeth, a big loss.”

Qian Ye listened silently, then sighed, “You didn’t need to do that for Zhao. You should live. Leave the revenge to me.”

Miner sighed, “It’s different! I know I’m not someone to be admired. But that day, Zhao told me I was one of them…”

Her face lit up, “If I’m one of them, I should act like one, right?”

“Of course!”

“Qian Ye, can you help me? I want to wash my face, maybe my body. I want to die clean.”