The major raised his hands in surrender, then smiled bitterly, “I will do my best to smooth things over so they can have a normal review. The observation period is one month; if there truly is no infection, they will be released. If that’s not acceptable, you might as well just kill me.”
A normal review would mean a more reasonable survival rate. Qianye sighed inwardly, withdrew his foot from the major’s back, and sheathed the Eagle Strike, carrying it on his back.
“Alright, I will keep an eye on the results,” Qianye said, then turned and left.
The major got up, twisted his neck forcefully, and shouted at Qianye’s back, “Hey! Kid, don’t do something stupid like this again!”
Qianye acted as if he didn’t hear, and left without turning back.
The major spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm and cursed, “Damn, what a monster!”
It was unclear whether this comment was about Qianye’s strength or his character.
Qianye walked quickly, and soon the wilderness surrounded him once again. However, those words from the major still echoed in his mind.
Rescuing people who were raised by the Blood Race now seemed like a foolish act with no benefits. It wasn’t that these people shouldn’t be saved, but because of the current system of the Empire and its principle of rather killing wrongly than letting any blood slaves go free.
This system and principle had been honed through a thousand years of brutal war, tempered by the blood, flesh, and bones of countless pioneers and powerful figures. It could not be judged right or wrong based on temporary circumstances. If anything, the Empire’s continued existence and its enduring strength testified to its correctness.
Even if Qianye had different thoughts, he was just one person and couldn’t possibly challenge the entire system, especially since he had no idea how to start. At least for now, he couldn’t sacrifice the expeditionary force’s major and the checkpoint guards for a few dozen humans, which would be a truly foolish act. No matter how problematic the expeditionary force was, it was still the last line of defense against the dark races on the Eternal Night continent.
The proposal by the major was already the most lenient option given the current situation, but upon further reflection, Qianye realized that the issue didn’t end there. Even if those dozens of people were eventually released, their future prospects wouldn’t be much better.
The Empire possessed four continents and over 300 provinces, but compared to the vast population and the threat from formidable external enemies, resources were always insufficient.
Every day, billions of underprivileged citizens struggled on the brink of life and death across the Empire. In comparison, these raised humans had no right to expect better treatment unless they proved themselves useful.
But that was far from easy. Some of these humans were captives with memories of human realms, which might help them integrate into society. Others were born and raised in the dark territories, and without proper guidance, it was unknown if they could adapt to human society.
It was only today that Qianye first encountered the problem he had never thought about before: the aftermath of a war. But he had no answers.
Upon returning to Dark Blood City, Qianye first went to A Yi Weapon Shop.
Master A Yi looked up, glanced at Qianye expressionlessly, and said, “You’re back?”
“I have some good stuff for you,” Qianye said, tossing a satchel onto the counter.
Master A Yi snorted, slowly rose, and said, “Good stuff? More like trouble! My old bones are going to break sooner or later because of you…”
Before he could finish, his voice trailed off.
The clasp of the satchel was broken, and inside lay a pair of ancient short guns from the Blood Race. Master A Yi suddenly took off his glasses, wiped them clean, put on a pair of pristine white gloves, and then, holding his breath, gently removed the two short guns, placing them on a white cloth.
“Close the door!” Master A Yi said without turning around.
Qianye complied, locking the door, and felt a flicker of anticipation. The Level 3 Golden Rose sold for five hundred gold coins. These two ancient short guns were a set and Level 4 origin guns. Surely they must be worth at least two or three thousand, right?
With that, the items on the list Master A Er gave him wouldn’t be a problem anymore.
Of course, for the mysterious task, as long as it wasn’t too troublesome, Qianye was willing to take it. Although it might not be as simple as it seemed, or Master A Er wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to find him, Qianye still trusted Yu Yingnan and felt there was no harm in trying.
As Master A Yi wiped the short guns with a soft cloth, he carefully traced each pattern with his thumb. On one gun’s handle, there was an R, and on the other, a cursive W.
Master A Yi placed the two guns side by side and said, “Take these back. I can’t accept them.”
“Can’t accept them? Why?” Qianye was taken aback.
Master A Yi pointed to the two letters on the guns and said, “If I’m not mistaken, these guns must have come from the collection of some vampire noble. Though these initials could have many meanings, when they appear on a pair of origin guns, there’s only one name they can refer to: Ross Wilde, a very famous vampire noble. These guns were his sidearms when he was young, named ‘Twin Flowers.’ They gained fame when Ross, at the rank of baron (equivalent to our human ninth-level warrior), killed the war captain who ruled Dark Blood City. The final blow was delivered by these two short guns.”
“Then they should be even more valuable, right?” Qianye asked, puzzled.
Master A Yi shook his head, “The problem is, Ross Wilde is still alive and doing quite well. He’s now a marquis. His territory lies west of Dark Blood City, and these guns must have been a gift to one of his descendants. However you got them, it’s like slapping Marquis Ross in the face. He won’t let it go. So, I can’t accept them, and no one in the Rock Steadfast Territory or its surrounding areas would dare to either.”
Pausing, Master A Yi gave Qianye a meaningful look, “You know, the border between darkness and dawn is also known as the gray zone. Gray means the coexistence of black and white. So, if the dark races want to do something, they have many ways, and many humans are willing to work for them.”
Qianye was somewhat startled. Since the Black Stream City incident and witnessing the underground market and arms trade in Dark Blood City, he had realized that the covert dealings and interactions between humans and dark races were more extensive than he had imagined. However, he hadn’t thought that a vampire marquis would have such significant influence in human-controlled territories until Master A Yi pointed it out so directly.
Amidst his shock, Qianye couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger. After all, even an active division commander of the expeditionary force could engage in secret transactions with the dark races. Wasn’t it natural for other families and factions to do the same?
Taking a deep breath, Qianye took back the pair of short guns, “So, not only can’t I sell these, but I’ll also be hunted by the Blood Race?”
“It seems so.”
However, Master A Yi subtly hinted that while the guns couldn’t be sold in Dark Blood City, they might be sold in the upper continents. Qianye understood the implication. A vampire marquis who, at the rank of baron, could kill a human war captain was indeed a big figure, but only in this region. In the end, it was a matter of power. Lord Ross’s reach didn’t extend to the upper continents.
Apart from the currently unsellable “Twin Flowers,” Qianye’s loot included a bag of crystal coins and a Level 3 origin gun belonging to a patrol blood knight. So, he ended up with about a hundred imperial gold coins, a modest gain.
After handling the equipment, Qianye went to report to Master A Er. A short while later, they found a quiet little shop near the Hunter’s Haven and sat down to eat and chat.
After hearing Qianye’s adventure, Master A Er’s expression gradually shifted from admiration to seriousness, and then to a helpless smile.
Qianye, however, remained calm, “What, do you think I’ve caused trouble?”
“The one you killed must be a descendant of Ross Wilde, likely a direct lineage within five generations. You know, I understand that you are not afraid to fight the dark races head-on, but deadly daggers often come from behind.”
Qianye smiled slightly, “I’m not that easy to deal with. If someone wants to work for the dark races, I don’t mind collecting more lives. They come, I kill.”
“You’re only Level 4!” Master A Er said earnestly. If Qianye were Level 8 or 9, or even a war captain, the hidden hands would be fewer. Selling out also depended on who was being sold!
Qianye just smiled, making no comment on his level.
Master A Er straightened up, “Now, I can tell you about the task. Tomorrow, Miss Qiqi will send someone over for the final interview. If you pass, you’ll leave immediately. But I think you’ll pass easily.”
“Miss Qiqi?” This was a completely unfamiliar name to Qianye.
“Yin Qiqi, one of the core successors of the Yin family of Watering Horses. The Yin family is among the top three elite clans in the entire Empire and one of the foremost families in Qinland. So, you should have a rough idea of Miss Qiqi’s status.”
Qianye was very clear about this. The Empire’s aristocratic hierarchy was quite complex, with the four great clans, seventy-two noble families, and over a thousand scholar-gentry, generally following the nine-tier ranking system established at the founding of the Empire. The Zhang, Zhao, Bai, and Song clans were unquestionably the leading noble families, and some other super-noble families were not far behind. Though the rankings in the upper, middle, and lower tiers sometimes changed, the illustrious families like the Yin of Watering Horses, the Wei of the Far East, and the Wang of Langya never fell out of the top three.
The most direct evidence was that when Qianye was on missions with the Red Scorpion, the mission briefs would always include a page listing exceptions to the “casualty quota” in certain areas. Generally, those above the middle three tiers were protected.
A core successor of the top three noble families like Yin Qiqi, in terms of status in the Empire’s aristocracy, was far higher than the city lord of Dark Blood City or a major general of the expeditionary force.
What puzzled Qianye was why a lady of such high status would need a low-level hunter for a task.
Master A Er said, “Your task is to serve as Miss Qiqi’s advisor, deputy, warrior, assassin, and, if necessary, her lover.”
Qianye, who had just taken a sip of water, nearly sprayed it all over Master A Er’s face, “Lover?!”
Master A Er rolled his eyes, “Of course, it’s fake!”
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