Chapter 9: Merely Fleeting Passersby

Indeed, a few blocks away, the young girl was stopped by several burly men.

“Little bitch, did you have a good haul today? Why don’t you show it to us? We won’t take much, just half will do,” sneered one of the men with thick chest hair.

“This little girl isn’t bad looking. How about we have some fun with her?”

“Right! The night is still young!”

The men chattered and began to make unwanted advances. The girl took a deep breath, about to scream, but a large hand clamped over her mouth.

She struggled desperately, kicking and thrashing, but her frail body could not match the strength of these muscular men.

Just then, Qian Ye’s voice came from the end of the street: “Take your hands off her!”

Startled, the men saw Qian Ye standing alone on the street, instantly bolstering their courage.

A burly man roared, “Get lost! Don’t meddle in our business, or are you looking for death?”

Bang! A deafening gunshot was his response!

The man’s eyes glazed over, a bloody hole appeared between his brows, and he collapsed backwards.

Panic set in among the group. Some tried to flee, others reached for their weapons, and one grabbed the girl, twisting her right arm and forcing her face towards Qian Ye, intending to use her as a hostage.

Qian Ye’s gun spat flames, emptying a magazine in seconds. The man holding the girl was riddled with bullets, as were the two reaching for their weapons, and they all fell.

Two of the men, who had managed to hide behind a store sign, showed bravery. Seeing Qian Ye’s magazine empty, they emerged, guns raised, firing at him.

But Qian Ye’s figure darted, and the whizzing bullets all missed.

He reloaded, and the gunfire resumed. The last two men were hit in their limbs, screaming in agony.

Qian Ye approached them, flicking the empty magazine onto their convulsing bodies, then loaded a new one, aiming at their heads.

From a side alley, more men emerged, and their leader shouted, “Wait!”

But Qian Ye fired without hesitation, blowing the heads off the last two men. He turned and said coolly, “What are you waiting for?”

The leader roared, “Who are you? Daring to kill members of the Di Yan Gang, you’re seeking death!”

“Your Di Yan Gang dared to touch my woman. Are you not seeking death?” Qian Ye replied calmly, stepping between the girl and the new arrivals.

“Little bastard…”

The leader, seemingly a minor boss of the Di Yan Gang with a level one warrior’s strength, barely finished his insult before Qian Ye was in front of him, Butcher drawn.

Instead of firing, Qian Ye gripped the Butcher in reverse, smashing the steel grip into the man’s mouth, dislodging several teeth.

In agony, the man’s trembling hand reached for his wound, only for his gun to slip into Qian Ye’s hand.

Qian Ye spun the pistol, fired, and mowed down the rest of the gang, then pressed the hot barrel into the man’s mouth.

Coldly, he said, “Whether it’s the Di Yan Gang or anyone else, if you dare touch my woman again, I’ll uproot you. I just annihilated the Tian She Gang, so don’t provoke me.”

The man nodded frantically, too afraid to move, lest the gun go off. When Qian Ye slowly lowered the weapon, the man exhaled, a mix of relief and resentment in his eyes.

But Qian Ye’s wrist twitched, and the gun fired, unloading the entire extended magazine into the man, sending him flying and showering the air with blood.

Looking at the lifeless, resentful eyes, Qian Ye said, “I’ve changed my mind.”

He tossed the gun onto the man’s corpse. The girl stood shivering some distance away, carefully avoiding the bodies, but not fleeing. Qian Ye did not approach her, simply waving and disappearing into the night.

The girl watched Qian Ye’s retreating figure, unmoving, until her teary eyes could see no more. She then turned and ran into the darkness.

Throughout, Qian Ye never asked her name, nor gave his. The sensitive and intelligent girl knew that he might never return to this city, and even if he did, their only connection would be this night of desire and gunpowder.

For her, it was a beautifully tragic, theatrical night. She had been on stage, but only as a fleeting passerby.

Qian Ye returned to Yu Ying Nan’s residence, which was unlocked, the traps still in place. Reaching the first-floor guest room, he found, to his chagrin, that both traps had been triggered.

The traces indicated someone had triggered the alarm trap, leapt back, and landed in the second, injurious trap. Qian Ye’s trap wasn’t designed to kill a level four warrior, at most, inflict minor injuries.

On the floor, dried blood droplets were visible. Bending down, Qian Ye recognized the scent. It was Yu Ying Nan’s blood.

Knowing she was upstairs, he detected a strong alcohol smell. Her blood was rich, her heart beating fast. Involuntarily, he took a deep breath, savoring her sweet, energizing scent, like warm milk with sugar. This scent was irresistible to him.

Seeing the blood, Qian Ye wisely chose not to disturb her. This fierce and competitive hunter, having been caught in her own traps, would not take it well.

Quietly, he cleaned up the room, then flopped onto the bed, exhaling contentedly.

At Yu Ying Nan’s place, Qian Ye felt an inexplicable sense of security and relaxation. Drifting off, he heard a noise from the kitchen, but sensing no hostility, he ignored it. In the past, he often left food in the kitchen for people to steal, though such places were usually untouched by ordinary vagrants.

In his drowsy state, Qian Ye felt a familiar, secure warmth. He let himself sink into the sea of consciousness, a feeling he’d never truly experienced in his life.

As his consciousness calmed, the golden blood thread within him crept out from the runes, flowing through his veins. All the other blood threads retreated to his heart, cowering, while the larger, purple blood thread lay coiled within the bloodline rune, ready for battle.

The golden blood thread, though thin, seemed unchanged despite having consumed as much ordinary blood as the purple one. The purple blood had evolved, turning the bloodline into an advanced ability.

The golden blood circled the bloodline rune, eyeing the purple thread hungrily. It even tried to pierce the rune, but a faint purple barrier repelled it.

After two failed attempts, the golden blood seemed to lose interest, instead heading towards the heart. It quickly ensnared an ordinary blood thread, dragging it out and devouring it. It repeated this, consuming five more, still unsatisfied, circling the heart once more before settling in the Night Vision rune.

Soon, the golden blood shimmered, hinting at imminent change.

In his dream, Qian Ye sensed something amiss, like being buried under the ocean, suffocating. But he could not escape the dream.

In the kitchen, Yu Ying Nan slumped against the counter, swigging a bottle of hard liquor, her mood agitated. The polished cabinet reflected her entire figure.

Examining her reflection, she decided she looked decent, better than the bar girls. Taller, prettier, longer legs, and her chest… she thought smugly, far surpassing any of them.

Frustrated, she flipped her middle finger at her reflection.

She sighed, taking another swig. Despite drinking a lot, she still felt it wasn’t enough, not drunk enough to do as she pleased.

She continued drinking, determined to get at least half-drunk before her courage faded.

Bottles emptied, and by the third, she felt ready. If faced with a dozen vampires or werewolves, she’d grab a machete and fight.

Feeling empowered, she threw off her tactical jacket and reached for her belt. Her fingers, usually deft with knives, fumbled, unable to loosen it. Realizing her drunkenness, she lit a cigarette, smiling savagely, and cut the belt with her knife.

Her protective pants fell, revealing a black, tight, tactical undergarment with a hidden saw blade.

Recalling her hastily reviewed information, she sliced the undergarment, turning it into a slightly sexy pair of panties.

Satisfied, she discarded the cigarette and knife, stumbling to Qian Ye’s bedroom, kicking open the door.