Chapter 32: Small Town's Lighthouse

Although it had been twelve hundred years since the end of the War of Daybreak, grudges were ever increasing, every minute, every second, everywhere.

During the past twelve hundred years, the dark races and humans had never stopped fighting, and bloody conflict was always raging on in every inch of contested land.

Although the Evernight Domain was already an abandoned land of the Empire, as the dark races returned, this continent instead became full of battlefields everywhere. Moreover, the situation was incredibly complex.

Humans and the dark races were engaged in a struggle to the death. In addition to that, there were still internal conflicts that arose within the ranks of both sides. Furthermore, perhaps because the orbit of this abandoned land was too far from the sun, even terrifying extraterritorial monstrosities would occasionally appear.

It was as if the only meaning of life's existence here was struggle and war.

The fire of battle engulfed everything, and on the gray colored of the Evernight Continent, the least valuable was life itself.

At this moment, on a desolate plain, a squad of around seven to eight was lined up in a row, walking quickly. Their clothes were incredibly messy and disorganized, entirely made of scrap cloth and leather haphazardly sewn together. Some of them even inlaid several rust-stained plates of metal over their vitals, considering it as armor.

All of them were carrying huge rucksacks. These were the most commonly seen people on the Evernight Continent: scavengers. They use their lives as the gambling stake, braving the desolate plains and the depths of the ruins, in search of things that might just worth a little something. Their rucksacks held everything they possessed.

In front of this small party, a faint silhouette of a small town had emerged, and they all subconsciously stepped up their pace .

The most striking structure of the town was a single tall lighthouse. It was a structure that almost made entirely of welded metal plates, with several bulky pipes running up its external walls.

From afar it was easy to see the fire burning on the top of the lighthouse. Hence this place was named Lighthouse Town. At this moment, the lighthouse suddenly released an enormous amount of steam, as enormous cogs exposed by the damaged areas of the shell begun to strenuously turn, slowly winding up the bell striker, then slamming it onto the old-fashioned bronze bell, reverberating out a prolonged and rich sound of the bell.

DONG! DONG! DONG!

The sound of the bell traveled far, and those scavengers stepped up their pace even more.

One of the burly men looked up to the sky and said, "It's only three o'clock and the sky is about to turn totally dark already, this is just too damn much!"

Yet, the old man walking at the very front of the group replied somewhat nonchalantly, "Aren't dark seasons all like this?"

The burly man once again looked to the sky. Several huge shadows blocked out the sunlight, making the surroundings as dark as nightfall when it was only three o' clock.

He spat out with force, and said with half envy half jealousy, "If only I could live up there for a few days, even dying ten years earlier would be fine with me!"

"Stop dreaming, ol' Bucktooth Six! That's a place only big shots can go, don't count on it during this lifetime of yours. Just collect garbage as you should here!" said another scavenger.

Before Old Bucktooth Six's temper erupted, another valve also opened from the other side of the faraway lighthouse, spurting forth a tremendous amount of steam. In an instant, the entirety of the lighthouse's mid section and above was completely enveloped by the white fog. The flame on top became murky, and a sharp and drawn out steam whistle suddenly sounded, pricking at people's hearts and making it throb.

"They're closing the gates this early?!"

"What's that baldy playing at?"

The scavengers panicked right away. Speeding up their pace even further, they dashed their way toward the town. Fortunately, they were fast enough and rushed through the gates in time.

The exhaust vents at either sides of the city gate towers were currently belching black smoke, the huge gears and winches began to turn with creaking noises. With that, the thick foundry-iron gate lowered slowly, and accompanied by an earth-shaking noise, it smashed into the steel slot, firmly sealing off the small town.

The scavengers were all heavily winded from running, and one of them stood on the street, heaving great gasps of air as he held his knees with both hands. Immediately after, he raised his head and yelled at the gate tower, "Why are you closing the gates so early? We were nearly trapped outside!"

From the tower, a greasy, shining bald head with ferocious features popped out.

He pointed toward the sky, and bellowed with no hint of courtesy, "I've long since told you guys that the outside has been incredibly unsafe recently! Look at the color of the moon up there! If you guys want to throw your lives away for the sake of a few copper, then dying serves you right!"

In the sky was an enormous round moon, and the moon's edges were already a shade of dark red like blood. Given a couple more days, it would turn into a blood colored full moon.

In the nights of the Crimson Moon, all of the living beings in the wasteland would become restless and incredibly aggressive. Legend has it that everytime the moon turned blood red there would be a disaster happening somewhere, and only after enough blood has been spilled would the gods of disaster leave in satisfaction.

The scavengers were cursing, but these mad dogs of the wasteland as a matter of fact really didn't dare to do anything to the baldy in the tower. He was the town's only guard, and furthermore, as a rank one Fighter, beating a team of mad dogs like them was as easy as lifting a hand. Thus, the scavengers could only grumble as they slowly walk toward the the small town's interior.

There was a bar in the town, which was also the only bar in the town, and there was even a few guestrooms behind it. It was where the scavengers were headed to, and it was also the only little piece of heaven that could bring them happiness and women.

For the sake of conserving energy, the town practically didn't have any lighting. Thus, under the night sky, the misty dim glow of the bar's signboard was even more eye-catching, even though only the single syllable "Li" was lit on it.

That signboard was originally a piece of the bearings taken apart from the bottom of the cabin, and the bar owner, by some unknown means, inscribed the words onto it and even rubbed on some powder of Luminous Stones. Though, after weathering and rain, it would always gradually fade.

The townsfolk all knew that the bar's name was called "Red Spider Lily," but nobody knew the meaning behind these three words combined together as a phrase. Plus, among these several thousand people, there weren't even five that were educated enough to recognize all the words on the sign.

In the bar, the lantern lights were dim, the tables and chairs were very worn out, and the entirety of the walls were covered with various graffiti. To one's surprise, there was a strange sense of aesthetic charm to it.

The bar counter was made of riveted steel plates, but it gave an impression of being fashionably rustic. All of the bar's materials could be found in the wasteland. In reality, the abandoned lands' most worthless items were scrap steel and metals; they were everywhere in the wasteland's rubbish heaps, and the airship cemeteries were just mountains of metal.

The smell of cheap alcohol, tobacco, and the stink of sweat permeated the bar. Several dolled-up women even emanated the stinging smell of perfume, making anyone who smelled it all thoroughly nauseous.

Behind the countertop was a young man of a thin, tall build, whose skin tone was somewhat sickly pale.

The young man wore an old, worn out jacket and long pants, and his long black hair was tied into a ponytail behind him. His face was beautiful, extremely beautiful. Moreover, it gave off an excessive sense of youthfulness, and at first glance, it was that kind of bashful but endearing look of a next-door-neighbor boy.

He stood behind the countertop, quietly watching the ten-odd guests who were clearly venting their stress and desires.

Just going by appearances, nobody would have thought that this young man would be this bar's owner. He was barely, no, he clearly wasn't even eighteen.

At this point, the bar's half-height doors were pushed open, and that troop of scavengers who had just entered the city flooded in. The moment they entered, the bar immediately quieted down a few notches, and many people were watching these scavengers warily.

In the wasteland, scavengers didn't have a good reputation; they went by many names: vultures, decomposers, mad dogs, etc...

The scavengers were always treading the line between life and death and had practically no sense of shame or trustworthiness to speak of, being capable of doing anything. Many scavengers had their own little cliques and secret communication methods. If any outsider rashly got close to this bunch, they might bitten to the point where not even their bones would remain.

Although this little town called Lighthouse Town was mostly reliant on the large numbers of scavengers for wealth, but the town's original inhabitants didn't welcome the scavengers, and would never truly accept them.

Where there were scavengers, trouble would follow. In the wasteland, the word, "trouble," would often mean that a bunch of people would lose their lives; otherwise, why would they call it "trouble"?

This particular troop of scavengers weren't first-time customers of the Red Spider Lily. They found a place to sit and then started to loudly call out their preferred beverages. The young man behind the counter turned and retrieved several bottles of liquor, after which he began to mix a cocktail with a well-practiced hand.

The stainless steel cocktail shaker danced under his slender fingers as if it had its own soul.

Right at this moment, a scavenger with a big knife scar on his face walked over,leaning heavily on the counter, and with a strong nasal voice, he hollered, "I heard that this bar has some red something lily that's got a good kick! Gimme a big glass of that!"

The young man didn't even twitch, and just said, "One imperial silver."

"Hoh?!" The scavenger called out exaggeratedly, "Did my ears fail me? One imperial silver!! Am I drinking virgin's blood? Alright, since I'm here, I gotta try it and see if your drink is as good as you say it is! Kid, your daddy here don't have any silver, but I'll use this to settle the cost if you're willing to take it!"

And with a bam, the scavenger pulled out a flintlock pistol and slapped it down onto the countertop.

The gun was loaded with gunpowder and a bullet, ready to fire at any time. The handle was wrapped heavily in metal, in addition to being stained black in a few places with dried blood, along with other stains that couldn't be identified. This heavy flintlock evidently wasn't just for firing a bullet; its handle was also a weapon, and one couldn't say if the club end or the barrel end had been used more.

The bar suddenly quieted down, and everyone's eyes were on the scavenger and the young man.

The young man had already finished mixing the cocktail, and carefully pouring the drinks, he put his hands on the countertop, looked at the flintlock, and mildly said, "Since you're dining here, I'll count it as half a silver. You sure you want to use that as your collateral?"

The corners of the scavenger's eyes twitched, and he slowly leaned forward toward the young man, until the two almost were nose-to-nose. He said, "So what'll happen if I don't pay?"

The young man didn't move an inch and said in that same old peaceful voice, "Then I'll blast open your head."

The scavenger looked the young dead in the eyes. In those deep black eyes, there wasn't even the slightest sign of wavering, just like two bottomless lakes. The scavenger looked down at the young man's hands. They were a pair of hands so clean that it was odd, completely without calluses, and unbelievably smooth skin. Completely devoid of any signs of having done cultivation or hard labor.

The young man's hands were on top of the counter. It was an awkward position that was far from everything. Even if the young man had hidden a weapon under the counter, it didn't look like he would reach it in time.

The young man's rough shirt was only buttoned with two buttons, revealing a giant ugly scar across his chest, which was completely out of sync with the rest of his appearance.

The scavenger's eyes twitched continuously. For some reason, the chill in his heart kept getting stronger by the moment, and sweat suddenly rolled down his body. This was the danger instinct of a mad dog who had survived in the wasteland.

Chapter 33: Burning Youth

The scavenger laughed awkwardly and withdrew his gun. Then he took out a few copper coins and placed them on the bar, pushing them in front of the young man and saying, "Hehe, I'm just joking! It's just a joke! This is all I have. Just give me an order of whatever you like, as long as it can make me drunk!"

Suddenly, the bar regained its liveliness. Many of the patrons sighed regretfully, thinking that they missed out on a good show.

Bucktooth Six, the strongest and fiercest of the scavengers laughed loudly and said, "Knifescar Feng, I've said it long ago, look at you, to even dare try causing trouble with your loathsome self!"

"Yeah, it's obvious he's a newcomer at first glance."

"Dammit, this guy's pretty smart! Too bad we don't get to see a good show. It's been a while since we've last saw bloodshed here. Sigh!"

"Oh, those who dared to cause trouble in front of Qianye are all dead, aren't they?"

The patrons discussed enthusiastically among themselves. Since there was nothing to see, their topics quickly turned to women and boasting about their own capabilities.

Behind the bar, Qianye's expression was as cool as ever. He accepted the few copper coins from Knifescar Feng and exchanged them for a huge glass of spirit. He delivered it to the scavenger's table together with the cocktails he mixed earlier on a ridiculously large tray.

After Qianye returned to the bar, Knifescar Feng glanced once more with lingering fear at the bar before lowering his voice and whispering, "Who is this kid? I've never been this... scared even when I was facing werewolves and blood thralls!"

"His name's Qianye. He moved to Lighthouse Town half a year ago, and after he arrived he opened this bar. Do you understand?" The old man among the scavengers added, "Of course, his drinks are really good."

Knifescar Feng wore a look of sudden realization.

Someone who could run a bar peacefully for half a year in a place where blood was shed daily couldn't be ordinary.

Strength could not be judged by appearance alone. It was rumored that pure-blooded vampires looked so weak they might be blown away by a slight breeze, but in fact they were the real monsters. It was also rumored that they could kill a dozen men of the imperial expeditionary force with a single finger! And this was considering the fact that any member of the imperial expeditionary force-even a cook-could take out dozens of scavengers like them.

Behind the bar, Qianye stood like a statue, not moving a single muscle. No one knew if he was in a stupor or deep in thought. This was his iconic posture. When there was no need for him to work, Qianye would become a part of the bar's background.

A large caliber Kohler pistol laid inside the drawer beneath the bar. This big guy was well made and classically designed, able to fit seven bullets and produced by the giant Blackstone Heavy Industries of the Empire's military industry. Among handguns, it was called the "little steel cannon." Its power was completely incomparable to a scavenger's outdated firearm.

During the first few days of the Red Spider Lily's opening, this Kohler pistol had blown six people's brains out. After that, no one dared to come looking for trouble-at least not in this town.

The noise in the bar grew louder and louder, and the patrons grew more animated as the night drew on. Occasionally, the screams of angry women could be heard.

However, as long as a couple of copper coins were pushed down their bras, these women would immediately switch from anger to joy instead. Add a few more and they would twist their waists vigorously and sit on the men's thighs, allowing them to grab and grope as much as they wanted. Anything further, however, would depend on both parties' will and price.

There were guest rooms in the Red Spider Lily, but they were rarely used. Checking into a room was an incredible luxury. If it could be taken care of in a grassland why go into a room? Most scavengers thought this way.

Qianye continued to look on coolly. It was as if everything was happening far, far away from him.

These women had nothing to do with him whatsoever; they had simply borrowed his place to attract some business. With them around, the patrons would drink more and act like a crowd of rutting pigs.

There was already a scavenger who charged out of the side door impatiently, carrying a woman in his arms. The door hadn't even finished closing when there was a sound as if something heavy had crashed to the ground, followed by a man's panting and a woman's exaggerated squeal.

Scavengers who had just returned to the city all had some money in their pockets. A life in constant fear for one's livelihood caused the townspeople to be more generous with their spending, which was why they were also welcomed by the womenfolk. Of course, that was only while they still had copper coins in their pockets.

The atmosphere inside the bar ignited instantly.

Qianye became busy as orders came flying in one after another. However, his movements were practiced and steady. It was as if the various cocktails were produced on an assembly line. Every request was followed to the letter without a single error or omission. He was as precise as a machine.

It was at this moment when yet another woman walked into the bar. She wore a short jacket over a black corset that confined her full breasts. Her lower body was wrapped within the canvas trousers commonly seen among adventurers that completely exposed her thin but powerful waist and lower abdomen. There was a black scorpion tattooed on her lower abdomen, adding a wild sense of attractiveness to her youthful and energetic figure.

If someone was to speak of the greatest difference between her and the other women inside the bar, it would be her youthfulness that seemed like it would rise to the surface at any moment. Every inch of her was filled with the fresh scent of after rain grass. In addition, her lips were as red as flames, and in this dim and decadent place, it was a dash of the brightest color.

The moment she stepped into the bar, she immediately became the focus of every man.

"Hey girl! How much for a single night!" a scavenger who just arrived at Lighthouse Town cried out.

"An imperial silver coin." The woman's answer was as direct as the scavenger's question. She walked straight to the bar and sat down without consultation.

The newcomers' expression fell when they heard the price. This was an imperial silver coin she was asking for! They had to roam the wilderness for two months before they could earn an imperial silver coin.

That being said, the woman projected a wild and youthful aura from her entire body. It was as if every bit of her skin was glowing, setting all the men's hearts on fire. The moment she walked in, all the other women in the bar began to look like molted old hens.

"You're not telling me your ass is made of origin alloy, are you?" someone began to express his displeasure, but he was immediately held back by the friends beside him.

"That's Min'er. She's hot, but her thorns are just as many! Don't provoke her if you don't have business with her!" that friend said in a low tone.

Min'er tapped the bar and said, "Give me anything. It just needs to be strong enough."

Qianye quietly mixed a big glass of spirit, fished out a small silver pot from around his waist, and poured a single drop of liquid from that pot into the glass before pushing it in front of Min'er. A large portion of the patrons' greedy gazes were immediately diverted onto the glass in front of Min'er.

That small silver pot was the bar's signature formula. No one knew what was contained inside, but even the poorest spirit would immediately become fragrant and aromatic. A tiny sip was enough to cause anyone to forget all troubles.

No matter what Min'er ordered, she would always get a drop of that something added to her drink. It could be considered unique treatment that she alone enjoyed.

She seemed unsatisfied and extended her hand again, asking, "Do you have a cigar? The special kind."

Qianye fished out yet again a handmade cigar from below the bar. A striking red line was drawn across its surface.

Min'er immediately snatched it from Qianye's hands, lit it up, sucked in a deep mouthful, and held her breath. A very, very long time later, to the point she could hold it no longer, she finally puffed out a mouthful of smoke carrying within it a special fragrance. An unnatural bright red color immediately appeared on her face.

Many people in the bar stretched out their necks and sucked hard at the spreading smoke.

The cigar was very short, and she only took three pulls before it had burned to its end.

Min'er stared a little regretfully at the extinguished cigar stub before saying, "Give me another one!"

But Qianye did not move this time. "Only one smoke every three days is allowed. Otherwise you will die very quickly."

"I've lived enough of this life anyway!" Min'er said a little self-despairingly, but no matter what she said, she did not get her second special cigar. At the end of it, Qianye completely ignored her.

Min'er shifted her gaze onto Qianye's face before speaking with a hint of a smile, "Little Ye, did you know? There were a few times when I really wanted to cut up that face of yours! I dislike seeing anything that's prettier than I am!"

Qianye pulled the corner of his mouth just a bit to indicate that he had smiled.

Min'er raised her hands as if surrendering before staring at Qianye, saying, "Alright, I don't want to smoke anymore. I assume you'll treat me then?"

But Qianye was completely dead to her expectant gaze, because treating her would involve other things as well. In this abandoned land where profit was king and friendship was shit, there was no such thing as a free meal. If Qianye treated her this time, then naturally she would repay him with her own body.

Hearing no response from Qianye whatsoever, Min'er smashed the bar angrily before raising her voice, "Is there anyone who's willing to pay my tab tonight?"

There were many people who couldn't help but swallow their saliva, and there were many greedy and lustful gazes that swam non-stop across Min'er's body. However, not a single person answered her. It was an imperial silver coin! Unless they'd truly gone mad, they would never spend such a huge amount on a woman's body.

Finally, a large, one-eyed man at least two meters tall walked over, licked his lips, and slapped an imperial silver coin heavily on the bar and roared, "Allow me!"

Min'er snorted and said, "I told you that I don't like you. You're out of the question!"

But the one-eyed man did not grow mad. He simply chuckled a few times before returning to his seat.

Min'er flicked his silver coin to draw an arc in the air before falling towards his head. The man grabbed the silver coin and yelled, "You'll fall in love in me eventually!"

"In your next life!" Min'er answered loudly.

Min'er took out several dozen copper coins and slapped them on the bar. Then, with a sweep of the hand, the copper coins flew into the air in a row and fell into Qianye's shirt pocket as if they'd grown a pair of eyes. Her trick was beautiful, and it immediately drew a round of cheers in the bar.

What if those copper coins were flying knives?

The scavenger who thought to sleep with her earlier withdrew his head. This girl was a thorned rose.

"I want a room!" Min'er said.

"The third room is empty." Qianye passed her a key along with a few short words.

Min'er's slim fingers hooked around the key ring and spun it. She then stared at Qianye with an incinerating gaze before saying with a faint smile, "I'm not locking the door tonight. Come in if you dare!"

"But I will lock the door," Qianye said.

A curse tumbled out of Min'er's mouth as she smashed the bar, vexed. However, the moment her fist fell down, the entire bar shook!

Everyone in the bar lifted their heads and looked about in a daze. A hidden glint flashed across Qianye's eyes, but it vanished immediately.

Outside, the bald sheriff suddenly let out an unnaturally high-pitched scream, "Wait! I'm opening the gate now! I'm opening the gate now!"

Before the sheriff could finish his words, an earthshaking explosion went off outside the bar, its shockwave shattering every window in the Red Spider Lily. The spray of broken glass fell on many people's heads, and there were a few unlucky fellows who were cut by them-however, no one was complaining, and everyone was staring outside in great fear.

Heavy footsteps resounded inside the small town. It was the sound of military boots stepping against the ground.

Chapter 34: Expeditionary Forces

A squad of black clad soldiers walked in, coming from the same direction as the town's outskirts. They numbered only a dozen or so, but every last one of them reeked of the thick stench of blood. Their armbands were emblazoned with the image of a firearm crossed with a bloodstained bayonet. It was the insignia of the imperial expeditionary army!

The little town's main gate was entirely destroyed. Outside, broken pipes futily spewed steam into the air. The few buildings around the gate were also blasted apart by the explosion's shockwave. Meanwhile, the bald sheriff softly moaned, half his body buried under the debris.

It was exactly because the town gate stood in the way of the imperial expeditionary army that they decided to blow it away altogether.

There were also dozens of people following unsteadily behind the soldiers of the expeditionary army. They were a mass of bruises, with their hands tied with iron wires and chained together into a single line. The rusty iron dug deep into their flesh even as they bled. The moment they showed any sign of slowing, they would be immediately whipped by the expeditionary soldiers beside them.

In the darkness, the Red Spider Lily's glowing signboard and broken windows were extraordinarily striking in the dim light. Due to that, this squad of imperial soldiers switched directions and approached the bar.

Two tall soldiers entered the bar first and surveyed their surroundings.

Their gazes were as sharp as eagles, and no one in the entire bar dared match eyes with them. With the firepower of their automatic rifles they held, it wouldn't even take them more than a minute to turn everyone inside the bar into corpses.

One soldier pointed at Qianye and said coldly, "Prepare food for twenty men. Quickly!"

"You dirty pigs, clean the tables and get your asses outside! Now!" yelled the other soldier as he pointed his rifle at the scavengers.

With placating smiles, the scavengers wiped the tables clean with lightning speed before escaping the bar. Another group of people consciously moved away from the best tables inside the bar and hid in a corner. The imperial forces didn't tell them to leave, so none of them dared to step outside.

A tall officer slowly walked into the bar. When he passed through the doorframe, he even lowered his head.

He had a pair of thick, straight eyebrows, and his eyes were like the Evernight Domain's most savage and devious nighthawks while his predatory gaze swept across every man and woman inside the bar. Then, he chose a table at the center and sat down.

Sounds of scolding and beating came from outside. Then, dozens of people were driven in by the expeditionary forces and forced to pack themselves into a corner.

The officer glanced at the people inside the bar before announcing in a deep and raspy voice, "Look at them! These are the people who were tainted by the blood of darkness. The only fate that awaits them is that of the lightless black mines! They will mine until their deaths, until the black blood awakens and turns them into monsters who thirst only for fresh meat and blood before they are executed by the guards. Open your eyes and look well! All who fall to Evernight shall face this exact fate!"

Fear appeared in everyone's eyes.

These captured people all shared a common title: blood thrall. Anyone who was bitten by a bloodsucker would be corrupted by the blood of darkness and transformed into a beast without sanity. They would thirst for blood and flesh when it was time to eat, and they would madly attack any targets under a superior's order until they perished in combat.

Most blood thralls were executed if found anywhere under the Empire's rule. A small number of people who hadn't yet transformed would be sent to the black mines to work until their deaths.

Pure blooded vampires were very rarely seen, but blood thralls were also highly dangerous lifeforms. There was an extremely high chance that anyone who got bitten or scratched by a blood thrall-or even got just a little too close to them-would be tainted by the blood of darkness. The original guests and women of the bar pressed into each other and shivered together, doing their very best to stay as far away as possible from those blood thralls.

It was at this moment a middle-aged man suddenly charged out of the captured group of blood thralls, falling to his knees and crying loudly, "I am not a blood thrall. I am not tainted by the blood of darkness!"

A slightly twisted, grim smile appeared on the officer's face. He said, "I know."

The middle-aged man froze and lifted his head in shock, unable to believe his ears. But what greeted him was a actually pitch black muzzle!

There was a loud bang. Every bottle and glass in the bar vibrated. The middle-aged man continued to kneel, but his head had already been completely blown away. Blood and brain matter sprayed all over the floor.

The officer blew the blue smoke off his muzzle and said to the headless corpse, "I know that you're not a blood thrall, but harboring blood thralls is just the same."

A soldier took a step forward and asked, "Lieutenant Colonel Liu, should we deal with both his sons as well?"

The officer swept a glance at the group of blood thralls. The two pale-faced young men standing there were the middle-aged man's sons. They shrank backward, trying to hide behind another person's back.

The officer called Liu pointed at them and said, "Come on you two. Take this corpse outside and toss it to the dogs, then come back and wash the floor! I hate the stench of blood."

Trembling in fear, the two young men obediently lifted their father's corpse and carried it outside. Everyone knew that if they resisted, the imperial expeditionary army had hundreds of ways to make them wish they were dead.

Just as the officer surnamed Liu and the imperial soldiers' eyes were attracted to this side, someone among the blood thralls suddenly made a bid to escape. He charged toward the bar's back door, screaming, "I don't want to go to the black mines!"

The officer let out yet another grim smile before unholstering an odd-shaped rifle from his back and aiming at the back of the running blood thrall. His movements might appear slow, but was it was in fact pretty quick. When the blue patterns on the rifle lit up, the blood thrall had just managed to run halfway down the hall.

It was at this moment Qianye walked out from the back door while carrying a food tray.

In this instant, Qianye, the blood thrall, and the officer's muzzle joined to form a straight line!

The officer saw Qianye, but he still pulled the trigger as the corner of his lips pulled a bit!

Out of the rifle's muzzle shot not a bullet, but a ball of red light!

Suddenly, a gaping hole was blasted through the center of the blood thrall's body. Amid the foaming blood and scattered bits of flesh, the red light's unspent energy continued to travel forward and pierced through two more walls before it finally exhausted itself and disappeared. The red light was unusually powerful and was easily a match for a large caliber cannon!

Qianye's body was not blasted to pieces. He wasn't even hurt. Right now, his body was weirdly arched forty five degrees sideways, and both his legs were stuck to the ground as if nailed down. He simply avoided the officer's firing trajectory.

Tak. With a soft splash, a drop of blood fell from the sky onto Qianye's face, blooming into a small flower of blood. It was unusually striking on the background of his pale white skin.

Qianye's breathing suddenly grew heavier, and a glint of dark red flashed deep behind his pupils. However, the abnormality lasted only an instant, and as if pulled by invisible strings, Qianye's body stood up straight once more. Not a drop of alcohol even spilled on the tray.

Thump. It was only then that the blood thrall's body crashed onto the ground. A hand stretching forward with everything it had fell with a plop mere centimeters away from Qianye's feet.

The pupils of the officer surnamed Liu shrunk, and he suddenly smiled, saying, "I didn't think I would meet a true expert with awakened origin energy in such a tiny place! This is certainly a surprise!"

Qianye said in a low tone, "Just scraping about."

The officer's eyes were as sharp as blades. He stared closely at Qianye and asked, "You're not eighteen yet, are you?"

"A little over seventeen," Qianye answered.

The officer circled Qianye a few times and said, "You ignited an origin node at just the age of seventeen. Your talent is pretty impressive! You have origin energy, and at such a young age. You should have a bright future ahead of you, and yet you've hid yourself at such a small place. Things ain't as simple as they seem, are they?"

QIanye kept quiet and did not answer.

The officer took out a metallic nameplate imprinted with the expeditionary army's logo and tossed it into Qianye's tray. "My name is Liu Jiang," he said. "I don't care who you are or what you've done. If you're willing, you can take this nameplate and seek out Lieutenant Colonel Chu Xiong at the expeditionary army's fortress. He's been lacking some manpower there lately. As long as you've joined the imperial expeditionary army, no matter what you did in the past, even if it's something like killing a noble in the upper continents, it is nothing. Do you understand?"

Qianye bowed slightly and said, "Thank you!" For many people, this was a recruitment opportunity that they could only dream of, but Qianye barely reacted to it.

Liu Jiang could see that Qianye wasn't too interested in joining the expeditionary army. He was not of the mind to force the issue either, so he returned to his seat and sat down. Qianye put a large glass of spirit and a plate of bacon and potatoes in front of him.

The officer lifted the glass, sniffed, and his eyes lit up. "Good liquor! I seriously didn't think I would run into such an amazing drink in this small place. If Chu Xiong knew about your culinary skills he would accept you for sure." However, he then put down his glass and said, "Alright, now give me a glass of water. I never drink on a mission."

And so, Qianye withdrew the glass of spirit and gave Liu Jiang a glass of water instead.

These were the Empire's expeditionary forces stationed on the Evernight Continent. On one hand, they were cruel and tyrannical, fierce and overbearing, slaughtering people like flies. On the other, the several million strong expeditionary forces were the central pillar that stood against the dark races. It was because of their existence that human collectives such as Lighthouse Town were not attacked by huge swarms of dark races.

Qianye put out all the trays of food, and the imperial soldiers chowed down without saying a single word. The entire bar suddenly turned quiet. Everyone felt that the atmosphere was oppressive and unbearable, but no one dared to move, much less leave the place.

The imperial soldiers were just halfway through their meals when the bar's entrance suddenly opened without a sound. Two men clad in black windbreakers walked in.

There was not a speck of dust to be seen on their bodies, and they were so clean and tidy that they appeared incredibly jarring with the wilderness around them. Even more bizarre was that no one noticed their arrival when they appeared.

The moment they entered the bar, the duo swept their gazes everywhere. Every time they saw something their eyebrows would wrinkle just a little tighter. It was as if there was nothing in the place that could satisfy them, including the imperial forces inside.

When Liu Jiang saw the symbol on the corner of the windbreakers, his expression changed as he stood up immediately. But just as he was about to say something, one of the black clad man said coldly, "Did I tell you to stand up?"

Liu Jiang turned furious, but the instant their eyes met, he let out a dull snort and fell back into his seat as if dealt a heavy blow. His face immediately turned pale white, evident that he had suffered quite the injury.

The man snorted and said with contempt, "Bunch of trash. No wonder you could only stand guard at this godforsaken place. If the Empire really had to rely on you to deal with the dark races, we would've been destroyed a long time ago."

Liu Jiang's mouth twitched as he wiped away the blood seeping out of his mouth and raised a hand to stop his soldiers from moving. With a raspy voice, he asked, "Why have you come to this forsaken land, sir?"

The other person said coldly, "You are not qualified to know! Another word and I'll have you all slaughtered!"

The blue vein on Liu Jiang's neck throbbed non-stop, and his hand edged a little closer to the origin rifle behind his back. But still he stopped himself wisely.

When they saw this, the two men wrapped in black windbreakers grew even more disdainful.

It was at this moment when an old voice rang from outside the door, "Miss, this place is unclean. Not only are there blood thralls inside, there are also some dregs of the expeditionary forces. Maybe it's better if you don't go in?"

Chapter 35: Other Shore Flower

"The expeditionary forces, huh... it's okay. I'm just going in to take a look." A clean and clear voice followed right after. It was incredibly soft and melodious, much like the sound of a crystalline wind chime after being shaken by a soft breeze during a summer afternoon.

"If you insist, then give this old servant some time to clean out all the expeditionary forces and blood thralls inside this place before you come in."

"No! I'm just taking a look, there's no need to kill so many people!"

"...Alright."

The bar's door disintegrated soundlessly, and the temperature inside the room dropped by dozens of degrees. Everyone, including the soldiers of the expeditionary forces, now found themselves losing the ability to move. Their eyes were the only thing that could move about.

A girl walked into the bar.

Her figure was slightly thin and petite, and her slim, black cloak accentuated her small face and stunning looks to appear as if there were a soft glow around it. Her skin was like porcelain of the highest quality. She had big round eyes that were both elegant and pure. It was a pair of eyes that did not seem to belong in this chaotic, bloody, and filthy world at all.

When she walked into the bar, it was as if all of Red Spider Lily had suddenly turned into a human paradise that was no longer cold nor filthy. All of the changes were brought forth by the mysterious young girl as she seemed to have the incredible power to cleanse one's soul.

She appeared immeasurably powerful, yet she also seemed to be incomparably feeble. It was as if a breeze on the wasteland were enough to topple her over, shattering her to pieces. The instant they saw her, the crowd actually felt an indescribable sense of heartache. It was as if this pure and delicate girl could perish at any moment.

Her gaze slowly swept across every person and every corner of the bar, not leaving out even the slightest detail. When she gazed upon Qianye, her eyes brightened slightly and exuded a hint of pleasant surprise. However, it quickly faded in the next moment, after which she let out a soft sigh.

She said softly, "I thought that a place called Red Spider Lily would be more or less different from others... Sigh! Maybe I thought too much. Let us leave, Uncle Wang."

Heeding the young girl's call, an old man with silvery white hair quietly appeared beside her. In truth, he had been standing beside the young girl all this time. It was just that everyone had subconsciously overlooked his existence.

The old man glanced at Qianye and said to the girl, "This is but a normal bar, it shelters evil and hides filth just like every other. He may have stumbled upon this term by coincidence, but knew nothing at all about its true meaning."

The young girl pulled at her cloak and sighed softly. "Perhaps! Still, it is a small, pleasant surprise to see such a term in this abandoned land."

Uncle Wang let out a smile. "It is rare of you to show joy, my young miss. Why don't we share with him a bit of your joy then. A lucky boy he is, hoho."

"Indeed, he is a lucky fellow!" the young girl said softly.

The young girl left the bar, whereas the old man took out a small, black velvet sack and put it down on the bar. He said Qianye with a meaningful tone, "Since you have made the young miss happy, you deserve a reward no matter what you shoulder. This is yours."

It was only after the old man had left that the people inside the bar regained their ability to do anything. However, they continued to stay still, even forgetting to move or speak. Their experience of immobility and muteness earlier was like a nightmare, and that young girl was the only brightness within it.

Qianye's face was pale as his hand pressed onto the black velvet sack the old man had left behind. After a very long time, he finally opened it and took a glance.

It was an entire sack of imperial gold coins!

These dozens of imperial gold coins signified such tremendous wealth that it would drive anyone in the wasteland insane.

In this lawless land, three silver coins were enough to buy a person's life, and five silver coins could make nearly any woman lift their skirts willingly. But an imperial gold coin... that could be exchanged for a total sum of one hundred silver coins. The imperial gold coin itself could not be spent, because there was nothing in this land that was worth even a single such coin.

The gold coin did not dazzle Qianye, however. Instead, his gaze was tightly locked onto the crystalline box, half buried within the sack of gold coins. The crystalline box was only three fingers wide, and its surface was etched with a rose-like flower of exquisite craftsmanship. Through the cover of the box, he could see that there were three silver bullets inside of it.

The heads of these three bullets were all made of transparent crystal. Silvery white liquid flowed inside it, and the same rose-like flower as before was etched on the silvery casting of the shell.

These non-standard silver bullets were obviously origin bullets privately created by one of the great imperial families. Their damaging effects on the dark races were extraordinary, and they were especially lethal against vampires.

But Qianye's expression had turned as pale as paper when he saw the three bullets. Cold sweat abruptly poured out of his pores and drenched his entire clothing.

Many people inside the bar were curious about the contents of the black velvet sack, poking their heads out to get a good look. Looks of avarice appeared on many people's faces, but none of them actually dared to get their heads any closer to get a good look. Curiosity and greed might make a lot of people fearless and mad, but in the face of absolute strength, humans would properly hide these emotions behind their masks.

Meanwhile, the imperial soldiers put down the food that they'd only eaten half of and quietly fell into formation, escorting the blood thralls away from the bar.

An imperial soldier walked in along the bar and said coldly, "Boy, your luck is great, but what did that old..."

He was about to say "What did that old man give you just now, show it to us?", but he was only halfway through before Liu Jiang interrupted him.

The lieutenant colonel had actually laid an imperial gold coin on the bar!

He said solemnly, "This is for the meal. Your luck truly is pretty impressive to be able to win a personage's favor. But if you change your mind, you can always come to the expeditionary army's fortress. Remember my name, I am Liu Jiang. You can seek out either Chu Xiong or me."

Deep in thought, Qianye slowly answered, "Thank you. I will... consider it."

Liu Jiang nodded and gave him an "I'm leaving!" greeting before escorting the expeditionary forces away from the bar.

At the town gate, the bald sheriff had already crawled out of the ruins. His entire face was smeared in blood, but he did not wipe it away. Instead, he simply sat on top of a huge rock and gazed at the sky, murmuring to himself, "I knew that it wasn't peaceful as of late, I knew it..."

By then, It was already night, and the huge, round moon hanging in the sky was as red as blood!

Qianye closed the bar early and exempted everyone from their tabs of that night. The people were frightened, and they also wished to return to their homes sooner than they did normally to rest and get over their shock.

Among the people, the central topic of discussion was still the amount of money inside the small sack. Moreover, many people were also discussing what exactly "Red Spider Lily" truly meant. However, not many people in this town were even literate, so no matter how vivid their imaginations were, it was a fruitless effort.

Within the bar, Qianye looked at the flower inside the crystalline bullet box and did not move for a very long time. The flower wasn't actually a rose, but rather a legendary flower called the Red Spider Lily.

In legends, it was said that the Red Spider Lily, also known as the Other Shore Flower, only grew in the depths of Nether River, guiding souls to the other side of the shore.

Night gradually deepened, and the town slowly quieted down as the people began to enter their dreamlands one after another. The bald sheriff himself had also returned to his home and drank himself silly with half a catty of lousy strong spirits. Then he fell asleep, snoring loudly.

The town's huge gate was still in shambles. It would take more than a few days to repair it. In fact, the only thing the town walls could defend against now were normal beasts and blood thralls.

But they would not have to worry about this tonight. The expeditionary forces had obviously made a massive sweep around the area, and hopefully, things would be peaceful for at least half a month or so.

In the eyes of the more powerful scavengers, pioneers, and adventurers, an intact Lighthouse Town was no different from a Lighthouse Town without any defenses at all, not to mention that the expeditionary forces and the regular soldiers could easily eradicate this place from the face of the continent. However, those were not things the bald sheriff needed to think about. The sheriff could always look at the bright side when it came to things that exceeded his capabilities. Even if he couldn't do so, he still didn't have the ability to change it.

Qianye had also fallen asleep. Through the haze of dreams, he suddenly found himself located at a quiet and dead neighborhood.

There were no lights and no people. His lonely footsteps were the only thing that resonated across the empty streets. There was a huge blood moon in the sky that had taken up a small portion of the night sky.

He instinctively felt that a huge crisis was approaching him, but he could not find any weapon on his body nor in his surroundings. In his haste, he rushed to the roadside and attempted to pull an iron pipe stuck in the ground, but just as he gripped the pipe, countless blood thralls suddenly leaped out of the surrounding darkness and pounced toward him while howling!

Qianye felt that his body was all of sudden impossibly heavy, and every movement he made was several times slower than normal. He was not in time to defend himself at all before a blood thrall pushed him to the ground and bit his neck. Its sharp teeth sank deep into his aorta!

Qianye abruptly sat up from the ground!

He panted for a long time before finally recognizing that he was inside his own room. What happened just now was but a nightmare.

But the nightmare was too realistic and clear. The feeling of the bloodsucking fangs sinking into his neck felt just like the real thing. It was realistic to the point that even though Qianye knew that it was just a dream, he could not hold himself back from touching his neck.

The skin in that area was smooth. Only by pressing one's finger onto it would one realize that there were two faint bumps in the area. It was the wound left behind by the vampire.

Qianye's chest heaved rapidly, and sweat covered his entire body.

He did not lay on a bed, and instead had himself wrapped up in a blanket and curled up in a corner. This was a habit he had developed on the Evernight Continent to avoid being ambushed by enemies while he was asleep. Moreover, he could even surprise his ambushers from this position and kill them before they could react.

Qianye stood up and felt a wave of weakness and dizziness, nearly stumbling back onto the ground. He pulled himself together and arrived at the cabinet beside the wall. He then picked up the black velvet sack again and took the crystalline bullet box from inside it. After a moment of hesitation, he finally opened the box.

Under the weak light, the bulletheads of all three silver bullets emanated an extremely beautiful, faint glow. The moment the crystalline box was open, a rich wave of origin power immediately rushed to his face.

Qianye whispered quietly to himself, "As expected, they are... all origin bullets."

He reached out to touch the silver origin bullets. His fingertip had only just touched one of the bullets before a small part of his finger immediately burned off, letting out a soft sizzling sound. Inside the bullethead, the origin power that was condensed into a liquid also began vibrating intensely as if it could explode at any moment.

Qianye immediately withdrew his hand, and the silver origin bullet's reaction slowly receded since he no longer touched it. He knew that these three bullets were no ordinary silver origin bullets. They were Mithril Bullets of Exorcism, tailor-made against vampires, and judging from the resonation and intensity of the origin power, the creator of these three bullets was definitely no ordinary elite.

As Qianye looked at his hands, his left hand glowed with faint divine light, whereas his right was entangled with thick blood energy.

The girl's eyes had the terrifying power of seeing through all falsehoods, and the Uncle Wang beside her was an even more terrifying elite. The origin power he held was well controlled, and he was one of the most powerful experts Qianye had ever seen.

The fact that the man left the box of specially crafted Mithril Bullets of Exorcism within the sack of imperial gold coins obviously meant that he had already seen through Qianye's secret. It was just that he did not expose him for what he was because his bar was called Red Spider Lily.

However, just what else could be so special about the Red Spider Lily other than the fact that it was the most famous gun in the empire? What other secrets did it hold that the old man who had planned to cleanse everyone in the bar earlier would let go of Qianye, a person who was potentially tainted by the black blood just like that?

Chapter 36: Peaceful Life

Qianye had another doubt in his mind. He could not feel the slightest bit of origin power from the girl's body, so either she did not cultivate any origin power at all, or she was powerful to the extent where Qianye was incapable of detecting any origin power from her whatsoever.

The latter was obviously impossible. Even an elite at Uncle Wang's level could hardly conceal their own origin power, so it just wasn't possible that such a young girl would have an even greater power than him.

But it was also very strange to assume that she was the former. The true aristocratic families of the Empire would never lack resources, and if any child among their families had even a speck of talent, they would be completely unearthed and nurtured for their own purposes. It was rumored that some aristocratic families even had secret arts that could almost be considered to defy against the natural order itself. So even if she had no origin talent at all, as long as her family was willing to invest huge sums of resources, then they could create an extraordinary talent out of nowhere just the same.

Obviously, it was impossible that this girl wouldn't have any talent at all. So the fact that she appeared to have no origin power at all became very strange. There must be something that he wasn't seeing just yet.

Moreover, Qianye also sensed the hint of a familiar scent on the girl.

Suddenly, Qianye laughed derisively at himself. What did this girl's predicament have anything to do with him? Even if the girl did run into some kind of problem, if it was something that could not even be solved by the huge family behind her, then how could a lowly blood thrall like him, who struggled to live between rubbish and ferocious beasts, possibly help her?

Any sack of that kind of tip tossed out casually by a servant of the girl's would be enough for him to live for several lifetimes in this wasteland, not to mention that his lingering intimidation was sufficient to frighten the lawless expeditionary army from robbing him. On the contrary, they were even showing him good will.

But this was all meaningless. Perhaps not far away in the future the dark blood in him would break out completely, and he would turn into a corpse in this landfill and become dinner to scavengers and wild dogs.

Qianye covered up the crystalline box again, cutting off the origin aura of the Mithril Bullets of Exorcism. If he continued to expose these three extremely precious Mithril Bullets of Exorcism in the open, then the origin power inside them would leak out continuously over the next few days before dissipating entirely. These three bullets would then become normal mithril bullets. This was why all physical bullets infused with origin power needed to be stored in special containers.

This crystalline box was a top grade container on its own, capable of isolating nearly all origin power. It could preserve origin power bullets for up to an entire year! This box alone was worth a few hundred imperial gold coins. The origin bullet boxes distributed by the Red Scorpion Corps could only preserve origin power bullets for a month. Moreover, the power of the origin bullets would diminish continuously during the one month period.

The instillation process of origin power into the bullets was done by at least a rank three cultivator. As usual, these bullets required the use of an origin power gun. However, since the bullets were difficult to preserve, and its instillation process would greatly drag down one's cultivation speed, the Red Scorpion's soldiers would only begin instilling origin power into their bullets before battle. There was almost no market at all for these type of bullets.

Qianye put the Mithril Bullets of Exorcism back into the black, velvet sack and returned it to the shelf. Due to the dark blood inside his body, he instinctively wanted to move away from the three mithril bullets. Right now, the weakness brought by the nightmare was slowly fading, and his senses had regained their acuteness once more. He immediately heard some strange noises through the walls next to his room.

It was the voice of a man and woman, f*cking each other while moaning as the bed creaked. The adjacent room was the Red Spider Lily's guest room, so the second Qianye heard the noises, he knew that the big bed soldered with angle iron was in danger of collapsing from the intense shaking at any moment.

The woman was crying at the top of her lungs. The man should be that big one-eyed man. It seemed like he was trying to squeeze out the full worth of his coin. Meanwhile, there were also some faint noises from the other side of the room. It was the sound of a person tossing and turning in her bed mixed with some suggestive moaning in between.

Ming'er was inside that room. She was the sole occupant, and she seemed to be doing a certain something.

Qianye simply pretended that he heard nothing, looking left and right to search for something to keep his hands busy.

But only a moment had passed before a series of banging noises came from Ming'er's room. She was smashing her fists furiously against the wall of Qianye's bedroom. Getting no response from Qianye after smashing for a while, she eventually grew quiet, perhaps out of exhaustion.

Although the night was still deep, Qianye couldn't sleep. He composed himself and sat still on top of his bed, his mind gradually sinking into his own body as he began cultivating the "Combatant Formula."

Right now, under Qianye's guidance, the origin power inside his body was pounding against the origin node in his right hand like a tidal wave. The origin power inside his body had distinct edges, and every impact would bring Qianye pain that was much like being torn apart.

After suffering twenty full cycles of origin tides, Qianye finally withdrew his origin power and guided it back to the two nodes around his chest and abdominal area. Once he was done, Qianye promptly collapsed onto his bed, and it took him a long time before he finally regained a bit of his energy.

Qianye struggled down the bed, feeling pain as if every inch of his flesh and nerves were on fire. He looked at the alarm clock. He had cultivated for three hours, and it was already three in the morning. However, there was still the continuous sound of pounding coming from next door. It seemed that the one-eyed brutish man had made up his mind to recoup his losses, and Qianye wondered which woman was unlucky enough to be caught by him.

After he finished cultivating the Combatant Formula, the intercourse next door could no longer affect Qianye in any way. He took off his sweat-drenched clothes and wiped his body with a towel drenched in cold water.

Qianye had grown yet another few centimeters. He appeared lean when he was wearing a coat, but when his clothes were taken off, one would discover that his entire body was balanced, muscular, and full of power. His lines were as thick and tough as steel threads without any trace of flab whatsoever. The scar on his chest was now nearly half a meter long, looking like a giant centipede occupying the center of his body.

Every time he ignited the Aura Sea node, Qianye would discover that the origin power cultivated from this particular node was unusually violent and difficult to control. If Qianye's origin power could be described as a sharp war blade, then in comparison to the origin power of the other soldiers, theirs were not even unsheathed yet.

This special origin power gave Qianye's combat technique extraordinary strength and killing power. But in comparison, the pain and damage it caused to his body were also a lot more severe than other people's. Although the Combatant Formula could be cultivated all the way up to rank nine, at this rate, Qianye would probably implode and perish by the time he cultivated it to rank six.

Qianye touched his left arm. There was also a scar here that was square-shaped and about the size of a palm. This was a scar Qianye had branded himself with since there used to be a tattoo in this same location. The tattoo was a scarlet scorpion with a needle-like tail. It was also the insignia of the Red Scorpion Corps.

The Empire had tens of millions of soldiers, and even at its max, the Red Scorpion Corps did not exceed ten thousand people. Although Qianye had entered the Red Scorpion Corps by the lowest standard and in the eyes of an outsider he was nothing more than a lucky kid, in truth, the injury on his chest caused the origin power Qianye cultivated to be a lot more violent than the normal Combatant Formula. The pain and impact he suffered at the fourteenth cycle of the origin tide was already the equivalent of some other soldiers' twentieth cycle.

Among the Red Scorpion and several other elite corps, there was a title called "Soldier King" that was granted only to those who could endure thirty cycles of origin tides. Currently, it was a rarity for even one new Soldier King to appear per year in the entire Empire. Traditionally, the Red Scorpion's commander and deputy commander position could only be held by a Soldier King.

Once, Qianye thought that if he had the chance to become a Soldier King if his origin power wasn't so violent.

Unfortunately, ifs were only ifs, and they could never become a reality. The Empire's rankings were strict and harsh, and although it might be cruel, it was also the fairest. The army only looked at results and not the process. Thirty cycles was the law, and the law demanded not a cycle less. Whether a person's origin power was as violent as fire or as gentle as water, they must endure thirty cycles of origin tides to truly be considered a Soldier King.

Qianye abruptly let out a deep sigh amid the darkness. It was all in the past. The Red Scorpion Corps was now forever history, just like the tattoo that he had burned away with a branding iron. All of the honor, the martial power, the status, and the comrades related to the scorpion had been buried inside his heart. What remained was only a scar.

Ever since that fateful night, Qianye knew that he could never live a normal person's life any longer.

Perhaps the one concern he had left was Lin Xitang's fate, but the lower continent and the middle-and-upper continents were two completely different worlds. He could hear no news from the higher continents at all. Sometimes Qianye could only comfort himself by thinking that if something big truly happened to a great person like Lin Xitang, then the news should make its way even to such a small and secluded place like this town. Therefore no news also equaled the greatest news.

When Qianye first arrived on the Evernight Continent, he had drifted aimlessly until he finally arrived at Lighthouse Town. For whatever reason, he found the town pleasing and decided to settle down in this place. Moreover, he used the last few silver coins in his pockets to open this bar that was known as the Red Spider Lily.

The locals of this town were both cunning and guileless. They quickly accepted Qianye's existence, because the drinks here were pretty great.

As long as Qianye's alcohol remained the same, then no one would care about his identity. Even if Qianye were a bona fide bloodsucker, they would turn a blind eye to him.

Qianye walked in front of the wall. There was a steel plate embedded in the wall that was so polished that it was shining. This was his mirror.

The person in the mirror seemed a little distant even to him. For the past year, Qianye's skin turned whiter and whiter, and his eyes and facial outline had also become more gentle and delicate. Although his strength had constantly been increasing, the muscles that were so big that they were somewhat ridiculous before his transformation were now withdrawn like origin alloy threads, thin but extremely durable.

It was at this moment when knocking noises suddenly came from outside his wall. Then, he heard the bald sheriff shouting through many layers of obstacles with his uniquely powerful windpipe, saying, "Qianye, come out and help me fix the town gate! And you too, Cyclops! I know you're in there! I hope you haven't squeezed yourself too much tonight that you can't even move these steel pipes!"

Cyclops' voice came reluctantly from next door, "I ain't finished yet!"

"If you don't come out then I'll blast yer balls right off!" The bald sheriff's threats were as direct and efficient as usual.

Qianye swiftly put on his clothes and walked to the living hall. He glanced at the main entrance of his bar where a door should be. It was completely bare without even a door hinge to be seen. Still, installing a steel door would be much easier than fixing the motor driven town gate.

Cyclops also walked out of the corridor behind Qianye while grumbling. His upper body was bare, and there were dozens of claw marks at the front and back of his body. Some of them were so deep that blood could be seen!

When Qianye saw the blood droplets on Cyclops' body, his larynx suddenly turned a little in his throat. The intense thirst that abruptly came out of nowhere nearly caused a moan to escape his lips.

"What's wrong, Qianye?" Cyclops asked him a little strangely.

Qianye managed a strained smile and said, "Nothing, just envying you."

Cyclops chuckled and rubbed his head a little in embarassment, saying, "If you're willing, that bitch Ming'er wouldn't take a penny from you at all! I really don't get why you keep turning her down."

"I don't have anything to offer her," Qianye answered as if he didn't hear him at all.

"You should give it a try. She really wouldn't take a penny from you!"

The bald sheriff cut them both off, "Alright, cut the bullshit and come help me out already! I have no intention for us to live in a town with no gates when the dark season starts. Once the gate is fixed, you two lucky fellows don't have to pay any taxes for the month."

The sheriff's surname was Zhang. He had a shiny shaved head, and his belly was so huge that he could keep a calf inside. Other than the fact that he was a person who handled matters fairly, he mainly relied on his rank one Fighter strength and massively powerful shotgun to hold his position as the sheriff of Lighthouse Town.

Cyclops and Qianye followed the sheriff to the warehouse. A moment later, the duo lifted a bundle of steel pipes and walked together to the town gate. By now the sheriff had already cleaned out the ruin, and after greeting them once, the trio arrived at the blown up gate.

Chapter 37: The Path of Darkness

The sheriff alone was in charge of one side, while Qianye and Cyclops were in charge of the other. The three of them, with a mighty shout as they simultaneously exerted themselves, was able to lift up the gate weighing an entire ton, pushing it towards the gate tower.

Although Cyclops had never activated his origin nodes, he also had been cultivating all along and wasn't far from activating the first origin node. Furthermore, his innate skill was Strength Enhancement. Qianye, on the other hand, steadily displayed the power of a rank one fighter, not going any higher or lesser.

A seventeen-year old rank one fighter would at most attract people's envy for a bit, but a seventeen-year old rank two fighter would be completely different. How could someone with the qualifications to join the Empire's special forces come here to open a small bar in such a barren place?

At eight in the morning, the three of them were already exhausted, but only a small part of the repairs to the city's gates were done. In order to assemble the generator that had an entire half its structure fallen apart, they would need to order parts from large cities.

The new parts would take at least a week to arrive. Despite bald sheriff's deep worries, there was no choice for him but to continue living a life steeped in anxiety for another week.

At this time, the upper continents had long since been lit with the light of day. However, in the dark season of the Evernight Continent, several orbits of the upper continents just happened to converge above the Evernight Continent, blocking out the sun.

In a single day, only from ten in the morning to three in the afternoon would there be daylight on the Evernight Continent. The rest of the time, it was night.

The round, crimson-colored moon still hung there in the night sky. According to the legends of the Evernight Continent, as long as the crimson moon appeared, so would a disaster. When the blood colored moon was in the sky, the power of all of the dark races would increase, and the primal beasts in the wilds would also become more violent and ferocious.

Looking at the blood moon in the sky, Qianye suddenly felt blood energy stirring all over his body, his senses becoming incredibly sharp. What grew most of all was his sense of smell, which suddenly became hundreds of thousands of times more sensitive. He could almost smell the scent of all of the people in town. That scorching hot smell of fresh blood was almost driving him insane!

Qianye parted from the sheriff and swiftly returned to the bar, closing the door tightly, after which he collapsed head-first on the floor, howling out like a wild beast, rolling everywhere across the floor.

The thirst for fresh blood was an torture almost impossible to bear, and this feeling of pain and emptiness was even worse than that of the 'Euphoria' drug withdrawal acting up. If it weren't for the fact that Qianye had already trained up the willpower matching that of a Red Scorpion Soldier King when cultivating the Combatant Formula, he would already have succumbed to his thirst for blood long ago, becoming a true blood thrall.

As Qianye lay there on the cold floor, he bit on a towel with his mouth in order to not let himself scream out loud. He held onto some steel railing that was welded to the wall with one hand, and used the other to repeatedly slam down upon the floor!

Dong! Dong! Dong!

The muffled thumps propagated out from the bar, and the entirety of the Red Spider Lily shook were slightly trembling with the sound. At this time, there were no guests in the bar, and the sound echoed across the empty halls.

A few scavengers happened to pass by, but hearing this strange, dull thudding, all of their expressions changed, and they all changed their walking routes, staying far away from the Red Spider Lily, as if this bar imprisoned a demonkin within.

A whole hour passed before Qianye finally managed to crawl back up. Staggering to the cabinet, he took out a blood bag from within, and carefully squeezed a few drops of fresh blood into his mouth. He then instantly sealed back the bag, and returned it to its resting place with enormous willpower.

After the few drops of blood entered his mouth, Qianye immediately broke into a sweat as though collapsing from exhaustion, continuously gasping for air while leaning onto the wall..

Nowadays, only by drink a few drops of fresh blood could he restrain the instinctual bloodthirst in his body. At first, Qianye could simply power his way through his bloodthirst without relying on anything, but starting from three months ago, he would need to taste a single drop of fresh blood to control his thirst. Now, Qianye needed close to a spoonful of fresh blood to deceive his body, and let the thirst abate.

The blood of animals was already gradually losing effect, while fresh human blood became ever more enticing. Continuing off of this trend, Qianye estimated that he could at best persevere for another year. Although the resistance he had been putting up all these days could already be considered a miracle, his future was still as dark as ever, without a single ray of light.

Qianye's gaze fell upon the cabinet again, this time not on the blood bag, but rather the military knife that the blood bag sat on top of. It was the Red Scorpion's standard multi-purpose army knife, and its silver-plating had already been utterly worn out. Qianye had left it there previsely for the time when he could no longer restrain his instinctive thirst for blood, so he could use it to end his own life.

Beside the blood bag, there was still that bag of black silk.

Qianye laughed self-deprecatingly as at least he had an additional option for suicide now. The Mithril Bullet of Exorcism would have a sure-kill effect even against a vampire noble, much less a half-blood thrall like him. As long as Qianye swallowed a single Mithril Bullet of Exorcism, all of his internal organs would be burnt into charcoal, while his outward appearance would look to be unscathed.

At least I can die in a more beautiful manner, Qianye thought.

This was another change to his body after being contaminated by the blood of darkness; he had come to intrinsically like beautiful things.

But just like how he hadn't immediately committed suicide at the start, Qianye would never give up so long as the very last moment hasn't come.

He walked to the generator room behind the bar, and fed a few shovelfuls of black stones to that metal beast half the size of the bar itself. This way the steam boiler would be able to combust for an entire day, not only providing the necessary power for the entire bar, but also maintaining the temperature of the wine cellar. The alcohols that Qianye was making needed to ferment for ten days at a temperature of sixty degrees celsius to achieve its greatest effect.

Although the town did have a public black-rock steam tower, there was no way it would support such luxurious usage. Thus, the Red Spider Lily, along with a limited few households in the town had their own independent power facilities.

Ten o'clock in the morning as the sky had just begun to brighten, the doors of the bar were pushed open, and a man covered in tattoos walked in.

Seeing Qianye, he walked over and enthusiastically patted Qianye's shoulder, "Brother, you've got a gamble again! Sir Zhao sent me to find you. This time it's a bit further away, so you need depart a little earlier. As per usual, I'll watch the shop for you, so you go on over now!"

Qianye nodded and took down a bottle of strong liquor from the shelf, stuffing it into the muscled man's arms. "As per usual, this is yours."

The man laughed as his mouth formed a wide grin, and he gave Qianye a heavy fistbump to the chest.

Soon after, Qianye arrived at a forest of large factory buildings in the town's north-eastern corner. This place was once an machinery component manufacturer of quite the scale after the War of Daybreak, and it was said that they also made military-use products. However, as the Empire's upper class citizens moved to the upper continents which had better living conditions, the factories here were thereupon abandoned.

Now, the factory houses had become the place where Sir Zhao and his underlings occupied.

Sir Zhao was very young, not even thirty years old. He was incredibly handsome, and had the cleanliness and elegance that none of the indigenous wastelanders had. Rumors had it that he was the illegitimate son of one of the Empire's great families, and that he had treked to the Evernight Continent for a certain reason. All of the residents refers to him as Sir Zhao, while his real name was unknown to everyone.

In the Empire, Zhao was a very special surname. The Zhao family was a thousand-year-old, influential aristocratic family. The Zhao ancestor had participated in the War of Daybreak, and was one of the seven great nation-founding Marshals. Up until this day, the power of the Zhao family had only risen; along with the Zhang, the Bai, and the Song families, they were ranked as the Empire's four Grand Households. Their rank under no one but the Zhang house.

This was exactly why rumors couldn't be trusted. Even if this Sir Zhao had the slightest relations with any of the Zhao family's branches, it would be impossible for him to be reduced to the extent of coming to a destitute little town in the Evernight Continent to make a living by collecting protection fees.

Though, Sir Zhao did indeed have some real strength. As a rank one Fighter, it was more than enough to rule over those ten-odd hooligans. However, his ambitions didn't seem to be restricted to the zone of Lighthouse Town, and recently, he had frequent correspondences with the factions from the surrounding small towns.

Where there was contact, there would be conflict, and gambling on fights was very popular among the various factions as a way to resolve conflicts; it was even considered one of the milder methods. After all, if the various powers actually openly fought one another, heavy casualties would be unavoidable. The loser would of course be doomed to perish, but if the victor paid too much of a price, they would also eventually be devoured by other powers.

Seeing Qianye arrive, Sir Zhao was immediately all smiles, hugging Qianye by the shoulder as he spoke affectionately, "You've finally arrived! Brother, the stakes are huge this time, you absolutely can't lose! If we win, I'll pay for Min'er to properly accompany you for three nights. If you feel that she alone is not enough, then you may pick any of the women around me other than my dear Yun!"

"Still Virtual Combat?" Qianye questioned.

"Of course! You're the champion of the arena, you know!"

"Alright, let's drop the talk of women. As the compensation this time, I still want those few kinds of medicine."

"No problem! However, the next merchant caravan will only arrive in Blackflow City after ten days from now. I estimate that it'll be half a month before you get them. If you win this time, I'll buy you double!"

"One bottle is enough."

Sir Zhao patted Qianye's shoulder and laughed. "Matters that I, Sir Zhao, have promised will never be withdrawn. Double! That's that! The fight this time is very important to me, so winning it is all you need to do."

At this moment, the low, heavy roar of engines resonated as two heavy-duty off-road trucks stopped outside the factory floor. Sir Zhao pulled Qianye along and boarded one of the vehicles along with two others who had sinister faces and were shrouded with murderous intent, as the other twenty hired thugs boarded the other vehicle.

These were two steam-powered old-style trucks. Since they were very durable, hardy, and easy to maintain, they were more popular than origin power-based vehicles in the Evernight Continent. Their only shortcoming was that they were slow, and that the noise and odor they exuded simply weren't tolerable at all to those of the upper class.

The two trucks traveled at the tortoise pace of thirty kilometers per hour for an entire four hours. To one's surprise, no malfunctions happened during it, which could be considered a small miracle. By now, the silhouette of a large city had already come into sight. It wasn't a small place like Lighthouse Town with a mere few thousand inhabitants; rather, it was the City of Blackflow with a population of well over a hundred thousand people.

Looking from afar, Blackflow City's ten-meter tall walls were far more magnificent than those of the Lighthouse Town. The exposed limestone revealed the twisted looking metal frame. Every few hundred meters was a mounted cannon, as well as two ballistae.

When dealing with the dark races and some ferocious beasts of large body sizes, these old-fashioned ballistae had more way power than the cannons. Hence, they were very well-received on the Evernight Continent. The mechanical devices powered by steam and driven by gears and chains also allowed the ballista reset its position with greater ease, greatly improving its practicality.

Blackflow City also had a few smokestacks that reached a full hundred meters, continuously spewing out clouds of black smoke. Those was the city's core power facility, the Perpetual Dynamo Towers.

Naturally, the most eye-catching of them all was of course the eternally-lit lighthouse. This wasn't like Lighthouse Town's mere toy that stood at twenty meters tall; this was a colossus which reached a height of one hundred and fifty meters. Other than acting as the most obvious landmark within the enormous span of space around it, it was also needed to prevent the airships traveling to Blackflow City from mistakenly traveling into the energy sector, and colliding with the smokestacks.

Compared to Lighthouse Village, Blackflow City was practically a giant beast armed to the teeth.

The two trucks heavily heaved as they drove Blackflow City. Sir Zhao was indeed a little famous in the surrounding area, to not even have to pay the city's entrance fees.

Chapter 38: Virtual Combat

Once the truck entered the city, it made a beeline towards the eastern district where a large abandoned factory was located. It was the ideal place for conducting any kind of shady business and was also where the Blackflow City's underground arena was located. This was also where most of the disputes among the ten or so towns and villages surrounding Blackflow City was settled by force.

The one pulling the strings behind this underground arena was rumored to be one of the big shots in the imperial expeditionary army. Within the sphere of the Evernight Continent's imperial forces, the expeditionary forces were peerless, massive ancient creatures and the real emperor of these lands, which was why no one dared to act recklessly here in the underground battleground.

The abandoned factories in Blackflow City were each over ten meters in height and took up several square kilometers. Five blocks of large factories were lined up neatly, broad and imposing. These enormous creatures that were built using steel alloy and concrete had weathered the flames of war countless times, yet still stood steadfast. Purely looking at the scale of these factories, the Empire's former golden days of industrialization could be seen.

However, after humanity's research in origin power and the development of the technique to refine black crystals from the black stones, this combination of black stones and steam that represented the first generation of power generation gradually stopped advancing and never had another scientific breakthrough.

The second generation of energy technology that imitates the energy of origin power via the release of black crystal energy was termed Origin-based Kinetics. However, this kind of technology was limited in many environments, especially so in the lower continents far away from the sun and its planetary belt. As the currently highest grade of propulsive power in the Empire, it was as a matter of course included in the ranks of strategic resources and was extremely strictly regulated.

Of course, the true hindrance for utilizing black crystal technology was still the cost.

Installing the equipment to generate origin power was too expensive; the amount it took to obtain a set of engine tanks was enough to buy an entire Lighthouse Town. Even though Evernight as a whole was not worth much whether it was in terms of land or human lives, a small town was still nothing to sneeze at. Also, these were essentially contraband items, and once they left the upper continent, the price would increase a few times over.

Qianye wrapped his windbreaker tightly around himself and followed Sir Zhao and his party into the underground arena. He was responsible for the virtual fight, where it was a test of combat skill, and not meant to be bloody. If it were the usual fight, it would have been enough with just a virtual battle. However, this was a show with huge bets placed, and there was a need to add a couple more bloody scenes to the fight.

Dressed formally, Sir Zhao walked to the left side of the arena as he pleased, and sat in the middle of a sofa placed there. He lit a cigar, and with his eyes half-closed, regarded the opponent on the opposite side.

Opposite him sat a middle-aged man. His densely tattooed arms were exposed, wearing an expression of dark ruthlessness. The lapels of his robe were left open, revealing a chest full of scars.

The arena was estimated to have a few hundred seats, and it was almost full.

There were still a couple of box seats above, with the clearest view of the battlegrounds below. The box seats were installed with one-way glass where the people inside could see the outside, but not the other way around. These box seats were reserved for the dignitaries, and it was said that the owner of the underground arena would occasionally drop by to watch the battles. However, only the high-level battles would draw in a big shot like him in. A fight like this between villages on the other hand would not.

Once it was time, a bell rang in the battleground below, and three judges silently entered the stage. They were expressionless, emanating a murderous aura that would not dissipate, and they were all rank two Fighters! These judges were also in charge of maintaining order.

The central figure carried a special gun at his waist, and the origin power patterned on the gun could be seen clearly. With the origin power gun in his hand, the judges would have a guarantee on their authority.

Qianye cast a sweeping glance at the three judges before lowering his gaze, standing behind Sir Zhao silently. Based on Qianye's evaluation, those three judges had the ability to cleanly finish off the people from both sides.

On the premise that Qianye did not make a move, of course.

At this time, a judge announced loudly, "The battle begins."

Sir Zhao exhaled a ring of smoke before revealing a wicked smile, saying, "Tiger Yan, since you dared to make such a huge bet, how about seeing some blood first?"

Tiger Yan suddenly laughed, raucous and deafening, before he slammed one hand into his thigh. "Some blood? That's great! I love to see blood! Don't be peeing in your pants later, Zhao! For those who dare to challenge me, Tiger Yan, daddy here will hack off your limbs and throw you into a shithole, and have you screaming for a few days before you croak!"

Sir Zhao exhaled smoke again, leisurely saying, "Many want me dead, it's just a pity that I'm still well and alive, yet those guys have vanished off the face of the earth. Oh, who knows, it may not be long before you too vanish mysteriously. Who's to say?"

Tiger Yan continued to sneer maliciously, the scars on his chest trembling and twisting as he said, "Fine! I'd like to see if you can make me disappear! Which of you is going down first to chop off this Zhao kid's claws?"

The two burly men behind Tiger Yan slowly got up and walked down to the arena. Their steps were steady, their faces were expressionless, and their hands were covered in calluses. One look and it was evident that they were mass murderers, savages with hearts of stone.

Seeing the two, Qianye's heart sank a little. These two individuals obviously had the aura and bloodlust of soldiers, and it was likely that they were the elite veterans of the imperial expeditionary forces.

Qianye's gaze immediately locked onto the person behind Tiger Yan before lowering it.

He was an ordinary looking man of about thirty years of age, with shaved, bristly hair. Other than his gaze that was sharper than a knife, he did not appear to have any other unique points. However, Qianye noticed that he was only sitting on half of the stool, his waist upright, legs slightly apart with hands on his knees, and as steady as a rock, a posture obviously belonging to a skilled person in the army.

He seemed to have sensed Qianye's gaze and lifted his eyes to glance at Qianye, but he did not notice anything. Under the torment of the blood of darkness, Qianye underwent a considerably huge change from his temperament to his appearance. He currently appeared like a delicate man, without a trace of bloodlust and cold ruthlessness belonging to an elite member of the Red Scorpion Corps.

Sir Zhao looked at the two burly men in the arena below, and the corner of his eye twitched slightly. His hand hovered in the air before he signaled to the arena and said, "Dice them!"

Two combatants who traveled in the same truck as Qianye stood up, entered the arena, picked an opponent, and began facing off.

When the bell rang three times, all four pulled out their weapons at the same time and lunged at their opponent!

The bloody battle permitted the use of daggers, gloves, and any other short knife weaponry. On Sir Zhao's side, one used a sawtooth dagger while the other wielded a set of double daggers. The two people on Tiger Yan's side both used military style triangular bayonets.

All four were rank one Fighters who far surpassed an average person whether it was in terms of power or speed, and the instant they engaged in battle, blood would start splattering in all directions!

The combatant with the double daggers wielded them as swiftly as the wind, and inflicted over ten wounds on his opponent in the blink of an eye. However, the burly man protected his vitals and charged forward, ruthlessly plunging the bayonet into his opponent's heart. The tip of the bayonet emerged from his back!

A killing strike!

This was clearly the military style. Qianye's heart skipped a beat, then calmed down.

It was fortunate that the other opponent of Sir Zhao's subordinate was not particularly skilled. He seized the moment when his opponent daringly lunged, throwing his dagger and cleanly severing off the man's arm. Then, with movements as swift as the wind, he twisted and broke the opponents four limbs before snapping the burly man's neck and winning the round.

This man was actually an expert at unarmed combat, yet he did not show his skill. Conversely, he wielded a dagger on the stage, misleading his opponent who actually lunged at him to fight in close quarter combat which cost him dearly. It could be seen that this subordinate of Sir Zhao was extremely ruthless and cunning.

The corner of both Tiger Yan and Sir Zhao's eyes twitched. Skilled fighters were not easy to find, and to attract one was costly. With both sides currently suffering a loss, it was naturally a pain beyond description.

Tiger Yan snorted and said, "Surnamed Zhao, count yourself lucky! Now it's one on one, so the winner will be decided by virtual combat!"

Sir Zhao appeared a lot more relaxed as he smiled and said, "You obviously know I have a skilled one here, yet you still have the guts to use virtual combat to decide the outcome? I think you've grown old and muddled, so just hand over your territory!"

Tiger Yan glanced at Qianye and sneered maliciously, "You taking me for a kid? You're not the only one with someone skilled virtual combat! Instructor Liu, teach that whelp a lesson!"

The ordinary looking man stood and walked to one end of the arena. His steps were steady, his movements minimal and refined, and the distance of each step was aligned with his shoulders, yet another typical trait of the Empire's military style.

"Could it really be the army's combat instructor? I wonder which corps of the expeditionary army he's from," Qianye thought silently. He removed his long coat, walked to the other end of the arena. and stood on a round stage.

Two workers activated the power switch, and instantaneously, an enormous power shortage dimmed the whole arena's lights before gradually returning to normal.

A fluorescent jade green screen slowly rose from the stage below Qianye's feet, enclosing him. Once the fluorescent screen lifted, a fighter composed of green rays of light also appeared in the middle of the battleground at the same time. Since the man was also standing on a stage opposite him, the arena similarly had another virtual fighter.

This virtual combat system was a product built by the Empire using origin power generation technology. It was able to fully capture the movements of the participants on stage and synchronize them with the virtual fighters. The entire physical statistics of both combatants were identical to their virtual fighters.

The earliest design of the virtual combat system was originally intended to research lethal battle techniques. Should these kinds of skills be put to use during real battles, it would kill or at least maim upon contact, which conversely prevented any effective research. Also, with a completely identical virtual fighter in terms of physical statistics and the ability to create an entirely fair environment for both parties, it served as a platform to train and polish battle skills.

The virtual combat system had existed for five hundred years and has since trained countless highly skilled experts for the empire. To this day, it has been spread across the land, to every corner under the human rule, where even Blackflow City had a set, though a basic version. It was said that the highest quality virtual combat system could even have simulations beyond military battles.

Due to the extensive use of the virtual combat system, the dark races managed to snatch the blueprints despite paying a high price for it four hundred years ago and began to build a virtual combat system that suited them. Once again, both races stood at the same starting line.

Qianye clenched his fists, and the virtual fighter on stage also clenched his fists at the same time. Both virtual fighters approached closer, striking a punch at each other. Qianye felt the reverberation of the origin power's force field feedback, and his heart lurched slightly. Opposite him, the man similarly sported a solemn face as he regarded Qianye.

The exchange of blows was a routine verification of the virtual combat system. Qianye gestured to the judge with his hand, indicating that his system was functioning normally and that they could start.

The two virtual fighters began to slowly circle each other as if it were a real battle. During his time in the Red Scorpion Corps, Qianye familiarized himself with the virtual combat system until it was ingrained in his bones. If his opponent were truly an instructor of the expeditionary forces, even if he were a retired basic military instructor, he would not lack experience with the virtual combat system.

The two circled each other probingly, and suddenly, both lunged at each other viciously at the same time!

Instructor Liu's movements were minimal and direct, his strikes bold and large. Whether it was a punch or a kick, they were infused with the intent to cause damage, solely relying on speed and strength to obtain victory without any petty tricks.

This was also the military combat style, appearing simplistic, but realizing its extreme difficulty in handling during battle. This Instructor Liu's style was as steady as a mountain, and he had a wealth of experience in battle, with few openings between his transitions in advancing and retreating. Even if there were any minute openings, it was compensated by the virtual combat system's feedback lag, making it hard to take advantage of.

Most of the audience present knew a little about battle techniques, and they could immediately see something interesting brewing, leading to loud cheers.

In the box seats, someone started to seriously take note of this battle.

Chapter 39: Real Military Poise

In this chaotic time and place, almost all of those who held seats of power had slaughtered their way out from mountains of corpses and seas of blood relying on their own abilities. On this abandoned continent, there was no room of survival whatsoever for those incompetent wealthy hedonistic youths.

Once Instructor Liu moved, the dignitaries that were watching the fight were instantly hooked. This was a killing technique from the battlefield!

Compared to him, those two bloody fights earlier were just mere street brawls, all brawn with no brains. In comparison, the techniques of the assassins were highly deadly, but were lacking in confrontational ability. They were completely unable to demonstrate them on the stage.

But Qianye was of a different style. He was extremely agile, constantly changing positions around Instructor Liu so quickly that it made others dizzy. But out of ten of his moves, about seven or eight of them were feints. Added to the fact that Qianye's silhouette possessed such beauty, they couldn't help but wonder which family his particular brand of martial arts had come from. It was so mesmerizing that not to mention those powers, but even the audience couldn't help but think of it as being an extremely flowery display of martial arts.

Instructor Liu's fighting style should, by right, have been the most adept at curbing Qianye's insubstantial fighting style, but what the audience couldn't have predicted was that the two of them were extremely evenly matched in strength. The battle turned into a stalemate.

Although it was a virtual combat system, his strength was the complete strength of a rank one Fighter. As Instructor Liu fought, his forehead gradually wet with sweat.

Qianye could be said to have a hundred flaws, but every single time Instructor Liu tried to catch one of these, he would inexplicably fail. Once or twice could be written off as coincidence, but this many times, if he still hadn't realized that something was wrong, then he wouldn't have been fit to be called "instructor."

Instructor Liu's face darkened, Qianye was evidently an expert that was worth his full effort to deal with. Suddenly blowing a long whistle, his face became incomparably calm, and his breathing slowed, as if he was preparing for a long, drawn-out fight.

Instructor Liu's solemnity made the audience clamor with excitement as he seriously assessed Qianye.

In a box seat, a certain big shot quietly said, "There's more to Qianye than it seems."

A youth that was sitting in another box seat heard it and turned to laugh. "Are you afraid that Liu Zifan would lose? He's the current combat instructor on active duty, you know?"

"An identity doesn't mean anything."

The youth playfully pondered, looking at Qianye, and then said, "I favor Liu Zifan, to the contrary. Want to make a bet with us?"

That big shot whose face was obscured entirely in the shadow mulled it over, and then nodded. "Alright."

The youth gave a smirk. "A small bet is boring. How about this, let's make the stakes one hundred imperial gold coins?"

"Just as you said, a small bet is boring. Other than one hundred imperial gold coins, I want that 'Blackfang' you've got, how about that?"

Killing intent flashed through the youth's eyes, and then slowly faded. He said blandly, "If you're willing to bet your 'Igniter' as well, then I'm fine."

"That's that, then."

The two box seats quieted down, the two sides no longer talking as they concentrated on observing the battle.

The battle had already gone on for fifteen minutes but neither side looked like they were winning. Both parties' foreheads were sweating, but their movements were just as they were earlier, and it looked like they could continue fighting like this for an hour or two without an issue.

After activating the first origin node, the condition of one's body would see a massive increase and their physical strength would far outstrip commoners'. In one prolonged battle, a rank one Fighter could often consecutively slaughter several dozen common soldiers and still have enough energy left to continue battling.

Liu Zifan still had that clean and practiced military style, while Qianye was still as flashy as ever, just that he had started to reduce the number of silly leaping actions.

The audience's cheering had subsided, but nobody had lost their patience.

This was practically an exhibition match in fighting technique and many people were secretly trying to figure out and learn the fighting techniques of the two, with some success. Even the little tricks that Qianye was using would have great value in a real fight.

But Tiger Yan was somewhat unsettled. He suddenly turned around, saying something to his subordinate, and that subordinate immediately left, returning a short while later with a woman in hand.

The woman was young and pretty, and she possessed a certain wildness of character. Even in Blackflow City she was considered one of the greatest beauties. Her face was pale after being forcibly pulled into the area and then to Tiger Yan's side.

Tiger Yan suddenly raised his voice, calling out, "Kid! You're called Qianye, right? Take a good look at this woman! She seems related to you!"

Qianye turned to look, and was struck dumb for an instant. Min'er was right beside Tiger Yan. She didn't usually leave Lighthouse Town, so how was she here?

But in this moment of distraction, Qianye's movements slowed a tiny bit, and Liu Zifan instantly grasped the opportunity, sweeping his leg across Qianye's thighs. Qianye staggered and Liu Zifan instantly grasped at the chance to unleash a flurry of vicious attacks. Qianye took a series of punches, and the two of them separated.

A few slightly red regions began to show on Qianye's virtual body, and that was a sign of damage. If the damage reached the point where it was fully red, then it would be rendered unusable. If it was the brain, the chest, or the lower half of the body that was red, then it would be judged to be an instant loss.

Sir Zhao's face became extremely ugly. Standing up abruptly, he called out, "Tiger Yan, are you this shameless? You want to play dirty?"

Tiger Yan laughed, spreading his hands. "But I didn't force that kid to lose! Qianye, did you hear that? Fight brutally, fight to the death! Fight! Haha!"

As he laughed, Tiger Yan stood up, and pulling out a short blade, he stuck it into Min'er's collar, and forcefully pulled down! With a ripping noise, Min'er's blouse had been completely torn open. Tiger Yan pulled off her blouse with a tug, letting her entire upper body be exposed.

Min'er hugged herself, covering as much as she could, but she was slapped instead.

"Who let you cover up? You're just a whore. Since you've already taken the cash, why are you still pretending to be some f*cking innocent? Put your hands down!" Tiger Yan yelled in anger.

Min'er's face was pale and half of her face rapidly swelled, blood flowing out of the corner of her mouth. Shaking, she put down her hands, letting the entire audience look at her body willfully.

From the arena came the sound of several dull exchanges of blows, and Qianye's virtual warrior body had two areas that were on the verge of being completely red. The edge of Qianye's actual body's mouth had also swollen, and begun to bleed. The feedback of the force field was, after all, the force of a true rank one Fighter.

Seeing this, Tiger Yan gave a maniacal smile, poking the knife into Min'er's beltline, hoarsely calling out, "You guys want to see something exciting? This whore ain't cheap, she's a silver a night!"

That price was expensive even for Blackflow City. Min'er had an extraordinary figure, and commanded an equally extraordinary price. Already, many members of the audience was catcalling and hooting, and wolf-whistling as well.

Sir Zhao's face went livid. After giving Min'er a death glare, he turned to Tiger Yan. "Good, very good! I'll concede your ruthlessness. After this, you'd better watch out!"

Tiger Yan gave Sir Zhao the middle finger, laughing maniacally. "After losing this round, what right would you even have to contest me? If I don't exterminate you, it'll already be magnanimous!"

In the box seat, that youth gave a faint smile. "Tiger Yan's really shameless! So, if you feel that it's really unfair, then I'll get someone to take the girl away, and have them re-fight this, how about that?"

The man coolly replied, "It's alright. If a single woman could sway his heart, then he wouldn't be worth me placing such a heavy bet on."

"Is that so? Then we'll continue watching." The youth quietly sat back down.

In the arena, Qianye easily dodged Instructor Liu's pounce, and as the two side swapped positions, he suddenly looked at Tiger Yan. "So, I heard you placed a really big bet."

Qianye's voice was incredibly calm, piercing through the raucous crowd to enter Tiger Yan's ear, causing him to feel a mysterious chill in his heart.

Tiger Yan immediate jumped up, and he yelled. "So what!? Daddy here can afford to lose it!"

The corner of Qianye's mouth twitched upwards into something that could be said to be a smile. "Is that so? Then lose!"

In the arena, Qianye suddenly retreated, and then shifting from extremely quick movements, he instantly stilled!

Liu Zifan's heart suddenly gave off an intense warning sign, the feeling of being stared at by a hungry wolf! Under the influence of his opponent's killing intent, he couldn't hold back his own intent any further, and with a wild roar, he pounced ferociously toward Qianye!

Qianye gave off an equally low growl, and drawing power from his core, he, for the first time, didn't dodge, instead meeting his opponent head on! The two of them collided without a shred of flowery tricks and their attacks smashed toward each other like a storm!

With the sound of a boom, the whole audience stood up, and even the youth in the box seat was shocked into silence, involuntarily standing up and rushing forward to the windowsill to watch the battle.

At this very moment, Qianye and Liu Zifan were tightly glued together, and both sides' attacks were exactly the same, with exactly the same style. Punches, knee strikes, elbow smashes, every single one of them was executed with lethal force, seeking the other's life!

What Qianye was using was exactly the same as Liu Zifan's military martial art, but every strike he threw was faster, and in a few strikes, he destroyed Liu Zifan's posture, smashing into his range, and his left elbow smashed three times into Liu Zifan's chest like lightning!

Thud, thud, thud!

The sound of the three strikes was almost completely blended into a single long boom.

Qianye's first strike had already caused Liu Zifan's chest to become completely red, the second caused his torso to become completely red, and the third elbow strike completely blew apart Liu Zifan's virtual fighter!

The youth in the box seat clapped both his hands on the windowsill, involuntarily crying out, "What an impressive military combat art! This kid's an expert!"

Even he had lost his cool. The audience, comparatively, was even more shocked, now completely silent. But after this instant of silence, they burst into a roar that echoed across the whole arena, exclaiming out one after another!

In the circular control platform, Liu Zifan's face flushed with red, and he suddenly spurted out a large mouthful of blood! Although he had the ability of a rank two Fighter, the force of the feedback was still equal to the full strength of a rank one Fighter. He took three hits in a row to the chest. Even if he were physically stronger, he still could not take such an attack. Therefore, he was grievously injured on the spot.

Qianye remained calm. Even his gaze was steady without a single ripple, except when he looked at the fresh blood on the arena, which would cause an imperceptible bloody light to flash in the depths of his eyes.

At this point, he let down both of his arms, both legs still slightly apart, maintaining the exact same military posture as Liu Zifan. Turning to face Tiger Yan, he mildly said, "Did you enjoy losing?"

Tiger Yan was momentarily stunned, completely unable to respond.

This time's failure to him was simply too costly. Merely to invite Liu Zifan to the arena, the amount he'd paid and the contacts he'd mobilized were almost as costly as the bet itself.

Tiger Yan had lost a whole five years' worth of income! After this loss, he was already unable to maintain his position in his old haunt in Dongxin Town. Without an exit strategy, Sir Zhao's men would soon come knocking on his door. Even if Sir Zhao didn't, there would naturally be other ambitious powers who were looking to make a move.

In those two box seats that were side by side, the man who was constantly in the shadows laughed. "It seems that my eyes aren't bad!"

Chapter 40: The Lamplight under the Cover of Night

The young man gritted his teeth, "Don't fret! It's not like I can't bear to lose something miniscule like this! "Blackfang" will be delivered to you tomorrow, and I'll even throw in five specially-made origin bullets!"

"Thanks a lot, then." The man left the box seat right after saying this, silently exiting the place.

The young man stood in front of the window and looked at Qianye, his gaze growing colder by the second.

Liu Zifan had also walked down the stage.

Wiping off the bloodstains on his mouth, he walked right up to Qianye, not bothering to disguise the naked killing intent in his eyes as he spoke coldly, "What impressive military combat techniques. I never thought that you'd actually be a true expert. Someone like you, selling his life for a mere hooligan is indeed surprising. However, kid, today's event isn't over yet. How about a round of real bloody fight?"

Qianye's eyebrows crooked up a little. "Sore about losing?"

Liu Zifan's anger surged and he called out in a low voice. "Virtual battles are but child's play! Completely different from that of a life-and-death battle! Why, you scared? Or are you saying you're a pretty boy that can't stand the sight of blood?"

Faced with such naked provocation, he didn't expect that Qianye would suddenly smile, saying, "Indeed, I can't stand the sight of blood."

Having spoken, Qianye walked to Sir Zhao's side, his eyes slightly drooping downwards, ignoring Liu Zifan.

While Sir Zhao gestured towards Min'er, "Come here."

Min'er bit her lip as she spoke in a low voice, "I..."

"You are from Lighthouse Town so you're one of mine. Come!" Sir Zhao mildly said.

Just as Min'er was about to leave, a knife suddenly appeared at her neck, and the hand that held it was one of Tiger Yan's hired thugs.

Sir Zhao glared at that thug and coldly said, "I will count to three. If you don't put that blade down, then don't think about leaving here alive!"

That thug's face turned ashen and white, and finally set down the knife with trembling hands after shivering for a while. Tiger Yan's days of power were evidently over, and what awaited him if he continued following Tiger Yan would only be a dead end.

Sir Zhao smiled. "Not bad, you're rather smart, and obedient too. I like smart and obedient people. Come here, from now on, you are part of my gang!"

That thug immediately ran over, repeatedly bowing, "Thank you, Sir Zhao!"

Min'er hesitated for a moment, then walked over as well.

Sir Zhao threw her a piece of clothing. "I like to be thorough in everything I do. Even if they make a mistake, as long as they're one of my people and are willing to return, then they'll still be one of mine. I, Zhao, will never abandon any of my brothers! Come, let's go home!"

But Liu Zifan walked over, blocking Qianye's way with his arm while speaking in a overcast voice, "Want to leave? Don't dream about it! Speak your origins clearly! No one's allowed to play me like this!"

Sir Zhao wrinkled his brows. "Instructor Liu ..."

Sir Zhao was still in the middle of his sentence, but Liu Zifan interrupted him with nary a bit of respect, "F*ck off! This is a matter of the expeditionary army, who do you think you are, trying to butt in?"

Sir Zhao's face paled and turned green. He, at the very most, was only the gang leader of a small town, and in Blackflow City, he could merely be considered a second-rate. How could he contend with the colossus of expeditionary army? Liu Zifan, despite being a military instructor with no real power, was still someone he couldn't afford to offend.

This wasn't saying anything about how much face Liu Zifan personally had, but rather it involved the dignity of the expeditionary army. Every officer of the expeditionary army acted without any qualms out here. If it were not for the fact that Qianye's skill in the military martial arts were so excellent, so much so that the possibility of him having learnt it stealthily by chance without permission was absolutely nil, which evidently showed that he was related to the Empire's military, Liu Zifan even had the thought to directly shoot him dead.

Qianye looked at Liu Zifan, then smiled, saying, "You really intend to push this matter?"

Liu Zifan's face sunk, and he coldly replied, "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, if this matter really blows up to the point that we go to the commander of the expeditionary army, of course nothing good will await us. However, do you really think that you'll end up any better than I would?"

Liu Zifan's eyes narrowed, and he laughed coldly. "I don't understand what you are saying!"

"Then I'll make myself clearer! You've already lost in a virtual battle, but instead you're being such a sore loser in front of so many people, even daring to say that a virtual battle is just a child's game! Even if the dignity of the expeditionary army hasn't been completely tarnished by you, would all of the big shots in the army who gained their fame via virtual combat let you off? The Empire's military has always placed great emphasis on its dignity, so if word of this kind of matter make their way to the senior official's ears, how will you be dealt with? From what I see, you'll most likely be directly thrown into the barracks of cannon fodders!"

Liu Zifan expression fluctuated in an exaggerated manner, and, with a hmph, spoke slowly, "You indeed understand the expeditionary army very well. I'm even more curious about you now."

Qianye replied without much feelings in his tone, "It seems that you're far too free, no wonder your combat techniques are so subpar. Curiosity kills the cat, you know."

After he finished speaking, Qianye no longer minded Liu Zifan, and pushing Sir Zhao from the back, they walked out together.

"Qianye, will it be alright?" Sir Zhao's voice was full of concern.

"I'll be fine."

They had just walked out of the underground arena, when suddenly a youth walked over from the side, mildly asking, "Your name's Qianye? What's your surname?"

"I have no surname," answered Qianye.

His body intuitively tensed up when the the youth approached within ten meters of him. This was a reaction against formidable opponents. This youth's strength was unexpectedly great, and was definitely not just a simple rank two Fighter.

The youth smiled. "I am Qi Yue. You're pretty good. Even I was fooled and lost a big sum because of that, and I am not amused by it. In Blackflow City, if I, Qi Yue, am not in a good mood, then someone's day is about to be very unfortunate. However, you are different! You can become my follower, then I'll be in a good mood."

Qianye frowned a little, "I'll... consider it."

"Sure, but don't take too long. I don't have much of a patience." Qi Yue didn't keep nagging either, and turned to leave right away.

Sir Zhao's face went dark, and then he sighed. "I'm sorry, I got you involved. You should seriously consider his suggestion, I heard... this Sir Qi, although he's hard to get along with, he's rather good to his own subordinates. If you follow him, you might even get an origin firearm."

"Leave that for the future, let's go back for now. I'd rather not trek over a hundred kilometers on foot," said Qianye.

Sir Zhao patted Qianye's shoulder, and boarded the vehicle first. Right after, the two vehicles started on their return journey roaring with noise.

When Qianye returned to the Red Spider Lily, it was already nine in the evening. Once he got back to the bar, he immediately rushed into the bedroom, pouring out a pill from the medicine bottle and immediately swallowed it. Then, his face began to flush with a strange shade of captivating redness.

That was a type of nerve relaxant, which could help ease the various kinds of suffering caused by addictions to drugs. Qianye used it to ease the pain caused by the resurgence of the blood of darkness, as it also had some effect on that.

However, this medicine could only relieve the symptoms and not the cause. The symptoms when the blood of darkness flared up still grew increasingly severe. Furthermore, such medicine was very hard to obtain; in order to obtain some, Sir Zhao even had to rely on his connections.

Once the feeling of thirst subsided, Qianye shook the medicine bottle, and the loose rattling sound inside indicated that there were only a few pills left. This implied that before Sir Zhao could get the new batch of medicine in, he would have to entirely rely on himself to resist against the blood of darkness for an entire week.

Qianye let out a long breath, sat down cross-legged, then began to cultivate the Combatant Formula again. The pain of origin tides during cultivation could also let him temporarily forget the thirst for blood.

The wasteland at night was not at all peaceful, and the blood-colored full moon still hung high in the sky, painting the whole wasteland in a rich, dark red. This time around, the Crimson Moon had lasted an especially long time, but the people were already numb to it. Whether the gate of darkness opens or not, before the wilted thumb of death pressed onto one's neck, life had to go on as usual.

In the wasteland, several wandering wolves of the night seemed to have felt something, their ears shot up as they growled uneasily. Suddenly, they all turned about and swiftly fled far away.

Under the curtain of night, a black silhouette flitted across the wastelands like the wind.

It was a slim and graceful figure, and behind her, were ten-odd black shadows in hot pursuit. As they sped through, they split apart in a fan formation to flank her, clearly intent on surrounding her.

One party was chasing and the other was running. Under the light of the blood moon, if there was someone of Champion rank strength around, they would be able to see that there were threads of dark red ripples linking the two parties.

The silhouette at the front suddenly stopped and then turned around to pounce!

The eerie moonlight illuminated an incredibly beautiful woman, her pale, white face giving her an air of mystery. Her pupils suddenly turned as clear as a red ruby, and each reflected one of her pursuers' silhouettes!

Those two pursuers suddenly froze where they were, completely unable to move!

The young woman swept past them like a flash of lightning, and with a wave of her hands, she cut apart their throats with ease. Blood immediately began to spray out for several meters like a fountain!

She looked at another two of her pursuers. As their silhouettes were fully captured within her eyes, the two of them were, just as before, fully immobilized, fixed where they were. With that, their throats were slashed open.

"Shit! It's the night of the Blood Moon now, she's too strong!"

"We aren't her match right now!"

"Retreat first, not like she can escape anyway."

The pursuers slowed down, and one of them who seemed to be their leader called out, "Nighteye! You've already been struck by our Blood Shackles, it's impossible for you to get away! Give up and come back with us, then you might at least have the chance to defend yourself in front of the elders!"

The woman named Nighteye coldly laughed, "Want me to just give up? Dream on! Even if I did want to explain myself in front of the Elders, that would be after I kill you, and those behind you!"

That leader didn't get angry. "With the Blood Shackles, both your and our powers have all been suppressed below rank five. We're already in the area of influence of the humans, so if you continue on, you should already know the consequences! By tomorrow, Lord Wilde will have made it here, then you won't have a chance either."

Nighteye scoffed, coldly saying, "That'll have to wait until Wilde is here."

That leader seemed to have made up his mind before he spoke in a low voice, "Lady Nighteye, those who are pursuing you are not limited to us, there are also... other sacred blood races."

Nighteye's gaze frosted, and her killing intent surged as she said frigidly, "You guys actually allied with those dirty feral wolves?"

The leader did not deny it and sighed, before he spoke "You should know what the consequences will be once you've been discovered by them. Those werewolves are not under our control. How about you just come back with us?"

Nighteye coldly laughed. "I will never compromise with anyone who would work together with werewolf. If you still won't leave, then I won't hold back anymore!"

The lead gritted his teeth, and with a wave of his hand, he signalled to them. "Let's go!"

The ten-odd pursuers that were fortunate enough to still be alive slowly retreated backwards, with their faces toward Nighteye, and melted away into the darkness.

Nighteye stood there for a while, before finally turning to leave. She began to run at full speed, and just like a black bolt of lightning, she flitted across the land, far into the distance.

Within night's vast darkness, a glimmer of light of a lighthouse suddenly emerged.