Chapter 4: Note

Ye Qi stood in the shadow of the alley, listening to the sirens outside, carefully peeking out to confirm there was no immediate danger. He then said to Mori, who was still catching his breath beside him, "Dear Mori, I wonder if you have anything to say to me now? For example, the identities of those two gunmen, or who sent them?"

From Mori’s cursing tone just now and his muttering when he jumped from the second floor, Ye Qi was certain that Mori definitely knew the other party. Since he had already taken action and eliminated two of their gunmen, for his own safety, Ye Qi naturally needed to understand the other party’s identity and strength. Even though it was through a wall, after being hit by a .500 Magnum bullet in the chest, Ye Qi did not think the other party had any chance of survival, even if they were a dark creature with strong regenerative abilities.

"Ye, it’s ‘Mad Dog’ Noki, that bitch-like madman! This morning, he suddenly found me and said he had a few early Suleides gold coins. Although ‘Mad Dog’ has a bad reputation, especially with his recent rapid expansion by any means necessary, the quality of those Suleides gold coins was very good, and a friend of mine needed them. So, I made a deal with him. But I didn’t expect him to double-cross me by night. I saw those two gunmen this morning, so I’m sure it’s them! Hehe, ‘Mad Dog’ Noki..."

Mori’s face, hidden in the shadows, looked particularly sinister. Being the black market merchant who controlled the largest share of the area, he was certainly not a simple person. As expected, the streets would soon witness another gun battle. The black market merchant raised his head after a few cold laughs and thanked Ye Qi, "Ye, thank you. If it weren’t for you tonight, I would have been killed and fed to the fish by that ‘Mad Dog’! I can’t express my gratitude, so please accept this!"

The black market merchant took off a bronze bracelet from his wrist and handed it to Ye Qi. Even though it looked unremarkable, Ye Qi knew it was definitely valuable. He smiled and took the bracelet, putting it on his wrist—after all, he had saved Mori, and accepting something in return was not unreasonable.

Ye Qi, who believed in the principle of equivalent exchange, touched the bronze bracelet with his index finger, but his low rumor skill still left him with nothing. However, the heaviness and antiquity of the bracelet made Ye Qi certain it was a good thing. Moreover, from the black market merchant, Ye Qi learned about his mission target, ‘Mad Dog’ Noki. Unexpectedly, a simple weapon purchase had brought such a pleasant surprise, and his mood, which had been bad from being chased, improved significantly. His tone with the black market merchant also became much gentler.

"Mori, what do you plan to do next?"

"I’m going back to my base to gather people to deal with ‘Mad Dog’!" The black market merchant’s face turned extremely grim when he talked about the ‘Mad Dog’ who had caused him so much loss. Glancing at the black market merchant’s grim face, the demon hunter asked seemingly nonchalantly, "Do you need any help?"

"Ye, thank you for your offer! But I must complete this myself!" The black market merchant’s tone was unusually firm. Ye Qi had intended to use this opportunity to further investigate ‘Mad Dog’ Noki, but seeing the other party’s determination, he shrugged and stopped pressing. After all, if he pressed too hard, it might make the already wary black market merchant suspicious. Besides, they had a scheduled transaction the next morning, and further inquiries at that time would be more effective. Therefore, Ye Qi smiled at the black market merchant, "Then let’s part ways here! Mori, remember our transaction tomorrow morning! And good luck!"

"See you tomorrow morning, Ye!"

The two parted ways, with the black market merchant returning to his other base to gather people to seek revenge on ‘Mad Dog’. Ye Qi, on the other hand, returned to his temporary lodging on Fisher Street—a hotel located at the corner of the street. People in his profession rarely stayed in one place for long, usually only a week or two before moving on—since the age of seventeen, Ye Qi had been living a life of constant relocation with John.

When he became independent a year ago, Ye Qi continued this habit—demon hunters were both hunters and prey, and to survive longer, he had to learn from the experiences of his predecessors, who had paid with their blood.

Entering through the front door, Ye Qi ignored the sleeping innkeeper behind the counter and went straight to his room on the second floor. The distance from the front door to his room on the second floor was short, but the occasional suppressed or unrestrained moans along the way made Ye Qi sigh with a mix of disgust and envy—demon hunting was a job that kept one’s nerves constantly on edge, and if there was a chance to relax, Ye Qi would not miss it. However, after hearing from Old Ward about a high-level demon hunter who had been killed by a low-level blood slave while “looking for a bed partner,” Ye Qi took this as a lesson and added it to his life’s creed.

Taking out his key, Ye Qi opened the door slightly and peered inside. When he saw the hair thread tied to the door break, he instantly became tense, his hand instinctively gripping the .500 Magnum at his waist. The hotel where demon hunters stayed, except for “special” room service, did not provide any normal room service. Therefore, there was no possibility of someone cleaning the room. Apart from this, the only other possibilities were a burglary or being monitored. Neither of these scenarios was something a demon hunter would welcome.

Pushing the door open, the room was empty, and the furniture was undisturbed. Only a note on the bedside table, written in code, caught his attention. The note was from Ye Qi’s savior and teacher, John. The content was simple, just a brief account of John’s successful completion of a task at Slint Lake, his original plan to meet Ye Qi, but a sudden call from a demon hunter friend requiring John’s help. At the end, there was a blessing for Ye Qi.

Seeing the final blessing, Ye Qi couldn’t help but smile, "What a stubborn old guy! If he wants to see me, why not just go to Old Ward’s place?"

Four years of living together had made Ye Qi and John more like family than anything else. Thinking back to two months ago when John sternly brought him to Old Ward’s bar and left without a word, Ye Qi felt a pang in his heart—although John thought he had hidden it well, Ye Qi had seen the brief flash of light in John’s eyes through the glass.

Moreover, during the subsequent missions, Ye Qi noticed that John was secretly following and protecting him, but every time he turned to look for John, the other party would vanish without a trace. After several times, Ye Qi gave up on trying to find him.

In the past two months, despite having John’s phone number, every time Ye Qi picked up his phone, he felt a strange discomfort. So, he always suppressed the urge to call at the last moment.

But this time, after seeing the note from John, Ye Qi didn’t hesitate to take out his phone and dial John’s number. As for the strange and uncomfortable feelings? They could all go to hell!

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