Chapter 44

Qianye extended his hand and shook hers, feeling that her hand was still as cold as ice, then said, "Your name is strange, but it sounds nice. I'm Qianye. As for my surname... I've forgotten it."

"Forgetting your surname, huh, hehe." Yetong smiled but did not press further.

This could be considered their formal introduction.

Yetong looked around, her gaze pausing briefly on the tripwire grenade trap by the door, then said, "As you can see, someone is hunting me. If you can, give me some food, preferably some medicine, stimulants, or anything like that. Also, I need my weapons."

"I happen to have everything here." Qianye felt a bit odd.

Yetong's demeanor was graceful and composed, but it seemed she knew everything he had. This feeling of being seen through made him very uncomfortable.

A moment later, Yetong and Qianye were sitting in the back kitchen of the bar, working hard to finish the food on the table.

In the barren land of the Eternal Night Continent, high-calorie food was very precious. The few pots of beef on the table were Qianye's food reserve for two months.

Although the mysterious girl and the old man had left him dozens of imperial gold coins, in the lawless wasteland, it wasn't easy to spend them. Even if no one dared to plunder him for the moment, he couldn't use them directly for trade and had to find underground channels to exchange them.

Since silver had a special effect on vampires, it was also one of the empire's strategic materials. The so-called silver coins were largely just a name, containing only a small amount of silver, with the main component being a metal called nickel. When the empire first established its monetary system, it chose to mint silver coins to test whether people were tainted by dark blood. But over time, the amount of silver in the coins decreased.

Now, Qianye could use a bit of skill when handling the silver coins to minimize contact time and avoid being affected. If possible, he would rather have a few hundred silver coins to avoid a lot of trouble.

Besides food, there were two large glasses of strong liquor on the table. Then Qianye took out a small steel flask and carefully poured the liquid inside into the glasses. This time, it wasn't just a drop, but he poured half the flask into each glass.

Yetong's eyes flickered. She picked up the glass, sniffed it, and said, "Imperial elite army's special combat stimulant? Oh, it's not pure, but it contains the main components. I've heard that this stuff can greatly increase a person's strength on the battlefield, turning them into a killing machine. Did you make this? How did you know the formula?"

Qianye was secretly amazed by Yetong's extensive knowledge but, of course, couldn't tell her about his past. He vaguely said, "People in my line of work have many channels. Getting such a formula isn't that hard, just a few silver coins. But gathering the ingredients is very difficult. Fortunately, I could find a few of the main ingredients nearby, so I made some. Although the effect isn't as strong as the original, it lasts longer, with the effects lasting for several hours. Additionally, it can suppress the hunger caused by dark blood."

Yetong's eyes lit up, and she grabbed the steel flask, saying, "Good stuff! Can I have the rest?"

Qianye calmly took the steel flask back from her and said, "I need it too, and this is all I have. Oh, by the way, who exactly is hunting you?"

Yetong, while slicing the beef, said nonchalantly, "I'm a hunter for a certain organization, specifically hunting dark races and claiming bounties from the empire. The ones hunting me now are a group of vampires."

At first, Qianye just raised an eyebrow. In this wasteland, bounty hunters were slightly higher in status than scavengers, but not by much. However, when he heard the last word, he couldn't help but ask, "Vampires?"

Qianye's voice suddenly trembled slightly.

"They're not blood slaves, but formal vampire warriors. Among them is even a titled individual!"

Qianye suddenly fell silent.

He finished the food on his plate, stood up, and scooped the remaining meat from the pot on the stove into a plate, continuing to eat.

Yetong's gaze shifted, and she asked, "I need to escape and fight soon, requiring a lot of energy. Why are you eating so quickly? This far exceeds your normal food intake, right?"

Qianye said coolly, "I'll fight with you. I'll take you to the border of the dark races' territory in the west."

Yetong's face showed unmasked surprise, "You want to fight with me? Don't joke, the ones hunting me are formal vampires. With your weak combat ability, you'd be going to your death. Let me see... you're not even a third-level warrior, right?"

Qianye's heart skipped a beat. Under her gaze, it seemed he couldn't keep any secrets. But he still insisted, "I have a way to deal with vampires."

Yetong frowned, "But I'll be held back if I go with you! I have no interest in traveling with a weakling! Stay here, and if I can escape, I'll naturally bring the reward to you!"

Qianye didn't like Yetong's tone, a condescending and dismissive attitude that was ingrained in her. Even if Yetong meant well, this attitude was extremely uncomfortable. Moreover, Qianye had his own plans and ignored her attitude and objections.

"We'll follow the route, keep our distance, act independently, and not interfere with each other." Qianye frowned.

Yetong added, "If we do that, won't you become my bait?"

Qianye smiled, "Even if I'm bait, those vampires have to be able to swallow me!"

Yetong looked deeply at Qianye, the confusion in her eyes fading, revealing the pride and coldness hidden beneath. She said, "It seems you're very confident. But in my eyes, this confidence is no different from foolishness! A mere second-level warrior is just an ant that can be squashed by a high-ranking vampire. If you insist on coming, that's fine. I can only tell you that following me now is a dead end."

"Long ago, someone predicted I would die. But I've not only survived until now but have lived well." Qianye's voice grew colder.

Yetong frowned, "If you're trying to regain your dignity and impress me, that's unnecessary. A weakling has no dignity, and I won't be moved by one. Don't die without meaning. This is my final advice, considering you saved me."

Qianye tapped the table, "I have no interest in you; I just want to get rid of those damn vampires!"

"Suit yourself."

The conversation ended unpleasantly, and the two silently finished the food on the table. Then Qianye spread out a paper map on the table and drew a route to the west.

It was a winding path, passing through two valleys, over a mountain peak, through a large forest, and past an abandoned industrial area and the wreckage of a starship.

"This is the route to the west."

"Why is it so complicated?" Yetong couldn't help but ask.

"Complicated routes help deal with the damn vampire scum following you." Qianye answered, then pointed to a small hill on the map, "Our final destination is here. There should be a vampire secret base. High-ranking vampires have been seen here. From their emblems and behavior, they seem to belong to the 'New Party.' Among vampires, they are relatively moderate, and you might have a chance to receive the initial embrace and join them."

Yetong's gaze finally showed a bit of interest, "You know about the 'New Party,' so your past isn't simple! You can't just be a small bar owner, right?"

"These aren't secrets; many people in the empire know them."

"But finding a vampire secret base without being discovered is rare. A second-level warrior who can do this is even rarer."

"That's not important. What's important is that you might get the initial embrace and continue living. If you join the 'New Party,' we'll have fewer chances to meet on the battlefield."

After saying this, Qianye pointed at the map, "Remember the route; I'll burn this map later."

He checked the time, "We'll leave in twenty minutes!"

Suddenly, Qianye felt as if he had returned to the decisive and ruthless days in the Red Scorpion.

Yetong, seeing the map Qianye took out, his choice of route, and the final marked vampire secret base, finally began to feel a bit curious about Qianye.

Could this weak little guy really do something?

Time passed quickly, and at three o'clock in the morning, the back door of the bar quietly opened, and Yetong left alone, quickly disappearing into the night.

Yetong would leave first, then Qianye would follow ten minutes later. As for who would be the bait, it would depend on the situation.

Yetong gradually revealed her proud nature, unwilling to travel with Qianye. Qianye also had many secrets he didn't want her to see, so they adopted this lone wolf hunter mode, one in front and one behind.

In the wild, this was a classic tactic of the Red Scorpion. Two skilled partners could eliminate a dozen dark race enemies in a continuous battle lasting several days and nights.

After Yetong left, Qianye dug up the floor in the center of the hall, revealing a stone slab with a pull ring. He pulled the slab, and from the deep pit below, he lifted a dark red briefcase about a meter long.

Qianye placed the briefcase on the ground and carefully turned the combination lock. Hearing a light click, he relaxed and opened the lid.

Inside the briefcase was the main body and various attachments of a force rifle!

The rifle was heavy and somewhat clumsy, covered with slightly indented force patterns, which were coated with a special black paint. This special black paint could block the light emitted when the patterns were activated without affecting the force patterns' ability to draw ambient force. Just this thin layer of paint was more expensive than a traditional high-precision sniper rifle.

Qianye took out the rifle body and assembled it into a rifle almost as long as half his body. The rifle was entirely deep black, with all kinds of attachments, and the craftsmanship was extremely exquisite. Even when placed quietly, it exuded a faint aura of killing intent.

Qianye had always wanted to avenge his Red Scorpion comrades from that fateful night, but now the dark blood was becoming increasingly difficult to control, and he knew he didn't have much time left. A year was too optimistic; at most, he had a few months.

So now, Qianye only hoped that when he finally returned to the darkness, he could take a few more vampires with him.