Chapter 82

The leader of the blood clan was a middle-aged man, dressed in a long black overcoat with blood-red rose patterns embroidered on the collar and cuffs. His complexion was unusually pale, and his eyes were as pure and vividly red as rubies.

This was clearly a noble blood clan member of high rank!

He saw the bodies of the blood clan warriors scattered on the ground, and in a flash, he appeared beside the corpse of the old blood clan member. Upon discovering that all the blood clan warriors' fangs had been knocked out and taken, a look of intense fury flashed across his face, and he let out a heavy snort! The surrounding grass and trees suddenly bent and then sprang back up in a strange manner.

He took a deep breath, sniffing the air to detect the lingering scent, and then fixed his gaze on the direction in which Qian Ye had left. However, a look of confusion flashed across his face, "Strange! How can there be the scent of a high-ranking blood clan member? This scent... this scent..."

He was about to pursue, but at that moment, several flashes of light suddenly appeared on the distant horizon, followed by a faint rumble of thunder a moment later.

A black airship with red patterns was burning as it fell from the sky, pursued by several fierce-looking warships that broke through the clouds, continuously bombarding the falling airship with waves of silvery-white light.

The airship in front was clearly of blood clan style, with the blood-red roses on its hull identical to the decorations on the high-ranking blood clan member. His expression immediately changed, and then a sharp buzzing sound echoed from the distance, growing sharper with each repetition.

The blood of the middle-aged man surged in his eyes, and he said angrily, "These despicable and filthy humans! They only know how to win by numbers! Hmph!"

A young blood clan girl beside him said, "My Lord Count, this is an emergency summons. We need to arrive within the specified time!"

The middle-aged blood clan member snorted again, reluctantly glancing once more in the direction Qian Ye had fled before heading toward the source of the buzzing sound. Over a dozen blood clan warriors surrounded him, and they quickly disappeared into the distance.

Qian Ye was now sprinting across the wasteland, completely disregarding the need to hide his tracks. Just a moment ago, an extremely powerful consciousness had swept over him twice and locked onto him firmly. With such power, Qian Ye knew he had encountered an enemy he could not possibly resist, and his only option was to flee with all his might.

Fortunately, that consciousness seemed to have encountered something or perhaps lost interest in the weak Qian Ye, suddenly withdrawing and not reappearing. However, Qian Ye did not dare to stop, sprinting at full speed for over a hundred kilometers until he reached the area controlled by the Empire's expeditionary forces, where he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

After a brief rest, Qian Ye headed for Dark Blood City. It seemed that something significant was happening on the wasteland recently, with high-ranking dark race members constantly appearing, and the Empire's Red Scorpion Legion also showing up in this region. A massive storm was brewing, and the wasteland was no longer a suitable place for hunters to operate.

Leaving the Rockhold at this time was also not a good choice, as public transport ships had likely stopped operating, and the ground was fraught with danger. Qian Ye planned to stay in Dark Blood City for a while, using the opportunity to seclude himself and improve his elemental power. He wondered if the cute and somewhat clumsy little rookie had made it back safely.

Even as the wasteland was in turmoil, Dark Blood City remained with its four gates wide open, exuding an unparalleled aura of dominance. However, Qian Ye now understood that in the face of the terrifying high-ranking members of the dark races, whether the city gates were open or closed made little difference.

As Qian Ye was about to enter the city, he encountered a large contingent of the expeditionary forces marching into Dark Blood City.

This endless line of troops numbered nearly ten thousand warriors, with over a hundred war vehicles surrounding the central command, and the high-flying imperial military flag belonged to a brigadier general. He stood on the command vehicle, hands behind his back, posture straight, and demeanor stern. Although his hair was already graying, his aura of killing intent was so thick it seemed almost tangible, clearly marking him as a ruthless killer.

It appeared that the expeditionary forces had finally responded to the situation on the wasteland, significantly reinforcing the defenses of Dark Blood City. Qian Ye waited for nearly half an hour until all the expeditionary forces had entered the city before slipping in with the crowd.

The sudden doubling of the expeditionary forces in the city immediately disrupted the balance of power, causing all factions to cautiously reduce their activities. Even the small-time thugs from the major gangs were rarely seen on the streets.

Qian Ye, of course, would not return to his house. He avoided the Nantang District and found a small inn near the slums in the Donghu District to stay. Then he headed for Black Copper Street. As soon as Qian Ye entered Aiyi's Armory, he locked the door.

Old man Aiyi was wearing a multifunctional glasses, examining a broken metal fragment in his hand. Hearing the noise, he looked up and, upon seeing Qian Ye, his expression immediately turned sour. "Why is it you again?"

Qian Ye had done a complete disguise this time, not only changing his appearance but also altering his body shape with some adjustments to his clothing, yet he was still recognized by the old man at a glance.

Qian Ye now understood that this old man was not an ordinary person, but his impression of him remained poor, making it difficult for him to treat him with respect.

Leaning on the counter, Qian Ye lit a cigarette and said, "What, you don't want to do business?"

"Heavenly Snake would love to tear you apart! You killed so many of his men, not only Black Wolf but also scaring off Flying Bird, who has never been afraid of anyone. If the death sentence doesn't yield results, Heavenly Snake's reputation will be ruined. So he has increased the bounty tenfold, and your head is now worth a thousand imperial gold coins. And Heavenly Snake has also declared that anyone who does business with you is an enemy of the Heavenly Snake Gang. Tell me, how can I dare to do business with you?"

The old man rambled on for a while, and then Qian Ye said calmly, "I have blood clan weapons."

"Show them, all of them!" The old man's expression changed instantly.

Looking at the old man's face, which was beaming like a spring flower, Qian Ye felt a wave of helplessness, unsure of what to say. He silently opened his backpack and placed five Level 1 elemental guns and two elemental swords on the counter.

Aiyi only glanced at them once and immediately trembled, exclaiming, "Blood Rose family standard issue pistols! These two swords are also standard issue for the squad. Did you take out an entire Blood Rose squad?!"

"That's not important." Qian Ye did not intend to reveal much to Aiyi, as he was now wary of the old man. The old man's keen eye could already detect many clues, and if he let slip even a word, he might reveal something he shouldn't.

Aiyi composed himself, picked up an elemental gun, and examined it carefully, muttering, "This craftsmanship, yes, it's from the Blood Rose clan's military. Hmm, there's a mark here... it's a three-year-old piece."

Aiyi's fingers suddenly moved nimbly, disassembling the elemental gun into parts in an instant and then reassembling it in a few seconds. This series of actions left Qian Ye somewhat dazzled, increasing his wariness of Aiyi.

Putting down the elemental gun, Aiyi looked deeply at Qian Ye and said, "The Blood Rose squad leader is at least a Level 5 warrior. He should be equipped with Level 2 elemental guns and swords. You don't plan to take them out, do you?"

Qian Ye raised his eyebrows, though he had been prepared, he was still secretly surprised by Aiyi's extensive knowledge. However, he only said calmly, "I won't get a good price for them here."

"Only I can take on this batch of goods. If you try to sell them elsewhere, you'll see Heavenly Snake in a few minutes." Aiyi said coldly, with a clear threat.

Qian Ye was unfazed by Aiyi's unfriendly tone: "I can wait to sell them, or even use them myself. And who knows, maybe something unexpected will happen to Heavenly Snake in a while. The world changes quickly, doesn't it?"

Aiyi frowned and suddenly said, "I'll give you twenty percent of the upper continent market price!"

"Thirty percent." Qian Ye replied.

"Twenty-five percent! But for the next three months, you must bring me a bottle of wine and three packs of cigarettes each month, with special ingredients."

"Twenty-seven percent. I'll give you fifty milliliters of special stimulant concentrate, at the main force level."

"Deal!"

Qian Ye then took out the Level 2 blood clan elemental gun and sword, as well as a pile of miscellaneous items from the common soldiers, and placed them all on the counter. He also took out two money bags and scattered over a hundred gold coins and crystal coins on the counter.

The items on the counter were now worth nearly a thousand imperial gold coins. Qian Ye pushed them forward, staring intently at Aiyi, and said, "I want an Eagle Strike!"

Aiyi's eyes twitched, and he slowly said, "This isn't enough to get an Eagle Strike."

"You always have a way. I just want an eighty percent new one."

"Fifty percent new!"

"No, at least seventy percent, no lower. The Eagle Strike can't be too old."

Aiyi lightly tapped the counter and said, "You're an expert, kid! I'm curious about you."

"That's not important, at least not as important as business."

"How do you know I can get an Eagle Strike?"

"Intuition."

Aiyi chuckled and said after a moment, "Come back in three days to pick it up."

Qian Ye didn't say more, placing the half-pack of cigarettes on the counter and then leaving Aiyi's Armory.

The Eagle Strike is the standard long-range sniper rifle of the Empire's main force regiments, classified as a Level 4 elemental gun. This level of weapon is only issued to officers of the rank of lieutenant colonel and above. Although the expeditionary forces are also classified as main force regiments, due to their significant expansion, only colonels can be equipped with the Eagle Strike.

While standard weapons of the expeditionary forces flow into the black market through various channels, Level 4 elemental guns, especially powerful long-range sniper rifles, remain extremely rare. On one hand, their sources are limited, and on the other, there aren't many snipers in the civilian population who can use them.

Long-range sniper rifles differ from ordinary elemental guns; they must be relatively new to maintain accuracy. Below sixty percent new, their precision drops sharply. Moreover, the components of a rifle like the Eagle Strike are almost impossible to obtain individually and cannot be replaced with civilian handmade items.

Qian Ye had not held out much hope; if he couldn't get an Eagle Strike, a Level 3 'Probe' would suffice. However, this old man, who had initially appeared as a swindler, not only had the means to handle so many blood clan weapons but could also obtain a seventy percent new Eagle Strike.

Qian Ye spent three days in cultivation, changed his appearance again, and returned to Aiyi's Armory.

Aiyi directly threw a worn-out canvas bag at him, with large stains of mechanical lubricating oil on the surface. Qian Ye opened it and found it filled with various parts.

There were a few customers in the store, and Qian Ye casually took out a part and examined it closely.

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