Chapter 91

Wei Potian knew that this reason was completely baseless. No matter what Qianye had done, it could not outweigh the fact that he had become a bloodline. The empire always killed dark races first upon encountering them. Allegiance outweighed everything, a natural result of thousands of years of blood feuds.

The empire's territory would not allow any dark race to survive. This was the legacy of the empire's founding emperor and a pledge read by each emperor at their coronation.

Moreover, Wei Potian thought of something even more serious. Qianye came from the Red Scorpion and had a very high clearance. If such a person were to join the Eternal Night camp, the harm caused would be immense. Therefore, regardless of whether Qianye had truly joined the dark races, once the empire learned that Qianye was still alive and had become a bloodline, they would spare no effort to hunt him down. The pursuers might even come from the Red Scorpion!

Wei Potian finally looked up and firmly met Bai Longjia's gaze! But just as he was about to say something, Bai Longjia suddenly raised his hand, stopping him from speaking.

Bai Longjia flicked his finger, and a few drops of blood flew into the night. His killing aura dissipated, and he said, "Wasn't Lin Qianye already reported as KIA? The imperial military never makes mistakes, so you must have seen the wrong person tonight."

Wei Potian almost couldn't believe his ears!

He was momentarily overjoyed, jumping up, but didn't know what to say, just laughing foolishly and repeatedly saying, "I saw the wrong person, I saw the wrong person!"

Bai Longjia shook his head and said helplessly, "Wei Hou, a hero all his life, how could he have a son like you? Sigh!"

Wei Potian just laughed foolishly, still not giving up, and looked around.

Bai Longjia smiled faintly and said, "Don't worry, he's still alive."

Wei Potian scratched his head, hummed, and slightly relaxed, understanding from Bai Longjia's words that Qianye was at least safe. He suddenly thought of something and his face darkened, "General Lin..." These words were said with a hint of gritted teeth.

Bai Longjia raised an eyebrow. He knew that the year Wei Potian won the new talent competition in the military and officially became the heir of the Far East Wei family, he had used his family's authority to investigate Lin Qianye's file. Judging from Wei Potian's reaction now, had he heard some rumors? Although the Wei family had been in a dormant state for years, with no one in the family holding a general position, their influence in the military was still considerable, and they had managed to uncover some clues about such a secret matter.

However, the Bai family and the Lin Xitang lineage had always been at odds, not even bothering to maintain a facade. Bai Longjia originally did not want the neutral Wei family to lean towards the other side. Now, with Wei Potian, the legitimate son of the Wei family, having this reaction, it saved him from future arguments.

He simply said coolly, "No matter what you've heard, it's all rumor until you have the authority to verify it."

"Authority?" Wei Potian was taken aback, repeating the word Bai Longjia had emphasized.

"Authority. Like how your casualty quota allows you to kill those few majors and below, while I can execute their superiors and the entire camp. That's authority." Bai Longjia's tone was casual, as if he were teaching Wei Potian martial arts as usual.

Wei Potian was stunned for a moment before hurriedly following Bai Longjia, and the two walked down the long street.

In the twilight, with the mist not yet fully dispersed, Wei Potian's voice echoed from afar, "General Bai! In my opinion, there's no man in the Fallen Angel who is handsomer than you! And no woman either!"

There was a thud, as if Bai Longjia had hit something.

He burst out in anger, "Wei Potian! You good-for-nothing, go back and learn how to flatter properly!"

Wei Potian seemed surprised, saying foolishly, "Didn't they say the best flattery is the truth? I really feel that way. Look at that so-and-so, he looks like a woman! I've never liked him..."

As for that so-and-so, he was always Bai Longjia's archenemy in the Fallen Angel.

Listening to Wei Potian, Bai Longjia was speechless for a long time, finally saying, "Damn it!" It was unclear who he was cursing.

But Wei Potian's flattery was unconsciously accepted by him.

As they approached the expeditionary army camp, Wei Potian put away his frivolous manner, his killing aura spreading, and said, "General, should we give these scoundrels of the expeditionary army a lesson?"

Bai Longjia gazed at the sprawling camp in the twilight, saying indifferently, "Actually, we can't blame them. The cooperation orders they received didn't specify our identities. And it's said that a major figure from the Eternal Night camp will enter Dark Blood City tonight. These expeditionary army troops are clearly scared."

"A major figure?"

"A member of the Eternal Night Council."

Wei Potian immediately drew a sharp breath! The Eternal Night Council was the highest deliberative body of the dark world, and each member was a terrifying existence with earth-shattering power. The movements of each member could influence the situation in a region. How could such a major figure come to a remote place like Dark Blood City?

Seemingly guessing Wei Potian's question, Bai Longjia said, "Why he's here is not something you should know. Knowing too much won't do you any good."

This made Wei Potian understand why the expeditionary army acted this way. If a member of the Eternal Night Council appeared, the expeditionary army's decision to stay hidden was indeed a wise choice. Such a high-ranking figure in the dark world would not casually attack human civilians.

This member must have a purpose, and once it was accomplished, he would leave. But if the expeditionary army provoked him, he wouldn't mind killing a few tens of thousands of people as a side effect.

Understanding this, Wei Potian still couldn't forgive such cowardly behavior. However, unexpectedly, Bai Longjia, who usually had an extremely extreme style, didn't seem surprised or angry at all.

Wei Potian, who couldn't keep things to himself, immediately raised the question.

Bai Longjia said calmly, "We are soldiers, but the expeditionary army is different. For many of them, this is just a job. They can earn less money and work harder for the job, but they won't risk their lives for it."

Wei Potian found it hard to understand but didn't ask more, silently noting it down. However, he suddenly remembered something serious and almost jumped up, "That member is coming tonight? What should we do?"

Bai Longjia gave Wei Potian a half-smile, half-stare, saying, "You're only thinking of this now? Don't worry, no matter what happens, it won't be your job to face off against an Eternal Night Council member."

Wei Potian said sheepishly, "Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be of any use!"

Bai Longjia looked into the deep night sky, saying, "Don't worry, someone will 'welcome' that member."

Wei Potian, seeing Bai Longjia's unusual expression, couldn't help but guess who it could be, someone who could make Bai Longjia show such an unusual look of anticipation. But if someone was qualified to intercept an Eternal Night Council member, they must be a figure of earth-shattering importance.

Wei Potian couldn't have imagined that at that moment, outside Dark Blood City, on the boundless wasteland, the one welcoming the Eternal Night Council member was a delicate girl who seemed unable to withstand the night breeze.

Her long dress fluttered in the wind, and her long hair danced with it.

In the dark night, she was so pure and transparent, as if her skin was emitting a gentle light. But she was also so frail and thin that even the slightest breeze would make her frown.

She had a unique aura, one that belonged only to her.

In this desolate, cold, and rugged world, the girl was like a night-blooming cereus, quietly opening in the night. Her blooming was so breathtaking, as if it would fade away in the next moment.

Wherever she was, the world turned into black and white. Everything was a deep black, and she was a thin white. The only color came from her lips. But that pale red lip color seemed to be a condensation of the world's sorrow, and every slight movement would tug at the heart's most vulnerable pain.

This was a girl that one couldn't forget upon seeing, a girl who had once appeared in Qianye's Manjusha Bar.

Facing her in the air was a black-robed old man. The old man had a face like it was carved from stone, with deep lines at the corners of his eyes and mouth. His light gray eyes were like two gates to hell, always ready to suck in a person's soul.

He carefully examined the girl, and wherever his gaze fell, the bubble-like light surrounding the girl would ripple.

The old man finally showed emotion, his voice like the friction of jade, asking, "You are..."

"Zhao Ruoxi." The girl's voice had a dreamlike and unreal quality.

Her existence was like a bubble, ready to shatter at the slightest touch.

The old man's eyes drooped even lower, and he said slowly, "I am Ghistu. Since you dare to wait for me here, you should know who I am. Let me pass, I will confirm a message and then leave."

"Sorry, you can only go this far, no further," Zhao Ruoxi said.

The old man's black robe suddenly billowed, and the wind on the entire wasteland seemed to come alive, converging from all directions. The howling wind echoed far and wide, and within tens of kilometers around the two, an invisible giant vortex was slowly forming.

Ghistu spread his arms as if to embrace the girl from a distance, speaking in a lamenting tone, "Then come, girl, let me see what can make me stop!"

"As you wish."

Suddenly, Zhao Ruoxi had a gun in her hand!

It was an old flintlock, with a gold-plated barrel and grip, adorned with intricate patterns. Her fingers gently rested on the hammer, and her skin, as radiant as mithril, was the most striking feature. But the most eye-catching was the deep red flower, its petals extending with a life-like vibrancy, as if it were more than just a carving.

Ghistu's pupils suddenly constricted! As a member of the Eternal Night Council, he certainly recognized this gun, one of the ten famous guns, the Manjusha, the flower that blooms by the River Styx, held by the empire!

"It's you! You are the current master of Manjusha! The empire actually has someone who can use this gun again!"

Ghistu was incredibly shocked. Manjusha was notoriously difficult to control among the famous guns. Although it had been in the empire's possession for a thousand years, most of the time, no one could use it, and it remained sealed. He never expected that on this night, it would appear in the hands of a girl as pure and fragile as a bubble.

At that moment, Zhao Ruoxi's small hands gripped the gun, using all her strength to pull the trigger!

A faint light emerged from the muzzle of Manjusha, so pale it was like a candle in the wind, almost invisible if not looked at closely.

But the space around Ghistu suddenly changed. The ear-piercing howling wind disappeared, and the night returned to a thick, substantial darkness, rippling like water.

A great fear suddenly rose in Ghistu's heart. This was no longer the night, but the waters of the River Styx! Indeed, in the ripples, one blood-red Manjusha after another bloomed silently, swaying without a sound, guiding the wandering souls home.

Ghistu tried to dodge but found himself completely unable to move!

A nearly transparent crystal bullet was sliding through the night, heading towards the River Styx.

"No!!" In his scream, the bullet hit the River Styx, and the Manjushas swayed like dancers, cracks appearing on the frozen scene, as if a shattered mirror!

Ghistu, as part of this scene, also shattered!

Split into dozens of pieces, Ghistu twisted and blurred, swirling like a cloud of black smoke, reassembling into a complete human form. But his face turned pale, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood, then turned and fled without a word.

His figure flickered in the air, a black light circle appearing with each flicker, vanishing into the distance.

Zhao Ruoxi's face remained as pale as ever, her lips now almost transparent. She seemed to exist in a world that had faded to black and white.

She slowly closed her eyes and fell backward, her small body like a petal floating in the rain of withering Manjushas, descending to the dark earth of the Eternal Night.

Wang Bo appeared silently, catching the weightless Zhao Ruoxi, and instantly disappeared.

The wind vortex had not yet dissipated, wailing and lingering on the wasteland. The last Manjusha fell from the void, like a star guiding the way, its destination unknown. Only the waters of the River Styx continued to flow, as if singing.

(End of Volume 2: Manjusha Blooms)

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