Chapter 92

The long whistle of the steam engine echoed over Darkblood City, announcing the arrival of a new day. Although the night had passed, dawn was still struggling to rise above the horizon. In the Eternal Night of the Dark Season, there was no morning light.

In the gray morning light, Qianye was fully wrapped in a sandy yellow adventurer's cloak, standing on a steam pipe more than ten meters above the ground, looking down at the now fully awakened Darkblood City.

The city seemed to have healed its wounds overnight. Apart from the sparse crowds under the tall city gate, which had originally been bustling, everything was orderly and calm as before. Everyone began their similar yet different day, doing what they had to do, with the atmosphere of joy, debauchery, and indulgence permeating every district.

Last night seemed like a nightmare that was too real. Qianye found it hard to adapt to what he saw before him.

Only the wounds left by the fierce battles still existed, with the ruins silently recording everything that had happened. The battlefield where the White Dragon Armor and Wilhelm fought the anthropomorphic spider demon was the most brutal, with no intact buildings left in the entire district, including the bungalow where Qianye had first hidden, which had turned into rubble. From a distance, one could see the trajectory of the fierce collisions, explosions, and surges of power from the direction in which the buildings had collapsed.

There were a few other places in the city where small-scale skirmishes seemed to have occurred, but the extent was similar to what Qianye had experienced. Apart from the need to repair the streets, a few more passersby could completely erase the traces of blood.

Many people spontaneously gathered at the ruins, continuously clearing away the bodies.

One reason for clearing the bodies was to prevent the spread of epidemics, as the dark races had many highly contagious diseases that could spread through decaying corpses. The other reason was for the belongings of the dead. This was an unwritten rule on the Eternal Night continent: whoever cleared the bodies of unclaimed dead could keep the belongings on the bodies.

Under this unwritten rule, the ruins were cleared particularly quickly, and people divided the spoils with an unspoken默契 (understanding), without any chaos. Even many first-tier soldiers joined the cleanup, their physical strength far surpassing that of ordinary people. A thick metal frame that required several people to carry was lifted away in one breath.

On the outskirts of the almost completely flattened district, there were a few people dressed formally, setting up strangely styled platforms and continuously drawing on blueprints. These people were representatives of various companies or conglomerates in the area. After the ruins were cleared, the land would be rebuilt, which would be a significant business opportunity. Fortunately, that area was a no-man's land with few pipelines, making the infrastructure recovery relatively easy.

This was the Eternal Night continent, this was Darkblood City. It was like an ugly monster abandoned in a harsh environment, yet it lived vibrantly. Even if injured, it would strive to heal itself, as no one would offer it any help.

Qianye turned his gaze to the northern district. Beyond a pile of variously colored and neatly arranged rooftops, the large, grayish-blue buildings were the encampment of the expeditionary forces. Qianye suddenly smiled silently, the wrinkles on his carefully disguised face deepening. He hadn't expected that Wei Botian, with his thick nerves like a steam pipe, could recognize him. Unfortunately, it seemed that the debts owed to him would not be recovered.

After watching for a while, Qianye noticed that the expeditionary forces in the city seemed fewer than he had imagined, and the patrol teams didn't appear to be from different units. He found a secluded corner, jumped to the ground, and walked leisurely toward a nearby ruin. He casually struck up a conversation with a few people who had just finished clearing a pile of rubble and were resting. He learned that the expeditionary forces that had been reinforced earlier had withdrawn early that morning, and they had left quietly.

Perhaps it was related to last night's battle? Had there been a resolution? Qianye thought and asked a few more questions.

The talkative uncle, however, said with a dismissive look, "Who cares about last night? The dead were just unlucky."

Qianye thought carefully and realized the helplessness and openness in those words.

Battles like last night's were far beyond the influence of ordinary people, even far beyond Qianye's capabilities. When figures like the White Dragon Armor, Wilhelm, or even higher-level figures appeared, ordinary people could only quietly wait for their fate to be decided.

In most cases, these great figures had no interest in dealing with the likes of them, but if they were unfortunately caught up, there would be no chance of escape. Therefore, for them, living in the present was most important, and thinking too much about things beyond their control was just self-inflicted trouble.

Darkblood City was the same. After a night of suffering, it regained its vitality at dawn. Perhaps this was the resilience of the human race, which had finally freed itself from the fate of being livestock. Qianye seemed to see an unknown side of the Eternal Night continent.

Today was an unusually bright day, with the sun breaking free from the upper continent and casting its light on Darkblood City. As if to make the most of the few hours of sunlight, more and more residents poured out of their homes, beginning their daily activities.

Qianye entered the Hunter's Home, where Second Master seemed to be in a good mood, basking in the sun in the courtyard with a purple clay wine jar and a few small dishes on the table.

Second Master saw Qianye and waved him over, saying, "Join me for a few drinks, listen to my rambling, and consider it a sign of respect for an old man!"

Qianye silently nodded and sat down on the other side.

Second Master watched as Qianye poured himself a drink, then suddenly pulled out a silver flask from his chest and said, "Add some of this, it's not worse than what you brew yourself."

Qianye took it without hesitation, poured out some of the strongly scented liquid, and took a large sip, holding his breath for a moment before saying, "It's good." Qianye didn't seem to notice that Second Master had been carefully observing his reaction from the beginning, and his expression finally relaxed.

"Did you participate in last night's battle?" Second Master suddenly asked.

Qianye thought for a moment and suddenly understood. Last night's Eagle Strike had been a full-power attack, and experts could easily recognize its unique sound. The number of Eagle Strikes in the entire Darkblood City could probably be counted on one hand.

Second Master didn't wait for Qianye to answer, smiled, and said, "I heard from the elders that you've sold a lot of good goods recently, especially the fangs of the blood warriors. They're not just ordinary vampires. Also, you bought something impressive."

"I have some experience dealing with blood warriors," Qianye said.

Second Master nodded and sighed, "You are still young, while I am old. I have experienced dozens of cities and seen countless wars and killings. To me, this world has solidified and cannot change in the slightest. But you are different. For you, every day is new, full of possibilities for change and new hope. This is the difference between the young and the old."

Qianye listened quietly. There was a sense of the weight of time and the heaviness of life in Second Master's voice, but he couldn't fully grasp its meaning.

"Do you know what a common theme in every war since the Dawn War has been?" Second Master suddenly asked.

Qianye felt a bit surprised by this sudden question. For him, the theme of war was clear and didn't need to be discussed so seriously: war was about killing, eliminating the enemy as quickly, directly, and efficiently as possible.

"It's sacrifice," Second Master gave an answer Qianye had never considered.

"Sacrifice?" Qianye was a bit confused. Every war involved sacrifice, which was as natural as the cycle of life and death.

"Sacrifice is not just about casualties; it also includes change. Some people sacrifice their time, some sacrifice their lives, and others sacrifice their destinies. Their lives are changed because of the war. Just like this city, which seems happy and prosperous, if you sit here and watch as the days pass, you'll notice that many old faces are gone, and many new ones have appeared."

Qianye suddenly thought of his former comrades.

Each comrade's death added a sense of responsibility to Qianye's heart. Now, he had long experienced the mindset of wanting to kill the dark races to the death. Just to avenge his former comrades, Qianye didn't know how many dark race warriors he would have to kill. If he were still in the Red Scorpion, he would eventually become a burden and responsibility to his other comrades.

Second Master then said, "Actually, it's not just humans who sacrifice. The dark races also sacrifice."

This was a perspective Qianye had never heard before. From the time he was young, he had been taught that the dark races were born cold and cruel, viewing humans as food. Each dark race was a symbol of filth, decay, and blood. In short, no good adjective could be associated with the dark races.

Could the dark races use such a noble word as "sacrifice"?

However, Second Master didn't continue on this topic. He finished his drink and said, "This world is not just about the Eternal Night and the Dawn. It also has a vast middle ground, which is not just gray but has many other colors. Try to see other colors; you might even see a rainbow. Don't be quick to pull the trigger; it's not a good habit, and it will make you miss many things."

At this moment, a hunter came to turn in a task, and Second Master got up and went inside. However, the words he left behind made Qianye ponder for a long time. Qianye still didn't fully understand. To him, the world was both complex and simple. When encountering the dark races, one must kill them, which was the simplest truth.

When Second Master left, he also left a not-so-good, not-so-bad piece of news. Sky Snake had let it be known that he wanted to reconcile with Qianye. This wasn't too surprising, as the shot from the Eagle Strike at a kilometer away must have left a deep impression. However, reconciliation wasn't part of Qianye's original plan. Since the other party had offered the initiative, he could take some time to consider it.

By this time, the sky had gradually darkened. On the Eternal Night continent, the days were always so short. After leaving the Hunter's Home, Qianye walked aimlessly and suddenly found himself standing in front of Yu Yingnan's door.

Qianye didn't know how he had gotten there. The purple clay jar contained grain wine, which was much smoother than what was available on the market, and the addition from the silver flask made it feel like a ball of fire in his throat, not burning but with a very strong aftertaste. At this moment, he felt a bit dizzy, his thoughts were slow, but his instincts reacted more directly and quickly.

Qianye pushed open the brown door in front of him, which he remembered was never locked.

The alcohol made him a bit reckless and bold, but more importantly, Qianye had never felt danger here.

But tonight was different.

A bare foot suddenly flew out of the darkness, sweeping toward Qianye's head and face.

PS: Every segment of my business trip this week has been accompanied by the words "delayed," but only my appointment with you has been on time. Thank you all for your support!

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