Chapter 268: Ahead (1/2)

[Volume 4 – Perpetual Conflict]

Qianye gestured towards Lu Yalan and said, “Let’s go.”

Somewhat stupefied, Lu Yalan followed Qianye out and got into the driver’s seat.

“To Serenity.”

Lu Yalan trembled slightly as she turned to glance at Qianye with eyes full of anxiety and uneasiness. “We’re going back to Serenity?”

“I have some business there. Why? Does Lone Ghost have more agents there?”

“Only some external informers. You’ve killed most of Lone Ghost’s main characters in this region, but they’ll soon discover that something has happened here. At that time, they’ll dispatch some elders over.” Lu Yalan’s voice trembled slightly. Apparently, those Lone Ghost elders weren’t easy to deal with.

Qianye had already familiarized himself with the distribution of Lone Ghost’s force on the Western Continent. He thus replied indifferently, “It’ll take them a couple of days at least. We still have enough time. You’ll be free once I leave Serenity.”

Lu Yalan couldn’t help but shiver after hearing these words.

Qianye realized what had happened and said with a smile, “Relax, you did well along the way, so I won’t kill you. And I believe you’re clever enough not to do something foolish like returning to Lone Ghost.”

Lu Yalan nodded and started the engine in silence.

After arriving in Serenity, Qianye collected his luggage at the small inn and moved to a more centrally located establishment owned by the Zhao clan. He, himself, didn’t linger there and rushed towards the auction house despite the time being close to nightfall.

Zhao Runshui was from a side branch of the Zhao clan. His bloodline was so thin that he could barely be called a member of the clan. Even so, the Zhao surname had played an essential part in allowing him to obtain this lucrative post at the Serenity auction house.

The place had already closed for the evening, but Zhao Runshui was still taking inventory of the day’s income and hadn’t yet left.

He welcomed Qianye inside with great enthusiasm once the guards passed him the token that Qianye had presented. He even dispatched some men to call back the appraiser and trader who had already left and proceeded to evaluate Qianye’s guns one by one.

Qianye suddenly realized something while looking at Zhao Runshui’s appearance. Song Zining’s original instructions had stated that the recipient was a champion from the Zhao clan. Although this was just a disguise, it probably wasn’t without reason. Perhaps Song Zining did have similar connections within the Zhao clan. It was just that this incident had stemmed from the Song clan’s internal competition for the successor’s position—not even the core members of the Zhao clan would interfere in this, to say nothing of a mere champion.

Qianye sighed in his mind. This whole excursion to the Western Continent had been full of battle and murder. His emotions became extremely complicated whenever he thought of the stories hidden behind all the bloodshed.

Zhao Runshui completed his evaluation and brought over a thick resource catalog. Qianye casually flipped through it and requested some rare materials that could be easily carried with him. He also expressed a desire to obtain some weapons used specifically to target the dark races.

Zhao Runshui didn’t ask anything and brought out five Mithril Bullets of Exorcism as well as a special jade box.

The origin bullets within the box were a pleasant surprise to Qianye. He had never expected to see a Refined Silver Bullet of Extreme Yang in an auction house. This was a type of bullet whose firepower was comparable to that of the Black Titanium Bullet of Annihilation. That was, of course, when used against the dark races.

Comparatively, even “the bullet” made by the “great master” was a grade inferior. If Zalen had been shot in the chest by a Refined Silver Bullet of Extreme Yang, he would have likely turned into a charred corpse in an instant, without any chance to recover or treat his wounds.

After completing the deal, Qianye returned to the hotel and found Lu Yalan asleep on the sofa, curled up in an extremely uncomfortable position. Too many things had happened these days, and it seemed that she was exhausted, both physically and mentally.

Qianye patted her awake and said, “We should leave now.”

Lu Yalan opened her eyes in a daze. “Leave? Where are we going?”

A single word had jolted her awake. Huddled up into a ball, she stared fixedly at Qianye with a pale countenance. She wasn’t that timid in the past, but it had become increasingly difficult to maintain her courage after that first time she flinched on the fine line between life and death.

“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. But I’m leaving now, so you’re free to go wherever you want.”

Lu Yalan’s eyes flickered as she suddenly said, “Can you arrange something for me?”

Qianye was startled. “What kind of arrangement?”

Lu Yalan sat up straight. In addition to fear, there was also a strand of hope within her eyes. “I’ve received comprehensive training in assassination. It’s just that my field experience isn’t sufficient. My specialties are gambling, management, and information gathering.”

Qianye had already packed. He threw his backpack over the shoulder and said after some hesitation, “I’m currently on another mission and can’t bring you along.”

Lu Yalan’s expression fell a bit.

After some thought, Qianye said, “If you’re willing to go to Evernight Continent, you can head to Blackflow City in Trinity River County and claim a position in the Dark Flame Mercenary Corps.”

After that, Qianye tossed her a pouch of money. “Lone Ghost won’t dare cause a big ruckus in Zhao clan territory, so the public airships might be safer.”

Lu Yalan hesitated for a moment but finally nodded.