Chapter 7: You, About to Depart

Yingnan lowered her head and realized she was still wearing the tactical jacket, which exposed her chest entirely from Qian Ye's perspective.

Yingnan said indifferently, "It's not like you haven't seen it before. If I get injured on a mission, you might see even more. What's the big deal?"

Qian Ye didn't know how to respond and could only stiffen as she fiddled with him.

After finally setting and stabilizing Qian Ye's broken ribs and cleaning and bandaging his other injuries, Yingnan breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the blood on her hands, she tried to wipe it off on her clothes.

"Wait!" Qian Ye grabbed Yingnan's hand and forcibly dragged her toward the bathroom.

Qian Ye's strength was overwhelmingly powerful, almost irresistible. Even if Yingnan had been at her best, she would have been no match for him. She followed, staggering, feeling both frightened and a little afraid, thinking, "Does he... does he want to do that in there?"

At the thought, Yingnan felt her body weaken, and the strength she had regained seemed to vanish.

Qian Ye pulled her into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and carefully cleaned the blood from her hands, not missing even the crevices of her nails, using the same meticulousness he used for treating wounds.

Yingnan was initially surprised but gradually calmed down, quietly watching Qian Ye's half-long hair sliding past his ears, glowing softly under the dim light.

Once all the blood was cleaned, Qian Ye let out a sigh and said, "Alright, I should go. I need to gather some things."

"Now that Tianshe is dead, why don't you come live with me? It would be... well, a good idea! We can look out for each other."

For Yingnan, this was usually a small matter, as hunters often stayed with her temporarily, but this time, she stammered a bit.

Qian Ye thought for a moment and nodded, "Alright, but I might leave after a while."

Yingnan wanted to ask where he was going, but instead, she said, "Okay, you go gather your things. I need to visit the old man."

After Qian Ye left, she stood there dazed for a while before changing and heading to the Hunters' Den.

The Hunters' Den was quiet that night. The old man was still behind the counter, wearing his old-fashioned glasses and flipping through a book.

Seeing Yingnan push the door open, the old man said, "You're later than I expected. It's about time; go help me close the door, will you?"

Yingnan kicked the door shut and plopped down on the counter, tapping the surface and asking, "Got any wine?"

The old man brought out a jar of traditional liquor and said, "Only this."

Yingnan frowned, "I'm not used to this, but it's fine, as long as there's something to drink."

The old man handed her a cup, and Yingnan filled it to the brim, downing it in one go. Her face immediately flushed red, and she started coughing violently.

The old man sighed and shook his head, "Again with this."

"I always forget how strong it is, but it's fine. The stronger, the better!"

The old man looked at her over his glasses and asked, "What, did you get the short end of the stick this time?"

"No." Yingnan laughed bitterly, "Men don't seem to like my type."

The old man chuckled, "Good thing you didn't, though it's not a big deal if you did. But you seem a bit down."

Yingnan tugged at her hair, "I don't know what's wrong. I feel so confused, nothing is clear. Ah!!"

"Want a cigarette?" The old man offered one timely.

"Thanks!" Yingnan lit it, took a deep drag, and exhaled, feeling much better.

"Qian Ye might leave soon. This city isn't suitable for him anymore."

Hearing this, Yingnan's hand trembled, and a burning ash fell onto her skin, immediately forming a small blister.

Yingnan frowned, brushing the ash away without a word, "Oh, let him go. He'll leave eventually. Maybe I'll leave too, in a while."

"Even if he leaves, there's a task he could take on."

"What task?" Yingnan's eyes lit up. A task would give her an idea of the hunter's movements and ensure he returned to Dark Blood City to complete it and collect the reward.

"The task posted by Miss Qiqi, which has become urgent now."

Yingnan's face showed a mix of surprise and disgust, "Qiqi? I hate that woman!"

"But we have no other choice but Qian Ye. I could have refused before, but not now. Maybe you could persuade him?"

Yingnan leaned forward, staring at the old man, and said, "I, really, really, hate that woman!"

The old man smiled, "But we can't afford to offend her, can we?"

"Let me think about it!" Yingnan's tone lacked sincerity.

The old man mused, "The city seems unusually quiet tonight."

Yingnan froze, then said, "No wonder the expeditionary force never showed up. You did it, didn't you, old man? That's quite a favor!"

"Whether big or small, it's enough if it works."

Yingnan jumped off the counter and said cheerfully, "Alright, I'll handle it."

She strode to the door, but just as she was about to leave, she stopped, looking a bit weak.

"What's wrong?" The old man was startled.

Yingnan clutched her chest, enduring a strange, never-before-felt pain. She took a deep breath, not turning back, and said calmly, "Old man, I have a hunch that you've been leading me astray all my life."

Qian Ye returned to the inn, packed his things, and headed to Yingnan's place. He never considered returning to his old house, guessing it was likely destroyed by the Tianshe gang.

The door was still as he left it; Yingnan hadn't returned. This fierce and hot-tempered huntress was actually quite attractive, young and talented, exuding a natural aura of dominance. When she spoke or moved, her presence was even more commanding.

Qian Ye had no idea when Yingnan would return, or if she would at all. She had set traps around the house, but they were only effective against low-level thieves. In Qian Ye's view, "low-level" meant at least three-star hunters, mid-level bosses in Dark Blood City.

Qian Ye threw his gear into an empty room and, after some thought, decided it wasn't safe enough. The fourth-level Eagle Strike was too valuable, worth over a thousand gold coins. Even a small part missing would be a significant loss.

So, after some hesitation, despite feeling a bit disrespectful, he camouflaged the storage area and set two traps: one for warning and one for injury. With Yingnan's skill, she should be able to detect and avoid or disarm them.

However, Qian Ye forgot one thing: Yingnan, being careless, often messed up tasks that "should" be done.

Satisfied, Qian Ye left and walked into the night. Though his craving for blood energy was temporarily sated, he felt restless and decided to wander and bid farewell to the city.

Dark Blood City was always lively at night, especially since most of the day was dark. Passing a raucous bar, Qian Ye saw through the window men and women indulging in their desires, and suddenly missed his Manjushage in Lighthouse Town.

He walked into the bar, and the bouncer, seeing the Butcher on Qian Ye's waist, became obsequious and led Qian Ye through the crowded dance floor to an empty table.

The table's position was excellent, and Qian Ye knew the rules. He took out his coin purse, gave the bouncer two silver coins, and said, "This is for you. Also, bring me two bottles of wine."

The bouncer went off happily, and Qian Ye put away his purse. Soon, two large bottles of strong wine were placed on the table. Qian Ye flipped the two silver coins, tossing them into the deep cleavage of the waitress. This act won cheers from the crowd, and those who had been eyeing Qian Ye shifted their gaze elsewhere.

Someone who could toss coins so deftly could also handle a knife well.

A heavily made-up woman squeezed next to Qian Ye and purred, "Can I sit here?"

"No," Qian Ye said flatly.

She was doused in perfume, but Qian Ye smelled decay. His sensitive nose picked up the foul scent of her blood, which made him nauseous.

Fuming, the woman huffed and left.

Qian Ye ignored her, knowing his Butcher kept the boldest thugs in check. He watched the revelers and recalled his time in Manjushage.

In Manjushage, people similarly indulged in their primal desires, sometimes even more openly. Sometimes, men and women, unable to control themselves, would rush out and couple, whereas here, they at least went to the restroom.

Unconsciously, Qian Ye finished his drink. The strong alcohol made him feel slightly tipsy, and his thoughts began to float and swirl.

Suddenly, Qian Ye felt like nothing was impossible, nothing unachievable.

He slammed the empty cup on the table.

The cup magically refilled. Qian Ye looked up to see a slender, plain-faced girl, a bit younger than him, pouring him a drink.

Qian Ye sniffed, then suddenly pulled the girl into his arms, deeply inhaling her scent at the neck.