Chapter 97: The Eerie Inn (5000 words)

The night was dark and the wind rose; the moonlight turned cold.

The night, thick and impossible to dissolve, was like a hand representing death, holding the brush of the Book of Life and Death, smearing everything in a gloomy, ink-like haze; thus, the heavy night formed a portrait of death.

A shade of gray and black.

Only the drops of bright red blood falling from the neck wound of the wanted criminal nailed to the wall became the most shocking color in this gray-black world.

Until, amidst the echoing of steady footsteps, a gray figure slowly walked into the scroll, replacing the brilliance of the blood and becoming the deepest chill outside the Banquan Road inn.

This chill seemed to freeze the dripping blood for an instant, and it made the old man at the inn entrance shrink his eyes, staring at the figure approaching.

With black hair draped over his shoulders, his slender figure carried an upright bearing; his cold, indifferent gaze, paired with a sharp-featured face, was like a blade slowly being drawn from its sheath.

It was Xu Qing.

His expression was calm; under the gaze of the old man on Banquan Road, he walked step by step to the side of the corpse, took off the other's leather pouch, expressionlessly drew his dagger, and made a slight cut; the head flew up and was grabbed by him, and as the corpse fell, he gave a light kick with his right foot.

Instantly, the corpse dropped right at the old man's feet.

The old man's face was gloomy, but the sound of wind came from behind him; the head of a great snake emerged, whistling, and the moment it saw Xu Qing, a clear light appeared in its eyes.

"Gulu gulu."

"Eat it." Xu Qing glanced at the great snake and spoke indifferently.

The great snake was very happy, swallowed it in one gulp, and nodded at Xu Qing.

"Xu Qing, don't go too far!" The old man on Banquan Road stared fixedly at Xu Qing and spoke coldly.

Xu Qing looked at the old man as well, but his right hand suddenly swung; the dagger in his hand shot out toward the distance, tearing through the wind with a sharp, whistling sound, replacing the scream, and nailed itself into the center of the brow of another wanted criminal who was speeding toward this place.

The immense force caused the man's skull to shatter, red and white sprayed out simultaneously, and his body was rolled back two zhang by the impact, landing heavily with a thud.

This scene made the old man's brow twitch; he felt that the Xu Qing before him seemed even more formidable than when he was at Sea Lizard Island, and he immediately felt anxious in his heart.

"What exactly do you want to do!" The old man glared at Xu Qing, veins bulging on his face; a sense of danger emerged from him, and ropes appeared out of thin air all around, hanging down.

But the moment they appeared, a scorching force erupted from Xu Qing, forming a high temperature that swept across the surroundings; instantly, those ropes curled up one after another, not daring to approach.

Just then, a scream suddenly came from not far away.

It was the third wanted criminal to arrive; merely by approaching this place, his whole body turned blue-black, and he died of poison.

Xu Qing ignored the dead criminal; he was currently looking at the old man's neck, weighing in his heart whether he could kill him, his aura gradually becoming colder.

The old man stared at Xu Qing, feeling depressed; he naturally knew the other's purpose for coming here, but he truly felt the pain of giving away several thousand spirit stones, so he had intended to use the excuse of having given him the pouch earlier to avoid paying the spirit stones.

But Xu Qing didn't say a word, which made him realize that speaking was useless, especially since the aura on the other party now carried murderous intent, causing the old man's heart to skip a beat as a strong sense of life-and-death crisis surged.

"Xu Qing, don't be impulsive, I have a trump card!

The trump card is this inn; it only looks like an inn, but in reality, it is a weirdness. It is currently asleep, but once it wakes up, the First Peak of the Seven Blood Eyes will arrive immediately to suppress it, and you will be finished too!

"

The old man spoke at a very fast pace; as he finished, the entire inn shook violently, and a terrifying fluctuation radiated from every table, chair, and all the bricks and tiles of the inn, as if at this moment the inn had turned into a weirdness and was about to wake up.

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed; the sense of crisis was incredibly strong at this moment, and he retreated several steps in an instant.

As for the great snake, it had been lying in the distance from beginning to end, watching curiously, helping no one; it seemed to think that the two would not fight and that no life-and-death danger would arise. It had sensed the changes in the inn, but its expression seemed to show some sense of closeness, and it rubbed its head against the ground, as if greeting the inn.

However, after noticing Xu Qing looking at it, it hurriedly made gulu gulu sounds and kept nodding, as if reminding Xu Qing that the old man was right.

"Xu Qing, I am not of the human race, and this inn is not a simple inn; it is a type of weirdness, and my race has an ability that can make weirdness fall into a deep sleep."

"That's why I brought the sleeping inn to the Seven Blood Eyes many years ago, intending to sell it to the First Peak, but the First Peak didn't pay me immediately, making me guard this weirdness for them for ten years before payment. There was no choice, they promised too much, so I agreed, but I am poor too, I need to cultivate as well."

"Besides, I am good friends with Huang Yan, I saved Zhang San's life, and the captain of the Sixth Team and I are friends of life and death. Xu Qing, don't be impulsive, we can also become good friends. The wanted criminal clues I gave you before were real; I didn't intend to harm you."

Xu Qing's expression was gloomy as he looked at the old man explaining rapidly, then looked at the inn; in the night, the inn seemed to him to have turned into a ghastly maw that could swallow everything.

He knew this old man was not simple and must possess means to save his life, which was why he hadn't attacked earlier, but he still hadn't expected the trump card to be the inn itself!

As for the other's words, such as selling it to the First Peak, Xu Qing did not believe them.

But the feeling from just now was very real, and Xu Qing felt it wasn't worth risking a kill for it.

He was a cautious person by nature and decided not to attack anymore, preparing to observe this place for a while longer, so he glanced at the old man, suppressed his murderous intent, and spoke indifferently.

"Give me the spirit stones!"

Sensing that Xu Qing's murderous intent had vanished, the old man quickly took out three spirit notes from his bosom, totaling three thousand, and with a flick, the three spirit notes flew straight toward Xu Qing. After Xu Qing caught them and checked them, he cut off the head of the wanted criminal's corpse, carried it in his hand, and without any hesitation, turned and left.

From beginning to end, he had only spoken two sentences.

Watching Xu Qing's departing figure, the great snake hurriedly poked its head out and began to call out gulu gulu, the sound seeming to carry a sense of joy.

Xu Qing did not look back and slowly walked away.

"Stop calling, you white-eyed snake, our spirit stones are all gone, and not only are you not heartbroken, but you're siding with him! He really wanted to kill me just now, the inn almost woke up!" The old man was grief-stricken and hurriedly took out an antidote pill to eat.

"Gulu!"

"You actually say I deserved it..." The old man was even more grief-stricken upon hearing this; he flicked his sleeve and sat there, puffing fiercely on his pipe, while in his heart, he felt some lingering fear regarding the murderous intent he had felt for that instant.

"The baleful aura on this kid is even heavier. I wonder how Sea Lizard Island is doing; I need to go and inquire!"

In the night, Xu Qing walked forward silently, the scene of the inn appearing in his mind; the strangeness of this world made it impossible for him to determine whether the other party's words were true or false, but the feeling of danger emitted by the inn was very real.

Thus, after walking a long way, Xu Qing looked back at Banquan Road in the distance, withdrew his gaze after a long while, and completely put away his murderous intent.

Because his dharma boat had not finished its upgrade, Xu Qing decided to go to the Criminal Capture Department, partly to cancel his leave and partly to stay for the night; inside the Criminal Capture Department, Xu Qing saw the captain, who had just finished his work and was about to leave.

The captain was eating an apple while walking out; seeing Xu Qing and the three heads in his hand, he squinted and smiled, throwing an apple over.

"So diligent, catching people as soon as you get back. Didn't you have much of a harvest on this trip out?"

Xu Qing caught it, then took out a spirit note worth one hundred spirit stones and handed it over.

"The harvest was acceptable."

"I heard that a lot of people died on an island near the West Coral Archipelago. You didn't go there, did you?" The captain took the spirit note, very happy, and simply squatted on a stone chair nearby, asking with an interested expression.

Xu Qing glanced at the captain and shook his head.

The captain ate his apple and smiled, not continuing the topic, but instead lowered his voice and spoke mysteriously.

"Let me tell you a world-shaking piece of news. After you left, a major case happened here, causing a lot of discussion among the disciples in the city. It was too miserable, truly died a miserable death."

Having said this, the captain looked at Xu Qing, as if waiting for Xu Qing to ask.

Xu Qing also looked at the captain, saying nothing.

After a long while, the captain sighed.

"Xu Qing, when others speak to you in this tone, you should show some curiosity so that others won't feel awkward and can continue speaking; this is politeness."

Xu Qing was thoughtful and squeezed out a look of curiosity on his face.

Only then was the captain satisfied; after looking around, he whispered.

"The captain of the Third Team of the Earth Department, that fish, was killed."

"The Criminal Capture Department has to investigate this matter, but as for outsiders, just going through the motions is enough. However, the other party still has protectors, especially his two sisters, who are searching for the murderer like crazy..."

"This world is too chaotic. How could the young master of a good ally just die like that? This is a big deal, right? I won't say more, Junior Brother Xu, I have to go on night patrol."

Having said this, the captain stood up, patted his clothes, jumped off the stone chair, and walked out, but as he passed by Xu Qing, he spoke softly.

"The Mermaid race is an ally of the Seven Blood Eyes, so we just let them search. I heard... the Mermaid race has a technique that allows the two sisters to sense the traces of the murderer. They have been searching for over a month and have checked everyone who had any connection with that fish; they should be close to finding them."

"Everyone is watching; this matter is very interesting." The captain gave Xu Qing a look that was not quite a smile, said nothing more, and left the Criminal Capture Department.

Xu Qing stood where he was, pondering for a while.

After a long while, a cold glint flashed in his eyes; he turned to hand in the heads of the three wanted criminals, exchanged them for the reward, and sat in meditation inside the Criminal Capture Department for the night.

The next morning, Xu Qing left the Criminal Capture Department and walked on the street as usual; passing by a candied hawthorn stall, he bought a skewer and ate a few bites, then walked into an alley and stopped his footsteps.

Soon, a woman walked quickly behind him and knelt behind Xu Qing.

"Master."

This woman had a graceful figure and looked quite seductive; she was his former informant, but later, Xu Qing didn't need any clues, so he hadn't summoned her.

"Any major events recently?" Xu Qing turned around, looking calmly at the woman before him, asking while eating the candied hawthorn.

Looking at Xu Qing's candied hawthorn, the woman's heart trembled, but soon, a fanatical look returned to her eyes.

"There are two things everyone is discussing the most recently. One is that the once-every-thirty-years grand competition for Seventh Peak disciples is approaching. Every Seventh Peak grand competition is a bloodbath. It is said that the location chosen last time was the Mermaid race, and their tribal island flowed with blood, later becoming an ally of the Seven Blood Eyes."

"The second thing also relates to the Mermaid race; their young master died, and his two sisters have been searching in the port for over a month..."

The people who know the most about the news in the port are often those from the lower rungs of society, and after becoming Xu Qing's informant, the woman clearly had a focus in her information gathering, so the words she spoke now satisfied Xu Qing. He thought for a moment and asked a question.

"Anything else?"

The informant thought for a moment and added.

"Nothing else major. Oh right, a while ago, a small sect migrated out of the Seven Blood Eyes' territory. This kind of thing is rare; it seems to be called the Jin-something Sect."

"Vajra Sect?" Xu Qing's eyes narrowed, and he spoke slowly.

"Yes, that's the Vajra Sect." The informant nodded.

Xu Qing pondered, and after a moment, gave the other party five spirit stones and turned to leave.

Five spirit stones were already a large sum for the woman; her breathing quickened, and when she looked at Xu Qing's back, she became even more fanatical.

After leaving the alley, Xu Qing walked on the street, his mind mulling over the migration of the Vajra Sect.

"Left?" Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, then thought of the Mermaid race matter; from the captain and his informant, he had verified the truth of the matter, and at this moment, murderous intent slowly emerged in his heart.

"These two things are both hidden dangers."

Xu Qing whispered in his heart, but his expression revealed no murderous intent. He calmly finished his day of duty, during which he also went to the Sea Records Pavilion to report the matter of the Giant Dragon Chariot.

According to the rules of the Sea Records Pavilion, after unreported information is reported and confirmed to be true, there is a reward, but confirmation takes time, so Xu Qing left after reporting and arrived at Zhang San's Transport Department at dusk.

There, he saw Zhang San, who looked exhausted but contained a sense of madness.

"Junior Brother Xu, this time your dharma boat is the work I, Zhang San, am most satisfied with to date!" Zhang San led Xu Qing to the warehouse and pushed the door open violently.

With the opening of the gate, an astonishing dharma boat appeared directly in Xu Qing's eyes.

The hundred-zhang hull was covered in sea lizard skin; as the black light flowed, an aura of the Qi Condensation Great Perfection rushed toward him, and the level of its protection was visible to the naked eye.

The original structure had not changed, but two huge curved horns had been added, extending from both sides of the hull; while extremely ferocious, the sharp intent emitted from them made even Xu Qing shrink his eyes after feeling it.

Even more astonishing were the eight sails, which were now more than twice their original size; their structure had also changed, and they were pitch-black, resembling the wings of a ferocious beast.

Not only that, but the interior of the ship's hull was plastered with the skin of Foundation Establishment sea lizards, making this magic boat far sturdier than it appeared; this created a deceptive effect that could decide life or death at a critical moment.

"As for the divinity, I have already extracted it and fused it into the eight sails of your magic boat. Once activated, your boat will possess the power to both fly and submerge into the sea."

"Most importantly, I have connected the divinity to your entire hull. By utilizing its vitality, your magic boat now possesses a certain degree of self-healing capability—a trait that is extremely precious among all the magic boats in the Seven Blood Eyes!"

"Additionally, this divinity can be unleashed to form a heaven-shaking strike of immense power. Whether a Foundation Establishment cultivator could withstand it is hard to say, but in all likelihood, even if they did, they would be severely injured. However, I do not recommend you do this; it is too wasteful. After a few times, the divinity will be completely exhausted, and once the divinity is gone, the performance of your boat will drop significantly."

"It can be said that although your magic boat has not ascended to the level of a Foundation Establishment ship, it is in no way inferior when compared to an ordinary one. You only need to insert a Foundation Establishment core, and it will be a true Foundation Establishment ship, and an extraordinary one at that!"

"Therefore, do not insert just any Foundation Establishment core; if you are going to insert one, use the heart of the best ferocious beast. If you could obtain the heart of a divine creature... then your magic boat would be no different from a divine creature at the Foundation Establishment realm!"

"But I know you do not like to be flashy, so I have set up a concealment for you. It allows your boat to look the same as before, and when you need it, you can change it back to its current appearance at any time!" Zhang San looked at the magic boat with a fanatical expression as he introduced it to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing also gasped, looking at the behemoth before him, his mind filled with shock.

After a long while, when he left the Transport Department and returned to Port 79, Xu Qing's mood was still surging.

At this moment, within the main city of the Seven Blood Eyes, five figures—two in front and three behind—were speeding through the night.

The three behind appeared to be attendants, while the two in front were women with sharp glints in their eyes; these two were the sisters of the merman youth and also the mistresses of the Third Senior Brother.

The younger sister’s expression was filled with intense killing intent, while the elder sister’s eyes held a strange look; their needs were different, but their goal was the same.

"We have been searching for over a month, checking everyone who had friction with our younger brother and eliminating them one by one; only this person has not been investigated because he went out to sea!"

"It doesn't matter. As long as we get a close look, we can sense through our bloodline whether this boy is the murderer!"

"If it really is this boy, I will surely skin him alive, make him suffer in this world, swallow his flesh daily, and after he dies a miserable death, I will extract his soul and place it in a merman lamp to burn for the rest of eternity!" The younger sister gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with intense resentment.

At this moment, the night wind rose, as if an Asura were coming to claim lives!

Two chapters today, nearly 9,000 words~

To earn your love, this little newbie is working hard at typing~