Chapter 102: Little Mute

The main city of Seven Blood Eyes.

In the coastal areas, the winter wind carried a subtle, damp chill that swept through every corner of the streets. Unlike the severe cold of Hongyuan, this damp chill was initially imperceptible, slowly seeping into one's bones until the cold permeated from within, only then becoming truly noticeable. By then, it was too late to resist.

It was much like the disciples from Seven Blood Eyes’ mountain base: a brutal nature hidden beneath a smiling face, like a needle concealed in cotton. This was particularly true for the Seventh Peak. Disciples of the Seventh Peak seemed to possess a natural talent for this; they excelled at concealment, disregarded superficial dignity, and prioritized self-interest. Xu Qing had a profound understanding of this.

Even though he had now integrated into the main city environment of Seven Blood Eyes, and with his cultivation advancing, he had established himself through ruthless means, leading to fewer dangers and a growing reputation. However, his caution and vigilance never waned in the slightest. Xu Qing knew very well that among the Qi Condensation disciples of the Seventh Peak, infighting among lower-tier cultivators was often traceable. However, higher-tier cultivators, especially those at the ninth or tenth levels of Qi Condensation, were mostly deeply cunning. They were skilled at disguise and even better at enduring, like venomous snakes hidden in the shadows. Once targeted, many victims would die without ever discovering their true enemy. In fact, this wasn't limited to them; cultivators who had struggled their way up from within the main city, breaking through to Foundation Establishment, were even more adept in this regard. Like the Third Prince...

At this moment, Xu Qing walked through the main city of Seven Blood Eyes, his expression seemingly calm, but his heart was filled with vigilance, and he had not reverted to his original appearance. He had been walking in the main city for most of the day, primarily visiting crowded areas, constantly observing his surroundings and listening intently to everything. He was searching for any potential clues to verify whether the matter involving the Third Prince and the Merfolk had truly subsided. He approached this observation with extreme patience, continuing from day into night.

When night fell, Xu Qing still did not revert to his original identity. In fact, for this return, he hadn't used his own token but an unregistered jade slip. The unregistered jade slips of Seven Blood Eyes had developed into an industry, with significant demand, making them the preferred choice for wanted criminals and those who wished to conceal their identities. While their price was exorbitant, the corresponding benefits were substantial, the most appealing of which was anonymity. Seven Blood Eyes largely turned a blind eye to this practice. Although occasional screenings occurred, they mostly ignored it, provided, of course, that one did not cross the rules and bottom lines of Seven Blood Eyes. Having killed many wanted criminals, Xu Qing possessed several such jade slips, so he found an open inn and checked in for the night.

Thus, time passed, and soon three days had gone by. During these three days, Xu Qing conducted multiple investigations, gathering information through various means, even spending spirit coins to purchase intelligence about Seven Blood Eyes. He found no trace of anything amiss. It seemed the Merfolk incident had no further developments, and the Third Prince had indeed not pursued the matter.

Meanwhile, the most discussed topic among Seven Blood Eyes disciples during this period was the grand competition of the Seventh Peak. Xu Qing had heard about this matter numerous times over the past three days, and the intelligence he purchased also largely concerned the competition. It was as if the attention of all disciples within Seven Blood Eyes was currently focused on this event. Upon pondering this, a profound look appeared in Xu Qing's eyes.

The grand competition of Seven Blood Eyes' Seventh Peak, held every thirty years, was highly unusual. Its battlegrounds were typically chosen in external regions, and the process was extremely bloody and cruel. For instance, thirty years ago, the Merfolk Islands were chosen. After a suppressive grand competition held there, the Merfolk became allies of humanity.

This time, the target had also been decided: a small foreign tribe on the West Shan Islands called the Lingbei. Most of their people were fierce and bloodthirsty, and the entire tribe consisted of pirates. They were backed by several larger foreign tribes, who provided resources in exchange for protection, while also being active in the forbidden seas. They posed a significant threat to passing merchant ships, especially those of Seven Blood Eyes, some of which had recently been plundered by them. This incident provoked Seven Blood Eyes' fury. So, even though the stolen goods were soon returned, the timing coincided with the Seventh Peak's grand competition, and thus the location for this competition was arranged on Lingbei Island.

This matter garnered immense attention within Seven Blood Eyes, especially among the Seventh Peak disciples, who were eagerly preparing. All those eligible to participate were getting ready, causing the prices of cultivation resources at the port to rise by about 20% almost overnight. The sect had also issued qualifications and rules for participation. The Seventh Peak comprised thirteen divisions, and each division would select approximately four hundred individuals, forming a cultivator team of over five thousand, to participate in this grand competition.

For these thirteen divisions, selecting four hundred individuals was no small feat, not due to a lack of numbers. In reality, each division had a large number of disciples; the larger ones boasted several thousand, while even the smaller ones had nearly a thousand. The difficulty was compounded by the sheer number of people wanting to participate.

The rewards for the grand competition were exceptionally generous. The rule was that killing one Lingbei cultivator would earn 10,000 contribution points, and this was merely the base; the higher the cultivation of the enemy killed, the greater the reward. Identity tokens would automatically record kills, and rewards would be distributed uniformly after the competition. Such a fortune was enough to make countless disciples struggling for cultivation resources envious. However, what was most breathtaking, even maddening, was the reward for the first-ranked participant in this grand competition: the status of a Core Disciple!

For countless disciples at the base of the Seventh Peak, Core Disciples, distinguishable by their pale purple Daoist robes, were exalted figures akin to divine sons, possessing the highest noble status. As the captain once said, the sect wouldn't care if a hundred disciples from the mountain base died, but the death of even one Core Disciple would be a major incident. Therefore, the frenzy among the disciples of various divisions was understandable.

However, Xu Qing had no particular desire for the status of a Core Disciple. When he first arrived at Seven Blood Eyes, the Core Disciple status might have been tempting, but now that his cultivation had reached the Grand Completion of Qi Condensation, his top priority was to break through to Foundation Establishment as quickly as possible.

Furthermore, Xu Qing felt that this matter wasn't so simple. The choice of Lingbei Island as the competition venue seemed to be a deception to mislead outsiders. Considering his previous analysis, Xu Qing suspected that the true battlefield might be the Merfolk. With this thought in mind, while other disciples were striving to qualify and prepare, Xu Qing cautiously observed for several more days.

After confirming that there were indeed no further developments regarding the Merfolk within the sect, and the same was true for the Third Prince, Xu Qing decided to revert to his true identity. After another few days of vigilance, his heart finally settled. Unless absolutely necessary, Xu Qing didn't want to flee Seven Blood Eyes at this time, as he was not far from Foundation Establishment, and he greatly desired the five thousand spirit stones awarded monthly after achieving it.

Now that everything seemed normal, Xu Qing, while remaining vigilant, returned to his usual routine. Several days later, he received a notification from the captain: the secondary reward for the Night Raven operation had been issued. He had been appointed Deputy Captain of the Sixth Squad, Dark Division, of the Criminal Capture Department. His salary also increased, rising from 3,000 contribution points per month to 6,000.

“Xu Qing, you really ought to thank me for this. If I hadn’t fought hard for you, how could you have ever been promoted?” Inside the Criminal Capture Department, the captain sat chewing an apple, smiling as he looked at Xu Qing. His gaze swept over Xu Qing, clearly noticing the fluctuations in Xu Qing's cultivation, yet his smile remained, and he continued to savor his apple.

“Thank you, Captain.” Hearing this, Xu Qing managed a smile. Since arriving at Seven Blood Eyes, he had somewhat learned to control his expressions, though there was still a slight unnaturalness to it.

“So don’t forget the one thousand spirit stones you owe me,” the captain said cheerfully.

Xu Qing’s smile froze. “It was a hundred, and I’ve already paid you back!”

“Oh? Did you? Ah, my memory is terrible. Right, you paid me back a hundred. Fine, fine, so you still owe me nine hundred, alright?” The captain slapped his forehead and sighed. Seeing Xu Qing's expression turn unnatural, and his right hand instinctively move to the leather pouch at his side, the captain blinked. “Xu Qing, are you going to participate in this grand competition?”

Xu Qing remained silent.

“Xu Qing, let me tell you something quietly. Based on my understanding of the sect's habits, this grand competition... most likely isn't about those Lingbei people!” The captain's expression brightened with excitement. He squatted on his chair, pulled out two tangerines, tossed one to Xu Qing, and began peeling his own as he spoke.

Xu Qing took the tangerine and looked at the captain.

“I estimate it’s probably a much larger foreign island, and that foreign race must be very rich. That’s why the sect is creating a smokescreen to mislead outsiders. I’ve recently observed some of the most notorious schemers in other divisions, and I found they’ve all secretly signed up!” The more the captain spoke, the more excited he became, his eyes glinting.

“These schemers actually amassed enough spirit stones to buy Foundation Establishment Pills a while ago and could have broken through at any time. But they’ve been suppressing their cultivation, clearly waiting for this opportunity. They have noses like dogs, extremely keen senses. If you consider them sacrificing the profits of breaking through to Foundation Establishment for these past few months, then what they're aiming for is naturally much greater. So, this grand competition should be an excellent opportunity to seize cultivation resources. You know, in the grand competition thirty years ago, many people made a huge fortune. A huge fortune! I heard that Second Princess, that woman, rose to prominence exactly like this last time. The wealth she plundered reportedly made even some elders envious; she alone snatched eight Foundation Establishment Pills! Besides, many in the sect whose cultivation has reached a certain level but lack sufficient spirit stones have recently seemed to have red eyes, all eyeing this grand competition to accumulate spirit stones.”

“Such a golden opportunity to make a fortune, and you’re not going?” The captain looked at Xu Qing, a smile on his face.

Xu Qing still remained silent. His judgment regarding the competition's location aligned with the captain's, and he had a strong suspicion in his heart about where the final battlefield would be.

“So this time, you absolutely must go! You’ll make a fortune; one big score will be enough for Foundation Establishment.”

“Also, there’s a new recruit in the squad. I’ll call him over for you to see,” the captain said, pulling out his token to transmit a message. A short while later, faint footsteps were heard outside the door of the room where the captain and Xu Qing were. Soon, the door opened, revealing a young boy standing outside.

The boy's hair was somewhat disheveled, and his small face was dirty. Though he wore a gray Daoist robe, it was bulky, clearly concealing a black dog-skin coat underneath. What was most striking were the boy's eyes, which held a fierce and brutal glint, as if he wasn't a person standing there, but a ferocious little wolfdog. His body exuded a heavy murderous aura, as if he could erupt at any moment to devour his enemies. As the door opened, he saw the captain and Xu Qing inside the room, grinned, and revealed that... he had no tongue. He was mute.

However, as Xu Qing's gaze fell upon him, the mute boy's smile suddenly faltered, his eyes widening abruptly. He stared at the shadow beneath Xu Qing's chair, his expression dramatically changing, as if he had seen something that terrified him to his core. His body trembled violently, his breathing becoming ragged, as if a mortal had encountered a deity, his body shaking uncontrollably.

This scene instantly plunged the room into... utter silence!