Chapter 63: Passed the Red Line

Killing the enemy chieftain would yield eighty spirit stones, and it was certainly imaginable that a substantial amount of credit would also be awarded.

If Xu Qing hadn't encountered or engaged with this enemy chieftain, it would have been different. However, he had already severely wounded the chieftain and was about to capture him when the other party aggressively attacked him to steal his credit. This act filled Xu Qing's eyes with murderous intent.

But it was too late to pursue now, and the large blue hand, formed by the talismanic treasure, was roaring towards Xu Qing from behind.

Seeing the Merman youth about to succeed, Xu Qing instantly formed a hand seal. Immediately, a large number of water droplets appeared around the Merman youth, forming a gigantic jellyfish that surged towards him.

"Child's play!"

The Merman youth sneered, his figure not pausing. A flash of light emanated from his body, materializing into a protective barrier so strong that when the jellyfish approached and struck, it simply disintegrated.

But he had clearly underestimated Xu Qing's jellyfish.

As it disintegrated, the countless water droplets that had formed the jellyfish's body did not dissipate; instead, they rapidly coalesced, astonishingly forming a large net that enveloped the Merman youth, firmly pinning him in place.

This scene made the Merman youth frown. His speed inevitably faltered, causing him to miss the opportunity to seize the chieftain, who then managed to escape more than ten meters away.

Xu Qing seized this chance, lunging forward. He didn't evade the large hand roaring from behind him at all, allowing the talisman-formed hand to strike him directly.

A massive boom echoed.

Blood seeped from Xu Qing's lips, but he used the impact of the large hand to boost his speed. In an instant, he shot forward even faster, surpassing the Merman youth in a flash and turning into an afterimage as he dashed directly towards the chieftain.

The instant he neared, he swiftly raised his right hand, and the black iron dart gleamed with a cold light.

But at that moment, the Merman youth also broke free from his bindings. With a cold gleam in his eyes and a sneer on his lips, he waved his hand, and the sharp flying wheel that had previously flown towards Xu Qing came whistling back from a distance, creating a startling sound. It shot past Xu Qing, hurtling towards the chieftain.

It was about to strike...

At that critical moment, the black dart, now a streak of black light, moved even faster, like a black bolt of lightning. Amidst a sharp, piercing shriek, it broke through like bamboo, reaching the chieftain before the flying wheel. It pierced into the back of the chieftain's head, passing clean through, with its tip emerging from his brow!

Amidst a wretched scream, the flying wheel whistled close, severing the chieftain's neck. His head flew off, blood spurted, and he died instantly!

Ignoring the flying wheel, Xu Qing's speed didn't falter. He leaped forward, snatched the chieftain's head, then finally paused, turning to coldly glare at the Merman youth behind him, whose expression was utterly grim.

"What are you, daring to steal my credit?" The Merman youth gritted his teeth and spoke before Xu Qing could utter a word.

Intense murderous intent blazed in his eyes. He raised a hand to catch the returning sharp flying wheel, a pervasive killing aura emanating from him, and a savage look appearing in his green eyes as he stepped deliberately towards Xu Qing.

Xu Qing, holding the chieftain's head, also had murderous intent in his eyes. He remained silent, but his body was already poised to strike. Moreover, he secretly crushed a poison pellet, letting it disperse on the wind.

Simultaneously, the shadow beneath his feet, unseen by anyone, rapidly extended in front of the opponent. The Merman youth needed to take just one more step to tread upon it.

Once he stepped into it, the shadow would immediately erupt, and Xu Qing would strike instantly.

He was confident that he could kill the opponent in an extremely short amount of time with this sudden move.

Just as the Merman youth lifted his right foot, about to set it down, and the murderous intent in Xu Qing's eyes was on the verge of erupting, a cold sneer echoed from within the mist.

"And what are you, daring to steal my Sixth Team's credit?"

As the words echoed, the Sixth Team captain, eating an apple, emerged from the mist, walking and eating. Behind him were the remaining members of the Sixth Team, four fewer than before, each holding a severed head, looking formidable.

The captain, in particular, carried a heavy scent of blood, and the cold gleam in his eyes seemed to solidify, causing the air around them to instantly freeze.

The Merman youth stiffened, his raised foot not falling but returning to its original position as he turned to look at the Sixth Team. He remained silent for a few breaths, during which the Third Team members also arrived from within the mist.

With the atmosphere between the two sides extremely tense, the Merman youth sneered, then glanced coldly back at Xu Qing, his murderous intent still palpable.

"You've temporarily saved your life, but I won't forget this." With that, he flicked his sleeve and led his people away.

Xu Qing's gaze was calm and reserved. He stood there silently, his expression unruffled.

"Well done," the Sixth Team captain said with a smile after the Merman youth had left. He walked up to Xu Qing, circled him once, then looked at the head in Xu Qing's hand and continued to smile.

He then offered Xu Qing an apple.

"Here, have one."

Xu Qing took the apple with his left hand and bit into it. The taste was still sweet, though it was now mixed with the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. After swallowing, he looked up in the direction the Merman youth had departed.

Around them, the Sixth Team members were all greatly invigorated.

"The captain killed a chieftain, and Xu Qing killed one too! This time, we're striking it rich!"

"Twenty spirit stones as a base, haha, this was definitely worth it!"

"Xu Qing, we've collected all the heads for the ones you killed. The Nightjars you slew are easy to distinguish; the ones with severed necks are yours."

Seeing his team members, usually so indifferent to each other, genuinely happy today, a rare sight, the captain was very satisfied with this sense of camaraderie. Seemingly forgetting those who had fallen, he waved his hand.

"Let's go!"

The group, amidst uncharacteristic laughter and chatter, carried their spoils of war as they left the manor, heading towards the Demon-Slaying Division under the cover of night. Along the way, the team members looked at Xu Qing with a newfound respect.

Not everyone possessed the strength to kill a chieftain like the captain, nor did everyone dare to contend with another team's captain for credit.

So, whose credit it was didn't matter; merely obtaining it was proof of Xu Qing's formidable strength.

Xu Qing usually stayed at the back, but the captain slowed his steps, walking beside Xu Qing. He handed him a blue talismanic treasure—the Ghost Hand Talisman that the deceased Nightjar chieftain had previously used to conjure a large hand and attack Xu Qing.

With the chieftain's death, this Ghost Hand Talisman became a war trophy, though it was heavily damaged and appeared usable only one or two more times.

"Take it; you've earned it."

Xu Qing was slightly surprised. He silently accepted it and looked at the captain, whose expression at that moment was remarkably profound.

"Just now, was I perhaps too early?"

Xu Qing said nothing.

"There were too many people there, not from the Demon-Slaying Division, but hidden foreign protectors. While killing them wouldn't be impossible, they are allies after all. Although the Merman race is known to be rebellious and fickle—I heard they tried to rebel many years ago and were discovered by the old folks on the mountain, who then used a grand competition to suppress them—they are still allies, so it wouldn't be good to directly engage, would it?"

"That fish, I don't know what he's up to. He occasionally likes to leave all his tribal protectors behind and go out alone…" The captain's smile was remarkably bright.

Xu Qing was thoughtful. He put away the Ghost Hand Talisman, took two pears from his leather pouch, offered one to the captain, and bit into the other himself. Then he suddenly asked,

"Captain, is the physical structure of foreign races significantly different from that of us humans?"

The captain was a little surprised that Xu Qing would offer him fruit. He took it, weighed it a few times in his hand, and smiled.

"There are some differences, yes. For example, many poisons that we humans cannot withstand have no effect on foreign races, and vice versa. Some tonics that are beneficial to humans can be fatal to them."

Xu Qing glanced at the captain, who also glanced back, and neither spoke again.

As they walked, a cold resolve brewed in Xu Qing's calm eyes. There was a red line in his character: once crossed, he would do everything possible to eliminate the threat. Even if conditions and his current strength didn't allow it, he would remember it firmly, like a thorn in his side, unable to rest until the one responsible was dead.

This red line was his personal safety.

It was true in the slums, true in the scavenger camp, and true even in the Seven Blood Eyes.

For Xu Qing, the only difference was that here he had to seek opportunities more cautiously and strike more decisively to kill.

The Merman youth had severely crossed his red line, even more so than the old man from Banquan Road; he was now on par with the Vajra Sect Patriarch.

Therefore, he wanted to kill the opponent as soon as possible.

Thus, Xu Qing remained silent. After the Sixth Team completed their mission and dispersed at the Demon-Slaying Division, he did not immediately return to his magic boat. Instead, he concealed himself near the division, silently waiting.

An hour later, he spotted the Merman youth.

However, the youth was not alone. Under Xu Qing's careful observation, he detected faint wisps of aura hidden nearby. The strongest of these gave Xu Qing the sense of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, which made him even more cautious.

At the same time, there were indeed no signs of poisoning on the Merman youth.

Xu Qing was certain he had released poison, which meant the captain's words were true. Combined with the presence of powerful protectors around the youth, Xu Qing did not force a pursuit. Instead, he estimated their general direction and turned to leave.

That night, the Seventh Peak's operation to round up the Nightjar was a resounding success. All seventeen strongholds in the port area were completely eradicated, and other affiliated forces were also uprooted by the Demon-Slaying Division's arranged disciples.

Several Deputy Directors personally intervened, slaying many Nightjar powerhouses, and other districts followed suit.

In this operation, nearly two thousand Nightjars were killed, and an even greater number of individuals from affiliated forces were eliminated. All these heads were hung on the city walls the next day, a bloody display meant to deter all quarters.

However, the Demon-Slaying Division also suffered significant casualties, with over three hundred disciples dead, including the man and woman Xu Qing had met at the entrance when he first reported to the Seven Peaks Demon-Slaying Division.

Overall, however, the achievement was splendid. Various forces in the main city were consequently purged to some extent, leading to a period of greater respect and a significant decrease in infighting among disciples.

Furthermore, the rewards for this operation were swiftly distributed. Xu Qing received a total of one hundred and thirty spirit stones, an unprecedented level of wealth. This made him even more vigilant against greedy individuals around him, and murderous intent rose in his heart.

He would kill anyone who tried to steal from him.

With such a large sum of spirit stones in hand, Xu Qing felt that the boat refinement materials he had previously considered suitable now seemed somewhat inferior. He pondered whether to purchase better materials to reinforce his boat.

In the past two days, Xu Qing also paid close attention to the Merman youth, trailing him multiple times. However, the youth's protectors were always present, preventing Xu Qing from finding an opportunity.

But he was in no hurry; he had patience.

Three days later, that afternoon, Xu Qing was on rotation leave, cultivating in his magic boat, when an invitation arrived on his communication jade slip.

The invitation was from Zhou Qingpeng, the wealthy young master who had entered the Seventh Peak in the same cohort as him.

"Junior Brother Xu Qing, I finally managed to acquire the Ghost-Desire Horseshoe Crab, though I only have two. Also, since everyone has grown distant after entering the sect, I've invited Li Zimei and Xu Xiaohui for dinner tonight. How about you join us? I can bring the Ghost-Desire Horseshoe Crab for you then."

His words were sincere.

Xu Qing pondered. After the incident where the Merman youth showed no signs of poisoning, he indeed very much wanted the Ghost-Desire Horseshoe Crab to experiment with refining new poisons. So, he checked his duty schedule, agreed to the invitation, and continued his cultivation.

Soon, dusk descended. Xu Qing opened his eyes from cultivation, calculated the time, then rose and exited his magic boat, walking towards the restaurant Zhou Qingpeng had designated.

The restaurant Zhou Qingpeng had chosen was not far from the harbor. It was a luxurious-looking two-story building, quite renowned within the port area.

Xu Qing had never entered this place before, but the Demon-Slaying Division kept records of all businesses, and Xu Qing had noted them. He recognized the restaurant's background: it was run by the Harbor Defense Division.

The Harbor Defense Division differed from the Demon-Slaying Division but bore some resemblance to the Patrol Division. The former primarily patrolled at sea, while the latter operated within the city on the shore.

As he approached, Xu Qing carefully scanned the building and its surroundings. Only after confirming there were no issues did he step into the restaurant.

As soon as he entered, a waiter noticed Xu Qing and warmly greeted him. Upon learning which room Xu Qing was going to, the waiter became even more enthusiastic, leading Xu Qing to the second floor.

The room Zhou Qingpeng had booked was at the far end of the second floor. The second floor of this restaurant was actually not open to commoners; only Seven Blood Eyes disciples were permitted entry.

As he neared the room, Xu Qing heard the laughter of Zhou Qingpeng and others emanating from the private room at the far end.

"Senior Brother Zhou, this is my first time here. I heard this restaurant is incredibly difficult to book and doesn't even bother with ordinary disciples. Plus, there are three special dishes here that are supposedly quite nourishing for one's cultivation."

"It's nothing, really. This is a property of my Harbor Defense Division. For us disciples of the Harbor Defense Division, booking is easy. Xiaohui, if you ever need it in the future, just let me know, and I'll help you reserve a table."

"Then I'll thank you, Senior Brother Zhou! Senior Brother Zhou, I'll toast you!"

As the charming voice echoed, Xu Qing reached the doorway. As the waiter opened the private room door, Xu Qing's gaze fell upon a table laden with dishes and three people seated around it.

There were two women and one man. The man was indeed Zhou Qingpeng, currently beaming and holding a wine cup. Beside him, petite and charming, was Xu Xiaohui.

The last person was Li Zimei, who, as before, appeared quite reserved, sitting there somewhat nervous and unsure.

Xu Qing's appearance caused the two others, besides Zhou Qingpeng, to pause in surprise and turn to look at him.

"Senior Brother, who are you?" Xu Xiaohui's eyes lit up as she looked at Xu Qing's face, a flicker of surprise in her gaze. She also sensed the astonishing spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from his body.

Seeing Xu Qing arrive, Zhou Qingpeng stood up with a smile. Before he could speak, Li Zimei, who was beside him, looked at Xu Qing and spoke softly with some hesitation.

"Is that Senior Brother Xu Qing?"

She had recognized him at a glance.