novelraw Chapter 208: Welcome Back!
Chapter 208: Welcome Back!
A mission? What mission?
The security captain looked puzzled.
Chen Qi glanced around and noticed all the guards keeping their distance from him.
Will they listen to me... Chen Qi spoke in a commanding tone:
"Give me the map of the distillery. Stay here and don't move - I'll be back."
"Y-yes sir..."
Though filled with confusion, the security captain suppressed his curiosity.
If his salary were higher, he might have mustered the courage to question this mysterious executive!
But at his current rank, he didn't even have the right to ask questions!
This is too easy...Chen Qi took the map with both hands, drew his bandage-wrapped Black Blade, and headed toward the distillery warehouse.
Currently, over a dozen laborers were strenuously moving barrels inside the warehouse.
According to the client's information, the Black Glove's operatives should all be posing as workers here.
An elderly laborer noticed the sword at Chen Qi's waist and immediately paled, stepping back:
"Sir, sir...you promised you wouldn't use us for experiments..."
Recently, numerous cases of missing miners had spread panic through Blackore City's factories.
"Everyone, relax. I'm just looking for some shadows."
Seeing the busy laborers, Chen Qi couldn't help but frown.
White Pigeon Perception!
As he activated his sensory skill, spiritual energy fields gradually manifested around the workers - but to his surprise, most showed only extremely faint traces.
Faulty intelligence? Or has my perception weakened?
No identification possible... Chen Qi tightened his grip on the Black Blade.
Aside from the trailing Criminal Shadows, could Black Glove's subordinates conceal their spiritual energy fields?
Though his Inspiration was higher, his perception skills were rather ordinary.
Need to change approaches... Chen Qi's leather gloves clenched the Black Blade as he walked through the crowd.
Black Glove's operatives should all have Shadow affinity...
With his own Shadow affinity, he might detect some clues.
When he passed by a two-meter-tall laborer, he faintly sensed a wisp of Shadow energy.
"Found one."
Chen Qi remarked casually while tilting his head.
In that instant, the sound of cracking bones echoed through the air.
"Damn you! Who the hell are you?!"
The laborer's shadow beside him began twisting, as if pulled by invisible forces, gradually breaking free from the ground's constraints to form a bizarre, flowing mass of darkness that solidified into strange black-furred armor!
A pitch-black furred monster swung a fist the size of an iron wok at him!
Explosive Rising Slash!
Chen Qi smoothly drew his Black Blade in an upward arc, bisecting the shadow creature at the waist.
As black blood splattered across the floor... Chen Qi silently swung backward to defeat another shadow monster.
Immediately, shadows began emerging from three other individuals.
While fleeing, they screamed:
"Black Glove won't let you off! The Blackfin Crew won't—"
Slash!
Chen Qi gave them no time to finish, swiftly advancing to cut down all three Black Glove-created monsters.
With precise strikes, blood sprayed as the shadow monsters became corpses littering the ground.
So weak... Chen Qi couldn't help but sigh.
He'd expected them to be weak, but not this pathetically weak.
None could withstand a single strike.
The other laborers stared at Chen Qi in terror.
"Stay where you are and rest. Don't worry, I won't harm you..."
Mission complete! Chen Qi crouched to examine the corpses.
Though the task was finished, he sensed something amiss.
These people were weak. Absurdly weak—
Their physical strength couldn't even match a first-tier Book affinity transcendent.
Their bodies were mostly frail - typically, stronger spiritual energy fields indicated greater power.
Moreover, their inky shadows seemed malleable...
Second-tier Shadow affinity user's Shadow Disguise technique? Chen Qi wondered.
This transcendent skill could alter height and appearance, making it quite practical.
But these individuals clearly lacked second-tier spiritual energy or strength.
The tradeoff for their abilities was faint energy signatures.
People who could conceal spiritual energy while altering appearances?
A specialized type of transcendent focused on hiding energy and identities - possibly rarer than combat transcendents.
After all, few would suspect ordinary people with weak spiritual energy.
Such transcendents were extremely scarce.
Even among Black Glove's subordinates, there couldn't be more than ten.
Yet here were five such individuals!
Quite the investment... Chen Qi turned to the foreman:
"When did these people arrive? What were their duties?"
The foreman stammered:
"Three months ago...they mainly transported goods, worked diligently, had wives to support...seemed honest...we truly knew nothing..."
The foreman practically shrank in fear that Chen Qi might cut him down.
Three months ago?
Chen Qi stroked his chin:
"What liquor did they transport?"
"Flower wine...for distinguished guests..."
A chill ran down Chen Qi's spine.
Previously, on Fenrir's ship, Fenrir had served him much wine.
Did I get poisoned?
The Witch Sea harbored particularly unique toxins.
"Let me see the wine they transported."
"Y-yes, this is what they just loaded."
A laborer handed Chen Qi a barrel filled with flower wine.
Chen Qi extracted a bottle and examined it closely.
Small black fibrous chunks floated in the wine, but they were rapidly dissolving until completely vanishing.
Outwardly, nothing seemed amiss!
Dissolved so quickly... Chen Qi was startled.
"This wine...was bound for ships?"
Chen Qi verified again.
"Y-yes..."
The laborer stammered.
These toxins must be products from some special dimensional rift.
The Blackfin Crew had infiltrated the distillery to poison supplies.
For three whole months!
This mission just landed a big fish!
Chen Qi stood and rubbed his hands.
Typically, such intangible toxins weren't extremely potent.
Moreover, with the Flower Witch as his alchemist, even severe poisoning wouldn't be fatal.
As long as he drew breath, the Flower Witch could heal him!
But for the Blood Blade Pirates, this spelled disaster.
Chen Qi pocketed two bottles to have the Flower Witch analyze:
"Understood."
After confirming no other issues, Chen Qi instructed the distillery to handle the matter discreetly.
This situation carried more weight than anticipated.
To avoid drawing high-ranking attention... Chen Qi swiftly departed the distillery.
After Chen Qi left, the portly security captain stood dumbfounded.
During this leadership vacuum in the Blood Blade Pirates, someone had uncovered the Blackfin Crew's plot at their distillery.
Such efficiency was unheard of among their ranks!
The captain gazed at the flower wine stockpile.
This was all destined for officers' ships!
Without intervention, these would have reached the frontlines!
Had frontline personnel consumed this...the consequences would've been catastrophic!
"Just whose subordinate is this 'Levin'?!"
The captain immediately rushed to the guardhouse to activate the radio.
"Hello? Fenrir? I have urgent news."
The captain spoke urgently.
But surprisingly, the response came softly:
"No, this is the Blood Lady."
"Blood Lady?!"
The captain jolted - their current leader's wife was with Fenrir?!
...
...
At dusk, Blackore City's docks basked in gentle golden light, appearing exceptionally serene beneath time's caress.
"Phew...mission complete...so tired..."
Chen Qi stretched his weary body, heading toward his houseboat.
Having finished too quickly, he'd wait a day for developments before claiming his reward from Gray Mouse.
Aboard the boat, the cloaked Flower Witch sniffed the air, then immediately looked toward the distance.
Chen Qi's scent!
"Welcome back, Qi!"
The Flower Witch leapt from the boat, waving and smiling.
"Mm."
Chen Qi approached.
But as he neared, her cloak began writhing violently.
"??"
The Flower Witch's lips curled into a faint smile.
Something's off... Chen Qi halted.
Wrong. Very, very wrong!
Was her cloak's movement excessively intense?
Moreover, he faintly heard the water spirits' screams...