Monarch of Evernight - Volume 4 - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Volume 4 – Perpetual Conflict, Chapter 6: Trap

Outside of town and toward the swamp was a shockingly large cemetery filled with broken gravestones as far as the eye could see . Grave mounds without headstones were even greater in number . It was unknown how many graves there were in this cemetery, but at the very least, there should be tens of thousands .

This cemetery had existed for at least hundreds of years . No one knew when such a tradition started in Black Clay Town—no matter who died in the vicinity, the townsmen would spontaneously dig a grave here for him . Deceased townsmen were also buried here . A spectacular burial ground was thus formed over time .

The little mounds rising and falling endlessly on the barren landscape stood as a cold testament to the desperate war the humans had been fighting against the environment and the dark races for hundreds of years .

Qianye observed the land before him for a moment before passing through the cemetery and toward the Black Clay Swamp .

Black Clay swamp was covered with a faint layer of gray mist under the night sky . Even Qianye, with his night vision, couldn’t see past a few dozen meters . The odd stench, seemingly a mixture of hundreds of nauseating odors, became increasingly evident the closer he got to the swamp . The stink was too much for the creatures from outside of the swamp to bear . Additionally, it would also cause their sense of smell to lose effectiveness .  

There were no obvious boundaries around the swamp . Most of the areas resembled ordinary muddy terrain covered by a thin layer of grass-like vegetation . Those weren’t ordinary wild grass but contained a mixture of mosses and ferns growing together . The exterior was smooth and luxuriant, but it wasn’t solid ground underneath . Some of them were hiding extremely deep mires . An ordinary person would be unable to climb out after falling in and would be swallowed alive by the Dark Clay Swamp .

This kind of marshland terrain posed little trouble for Qianye . His military boots struck the muddy ground as he strode forth, his steps steady and fast . The moment he felt the ground beneath him suddenly turn soft, his whole body would immediately become as light as a feather and he would’ve stepped over before the mud could even spread onto his shoes .

Qianye had received special training in this respect . He had also learnt from Hu Wei how to distinguish whether there was a mire beneath by looking at the type of vegetation . Even so, he was unable to evade every time despite his good eyesight . Sometimes, he would know whether it was solid ground beneath his feet only after stepping on it . This goes to show how adverse the topography was . Only those with the strength and adaptability of a rank five fighter or above would be able to compensate for some misjudgements and maintain free movement under such circumstances .

Qianye kept on going for a while but then he suddenly stopped, drew the multipurpose military knife from his waist, and scooped out a black vine from within the marsh . He cut off a part from the vine and found that the liquid oozing out from the cut end was actually viscous and scarlet in color .  

This blood vine, a local specialty of the Black Clay Swamp, was also an important component in many medicines . Its most famous auxiliary property was that it was compatible with many types of stimulants and would greatly increase the drug effects after addition . Basically, all stimulant prescriptions from the elite corps contained blood vine as an ingredient .

It was also one of the reasons why many wanderers and herb gatherers were attracted to the Black Clay Swamp . A segment of blood vine like the one in Qianye’s hand would sell for several gold coins in Blackflow City . This was a life-changing fortune for many scavengers .

The blood vine didn’t get its name from its dark red sap but because too many people had paid with their lives in order to pick it .

An odd buzz rang out within the darkness . The lingering sound gradually closed in as finger-sized flying bugs appeared one after another and began to fly around Qianye, attracted over by the scent of the blood vine segment in Qianye’s hands . They seemed like flying ants that had been magnified many times over . Their mouths looked especially fierce and the poisonous needles on their tails were constantly moving in and out .  

These were common flying insects, but in the marshland environment, they had grown much larger than their relatives of the same species . At the same time, their poison had also grown more lethal . The blood vine would release its characteristic smell once it came into contact with air and would attract all the flying insects in the vicinity .

Seasoned herb gatherers would handle the blood vines under the water and pack it in special herb bags to control the spread of its scent as much as they could .

At this time, Qianye raised his hand slightly, whereupon a strand of blood energy mixed together with origin power was sent out of his finger . The movements of the flying insect swarm were suddenly disturbed as if they had encountered a dangerous beast . Their instinctive fear warned them not to approach although the blood vine’s scent was alluring .  

However, danger couldn’t stop these flying insects . Ripples suddenly began to appear in a pool of muddy water beside Qianye . Suddenly, a black shadow shot out like an arrow from underneath the muddy waters . There was absolutely no prior indication and the movement was as swift as a flash of lightning . Add to that the close distance, Qianye simply had no time to evade . He only felt pain on his leg before the affected area immediately went numb and lost all sensation .

It was a half-meter long serpentine animal that had pounced from under the water . There was an incomparably sharp horn growing On its head . It had, with a single strike, pierced through the metallic mesh in Qianye’s military boots and directly bit into his leg .

Horned snakes were another type of danger which accompanied blood vines . If the flying insects signified lethal danger, then the appearance of the horned snake was equal to death itself . Its horn was hollow inside and served as an organ to suck blood . Furthermore, the horned snake’s venom was lethal . Currently, there were no effective antidotes apart from special anti-venom serum used by the military . Once poisoned, the victim could only rely on his physical constitution and origin power to resist .  

His vampire constitution afforded Qianye a natural resistance to poison . The numbness brought about by the horned snake’s venom stopped its ascension after reaching his knees . His life was apparently not in danger but he was still somewhat affected . This goes to show how strong the poison was . No wonder Hu Wei said people who went to the Black Clay Swamp were trying their luck at the risk of their lives .

Qianye stayed abnormally still . Sensation gradually returned to the wound on his leg as the horned snake began to suck blood . He could feel his blood flowing out continuously as the horned snake’s now bulging gray abdomen grew bigger and bigger .

Qianye released the suppression on his blood energy after he reckoned the horned snake had its fill . A strand of ordinary blood energy immediately rushed out from his heart, deftly found its way into the outflowing blood, and was sent out along with a strand of Qianye’s aura .

The horned snake suddenly shot away from Qianye’s leg . It began to writhe, flutter, and struggle continuously in the muddy water . It then turned rigid within moments and lay half-submerged on the water surface, never to move again .

To the snake, that strand of blood energy was an extreme poison that couldn’t be resisted .

Qianye stowed the blood vine away and walked around the place as he erased most of the traces he had left behind . However, a detailed observation would reveal that the clean up wasn’t quite thorough—certain intermittent traces and clues could be found in unremarkable corners . Qianye didn’t touch that horned snake and left it lying where it was .

Qianye checked the scene once more before he felt satisfied and headed toward the depths of the swamp . But this time, his footsteps were much heavier and he had to free himself from the mire quite often, leaving no small amount of traces .

At this moment, Qianye was in a state of high alert despite his usual expression . He had activated his concealed bloodline and was keeping the blood energy within his body in careful control .

His intuition told him that the blood knight he had encountered in Black Clay Town hadn’t left and had even followed him into the marsh . Qianye wasn’t able to ascertain the traces of being followed despite having gone around for so long .  However, that faint sensation of lingering danger hadn’t dispersed since the very beginning .

This was the reaction of the blood energy in Qianye’s body to the fresh blood power of the blood knight . Although the other party had withdrawn his aura later on and Qianye could no longer sense his exact location, that kind of feeling lingered on . As long as the sensation didn’t disappear completely, it remained a possibility that the blood knight was prowling in the vicinity .

Qianye thought of a bold plan after he was ambushed by the horned snake . He had no idea if this kind of strategy would be of any use against that high-ranking vampire . A vampire who dared enter deep into human territory and still not leave after being discovered was evidently an experienced veteran . Such an enemy wouldn’t fall for a trap easily . However, Qianye wasn’t impatient in the least . The marsh was extremely vast—he would have ample time and opportunity later on .  

Not long after Qianye left, part of the scenery at one corner of the marsh began to distort as a shadow seemingly materialized out of thin air . His whole body was enveloped in a dark-colored cloak with vague dark red lights where his eyes were supposed to be . He knelt down to observe the water surface .

He saw an indistinct footprint from his current angle . Shallow footprints usually disappeared quickly due to the undercurrents of this seemingly peaceful marsh . The fact that this footprint remained indicated that step taken was especially heavy .

The blood knight didn’t look forward but turned back toward the direction from which the footprints came . As he rose up, his whole figure became warped, indistinct, and somewhat drifting before heading weightlessly toward the direction where Qianye had come from .

Moments later, the shadow found the place where Qianye had dug out the blood vine and also saw the horned snake floating rigidly on the water surface . The horned snake was a tyrant of the marsh, and as such, despite its death, no marshland creature would dare approach this place for some time .

The blood knight walked toward the horned snake . But when he was only a few meters from the target, his body shook as he lurched to a stop .

He slowly removed the hood over his silver hair to reveal a noble and dignified countenance . The deep downward curve at the corner of his mouth and his falcon-like eyes allowed one to feel the coldness and cruelty within his heart . But at this moment, his facial features actually became twisted as he let out a vague growl from his throat . Even his fangs had emerged from the corners of his lips .  

He was staring fixedly at a low lying bush . The shrub’s trunk was twisted and full of spikes with sparse dark green leaves growing on top of it .

The blood knight took deep continuous breaths and, allowing his sense of smell to guide him, slowly approached the bush . In the end, he found his target on the surface of a leaf—a drop of dried blood .  

Although the blood had already dried out, there was still a strand of sweet fragrance lingering on it . Just how wonderful would the scent have been in its fresh and active state?  

The blood knight approached the drop of blood and inhaled deeply . He then held his breath and, closing his eyes, revealed an intoxicated expression .