Chapter Fifty-Four: A Precious Opportunity

The rain fell through the night, and Ke Bei slept soundly. At dawn, gentle rays of light gradually dispelled the darkness. Outside, the rain had ceased, but the air still carried a chill.

Ke Bei rubbed his aching head and slowly sat up. The slightest movement sent waves of sharp pain through him, instantly clearing his drowsy mind. He lowered his gaze, examined the ghastly wounds on his body, exhaled quietly, and took a low-grade divine pill from his pack, swallowing it.

As the pill dissolved, warmth spread through him in a rush, and the vast vitality swiftly began to repair the shocking injuries that marred his body. The pale wounds healed visibly, and soon the injuries that should have killed an ordinary man several times over were fully restored.

With a soft sigh, Ke Bei rose to his feet, stood in silent contemplation, then left the small cabin, heading toward Mingye District in North City.

Some things, once they have happened, must be accepted; there is no escape. Li Qianqian was dead, and Ke Bei had to arrange her affairs. He could avoid it for a night, drown himself in drink, but he could not change the truth. The truth remains, whether he wishes to face it or not.

Ke Bei spent 140,000 crystal coins to purchase a burial plot in Lingfeng City, and laid Li Qianqian to rest. In the apocalypse, humanity could only survive within the boundaries of base cities, whose area was limited while the population kept growing. Land, especially for graves, became so expensive it was shocking—there was barely enough space for the living, let alone the dead. Only the truly wealthy could afford such extravagance.

Ke Bei paid no mind to these things. He had money, and cared little for it. Even if the price were ten times higher, he would not have hesitated. He only wanted to find a safe place for Li Qianqian. She had always feared the coming of the Great Purge, afraid of being cast out of the city and left utterly alone. Now, she need not worry ever again.

Ke Bei stood before Li Qianqian’s grave, caressing the inscription of her name, silent for a long, long while.

"Qianqian, don’t be afraid when you’re alone. No one will ever drive you from Lingfeng City again..."

"When you’re lonely, sing to yourself. Your voice is truly beautiful... so beautiful... Don’t think I didn’t know; you loved to sing quietly to yourself while cooking."

A faint smile touched Ke Bei’s lips as he recalled those moments, but his eyes grew moist. Tears slid down his cheeks, sparkling droplets falling on the gravestone, shattering into brilliance.

"Qianqian, don’t forget my face. If there’s another life, if there really is reincarnation, I’ll come to repay the regrets of this one!"

His voice was hoarse, tears forming a thin stream. He stroked her name on the stone, shoulders trembling, sobbing softly.

"Qianqian, I’m leaving now..."

Ke Bei took one last, lingering look at the gravestone, his hand trailing gently over her name. With a sense of desolation, he turned and departed.

Lingfeng City, North City, Mingye District.

As soon as Ke Bei entered Mingye District, he saw a squad of soldiers clad in black armor, imposing and radiating killing intent.

These men were not members of the Guardian Squad, but true soldiers—the City Lord’s Guard of Lingfeng City.

The City Lord's Guard was not large—just about thirty thousand men—but every one was a true powerhouse, all third-level enhanced warriors, with the squad leaders themselves at the Transcendence Stage. This army was Lingfeng City’s trump card, the greatest force accumulated over nearly a century.

"Why is the army here in Mingye District?" Ke Bei was surprised. He knew the Guard would not be deployed unless the city faced a crisis of life or death.

"Could it be because of the Blood Sword Alliance?" He frowned, recalling the strongman he had slain.

"I’ll observe for now. If they really are after me for the Blood Sword Alliance, I’ll just make a run for it!" With his current strength, Ke Bei could survive even in the wilderness. He clenched his fists, gathered resolve, and continued forward.

"Are you Ke Bei?"

A man in black armor, with a square face and an upright air—Li Sui—spotted Ke Bei approaching and stepped forward, his voice low and resonant.

"I am. What do you want?"

Ke Bei stared coldly at the man blocking his path, his right hand resting on the pouch at his waist, ready to draw a throwing knife at any moment.

"Heh, don’t be nervous. I mean you no harm..."

Li Sui’s face was naturally rigid; even his smile seemed severe.

"Could we talk somewhere private?"

Li Sui cast a sharp glance at the surrounding crowd and smiled at Ke Bei. To show he meant no harm, he tried to soften his smile, but no matter how he tried, it remained stiff.

"Let’s go."

Ke Bei nodded slowly. He sensed no killing intent from Li Sui, and even if things went badly, with his Nine Suns Divine Art and Lingbo Step, he was confident he could escape.

Surrounded by the squad, Li Sui and Ke Bei entered a luxurious hotel in the Western District. To avoid misunderstandings, Li Sui did not take Ke Bei to the barracks but instead booked a lavish suite.

Inside the hotel room, the two faced each other.

"You killed Pei Blood Sword, didn’t you?"

Li Sui looked at Ke Bei and asked.

"So what if I did?"

Ke Bei frowned, a cold gleaming throwing knife appearing in his hand, ready to strike.

"Heh, don’t be nervous. I won’t attack you."

Li Sui glanced at the knife in Ke Bei’s palm and smiled.

"You managed to kill a top-level Transcendence Stage warrior like Pei Blood Sword—impressive. But don’t underestimate the Transcendence Stage."

"Though Pei Blood Sword was considered a top-level Transcendence Stage warrior, among others at that level, he was nothing."

Li Sui’s eyes flashed with disdain as he spoke of Pei Blood Sword.

"Not to mention the experts on the Azure Dragon List at Jiujiang Base—even I, Li Sui, could kill Pei Blood Sword in three moves!"

"The gap in strength among warriors at the same stage is vast—not as simple as you think."

His resolute face carried absolute confidence as he spoke in a deep voice.

"Heh, you’ll understand once you reach the top level of Transcendence Stage yourself."

As he spoke, Li Sui slowly drew out a dark-gold, palm-sized token from his robe.

"Jiujiang Base Genius Training Camp is full of talent. I hope you seize this opportunity, don’t let Lingfeng City’s reputation fall, and strive to make the Azure Dragon List!"

With a low voice, Li Sui handed the token to Ke Bei.

"What does this mean?"

Ke Bei was puzzled. He had killed a member of the Blood Sword Alliance, yet instead of punishment, the base city had given him a token—apparently inviting him to join the Jiujiang Base Genius Training Camp.

"Ah, lucky kid, this is your pass from the City Lord. Do you know that even someone as powerful as the City Lord, who has reached the God of War realm, only gets one recommendation each year? You must do your best; if you can’t pass even the first test, you’ll waste this precious spot."

Li Sui solemnly placed the dark-gold token, neither metal nor wood, into Ke Bei’s hand, and patted his shoulder with meaning before leaving.

"What’s going on?"

Ke Bei stared at the token in his hand, bewildered, unable to make sense of it all.