Chương 196

Xu Qing was vigilant.

In that moment of teleportation, he saw the expression on the face of that disciple on Mermaid Island.

Although that expression only showed surprise, and no other thoughts could be discerned, Xu Qing, putting himself in their shoes, felt that for a reward that would make even him excited, it made no sense for others not to be moved as well.

“Besides, I still have enemies among the Sea Corpse Tribe, and there’s also that so-called Taoist…”

Xu Qing thought that if the nose of the statue could not be restored, it could only mean that his “Golden Crow Refines All Spirits” technique was too overbearing, and those who were consumed by it could not recover.

If that was the case… then there was a high probability that that Taoist’s half-face and ears would also be irreparable.

“This person must hate me to the core; I need to find an opportunity to get rid of them.”

With such thoughts in mind, as the light of the teleportation array flashed and the surroundings gradually became blurred and then clear again, Xu Qing returned to Qixue Tong (Seven Blood Pupils).

As soon as he arrived, sounds reached his perception before the sight.

It was that familiar noise and hustle and bustle.

Soon after, light came into view, and Qixue Tong appeared before Xu Qing’s eyes.

First, what caught his attention were the crowds lining up waiting to be teleported, as well as two disciples not far away who were registering the people coming and going.

Both disciples were male and female, wearing grey Taoist robes.

Xu Qing glanced at them; they seemed somewhat familiar, but he didn’t pay much attention.

However, the moment he stepped out, the purple Taoist robe he wore caused a stir among those around him. The two disciples responsible for registration changed their expressions and quickly stood up, showing great respect.

“Greetings, Uncle Master!”

As they spoke, Xu Qing was about to pass by them, but after glancing at the female disciple with the corner of his eye, he paused and took a closer look.

The woman was beautiful, with her long hair tied back in a ponytail. Although she was slightly thin, upon Xu Qing’s gaze, she felt nervous, her body trembled, her heart rate accelerated, and she bowed even deeper.

“Your cultivation is not bad; you’re not far from reaching the sixth level. However, the ‘Forbidden Sea’ aura within your ‘Sea Transformation Technique’ is clearly weaker than that of disciples at the same level from the other seven peaks. You need to strengthen that aura if you want to make a smooth breakthrough.”

Xu Qing gave some guidance, and after the woman thanked him with a trembling voice, he left the place.

The reason he gave guidance was that Xu Qing remembered who she was.

The first time he came to Qixue Tong, it was also these two disciples he met.

Back then, this woman had kindly warned him about the dangers of the sect.

Although it was a small matter, Xu Qing felt that it was only right to give some guidance in return for their kindness.

After he left, both disciples were drenched in sweat.

Indeed, the natural aura of power that Xu Qing exuded, along with the murderous energy he had acquired on the battlefield, appeared like a threat in the eyes of these two disciples who were still in the early stages of cultivating their energy.

“This senior’s cultivation… is extremely strong!!”

The male disciple among them took a deep breath at that moment; he was so shocked that he almost broke his fan in his hands.

Nói xong, anh ta nhìn về phía người phụ nữ bên cạnh mình, ánh mắt lộ ra vẻ kỳ lạ và không kìm được mà mở miệng.

“Vị tiền bối kia, anh quen cô ấy sao?”

Người phụ nữ có vẻ hơi mơ hồ, nhanh chóng quay người đi về một bên để kiểm tra lại thông tin ghi chép về phép truyền tải của bàn cờ ma thuật. Sau khi đọc xong, đôi mắt cô ta bỗng nhiên mở to.

“Xu Qing!”

“Xu Qing!?” Người đàn ông nghe vậy mà toàn thân run rẩy.

“Chính là cái tên Xu Qing kia sao? Người gần đây nổi tiếng khắp nơi, đã phá hủy vật thiêng của bộ tộc Hải Thị, khiến bọn họ tức giận đến mức treo thưởng truy nã?”

Người phụ nữ gật đầu một cách mơ hồ.

“Làm sao anh ta lại quen cô ấy!”

Trong mắt người đàn ông lộ ra vẻ ghen tị chưa từng có, toàn thân anh ta trở nên hào hứng.

“Tôi nhớ khá rõ, cách đây một năm, có một chàng trai thu gom rác đến đây, mang theo một tấm thẻ trắng. Hôm đó khi tôi nhắc cậu ấy về sự nguy hiểm của giáo phái mình, tôi đã liếc nhìn danh tính của cậu ấy, và hóa ra cậu ấy cũng tên là Xu Qing.”

Người phụ nữ nói nhẹ nhàng, trong ánh mắt cô ta cũng mang theo chút bất định.

Người đàn ông bên cạnh lại hít một hơi thật sâu, ngồi im đó, cố gắng nhớ lại kỹ lưỡng.

“Lúc đó cô đã nói rằng cậu ấy không thể sống quá ba tháng.”

Người phụ nữ quay đầu nhìn người bạn bên cạnh mình.

Người đàn ông lập tức trở nên tái nhợt, hơi thở gấp gáp. Trong lòng anh ta dâng lên cảm giác sợ hãi mãnh liệt, đồng thời cũng bỗng nhiên nhận ra rằng những hành động mà trước đây anh ta cho là ngu ngốc của cô gái kia, hóa ra lại ẩn chứa những cơ hội lớn như vậy.

Còn bây giờ, Xu Qing… anh ta không biết rằng cuộc trò chuyện giữa hai đệ tử kia, thực ra chỉ là những lời nói qua loa mà thôi.

Lúc này, Xu Qing đang đi trong thành phố, đã thay sang bộ áo đạo màu xám, hướng thẳng về phía Bộ Vận chuyển số 176.

Con thuyền ma thuật của anh ta đã hoàn toàn hỏng hóc, và anh ta cũng không còn chỗ nào để nghỉ ngơi nữa. Trừ khi quay trở lại hang động của giáo phái mình, nếu không thì chỉ có thể tìm một nơi nào đó để ở nhờ vài ngày.

Cơ quan Truy nã là lựa chọn hàng đầu, nhưng trước khi đến đó, Xu Qing quyết định sẽ tìm Zhang San để sửa chữa con thuyền ma thuật của mình.

Nửa năm không trở về, Xu Qing đi trong thành phố chính của giáo phái Thất Huyết Đồng, nhìn những người qua lại xung quanh, nhìn những cửa hàng và quầy hàng quen thuộc, tâm trạng anh ta cũng dần trở nên bình tĩnh hơn nhiều.

Việc xa rời chiến trường cũng khiến không khí chiến tranh trong giáo phái không còn quá rõ rệt nữa, trông cũng không khác gì bình thường mấy.

Chỉ có điều, nhiều cảng biển đã bị giáo phái sử dụng làm nơi dừng chân vận chuyển vật tư chiến tranh.

Xu Qing tiếp tục bước đi, với tâm trạng phức tạp nhưng đầy quyết tâm.

Xu Qing thought carefully for a moment, then nodded in agreement, feeling a bit more at ease in her heart, looking forward to the captain’s quick return.

Not long after continuing on their journey, Xu Qing arrived at Port 176.

Just like before, most of this area had been requisitioned by the sect; the sea surface was filled with cargo ships loaded with strategic supplies ready to set off. Xu Qing’s gaze swept over them, and she couldn’t help but feel emotional.

Port 176 was clearly much more developed than it was half a year ago. The streets were well-organized, and shops had gradually begun to open for business.

The crowd here was dozens of times larger than before.

Moreover, with the connection of three ports, the area had expanded significantly, and the increase in people meant that there were even more shops of various kinds.

Xu Qing walked quickly. After witnessing the prosperity of the place, she made her way to the Transportation Department of Port 176.

Instead of entering immediately, she took out a jade slip to communicate with Zhang San.

In the next instant, a figure rushed out of the Transportation Department; it was indeed Zhang San.

“Xu…”

Before he even reached her, Zhang San’s voice, filled with excitement, reached her.

But he knew when to stop himself; after saying one word, he quickly swallowed the next one.

In the blink of an eye, he was beside Xu Qing and, with eyes brimming with excitement, pulled her into a warehouse within the Transportation Department.

As soon as they entered, Zhang San couldn’t wait to speak excitedly,

“You and the captain have become famous this time!!”

“It was the captain who did it,” Xu Qing quickly corrected him.

“You two are really crazy; you actually destroyed the nose of the sacred object of the Sea Corpse Tribe, making it impossible for the seventh ancestor god statue of the Sea Corpse Tribe to be restored. I heard they’ll never have a nose again!”

Zhang San’s expression was one of excitement.

“That was also done by the captain!” Xu Qing quickly added.

“This is absolutely crazy. I heard that the Sea Corpse Tribe was devastated on the front lines, and even their high-ranking members tried to negotiate with the old ancestor to get their nose back, but were directly rejected.”

“The captain is just too crazy. I got dragged into it as well; you know, it was all done by the captain,” Xu Qing sighed.

At this moment, Zhang San’s emotions had calmed down a lot. Looking at Xu Qing, his eyes sparkled as he quickly asked in a low voice,

“Xu Qing, is that nose still there? Let me see it.”

“It’s still there, but after leaving the Sea Corpse Tribe, it turned into an ordinary stone block; there’s nothing unusual about it.”

Xu Qing felt a bit regretful. She took out the nose and placed it aside with a thud.

The nose was quite large, several dozen feet in size, and completely gray in color. Although it didn’t emit any aura, it still carried a sense of desolation.

Especially the countless honeycomb-like small holes on it seemed to reveal the passage of time through the wind and sand.

“Be careful!”

Zhang San quickly exclaimed, circling the nose several times, touching it carefully. His eyes lit up even more, and finally he looked at Xu Qing.

“Xu Qing, who says this nose isn’t extraordinary? This is the sacred statue of the Sea Corpse Tribe; it’s the very thing they desire to take back the most at the moment, because it represents their dignity.”

Zhang San was beaming with excitement.

“I have a plan. I intend to build a huge museum within our port, and then we’ll inlay the nose you and the team leader have obtained together and display it there.”

“With this museum, Xu Qing, our port will truly become invincible!”

“We won’t even need to send people to defend it; our sect will come to help us, and they’ll also promote us vigorously. Our port’s reputation will surely soar, and countless people will come to visit. It’s only a matter of time before we become the number one port among all.”

“And the shops and streets in the vicinity of this sacred relic of the Sea Corpse Tribe will become even more valuable; we’re going to make a fortune!”

As Xu Qing listened, a strange light appeared in his eyes. Looking at the excited Zhang San, he felt great admiration for Zhang San’s business acumen.

After some thought, he agreed to Zhang San’s plan.

After discussing this matter, Xu Qing hesitated for a moment before speaking softly,

“Senior Brother Zhang San, my magic ship…”

Zhang San gently touched the nose of the sacred statue with satisfaction.

Hearing Xu Qing’s words, he looked up and smiled, as if he had anticipated this response.

“Take it out. I already guessed that your magic ship would be damaged upon your return. Now that our port is financially strong, no matter how severe the damage is, I’ll repair it to its original state for you.”

“Thank you so much, Senior Brother Zhang San. I hope you can repair it as quickly as possible. Thank you!”

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing bowed to Zhang San before turning to leave.

“Huh? Where’s the magic ship? You have to give it to me; otherwise, how can I repair it?”

Zhang San was taken aback and looked at Xu Qing in surprise.

“It’s gone,” Xu Qing replied.

The warehouse fell into silence.

Zhang San looked at Xu Qing, his eyes slowly widening.

“Gone?”

Xu Qing nodded seriously.

“Gone.”