kingnovel Chapter 1103 A Bloody Deal in a Dark Alley
Chapter 1103 A Bloody Deal in a Dark Alley
"...That old woman got rejected again! Hahahaha!"
A burly mercenary with a fierce face downed his glass of cheap liquor in one gulp, his gruff laughter particularly jarring in the dimly lit tavern.
"I heard that the other party is a cripple this time. Everyone thinks she's too old and her bloodline is too thin to produce strong offspring!"
"Who can argue with that? The city lord has lost his mind, trying to consolidate his position through marriage. He doesn't even look at what kind of person his daughter is."
His companion next to him lowered his voice, his tone full of schadenfreude.
"I heard that the third brother, the guy in the arena who's as strong as a bear, went to propose marriage today, but he'll probably get rejected again."
In the corner, a figure shrouded in shadow quietly polished a uniquely shaped silver dinner knife.
It seemed as if they were oblivious to the noise around them.
He was dressed in a well-tailored black suit, which seemed out of place in the pub's stench of sweat and sand.
Upon hearing the word "bloodline," he paused slightly in his wiping motion.
He raised his head, revealing a handsome face that was almost otherworldly, his pale skin gleaming coldly under the oil lamp.
He is the "mysterious" agent, codenamed Number 22.
His mission objective was precisely what the lineage of the city lord of Wucheng had inherited.
That ancient bloodline that is said to be able to communicate with desert storms.
Originally, he planned to take it by force in a more direct and violent way, but now he heard about a more interesting plan.
A woman tormented by desire and despair to the brink of collapse is a breach that is easier to break through than any strong fortress.
A cold smile curled at the corner of Number 22's lips as he put down his knife.
He tossed a silver coin onto the table and silently disappeared into the night outside the tavern.
The alleyways in the southern part of Wucheng are muddy and dirty, a stark contrast to the orderly main street.
Number 22 moved through the shadows like a ghost, and soon he heard harsh curses and a woman's suppressed sobs.
"Pah! What a piece of trash! It's your good fortune that I even think of you, and you dare to act like the city lord's daughter?"
A muscular, shirtless man kicked a woman to the ground.
That burly man was the "third brother" mentioned in the tavern.
The woman was wearing a rather elegant long dress, but it was now covered in mud.
She curled up on the ground, her disheveled hair revealing a face that was no longer young, filled with resentment and humiliation.
She wasn't unattractive; it's just that the years and long-standing resentment had etched deep marks on her face.
"Get lost! If I ever see you looking like that again, I'll break your legs!"
The third brother spat a mouthful of phlegm on the ground, then turned and staggered away.
The woman lay prone in the mud, her body trembling violently with shame and anger, her suppressed sobs sounding like those of a wounded wild animal.
She tried with all her might to get up, but slipped and fell repeatedly.
In the end, all he could do was helplessly pound his fists on the dirty ground, panting in despair.
Number 22 stood in the shadows not far away, quietly watching this scene.
His eyes held no pity, but rather seemed to be watching a captivating drama unfold.
He was very patient, like a spider waiting for the insects on its web to completely exhaust themselves.
Only by offering "rescue" when the prey is at its most vulnerable and desperate can one reap the sweetest rewards.
Only when the woman's crying gradually weakened, leaving only numb sobs, did Number 22 slowly walk out.
His leather shoes made a crisp sound as they stepped on the dry stone slabs, which was unusually clear in the deathly silent alley.
The woman looked up in horror, only to see a face she had never seen before, a face so handsome it was breathtaking.
The person who arrived was backlit by the moonlight, and their silver hair seemed to be flowing with radiance.
He bent down and gently wiped the dirt off her face with a clean white handkerchief, his movements as tender as if he were handling a rare treasure.
“Beautiful lady, the dirty mud is unworthy of your noble face.”
His voice possessed a peculiar magic, like the gentlest wind on a desert night, easily soothing the wounds of the heart.
The woman was completely stunned. She had been ridiculed, scorned, and rejected her all her life. She had never been treated like this before.
Especially during her most vulnerable moments.
"Who...who are you?" Her voice was hoarse and trembling.
"A person who knows how to appreciate your true value."
Number 22 smiled, her deep eyes seeming to see right through her soul, reaching the deepest desires of her heart.
"They only see the dust of time, but they cannot see the pride and strength that lies dormant in your blood."
"They chase after the superficial aspects of youth like ordinary people, but I see divine radiance in you."
Divine radiance...
These words struck the woman's heart like a thunderbolt.
All her resentment and grievances seemed to find an outlet at this moment.
Yes, she is the city lord's daughter, and her bloodline is noble!
Those ordinary people are not good enough for her!
Seeing the rekindled flame in the woman's eyes, Number 22 knew the time had come.
He extended his hand, an invitation: "To speak in this filthy corner is a desecration of you."
"Would I have the honor of inviting you to a quieter place to hear the story of your lineage?"
Without the slightest hesitation, the woman placed her cold hand into that warm and strong one.
At the end of the alley was an abandoned storage room.
In the darkness, the woman's breathing gradually became rapid and disordered.
She was immersed in the dream that No. 22 had woven for her with words, and gave him everything she had.
She thought she had finally found salvation, but little did she know it was a plunder from the abyss.
There was no tenderness as I had imagined, only an extreme, chilling power.
Like a venomous snake, it burrowed into her body, frantically seizing the very core of her life.
Her body stiffened abruptly, her dazed eyes instantly clearing, replaced by boundless fear.
She saw that the handsome face before her still had a gentle smile, but his eyes were as cold as frost.
An indescribable, excruciating pain shot through her lower abdomen, as if something was being ripped away alive.
"what--!"
She let out a short, piercing scream, which was immediately covered by a hand.
Number 22's other hand covered her abdomen, a layer of eerie black light flowing in his palm.
Soon, a fist-sized mass of flesh and blood, emitting a faint golden light, was forcibly "pulled" out of the woman's body.
The mass of flesh was still wriggling slightly, like an unformed embryo.
It contains a magnificent and ancient aura—this is the source of the bloodline of the Lord of Wucheng.
Task completed.
Looking at the writhing mass of flesh in his hand, Number 22's handsome face flashed with an uncontrollable sense of physical disgust.
He succeeded, but this was achieved through intercourse and deception.
The way he stole the life force from a pitiful woman filled him with a twisted nausea.
The woman collapsed to the ground, her life force rapidly drained away; her face, which had only shown signs of aging, now showed signs of deterioration.
It was decaying and withering at a visible speed, and in an instant it became a shriveled corpse.
Her wide-open eyes still held lingering terror and bewilderment.
"Click."
A crisp sound of bone cracking rang out in the silence.
Number 22 snapped her neck without expression, completely ending her value.
He casually tossed the body into a corner.
He carefully wiped each of his fingers with a handkerchief, as if they were stained with the dirtiest thing in the world.
Then, he carefully placed the embryonic bloodline into a specially made container.
Carrying a lantern that had been prepared beforehand, he calmly walked out of the storage room.
The night is dark and everything is silent.
Just as he stepped into the darkness with his lantern—
"boom!!!"
In the distance, a thick bolt of lightning shot into the sky without warning, illuminating half the night sky as bright as day!
The source of that light was the ancient well in the center of Wucheng, which was said to be connected to the realm of gods!
Immediately following was a shout of ecstasy mixed with utter exhaustion.
Piercing through the barrier of the deep well, it resounded throughout the entire city of Wu like a thunderclap:
"—I found it! The Holy Grail! I found the Holy Grail!!"
It's Claude's voice.
This shout was like the first boulder thrown into stagnant water.
In the quiet night of Wucheng, a raging storm known as "struggle" was stirred up.