Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Crimson Chain Backlash

But considering Shen Yan held the entire 27th District in the palm of his hand, his background and status were clearly extraordinary. It wasn’t surprising he would know about it.

Knowing she had let her guard down and revealed her secret, Xu Qingsui decided not to hide it any longer.

"That’s right. You have a good eye, spotting it at a glance."

Xu Qingsui’s candor was just as Shen Yan expected. After all, it would be foolish to try and hide it under these circumstances.

Shen Yan smiled faintly. "I always thought this weapon had vanished along with the Weapon Master. I never expected it to be in your hands. How did you come by it?"

Knowing Xu Qingsui wasn’t like other women, Shen Yan didn’t beat around the bush.

"I could say an elder in my family left it to me, but as for how it came into their hands, I have no idea. Believe it or not."

Shen Yan was being direct, so there was no need for her to invent a lie. The truth sounded bizarre, but whether he believed it or not was none of her concern.

Sure enough, Shen Yan seemed taken aback. After a moment’s hesitation, he smiled and nodded.

"I believe you. In that case, I have no need to ask further. However, this probably means you don’t know much about Crimson Chain yourself."

"From what I know, Crimson Chain is a sentient, bloodthirsty weapon. When it’s stimulated by blood in combat, it can backlash against its wielder. You must be very careful."

Hearing Shen Yan’s words, Xu Qingsui suddenly recalled the intense urge she’d felt while charging into the fray—an impulse that drove her relentlessly toward the densest clusters of Mutants.

The sight of blood had filled her with a strange sense of excitement.

At the time, with so many Mutants around, she hadn’t given it much thought. Now, looking back, it must have been what Shen Yan described: the backlash from Crimson Chain.

’A weapon turning on its wielder is never a good thing.’

’Perhaps one day, I’ll do something terrible under Crimson Chain’s influence.’

Xu Qingsui frowned slightly, her hand resting on the Crimson Chain at her waist.

’In that case, it seems I’ll have to use Crimson Chain less from now on.’

’At least, until I find a way to prevent the backlash, I should avoid using it.’

Seeing Xu Qingsui lost in thought, Shen Yan knew what was on her mind. "It’s not uncommon for weapons to turn on their wielders," he said quickly. "Especially for treasure-class and Top Grade weapons. Don’t worry too much; there are always ways to counteract it."

"It’s been many years since Crimson Chain last appeared, but someone is bound to know something about it. I’ll have my people make inquiries and do my best to find a way to prevent the backlash."

Xu Qingsui was a newcomer; it would be unrealistic for her to make such inquiries on her own.

Seeing Shen Yan voluntarily take this matter upon himself, Xu Qingsui didn’t stand on ceremony. "Then I’ll have to trouble you."

Just as Shen Yan was about to offer a few polite words—and perhaps use this as a reason to convince Xu Qingsui to stay in the 27th District—Chu Tian approached them again.

Ignoring the fact that Shen Yan was still speaking with Xu Qingsui, Chu Tian glanced at his superior before turning his gaze to her.

"Guide Xu, thank you. Really. I thought I was a goner today. I never imagined you’d be the one to save me."

The debt of having his life saved finally outweighed Chu Tian’s machismo, compelling him to step forward and offer his thanks to Xu Qingsui.

Having grown accustomed to Chu Tian’s arrogant demeanor, she was a bit taken aback by his sudden gratitude.

But she understood that for a man with such a chauvinistic streak to willingly humble himself before a woman was no small feat.

The fact that Chu Tian could take this step proved he had genuinely changed.

She immediately decided to let go of his past behavior. "You’re too kind, Captain Chu. Let’s not dwell on the past. From now on, let’s continue working together and try to resolve this situation down here as quickly as possible."

Xu Qingsui’s willingness to let bygones be bygones and her magnanimous attitude once again made Chu Tian feel inadequate in comparison.

He had been about to apologize again, but seeing her graciousness, he swallowed his words.

Instead, he nodded. "Right! I’ll go rally the team, do a headcount, and check for injuries. Then we’ll press on."

Xu Qingsui nodded, and Chu Tian went to do his duty.

"You’re the first woman to ever make Captain Chu willingly bow his head and admit he’s wrong. Looks like you taught him a lesson in the process."

Shen Yan teased. Xu Qingsui just smiled without replying.

Although a single one of those Mutants could be killed with one strike, the difficulty lay in their speed and sheer numbers.

After Chu Tian did a sweep, he found that several team members had been injured after all.

Two of them were seriously wounded, their flesh corroded by the Mutants’ saliva. They had already fallen unconscious.

He reported the situation to Shen Yan, who immediately assigned three team members to escort the two seriously injured men back to the surface and take them to the infirmary for treatment.

After the group of five departed, Shen Yan turned to Xu Qingsui.

"Guide Xu, we’ll be relying on you for the path ahead. However, I imagine things will be even more dangerous from here on out. So, when we reach the most hazardous area, please don’t charge in headfirst again. I know you’re very capable, but leave the dirty work to us! If you do everything, a bunch of us grown men will be too embarrassed to show our faces!"

Shen Yan’s admonition was delivered in a teasing tone, but it still made Chu Tian’s scalp tingle.

Now that Xu Qingsui knew about Crimson Chain’s backlash, she had her own reservations. She nodded in agreement, secretly grateful to Shen Yan. She felt he was looking out for her.

After giving her assent, Xu Qingsui led the team forward once more.

Based on Xu Qingsui’s deduction, the fact that so many Mutants had attacked at once meant they had to be getting close to the lair.

And sure enough, not long after they ducked into the tunnel the Mutants had retreated through, an even larger cavern entrance appeared before them.

Even standing outside, they could smell a powerful, putrid stench wafting from within.

A smell that strong could only mean one thing: they had reached their destination.

Shen Yan immediately moved to stand in front of Xu Qingsui. He then gave Chu Tian a look. Without a word, Chu Tian waved to the team members. The remaining men split into several squads, neatly arranging themselves on either side of the entrance.

Once everyone was in position, Chu Tian looked back to Shen Yan, waiting for the command. At his word, they would all charge into the cavern.

But under the team’s anxious gaze, Shen Yan remained silent.

Just as even Xu Qingsui was starting to grow impatient, two longswords once again shot out from behind Shen Yan and flew directly into the cavern.

Shen Yan was making the first move!

No one had expected this. Immediately, more than a dozen pairs of eyes focused on Shen Yan.

His face was impassive as he stared intently at the mouth of the cavern.

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