Qing Yan (frowning):

"Wait... what are these tattoos…?"

He knelt down, eyes narrowing as he studied the faintly glowing marks.

Qing Yan:
"...Don’t tell me…?!?!"

His eyes widened suddenly.

Qing Yan:
"Is this some kind of trend?! Was this fucker some kind of tattoo fanatic?!"

He made an exaggerated wide-eyed face.

??? (the blue-eyed one from before, telepathically):
Tsk tsk. I thought you were arrogant, but turns out you’re just stupid. A big one at that.

Qing Yan:
"Shut the fuck up, son of a bitch."

He sat down in a thinking pose, eyes still fixed on the tattoos.

???:
"Wh–What did you just call me?!"

Qing Yan:
"This surely isn’t just some ordinary tattoo... but what are these? And how the hell was this fucker able to sense my presence?"

A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Qing Yan:
"Looks like things are getting interesting."

???:
"To notice they aren’t ordinary, you’re quite sharp. Do you enjoy pretending to be stupid or is that just your natural talent?"

Qing Yan:
"Looks like you know something about these."

???:
"I'm not sure."

Qing Yan:
"Oho? I think I should get going then. I have to submit the bounty and receive my reward."

His stomach growled. He wiped at his mouth while drooling slightly.

???:
"Tsk. Such a weird human."

Qing Yan:
"Even if he burst, some body parts are still intact. Should be enough for proof, I guess."

He casually gathered what remained of Li Heiye’s body.

Qing Yan:
"I’ll get going now. I’ll pay you a visit someday—make sure to welcome me properly."

???:
"Sure, sure. I’m looking forward to it." (in a taunting tone)

Qing Yan leapt into the sky and took flight.

???:
"How long has it been since a human talked back to me? Cursing me, even... Looks like something is changing. Not bad, I guess."

Qing Yan (while flying):
"It’s night already. I wasted too much time on that bastard."

He sighed mid-air.

Qing Yan:
"Tsk. I should’ve just sucked out his memory instead of acting cool..."

A loud growl came from his stomach.

Qing Yan:
"Wait a bit more, you bastard. I’m doing this all for you!"

With a burst of speed, he streaked through the sky.

He arrived at the bounty guild and stepped up to the door.

Qing Yan:
Opens the door "Hey, manager! You there?"

He walked inside.

The usual manager wasn’t there — instead, a different man stood behind the counter.

Qing Yan:
"Where’s the manager?"

The Man:
"It’s night shift, so I’m here in his place."

The man scanned Qing Yan’s clothes, noting the dirt, damage, and faint bloodstains.

The Man (under his breath):
"Tsk..."

Qing Yan:
"I’m here to collect my bounty."

But something felt wrong. A sudden heaviness. His instincts prickled.

Qing Yan (thinking):
What is this uneasy feeling...? Qi sense—

The man’s eyes flicked briefly — too quickly — then darted away.

Qing Yan (thinking, eyes widening):
Huh—?!

[TO BE CONTINUED]

Author Note – Chapter 7

First, the corpse explodes.
Then tattoos start glowing.
Now a mysterious telepathic voice is mocking our MC like it owns the place.

And Qing Yan? He’s too busy drooling over dinner to care.

But something darker is creeping in — a subtle change in the world’s balance. Even the bounty guild doesn’t feel right anymore.

Who is this blue-eyed presence?
Why is Qing Yan being watched?
And most importantly… will he ever get a proper meal?

Next chapter — silence costs nothing. Answers? That’s a different price entirely.
Let me know your thoughts, theories, and if you’ve ever cursed at a floating telepathic beast this week.