Archfiend

Swish… Xu Yangyi removed all of the qi in the Fishbowel Sword and finally heaved out a long sigh. Stripped of all of his strength, he sat down in a corner and meditated.

That was Daomaster Yue’s voice.

Once he relaxed, he felt pain like his entire body was cramping. The residual effects from the Qi Explosion Pill erupted. There was no way he could supply himself with qi, and he felt like he was stepping on clouds.

Moments ago, while it seemed that he hadn’t even attacked several times, the fact stood that the situation wasn’t any less grim like when he had faced Xiaoqing that year. Each of his nerves were pulled taut to an extreme. From the start, his qi was on a high tension line. To relax by a hair was death.

His fists were clenched deathly tight, and he forced himself to gather qi. In his heart, the desire to become strong grew uncontrollably like a weed.

To become stronger… and then even stronger again!

So strong that no matter where he went, no matter what he saw, no one would dare to force him if he wasn’t ready and willing!

Otherwise… it could only be like today. A Throneless Grand Duke had stated his intent to kill him, so he would. Even if he guaranteed not to leak the Holy Coffin, he still wasn’t given a ghost of a chance.

“I’m asking you a question!” Yue Congrao shouted. Not even waiting for Xu Yangyi to cast his senses, a loud boom rang out. Like the golden hand was slapping a ball, the wailing Bloody Moon was swatted away again. This time, however, Bloody Moon’s body instantly exploded and transformed into little bats. Frightened out of his wits, the vampire scattered all around and fled.

“Impudent.” Yue Congrao’s voice, brimming with fury, echoed through the street. The entire space faintly rocked. “I myself am asking you, a little Marquis, but you truly dare not to answer and then you leave?!”

“Do you not place me highly in your eyes?!”

Before his voice even fell, all the bats seemed to run into a magnet. Screeching in distress, all of them automatically flew into the golden hand. Without pause… Yue Congrao’s hand of spiritual light squeezed, and a miserable scream rang out. Jetting blood followed from in between the seams of the golden hand and trickled out.

“Your Highness Grand Duke! Your Highness Grand Duke, please spare my life!” A shivering voice was feebly heard from the palm, and Bloody Moon weakly wailed, “I dare not anymore… Please be lenient, sire… even in consideration of the House of Dracul’s face…”

“You dare threaten me?!” Cold laughter rang out, and the hand immediately tightened. A heart-splitting screech was heard from inside the hand. Very soon, a voice begged, enduring the pain with great difficulty although it was beyond terrified. 

“I dare not! I dare not! Your Highness Grand Duke! I didn’t have the slightest inkling! I absolutely dare not threaten a Grand Duke!”

“Hmph.” Yue Congrao sneered. The golden hand quietly disappeared, and a black palm-sized bat covered in blood plopped into the earth like a stone. Bloody Moon’s noble and elegant appearance of ten minutes ago was long gone.

“Stand up?” Yue Congrao’s voice was emotionless. “Who gave you the gall to sit?”

Xu Yangyi closed his eyes and almost looked up into the sky and screamed.

This was Core Formation.

This was Yue Congrao’s true face.

Decisive in murder, not at all like that teacher who spoiled his daughter. He was instead a Core Formation Dao Master who could level New York in one move!

“I…Sooner or later I’ll reach this point…” Xu Yangyi lowered his head and watched all of this with a fiery gaze. His heart raged and billowed. He would remember this scene under the moonlit night forever.

“To the point… that no one will dare to question me again!”

Crash… Blood-colored spiritual energy wrapped around the bat. After no less than a dozen seconds, Bloody Moon stood up again.

His pale face originally should’ve been handsome, with a smile that was perfectly courteous but somehow disrespectful. Now, though, he didn’t laugh.

But not only did he not laugh, his face was instead ashen. Blood freely gushed out from his mouth. At first neatly combed back, his golden hair was now disheveled. His gorgeous black gown was long since tattered to pieces, and an unknown number of his joints had been broken. He was able to stand with great difficulty.

Moreover… he was shaking.

Faced with a Grand Duke’s anger, he shivered from head to toe in fear.

“Cheap and expired meat then paired with disgusting spice? Hmm?” As soon as Bloody Moon steadied himself, Yue Congrao’s cold emotionless laughter fell from the sky. Yue Congrao wasn’t seen, only heard, but his words were like heaven’s decree. “You want my son-in-law’s things? Hmm?”

Shivers traveled up and down Bloody Moon’s spine. He couldn’t restrain himself.

“‘After all, you, who was once resplendent’? ‘This is the pity I grant you’? Hmm?!” Yue Congrao became angrier and angrier as he spoke. “Not once have I ever spoken like this! But you alone? Merely an insignificant Marquis?!”

“Kneel.”

Bloody Moon quivered like sifting chaff. Upon hearing these words, he was about to instinctively kneel, but his eyes swept over Xu Yangyi who was adjusting his breathing in the corner. The demon slayer bowed, but didn’t kneel.

He couldn’t kneel!

To this defective commodity?

To this person that he could easily kill ten minutes ago?

To this person… who had laid eyes on the Dracul’s Holy Coffin, but could be free and easy?!

For what reason?!?!

He wasn’t able to kill Xu Yangyi… but instead had to kneel to the other? If this spread, the Dracul would become the laughingstock of the West overnight! Yet what would his prestige, his honor as Bloody Moon, and his centuries-old reputation be considered?

“Not going to kneel?” Yue Congrao laughed heartily, “Good, very good!”

Bang! In the next second, two crunches rang out from Bloody Moon’s knees. Afterwards, his legs went soft, and he tumbled in front of Xu Yangyi with a thud.

“Speak,” Yue Congrao said coldly, “Use your most elegant and flowery words and sincerely apologize to X. Afterwards, pray that he forgives you.”

No one saw, but the teeth of Bloody Moon’s lowered head were audibly grinding.

His hand tightly dug into the ground and clawed out a few marks.

He clearly understood. Only with an apology he could survive. But… how could he voice this ‘sincere, graceful and flowery-worded apology?!

Humiliation! This was an incomparable humiliation!

“Good… I like these kinds of hard bones.” Yue Congrao was merciless. In the air, a golden spear suddenly fell. “Since you are unwilling to apologize… then regret in hell.”

“I’ll speak!” In the instant the spear fell, Bloody Moon crawled in front of Xu Yangyi on all fours and hoarsely screeched, “I’ll speak! I’ll speak!!! Please stay your hand, Your Highness Grand Duke!”

Swish… The golden spear was only a centimeter away from the middle of his back. It silently stopped.

“Do you know what this is called?” Yue Congrao sneered, “This is called cheap.”

“Evidently, it has to be said that if I didn’t slap you, you wouldn’t understand human speech.”

“Speak!”

Drip… Drop… Head lowered, Bloody Moon opened his mouth. His face was already warping into an inhuman visage. Sweat drops mingled with blood dripped in front of him.

How long had it been since he lowered his noble head?

How long had it been since he hadn’t done as he pleased to any Marquis?

But now… he was going to beg this insect for mercy! This putrid, inferior meat!

Scrape… His fingernails were already burrowing deeply into the soil, but in this moment Yue Congrao coldly snorted. His eyes became blood-red, and he gritted out word for word from between gritted teeth, “Mr… X…”

“Please forgive me… Forgive everything I have done to you… I was wrong… I… I…” He bit into his lips and drew blood. “I… I shouldn’t have… shouldn’t have raised a murderous heart against you… I… my lowly self… beseech the noble you… sincerely… forgive me…”

His voice seemed incredibly respectful, but only Xu Yangyi, who stood in front of the vampire, could sense the extreme humiliation and extreme anger buried in his heart!

Xu Yangyi felt a spiritual sense stick to him, and Yue Congrao’s voice dimly echoed at his ear side.

“How about it?”

Xu Yangyi didn’t consider it whatsoever, and said in a calm voice, “I don’t believe death is capable of a memorandum of understanding.”

“YOU!!!” Bloody Moon raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot, and he glared at Xu Yangyi as if he was looking at a dead man, but he didn’t dare to speak one curse!

These words were the same as giving him the death penalty!

“Hahaha!” Yue Congrao’s brash laughter spread all around. “Well said.”

“Repay kindness with virtue, and vengeance with justice. That is how a Chinese cultivator should be!”

Swish! Just as Yue Congrao’s voice fell, the spear flared with a great deal of golden light and stabbed towards the middle of Bloody Moon’s back with full strength.

Xu Yangyi’s eyes, brimming with killing intent, met Bloody Moon’s blood-red eyes in this moment. He clearly understood that if the other didn’t die today… that even after after the Holy War, even if he didn’t reveal the House of Dracul’s secret, Bloody Moon absolutely wouldn’t let him go!

Between the two of them, only one could live.

“I still have many things I want to do.” Bloody Moon watched Xu Yangyi quietly speak. Xu Yangyi’s mouth twitched. “So I’ll have to trouble you to drop dead.”

“X… I’ll be waiting for you in hell!!!” Bloody Moon’s entire body was shaking. He didn’t even blink, as if he wanted to carve Xu Yangyi’s figure into his heart. “I curse you… forever and for all eternity, may Satan torment your soul!”

SPLASH!!! Bloody florets flew through the air, but at this time, the sound of Yue Congrao’s soft grunt echoed through space.

The tip of the spear had indeed pierced Bloody Moon’s back.

However, he hadn’t died.

Because… a blood-red bat had appeared at some unknown time. It was merely a bat, but it lifted up the longspear.

“This is…” The flap of wings rang out above, and Bloody Moon shot a glance. He was soon overcome with joy and loudly laughed in a hoarse voice, “First Bitten… His Highness the First Bitten has arrived! Hahahaha…”

First Bitten?

Xu Yangyi took a deep breath and felt cold in his heart. He quickly looked at the bat above.

There was nothing odd about it, apart from its blood-red color, but… from merely glancing at this ordinary bat, the howls and wails of endless malevolent wraiths rose up in his soul.

As soon as he lowered his head, he felt a little better, but he was incredibly disappointed.

Bloody Moon wasn’t going to die… 

First Bitten… this was the title of Grand Duke, of Core Formation.

After Bloody Moon’s mad laughter, he dropped his head down and the corners of his eyes slightly trembled. It was as if his life had instantly returned, and he wiped the blood at the crook of his mouth. He serenely matched Xu Yangyi’s gaze.

No one spoke. No one forget themselves. However, the soundless killing intent in both of their eyes was so dense it couldn’t be cleared away.

Silence triumphed over sound.

“Mr. Yue.” An ancient voice spread through the air. “If you want to kill him, good and bad, you should still consider the mood of our House of Dracul.”

“Auschwitz Dracul? The Scarlet Grand Duke?” Yue Congrao said nonchalantly, “He attempted to kill my son-in-law before, why must I consider you?” 

In the next second his voice grew dangerous. “Could it be… that your Second Bitten cannot die, but my son-in-law must?”