Archfiend

“I don’t want to enter a pointless argument with you.” The old voice wasn’t afraid at all, and said blandly as usual, “I will take Bloody Moon. For today’s matter, the House of Dracul will owe you a favor.”

“Leaving just because you say so? Do you think this place is still the House of Dracul’s Holy Blood Pond?” Yue Congrao said calmly, “If you want to go, fine. I’ve heard that the Dracul have a treasure called Marathon. If…”

“Heh heh heh…” Auschwitz finally barked out a dry laugh, “Don’t you think your appetite is too big?”

“Marathon… In order to gain it back then, the House of Dracul joined Greece’s pantheon houses on a 200-year-long expedition. Five members of our house surpassing Grand Duke died, but we only obtained a third of it. If you are going to open your mouth, do you really think you can bully our family?”

As he spoke these last four words, his voice was already rising in pitch. In the next moment, within the red fog all around, swarms of red bats sprung up and shook the sky with their screeches and flapping wings. Like an ocean, they surrounded the entire space.

No sound emerged. Yue Congrao and Auschwitz Dracul, two Core Formation cultivators, seemed to face each other from dozens of kilometers away. Xu Yangyi suppressed his breathing, so he wouldn’t draw a sliver more of their gazes.

After no less than five minutes passed, Auschwitz suddenly said, “So that’s how it was…”

“Marathon… cannot be given. But, a hundredth of it can be considered an apology for the ignorance of the Dracul’s youngling.”

Immediately, the entire space faintly trembled. Afterwards, a crimson speck shot out from nowhere and fell exactly in front of Xu Yangyi, who was trying not to draw any attention.

Xu Yangyi nearly cursed.

“Mr. X.” Auschwitz’s voice seemed calm, but it carried a feeling that made Xu Yangyi’s bones chill. “This is your gift as thanks… Receive it well… Do not lose it. The House of Dracul’s apology… is not something that anyone can accept...”

The veiled threat needed no explanation.

Xu Yangyi inwardly sighed. Did he regret it?

No, he didn’t. If he hadn’t fought back, he definitely would’ve been the one to die today.

Due to his counterattack, Daomaster Yue had been alerted, but so had the old monster that stood at the peak of the Dracul’s pyramid. This was unexpected.

“Thank you for your generous bestowal, Senior.” He gritted his teeth, clasped his hands, and stowed away this scalding hot potato.

But as soon as he touched the ball of red light, he discovered something different… 

His qi had moved!

“What is this?” He was astonished for a tenth of a second, and then he swiftly used Innersight on himself.

It really had… His qi really had moved!

The ambient qi was frantically rushing into his hungry and thirsty body!

“How is this possible?” Awed, he observed streaks of qi enter the heart of the azure vortex in him and moisten the bodhi seed at the center of the vortex. Even the Dream Eater was dancing in delight.

“This vortex is a result of the Eternal Alchemy Canon and the Voidspirit Immortal Physique uniting. Without a fire seed, there’s no way to ignite the Eternal Alchemy Canon! Apart from the Clearcloud Realm’s ‘cultivation world’s O-type blood’, I can’t absorb other kinds of spiritual force. What in the world is this thing?”

Forcing down his shock, Xu Yangyi wordlessly tucked away the red brilliance.

“Good…” Auschwitz’s cold laughter spread through the air. “Mr. X, your courage is indeed great… I hope the next time I see you… you will still be alive…”

“We shall take our leave,” the vampire Grand Duke snorted.

Crash… Countless bats flew over, grabbed the heavily injured Bloody Moon in their claws, and quickly departed.

Xu Yangyi saw very clearly. Straight until the very last instant, Bloody Moon’s crimson gaze didn’t shift away from him.

Bloody Moon’s killing intent was already determined!

Such humiliation, even personal, was unendurable. Especially… for a person so arrogant.

Far away, the bats seemed to fly slowly, but they were in fact extremely fast. In less than ten minutes, they all screeched as they turned into orbs of blood fog and dropped Bloody Moon, who groaned as he tumbled to the ground. In front of him, a pair of shiny leather shoes stood.

“Ah ah ah… my child…” Old hands stroked his face. All of his bones cracked aloud, and he was restored to his original state. “Do you see… you’ve done so embarrassingly. If I hadn’t taken action myself, you would not have returned tonight.”

“Yes…” Bloody Moon stood up, faced upwards, and took a deep breath. His expression was incredibly bitter.

X… You Chinese mutt! 

I respected you, so I wanted to give you a perfect burial, but this is how you treat me. You made me kneel in front of you and moan like a beggar.

It’s not over… We aren’t done… unless I bite your throat out myself!

“What are you thinking? My child?” The owner of the aged voice smiled. “Don’t let this matter become your stumbling block in advancing. You are one of the closest to the Grand Duke rank. My realm is below that monster’s, so I am very sorry that I cannot demand back the honor that should belong to you.”

“Your Highness.” Bloody Moon lifted up his messy hair, not the slightest expression on his pale face. “I want to enter the Holy Coffin.”

The old man of the Dracul wasn’t the least bit surprised. “Why?”

“So… that I can take back that which belongs to me with my own hands.” Bloody Moon was enraged, and blood gushed out from his mouth like a fountain. He didn’t wipe it away, but rather said with reddened eyes, “In my training and accumulations to this day… I have never lowered my head to anyone. And yet… today, I begged like a dog. I begged another for my life.”

“That monster, I dare not offend, nor can I even. But X… I shall personally tear his corpse into ten thousand pieces!”

“Killing a master spirit-technician is a serious crime,” the old man said neither slowly nor swiftly.

“But what if it’s during the Holy War?” Bloody Moon lightly wiped his lips, murderous intent radiating from his eyes, and dropped to a knee. “I know. I know he wants to join the Holy War. This is my best chance… At most, quasi Grand Dukes can participate in the Holy War. I apply to enter the Holy Coffin and lower my rank. Allow me to become an Inheritor of the Vampiric Realm. I am willing to pay with my life to cut his head off in front of everyone!”

“You…”

“Please, Your Highness, aid me in my endeavor!”

The night wind blew on Bloody Moon’s cloak, making it whistle. No one spoke. After ages, the old man sighed, “Go… my child.”

“He is yours. No one shall fight over you for him. I guarantee. An Inheritor of the Vampiric Realm… From merely the Holy Coffin, unless one is beheaded, any wound will not bring death. This needs not for essence, but the pinnacle of physique arts. If it is you… you should be the strongest inheritor. In the past, the Grand Duke Impaler resisted the Ottoman Empire with the strongest army, ‘the Red Rose Battalion’. It consisted purely of inheritors. They… were known as the most fearsome killing machines, and the sharpest spears to break magicks…. Go, may the Ancestor Dracula bless and protect us.”

Meanwhile, outside of Chinatown, the blood-colored boundary field still hadn’t fell away. Nonetheless, a black figure was already galloping through the air, to reach Xu Yangyi.

“Thank you, Daomaster Yue,” Xu Yangyi cupped his hands and said.

“Are you perhaps wishing that you could kick me to death?” Yue Congrao said quietly, “I know you didn’t want to draw that old monster’s attention, but this is for the best.”

“The Holy War is about to arrive, and he doesn’t risk creating new problems with me. So… even if he wasn’t willing to, he was still bound to hand it over.”

“In any case, you shouldn’t thank me.” He waved, and a white figure bounced over. “If Angel wasn’t looking for you just now, even I would’ve been too late.”

Xu Yangyi merely shot a glance. Afterwards, his brows furrowed.

It was that overactive swan.

“Whatever you want to ask, I already told her everything.” Yue Congrao affectionately stroked Angel’s long golden hair. “I am tired. How about you two go ahead first?”

“Yes… No,” Xu Yangyi agreed without thinking and then backpedaled. He took a deep breath and said, “Daomaster Yue… you are saying that your daughter, sir…”

“Is there a problem?” Anger flashed and died away in Yue Congrao’s eyes. “My daughter is willing to follow you in cultivation herself! This your fortune!”

The meaning in his eyes was apparent: Do you want to try saying no?

“...This fortune is too great. Perhaps Junior’s considerations… are not satisfactory.” Xu Yangyi cringed.

“She does not want for your considerations.”

“...Junior is afraid that I will neglect Ms. Angel.”

“Be at ease… she won’t let you think of ‘neglecting’ her.” Yue Congrao’s words held deep meaning.

“Junior…”

“STOP!” 

Xu Yangyi still wanted to say something, but Angel was already walking over and looking him straight in the eyes. Xu Yangyi inwardly sighed and somewhat uneasily turned his head.

He wasn’t suited to women who took the lead too much, especially this woman who had a very unordinary status. But more importantly… she had just saved him.

“Ms. Angel.” He turned his head, but his words were very firm. “I am presently not considering these matters.”

He wasn’t used to rejecting women.

Angel quietly looked at him for several seconds and flashed a smile. “That’s fine, I’ll help you consider.”

“I…”

“Jeez, you’re so bothersome. I’m standing in front of you, and this is how you’re going to be? This is how you treat the person who saved your life?” Angel angrily used her finger to poke his chest, and her brows suddenly knitted together. “Hmm?” 

Afterwards, she tenaciously poked a few more times.

Xu Yangyi was a little anxious in his heart and felt somewhat weak. The secrets inside his body were too many. She shouldn’t have… 

“What is it?” Yue Congrao also said suspiciously.

“No…” Angel softly brushed over Xu Yangyi’s chest a few times and lightly coughed, “His chest is well-built…”

“...”

“...”

The two men were silent. Xu Yangyi finally turned his head around, gritting his teeth and cupping his hands, “Thank you, Daomaster Yue, thank you, Ms. Angel.”

Afterwards, he turned around and walked away.

Yet in a flash, Angel was trailing him like a shadow. She skillfully took his hand, but just as Xu Yangyi was about to shake her off out of reflex, he quickly felt a blade-like gaze behind him.

“What do you want to eat tonight? Oh, no, for a midnight snick?” Angel saw that Xu Yangyi ‘wasn’t resisting’, and giggled, “I can cook pretty well, do you wanna try?”

Awkwardly, they walked together for a few blocks. Once Xu Yangyi was sure he didn’t feel Yue Congrao’s scorching gaze, he turned his head, lightly shook off Angel’s hand, and said indifferently, “Ms. Angel, what are you trying to do?”

“I’m trying to act like how a wife should.” Angel delicately covered her mouth and laughed, “But right now I think you’re pretty good. Whether you’re qualified to be my husband in the future still depends on your performance.”

Xu Yangyi sighed, “Is that why you really came?”

“Of course! I never lie.” Angel’s smile vanished, and she looked him right in the eyes.

“What in the world do you see in me?”

Angel’s eyes suddenly shone. “You want to know?”

“No… I want to change.”

“A guy like you really is no fun!”