Night pupil felt only the slightest dizziness as she initiated her Eye of Destruction, an incredible toll for Qiaye. At a critical moment, Night pupil found her last strike failing, causing panic as she struggled to refocus her pupils, wiping away their lingering visions to face Lishuifu once more.
然而原地除了那名已被绞碎内脏的军部高手，哪有栗风水的影子？
A wave of dread surged through her as Lishuifu slammed into her from behind with a devastating attack. His frigid, sinister force tore through Qiuye’s waning life force like nothing, striking directly at its core and instantly freezing it.
Qiaye staggered briefly before finally collapsing to the ground. Lishuifu materialized behind her, slowly drawing in his right hand. His fingertips, however, uncontrollably trembled while he tried to suppress the deep terror evident in his eyes.
“Not disappointed by the vampire princess’s ability…” Lishui Fu’s voice slightly shook.
One of Lishuifu’s subordinates hurriedly responded, saying “Even if he were more powerful, in the end he still could do nothing but fall in the hands of General, Lishuifu! And had you been at full capacity instead of injured, there wouldn’t have even been the opportunity for such moves.”
Lishing’s face became somewhat unnatural briefly “It’s not that simple. I still feel afraid recalling that moment. Had it not been triple backup strategy alongside his surprise attack, things could have taken a dangerous twist. To be honest… Before stepping forward in person, who could have imagined Zhao’s clan possessed some hidden cards up such a sleeve?”
“Nevertheless, at last it is General you who triumph!”
But Lishing’s expression held no triumph, only an expression of great seriousness replaced it. “This victory was first and foremost the triumph of intellect, irrelevant to brute force. Yet that ‘force’—is often the true breakthrough! I envy greatly those who possess the power to end all struggle with a simple show of strength. Oh my regrets… How many souls have been stilled and plans thwarted for being trapped behind an insurmountable training hurdle, no matter how shrewd of mind they were.”
He let out a slight sigh and concluded, “ We can not tarry here. Leave straight away!”
Soon enough, with night still heavy, Lishing lead his company away from he wretched town without delay and faded far out of reach.
Not long After their departure, figures began appearing in the center of the town one after another. These five powerful blood race Elders gathered together. the first of the elders, a high and thin old man took a look at this surroundings, and took some deep sniffs: “Not long ago she’d been exactly at the place.”
“The escape cannot be too far.” Another ancient voice muttered darkly.
“No, too far to chase now.” A slightly plump Marquis lifted his hand pointing into the distance, indicating a swiftly disappearing glimmer within the dark. Where he was pointing the five, Marquis-class Elders watched keenly; all saw a warship beginning lift off from the edge of the landmass gaining altitude even as it accelerated. In only moments the vessel was gone, with no way it could possibly pursue.
“A margin too small.” The Leader sighed in despair.”If we’d heard sooner from the Karden house she’d surely still be within grasp”
“Fear the wrath of Our Dark Lord finds a much more convenient target now!”
And while a few of the Elders gathered in this battered city, engaged in such discussions, not a single one of them even considered giving chase.
High Above the landmass, a massive vampire fleet remained in hover mode, clustered together to guard a central ship of immense, monstrous proportions. This dreadnought dwarfed even the mightiest of Empire dread ships by nearly double in sheer tonnage. Lavished with the extravagance worthy of it status as a fortress and capital craft, the vessel’s construction was a decades-long process which has continuously evolved over a thousand-plus years.
Within her command bridge, while Lord Medonzo still receiving reports on this-and-that from subordinate captains. Suddenly, his countenance darkened dramatically as he abruptly cried “Qiaye! She…She has surfaced?”
One of high nobles hastily nodded: “Without a shred of doubt, her involvement as verified through several intercepts and pursuits. Only she can demonstrate such perfect blood concealment and during pursuit she repeatedly unleashed her ‘Eyes’”.
“Continue.” Medonzi seemed to regain some composed countenance, However he was shaking so violently he fumbled his golden goblin off the arm rest.
*CLANG!* The vessel toppled heavily to crash onto the floor, splashing crimson liquor everywhere. At the exact same moment of sound; Each vampire within the grand chamber instantly locked their crimson pupils on that tumbling cup… then quickly averted their gaze to their feet. In a blink two serving vampiresses, like ghosts, zapped forwards to clean the spilled mess in record time. Before even the dust had settled upon that pristine floor, a brand new crystal cup replaced its predecessor, brim-full again of fine wines and spirits.
A minor setback in most terms indeed, considering how even a simple wine sip under such command is a mere drop of ink upon the vast sea! Yet all present were well versant with Medonzo’s strength. To spill even one single drop must represent monumental mental disturbance.
Dread over this understanding caused the Marquis noble to redouble his pace forward. Now he spoke faster while subtly reforging emphasis to instead highlight events leading up to Qiaye’s escape attempts. Other matters great or small suddenly fell unspoken.
“Escapa?!” Lord Medonzo gasped out loud disbelieved tones, while an invisible pressure storm brewed suddenly, so great in intensity all present vampire cores pulsing simultaneously increasing their speeds with terrifying resonance.
The reporting officer’s already pale cheeks now turned a pure death-like white, straining to add: “Indeed only about 30 minutes… 30 precious minutes and we caught her. She fled.”
At Last could not longer hold Medonzi suppressed anger anymore, exploding with Roar: “30 Minutes, only half an hour difference! Damn the Caddon clan for waiting so long to warn us before it ever got a message out! Bastard’s held us back two entire bloody *days!”
One of the attending Dukes, who happened to have strong ties to the Caddon bloodline ventured: “M’Lord, please! The destruction of the ancient blood cistern has caused that line’s critical vulnerability, requiring caution was normal.”
Lord Medonzo gave a loud, heavy snort and spat out, “Nonsense! A stupid pool of stagnant blood is trivial beyond words and certainly not worth the delay! These ignorant bastards cost *me* an *invaluable opportunity.”
At this outburst from their monarch, even the Duke knew to remain silent and not dare reply.
After a long silence punctuated only by his own furious exhales, Medonzo asked coolly: “So this means the prey has already fallen in the hands of the humankind?
“From analyzing residual marks left as she fled, the final exfil appeared executed by imperial military personnel.
The mention of “Military Division” caused the Lord’s eyebrows slightly drawn. Even for one bearing the title of Arch Vampire sovereign like his own regal self, the Imperial Military remained one foe among few capable of causing hesitation before attacking. If captured by this branch, future recover of lost vampire princess was near-impossible!
He leisurely tapped fingers across his throne while considering. After some moments silence broken only by the rhythmic drumbeat upon his armrest:
“We are to activate every communication channel across the other side. Contact all prearranged agents and inquire of possible retrieval options available for our beloved lost daughter. Whatever the cost, offer everything necessary to reclaim our missing Qiaye… Everything.”
The assembled vampire nobles finally comprehended the scale of resolution from this proclamation, replying in unison with solemn affirmities:
“Understood my Lord!”
Back out in Void itself, a long-hidden airship now finally jettisions outer camouflage layers, instantly accelerating upon breaking forth as if thunder itself striking across the heavens in escape trajectory departing swiftly from the Twilight Lands.
Back inside his quarters, Lishing stared through a glass porthole at the disappearing silhouette far on in distance. A longtime companion approached quietly. Seemingly to make light chatter as he chided himself in joking tones “This time my General finally captured a princess, which must rank as an unmatched feat, might even earn elevation into our prestigious ranks!”
A faint smirk curved up the corners of Lishing’s lips, “Imperial field marshalling is a privilege reserved *always* for those achieving the Divine Warlord Rank first. That regulation never changed. And that ‘Divination gate’? Not so effortlessly passed after all. Just look how *I* remain stuck behind for so many damn years?”
Seeing his joke poorly aimed yet lacking visible discomfort, the subordinate tried different angle: “This operation is unique regardless, surely earning enough glory that maybe the Dynasty might deign grant some of those rare elixirs we all covets. I mean just maybe a single few precious drops would do for one like you to pass through final stages?”
Ling water faintly laughed: “As rare things as those have strictly set rations per year, barely even handfuls exist each one already reserved. No space in that supply chain to account to me.”
“But, for this time of merit…”, exclaimed aide indignantly.
Ling pointed upwards: “Other bigger bosses need their pieces. In the mean time those who follow with me for so many years also must reap deserved rewards. Can you imagine? To achieve such a grand success through dangerous efforts, without ever seeking to reward your loyal men?”
The servant was shocked by this answer, becoming a little teary eyed “General……”
Lishing gently shook aside his sentiment as expression resumed calculating coldness. He muttered while deep in thoughts: “This glory, is something no urgent to take. Remember we captured not a typical prisoner either, not for what the princess truly represents. We may yet reap far more valuable gains far beyond Imperial gifts currently imagined.”
Surprised by the new twist servant replied: “Not submitting the prisoner?! Isn’t this a golden chance to destroy your rival family?”
Linging smiled gently yet cunningly “The real gain lies not merely destroying a political foe. Otherwise this advantage gets easily snatched and capitalized by the other side – Our mutual ‘Right-side Minister’ faction in imperial politics.”
“And even with your feud with Zhao Family?”
“Well, what kind recompense I claim, is for Zhaou to decide how costly that grudge turns out.”
His servant nodded uncertainly “Understood! Then might I ask next course of movements?”
“To Hovering Lands!”
Again surprised he whispered “Back to airborne domains?” He hesitated before reminding: “That’s literally beneath Lord Zhao’s nose territory. Surely not safe! They might retaliate.”
“With the entire Empire watching too,” Lishing added while his face twisted into sneered cyniscism. “I’d love it if he *did*, with such a crowd. There’d be nothing to protect his actions when we publicly reveal evidence for his blood race collusion! Then no even ten heavenly kings together could prevent his complete downfall and disgrace!”
Upon understanding his clever maneuver then aide nodded “Your wisdom stretches far beyond all, Sir.”
Lishing smirked, “Qiye should’ve stirred up by now. Go check, visit your princess.”
The passage of unknown time finally ended as Qiye’s eyelashes fluttered open again.
Her eyes opened to nothing but a small cell-like room, completely barren without adornments. As she willed herself to rise, she instantly noted her whole frame utterly disconnected from will; the most she registered back was the merest of sensations. Her blood core still locked tightly within the ice-like grip of Lishing’s sinister force, beating only sluggishly in maintenance rhythm.
She strained once with greater resolve, but sudden unbearable sharp pain shot through arms as she felt the cold metal nails piercing her hands.
“These nails… Are not mere iron either… Each crafted requires five years of painstaking creation, with only finest materials possible incorporated inside. Every single pin constructed from high-tier refined silver; each pin, to put simply, worth as much as an entire aerial vessel of smaller scale.” Lishing remarked casually as he brought a chair right across and placed himself face-to-face with Qiye.
No more struggling, calmly answered Qiye:
“To go through this much… you actually do flatter me.”
Lishing threw laughter heartily across the tiny metal room “The Daughter of Marlo… Only the very finest accommodations deserve for one such as yourself. Truthfully speaking, when initially we gained intel about your involvement, even I nearly dismissed as impossible, but only when facing death myself by your own Eyes that I finally accepted. No soul in the world would have ever dared to suspect the lost royal princess herself dared to take asylum within this mortal Empire – Even hiding in an insignificant, unmarked village within eternal night!”
Qiyeh expression remain emotionless when answering: “You would come to understand everything eventually anyway, speaking of the current past isn’t particularly useful.”
“Well let’s proceed onto something *much* more meaningful!” Leaning closer, locking eye with captive, with every syllable carefully stressed:
“What I want… is Thousandnight’s Ascension!”
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