Chapter 37: Another Deal

Aiden was taken aback, but he reacted quickly and did not fire. He looked at Ye Tong and made a gesture of inquiry. Ye Tong pointed to the collar of her shirt and made a gesture signaling retreat.

Aiden was puzzled and glanced at the three soldiers. Two of them wore armor with the striking Yan Yun Iron Cavalry emblem, which Aiden recognized as the Zhao clan’s insignia.

The third soldier also had an emblem on his armor, but Aiden could not recognize it. He didn’t think much of it; if he didn’t know the emblem, it likely meant the person was from a minor family, one not powerful enough to warrant Aiden’s memory.

Aiden was quite perplexed. He didn’t see the significance in killing two Zhao soldiers. But when Ye Tong made the retreat gesture again, Aiden decided not to insist.

After all, this mission was ostensibly led by Ye Tong. Although Aiden was higher in rank, it was only temporary. In terms of bloodline, Ye Tong, being a pureblood, outranked him. Moreover, Ye Tong had awakened only a few years ago and was still in a period of rapid strength growth. It wouldn’t be long before she caught up to him. As for resources, Ye Tong, who had the attention of the Evernight Council, would never lack for them.

The two quietly left, and the three camping soldiers were unaware that they had just narrowly escaped death.

Once they were a safe distance away, Aiden finally couldn’t help but ask, “Why did we retreat?”

“Those were Zhao clan members.”

Aiden was even more confused, “I know they were Zhao clan members, and their status seemed rather high. Shouldn’t we have killed them?”

“Don’t you think we’ve killed too many Zhao soldiers already?”

“What does it matter? The Zhao clan is one of the four great clans of the Empire, our greatest enemy. Now is a good time to weaken them. Your brother, Viscount Aaron, was also killed by Qian Ye Zhao, wasn’t he?”

At the mention of Aaron, a flicker of pain passed through Ye Tong’s eyes, but she quickly composed herself. She remained silent and continued walking.

Realizing his mistake, Aiden quickly said, “I’m sorry.”

Ye Tong sighed softly and said, “As a blood descendant of the Monroe clan, dying in battle is the most glorious way to return to the eternal river of holy blood.”

“I agree.”

After a moment of silent running, Ye Tong seemed to have regained some composure and said, “Haven’t you noticed that we’ve been encountering more people these past two days? We must be approaching the center of this region. The Empire’s twin stars are both from the Zhao clan. When we reach the giant beast’s skeleton, we will definitely encounter them. Don’t you think it would be best if we avoid direct confrontation with them?”

Aiden nodded in understanding, “Indeed! It would be best to let the spider demons and werewolves take the lead, or even other clans within our lineage.”

Qian Ye and Jun Du Zhao had achieved astonishing results, and in this strange world where origination power was suppressed, no one knew how strong they would be. But it was clear they were much stronger than ordinary people. Even with Aiden’s level advantage, he was reluctant to face them directly unless absolutely necessary. If others could be used as cannon fodder to exhaust their strength, that would be ideal.

By now, Aiden seemed to understand Ye Tong’s point. If they killed too many Zhao soldiers, they would eventually draw the attention of Qian Ye and Jun Du Zhao. They would likely be the first targets at the giant beast’s skeleton.

As for Aiden’s true thoughts, no one knew.

They continued to search and hunt Empire strongholds, cautiously exchanging information with other explorers from the Evernight side. Occasionally, they encountered Empire commanders of marshal rank, and they managed to avoid them using their vision and stealth advantages.

Thus, a whole day passed. Even though they were geniuses from the Evernight, they felt very tired. They agreed to stop, with one watching while the other rested.

“Ye Tong?” It was Aiden’s turn to rest, but he seemed preoccupied and unable to sleep.

Without turning around, Ye Tong asked, “What is it?”

“I heard that the Holy Son has made new moves, all aimed at you. This time, he has mobilized almost all his forces, determined to succeed.”

“I know,” Ye Tong replied calmly, as if it were a trivial matter.

“I received word that Empress Lilith only said that you obtained the ancient essence, allowing you to choose your own path. She will not interfere. But her non-interference does not mean that other members of the Pas clan, or even other clans, will not act. The Holy Son’s actions this time are intended to force your compliance before anyone else can.”

“I know.”

“This strange world is the perfect place for such actions.”

This time, Ye Tong remained silent.

Aiden sighed, “I might be speaking bluntly, but I hope you don’t take it to heart. Frankly, I don’t think you can escape Edward’s control. I’ve known him for over a century and understand his character well. Edward never does anything without certainty. With such a heavy bet, he must be very confident. How do you plan to respond?”

“I have my methods,” Ye Tong said coolly.

“You have methods?” Aiden laughed wryly and continued, “We’ve fought side by side for so many days, and I’ve gotten to know you. After the Council assigned me this mission, I read all your records. If you truly had a method, you wouldn’t say it like that; you’d counter Edward directly.”

Ye Tong remained silent, staring into the mist.

Aiden sighed again, “I’ve spoken this far, and you must know what I mean. On behalf of the Abyss of Darkness, I formally invite you to join us when you’re ready or have no other choice. The Abyss of Darkness will provide you with shelter, even if the pressure comes from the Queen of Night, we can bear it.”

Ye Tong gave a self-mocking smile, “Am I so valuable now? Is this the will of the Abyss of Darkness, or the Council’s will?”

“At the very least, it has the approval of the Supreme One on the Sacred Mountain.”

Aiden’s words slightly surprised Ye Tong, and she looked at him. The Supreme One on the Sacred Mountain, one of the seven peaks, was the pinnacle of the dark world. After a moment of silence, she asked, “What do you want from me? Marriage?”

“No, we need you to provide one drop of origin blood every ten years, but only for 300 years.”

Ye Tong smiled, “That’s surprisingly lenient.”

Providing one drop of origin blood every ten years would affect her strength, but not significantly. For a high-ranking vampire, 300 years was like growing from a youth to middle age. From Ye Tong’s awakening speed, she still had a chance to become a Prince, though the hope of becoming a Crowned Blood was lost.

Becoming a Crowned Blood, or even lighting the Blood River, to become an Ancestor, was extremely difficult. Over the centuries, many talented geniuses of the twelve ancient clans, with similar purity, had tried, but few succeeded. Many grew to be mediocre, and even fewer became Grand Dukes.

In a thousand years, only Habus had lit the Blood Mark.

For Ye Tong, this deal required only the sacrifice of a distant hope, making the cost manageable. The use of the origin blood was irrelevant.

Vampire origin blood had many uses, containing powerful blood energy and life-stimulating effects, making it a valuable tool in critical situations. However, the origin blood provided every ten years could not create offspring, so Ye Tong did not have to worry about her bloodline being manipulated.

“I’ll consider it,” Ye Tong said. Only she knew how sincere her words were.

Aiden nodded and added, “The situation may be worse than you think. After Habus successfully lit the Blood Mark, many ancient figures in the vampire world began to act. Among all the awakened purebloods, you are the closest to the Blood Mark.”

With that, Aiden said no more, believing Ye Tong understood. His origination power had recovered, and he got up, continuing their journey.

Both could clearly locate the direction of the giant beast’s skeleton, but after understanding the rules of this strange world, they weren’t in a hurry. Instead, they took advantage of the environment to hunt more Empire enemies. Their route zigzagged, sometimes even retracing steps, gradually approaching the core area of the giant beast’s skeleton.

After half a day, Ye Tong suddenly quickened her pace, heading toward a large tree in the distance. Aiden, knowing her vision surpassed his, immediately followed, keeping an eye on their surroundings.

Reaching the tree, Ye Tong found nothing unusual. She touched the trunk, frowning silently. Aiden also came over, examined the trunk, and lightly tapped it, saying, “There are signs of a battle here. The minor damages are from impacts.”

Aiden then scraped a small piece from a dried stain, tasted it, and frowned, “Vampire, and from the Monroe clan.”

Ye Tong suddenly drew her sword, its blade glowing red. She slashed open the purple substrate beneath the tree. The red glow, as if intelligent, flew around, attaching to the cut, eroding the substrate.

Ye Tong’s blood energy quickly eroded the substrate, revealing an empty space. The ground was riddled with holes, and the purple substrate likely emerged from these. The blood energy cleared the surface substrate and penetrated the holes underground.

Aiden’s expression was complex. He had tried using demonic energy to erode the substrate, but it was far less effective. The demonic energy of the Dark Abyss clan was known for its corrosive power, yet even with Aiden’s capabilities, it was difficult. The substrate seemed to resist and absorb various energy forms.

But Ye Tong’s blood energy, unaffected, swept through until it was exhausted.

Aiden saw that it wasn’t a matter of quantity, but quality of origination power.

This strange substrate acted as a natural test, clearly showing the quality of origination power. Even a Marquis or Duke, if their origination power was impure, would have little effect, and might even be consumed.

After the substrate vanished, no bones were exposed. Even bones would be corroded quickly. But some things remained, like metal and special materials, including a Monroe clan badge.

Ye Tong picked up the badge, her face changing. This badge, made of a special material, identified outstanding figures within the clan. Turning it over, she saw the name engraved on the back and sighed, “This is Almu.”