Wei Po Tian knew that this excuse would not hold. No matter what Qian Ye had done, it could not overshadow the fact that he had turned into a vampire. The Empire always dealt with the dark races in the same manner—kill first, ask questions later. The supremacy of their faction over all else was a natural consequence of centuries of blood feuds.
Not a single dark race was allowed to exist within the territories of the Empire. This was the legacy left by the founding emperor, a vow that every succeeding emperor reiterated at their coronation.
Wei Po Tian thought of something even more dire. Qian Ye hailed from the Red Scorpion, with high privileges. If such a person were to defect to the Evernight faction, the damage would be immense. Therefore, regardless of whether Qian Ye had truly joined the dark races, once the Empire learned that he was still alive and had become a vampire, they would hunt him down at any cost. And it was possible that the ones pursuing him might even come from the Red Scorpion!
Wei Po Tian finally raised his head, meeting the gaze of White Dragon Armor with unwavering resolve! But just as he was about to speak, White Dragon Armor suddenly raised a hand, stopping his words.
White Dragon Armor flicked his finger, and a few drops of blood flew into the night. The aura of killing around him dissipated, and then he said, “Wasn’t Lin Qian Ye already killed in battle? The Imperial Military Department never makes mistakes, so you must have mistaken someone tonight.”
Wei Po Tian almost couldn’t believe his ears!
He was overjoyed and leaped up, but he didn’t know what to say, only grinning foolishly, repeating, “I must have mistaken someone, I must have mistaken someone!”
White Dragon Armor shook his head, saying helplessly, “Duke Wei, a hero of a generation, how did he father such a son? Ah!”
Wei Po Tian just kept grinning, but he wasn’t entirely convinced, looking around anxiously.
White Dragon Armor smiled faintly, saying, “Rest assured, he is still alive.”
Wei Po Tian scratched his head, making a sound of agreement, and half-relieved, he listened as White Dragon Armor’s tone suggested that Qian Ye was at least safe for now. Suddenly, he thought of something, his expression turning somber, “Commander Lin…” he said through gritted teeth.
White Dragon Armor raised an eyebrow. He knew that the year Wei Po Tian won the new recruit competition in the military and became the official heir of the Duke of Bofang, Wei Family, he had used his family’s privilege to investigate Lin Qian Ye’s file. Looking at Wei Po Tian’s reaction, had he heard some rumors? Although the Wei Family had been lying low for years, with no one reaching the rank of Commander, their influence in the military was still formidable, and even such a covert matter was discovered.
However, the Bai Family and the Lin Xi Tang line had long been at odds, and they had ceased to make any pretense of civility. White Dragon Armor had never wanted the neutral Wei Family to lean towards the other side, and now, with Wei Po Tian, the legitimate heir of the Wei Family, having such an encounter and reaction, it saved him from much future persuasion.
He merely said, “No matter what you’ve heard, if you don’t have the authority to verify it, it’s just a rumor.”
“Authority?” Wei Po Tian hesitated, repeating the word emphasized by White Dragon Armor.
“Authority. Like your quota allows you to kill those below the rank of major, I can directly execute their superiors along with the entire camp. That’s authority,” White Dragon Armor said in a usual tone, as if instructing Wei Po Tian on his martial arts.
Wei Po Tian was stunned for a moment before hurrying to catch up with White Dragon Armor, and the two walked away down the long street.
In the twilight, shrouded in a thin mist, Wei Po Tian’s voice echoed, “General Bai! In my opinion, there is no man or woman in the entire Angelwing who is more handsome than you!”
A loud thud sounded, as if White Dragon Armor had collided with something.
He roared angrily, “Wei Po Tian! You good-for-nothing, go back and learn how to flatter properly!”
Wei Po Tian seemed bewildered, stammering, “Isn’t it said that the highest form of flattery is the truth? I really think so, look at that guy, he looks like a girl! I’ve always disliked him…”
The “that guy” was always White Dragon Armor’s arch-rival in the Angelwing.
White Dragon Armor was speechless for a while, and finally said, “Damn it!” It was unclear whom he was cursing.
But Wei Po Tian’s flattery, in an unnoticeable way, had been gently accepted.
As they approached the Expeditionary Army’s camp, Wei Po Tian put away his frivolousness, his aura of killing spreading, and said, “General, should we give these trash in the Expeditionary Army a lesson?”
White Dragon Armor gazed at the rows of barracks in the twilight, saying indifferently, “Actually, you can’t blame them. The instructions they received for the operation didn’t specify our identity. And there’s a rumor that a big figure from the Evernight faction will enter Darkblood City tonight. These soldiers are clearly scared.”
“A big figure?”
“A member of the Evernight Parliament.”
Wei Po Tian gasped! The Evernight Parliament was the highest decision-making body in the dark world, and each of its members was a terrifying entity with immense power. The movements of each member could influence the situation in a region. Why would such a big figure come to a remote place like Darkblood City?
Seeming to guess Wei Po Tian’s question, White Dragon Armor said, “Why he’s here is not something you should know. Knowing too much is not good for you.”
With this, Wei Po Tian somewhat understood the Expeditionary Army’s actions. If a member of the Evernight Parliament were to appear, it would indeed be a sensible move for the Expeditionary Army to stay in hiding. Such a figure, second only to the great lords in the dark world, wouldn’t casually attack human civilians.
This member surely came with a purpose and would leave after completing it. But if the Expeditionary Army provoked him, he wouldn’t mind slaughtering tens of thousands as a byproduct.
Despite understanding, Wei Po Tian couldn’t forgive such cowardice. Unexpectedly, White Dragon Armor, who was usually extremely extreme in his actions, showed no surprise or anger.
Wei Po Tian, unable to keep things inside, asked his question.
White Dragon Armor replied calmly, “You and I are soldiers, but the Expeditionary Army is different. For many of them, this is just a job. They’ll work hard for a little less money, but they won’t risk their lives for it.”
Wei Po Tian found it hard to understand, but he didn’t press further, just silently noting it. But, as usual, slow to react, he remembered another serious matter and nearly jumped, “Doesn’t that mean the member is coming tonight? What should we do?”
White Dragon Armor looked at Wei Po Tian with a half-smile, saying, “Only now you think of this? Don’t worry, no matter what happens, it won’t be your turn to fight a member of the Evernight Parliament.”
Wei Po Tian said somewhat sheepishly, “Even if I wanted to, it wouldn’t help!”
White Dragon Armor looked at the deep night sky, saying, “Don’t worry, there will naturally be someone to ‘welcome’ the member.”
Seeing White Dragon Armor’s unusual expression, Wei Po Tian wondered who this person could be, to make White Dragon Armor look so envious. But anyone capable of intercepting a member of the Evernight Parliament must be a figure of great renown.
Wei Po Tian could never have imagined that, at that moment, outside Darkblood City, in the vast wilderness, the one welcoming the member was a seemingly fragile girl who couldn’t withstand the night breeze.
Her long dress danced in the wind, her hair also flowing freely.
In the deep night, she was pure and radiant, as if her skin itself emitted a gentle glow. Yet, she was so delicate that even the slightest breeze made her brows furrow.
She had a unique, ethereal presence, distinctively hers.
In this desolate, cold, and rugged world, the girl was like a fleeting flower, quietly blooming in the night. Her blossoming form was breathtaking, as if it would vanish at any moment.
Wherever she was, the world turned black and white. Everything was a deep black, and she was a pale white. The only color came from her lips, but that faint rouge seemed to be the coalescence of the world’s melancholy, every subtle movement tugging at the heartstrings.
This was a girl one couldn’t forget, a girl who had once appeared in the Manjusha Bar.
At that moment, floating in the void opposite her, was an old man in a black robe. His face was chiseled, with deeply drooping eyes and mouth, and his pale gray eyes were like gates to hell, always threatening to devour souls.
He examined the girl, and where his gaze fell, the bubble-like light surrounding her rippled.
The old man was moved, asking in a strange, grinding voice, “Who are you…?”
“Zhao Ruoxi,” the girl’s voice, too, had a dreamlike, unreal quality.
Her very existence was like a bubble, ready to burst at the slightest touch.
The old man’s eyes drooped even lower, slowly saying, “I am Gesit. Since you dared to wait for me here, you should know who I am. Let me pass, and I will leave after confirming a piece of information.”
“Sorry, you can go no further,” Zhao Ruoxi said.
The old man’s black robe suddenly billowed, and the wind on the plains seemed to gain a soul, gathering from all directions, roaring in a cacophony. Within a fifty-kilometer radius, an invisible vortex was forming.
Gesit spread his arms, as if to embrace the girl from afar, murmuring, “Then come, girl, let me see what can stop me!”
“As you wish.”
Zhao Ruoxi suddenly held a gun!
It was an old-fashioned flintlock, with a golden barrel and grip, adorned with intricate patterns. Her fingers gently pressed the hammer, the luster of her skin rivaling the mithril. But the most striking was the deep red flower, its petals extending, vividly blooming, full of life, not just a mere carving.
Gesit’s pupils contracted! As a member of the Evernight Parliament, he recognized the gun, one of the ten famous guns, the Manjusha, the flower of the underworld, held by the Empire.
“You! You are the current master of the Manjusha! The Empire has found another who can wield this gun!”
Gesit was in shock. The Manjusha was notorious for its unruliness. Though it had been in the Empire’s hands for a millennium, it had spent most of its time unused, sealed away. He hadn’t expected it to appear in the hands of a girl, so pure and fragile.
At this moment, Zhao Ruoxi grasped the gun with both hands, pulling the trigger with all her strength!
The Manjusha spat out a wisp of faint light, as dim as a candle flame, barely noticeable.
Yet, the space around Gesit changed. The howling wind vanished, the night returning to a dense, substantial quiet, rippling like water.
Gesit felt a great terror. This was not night, but the waters of the Styx! Indeed, amidst the ripples, one by one, deep red flowers bloomed, swaying silently, guiding wandering souls home.
Gesit tried to evade, but he found himself completely immobilized!
And a nearly transparent, crystal bullet glided through the night, aiming for the river of the underworld.
“No!!” In his cry, the bullet struck the river. The flowers swayed like dancers, and the frozen scenery cracked, like a shattered mirror!
Gesit, part of the scenery, fragmented into pieces, swirling like a black cloud, reassembling into a whole. But his face paled, and he spat a mouthful of black blood before turning and fleeing.
His figure flashed in the void, leaving behind rings of black light, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Zhao Ruoxi’s face remained pale, her lips almost transparent. She existed in a world of black and white, like a faded painting.
She slowly closed her eyes, falling backward, her small body like a petal, drifting in the rain of withering flowers, sinking into the eternal night.
Wang Bo appeared silently, catching the weightless Zhao Ruoxi and vanishing instantly.
The vortex of wind still lingered, wailing across the plain, the last Manjusha falling from the void, like stars blazing a path, uncertain of their destination. Only the waters of the Styx flowed on, singing softly.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage