Chapter 2

"Grumble!"

Veracon suppressed a low growl.

"Roar!"

As if stimulated by the sound, the young vampire bared his sharp fangs and claws, charging towards Yahyun.

"Is this your pet?"

Avarice flickered in the young man's eyes.

"I haven't tasted a mongrel since I was born. Hand it over to me."

"Grumble!"

"Hmm."

Veracon growled, and a smile crept onto Yahyun's lips. The woman, who had just rushed over, froze like a statue at the sight of Yahyun.

"Is this your successor?"

At Yahyun's gentle question, the woman trembled all over.

"What is this brat mumbling to the bloodline? Huh? Should I kill him?"

Perhaps because of Yahyun's respectful tone, the young man, failing to grasp the situation, bared his sharp fangs again.

Yahyun, instead of answering, gazed at the woman with a deep smile.

"P-please, just once, spare his life!"

The woman prostrated herself on the ground, begging.

"What, what is this?"

Sensing something was wrong, the young man's face finally turned pale.

"Just now, I asked if this was your successor."

His voice was low and even. After a moment of hesitation, the woman stood up and grabbed the young man's shoulder and head, tearing his neck in one swift motion.

Crack!

"Aaaaah!"

The young man's corpse burst into flames and soon turned to ashes, scattering on the floor.

"Forgiveness... please..."

The woman prostrated herself again, trembling.

"I haven't received an answer to my question yet."

"T-this... this is my successor."

"Is that so?"

"Merciful... forgiveness... please..."

Further words were unnecessary. Having received his answer, Yahyun had no more business with her. The one who had offended him was the successor, not the woman.

As if nothing had happened, Yahyun walked past the woman and continued down the corridor.

At the end of the long corridor was a thick door leading to the outside. Two knights in dark armor were guarding the door, but they were humans, not vampires. A peculiar detail was the black inverted cross tattoo on the back of their hands, a symbol of a group that followed vampires.

"I greet His Highness the Duke."

They saluted Yahyun.

"Open the door."

The knights, familiar with Yahyun's walks, quickly opened the closed door.

'Hmm...'

As the bright sunlight enveloped him, Yahyun's brows slightly furrowed. The power surging through his body dissipated like a mirage, and his flesh felt heavy like water-soaked cotton. But this was only temporary; the inner strength naturally flowed from his dantian.

Once his inner strength was full, the lethargy vanished.

Yahyun, as usual, wandered aimlessly after leaving the castle. Veracon silently followed behind him.

After walking for some time, they entered the slave market.

"Don't come closer! I said, don't come closer!"

A girl's pitiful yet sharp scream pierced Yahyun's ears. His eyes, which had been vacant throughout his walk, suddenly sparkled. His head quickly turned toward the source of the sound.

"Please, don't come! Don't come!"

It was clearly the language of the Central Plains. A girl with yellow skin and black hair stood with her feet chained, holding a knife. The problem was that the knife was pointed at her own neck.

Just as Yahyun was about to rush to the girl,

"Aaaaah!"

Unable to withstand the advancing men, the girl finally slit her own throat. She had committed suicide. The joy of finding her turned to disappointment in an instant. Yahyun's eyes once again became vacant.

"Veracon."

"Yes, my lord."

"Buy the girl's body and bury it in a sunny place."

"Understood."

Veracon immediately followed Yahyun's command.

* * *

Tap, tap, tap!

Yahyun sat on a soft sofa, gazing at the fireplace. The logs crackled, occasionally sending small sparks flying.

Yahyun enjoyed the warmth of the fire. In fact, vampires are not affected by heat or cold; they merely feel it, much like a martial arts master who has reached the realm of invulnerability to cold and heat.

Yahyun subconsciously stroked his left arm. The skin, which should have been warm for a human, was cold like a snake's. It wasn't due to the cool room air.

This was the curse that followed vampires like a destiny.

Yahyun slowly clenched and unclenched his hand, looking at it. Even after nearly 150 years as a vampire, this cold skin still felt alien. This chill reminded him that he was no longer human but a vampire. Yahyun frowned and picked up the whiskey bottle beside him.

Gulp, gulp, gulp!

He drank half the bottle of strong whiskey in one go. The fiery heat spread through his body, gradually reaching every corner.

While drinking, Yahyun habitually stroked his forearm. By the time he had almost finished the bottle, warmth finally returned to his cold skin. The joy was short-lived. A bitter smile played on his lips, knowing he could only feel warmth with the help of alcohol.

"Hmm."

The smile soon turned into a sneer. It was a reality he had accepted long ago, over a hundred years ago. Yet, he had fallen into sentimentality, probably due to the girl he saw in the afternoon.

Suddenly, a person came to mind.

Before becoming a vampire, he always called him "old man," a teacher he could not call a master.

It was Jinren of the Quanzhen Sect.

"Interdimension open!"

The blue gem on the ring on his left ring finger glowed, and a black dot appeared on his palm. The dot gradually grew, spreading like ink on paper, forming a sphere.

Yahyun took out two old books from the sphere, the pocket dimension.

These books were clearly different from the ones here.

The cover of the books was inscribed with Chinese characters, which were not seen here.

Xuanmen Zhengzong (Orthodox School of the Mystic Gate) Xiantian Gong (Pre-Heaven Art)

Quanzhen Zhenwu (Quanzhen True Martial)

These were the advanced martial arts manuals of the Quanzhen Sect.

Yahyun caressed the two books with a distant look. They were also the only items he had from his homeland.

Yahyun ran his fingers over the books.

The covers were very old, but the insides were surprisingly clean. He had only checked the covers, never reading the contents.

"Xian, if you ever go to the Quanzhen Sect, pass this on to them."

His last words came to mind.

'150 years have passed.'

Yahyun took another sip of the remaining whiskey.

'I want to drink huajiu.'

He suddenly craved the cheap huajiu he used to drink in a shabby back-alley inn.

Smirk.

A resolve appeared in Yahyun's eyes, and the emptiness was gone.

Thud!

Yahyun put the martial arts manuals back into the pocket dimension and stood up.

On the table where he had been sitting:

—I'll have a drink in my hometown.

A hastily scribbled note lay beside the whiskey bottle.

* * *

Yahyun entered the Central Plains via the Western Regions.

While Yumen Pass was the formal gateway to the Central Plains, Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province, was the city where one could truly feel the land of the Central Plains.

'Finally, I'm back.'

As he entered Lanzhou, Yahyun smiled calmly at the bustling crowd.

Tap, tap, tap!

Shaking off the dust from his robe, Yahyun headed for a secluded back alley instead of the bustling market. He chose a shabby inn that evoked old memories.

"Welcome, sir."

A spotless waiter bowed deeply.

"Are you alone?"

"Yes."

"Please, this way. I'll show you a sunny spot."

"I prefer a secluded corner."

Most people would naturally choose a sunny spot with a cool breeze. The waiter's head tilted slightly at Yahyun's unusual request but led him to an empty corner without hesitation.

"Please, this way."

It was a spot completely shielded from the sun. As soon as he sat down, Yahyun removed the hood of his robe.

"Phew."

The waiter blinked at Yahyun's face as he exhaled.

His thick, dark eyebrows, straight nose, strong jawline, and lips redder than any woman's. Finally, his black eyes with a mysterious charm in the red pupils.

The waiter was speechless at Yahyun's striking appearance. He had met countless people while working at the inn, but he had never seen such a beautiful young man. Even the most beautiful person in the Central Plains would not compare to this man.

"Would you like to order something?"

"Ah!"

Yahyun's urging snapped the waiter out of his thoughts.

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

This was not the first time he had encountered this reaction. Every time he revealed his face, it was a recurring daily routine for Yahyun.

"What would you like to order?"

"A bottle of huajiu and some snacks, whatever you have."

"Is there anything else you need?"

"I'll be staying for a day or two, so please prepare a room for me."

"Yes, sir, I'll clean it up for you."

"And one more thing."

Yahyun stopped the waiter, who was about to leave.

"I dislike sunlight, so please cover the windows with thick cloth."

Though unusual, the world is full of peculiar people, and the waiter had seen countless such individuals.

"Understood, sir."

The waiter ran to the kitchen, and Yahyun looked around the inn. Despite its shabby exterior, the interior was old but very clean. It was a place he quite liked.

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