“Qianye… Qianye…”
The calling appeared once again. He moved ever so slightly in an attempt to open his eyes, but it felt as though there was a mountain pressing down on his eyelids. He couldn’t open them no matter how hard he tried. He was gasping, but not as a normal person would. Every part of his body was respiring, so he didn’t feel as great a discomfort.
Just like an origin array coming back to life, he gradually began to sense some parts of his body and could command them to make small movements. Energy rolled into his body, seeping in through his skin and rousing his slumbering shell.
He finally opened his eyes.
Before him was an azure screen of water, and on the other side was a familiar countenance—Nighteye.
Qianye struggled to sit up, but all he managed to do was raise a single hand. Overjoyed, Nighteye reached out and carried him out of the water.
Qianye looked around in puzzlement and realized that he was in a dark, ancient hall. The walls were covered in relief sculptures, which seemed worn despite them being indoors. It would seem this hall had been around for countless years.
The sculptures depicted numerous historical battles, none of which was familiar to Qianye. It almost seemed like another world to him.
Some of the enemies in the sculptures were races Qianye had neither seen nor heard of before. They looked strange and grotesque, but the armor and weapons they were wielding proved that they were a highly intelligent race and not primitive beasts.
These sculptures caught his full attention. From the contents, it would seem that the vampires suffered grave casualties during that war. Entire legions would end up in mutual destruction with the enemy forces, but the sanguine moon flag never fell.
When had the vampires fought such battles before?
Qianye turned toward Nighteye. He didn’t look at her immediately, not because he didn’t want to, but because he didn’t dare. He was afraid that this would be another fleeting dream, just like the River of Blood.
What came into his eyes was a familiar face, a countenance that brought joy every time.
Qianye reached out. He wanted to caress her face at first but ended up hugging her tightly. He closed his eyes and felt a familiar scent creep into his senses.
She was the first to speak after a long while, “Do you not plan to come down?”
Qianye suddenly realized that he was still being carried in her arms. Startled and embarrassed, he tried to jump down in a hurry, but his legs gave away, nearly causing him to fall.
His struggle to stand was ultimately in vain. He thought he had found his footing when he stumbled forward. Just as his forehead was about to hit the ground, an odd power within his body reacted to his thoughts, dragging him back to his feet.
Qianye was dazed after returning to his feet, puzzled as to where that power had come from. This energy was unusual and strange—it was neither Daybreak nor Evernight; it wasn’t a neutral grey, either.
The power vanished once he was standing properly, much like a hazy dream after awakening. Qianye looked down at himself and found that his body was still intact, although being buck n.a.k.e.d felt a bit embarrassing. Nighteye chuckled when he tried to cover himself with his hand.
“Still trying to cover up, huh?” She laughed.
Qianye blushed. “Erm, where are my clothes?”
“Of course they’re totally ruined, I’ve thrown them away. There are new ones outside.”
“Where is this place?” Qianye noticed that the place he was lying in was a small stone pond, just big enough for three people to lie down in. It was half-filled with a clear azure liquid that gave off a soothing feeling.
“This is the Azure King’s secret realm, a place he prepared for his next phase of hibernation. This Pond of Azure Darkness can be considered his primordial blood pond. It was full of powerful blood energy, but almost all of it has been used up in your recovery.”
Qianye was stunned. “Then what about the Azure King?”
Nighteye said, “I owe him for this and I’ll find a way to repay him later. Don’t worry.”
Qianye frowned. This Pond of Azure Darkness seemed to be close to ten thousand years old, who knew how long it would take to fill it up again? Moreover, hibernation was related to a vampire’s lifespan. How could it be easy to compensate him for such a priceless pond?
Nighteye said, “Well, you’ve already used it up. If worse comes to worst, you can help me repay him.”
Qianye’s frown relaxed. “Okay!”
Nighteye rushed into his arms and held him tightly. “I thought… you wouldn’t be back. If it wasn’t for the Azure King’s help… I wouldn’t know what to do.”
“I’m back.”
Nighteye wiped her tears away before leaving the embrace. “Don’t do such stupid things anymore and I’ll forget what happened. It’s decided.”
Qianye nodded. He had gone through life and death, but the most important thing was that she had returned to his side. Qianye felt that life was more or less perfect.
The two left the chamber. Qianye changed into the full set of clothes that had been prepared for him. He checked the mirror in passing and saw an elegant vampire youth in the reflection. Every little detail was up to the strictest of vampire aesthetic standards, a great match for Nighteye.
Of course, there was only vampire attire in the Azure King’s secret realm. Although Qianye wasn’t quite used to the ornate formal attire, it was still acceptable. As he walked out of the ancient hall with Nighteye, the vampire attendants outside fell on one knee. This was a form of utmost respect paid to the strongest.
These vampire maids were performing an ancient rite, but as someone who had partially inherited the River of Blood’s inheritance, Qianye was familiar with them. He glanced at Nighteye, surprised that others would salute him in such a manner.
“You convinced all vampires with your last battle. This is something you deserve, accept it.”
Qianye was somewhat at a loss, but he didn’t ask more about it. The duo walked along a long corridor and arrived outside.
There was a garden outside of the door. Every tree, stone, and blade of grass here seemed natural and inexplicably elegant. Gazing at the distant peaks from the garden filled the heart with a distant mood of leisure.
A person was standing in the garden. It was the Azure King.
Nighteye’s expression became complicated upon seeing the man. She said to Qianye, “Wait for me here, I have something to say to the Azure King.”
“Okay.” Qianye nodded.
The garden was half-open, the other side being a steep cliff beyond which lay green mountains, lush valleys, and rising clouds.
Nighteye and the Azure King arrived near the cliffside.
“Thank you.”
The Azure King smiled. “What’s there to thank? He happened to have that treasure on him, and I happened to know how to use it. That’s what saved him. This is called fate, according to human words.”
Nighteye sighed. “But your blood pond has been used up, you won’t be able to hibernate for the next decade at least.”
The Azure King said, “I’ve lived long enough, what is a decade to me?”
“Don’t say such things.”
He said with a smile, “I still prefer the past era, although she rejected me back then as well.”
Nighteye sighed. “I don’t have much of those memories left.”
“You don’t need to care about that. You are the same now as you were back then, and I never changed, either. Since neither of us has changed, the outcome will be the same even if you awaken again.”
“But I owe you too much.”
“I was willing, so it can’t be considered a debt.”
At this point, Nighteye had nothing left to say.
The Azure King said, “Okay, let’s get back to business. Are you both willing to take on more responsibilities now? He’s already a vampire, is there a problem?”
Nighteye shook her head. “I don’t want to force him to do anything.”
“Very well.”
Nighteye felt that something was off. “Did some problems arise?”
“There are always problems, the only difference is how we deal with them. If you’re willing to look, you will naturally see the dangers.”
Nighteye frowned. “What dangers, please tell me clearly.”
The Azure King laughed. “I guess I don’t need to explain anymore, you’ll see very soon.”
A flare shot up in the distant valley, flying high up into the sky and bursting into the image of a full moon. The scene was both dazzling and tragic.
“It’s a signal flare! How did people find out about your secret realm?” Nighteye was surprised.
The Azure King was calm. “No secret can be kept forever, this place is no exception. You leave with him, I’ll keep them busy for a while.”
Nighteye shook her head. “I won’t go, let’s fight together.”
The Azure King said, “We were young during the ancient era, and we’ve fought together before. There’s no need for you to fight now, this battle is not one you can take part in. Since they dare come, that means they’re confident of victory. You’ll only drag me down if you stay behind.”
“Who is the enemy?”
“You don’t need to know right now, you’ll surely know in the future.”
“Why won’t you tell me?”
“My guess might not be right. Besides, it’s no use even if I do tell you, it might be an enemy neither of us is expecting.”
Another flare shot up at the moment. This time, there was an additional signal—the invaders were from a foreign race!
This time, the flare was just outside of the valley. These sentries had been cleared away at such shocking speeds. As someone familiar with the vampire race’s usual defensive arrangements, she couldn’t help but feel surprised…
The Azure King said with a smile, “Don’t worry. Few were our match back in the year, and it’s the same right now. It’ll be easy to escape even if I can’t win. All my azure blood is in Qianye now, there’s no point in defending this place to the death.”
Nighteye said hesitantly, “Which race dares to attack your secret realm? This is a declaration of war against our entire race.”
The Azure King’s expression darkened as he sensed something. He looked toward Nighteye, saying, “It’s a great monarch from a foreign race.”
A surge of blood energy appeared in his eyes. A message only top vampire experts could sense spread out rapidly, stirring up propagating ripples in the River of Blood. It was as though a bird had just fluttered across the water surface.
Considering her connection to the River of Blood, Nighteye felt these ripples as well. Knowing that the Azure King had just issued summons, she felt a bit relieved and a bit worried. What kind of enemy could make the Azure King call for reinforcements?
Two responses emerged in the blink of an eye—one was the Lightless Monarch Medanzo, and the other was the Flaming Crown Habsburg. The latter was located too far away, so much so that the message was unclear, but Medanzo could hurry over within moments.
The Azure King said to Nighteye, “You have to go, Qianye is powerless right now. I suspect they’re here for him.”
Nighteye’s expression shifted drastically. He clenched her jaws, saying, “Very well, you… must take care!”
The Azure King broke into a laugh. “Don’t worry, I still want to take a look at the new world.”
