Chapter 109: Battle Against the Blood Hunters

"Hmph!" Xing Yu sneered with disdain as he faced the charging Blood Butcher. "Come then. Let me see what an S-class Blood Hunter is truly capable of." Sharp talons unsheathed from his fingertips, glistening with a metallic sheen under the lights.

The Blood Butcher’s crimson scimitar collided with Xing Yu’s claws. The Blood Butcher frowned deeply, while Xing Yu remained as calm as a drifting cloud.

"Optimist, why are you just standing there? Hurry and assist Lord Blood Butcher!" An A-class Blood Hunter shouted at Optimist, who stood watching the fray with a look of anxious hesitation, before charging into the thick of the battle himself.

"Get out of my way, you trash!" Xing Yu struck down the A-class Blood Hunter who had just joined the fray, sending him flying. The man collapsed, writhing in pain and coughing up mouthfuls of blood.

"Xing Yu!" Seeing his comrade injured, Optimist hesitated no longer. Gritting his teeth, he charged toward Xing Yu as well.

"Uncle Le!" Blocking a blow from Optimist, Xing Yu retreated rapidly, disengaging from the fight. "Uncle Le, are you going to kill me too?" Xing Yu stared at Optimist, his fists clenched tight.

"Xing Yu, I cannot watch you continue down this path of error. Neither Xiao You nor Lilith would want you to become like this. Turn back, Xing Yu. There are other ways to seek revenge." Optimist pleaded.

"Other ways? What other ways could there be? Should I rely on this pack of stray dogs?" Xing Yu cast a look of contempt at the surrounding Blood Hunters. "Uncle Le, if you truly care for me, do not stand in my way. I do not wish to fight you, nor do I wish to hurt you. Do not force my hand," Xing Yu said coldly.

"Xing Yu, I will not let you continue this mistake. No matter what, I will not allow you to harm anyone else," Optimist replied, gripping his silver sword tightly.

"If that is the case, then I shall not hesitate again. Whoever stands on the path of my vengeance will be eliminated." Xing Yu’s voice was filled with chilling malice.

Optimist prepared to reason further, but the Blood Butcher cut him off. "Le, stop wasting your breath on him. He has already fully succumbed to the demonic path. For someone like him, the only way to cleanse his sins is with his own blood. That is the best fate he could hope for."

"You are right, old man." Upon hearing the Blood Butcher’s words, Xing Yu did not feel anger; instead, he smiled. "My sins can only be washed away by blood. It is a pity, however, that you are not the ones qualified to judge me. Until my revenge is complete, I will not let anyone take my life."

"Hmph, brat, do not get too arrogant," the Blood Butcher sneered. "You have only just become a vampire; it is not your place to be insolent."

"Indeed. My power is not yet enough. But it is more than sufficient to deal with you. After all, this is the bloodline inherited from Lilith. If I cannot even settle things with the likes of you, I would be failing the power she entrusted to me with her life." At the thought of Lilith’s death, Xing Yu’s voice dropped low.

"Then let me see what kind of strength you possess, having inherited the power of the Vampire Princess." The Blood Butcher charged at Xing Yu once more, his crimson scimitar glowing with blood-red light.

"I didn't expect it to be so lively here." Just as the two were about to clash again, a crisp female voice interrupted the fight.

"Who is it?" Xing Yu, interrupted, asked coldly, his tone filled with displeasure.

"What? You don't even recognize me? You lowly human, has your brain been polluted by this filthy blood? To think you are feasting everywhere on such foul gore—it is truly a tragedy for Sister Lilith’s bloodline." Looking at the corpses and blood covering the ground, the woman who had appeared understood the scene instantly, her voice dripping with mockery.

"Liriel, it’s you." Finally, Xing Yu recognized her voice.

"Hmph, you base human. To think you are wandering around drinking human blood, letting Sister Lilith’s bloodline be tainted by such filth—it is unforgivable!" Liriel’s voice was filled with rage.

"And so what?" Xing Yu replied indifferently. "As long as I can gain power, I will pay any price."

"You!" Liriel was incensed. "You lowly human, how can you face Sister Lilith after doing this?"

"Yes, I have indeed failed Lilith," Xing Yu’s voice was profoundly somber. "But I can no longer hear her reproaches."

"What do you mean?" Liriel froze, a look of terror dawning in her eyes.

"Lilith is dead," Xing Yu said calmly.

"What? That’s impossible! You lowly human, how dare you lie to me!" Liriel shrieked in fury.

"I wish I were lying. I wish none of this were true. But Lilith is dead—she is dead!" Xing Yu roared in madness.

"How can this be?" Devastated by the news, Liriel collapsed to the ground, her eyes wide and vacant, muttering, "It’s impossible, it’s impossible."

"Hmph, there is no time for your mourning now," the Blood Butcher’s voice cut in. "If you care for her so much, then go join her." He launched another attack.

"You’re courting death!" Before Xing Yu could retaliate, Liriel’s cold voice rang out. Her crimson pupils swirled with blood-red light, her fangs extended, and she thrust a dark golden knight’s sword—glowing with a rich, sanguine aura—mercilessly toward the Blood Butcher.

"Damn it!" The Blood Butcher’s scimitar collided with Liriel’s blade, and he was actually forced back.

Liriel now looked as though she had lost her sanity; her eyes flickered with a bloodthirsty light as she glared at the Blood Butcher.

"Liriel, he is my prey. You don’t need to intervene." Xing Yu stood before her, blocking her from further attack.

"Get lost, you lowly human, or I shall kill you along with him. Since Sister Lilith is gone, what meaning is there in your existence? I might as well send you to see her right now," Liriel said, staring coldly at Xing Yu.

"I am sorry, but I will not grant you that wish. I will not die until I have avenged Lilith," Xing Yu replied firmly. "After I have taken my revenge, you may do as you please with this life of mine."

"Who? Who killed Sister Lilith? I will never forgive them—never! I will tear them limb from limb!" Liriel’s grief-stricken voice was filled with rage.

"It was White Night," Xing Yu said coldly.

"White Night... it’s him again. I will kill him! I must kill him!" Liriel screamed madly, blood-red tears tracing paths down her cheeks.

The two of them had completely ignored the presence of the Blood Hunters, consumed by boundless fury.

"Is it really wise to ignore your enemies at a time like this?" Before they knew it, the Blood Butcher had closed the distance, his scimitar slashing toward Xing Yu.

"Die!" Xing Yu met the blow with one hand, while the other lashed out toward the Blood Butcher’s heart without hesitation.

"Liriel, he is mine. Deal with the rest of them," Xing Yu commanded.

"Hmph, you’d better die at his hands then, you lowly human," Liriel said with resentment, having had her prey stolen.

"Didn't I tell you? I will not die now, so I am afraid you will be disappointed." Xing Yu smiled. "Besides, I am no longer human. I am merely a vampire carrying the weight of sin." His voice carried a faint, lonely air.

"Hmph, a lowly vampire." Despite his melancholy, Liriel remained dismissive. "Asius, kill them—leave no one alive! They all deserve to die!" she ordered the lurking Asius.

"Yes, Your Highness!" Asius emerged from the shadows at the command, then vanished back into the darkness to slaughter the Blood Hunters.

Cries of agony erupted from the Blood Hunters’ side. With only three A-class hunters present, they were no match for Liriel, and the battle quickly turned into a one-sided massacre. As for the fight between Xing Yu and the Blood Butcher, Xing Yu had gained the absolute upper hand. After a series of blows, the Blood Butcher had lost his former edge; his aged body could no longer withstand such intense combat.

Finally, seizing an opportunity, Xing Yu’s talons raked across the Blood Butcher’s chest, leaving a wound deep enough to expose bone.

"Damn it." The Blood Butcher clutched his chest, unable to fight further. Xing Yu grabbed him by the throat and hoisted him up. "What’s wrong? Is it over already? This is too disappointing. You kept saying you wanted to make me pay the price—now I am here. Tell me, how exactly do you intend to collect?" Xing Yu asked coldly.

"Accursed vampire, don't be arrogant. One day, you will face retribution," the Blood Butcher coughed, blood spilling from his mouth.

"I have been waiting for that day," Xing Yu said with a hollow, lonely tone. "Someone as sinful as me should have died long ago. But for now, you go first." With that, Xing Yu sank his fangs into the Blood Butcher’s carotid artery, drinking greedily.

"Lord Blood Butcher!" Optimist shouted in desperation, but he was struggling to survive against Liriel and could only watch helplessly.

"Do not kill him. Spare him—he is Xiao You’s father." Xing Yu tossed the Blood Butcher toward Optimist.

"Xiao You’s father?" Liriel glanced at Optimist and sheathed her sword. "Get out of here—you’ve bought yourself a life!" Without looking back, she turned to leave. "Asius, let's go."

"Uncle Le, do not interfere in my affairs again. I do not want to cross swords with you, and I do not want to sadden Xiao You," Xing Yu said to Optimist. "For your sake, I have spared him. Take him and leave. Do not let me see him again, or I will not show mercy next time." Having said this, Xing Yu ignored him and chased after Liriel.