Chapter 115: The End of the Road

After the violent gale subsided, the place where Bai Ye and Xingyu had stood was reduced to a desolate wasteland. Within a radius of several hundred meters, nothing remained; countless lives had likely been extinguished by the ferocious winds.

"Hmph!" A cold snort echoed. As the winds died down, Bai Ye’s silhouette emerged. Apart from a few tears in his clothes that made him look slightly disheveled, he remained completely unscathed.

"Cough, cough, cough!" Duke Wind, kneeling on the ground, coughed violently, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. "As expected of the King of Vampires. To think I couldn't even leave a scratch on you. What a pity." Duke Wind looked at the unharmed Bai Ye before him and offered a bitter smile.

"Hmph! A mere ant, and you dare to dream of wounding me?" Bai Ye looked at Duke Wind with disdain. "However, you may take pride in this; you have managed to make me look this disheveled. You have successfully provoked my wrath, and I shall make you experience the true terror of impending death." Bai Ye spoke coldly, the murderous intent in his eyes unleashed without restraint.

"Heh, that is enough." Sensing Bai Ye’s killing intent, Duke Wind remained indifferent. "Princess Lilier, this is all I can do for you. May you all remain safe." Duke Wind looked in the direction where Xingyu and Lilier had fled, speaking as if finally finding release.

"Is this your final testament? Then, die." Bai Ye’s sharp claws plunged into Duke Wind’s heart without hesitation.

"Damn it, to have been delayed for so long by an ant." Bai Ye stood amidst the swirling dust, grumbling with dissatisfaction. He then turned his gaze toward the direction of the escapees, a cold sneer playing on his lips. "Xingyu, you cannot escape. Struggle all you want; the more you struggle, the more you shall feel the terror of death." With that, Bai Ye flapped his massive bat wings and lunged in pursuit. The slaughter had only just begun.

"Is that... Duke Wind?" Xingyu asked, startled by the sudden eruption of magical power behind them.

"Yes," Xuelan replied in a low voice, watching the massive pillar of wind rise in the distance. "I fear the Duke is now..." She did not finish her sentence; everyone knew the consequences of facing Bai Ye alone.

"Damn it! Bai Ye, I will kill you!" Xingyu roared in agony.

"We do not yet possess the power to confront him. Rather than seeking revenge, we must prioritize survival. As long as we live, there is hope. If we die here, then the vengeance for Princess Liliana and Duke Wind will never be realized. We must hide as soon as possible and not waste the time the Duke bought for us." Duke Wind’s death had not cost Xuelan her reason; instead, she had become even calmer.

"Damn it!" Xingyu shouted in fury, staring fixedly at the direction of the battle. Finally, filled with resentment, he transformed into a blur and flew further into the distance.

"Let’s go!" Xuelan glanced back one last time before signaling to Ashus, then followed after Xingyu.

***

"We’ve traveled quite far; we should be able to evade Bai Ye now," a heavily injured Lilier said, leaning against a dark corner.

"Yes, we should be able to hide for a while. We only need to hold out until dawn. Once the sun rises, even Bai Ye will have to seek shelter from the light. During the day, with Ashus’s help, we should be able to shake him off," Xuelan explained to the group.

"Xuelan, why don’t I see Ang? Is he not with you?" Lilier asked.

"No. Ever since Master Ang learned of Princess Liliana’s death, he has vanished. I do not know where he is. If only he were here... if we joined forces, we might have had a fighting chance," Xuelan said helplessly.

"Damn it! Why did it come to this?" Xingyu struck the wall in frustration. "I wanted to avenge Lilith, but in the end, I can only flee, and even Duke Wind..." He lamented, "Why? I did everything possible to increase my strength, yet in front of him, I am still so fragile. Damn it!"

"As long as we live, there is an opportunity. And it is not just us; the strong of the Vampire Clan will act as well. Those old monsters will not allow such a powerful vampire to run amok," Xuelan comforted him. "We need to wait patiently for the day we are strong enough."

As soon as she finished speaking, applause echoed from the night sky above them. "Well said." Bai Ye hovered in the air, looking down at them with a cold smile and clapping his hands lightly. "However, I fear you will not live to see that day. Your friend has gone to keep Princess Liliana company; now it is your turn. Liliana must be growing impatient, waiting for you."

"Bai Ye!" Seeing his sudden appearance, the group’s expressions turned grave. "How did you find us so quickly?" Xuelan demanded.

"Quickly?" Bai Ye smiled. "I thought it was too slow. Xingyu, do not harbor delusions of escaping my grasp. Do not forget, you inherited Princess Liliana’s bloodline. My veins flow with her blood as well; how could I possibly fail to find you?" His expression bordered on madness.

"Damn it, we were too careless. I thought we could delay him for a while," Xuelan said sternly. "But so be it. Since we cannot hide forever, we might as well fight."

Bai Ye laughed maniacally at her words. "Fight? You lot are not worthy of my notice. Now, go to your deaths!" He spoke coldly, his claws shimmering with an eerie, blood-red light under the moonlight.

"You go first!" Xingyu stepped in front of Xuelan. "His target is me; I will hold him off! He won’t pursue you if you leave now—he cannot sense your bloodlines. As long as you separate from me, he won't be able to track you." Xingyu guarded against the figure in the sky, speaking to Xuelan behind him. "I wanted to avenge Lilith with my own hands, but it seems I was too naive," he said with a bitter smile. "But this is fine; now I can go and keep her company. It is just a pity I cannot kill him myself. If he wants my life, I will make him pay a price."

"I am staying too. Xingyu, you are no match for him; the gap between you is too vast. You won't be able to hold him off for long. If he catches up, the result will be the same. If we hold him together, we should be able to buy significant time." Xuelan turned to the others and ordered, "Ashus, take Princess Lilier and leave. We will do our best to stall him. Princess, return to the ancient castle of the Vampire Clan; Bai Ye would never dare pursue you there. Tell those elders of his existence and let them handle him."

"I understand." Lilier knew this was no time for stubbornness. This was a decision made with the resolve of death, and she would not let Xuelan’s sacrifice be in vain. "I will not let him get away with this."

"How touching. But rest assured, you need not agonize over such decisions, for none of you are leaving today," Bai Ye said with a cruel grin. "Liliana must be lonely; I shall send all of you to keep her company."

"Heh, that is not necessarily true. Perhaps it is you who will be going down to keep the Princess company," a raspy, aged voice interjected. "I didn't expect things to be so lively. You don't mind if an old man joins the fray, do you?" An unexpected figure appeared before them, stepping between them and Bai Ye.

With a kind smile on his weathered face and a blood-red scimitar gleaming in the moonlight, the man stared calmly at the sky. It was Blood Butcher, the last remaining S-class hunter of the Vampire Hunter Guild.

"A piece of trash from the Hunter Guild! I never expected you to show up here." Bai Ye was visibly surprised.

"Indeed, it is just this old man," Butcher replied. He looked at Xingyu and the others and said, "Rest assured, I bear you no ill will. Today, I am here for that creature in the sky. To think that one day, I, an old man, would stand on the side of the vampires—fate is truly ironic." He looked back at Bai Ye. "They may not be qualified, but what if you add this old man to the mix? You are far too dangerous to the Guild, and I cannot rest easy. While I still draw breath, I might as well contribute to the next generation of leaders."

"Hmph!" Bai Ye sneered at the intervention. "A piece of trash. Even with you, you are not worthy of my notice. But this is good—now everyone is gathered. I shall kill you, and then I will wipe the Hunter Guild off the map."

"Princess Lilier, go now!" Xuelan urged, standing her ground.

Hearing this, Lilier glanced at Xuelan and Xingyu, gritted her teeth, and said, "Ashus, let's go!"

Seeing Lilier attempting to flee, Bai Ye unfurled his wings to intercept, but Xuelan and Xingyu blocked his path. "Bai Ye, your opponent is us. Do you think you can just leave before killing us?" Xingyu challenged.

"Hmph! Let them run. As long as I kill you today, it is enough! Xingyu, I have waited too long for this day. I want to see who will come to save you now that Liliana is gone!" With that, Bai Ye charged toward Xingyu at lightning speed.