Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Blood Hunters’ Guild

After Lexiao passed away, Xingyu locked himself in his bedroom, refusing food, drink, or sleep for three whole days. He sat by the window, staring blankly, lost in thought. The words Ang had spoken before leaving echoed unceasingly in his ears: “Other than resenting others, what else can you do? The one who should have died is you.”

“Yes, it should have been me. I caused Xiaoyou’s death—why wasn’t it me instead?” Xingyu clutched his head tightly, screaming in agony as tears of remorse streamed from his eyes. He wept for a long time before his sobs slowly subsided and he lifted his head. Now, there was no spark of life left in his eyes; they were filled only with hatred. “Xiaoyou, I will avenge you. I will never let a single vampire go free.” Xingyu made a silent, resolute vow. At this moment, he was like a lone wolf, with nothing left in his heart but the urge to bite and tear apart.

At the Vampire Hunter Guild, in the Optimist’s quarters, Xingyu and the Optimist sat together in silence, facing each other.

“You want to become a vampire hunter?” the Optimist asked, surprised as he looked at Xingyu.

“I want to avenge Xiaoyou,” Xingyu replied, his voice cold and utterly devoid of emotion.

“Xingyu, becoming a vampire hunter isn’t as easy as you think. Besides determination and effort, what matters even more is talent,” the Optimist said with a bitter smile. “Xingyu, Xiaoyou’s death isn’t your fault. You don’t have to blame yourself so much,” he added earnestly.

“Xiaoyou died in my place. I watched her die before my own eyes, powerless to do anything. Do you know what that feels like?” Xingyu’s fists clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palms, and blood dripped from his hands.

“I’m in even more pain than you!” For the first time, the usually composed Optimist exploded. “I watched my daughter die in front of me. I had the power to save her, but I could only stand by as she died, never even getting to say a final word. I was just a moment too late, just a moment! Do you have any idea what that feels like?” His roar made the whole room tremble.

“I don’t know what you feel, and I don’t want to know. Right now, I only want to avenge Xiaoyou.” Xingyu ignored the Optimist’s outburst, his voice calm.

“Revenge? And how do you plan to take revenge?” the Optimist scoffed.

“Kill. Kill every last vampire! If you can’t do it, then I will!” Xingyu’s gaze was filled with undisguised hatred.

“If wiping out the vampires were possible, I would have done it already. Vampires—damned vampires—they’ve hidden themselves so well,” the Optimist spat bitterly.

“What do you mean?” Xingyu asked, startled.

“When I tried to save Xiaoyou, a vampire blocked my way. I couldn’t even withstand a single move from him. If he’d wanted to kill me, I’d have died on the spot. It was as if he was toying with me,” the Optimist said with a wry smile, his eyes full of unwillingness. “If only I’d been stronger... just a bit stronger...” He clenched his teeth, and tears of frustration rolled down his face.

“Who was it? Who is he?” Xingyu’s eyes widened at the Optimist’s words, his anger blazing.

“I don’t know. I never saw his true face. I only know he was a vampire—a real one,” the Optimist replied, his smile bitter, his face clouded with sorrow. “Now, do you still think you can take revenge on your own?”

“I don’t care who he is or how strong he is. I will avenge Xiaoyou. Even if I can’t kill him, I’ll never give up. I’ll kill every last vampire!” Xingyu declared resolutely.

“And what about the Blood Clan?” the Optimist pressed.

“The Blood Clan? I won’t let them go either. They’re no different from vampires—blood-drinking monsters, all of them.” Xingyu’s voice brimmed with hatred.

“And what about Liliana? How will you face her?” the Optimist asked. “She risked her life to save you and Xiaoyou. Will you kill her, too? Without the Blood Clan’s protection, you and Xiaoyou would have died long ago—you wouldn’t even have the chance for revenge. Will you kill them, too?” His tone was grave.

“I don’t care! They all deserve to die! If not for them, Xiaoyou wouldn’t have died. If they hadn’t appeared in my life, how would Xiaoyou have been attacked by a vampire?” Xingyu shouted, almost crazed. “Liliana... she’s different. She’s not the same.” At this, Xingyu clutched his head in pain. He didn’t know how to deal with Liliana. He wanted to hate her, but couldn’t; he wanted to forgive her, but Xiaoyou’s death replayed endlessly in his mind.

“That’s enough, Xingyu. Stop tormenting yourself.” Seeing Xingyu’s agony, the Optimist sighed deeply. “Come, since you insist, I’ll take you for the test. We’ll see if you have what it takes to be a vampire hunter. If not, go home and stay there. Don’t think of revenge anymore—Xiaoyou wouldn’t want to see you risk your life.” With that, the Optimist rose and strode toward the testing hall. Xingyu’s lifeless eyes lit up at his words, and he followed closely behind.

The testing hall of the Vampire Hunter Guild was empty—no one else in sight.

“All the others are out hunting vampires. I’ll test you myself,” the Optimist said, pointing to a crystal sphere before him.

“How do I take the test?” Xingyu asked, expectation in his voice.

“Just place your hands on the crystal sphere, close your eyes, and clear your mind,” the Optimist instructed.

“Alright, I understand.” Following the instructions, Xingyu placed his hands on the sphere, closed his eyes, and focused his mind.

At first, the crystal sphere showed no reaction. Seeing this, the Optimist’s smile was tinged with both regret and relief. Just as he was about to tell Xingyu to open his eyes, something happened that shocked him—the sphere began to change color, first turning a deep red, then gradually, flecks of dark gold surged within the crimson.

“How is this possible?” the Optimist gasped.

“What’s wrong?” Startled by his exclamation, Xingyu opened his eyes and looked at the Optimist. “My potential is good, isn’t it?” he asked eagerly.

“It truly is astonishing,” the Optimist said with a wry smile. “Tell me, did you ever make a contract with Princess Liliana?”

“Yes, but Liliana already dissolved it. She promised it would no longer affect me. I remember the incantation she used to break it. It was a Blood Pact, yes, a Blood Pact,” Xingyu affirmed.

“A Blood Pact?” The Optimist drew a sharp breath. “No wonder. I never imagined it would be like this. And she actually dissolved the contract... Princess Liliana, was she really worth such a sacrifice?” he muttered.

Then, fixing Xingyu with a solemn gaze, he said, “Listen to me, Xingyu. No matter what happens, you must never hate Princess Liliana, nor should you ever do her harm. Do you understand?”

“Why?” Xingyu asked, bewildered.

“You don’t need to know why. Maybe you’ll understand in the future, and when you do, you’ll realize. But for your own sake, it’s best if you never find out—that is Princess Liliana’s wish,” the Optimist said cryptically.

“And remember, tell no one what happened today,” he warned.

“Alright, I understand.” Though he still had many questions, Xingyu knew the Optimist would say no more. “So, can I become a vampire hunter?”

“Yes, you can. But your physical condition is too weak. Talent alone isn’t enough. If you can endure the training to come, then I’ll let you become a vampire hunter.”

“I will,” Xingyu vowed, his voice resolute.