Chapter Seventy: The White Night Returns

The Human World.

Star Whisper, who had been brought back to the human world by Ang, stood on the street in a daze, oblivious to the endless stream of people passing by. She moved her feet mechanically, seeing none of them.

Suddenly, a voice sounded in her ear. “Hey, isn’t that Star Whisper? Long time no see. What are you doing here?” Star Whisper raised her head blankly, looking toward the source of the voice. A young man stood before her, gentle and refined, his smile warm. Star Whisper glanced at him, and her gaze lost focus again, drifting aimlessly forward with the crowd, her soul adrift.

“Star Whisper, are you alright? Did something happen?” The young man persisted, undeterred by her lack of response.

“White Night, my business is none of yours. Move aside. Don’t bother me,” Star Whisper said coldly. The young man before her was her former classmate, White Night—the same one Lilith had warned.

“Don’t be angry,” White Night replied, still wearing his gentle smile, seemingly unconcerned by her hostility. “Let me guess—are you having a fight with Liliana?” he said with a smile.

Star Whisper paused for a moment, then replied icily, “It’s none of your business. Move, or I’ll make you.”

“Alright, alright, it’s just an argument with Liliana. No need to be so upset. Girls need to be comforted—just coax her a little, and she’ll calm down.” White Night seemed not to hear her warning, refusing to leave as he continued his advice.

“Get lost!” Star Whisper shouted at him. Lilith’s words in the Demon Realm had already left Star Whisper irritable, and White Night’s persistence only deepened her annoyance. Angrily, she lashed out, her right fist swinging hard toward White Night’s smiling face.

But her fist did not land as she intended. Instead, it was gently caught by a hand. White Night reached out and intercepted her punch effortlessly, the smile on his face unchanged.

“What?” Star Whisper’s eyes widened in shock. Though she was no match for the powerful bloodline judges, she was far stronger than any ordinary person. Even though she hadn’t used magic, her angry, full-force punch should have been unstoppable—yet White Night caught it as if it were nothing. The impossibility of it stunned her.

“Heh, Star Whisper, don’t be so violent. I’m genuinely here to help you. Don’t be so ungrateful,” White Night said, his lips curling into a mocking smile. “Actually, you’re not nearly as strong as you think. To me, you’re nothing more than an ant I could crush at any time. I’ve kept you around only because you’re still useful.” He released her fist, leaned in close, and whispered in her ear, “The only one who interests me is Princess Liliana. As for you, you’re just an insignificant pawn—but you seem to overestimate yourself.”

Hearing this, Star Whisper stared in terror. Princess Liliana? From his words, it was clear White Night knew Lilith’s true identity, yet he had never shown any sign of it. This man hid himself too deeply. Fearfully, Star Whisper asked, “You…”

But before she could finish, White Night interrupted, “Yes, I’ve been pretending all along and fooled all of you. But so what? You were all too stupid to see through me. Oh, I forgot to mention—the vampires who attacked you and Le Xiaoyou several times were sent by me. I originally wanted to kill you, but ended up killing the wrong person. Someone was willing to die for you—quite the charm you have, Star Whisper.” With that, White Night struck Star Whisper’s neck with a swift, precise chop, knocking her out before she could react.

Her limp body slumped against him as he whispered in her ear, “Relax. I won’t kill you yet. Your life still has its purpose. Soon, I’ll reunite you with Liliana.”

After knocking Star Whisper out, White Night dragged her into a dark alley and threw her to the ground. He took out a spotless white handkerchief and carefully wiped his hands. “Take her away,” he ordered into the darkness. Two vampires emerged, both of ducal strength, and carried Star Whisper off, vanishing with White Night into the shadows. Had Lilith and her companions been there, they would have been astonished to see that both vampires were of duke rank.

At the same time, Ang, who had returned to the Demon Realm, discovered that Lilith had vanished from the barrier. “Miss?” Ang called out anxiously, searching everywhere nearby, but Lilith had disappeared as if she’d evaporated.

“How could this happen? Where could Lilith have gone?” Liliel, who had returned to the barrier, asked Ang urgently.

“I’m not sure. Miss argued with that human boy, then ordered me to take him back to the human world. But when I returned, she was already gone,” Ang replied, filled with guilt. “I should have noticed Miss’s mood was off. I shouldn’t have left at such a time. It’s all my fault.”

“It’s not your fault. If Liliana wanted to slip away, no matter how careful we were, it wouldn’t have helped. The question is, why did she leave us behind now?” Xuelan spoke calmly, but the tremor in her voice betrayed her worry and unease.

“Where could Princess Liliana have gone? She deliberately sent that human away and left us behind—could she be seeking the First Judge?” Duke Wind voiced his concern.

“She wouldn’t. Liliana knows the gap between her and the First Judge’s power. She wouldn’t risk herself so recklessly,” Xuelan reasoned.

“Then where is Lilith? Could someone have taken her away?” Liliel asked anxiously.

“Impossible. No one in this world could spirit Liliana away right under our noses—not even the Princes,” Xuelan replied with certainty. “We’ll split up and search. There must be some clue.” She clenched her fists, forcing herself to stay calm. She had sworn to protect Liliana with her life, yet now, she had lost even her trace. The guilt weighed heavily on her.

“We’ll split up and search. Meet here before dawn,” Xuelan said. Everyone hurried off, desperately searching for any sign of Lilith.

But where was Lilith, whom they searched for in such anxiety?

She stood quietly in the place where she had last fought the First Judge in the human world, making no effort to conceal her presence. She even summoned her magic, declaring her existence to the First Judge. She had to face him here, before Ang, Xuelan, Liliel, and the others discovered her—no matter if it meant using forbidden power. She no longer wished to see anyone hurt for her sake, nor to witness their pain and guilt. Today, she would put an end to it all.