Chapter 15: Crisis

In the suburbs of a neighboring city stood a small Western-style villa. Its exquisite decor and elegant atmosphere were clear testaments to the family’s considerable wealth. On the top floor was a spacious bedroom, boasting a giant floor-to-ceiling window and a carpet of deep brown that covered the floor.

Were it not for the tense, hostile energy currently filling the room, this place would have felt just like a tranquil holiday retreat.

Han Yan was strikingly beautiful, her allure so sharp it bordered on ostentation. She always wore heavy makeup, which only heightened her mature and seductive appearance. When anger twisted her bewitching features, her rage became even more menacing than that of most women.

She sneered, glancing with disdain at the man sitting across from her. “Li Cheng, do you really think a scum like you can threaten me?”

On the table before Han Yan lay a torn photograph—her brother, Han Qi. She had shredded it into pieces, her icy gaze locking with the man’s.

Li Cheng seemed unfazed by her arrogance; he didn’t get angry, but instead gave a slight smile. “It’s true, I can’t threaten you. But the Hunter Club can. If you keep failing your missions, the organization won’t show you any mercy.”

A flash of ferocity passed through Han Yan’s eyes. She grabbed a heavy glass ashtray and hurled it at Li Cheng, but he dodged it with practiced ease.

“There’s no point taking it out on me,” he said calmly. “If I were you, I’d hurry up and get the job done instead of wasting time here.”

Han Yan trembled with fury, her teeth chattering. “What a load of nonsense! I quit!”

For the first time, Li Cheng’s face darkened. “There’s only one way out of the club—death.”

Han Yan lunged, seizing his collar, her beautiful face twisted in a fierce snarl. “Everything goes my way, as long as I want it!”

Li Cheng gave a cold smile, pried her hands off, and lifted her chin, his dark gaze moving in close. “Go ahead and try.”

Han Yan brushed his hand aside, her face cold and cruel. “A mere Hunter Club can’t keep me trapped.”

“Then why are you shaking?” Li Cheng’s tone turned lazy and mocking. “You know too many secrets. The organization will never let you go. If I were you, I’d climb to the top, not… let myself be erased.” He paused, then sneered. “So, make up for it—hand over your brother.”

Li Cheng leaned in, his tall frame looming, his voice a soft murmur by Han Yan’s ear. “I hope I never have to collect your corpse.”

Han Yan shook with rage, speechless.

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. The handle rattled but wouldn’t turn—the door was locked from the inside. Han Yan’s mother called from outside, “Yan, what’s all that noise? Is something wrong?”

Han Yan’s expression changed. She quickly replied, “Mom, I’m fine. Just about to go to bed.”

“Alright, don’t stay up late.”

After a moment, her mother’s footsteps faded away, and Han Yan let out a breath of relief.

Li Cheng chuckled mockingly. “What a pitiful mother, still oblivious to her daughter’s double life.”

“Get out!” Han Yan growled, her voice low.

Li Cheng opened the balcony window and vaulted over the railing, but before leaving, tossed one last remark over his shoulder: “Catch the Blood Key, and all will be forgiven.”

A sharp dagger flew past him, followed by Han Yan’s hoarse voice: “Get lost! Don’t you dare lay a finger on my brother!”

With Li Cheng gone, silence fell over the spacious room. Han Yan knelt on the carpet, and, for the first time, her pride gave way—she began to sob, her tears muffled in the thick pile.

Blessed with beauty and wealth, Han Yan had always been proud and aloof. Her parents, doting on her endlessly, only fueled her arrogance, to the point that few were willing to befriend her. Back then, the only person she would willingly speak to was her brother, Han Qi. When Han Qi first came to the family, Han Yan had been displeased, planning to bully the boy once their parents left.

She kicked open his door, only to find Han Qi quietly drawing. When he heard her, he looked up—not with fear or disdain as she’d expected, but with a calm smile. Her hostility seemed to faze him not at all. Instead, he simply asked, “Would you like to join me?”

Han Yan froze, stunned, and then Han Qi came over and took her hand.

That was the first time anyone had ever reached out to her.

From then on, Han Yan truly regarded Han Qi as her brother. No matter how fierce or unkind she was to others, she was always the younger sister before Han Qi. He tempered her unruly ways, though the rebellious pride in her bones never faded. At eighteen, she won the national shooting championship, earning the title of most promising sharpshooter. Soon after, a mysterious organization known as the Hunter Club sought her out.

The HC was an organization that found pleasure in hunting vampires. Human nature craves excitement, and the more bizarre the pursuit, the greater the interest. The members of HC were mostly scions of wealthy families, influential figures from both sides of the law—people notorious for their perverse appetites, whether it be child abuse, necrophilia, sadomasochism, and so on. What most would find horrifying or revolting, they considered stimulating and never tired of it. When vampires appeared in human society, the club’s depravity found new depths—and Han Yan herself had once slept with vampires reduced to sex slaves, memories of that intoxicating pleasure lingering still.

HC was a filthy enterprise, now grown into a powerful organization.

In her youth, Han Yan joined them out of pride and rebellion. Her marksmanship was unmatched, and she captured many vampires for HC, her name becoming infamous in that sordid circle. But as time passed, she grew increasingly unwilling to take part in such brutality, growing cold and evasive, shirking her assignments more and more.

Recently, the vampires had begun to reproduce rapidly, and many fledglings were born. HC started targeting these defenseless children. Too young to mask the scent of their blood, they were easily detected by the club’s devices and swiftly captured.

On one occasion, Han Yan visited the HC headquarters, where the children were locked in a dark basement, caged separately. Their sharp fangs tore desperately at the bars, their howls echoing in the gloom, crimson eyes spilling tears of defiance. Han Yan realized just how depraved the organization had become. Drawing her silver gun, she shattered all the special locks, releasing the entire group of child vampires. The higher-ups were furious—and so the confrontation with Li Cheng had come to pass.

She had never regretted her foolish choices so bitterly.

Wiping away her tears, Han Yan pulled out her phone and dialed Han Qi’s number.

A gentle, familiar voice answered, “Yan, it’s me.”

Han Yan’s smile softened. “Brother, I want to see you.”

“Why the sudden urge? Don’t you have classes?”

“I skipped them. Can’t I just want to see you?”

“Alright, alright. But… I don’t have a place for you to stay at the moment.”

“It’s not proper for a girl to stay with you anyway. I’ll just rent a place myself.”

“Okay. When will you come? I’ll pick you up.”

Han Yan wiped away her last tear. “Tomorrow morning.”

She didn’t sleep a wink that night, tossing and turning until she finally got up to pack her things. With just a few changes of clothes, she hurried to the station.

Hours later, stepping off the train, she finally saw Han Qi waiting for her. Never had she felt such excitement—she rushed forward and hugged him tightly.

Han Qi patted her head. “What’s wrong?”

Her eyes reddened as she buried her face in his shoulder. “I’m just glad you’re alright…”

He found her words odd. “Why do you say that?”

“It’s nothing…”

On the taxi ride back, Han Yan pulled out her vampire detector. The device found nothing. After Han Qi awakened, he had learned how to mask his scent, and this result let Han Yan breathe a sigh of relief. But her nerves soon returned, for the organization had discovered Han Qi was the Blood Key—they would never let him go easily.

A cold, proud smile returned to Han Yan’s face. She swore to herself: if anyone dared touch Han Qi, she would make them pay dearly.

————————————————————————————————————

When Qiao Nian entered the "Floral Banquet" again, Li Ye did not erupt in fury as before. Instead, he gave a faint smile, turned to activate a hidden switch, and a wall slid aside to reveal a tunnel. He entered, and Qiao Nian followed, the wall closing behind them.

Li Ye walked ahead, speaking with a smile, “Your acting was impressive. Everyone believed your performance last time, didn’t they?”

Qiao Nian lit a cigarette, replying with a slight smile, “I have you to thank for that. Did the hunters buy it?”

Li Ye nodded, though the smile faded from his lips, as if something troubling had occurred to him.

Qiao Nian glanced at him knowingly. “What is it? Feeling guilty about deceiving Ling Yuan?”

Li Ye snorted. “That’s impossible. I’m just wondering how to get rid of him.”

“Now that’s the attitude a military doctor of the vampires should have.”

They walked a long way through the underground nursery, finally stopping before a massive rose vine. Just a few months earlier, it had been a tiny shoot; now it stretched in every direction, its vines spreading out of sight. This was proof that the vampires were proliferating at an astonishing rate.

Li Ye gently stroked the main stem, asking, “So, what brings you here this time?”

Qiao Nian took a drag on his cigarette. “I know how to keep it growing. After all, I have Blood Key lineage too, don’t I?”

Li Ye turned, fixing his gaze on Qiao Nian. “What method? Don’t try anything stupid.”

Qiao Nian laughed. “Relax, Doctor. But first, I have a request.”

“Go on.”

“Let me become the ‘soil.’ I want a child.”

There was an almost fanatical persistence in Qiao Nian’s eyes.

“You already can,” Li Ye replied.

Qiao Nian was surprised. “But I haven’t taken the medicine yet…”

“It’s enough that Han Qi has. He’s the source. As long as he has, all the lapis nobles can bear children.”

“I see.” Qiao Nian’s gaze drifted to the vibrant blossoms, his smile widening. “I thought it strange the doctor would ever bother making every vampire take the medicine.”

The doctor merely shrugged.

Qiao Nian asked again, “Could you lend me some… uh, aphrodisiac?”

Li Ye’s lips curled in a teasing smirk. “You and Yuan Che have no need of that. He’s quite attracted to you.”

“Is that so?” Qiao Nian gave a wry smile. “I hadn’t noticed at all.”

“Alright, give me your hand.”

Qiao Nian complied. A blue-violet iris fell into his palm.

“Grind it to powder.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

As Qiao Nian turned to go, Li Ye, uncharacteristically, added, “Smoking isn’t good for the child.”

The youth looked back with a gentle smile. “Thank you for the reminder.”

Standing against the light, the boy’s features were softened by the glow, like a wisp of morning mist—so delicate he seemed as if he might vanish the next moment.

Li Ye stared after him a moment, then slowly lowered his eyes.