TMWTGD CH17

Xie Jianwei thought to himself, Don’t worry, I won’t die… after all, this is Lu Li’s world.

As for the hunger, the time before he met Lu Li, he had been genuinely starving, agonizingly so. But after encountering Lu Li, even without drinking hot blood, the hunger was no longer so extreme. Furthermore, he always felt that Lu Li’s warm blood was probably more effective than the hot blood of others, since drinking it once kept him full for an entire day, leaving him refreshed and clear-headed.

Thinking along these lines, Xie Jianwei vaguely sensed that the Lu Li before him was likely the master of this dream world.

Before meeting Lu Li, Xie Jianwei had experienced hunger strictly according to the rules of the dream. Once they crossed paths, however, his condition immediately showed a tendency to transcend logic. Looking at it this way, the likelihood of Lu Li being the dream’s master was quite high.

Of course, this remained speculation. He had not reached the absolute limit of starvation yet, and according to the current logic, drinking warm blood was indeed enough to suppress his hunger.

Seeing Xie Jianwei’s detached expression, clearly lost in thought, Loren could not help letting out a long sigh, “You, really!”

Xie Jianwei offered halfhearted comfort, “It’s not as exaggerated as you make it sound.”

Loren looked at him with a cold snort, thoroughly convinced he was talking nonsense.

Xie Jianwei said, “I haven’t been deliberately fasting. I just haven’t met anyone whose blood I want to drink.”

Listening to his twisted logic made Loren want to beat some sense into him.

Xie Jianwei had no other tricks up his sleeve, reduced to acting shamelessly, “In any case, I only want to drink his hot blood. If it’s not his, it won’t do.”

Question, what should one do when a friend is utterly infuriating?

Admiral Loren, what else can you do? You can only forgive him!

Xie Jianwei coaxed pleasingly, “Alright, I’ll treat you to drinks in a bit.”

The Blood Clan did have alcohol, though its composition differed from human alcoholic beverages. More accurately, it should be called blended blood, concocted by mixing cold blood of exceptional flavors together, possessing a distinct taste of its own.

Loren sneered, “If you have the guts, treat me to a round at the Hall of Radiant Blood, Earl Xie.”

Xie Jianwei was speechless.

That sacred sanctuary of debauchery was somewhere he truly could not go.

Although Loren grumbled complaints aloud, he still accompanied him for drinks.

Xie Jianwei chose a rather quiet establishment. It was said the proprietor was a once-in-a-millennium romantic who went hunting among the human race right upon coming of age, only to encounter an exceptionally delicious morsel. After giving him the embrace, he remained fiercely faithful to him, once becoming the laughingstock of the Blood Clan territory.

Yet mockery was just mockery. It was the life he had chosen, and he seemed to live it quite contentedly.

Because of this background, this tavern was a rare establishment that stayed clear of shady business.

Ordinary bars claimed to sell blended blood on the surface, but there were always companions for hire, and drinking together inevitably led straight into bed.

After all, compared to cold blood, countless vampires still preferred hot blood.

Xie Jianwei ordered a glass of orange-colored blood wine. Loren mocked him, “You’re not a youngster anymore, yet you still drink this bizarre concoction. Who knows what strange junk they’ve added to it.”

Xie Jianwei said, “Just having a taste.”

He took a sip, and before he could fully register the taste, Yan Ke asked curiously, “What does it taste like?” Orange blood looked remarkably like orange juice.

Just as he was thinking that, Xie Jianwei murmured, “Sweet and sour, roughly like freshly squeezed orange juice.”

Yan Ke drooled, “I want to drink it so badly! Oranges are an endangered protected species nowadays!”

Xie Jianwei said, “I told you to come along, but you refused.”

Yan Ke retorted, “Even if I came, I couldn’t drink it, alright? You wanted to turn me into a tissue!”

Xie Jianwei said, “How could you not drink it? Soaking you directly in the orange juice, wouldn’t that be drinking more than enough?”

Yan Ke had no response.

Having finished the “orange juice,” Xie Jianwei ordered “pear juice,” “mango juice,” “pineapple juice,” “grape juice”…

He even wanted to order a glass of “cucumber juice,” but was stopped by Loren, “That’s about enough. Are you trying to get drunk?”

Xie Jianwei brushed it off, “How could anyone get drunk off this?” It was just a bunch of fruit juices, purely sweet and nothing else.

Loren felt he was already acting like a drunkard, “Enough, it’s late, we should head back. Do you still plan on tending to your little impotent boy?”

Xie Jianwei asked, “Who’s impotent?”

Loren thought, He really is damn well drunk!

“You mean Xiao Li?” Xie Jianwei waved his hand, “He’s plenty capable, exceedingly, exceedingly capable…”

Loren thought to himself that Xie Jianwei was truly bold to address His Majesty in such a manner. On second thought, however, he found it normal, as it was merely private intimacy between lovers.

Whether calling him Xiao Li or Brother Li, His Majesty loved hearing it anyway.

Seeing that Loren did not believe him, Xie Jianwei added a few more remarks. Ignoring him, Loren simply slung an arm around him and hauled him away.

Along the way, Xie Jianwei could not go three sentences without mentioning Xiao Li. Loren humored him while feeling deeply sympathetic.

It was not that vampires did not understand love, they simply chose not to understand it.

Across an endless lifespan and countless feedings, the word fidelity was far too difficult for them.

And what kind of love was love without fidelity?

After all, the very foundation of the concept originated from possessiveness.

Loren escorted Xie Jianwei back, and upon opening the door, he saw the human waiting quietly inside the room.

Lu Li stood up and bowed politely to him.

Loren held no fondness for him, laying Xie Jianwei onto the bed before saying, “The Earl drank too much. Take good care of him.”

Lu Li answered, “Understood.”

Loren stared at him for a moment, then sneered after a pause, “Unable to provide hot blood, you are completely useless.”

Lowering his eyelids slightly, Lu Li replied calmly, “I understand.”

Loren said, “Don’t bring human schemes into this place. If you dare use him, I will make you beg for death.”

Lu Li remained expressionless, “I will strive to become a vampire.”

Loren let out a cold laugh, turning and walking away.

Humans and vampires were sworn enemies. Their greatest conflict stemmed from the food chain; predators and prey could never coexist in peace.

Admittedly, purebloods could effortlessly seduce humans with their breathtaking looks, but human concepts of love differed completely from those of vampires. Falling deeply in love, humans craved more than fleeting intimacy; they longed for enduring companionship, a lifetime of mutual devotion, and the fulfillment of raising offspring together.

Yet vampires only sought to satisfy lust and hunger.

This was an irreconcilable contradiction, sealing the certainty that humans would only ever be harmed.

Hatred born of love incinerated reason far more than simple animosity. Perhaps early on, vampires and humans were not so bitterly at odds, but as time passed, human hatred toward the Blood Clan escalated sharply. More and more people discovered the vampires’ existence and realized they were monsters draped in human skin, leading more and more to fiercely resist.

They grew fearful of attractive individuals, instinctively rejecting and despising even their own kin if they were overly handsome.

Take Lu Li, whose plight perfectly exemplified this phenomenon.

Strikingly handsome looks became the source of calamity.

Everyone who drew near him harbored suspicion, and anyone meeting him for the first time showed fear. Even those who falsely flattered him ultimately craved immortality, the eternal life granted by the embrace.

He was human, yet his own people refused to see him as one.

They shunned and feared him as though he were a vampire, and upon realizing he was not, vented their irrational fury upon him.

Almost no human could stand against a pureblood, so they treated a human who closely resembled a pureblood as a surrogate to bully and torment, as if doing so could pacify their inner injustice and resentment.

Yet in truth, this made no sense at all.

What had Lu Li done wrong? He had done nothing, yet bore the malice of the entire world.

Raised in such a twisted environment, Lu Li was destined not to be normal.

He did not oppose turning into a vampire, in fact he looked forward to it, having heard that receiving the embrace wiped clean all human memories, offering a fresh rebirth to begin a new life.

Unfortunately, he did not even have that chance, because he could not get an erection.

Lu Li did not know why Xie Jianwei had chosen him, but the moment Xie Jianwei made that choice, an unprecedented joy bloomed in his barren heart.

It didn’t matter. Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter at all.

Xie Jianwei truly never expected those “fruit juices” to pack such potency, leaving him completely plastered.

Presumably the blended blood contained additives that affected vampire physiology, producing a state akin to human drunkenness.

Hazy and muddled, opening his eyes to see Lu Li brought Xie Jianwei immense peace of mind.

“Come here.” He patted the space beside him.

Lu Li hesitated for a moment.

Xie Jianwei whined discontentedly, “Come on.”

His usual voice was crisp and cool. Even when softened, it felt like clouds trailing along the distant horizon; gentle, yet terribly far away, airy and surreal.

But now it was different, as if the cloud had drifted down from the sky, transforming into fluffy clumps of cotton, plump and full, wrapping warmth around any hand that touched it.

Lu Li’s heart skipped a beat, and he finally lay down beside him.

Yet Xie Jianwei refused to be well-behaved, stripping off his clothes with an agility no drunk person should possess, stripping bare in no time and nestling into Lu Li’s embrace.

After another moment, he realized with slow delay that Lu Li was still fully dressed.

Then he began stripping Lu Li’s clothes as well.

Once both were stark naked, he began rubbing against Lu Li all over again.

Under such circumstances, no ordinary man could fail to react.

Instead, Lu Li’s body remained unnervingly still. Yet he was far from unaroused; his heart hammered violently, fire flared in his chest, and heat coursed through his limbs, only failing to gather at that most critical place.

Rubbing against him for a while, Xie Jianwei grew petulant, “Xiao Li, give it to me.”

A pang pricked Lu Li’s heart. Sitting up, he said, “I’ll help you,” leaning down to take him into his mouth.

Xie Jianwei gasped. Handled like that, his voice carried a faint whimper, “Not enough…”

Saying so, he pushed Lu Li downward. Releasing him, Lu Li shifted his gaze lower, and catching sight of the slick, glistening wetness, his entire frame shuddered as if struck by lightning.

Xie Jianwei pleaded, “Help me, Xiao Li, help me.”

Lu Li slipped in a finger, drawing a comfortable low moan from Xie Jianwei.

Like floating through a dream, Lu Li could scarcely fathom how enchanting the sight was. Using three fingers, he brought Xie Jianwei to climax.

He hadn’t touched his front at all, not even once.

Staring at his rosy lips as if bewitched, Lu Li leaned down and kissed him.

Xie Jianwei’s tongue tangled with his in response, captivating like a mesmerizing spirit, bewitching his senses.

Yet Lu Li pushed him away abruptly. Stunned, he looked down in astonishment between his legs.

That place that had slept endlessly showed a faint tendency to stir awake…

When Xie Jianwei woke up from his hangover, his head felt ready to split open.

What wretched stuff, packing such a vicious lingering punch.

Light-headed and heavy-footed, Xie Jianwei was unwilling to leave bed.

Lu Li had awakened earlier than him, asking upon seeing him stir, “Hungry?”

The moment he spoke, Xie Jianwei felt famished right away.

Lu Li approached him, and Xie Jianwei enjoyed a wonderful breakfast.

Having finished eating, Xie Jianwei said, “I was drunk last night and couldn’t accompany you through therapy. Shall we try again this morning?”

A gleam flickered in Lu Li’s eyes, “Can we try a different way?”

Xie Jianwei didn’t catch his meaning, “How so?”

Lu Li asked, “May I take the initiative?”

Xie Jianwei said, “Sure.”

And then Military Advisor Xie was fingered.

Climaxing, Xie Jianwei sprawled across the bed, panting heavily.

Lu Li asked him, “Did it feel good?”

Xie Jianwei hummed softly, “Mm…”

Lu Li said, “Answer me.”

Xie Jianwei’s voice quavered, “It felt good.”

Offering a rare smile, Lu Li asked again, “May I kiss you?”

Xie Jianwei thought, Why act so polite? When did you ever ask before kissing me?

Still, considering that this Little Lu Li was a pitiful soul, he nodded, “You may.”

Carefully turning him over, Lu Li’s gaze landed upon his lips.

He did not kiss him right away, merely watching him in quiet stillness.

Made rather self-conscious by his gaze, Xie Jianwei asked, “Are you kissing me or not?”

Lu Li murmured, “You are truly beautiful.”

Although they were an old married couple, having his lover look at him with such eyes and whisper such tender words left only pure sweetness in Xie Jianwei’s heart.

Lu Li leaned down to kiss him, his movements gentle, yet brimming with emotion ready to overflow.

It felt as though this were not merely a kiss, but a love poem woven through with beautiful romance in every line.

Sweetened to the core, Xie Jianwei’s eyes curved softly.

When they finally separated, Lu Li said, “Look.”

Only then did Xie Jianwei snap out of his daze, glancing at classmate Big Li and gasping in pleasant surprise, “There’s a bit of a reaction!”

Though the reaction was so faint it went unnoticed without careful scrutiny, at least there was movement!

Xie Jianwei was genuinely thrilled. Had this been said in reality, Big Li certainly wouldn’t believe it.

After all, Military Advisor Xie was usually pestered so endlessly by multiple Big Lis that he wished they would all turn impotent together.

Yet right now, only pure joy remained!

Lu Li asked again, “Can we do it once more?”

Xie Jianwei nodded readily, “Alright!”

Having finally produced results, they needed to keep up the momentum. Perhaps with a bit more stimulation, classmate Big Li would return to full vigor!

In the end, after being fingered three times, Xie Jianwei was utterly spent.

“I… I can’t anymore.” Xie Jianwei felt he genuinely had nothing left to shoot.

Yet as luck would have it, Lu Li had to watch him climax and follow it with a kiss to produce any reaction at all.

What an ordeal…

Lu Li said, “Then let’s leave it.”

Looking at the semi-hard Big Li, Xie Jianwei felt rather reluctant to give up. What if three more rounds got this guy fully erect?

But three whole rounds! Xie Jianwei waved a hand, thinking Big Li might as well stay limp.

Xie Jianwei slept for a full day and night, still walking unsteadily upon waking.

Not from exhaustion, but from sheer depletion. He probably needed nourishment to invigorate his kidneys…

Sadly, he could only drink blood.

Thus Military Advisor Xie decided on a roundabout tactic, ensuring that of the food arranged for Lu Li, ten out of ten items were kidney-nourishing tonics.

That way, when he drank Lu Li’s blood again, wouldn’t that count as indirect kidney nourishment?

Whether it worked or not, both of them needed tonics anyway!

Having drunk the blood, Xie Jianwei asked, “Did it return to how it was?”

Lu Li nodded, “Yes.”

Xie Jianwei asked, “Does that mean… we have to start from scratch again?”

Lu Li said, “If you’re tired, get some rest.”

Xie Jianwei gritted his teeth, “Again!”

Sadly, Military Advisor Xie could endure four times at most. Beyond four, he refused to death, and anything further would leave him whimpering in tears.

Meanwhile, Big Li’s state reached merely semi-hard…

Which meant achieving a complete erection would take at least seven or eight rounds.

Xie “Not a Seven-Times-a-Night Stallion” Jianwei stated that this illness was beyond his ability to cure!

The two of them fooled around like this for nearly the better part of a month.

Unable to watch any longer, Loren dragged Xie Jianwei out and said, “And you still claim there is nothing wrong with your head. What are you doing cooped up inside the house all day with an impotent guy?”

How could Xie Jianwei have the nerve to admit that he had nearly been drained dry to death by an impotent man?

“It’s… nothing, just keeping him company.”

In truth, even if he spoke honestly about what they had done, Loren wouldn’t believe him anyway, since the other man was fretting over an entirely different matter.

“Humans are very cunning. They love preaching romantic nonsense, and you happen to be an oddity among vampires, so it would be all too easy for him to entrap you!”

He was thoroughly convinced that the two of them staying cooped up inside all day was for the sake of whispering sweet nothings and indulging in romance.

Xie Jianwei was genuinely wronged.

Loren said, “I looked into his background recently. Let me tell you, it is exceedingly suspicious.”

Military Advisor Xie had been so engrossed in “curing the illness” that he hadn’t had the time to investigate, so hearing that Loren had looked into it, he focused his attention and asked, “How so?”

Loren said, “He is quite pitiful. Because of his looks, he was shunned among humans as if he were a vampire, and because of his frail health, he suffered endless abuse.”

Xie Jianwei’s eyes darkened slightly.

Loren said, “No need to feel heartache yet, hear me out first.”

He continued, “His health was terrible, right? Yet every single time, he managed to turn danger into safety. There are plenty of twisted people among humans, and more than a few who resort to extreme violence to beat people to death. Your little impotent friend is frail and sullen, never fighting back when bullied. Several times he could have been beaten to death on the spot, yet he miraculously survived every time.”

Hearing this made Xie Jianwei’s heart twitch with pain.

Loren said, “My findings show that it was all down to fortunate coincidences. For instance, someone happened to save him, or medicinal herbs happened to grow nearby to heal his wounds. One coincidence would be fine, but a coincidence every single time is rather peculiar.”

Xie Jianwei wondered if the will of God was at play, but immediately felt that probably wasn’t the case.

Every time Lu Li overturned the dream, it was because of him.

Because Lu Li was deeply immersed within the dream, he adhered strictly to internal logic, completely trapped in the blindness of an insider.

Then what could be the reason? Could there be other hidden truths?

Loren added, “We might barely write that off as coincidence, but another matter is even stranger.”

Looking at him, Xie Jianwei asked, “What matter?”

Loren said, “It is as though he popped out of thin air.”

Frowning, Xie Jianwei asked, “Perhaps his family died early?”

“It isn’t as simple as being an orphan. He has no childhood at all.”

Xie Jianwei’s expression grew solemn.

Loren said, “I cannot find a single record of him before he came of age.”

“You know how short human lifespans are, a hundred years being the absolute limit. He only looks to be in his twenties, so he has only lived that long. Yet strangely enough, there is no trace of his existence during his first sixteen years, as if he appeared out of nowhere and stepped straight toward adulthood.”

Xie Jianwei sank into deep thought.

Loren voiced his conclusion, “Humans are thoroughly social creatures. It would have been impossible for him to survive alone at such a young age, so he shouldn’t be completely devoid of any traces of living.”

Xie Jianwei nodded, “Mm, indeed he shouldn’t.”

Looking at him, Loren sighed, “Don’t get upset at what I’m about to say, but that little impotent boy of yours might truly have been sent to you intentionally by someone.”

“Although very few people know His Majesty’s appearance and name, there are still a few who do. If I hadn’t looked into his background, I would have treated it as a coincidence, but now that I’ve checked, there are too many suspicious points to ignore.”

Xie Jianwei said, “Alright, I understand.”

Loren said, “Don’t you dare be foolish. The lesson from a century ago is still fresh.”

Xie Jianwei had no idea what had actually transpired a century ago, but unable to ask, he could only pretend to know, “I know.”

Loren still trusted him quite a bit, knowing he wasn’t someone who lost sight of priorities. As long as he was warned properly, he generally wouldn’t fall into a trap.

To ease Loren’s worries, Xie Jianwei didn’t hole up in the house that day, spending the entire day busy in the council hall instead.

In truth, the rulers of the Blood Clan were quite idle. Their kin were few in number to begin with, and each cared only for feeding, lovemaking, and sleeping, which made governing surprisingly effortless.

To Xie Jianwei, the workload of this vampire leader probably couldn’t even match that of a village chief.

Military Advisor Xie, who had managed the livelihoods of hundreds of billions of citizens across galaxies, declared that this tiny bit of paperwork hardly had the right to be called state affairs.

He would rather stay in the room playing chess with Xiao Li.

Upon returning, Xie Jianwei asked Lu Li about his past.

Lu Li wasn’t very keen on bringing it up, as they were unpleasant memories after all, but since Xie Jianwei asked, he answered with earnest care.

Holding nothing back, it was essentially identical to what Loren had described.

Heart aching for him, Xie Jianwei murmured, “You’ve suffered so much.”

Looking at him, Lu Li’s eyes softened, “It is nothing.”

Xie Jianwei leaned in to kiss him lightly, then asked, “Do you still remember anything from before you were sixteen?”

Lu Li knitted his brows slightly.

Xie Jianwei watched him without blinking.

Lu Li said, “I don’t remember.”

Xie Jianwei said, “How could you not remember?”

If forgetting things before age three was normal, a sixteen-year-old youth should remember everything clearly.

Lu Li concealed nothing from him, confessing candidly, “My memories begin from age sixteen.”

Confusion showed on Xie Jianwei’s face.

Lu Li added, “I have no idea what I was doing before then. One day, it was as if I suddenly woke up, saw everything before my eyes, and began living.”

This sounded far too strange.

Could it be, Xie Jianwei pondered, that Lu Li wasn’t the master of this dream, but a personality that had barged in halfway through?

There was a rule Yan Ke had once told him. Due to mutual repulsion and isolation between personalities, if another personality entered someone else’s dream, all their original awareness would be locked away.

Furthermore, because he was an outsider, logical discrepancies were bound to exist.

Appearing out of nowhere, afflicted with an incurable ailment, suffering endless torment, living in a way that barely resembled living at all.

Right at this moment, Yan Ke sighed, “Does the Lord Marshal really need to be this cruel to himself?”

Xie Jianwei paused.

“He wouldn’t…”

Yan Ke caught on abruptly as well.

“Is another Lord Marshal stirring up trouble? So it isn’t this personality who wants to abuse himself, but another personality who wants to torment this one?” Yan Ke almost confused himself, “That’s such a tongue twister.”

Xie Jianwei added, “Not necessarily, since my hunger hasn’t been that severe after all.”

If another Lu Li was truly pulling the strings, it meant he was the master of the dream, yet the current Lu Li could also influence certain events, making it hard to discern what was genuinely going on.

Yan Ke’s mental capacity had completely run dry, admitting he couldn’t figure it out.

Xie Jianwei said, “It’s fine, take it slowly. The clues will only keep multiplying.”

Although he had promised Loren to stay vigilant, after working for two days, Xie Jianwei holed up inside his quarters again and refused to come out.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to step out, but that the spirit was willing while the flesh was weak.

The method of therapy simply drained too much of his physical stamina.

Loren was quite clever as well. Knowing that Xie Jianwei was already hopelessly infatuated and that nagging further would be futile, he simply brought out a trump card.

“There is news regarding the Star Whisper Sand and the Ice Silk Heart.”

These were the two essential materials required for the ritual to awaken the King of the Blood Clan.

Surprised, Xie Jianwei asked, “Such good luck?”

Loren rolled his eyes, “Even God Father pities you.”

Xie Jianwei considered it and said, “Let me see the dossiers, I will go search for them.”

Loren said, “I will search for the Star Whisper Sand, and you will retrieve the Ice Silk Heart. That’s settled.”

Xie Jianwei offered no objection.

Only then did Loren add, “The Ice Silk Heart is in the Frost Plains. I advise you to leave your little impotent boy behind in the territory, otherwise taking out a living human and bringing back an ice sculpture won’t be pretty.”

Xie Jianwei was silent.

Loren handed him a leather pouch and turned to leave.

Inside was a detailed report on the location of the Ice Silk Heart and how to obtain it.

No wonder Xie Jianwei had been unable to uncover any trace of this item before, while Loren had suddenly found it recently.

The reason was that the Ice Silk Heart had been devoured by a colossal beast, which slept underground for eight hundred years at a stretch, only surfacing to feed on a specific day.

This was a world-rare ferocious monster that relished human flesh, swallowing its prey whole, clothes and all, in a single gulp.

The reason Loren had tracked down this lead was that one of his subordinates had been extraordinarily unlucky, mistaken for a human and swallowed whole. Yet this beast strictly never fed on vampires, so Loren’s subordinate was spat back out after tumbling around in the monster’s belly for a few rounds.

During those few rounds inside, besides witnessing a vast pile of mangled remains, he had also spotted an ice-blue object.

Having been swallowed for eight hundred years without being digested in the least, it truly lived up to its reputation as a divine artifact.

Knowing his Earl had been searching for this item, the regurgitated vampire had washed himself clean in a hurry and rushed back to report.

Thus Loren acquired this firsthand information.

Xie Jianwei felt that this was a rather pungent report.

At the very bottom, Loren had even provided the contact info for that subordinate who had taken a tour through the beast’s stomach, yet Xie Jianwei had no desire to meet him.

He had a lingering feeling that if they met, he too would end up rather pungent.

Presently, this man-eating beast was still feeding ravenously, presumably wanting to stuff itself full in one go before going back to sleep for another eight centuries.

In fact, even without the Ice Silk Heart, the Blood Clan had already planned to dispatch forces to eradicate the creature.

Even though it didn’t eat vampires, it devoured the Blood Clan’s food supply, and did so indiscriminately with total disregard for decorum.

To use an analogy, it was like growing a bed of chives in one’s backyard, originally meant to be harvested batch by batch so they could regrow, only for a scoundrel to barge in, plow up the entire plot, uproot all the chives, and swallow old and tender shoots alike in one gulp, which naturally provoked outrage.

Normally, Loren handled all such brute-force combat tasks himself, rarely requiring Xie Jianwei to take the field.

This time was different. Having a deliberate intention to send Xie Jianwei away, Loren had dumped the task on him on purpose.

The Frost Plains were bitterly cold, pure suffering for an ordinary human, especially when hunting a man-eating beast, where bringing Lu Li along would be practically offering a live bait.

A vampire swallowed whole could still be spat back out, but a human eaten would simply be digested on the spot.

By all reason and sentiment, Xie Jianwei would never take Lu Li along.

Yet this journey would take over ten days, making Xie Jianwei’s meals a genuine problem.

Loren had thoughtfully arranged a mobile blood bank for him as well.

Xie Jianwei was thoroughly impressed.

Yan Ke chimed in, “If the Lord Marshal ever recalls this one day, he will probably beat the Admiral to a pulp…”

Smiling, Xie Jianwei said, “Quite likely.”

Yan Ke shook his head, “Admiral Loren truly is taking the blame for nothing.”

Before departing, Xie Jianwei gave Lu Li endless reminders, “Whatever you do, don’t wander out alone. If you feel truly bored, find A-Fei, and he will take you for a walk.”

A-Fei was Xie Jianwei’s trusted confidant, a reliable individual.

Lu Li said, “I understand.”

Fearing he might feel uneasy, Xie Jianwei added, “Rest assured, I will return very soon.”

Lu Li said, “Mm.”

Just as Xie Jianwei turned to leave, Lu Li suddenly asked, “What will you do… if you get hungry?”

Xie Jianwei said, “I can drink cold blood. Although that means drinking seven or eight times a day, it can barely keep my stomach full.”

Lu Li hesitated for a moment.

Xie Jianwei drew close to him, brushing against his lips, whispering softly, “My fangs will only ever pierce your skin.”

Lu Li abruptly cupped the back of his neck, kissing him forcefully.

The two kissed with breathless devotion until Loren rolled his eyes, “Let’s go, let’s go!”

Beaming, Xie Jianwei said, “Wait for my return.”

Lu Li said, “Mm.”

Loren was exceedingly dissatisfied, “Aside from kissing, what else can he even do?”

Xie Jianwei said nothing. Frankly speaking, there were plenty of things he could do, but none that could be revealed to you.

Loren looked at Xie Jianwei with disdain again, “You too. If he can’t get hard, can’t you? Take him first to satisfy your cravings.”

Xie Jianwei laughed in spite of himself, “What good would that do? It still wouldn’t yield hot blood.”

Loren sighed, “Exactly, what kind of hopeless thing did you even pick up!”

Yan Ke gasped, “Oh my, I must record this. Admiral Loren will definitely obey my every command in the future!”

Xie Jianwei had quite a headache from the two of them.

The group traveled swiftly, reaching the Frost Plains in a single day. The man-eating beast was gorging itself. Truly, it was heartbreaking. The humans living here already struggled greatly with bitter cold and hardship, and now they were being swallowed alive, an absolute epitome of misery.

Xie Jianwei wasted no time, immediately ordering the hunt to begin.

In truth, had he consumed hot blood, he could have handled this beast on his own. But having starved for a hundred years, his power continuously depleted, he was far weaker than before and needed assistance from his kin.

As they clashed with the man-eating beast, the humans were rescued.

Yet seeing the dazzling magic, the humans recognized that these were vampires, fleeing far into the distance once more.

The man-eating beast was trickier than anticipated, taking two full days and nights of struggle before finally bringing it down.

The Ice Silk Heart rested within its body, requiring dissection to retrieve.

The behemoth was enormous, taking an entire day of cutting and carving before finally extracting the blue Ice Silk Heart.

The Ice Silk Heart was rather mystical, remaining radiant with shimmering luster even after staying inside the beast for eight centuries, lovely as a little star.

Yet Military Advisor Xie had no desire to touch it, even keeping his distance from it.

Having finally settled the matter, with his mind entirely on his lover, Xie Jianwei didn’t waste a second before heading back.

Traveling for seven or eight days drinking only cold blood, he had long grown ravenous, wishing only to see Lu Li quickly and reward himself properly.

A journey that normally took a full day was completed in half a day.

As they drew near, his clever little subordinate suggested, “My Lord, after returning with such effort, would you like to bring Mr. Lu a gift?”

Xie Jianwei glanced at him, and the young vampire continued flattering, “Although Mr. Lu will be happy just seeing you, if you bring a gift, he will surely be even more delighted.”

Xie Jianwei cast him a sideways glance, “We are right at our doorstep, where would we buy anything?”

The little vampire was prepared, “This subordinate happens to have a set of fine items right here.”

Xie Jianwei suspected that eighty percent of the time, this was no genuinely good thing.

Sure enough, the cheeky little vampire produced an exquisite wooden box, cracking it open slightly to give Xie Jianwei a peek.

Xie Jianwei was speechless.

Yan Ke burst into a snicker.

Before Xie Jianwei could speak, voices drifted over from nearby.

“What kind of thing do you think you are? He keeps you only to drink your blood.”

Lu Li said, “That he needs me is my honor.”

“Needs you? Give me a break. If he truly needed you, would he still refuse to give you the rebirth even now?”

“He is merely playing with you, and once he tires of you, he will kill you outright.”

Lu Li’s voice remained calm and steady, “If I am killed by him, I will be very happy.”