TMWTGD CH32

All along, the King of the Blood Clan had been the most unique existence. No one knew when he was born, nor where he came from, and no one even knew what their king looked like or what his name was.

Ever since the birth of the Blood Clan, he seemed to have sat upon the throne, watching over endless generational shifts.

One defining trait of the Blood Clan was immortality, but immortality came with a price. They had to continuously drink blood, consuming the hot blood of others to preserve youth, power, and life itself.

Yet their king was an exception, a completely singular being.

No one had ever seen him feed. He had no need for blood to maintain boundless strength and eternal life.

He seemed transcended above all, different from any other vampire. Some even said their king was an entity close to a god.

Yet one day, such a sovereign of the Blood Clan embraced a human, and even permitted that human to drink his hot blood.

No one knew what His Majesty’s blood tasted like. Nobody had ever tasted even his cold or warm blood, let alone his hot blood.

Yet now, an exception had occurred.

And this human, granted a new life by His Majesty, came to possess an unimaginable, formidable power.

By all rights, he should have been a weak, ordinary vampire, yet now he was even more formidable than pureblood nobles.

Why was this? Because what he drank was royal hot blood.

At first, the vampires envied Xie Jianwei, envying this fortunate soul favored by His Majesty.

At the same time, they harbored anticipation. Since His Majesty had granted hot blood to Xie Jianwei, did they stand a chance of receiving such grace as well? Was it possible for them to attain great power too?

At one banquet, someone mustered the courage to step forward, asking loudly in a trembling voice, “Your noble Majesty, may I spend tonight with you?”

This was an exceptionally handsome vampire youth with dazzling blond hair, delicate skin, and striking looks envied by both men and women. The expression on his face as he asked could set countless hearts fluttering. Who could bear to refuse such a bold, passionate beauty taking the initiative?

Just as some began whistling and egging him on, their king spoke softly, “My apologies.”

A simple phrase, yet it was the starkest refusal.

The vampire youth felt awkward and wanted to plead further, but when the masked sovereign cast a calm glance his way, the youth buried all remaining thoughts, bowing respectfully without daring to overstep again.

Afterward, many more vampires were turned down. Though disappointed, they did not dwell on it.

Coincidentally, an interlude occurred around this time.

Xie Jianwei attended this banquet as well. Although he was not a pureblood, his renown was illustrious, for his rebirth had been so extraordinary.

Furthermore, he was breathtakingly handsome, not merely in build and facial features, but in his refined, exquisite elegance.

Catching even a glance from him seemed to ignite a fierce desire for conquest.

Wanting to possess him, wanting to claim him, wanting to shatter the pride woven into his very bones.

Yet he was truly formidable, powerful enough that few dared challenge him.

Of course, exceptions existed, such as their king, or their ever-victorious general, Earl Loren.

Loren was an incurable flirt who could never walk away from a beauty, especially one both strong and gorgeous. Intrigued by Xie Jianwei, seeing him standing alone, he drifted over and asked, “I planted a bed of roses in my back garden. Would you be interested in having a drink there?”

Xie Jianwei smiled at him, “A cup of cold blood?”

Loren suggested flirtatiously, “If you’re willing, we can drink something much hotter among the roses.”

Xie Jianwei said, “The Earl certainly has fine taste.”

“So…” Loren asked, “will you come?”

Xie Jianwei offered a deeply alluring smile, “With the greatest pleasure.”

Seasoned playboy as he was, Loren had rarely encountered such a delectable beauty. Swept up in the mood, he leaned in to kiss him.

Yet Xie Jianwei tilted his head, evading him.

Loren blinked, and Xie Jianwei said, “Better to save it for tonight.”

Loren’s heart itched from the teasing, agreeing immediately, “Alright!”

Their conversation had not been concealed, and given Loren’s notorious reputation among the vampires, nearby onlookers whistled and cheered, “Congratulations to Earl Loren on another successful conquest!”

“The Earl is truly something, managing to secure a date with His Highness.” Because Xie Jianwei’s sire was their king, even though Xie Jianwei was nominally a common vampire without a noble title, they still addressed him as His Highness.

Someone even remarked to Xie Jianwei, “Your Highness, the Earl’s skills are exceptional, but don’t let him take advantage of you.” Taking advantage referred to an unequal exchange of hot blood between partners.

After all, hot blood only emerged at climax, and reaching it several times compared to once made a substantial difference.

Xie Jianwei offered a casual smile.

The commotion reached the dais above. Lu Li found it curious and questioned an attendant, who reported promptly, “Earl Loren is inviting His Highness to admire the flowers.”

He put it delicately, but everyone knew what Loren’s flower viewing truly entailed.

Lu Li paused, asking, “What did Jianwei say?”

The attendant smiled, “His Highness said with the greatest pleasure.”

With a sharp shatter, the sound of a glass crashing to the floor drew everyone’s eyes.

The attendant had no idea what he had said wrong, but having served His Majesty for years, he sensed his wrath at once.

Dropping to his knees, he pleaded, “Your Majesty forgive me, this servant…”

Before he could finish, Lu Li stood abruptly, striding down the steps toward Loren and Xie Jianwei.

The crowd bowed in greeting.

Without bidding them to rise, Lu Li fixed his gaze on Xie Jianwei, asking, “You accepted Loren’s invitation?”

Half-kneeling, Xie Jianwei bowed his head, “Yes.”

“No,” Lu Li stated without a second thought.

Xie Jianwei looked up at him, “Why?”

That question gave voice to what everyone present was thinking. Why not?

Exchanging hot blood among vampires was entirely commonplace, something no one had the authority to forbid, not even His Majesty, who had never interfered in such matters before.

Xie Jianwei received no answer. Lu Li merely cast a profound glance at him before turning away and leaving.

The lively banquet grew noticeably subdued after this incident.

The vampires could not help glancing at Xie Jianwei, harboring private suspicions.

Recalling His Majesty’s chilling gaze, Loren felt cold feet, “Um…”

Xie Jianwei said to him, “My Lord Earl, see you in the rose garden later.”

Loren swallowed down his hesitation.

This vampire was simply too tempting, and the taste of his hot blood had to be sublime. Swallowing hard, Earl Loren ultimately failed to withstand the temptation.

Did Loren and Xie Jianwei actually go through with it that night?

Most had no idea whether they did, but the entire Blood Clan soon learned that Earl Loren’s back garden had become history.

A roaring fire reduced the gorgeous roses to ash.

While Loren wailed over his garden, Xie Jianwei was dragged back to the royal palace by Lu Li, pinned against the door, and ravished thoroughly.

Xie Jianwei had been quite annoyed at first, thinking His Majesty was entirely unreasonable. He had barely enjoyed the beauty of the roses and had not even had time to do anything with the Earl before His Majesty stormed in and carried him off without explanation.

Naturally, once brought to heights of pleasure, Xie Jianwei held no grudge, actively reciprocating instead.

Afterward, Lu Li held him close, whispering a sentence into his ear.

Xie Jianwei didn’t hear clearly, “Hm?”

Pausing, Lu Li repeated, “Do not seek out others.”

Amused, Xie Jianwei looked up at him, “Your Majesty, what do you mean by that?”

Lu Li frowned, “You are not allowed to drink anyone else’s hot blood.”

As a true vampire now, Xie Jianwei countered, “Don’t all vampires exchange hot blood with one another?”

Lu Li said, “You cannot.”

“Why can’t I?” Xie Jianwei said, “I am a perfectly normal vampire.”

Lu Li watched him, saying after a moment, “You have no need to drink anyone else’s blood.”

Xie Jianwei asked, “Why?”

Lu Li said, “Because no one suits you better than I do.”

Xie Jianwei smiled, “Your Majesty, your hot blood is indeed…” exceedingly delicious.

“Do you want more?” Lu Li asked.

Licking his lips, Xie Jianwei said, “I do.”

Lu Li said, “Then keep your thoughts off other people.”

Pleasured and thoroughly contented, Xie Jianwei still remarked, “Your Majesty, you are threatening me.”

Lu Li replied, “I am.”

“Then doesn’t that mean I can only sleep with you from now on?”

“Yes.”

“Your Majesty…” Xie Jianwei’s voice softened alluringly, “then you must satisfy me well.”

Lu Li demonstrated his answer in full, filling him completely.

No one dared name the arsonist who incinerated Loren’s garden, but many servants in the Earl’s manor had witnessed His Majesty snatching the person away.

Having missed out on even a sip of warm blood, Earl Loren lost both the roses in his garden and the rose in his arms, appearing quite pitiful for a time.

Naturally, Loren later played the victim to win over many beauties who offered themselves up, yet His Majesty’s possessive abduction remained unforgettable.

Thereafter, Xie Jianwei became an even more extraordinary presence.

No one dared proposition His Majesty, and no one dared approach Xie Jianwei.

Everyone knew Xie Jianwei was His Majesty’s exclusive possession, the only soul in the Blood Clan to have tasted royal blood and the only one whose blood had been tasted by royalty.

This bred resentment. If no one could drink it, things were fair, but why should Xie Jianwei be the sole exception?

Those who lived through the garden incident remembered it was His Majesty who claimed him, but as new generations of vampires emerged, the abduction was forgotten, leaving only the perception that an ordinary vampire was monopolizing their king and denying others power.

From then on, Xie Jianwei was branded as willful, haughty, and spoiled by imperial favor.

Not to mention their king truly indulged Xie Jianwei without bounds, wishing he would act even more brazenly.

Whenever Xie Jianwei was invited to a banquet, the gifts he brought casually were rare treasures that stunned even pureblood nobility.

These were obviously bestowed upon him by His Majesty, and because he received so much, he didn’t care at all, giving them away on a whim.

Furthermore, toward the end of banquets when guests began indulging in wild escapades, His Majesty would inevitably dispatch attendants to escort Xie Jianwei home.

Once, during a genuine flower-viewing party in Earl Loren’s newly rebuilt garden, Xie Jianwei drank too much and fell asleep under a willow tree. When the attendants failed to find him, His Majesty arrived in person and carried him away.

Treasuring someone to such an extent surprised all who witnessed it.

How did this look like vampires? It resembled a human couple in love.

Their king had been completely bewitched by this ordinary vampire.

What was more exaggerated, the Hall of Radiant Blood instituted a strict rule forbidding His Highness Jianwei from entering.

They even stationed a detachment of guards, not to maintain order since an orgy needed no order, but solely to turn Xie Jianwei away.

Such abundant privileges proved beyond doubt how singular Xie Jianwei was.

Fortunately, Xie Jianwei was a man of his word, and after promising Blood King Lu Li, he truly never drank anyone else’s hot blood again.

He stayed only with Lu Li, embraced only him, kissed only him, and slept only in his arms.

Yet the good times did not last, for this defied the natural laws of vampire survival.

In theory, an exclusive exchange of blood between two people was possible, provided their strength was comparable and they consumed large amounts of cold blood to maintain balance.

But Blood King Lu Li and Xie Jianwei were completely unequal.

Powerful as Xie Jianwei was, he could not compare to the sole royal sovereign.

The disparity in their strength was too immense, and over time, the one harmed was not Lu Li, but Xie Jianwei.

Lu Li’s blood carried staggering power, which enhanced Xie Jianwei’s strength in moderation, but his ordinary vampire physiology had a ceiling for absorbing such energy.

Exceeding that threshold led to rapid decay, hurtling toward death at an alarming rate.

A solution existed, and a very simple one at that. As long as Xie Jianwei exchanged hot blood with others, balance would quickly be restored.

Unfortunately, this simplest method was the most unacceptable to Lu Li.

Having fought so hard to win his heart, how could he hand him over to someone else?

This formed an intractable deadlock. Drinking only Lu Li’s blood would eventually kill Xie Jianwei, while refusing hot blood altogether would still cause him to starve to death.

The only apparent recourse was to let Xie Jianwei go.

But by this point, Xie Jianwei was no longer willing to leave him either.

Perhaps in the beginning Xie Jianwei was purely a vampire, captive to appetite and satisfied through desire. Yet at some point, he had grown fond of lingering by Lu Li’s side, fond of the morning kiss he received each day, fond of doing nothing while leaning against each other, and fond of falling asleep in his arms after being thoroughly fulfilled.

When Lu Li wavered, Xie Jianwei told him, “If you don’t want me anymore, I don’t want to live either.”

A simple sentence struck Lu Li’s nerves like a sharp whip. It was not the first time he had heard those words, but this time he was no mere observer, he was the person they were spoken to.

This beautiful man looked at him with such unwavering focus and spoke with such tender warmth, pouring out boundless devotion.

Lu Li gathered him tightly into his arms, his warm lips pressing against delicate skin as he promised, “Rest assured, as long as you are willing, you will always belong to me.”

Blood King Lu Li attempted to tackle the dilemma from another angle.

Since Xie Jianwei’s body could not endure so much of his hot blood, he would simply strengthen that body.

If a common vampire could not bear it, what about a pureblood?

Lu Li paid a devastating price, expending nearly half of his life’s power to cleanse Xie Jianwei’s body completely, transforming him from a common vampire into an absolute pureblood.

The process took an immense amount of time and remained shrouded in secrecy, known only to Loren, who procured the necessary materials.

In the eyes of the other vampires, they saw Xie Jianwei decline toward death, eventually vanishing completely.

Much later, a pureblood noble who had long slumbered awakened.

Bestowed the title of Earl by His Majesty, he became the second person permitted to exchange hot blood with the king.

No one realized he was that deceased prince.

Although many noticed the striking resemblance in their appearance, one was an ordinary vampire while the other was a pureblood noble, so how could they possibly be the same person?

Most assumed His Majesty simply favored that specific face.

Had everything remained peaceful, nothing terrible would have followed.

Transforming a common vampire into a pureblood was an act defying the natural order. Even if Lu Li was near a god, he was not divine, yet he had accomplished what even gods could not.

And so retribution found him.

The balance innate to the royal lineage broke, leaving him craving hot blood just like other vampires.

This seemed manageable on the surface. With Xie Jianwei there, exchanging hot blood and supplementing each other with cold blood should have maintained equilibrium.

But it failed. The royal constitution demanded too much power, rendering cold blood a drop in the ocean. And Xie Jianwei’s hot blood alone could never fully sate Lu Li.

To say nothing of having to supply his own hot blood to sustain Xie Jianwei.

It amounted to overdrawing his very life force.

While Xie Jianwei thrived, Lu Li slowly deteriorated.

A day would come when Blood King Lu Li would die.

Watching this unfold, Loren grew frantic, yet had no way to intervene. He lacked the authority to question His Majesty’s decisions, and could not even tell Xie Jianwei the truth.

Yet a century ago, a vampire hunter who emerged out of nowhere shattered this peaceful facade.

That hunter was indeed powerful, rare even by vampire standards, but in theory he could never defeat Loren, let alone Blood King Lu Li.

Yet he accomplished it.

Carrying immense hatred and exerting every ounce of strength, he dealt a grievous blow to the leader of the Blood Clan.

By the time Xie Jianwei and Loren rushed to the scene, all they found was Blood King Lu Li fallen into deep slumber.

Shock filled Xie Jianwei’s eyes, “How is this possible? How could His Majesty be weakened to such a state?”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Loren revealed the truth.

Only then did Xie Jianwei realize what price had been paid for his centuries of bliss.

The memory cut off abruptly here.

Yan Ke sighed, “This truly is…” A chaotic pot of melodrama and heartbreak that left people speechless and weeping.

Xie Jianwei said, “What am I even supposed to say.”

Yan Ke said, “You can only be moved, moved by the Lord Marshal’s peerless love for you!”

Xie Jianwei was rendered completely speechless.

Setting aside why this memory was preserved within the Heart of Glacial Silk, and setting aside whether its shattering was accidental, what mattered was that Xie Jianwei saw it, and the newborn Lu Li saw it as well.

Watching even more closely, more intently, and more attentively than Xie Jianwei himself.

What would he think now?

Obviously, that Xie Jianwei had used the newborn Lu Li.

He was fated not to be with Blood King Lu Li, so to keep the Blood King alive and crush his hopes completely, Xie Jianwei had supposedly fallen for someone else.

Yet even in falling for another, Xie Jianwei could accept no stranger.

Thus, throughout the hundred years the Blood King slept, Xie Jianwei refused to exchange hot blood with anyone because he could not bring himself to cross that mental line, proving how profound his love for Blood King Lu Li was.

By chance, he met this new Lu Li.

Someone who looked identical to Blood King Lu Li, with a name that was virtually the same.

And then, he supposedly plunged into love without looking back.

The newborn Lu Li stood dazed by the palace entrance for a moment.

Just as Xie Jianwei moved to speak, the youth turned and departed.

Xie Jianwei moved to chase after him without thinking, but Blood King Lu Li caught his hand.

Xie Jianwei stood frozen.

Blood King Lu Li’s voice was hoarse, “I am sorry.”

What could Xie Jianwei possibly say?

Blood King Lu Li had already released his hand, saying in a low voice, “Go explain it to him. He will understand.”

Taking a deep breath, Xie Jianwei said, “Your Majesty, we can never go back.” Right now, he could only steel his heart to the very end.

Blood King Lu Li’s eyes flickered, his voice trembling slightly, “I know.”

Xie Jianwei found Lu Li back in his own quarters.

Daylight had broken outside, yet the room was steeped in pitch-black darkness. Had he not long been familiar with the layout here, Xie Jianwei might not have even been able to walk properly.

His footsteps tapped against the smooth floor tiles, echoing through the empty chamber, inexplicably turning into a spell that coiled around the soul.

Lu Li’s voice sounded muffled, “I knew it all along.”

Xie Jianwei halted in his tracks.

The man standing in the farthest corner spoke, “From very early on, I knew I was merely his stand-in. I knew I looked so much like him, and I knew you were looking at him through me.”

“Yet it didn’t matter. If not for this face, if not for looking like him, you never would have approached me, and I never would have had you. So I didn’t care.”

Xie Jianwei’s voice was parched, “A-Li…”

Lu Li continued speaking. Hidden in the darkness, it felt as though his voice drifted from a distant place.

“I know many of the things you did were not for me. I know the one you truly longed for was someone else. I know that no matter what, I am nothing more than a solace. But I was willing. I even thought that even if that person awakened and you discarded me, it wouldn’t matter. After all, I knew from start to finish what kind of existence I was.”

His words pierced Xie Jianwei’s heart with agonizing heartache. He murmured softly, “That’s not true…”

Before he could finish, Lu Li cut him off, his voice rising abruptly, “Then why did you give me hope?!”

“That Silk Sun Flower… why did you use it to lift my curse? Why did you give up the chance to awaken him just to grant me new life?”

Xie Jianwei found himself unable to utter a single word.

Lu Li’s voice turned hoarse, “You have no idea how overjoyed I was back then. You don’t know how happy I felt when I thought you had chosen me. You could never imagine how ecstatic I was when I believed I finally had a chance!”

“I never dared to hope, never once dared. It was you who gave me that chance, making me believe I could truly replace him!”

“Yet what was the reality? Of course you had no need to awaken him, because you couldn’t be with him anyway, and he was fated to wake on his own eventually.”

“You needed me. You couldn’t let me die because I had to keep helping you, helping you provoke him when he inevitably awakened.”

“Xie Jianwei…” Lu Li asked in agony, “To you, what do I actually count for?”

The words I love you rose to the tip of Xie Jianwei’s tongue, yet he didn’t dare say them aloud.

Because Lu Li wouldn’t believe him. If he spoke them now, it would only make things worse.

What should he do? How could he soothe him? How could he convince him that he loved him?

Just as Xie Jianwei found himself at a complete loss for an answer, Lu Li spoke words that broke his heart even further.

“You don’t need to answer me,” Lu Li walked toward him slowly, whispering softly, “I still have a use, don’t I? It’s impossible for you to be with him now. You have to make him forget you, and you need me to crush his hopes so he can survive. So… you will still stay with me, won’t you?”

Xie Jianwei closed his eyes, fighting to force back the tears welling in his eyes, “Yes.”

In the darkness, Lu Li smiled faintly. He gathered Xie Jianwei into his arms with gentle movements, his voice meltingly soft, “That is enough. I don’t care about anything else. It doesn’t matter if you can’t forget him, and it’s fine if you love him. You can treat me as him. I look like him anyway, and my name is the same… A-Wei, I don’t ask where your heart lies, as long as you don’t leave me.”

Taking a deep breath, Xie Jianwei uttered three words that sounded like a death sentence, “I am sorry.”

Lu Li’s body stiffened abruptly, but relaxed soon after. He continued, “Don’t apologize. I know you are hurting too. I know how painful it is to be unable to be with the one you love. But there is no other choice. Compared to being together, staying alive is far more important, isn’t it?”

Following along with his train of thought, Xie Jianwei nodded, “Yes. Staying alive is the most important thing.”

“How wonderful,” Lu Li embraced him, murmuring gently, “As long as you are here…” I can go on living.

Yan Ke was already bawling his eyes out, “My Lord, waaaah!”

Xie Jianwei’s heart ached violently from the angst as well, leaving him speechless for a long time.

Yan Ke whined tearfully, “How can we cure this condition? The Lord Marshal has never once believed that you love him. N-No matter how you explain it, it’s completely useless!”

If Lu Li had discovered the stand-in truth and exploded in fury, tearing open the wounds might have made things easier to resolve, allowing time to heal them gradually.

Instead, Lu Li had known from the very beginning and simply didn’t care, stubbornly insisting that this was enough as long as he remained useful. Far from believing Xie Jianwei loved him, he had discarded even the faintest hope that Xie Jianwei might fall for him one day.

This was absolute resignation, rejecting all hope outright out of sheer despair.

How could such an intractable knot ever be untangled?

Yan Ke couldn’t fathom it at all.

Xie Jianwei steadied his emotions and said, “It isn’t that simple.”

Yan Ke asked nervously, “What do you mean?”

Despite the heavy emotional blow, Xie Jianwei astutely caught the crucial pivot in the entire affair. Suppressing the sharp pain in his chest, he methodically sorted through his thoughts, “First of all, back when I was still human, there was someone I loved deeply. Who was that person?”

Yan Ke said, “Isn’t that irrelevant? After all, that person betrayed you!”

Xie Jianwei asked, “Do you think that in Lu Li’s dream, he would ever allow me to be with someone else?”

“Uh…” Yan Ke paused, but quickly added, “Yet it’s impossible for the Lord Marshal to ever betray you.”

Xie Jianwei said in a low voice, “What if it was a misunderstanding?”

Yan Ke had no answer.

Xie Jianwei continued, “A personality of Lu Li wouldn’t betray me, but could another personality have orchestrated such a misunderstanding?”

“That…” Yan Ke thought it over, “That is very likely.”

After all, while the Marshals pampered the Military Advisor to the heavens, they treated their rival selves like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, merciless to the core.

Xie Jianwei said, “If we assume that the person I deeply loved as a human was also Lu Li, where did that personality go?”

Yan Ke’s head spun with confusion, “There’s a third personality?”

Xie Jianwei shook his head, “If there were a third personality, he should have appeared long ago rather than existing solely in memory.” In theory, before Xie Jianwei entered the dream, the dream world did not exist. His entrance brought it into being, and memories were constructed retroactively. If something were inconsequential, there would be no reason for it to exist.

Therefore, if three personalities inhabited this dream, he would have shown up by now, never staying dormant for this long.

Yan Ke felt his brain was entirely inadequate, “Then what is actually going on?”

Xie Jianwei said, “The newborn Lu Li might be the very personality I loved when I was human.”

Yan Ke tried hard to keep up with his reasoning, “You mean the newborn Lord Marshal met you first?” Catching on at last, he clapped his hands, “So that’s it! As long as we let the newborn Marshal realize he was the one who met you first and loved you first, and that the Vampire Marshal stole you away, he will believe that you love him!”

Good grief, that was brilliant! A major part of the deadlock would be unraveled right there.

Xie Jianwei said, “I told you it isn’t that simple. If this is confirmed, a newborn Lu Li who remembers everything will not hesitate to kill Blood King Lu Li.”

Just consider how pitiful the newborn Lu Li was right now: in order to remain by Xie Jianwei’s side, he had humbled himself to the point of gladly accepting the role of a stand-in. If he suddenly learned the ‘truth’ and realized that he and Xie Jianwei were the true lovers, and that Vampire Lu Li had ripped them apart, wouldn’t he lose his mind?

He could endure it now because he believed he was an intruder with no rightful claim. But the moment he found out Blood King Lu Li was the interloper who ruined their love, he would undoubtedly explode on the spot.

Yan Ke was silent. His brain capacity truly couldn’t process this much intrigue.

Xie Jianwei’s thoughts stretched even further as he added, “And that vampire hunter, is he truly an ordinary NPC?”

Could a human capable of grievously wounding Blood King Lu Li be merely an ordinary mortal?

Even if Blood King Lu Li had been in a weakened state at the time, he was still a personality of Lu Li. In a dream like this, who other than a dominant personality could inflict such life-threatening trauma upon him?

In a flash of realization, Xie Jianwei stiffened, “Disaster!”

Yan Ke was still thoroughly bewildered, “What is it?”

Xie Jianwei said, “Blood King Lu Li will truly die!”

If the vampire hunter was the reincarnation of human Lu Li, he remained a personality of Lu Li, perhaps even the primary personality of this dream. Worse, he had returned seeking vengeance and inflicted mortal injuries upon Blood King Lu Li!

Although Blood King Lu Li was not dead yet, he would certainly refuse to consume anyone’s hot blood other than Xie Jianwei’s. If this state continued and he truly perished, wouldn’t that personality vanish completely?

After all, this was no natural demise; he would be indirectly eliminated by another personality!

Xie Jianwei could not take such a risk. The urgent priority now was no longer comforting the newborn Lu Li, but preventing Blood King Lu Li from dying.

The most direct way to keep him alive was to feed him hot blood!

Calming himself, Xie Jianwei waited until the newborn Lu Li drifted off to sleep before quietly getting up and slipping out of the room.

What he did not know was that the instant he left, the supposedly sleeping Lu Li opened his eyes abruptly. His dark gaze stared into the pitch-black room, as if his soul was being swallowed whole by the darkness.

Xie Jianwei headed to the royal palace, reaching Blood King Lu Li’s bedchamber with little effort.

Just as he had anticipated, the slumbering Blood King Lu Li was exceedingly frail. Reaching out to touch him, what he felt was bone-chilling cold.

Under the moonlight, Xie Jianwei saw distinct blade marks crisscrossing Blood King Lu Li’s arm.

Gash after gash, cut after cut, reopening relentlessly so that the wounds never had the chance to heal.

Xie Jianwei immediately thought of the cold blood he had consumed over these past days.

He should have realized long ago: who else besides royalty could possess such blood?

Even on the brink of death himself, he was terrified of letting Xie Jianwei starve.

Just what was running through his head?

Xie Jianwei sighed softly, leaning down to capture his lips in a kiss.

He used a touch of medicine to blur Blood King Lu Li’s awareness between dream and reality, because if the man truly woke up, he would likely push him away immediately.

Yet stirring Lu Li’s desires was child’s play for Xie Jianwei.

Shedding his clothes, he straddled his frame, murmuring his name softly, enticing him with tender, wanton abandon.

Once Xie Jianwei reached his release, Blood King Lu Li pierced his throat, tasting the sweet, scalding, intoxicating, yet deeply unsettling nectar of his blood.

With a heavy thud, the palace doors were thrown open.

As moonlight spilled across the threshold, the man standing there resembled an ice sculpture.

Submerged in the shadows of the night, his features were difficult to discern, his dark eyes filled with absolute hollow stillness.

“It truly is impossible after all, isn’t it?” Lu Li’s voice carried not a shred of warmth. “As expected… no matter how a fake imitates the original, it can never compare to the genuine article, can it?”