Chapter Fourteen: Suddenly, I Feel a Bit Excited (Please Add to Your Collection)

With a sharp swish, Shi Yu Liu brought her blade down with force, slashing a thin white line from top to bottom. The keen edge of the spiritual knife sliced into the front of the vehicle as easily as cutting through tofu, and the influx of icy energy overwhelmed the entire steamroller.

With a thunderous roar, the machine exploded into a mass of blazing flames, scattering countless fragments of twisted metal in every direction. Her long, waterfall-like black hair was lifted and tossed by the shockwave, and for a moment Shi Yu Liu’s sight was blocked by the dazzling burst of fire before her eyes.

The searing heat and billowing waves of flame could not harm her clothing or body in the slightest; the faint barrier of spiritual power around her repelled them effortlessly.

Suddenly, a menacing black silhouette emerged from the blaze.

“Die!” came a savage cry.

Five razor-sharp fingernails glinted coldly as the man in the black coat grinned wickedly, bringing his fingers together and aiming a lethal strike at Shi Yu Liu’s slender neck.

A direct attack to her vital point!

He had expected to succeed with his ambush, but Shi Yu Liu was prepared. Her icy blue eyes flashed with cold light, and with a swift slash she severed the vampire’s clawed hand.

Blood sprayed from the stump, and the vampire's face twisted in shock as he attempted to retreat.

Shi Yu Liu gave him no chance. Without hesitation, she struck again.

The man in the black coat crashed to the ground nearby, a bloody diagonal gash across his upper torso—her blade had nearly cleaved him from left shoulder to right waist.

But as an undead creature, the vampire’s regenerative powers activated immediately.

White smoke rose from his wounds as they healed rapidly; the severed left arm’s blood congealed, and in just four or five seconds, a new limb had grown in its place.

“Incredible...” the man snarled, fixing his fierce gaze on the girl. “With your strength, why aren’t you fighting on the human front lines, stopping the monsters from Scarlet Moon City? Why stay in this insignificant Winterlin City?”

“I have no obligation to answer you. Monsters exist only to die,” she replied coldly.

As her icy words fell, Shi Yu Liu moved in a sudden burst, her black hair swirling as her spiritual blade, Frost Moon, clashed swiftly with the vampire’s attacks.

...

On the way back to his apartment, Cheng Feng noticed splashes of fresh blood scattered along the road ahead.

He crouched down, glanced at the stains, and sniffed their scent before moving on.

The blood carried the unique aroma of vampires, still wet, and in the dim, silent surroundings, it created an eerie atmosphere.

It felt very much like a crime scene, the patches of blood extending all the way to the end of the street—right up to his own front door.

His heart skipped a beat, and he hurried forward, tense.

Soon, he saw a figure in a black dress lying in a pool of blood at his doorstep.

It was Jiang Qian—her real name, Elena.

She appeared to be dead, slain by the other vampire.

With her gone, his father and sister should be safe.

Cheng Feng moved forward, nervous. Since crossing over, this was the first time he had seen a real corpse in person; though vampires weren’t truly human, their appearance was nearly indistinguishable.

His body trembled, and he struggled to remain calm.

He hesitated, then leaned down to lift her, checking if she was still breathing. There was a bloody hole in her abdomen.

The vampire’s regeneration worked slowly, attempting to close the wound, but the effect was negligible; she was gravely injured, her life slipping away.

“Why... aren’t you saving me yet...” Jiang Qian’s eyes fluttered open, her voice barely a whisper, raspy and fragmented, like a candle flickering in a tempest, ready to be snuffed out.

Damn, a corpse coming back to life?!

Cheng Feng startled—she wasn’t dead after all. Regaining his composure, he snorted, “Sorry, I’m considering where to bury you. Maybe I’ll just toss you in the sewer.”

Was he joking? She’d bitten him to death only days ago—how could he possibly save her?

She was undeniably alluring, with seductive curves beneath her black dress, a beauty that could make anyone’s blood boil.

She had even been his girlfriend a few days ago, but so what?

He wasn’t some shallow fool who let his morals be swayed by a pretty face, nor was he the typical soft-hearted anime protagonist who melted at a woman’s tears.

If he didn’t finish her off now, Cheng Feng thought himself exceedingly merciful.

Cold-hearted, indeed.

Jiang Qian nearly fainted with anger at his indifference. “Idiot... you’re my first embrace; if I die, you die too. We’re symbiotic...”

“Symbiotic?!” Cheng Feng’s eyes widened. Damn, no one had told him about this—a vampire and their first embrace were bound for life, sharing death as well as life.

If she died, he’d be dragged down with her?

Wait, with the system in place, shouldn’t the symbiosis be removed?

Summoning unknown strength, Jiang Qian grabbed his collar with her bloody hand.

Her beautiful face drew close, her voice barely audible. “Listen... we face a common enemy. We’re allies... I’ll explain later. All you need to do... is save me.”

Though he couldn’t be sure if her claim was true, Cheng Feng couldn’t afford to gamble.

He took a deep breath. “Tell me what to do.”

“...Take me to your room first.”

“Fine, but I’ll tie you up. If you try to trick me, you’ll never move from that bed again!”

“...”

It was eleven at night. The apartment lights were off; his family must already be asleep. Cheng Feng usually returned late, and they were used to going to bed before him.

In one of the apartment’s bedrooms, his little sister was sleeping soundly when she began hearing a series of noises, loud and soft, disturbing her rest.

She tried to ignore it, pulling the covers tighter.

But the sounds persisted, shifting from the entrance to the hallway, then the living room, and finally her brother’s room.

Something was happening in her brother’s room—she could faintly hear a woman’s low moans.

Unable to take it any longer, she opened her sleepy eyes, her face filled with resentment. “What is brother doing? It’s so noisy! He’s driving me crazy!”

She got up, turned on the light, slipped on her slippers, and stomped over to Cheng Feng’s door.

Still angry, she didn’t bother knocking, and pushed the door open, ready to scold her infuriating brother.

And then she froze.

Her sleepy eyes, half open, suddenly widened in shock.

“Brother? What are you doing, brother?!”