The vampire banquet was quite similar to a human one, except for one major difference—everything on the table was made of blood. Blood of different creatures, and all sorts of delicacies created from it.
She should have been disgusted by it, yet Mu Qingyun found herself strangely drawn to the scent of the blood.
"Don't hold back. If you want to eat, eat. If you want to drink, drink," Yin said, glancing at her before shoving a wine glass into her hand. "Also, keep your chest covered. Do not slouch—keep your back straight. You are my blood slave. You do not need to talk to them."
Sit up straight?
She frowned slightly and tugged her clothes up again. She had been hunching forward precisely to prevent revealing her chest.
Damn bastard. What kind of indecent outfit did he make her wear?
"Relax, old man. No need to nag," she huffed coldly. "I am not in the mood to talk to anyone. Being your blood slave is nothing to be proud of."
"You—"
"Prince Anseth." Two extremely noble-looking vampires approached, ignoring her entirely as they greeted Yin, though their gazes quickly landed on her.
"Your slave?" Prince Lester eyed her greedily.
"She looks good. Let me have a taste," Prince Brower added, his crimson eyes flashing as he grabbed her arm.
Yin immediately shoved Brower's hand away. "She is my blood slave. No one touches her but me."
The other prince snorted. "All this fuss over a lowly slave? Come now, Prince Anseth, is that necessary?"
"Everyone has slaves," Prince Lester added, casting her a displeased look before waving a hand. "Bring all my slaves over!"
As soon as he spoke, several human girls with vampire traits cautiously gathered around him. Their eyes were lifeless, their steps timid.
Prince Lester embraced them with both arms, then shot a mocking glance at Yin.
Yin only smiled. "I only need one. I have granted her immortality. She will stay by my side for eternity."
"Im–immortality?" Both Prince Lester and Prince Brower looked at him in shock. They stared at Yin as if he had gone mad.
Giving a human immortality was a declaration—this human was precious, untouchable.
"You've lost your mind," Prince Lester muttered. Anseth had never taken a human slave before—this was his first. And now, he was being… sentimental?
Absurd!
Mu Qingyun turned away, only to find herself locking eyes with Yin. Unexpectedly, he was already looking at her.
"Do not worry. You will be my only blood slave," he said softly, reaching out to stroke her hair.
She almost dodged by instinct, but noticing the way those two princes stared at her with predatory eyes, she stayed still and let Yin touch her.
"Over there—the Duke has arrived."
Yin raised his chin slightly in that direction. Mu Qingyun followed his gaze.
A man in a perfectly tailored suit walked in slowly. His features were as sharp and well-cut as his clothes—but his face, that face left Mu Qingyun frozen in place.
Was that… Yi Beixuan?
At his side walked another man, wearing a full-face mask. He strolled leisurely, a glass of blood swirling in his long, slender fingers. His red eyes were half-lidded, full of indolent ease.
Yi Beixuan gave her only a brief glance before quickly turning away, as though he had not recognized her at all.
The masked man, however, paused. His eyes flashed with a flicker of surprise when he saw her, though it vanished quickly.
"Prince Anseth," the masked man raised his glass toward Yin in greeting.
"Duke Sino," Yin replied, lifting his own glass and taking a sip. The motion exposed his elegant jawline and the movement of his Adam's apple—more seductive than anything else at the banquet.
"This woman… is she human?" Duke Sino looked down at Mu Qingyun, frowning slightly. Something about her seemed familiar, like he had seen her somewhere before.
"Yes," Yin replied with a nod.
Mu Qingyun raised her eyes and met Duke Sino's gaze. She, too, felt a strange sense of familiarity, but could not recall ever seeing eyes quite like his.
The two stared at each other in silence for a long while, saying nothing.
"Ahem." Yi Beixuan, noticing her dazed expression, casually placed a hand on Duke Sino's lower back and pinched lightly.
"We will be going," Duke Sino said, swirling his glass before glancing at Yi Beixuan. They shared a look and turned to leave together.
"Who is that man next to Duke Sino?" Mu Qingyun narrowed her eyes and asked quietly.
Yin paused, glanced at Yi Beixuan, and replied, "Same as you. He was once human, turned into a slave by Duke Sino."
"When?"
"Hm?"
"I asked when he was turned into a blood slave," she asked again, her gaze turning cold. Too many things had happened recently, and her understanding of this world had been shaken.
Her head was a mess. She could not even think clearly anymore, let alone sort out the deeper meaning behind everything.
"Is that how you speak to me?" Yin's voice carried a thread of irritation. If it were not for her Samadhi True Fire, he would not even bother talking to this annoying human.
"…"
She had nearly forgotten. She was no longer in control—she was the one being coerced.
"I apologize. Could you please tell me when he was turned? Thank you," she said, using every polite phrase she knew. She hated bending, but the situation left her no choice.
Yin smirked, clearly amused. "Call me Master, and I will tell you immediately."
"You are not worthy of that title," she muttered, stabbing at the blood-drenched food with her fork. "If you will not tell me, forget it. I did not really want to know."
Despite her words, her movements grew more aggressive. She jabbed at the food as if trying to kill Yin through the plate.
"…"
Yin: Alright, alright, I get it—you want to murder me. No need to make it so obvious.
"Two days ago," Yin finally replied nonchalantly, swirling the wine glass in his hand.
Two days ago?
She was stunned.
That… that recently?
She pressed a hand to her forehead. The answer only confused her more.
"I need to go check something. Do not talk to anyone while I am gone," Yin said suddenly, his eyes flicking toward something in the distance before rising from his seat and leaving.
Still fiddling with her plate, she gave a distracted hum in response.
"Hey beautiful, have we met before?"
A voice behind her caught her attention. She turned around—it was Duke Sino.
He lowered his gaze to meet hers, smiling faintly. "You seem very familiar to me—especially those eyes of yours."