"Is it truly just about protecting someone, or do you find all of this entertaining?"
Mu Qingyun looked up and met Yin's gaze. "At the banquet these past few days, you never drank human blood—only animal blood. That shows just how deeply you despise humans.
The bite marks on Grandpa are completely different from yours. You do not need to lie to me."
"You wanted a conclusion, so I gave you one. Yet now that you have it, you still refuse to believe me." Yin shot her a cold glance. "From today on, forget about going outside."
…
As he left, the door slammed shut behind him.
Mu Qingyun sat down on the bed, her eyes fixed on the locked door, her mind a complete mess.Everything had become far more complicated than she had imagined. She truly did not understand why Yin was acting this way. She had only returned because she was certain he had not been the one to kill Grandpa.
Closing her eyes, she sat cross-legged on the bed and began to cultivate.
Since Yin would not let her out, she might as well focus on her training.
…
Elsewhere in the castle, Yin exited the room with clenched fists. As he walked down the corridor, a man in black approached, prompting Yin to scowl in irritation.
"Why did you kill him?"
"There was only one human alive within a hundred-mile radius. I wanted human blood. Who else was I supposed to feed on?" The man in black sneered, utterly dismissive.
Yin looked up at him with icy eyes. "There are plenty of slaves in the castle. Was that not enough for you? Why kill an outsider?"
"What are you so afraid of? It is just one human. I have killed so many before, and you never seemed to mind." The man tilted his head, a flicker of amusement in his gaze.
"He was different." Yin's brow furrowed.
"How so?" The man chuckled, stepping closer. "Brother, do not tell me… you have fallen for that human woman?"
Yin gave him a glance and slowly but firmly shook his head. "No."
"That is strange then," the man said with a widening grin. "You used to kill anyone who annoyed me without hesitation. But now… why do you favor her so much?"
"…She is still useful. I cannot kill her yet." Yin clearly wanted to end the conversation. He waved a hand dismissively. "Just stay hidden. Do not let her see you."
The man in black did not respond. He watched Yin vanish from sight, a strange glint flashing through his eyes.
He definitely had to show up in front of that woman a few more times.Besides, he seemed to have uncovered something… interesting.Very interesting.
…
Night fell.
Mu Qingyun opened her eyes and walked to the door, trying to open it. But it was sealed—Yin must have placed an additional lock on it.
Knock knock knock—
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
"Yunjie, are you inside?" It was Yi Beixuan's voice.
"Yes," she responded calmly. "The door is locked from the outside. I cannot get out."
"We found out who was behind what happened to that old man," Yi Beixuan said from outside.
"That guy was incredibly arrogant. He boasted right in front of us that he had just killed the last living human in the area. He even said that the barrier of garlic could only keep out weaklings—it had no effect on him."
"Are you serious?" Mu Qingyun asked, her thumb unconsciously rubbing her knuckle.
Yi Beixuan's heart skipped a beat at her tone. "Of course. Qiluo is being dragged into drinking contests, so he sent me here to tell you. The culprit is one of Yin's viscounts."
A viscount? That did not make sense. Viscounts were among the lowest-ranked vampires, just above fledglings. It was hard to believe Yin would go to such lengths for someone like that.
Wait—maybe it was possible. After all, Yin loathed humans and protected his own kind fiercely.
"Qiluo also said, if you want revenge, take it. He will handle everything else. You only need to strike—do not worry about the rest," Yi Beixuan added.
This time, Mu Qingyun was silent.
Suddenly, she punched the door. A small crack opened in it.
Through the gap, she saw Yi Beixuan standing outside.
Startled by the sudden force, Yi Beixuan stumbled back a few steps, staring in shock at the narrow opening where her face had appeared.
"W–what is wrong?" he asked, eyes flickering coldly before masking his emotions with care.
"Nothing. I was just thinking about Grandpa, and I got irritated. When I am irritated, I want to hit something," she said, scanning him from head to toe—but she found no visible flaws.
"Haha… You are pretty… direct," he laughed awkwardly, then asked, "Do you want help getting out?"
She looked at the crack in the door for a long moment, then quietly shook her head. "No need. Thank you. You may go."
With that, she gripped the door with both hands and shut it tightly.
Yi Beixuan: …
Why did she not come out? Did she not want revenge?
Frowning, he realized she was more difficult to deal with than he had anticipated.
Cough. Cough.
A faint cough echoed from nearby.
Yi Beixuan looked up and saw the man in black standing casually nearby.
Annoyed, he glanced at the firmly closed door, then quickly walked over.
"Tsk. Seems she is not taking your bait. So this is your grand plan?" the man said mockingly, leaning lazily against the wall. "Aren't you afraid she will tell Su Qiluo and completely destroy the trust he has in you?"
"My years of friendship with Su Qiluo are well maintained. He will not suspect me. Besides, they are not that close. And I will not let her live long enough to tell him," Yi Beixuan replied, eyes turning cold. "She cannot be allowed to survive."
"What if she does survive? What if she earns Su Qiluo's trust?" the man in black teased, smirking.
Yi Beixuan's gaze hardened. "In this age of technology, it is easy to disguise oneself. No one can tell the difference."
"Oh? So if you are exposed, you will just claim it was someone impersonating you?"
"Not stupid," he said coolly. "I have spent years pretending to be loyal to Su Qiluo—playing the role, killing my own kind, all to win his trust.
Now, he trusts me completely. Even the Doctor trusts me. They tell me everything. My long game has finally paid off."
The man in black nodded slowly. "Fine, I will not interfere. I am heading back to rest. Call me if you need anything."