The second prophecy stated: "Shu will exchange his life for Yin's immortality, or Yin will exchange his life for Shu's. Ultimately, the two shall not coexist."
The third prophecy read: "A hundred years later, Dracula shall reunite once more, and the catalyst will be a woman who wields the Samadhi True Flame."
Among the three prophecies, the first had already come true.
The godfather who raised them had deep affection for both of them and did not want to sacrifice either. But in the end, Dracula did split—into Ancestor, Lester, and Blau.
The prophet had once come to them and said that if neither of them died, then Dracula would inevitably face extinction—unless they encountered a woman who wielded the Samadhi True Flame, in which case unification might be possible.
The godfather had no choice. For the sake of the Dracula race, he had to choose one to sacrifice.
Yin was born with extraordinary abilities and immense talent. Even among the Dracula race, he was one of the most powerful. Between the two of them, the godfather made his decision almost without hesitation.
Shu remembered that day vividly—a massive cross, and flames burning at its base.
He had never believed in prophecy and certainly did not want to lose his life to such vague words. That day, he pretended to flee, but instead hid in the shadows to secretly watch the godfather's decision.
What he had not expected was that Yin would actually step into the flames and approach the cross.
In that moment, all thoughts of prophecy and death were cast aside.
He rushed toward Yin. Yin tried to hold him back, but the godfather restrained Yin, preventing him from interfering.
There was no other choice.
Shu looked at the flames, then at the godfather's pained yet resolute expression, and at Yin's desperate struggle to sacrifice himself for Shu's survival.
Step by step, Shu walked toward the blaze of red.
"Do not!"
Just as he was about to step into the fire, a cry of agony erupted behind him. In the next moment, Yin broke free of the godfather's restraints and pulled him back.
"Brother, I do not want you to die," Shu turned to look at Yin and pressed down on the hand grabbing him. "If it must be this way, then let me die. I was the one meant to be sacrificed in the first place."
"No. Do not even think about it," Yin's expression darkened. His eyes burned with fury and defiance.
"Brother, it is useless. Even if you save me now, I will still die later. The godfather and the prophet will never let me go," Shu forced a relaxed smile, as if it was all nothing to him.
Yin stared at the flames with a blank expression. "Then we die together. We have lived side by side for centuries—I cannot bear to watch you die."
"Why must we both die, Brother?" Shu glanced at the godfather nervously and whispered near Yin's ear, "Let us run away together. I do not believe in this prophecy. Why should one person's words determine our future?"
"No." Yin rejected the idea without hesitation. "Prophecies are never wrong. I can die with you, but I will never flee with you."
Those words chilled Shu to the bone. His brother was too stubborn. Why should they shed blood and offer their lives just because someone claimed it to be fate?
"Fine then, Brother. Let us die together," he smiled faintly and wrapped his arms around Yin.
It was alright. If he had to die, at least he would not be alone on the path to the underworld.
But just as they stepped into the fire together, the godfather intervened and pulled them out.
Shu's face had been closest to the flames. Even though they were saved, a large portion of his face was scorched, leaving behind deep black scars.
…
"Brother, if you truly believe in the prophecy, then one of us is destined to die. The girl with the Samadhi True Flame can only change the fate of Dracula's extinction. Do you still remember the second prophecy?"
Shu looked up at Yin, his lips curving into a twisted smile. He did not want to laugh, but what else could he do?
"Get some rest. I still have matters to deal with in Ancestor's territory," Yin replied coldly. Without waiting for a response, he pushed open the door and left.
"You can come out now," Shu retracted the sadness in his eyes, returning to his usual carefree demeanor as if that brief sorrow had never existed.
The cabinet door creaked open. Yi Beixuan stepped out with a dark expression. "What kind of clothes do you even have in there? Each one is uglier than the last."
Thinking of the bright and gaudy garments he had brushed against earlier, he could not help but frown.
"Alright, just leave already." Shu narrowed his eyes, not even bothering to refute the complaint.
…
"Maybe he was just overthinking it," Su Qiluo said after hearing what Mu Qingyun had relayed from Yi Beixuan. He shrugged nonchalantly. "He always thinks I have feelings for you. He probably said those things on purpose to leave a good impression of me in front of you."
"Me?" Mu Qingyun frowned in surprise. "Do you not already like someone?"
Su Qiluo simply curled his lips into a smile and said nothing.
"You have already taken the Qing Su elixir. You should leave tomorrow. I will take care of the rest," he said softly.
"Alright."
She nodded without insisting on staying.
In truth, with her fire abilities, she could help. But with Yi Beixuan around, she still felt uneasy.
Although she was now dressed as a woman, it was only because she used to be too unattractive. Now that she was beautiful, no one would associate Mu Qingyun with Yun Jie.
Besides, she trusted Su Qiluo.
If even the top commander of a military academy could not handle this, then she truly would be disappointed.
"You can wait by the old man's place. Once everything is settled, I will come find you."
"No need." She shook her head firmly. "I have my own matters to handle. Once you are done, just leave."
"You are not coming back with us?" Su Qiluo frowned. Even though the vampires had been dealt with, this remote area was not safe for a lone girl.
"No. Just take care of yourselves. Do not worry about me." She gently shook her head again, declining his concern.
Seeing this, Su Qiluo did not press further.
Everyone had their own secrets and their own responsibilities. There was no need to ask, nor force the issue.
"Do you have pen and paper?" he asked, glancing down.
Mu Qingyun pulled a set from the drawer and handed them to him.
He quickly jotted down his communication code, then took a communicator from his sleeve and handed it to her.
She accepted it and looked at him, puzzled.
"This is my comm code. You can contact me anytime by activating this. If anything happens, let me know, and I will try my best to help." Su Qiluo tapped the matching communicator on his sleeve and gave her a meaningful look.
"Alright."
She responded calmly and carefully stored the device.
…
Time passed quickly, and soon it was the day after tomorrow.
Su Qiluo had probably already spoken to Yin. That morning, Yin returned and handed her the phone he had previously taken from her.