"You—!"
Standing nearby, Shu could no longer endure it. How dare this garbage insult his brother?
"Calm down." Yin grasped Shu's wrist and gently pressed it down. "You have been in hiding for years. Do not ruin it over a dying man."
"Hmph." Shu huffed unhappily and tugged his black cloak lower. His brother asked him to stay calm, so he would. Impulse was the devil.
Brauer continued his vulgar rant, while Su Qiluo remained silent. Both were pushed away.
Outside, the crucifix and pyre had already been prepared.
They were pushed into separate elevators. Brauer, along with a group of nobles, descended first. Su Qiluo was escorted by Yin, Shu, a few earls, and Yi Beixuan into another elevator.
Yin and Yi Beixuan exchanged a knowing glance. Shu used his cloak to conceal the "earl" behind him. Yi Beixuan seized the moment, binding the "earl" with black rope and forcing a mask over his face.
As the elevator doors opened, Yin stepped out first, followed by the others. But then, a loud thud drew everyone's attention.
"Hey, can you be a little more careful?"
Shu bent down and yanked the disguised "earl" to his feet. Su Qiluo had already hidden his mask. A realistic disguise now covered his face.
The ruse was a success.
Su Qiluo met Yi Beixuan's eyes and gave a subtle, knowing smile.
The tactic—"stealing the beams and switching the pillars"—was the first strategy listed in the Art of War book Yunjie had given him.
The "earl" and Prince Brauer were both tied to the crucifixes. Brauer's mouth was stuffed with cloth.
They feared that if he kept cursing, Prince Anseth might truly lose his temper—and none of them could afford the consequences.
The flames rose.
The crucifixes served their purpose immediately. Brauer's bravado vanished, reduced to muffled cries.
For nearly ten minutes, the fire blazed until both men were turned to ash.
"Good thing we chose the right person," Yi Beixuan whispered to Su Qiluo with a smile. "That clumsy trick would never have worked otherwise."
"Indeed." Su Qiluo looked at Yin, his gaze softened with amusement.
The success of such a crude method depended entirely on Yin's strength and the fear he instilled in others.
Dracula's unification was now unstoppable—and everyone knew it.
"Let us go. We need to report back. I have already spoken to Yin; he will establish new laws," Su Qiluo said, glancing at the ashes one last time before shrugging slightly.
Just as he turned to leave, Yin turned and locked eyes with him.
They shared a glance.
"Go."
With full trust that Yin would fulfill his promise to restrict the vampires' feeding on humans, Su Qiluo and Yi Beixuan departed in peace.
"Back to the military academy. What will you do after that?" Yi Beixuan asked quietly. With this mission complete, they were free of obligations.
"I am going to find my partner," Su Qiluo replied with a soft smile at the thought of seeing Mu Qingyun again.
"Tch. Calling her your partner already? You do not even know if she will say yes," Yi Beixuan said with a smirk.
He thought: Your so-called partner is right in front of you.
Su Qiluo tilted his head. "Fine. My future partner, then."
"…You are unbelievable." Yi Beixuan chuckled and shook his head.
After walking a while, Su Qiluo suddenly asked, "By the way, do you think Yunjie and Mu Qingyun look somewhat alike?"
Yi Beixuan's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained calm. "You must be imagining things. I see no resemblance. Do not tell me you like Yunjie and are just looking for excuses?"
"No, they just give off a similar feeling." Su Qiluo furrowed his brows, thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Never mind. I will just check where Xiong Ruoyou lives. Mu Qingyun must have gone home with her."
"Yes, definitely." Yi Beixuan replied, though his voice betrayed a hint of guilt.
He glanced back at Shu, who happened to turn his head too. Their eyes met—then quickly looked away.
"You are Miss Mu Qingyun, correct? Prince Anseth asked me to give you this."
Upon returning to her room, Mu Qingyun was greeted by a vampire waiting at her door, holding a phone as though he had been waiting for a long time.
"Thank you." She took the phone, entered the room, and after a quick scan of the wardrobe, grabbed two sets of black clothing—a hoodie and a tracksuit.
On a whim, she tore a piece of paper and scrawled: Taking two sets of clothes as your apology gift.
After changing, she left the castle.
She had already avenged her grandfather. She had drained every last drop of blood from that vampire, and Su Qiluo had helped burn his limbs with sunlight.
Vampires would no longer harm human girls. Her grandfather could finally rest in peace.
Following the formation markings, she returned to the old courtyard.
She found some food and began to explore the area more thoroughly.
The kitchen contained a massive water tank—not an ordinary one, but a sophisticated filtration system. She had read about similar devices in a book called Encyclopedia—they used carbon to purify water.
Between the top and bottom tanks was a glowing blue stone embedded in the structure. Removing it would destroy the entire system.
Yet the most curious part of the courtyard was a patch of empty ground.
There were clear traces of plants—many seeds, still intact.
She stood before the patch, green energy pulsing from her left hand, pouring into the earth.
But it was no use—there were too many seeds, and her current power was insufficient to nurture them all.
She withdrew her power and fetched a basin of water, pouring it over the soil.
If she was right, this small patch of land was one of the rare unpolluted areas.
Why it existed, she did not know.
She frowned but did not dwell on it.
Her goal was to find any remaining seasoning seeds. She had time—there was no need to rush.
With that, she returned to the main house and buried herself in a sea of books, eager to continue her studies.