Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 727 Inhuman

In the new suburbs, Catherine, the "Phantom Blade," draped in a cloak, sat crookedly on the roof, leaning against a chimney that looked about to collapse.

She clutched her severed arm, stroking the wound that had been sealed shut by dead flesh and bone after her powers took effect.

Accompanied by hazy, phantom pains, countless fireworks exploded in the distant night sky, illuminating the entire city in a dazzling and magnificent display of colors.

In the alleyway in the distance, a boy dressed in an exaggerated theatrical costume and wearing comical makeup returned home looking exhausted. Against the backdrop of fireworks behind him, he dragged his bag full of props and struggled to his doorstep. He carefully took out a thin purse, stroked it back and forth, and then mustered up his courage to push open the door with anticipation and trepidation.

Catherine squinted, counting the beats.

one two three.

As expected, a few seconds later, the lights in the room came on, and at the same time, another old woman's reproachful voice rang out, filled with words like "copper coin" and "what to do."

Catherine sneered inwardly.

Damn it, it's been so many years.

Despite the city expanding, the wages for casual laborers in the city have not increased.

No wonder your Emerald City is getting richer and richer.

But the smile in her heart gradually froze.

It's hard to believe that not long ago she was a powerful figure in a corner of the capital—a dirty underworld that even the nobles would rather hold their noses than approach—who commanded a large following and wielded considerable influence, connecting people from all walks of life. When she spoke with a furrowed brow, even ordinary nobles and municipal officials had to treat her with utmost respect. Even the wartime warden of the West City had to be wary of her.

Even a ruthless character like Black Sword Qincha had to sit down and negotiate with her under pressure, making concessions and obediently relinquishing the fruits of a night's war.

But that's the key point.

Because no one knew better than Catherine where the power that made her so influential came from, where those lucrative and profitable businesses came from, and what was the foundation of the respect and prestige that others could hardly attain.

Therefore, when the call of "Because of Friendship" came, she had no choice.

No matter how unwilling she was, she had no choice but to set off that very night to return to her hometown, to the past, to the Emerald City.

She returned to the place she had spent her entire life trying to escape.

After all, she didn't want to repeat the mistakes that Turnbull and Red Viper had made—the former returned to the River of Hell and took a free ferry, while the latter fled in terror and could only eat scraps.

However, now...

Catherine felt a dull ache in her severed arm and lower abdomen, but she remained expressionless, as if she didn't notice—just like when she was being whipped with canes by the nannies in the orphanage.

Now that she has lost everything, she is as dejected as a stray dog, and can only hide in the place she hated and was most used to as a child, barely surviving.

I pray that I can see the sun tomorrow.

Catherine instinctively clenched her fists.

But a few seconds later, she realized that what she was consciously clenching was the hand she had already lost.

But that's the key point.

Is not it?
Catherine exhaled, released the hand she had imagined, and clenched her remaining fist.

That's how the world works. Everyone is rushing and climbing, coming and going, going up and down. Those who can keep up move forward, and those who can't fall down.

Some people always climb up, and some people always fall down.

She's already used to it.

Just like her grandfather, whose legs were too slow to run, he got lost in the chaos of the army—who knows if they were cruel and barbaric rebels, or defeated soldiers fleeing from the kingdom itself, or even waves of loyalist legions heading to the front lines, anyway, they all left nothing behind in the places they passed through—and was never heard from again.

Like her mother, in the chaotic refugee camp, her father preemptively sold her to a group of equally 'starving' soldiers for the price of two loaves of bread. She was taken away in shock and numbness, never to return.

Just like her father, because he had filled his stomach, he hesitated for a while about the price and failed to sell her to another 'good family' before Catherine secretly sharpened the razor blade in her hand. So he went to the River of Hell early to be free from his suffering.

Just like her younger brother, he didn't notice his sister's shove from behind, so he tripped and fell, missing the carriage that took the orphans into the city from the almshouse. In the end, he was unable to enjoy the kindness and generosity of the city's gentry, which was enough to move the Star Kingdom, and the generous charity of a spoonful of porridge every three days.

Like Nadya, after the girl realized how much a kind and benevolent priest who would give the girls an extra spoonful of porridge every day truly cared about their "bodies," she didn't have the courage to use the sharp blade she had given her. In the end, she hanged herself alone under the statue of the goddess of the setting sun, fulfilling her wish and going straight to heaven.

Like that good priest, who, after expressing her grief over the death of her dear friend and her vulnerability in need of comfort, was overcome with compassion and volunteered to perform a secret "confession" for her, ultimately losing her reputation and future, and of course, her nose.

Just like the slightly pretty girl who shared a room with her when she first joined the Blood Bottle Gang.

Just like "Dogtooth" Bot.

Just like Turnbull.

Just like...

Faces flashed before my eyes, both surreal and real.

The next second, the wound in her abdomen throbbed with pain again, causing Catherine to frown slightly.

Phantom Blade shook his head, leaving the memories behind and returning to reality.

No, some people always climb up, and some people always fall down.

Catherine sniffed, forcing herself to curl the corners of her mouth into a resolute smile.

If you make it to the top, keep climbing; if you fall down, start over.

Until you reach the summit and the finish line.

But is it possible for her to reach the summit? Does this road truly have an end?
Or is it that all she needs to do is climb, regardless of anything else, and that's enough?

Suddenly, Catherine had a premonition. She slowly rose, leaning on the chimney, and turned around.

Suddenly, a strange yet familiar figure appeared on a rooftop not far away, facing her from afar.

It flickered on and off under the fireworks.

Catherine's pupils contracted, her breath caught in her throat, and she instinctively reached for her knife!

But she quickly realized what was happening and paused.

“Damn,” Catherine sighed, loosening her grip on the hilt of her sword and pulling down her hood. “You still managed to find your way here.”

The masked uninvited guest remained motionless, gazing intently at the colorful flames on the horizon.

“You should run for your life, Little Knife,” he said softly.

God knows how much she hated that old nickname.

Catherine snorted coldly:
“Take back those words, Turnbull’s stray dog.”

King Lausanne II chuckled softly.

He slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on the abandoned watchtower not far ahead.

“I know this is a trap.”

Catherine's expression changed.

But being the leader of the area, she quickly regained her composure and burst into loud laughter.

"of course!"

She waved her one arm, punched the chimney beside her, and laughed heartily.
"I knew you'd come! Even if you knew I did it on purpose! Even if you knew I wanted to kill you! Ha!"

Phantom Blade's laughter echoed through the night sky, but the surrounding houses remained quiet and utterly still.

Lausanne II remained silent, his eyes behind his goggles fixed on her.

Damn.

Catherine gritted her teeth.

"But do you really know who you're fighting against?"

Losang did not speak.

"I'm not talking about his status or power! I'm talking about how he seemed to have foreseen everything, from the Blood Bottle Gang to the Empty Bright Palace, calculating everything and taking over the entire Emerald City in just a few days, leaving it to his own devices! Do you know how terrifying he is?"

King Lausanne II smiled and shook his head:

"I've faced even more terrifying things."

Or rather, I followed along.

Catherine's smile vanished.

“Your temper is just like it was back then,” Phantom Blade said, his smile fading as he spat out a harsh snort. “You’re not like a proper assassin.”

Phantom Blade's eyes flickered, seemingly unintentionally:

"More like those sour-smelling knights."

Upon hearing this word, King Lausanne II's eyes flickered.

“You don’t understand me,” he said hoarsely.

“But someone knows,” Phantom Blade scoffed upon hearing the reply. “Do you know who it is?”

This time, King Losang II did not speak. He slowly reached out and grasped the hilt of his sword.

Catherine's expression changed drastically!
"and many more!"

She took a few steps back, glancing around anxiously:

"Don't you want to know what happened back then? How did Turnbull fail?"

King Lausanne II paused, then shook his head, his smile fading.

"Do not want to."

Catherine choked.

"Do you want to know who betrayed Turnbull back then?"

The assassin gave the same answer:

"Do not want to."

Catherine, in a moment of panic, called out:
"It's them!"

She patted her chest with her one arm, her breathing rapid.

"They want you dead! They want Turnbull dead! They want the Blood Bottle Gang to obey again! And we're just... we're just the ones doing the work, the errands, the kickers!"

“I know,” Losang II said, unfazed, slowly drawing his sword. “I will act quickly.”

Catherine began to truly feel nervous.

"But you, don't you want to ask 'them'... don't you want to ask who those big shots are?"

King Lausanne II chuckled softly.

"I came back for them."

Catherine swallowed.

"You can't beat them."

“I know,” Losang II drew his longsword completely. “I knew it long ago, even before the Blood Vial Gang.”

This is a new longsword, made of excellent steel and finely polished.

Catherine was in a hurry:
"Then why..."

The next second, Losang II moved swiftly, leaping over a rooftop and rushing towards her!

In that instant, Catherine's hair stood on end!

"Black Sword!"

King Lausanne II paused in his steps.

Phantom Blade took two steps back, gritting his teeth and screaming loudly:

"Don't you want to know, don't you want to know why you and Turnbull lost to him back then..."

"Losing to a Black Sword that's only at the Super-Order level!"

----

"Your Highness is joking."

Li's gaze remained calm, showing no fear whatsoever.

"I came from the Eastern Continent across the sea, living in a foreign land. Apart from a few junior servants, I have no soldiers or men by my side. How could I possibly stir up trouble and overthrow Emerald City?"

On the other side, Yannick let out a mocking snort.

In the distance, near the city center, bursts of fireworks shot into the sky, illuminating the Kongming Palace atop the giant rock.

In the interplay of light and shadow, Thales gazed at Li, nodded gently, and smiled slowly.

A second later, the prince turned around and faced the suburban houses below the tower again.

“Wyatt!” he called out.

Footsteps sounded, and Wyatt arrived at the top of the tower, bowing politely yet warily to the two foreign guests.

"Your Highness?"

Thales didn't even turn his head, just waved casually:

"Tell these two distinguished guests what you have discovered."

"Me?" Wyman was caught off guard.

“Yes, it’s you,” Thales said, bracing his arms on the tower and feeling the cold night wind. “After all, you are the one who unravels the mystery and ultimately discovers the truth.”

These words made both vampires look at Wyman simultaneously, and the latter was startled.

“Yes. Good night, sirs. I am Wyatt Cassel. So, where shall I begin? Well…”

Wyman swallowed hard and frantically pulled out his notebook.

“Your name is Cassel,” Li interrupted him softly, a cold glint in his eyes. “So, you’re Gilbert Cassel’s son?”

Wyman paused upon hearing this.

Yannick smiled upon seeing this:
"Oh, the famous 'fox,' the one who was just one step away from becoming prime minister back then?"

Wyman remained silent.

Two noble vampires awaited his answer under the moonlight, one with a cold gaze and the other with a mysterious smile.

A few seconds later, Huai Yamu took a deep breath as usual, forced a smile, and replied politely:

"Yes, you two, my father is..."

"He is my attendant."

Thales coldly interrupted them:
"To be precise, the chief attendant."

Wyatt paused for a second, then glanced at Thales with some surprise.

But the prince did not turn around.

He remained with his back to them, intently staring out of the tower, occasionally raising his binoculars to observe, as if nothing was happening.

The two vampires did not answer, but the way they looked at Wyman changed.

"Please listen carefully..."

Wyatt, the prince's attendant, took a deep breath, resolutely closed his notebook, and looked up.

"We, the Star Lake Guard, have encountered and clashed with our target tonight—also known as Losang II, who is very likely the Blood Bottle Gang's former ace assassin—more than once."

The moment the words left his mouth, Wyman suddenly realized:
It turns out he didn't need notes at all.

"But each time, all he left us with were pain and more questions."

The two guests exchanged a glance. Wyman paused for a moment, organizing his thoughts and logic:

"First of all, there is no doubt that King Losang II is highly skilled and unfathomable, otherwise he wouldn't be such a headache for us..."

Wyman discovered that everything he wanted to say had, after countless repetitions, unknowingly transcended written words and was firmly engraved in his memory.

No prompts are needed.

It all remains unsaid.

Even if he wasn't a genius with a photographic memory like his father.

"But in actual combat, his performance was inconsistent, sometimes strong and sometimes weak. We speculated on the reasons for his unstable strength: old injuries, age, drugs, special finishing power, or even superpowers, but we were wrong. We overlooked the most important, yet most inconspicuous, point."

“Which point?” Yannick asked.

But Wyatt didn't offer much explanation and simply continued.

"Secondly, besides his unparalleled swordsmanship, King Losang II also possesses a terrifying supernatural ability, which he calls 'evil whispers,' which can cause people to lose consciousness and fall into past memories, making it impossible to defend against."

Yannick's eyes flickered:
"A mentally influential superpower, interesting."

Wyman shook his head:

"But strangely, his control over this ability was not refined, and could even be described as extremely crude, even conflicting with his swordsmanship on several occasions."

Yannick glanced at Li on the other side, while Thales remained silent with his hands behind his back.

Wyane continued:
"Third, in order to escape his pursuit, two of my comrades hid in an abandoned sewer that no one knew about, that was bottomless and like a maze, but they were still caught by Lausanne II."

According to King Lausanne II himself, people in the sewers were talking too loudly, and he heard them on the surface—it's so absurd it sounds like he's bragging.

“We suspected there was a mole in the sewers, and we also suspected the Blood Bottle Gang’s tracking dogs—but we later found out that the Blood Bottle Gang’s kennels had been destroyed before that, all the guards were dead, and all the dogs in the cages had been released.”

Wyman sighed:

How did he do that?

This time, neither of the guests spoke.

"Fourth, King Lausanne II's attire is very distinctive. No matter when or where, he is always dressed entirely in black from head to toe, complete with a hood, mask, and goggles. He even stops frequently during operations to adjust his appearance, put on his mask, and adjust his hood..."

Wyatt paused for a moment.

“At first, we guessed that it was an assassin’s habit, and we also guessed that he might be trying to conceal his physical characteristics and hide his identity. But later, even though everyone knew his name, he still wore it without hesitation.”

Wyman's eyes sharpened:
"So it suddenly occurred to me, is it possible that that outfit wasn't meant to conceal my identity, but for some other, more important reason?"

The two guests remained motionless, but Wyatt was no longer concerned about them:

"Fifth, and also the most troublesome, bizarre, and incredible point: the unusual physique of King Lausanne II."

The attendant, recalling what he had seen and heard, was filled with worry:

"The first time we fought him, he was hit by several arrows and fled, but he was lively and energetic the next day; the second time, he was surrounded and badly wounded, but he was still able to fight for dozens of rounds without being at a disadvantage; the third time, he was blown to pieces from head to toe by a considerable amount of crystal fireworks, but he was able to sneak into the selection committee and fight with his sword the next day; the fourth time, he was tricked into drinking a rare and potent poison..."

Wyatt sighed and looked at the houses in the darkness:

"Of course, we'll see the results of the fourth attempt soon."

The attendant's expression changed:
"But as far as I know, in the underground gang circles, only the leaders of the Black Street Brotherhood enjoy this strange legend of being invulnerable to swords and bullets and impossible to kill."

Just then, Thales, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke up:
"It's just a legend."

The three were slightly surprised by the prince's interruption, but quickly returned to the main topic.

"I couldn't figure out any of the above questions, so I had to ask around and gather ideas from all sides."

Wyman said earnestly:

"Until a senior former guard of the capital sent me the case file of a serial murder case in Yongxing City decades ago."

Serial murder case.

Yannick frowned slightly.

The prince's attendant, with sharp eyes, swept over the two guests:

"And the answers revealed in this file answer almost all the questions."

There was a long silence on the watchtower.

Until Count Li slowly turned his neck and uttered a single word:

"everything?"

----

"you."

Lausanne II stopped on the nearest rooftop, a few steps from Catherine.

After the fireworks display ended, the night sky over Emerald City fell silent.

The entire city was brightly lit, except for this place, which was shrouded in darkness. "Because you betrayed us."

"Los Angeles II said softly."

“You and Fogg, you leaked the assassination plan—we ambushed Black Sword, but he ambushed us.”

So, we lost to our own people.

Catherine frowned upon hearing this.

"You knew it was Fogg? Impossible, then why did you go with him—" She quickly realized the key point, extremely unwilling, "Wait, that's why that fish-farming bumpkin betrayed me and got together with Red Viper!"

Ferguson, that two-faced coward.

Thinking of this, Catherine was filled with uncontrollable rage.

One day, I'll feed that country bumpkin to the piranhas he keeps in his tank!
King Losang II shook his head:

"He is not you, Little Knife."

Ferguson is a person.

And you.

You are just a knife.

Catherine took a deep breath.

"Fine, even so, even if he was prepared and ambushed you..."

She slowly raised her head, forcing herself to smile:

"But do you really think that Black Sword broke through in the heat of battle and performed exceptionally well, defeating you and killing Turnbull fair and square?"

King Lausanne II frowned slightly.

what?
Catherine sneered:
"Didn't you feel it that day when you went to war with Black Sword?"

Phantom Blade tutted:
“That unconscious, fleeting lightness, the confused and disoriented senses, the fluctuating emotions, the excited and agitated spirit, and between the fingers…” Catherine described, and began to tremble uncontrollably, “a barely perceptible tremor.”

Behind the goggles, Lausanne II's pupils slowly dilated.

“That kind of trembling, which is normal for ordinary people but deadly for a swordsman.” Catherine gritted her teeth and instinctively hugged her severed arm.

King Lausanne II lowered his sword.

He gazed intently at his hand holding the sword—it was in a straight line with the blade, firm and steady, without any tremor, like the surface of a frozen lake, without a single ripple.

but……

“'Sunshine',” Lausanne II whispered the answer.

"Correct!"

Catherine slammed her fist on the chimney:
"Yes, it's the same 'Sunshine' who killed 'Dogtooth' boss back then—but aren't you surprised?"

Her tone changed, becoming sinister and mysterious:

"Back then, you were a disciplined person, kept to yourself, and kept your daily life in perfect order. In order to maintain your killing readiness, you didn't touch drugs, let alone cigarettes or alcohol, let alone before setting off on an operation?"

Catherine opened her eyes wide:
"Why and from where do you get 'sunlight'?"

King Lobsang II gripped the hilt of his sword tightly; his expression was unreadable beneath his mask.

"Don't you ever think back to the day you set off to kill Black Sword, or even the days, weeks, and months before that, what you ate and drank?"

Catherine continued speaking, her voice seductive:

"Have you never had any doubts all these years?"

Suspect……

Losang II repeated it to himself.

“First it was Dogtooth, then it was you,” Catherine sneered. “Aren’t you surprised?”

strangeness……

Lausanne II was in a daze.

Catherine smiled, a smile of great satisfaction:

"And after you came back, didn't you try to find her?"

she……

King Lausanne II remained silent.

Phantom Blade narrowed his eyes:

"Do you know where she is now?"

The next second, King Losang II turned around, his sword flashing like lightning, a thunderclap in the dead of night!
Ding!
With a crisp sound, he deflected a hidden weapon with his longsword.

But at the same time, with a few whooshing sounds, more hidden weapons came flying at him from the night sky!
trap.

Unaware of the situation, King Losang II no longer rashly parried. Instead, he spun around and leaped onto another rooftop, instantly dodging all the hidden weapons.

Snapped! Bang bang!

The hidden weapons struck the ground, walls, and roof with crackling sounds, shattering one after another.

But in that instant, King Losang II's expression changed drastically!

wrong.

Something is wrong.

King Lausanne II instinctively covered his mouth and nose under the mask!

The smell is...

Yes……

The next second, he knelt down on one knee with a thud, panting heavily!
Liquid splashed from the hidden weapon—actually just a glass medicine bottle—spilling everywhere, overflowing the roof, and dripping down the eaves.

But Lausanne II's breath froze.

No.

impossible.

Shock and fear appeared in his eyes, like a wild beast encountering its natural enemy.

impossible!
No, no, no...

In that instant, every organ, tissue, and structure within Lord Lausanne II's body began to tremble!
They struggled, roared, and rioted...

They tried to break free from his control.

Do not!
"Hahaha, I knew all along what you were capable of."

Catherine kicked away a broken medicine bottle at her feet, ignoring the pungent, fishy smell emanating from the liquid inside.

"About how you went from a tough, hard-hitting assassin," she gritted her teeth, looking at her trembling opponent who was clutching his head, "to an incurable coward."

coward?

No.

Do not! ! !
Losang II struggled desperately, writhing and resisting his own body to the death.

Listen to me, listen to me, listen to me...

But they, they, they had never been so powerful, roaring and vying to crush his will.

No, no, no...

Deep down, he almost pleaded with them.

Please...

Not now, please...

The assassin's vision began to change color.

It turned into that brilliant yet terrifying crimson.

With a clang, the longsword slipped from his hand and echoed on the roof.

do not.

Please...please...you...

Finally, King Lausanne II raised his head in pain and fear.

He looked at Catherine, who was all smiles.

Only one thought remained in my mind.

escape.

Run away!
----

"For weeks, people have witnessed Lausanne II committing several bloody crimes in the Emerald City, such as the deaths of wine merchants, wool merchants, and lawyers, including the death of the Special Guard Officer—these are all clearly major cases that have even been used by Federico to indict the Duke..."

Wyman's expression was serious:
"But at the same time, in places that are out of sight of people, in the gray areas and dark alleys of the city, many inconspicuous murders occur: the victims are mostly outlaws in gangs, scattered in twos and threes, which once made the Blood Bottle Gang think it was a gang fight."

At this point, Wyman changed the subject:
"But it is precisely these seemingly insignificant 'gang murder cases' that have more suspicious points."

Yannick seemed thoughtful, while Li's gaze was icy.

Thales held up his binoculars, gazing at the scenery outside the tower, but upon hearing this, he took a deep breath.

"First of all, most of the victims disappeared when they were alone and isolated – the killer did not make a big fuss, but did not seem to want to cover it up too much. The bodies were not found until at least the next day, and when they were found, they were mostly unrecognizable, soaked in water, cut by knives, and burned."

"However, it's not just the Blood Bottle Gang: here, in North Gate Bridge and the new suburbs, in the Black Street Brotherhood's territory, some thugs have also been attacked and gone missing. It's just that compared to the Blood Bottle Gang, the Brotherhood's local leaders are more ruthless and have suppressed the incidents."

After speaking, Wyman looked at the two guests.

“This is no ordinary gang fight,” Yannick said softly, his brows furrowing slightly.

"of course not."

Wyman nodded seriously.

The attendant took a deep breath:

“Decades ago, the serial murder case in Yongxing City caused widespread panic, but it was eventually solved. After finding the clues, it only took two guards—one of whom was still a trainee—to capture the murderer in one fell swoop.”

He stared intently at Yannick Hollier from Feast Territory:

"Back then, the late King Eddie even sent a letter of state to seriously question the Feast Territory—the Speaker of your Council, Mavolo, immediately replied with an apology, claiming that he would send people to handle the matter and hunt down the family fugitives."

Of course, the guard had already resolved the problem before the Feast Leader's envoy intervened; the murderer was bound to a rack and left to die in the open.

Thales didn't turn around, he just nodded.

Yannick sighed:
"I was asleep in the tomb at the time, and when I woke up I vaguely heard about it. There is no doubt that it was a tragedy, both for your country and for us..."

Wyatt interrupted him without any politeness, seemingly having already forgotten their respective identities:
"But everything recorded in that case is almost exactly what Emerald City is experiencing now!"

Yannick wasn't angry; he simply bowed silently.

Wyman took a deep breath, waved his hand, and pointed at the bright moon:

"What caused the fluctuations in Losang II's strength was nothing other than the weather!"

Thales was pleased to see that the two guests listened quietly without saying a word.

“When the sun is high in the sky, King Losang II is unwell and his movements are restricted. Even if he tries his best, he can only reach the level of a super-class candidate,” Wyatt said angrily. “But once the sun sets, he recovers to his full strength. His speed, physical strength, and power, combined with his unparalleled swordsmanship, make him difficult to defeat even for those at the highest level.”

"And in all those encounters, the only time he took the initiative to escape was indoors," Wyatt said, making a drawing motion like he was drawing a bow. "Our archers shot through the windows from outside and knocked down the sunshade curtains."

"That's why he had to dress like that—during the day, he needed sufficient sun protection, such as a head-to-toe black cloth, to protect himself from the sun."

Wyatt paused for a moment.

"As for his superpowers... I found someone from the Blood Bottle Gang who knew him back then and confirmed one thing: Losang II, or at least, the assassin Losang II from more than ten years ago, did not have any superpowers."

Yannick's eyes flickered:
"There were no superpowers more than a decade ago? That means..."

Wyman nodded:

"Without a doubt, the 'evil whispers' were something he had recently acquired—or rather, relatively recently. As a result, he was not familiar with their use in actual combat, his control was unstable, and his techniques were contradictory."

Yannick looked at Li on the other side with a complicated expression.

At that moment, Thales suddenly recited a passage of scripture:
“'When trials come, the devil will whisper, and evil spirits will murmur in languages ​​we cannot understand.'”

Everyone else was taken aback.

The prince then turned to the guests from the Kingdom of Night and said sarcastically:

"I'm really curious, how could anyone think of taking a name from the sacred 'Sunset Doctrine' to name his...this kind of person's superpower? What was the purpose, irony, or mockery?"

Li remained silent.

Thales chuckled and waved his hand, signaling Wyman to continue.

“This also explains his superhuman senses,” Wyatt said. “Lossan II was able to track the target all the way to the sewers not because of his dog-like nose, but because of his sensitivity to the smell of blood on his target. As for the claim that he could hear people talking too loudly underground, even from the surface, that’s probably not bragging, but the truth, a special racial talent.”

Take a deep breath in doubt:

"In this way, we can understand why King Losang II was able to kill them repeatedly, as well as the attacks and disappearances of so many members of the Blood Bottle Gang and the Brotherhood."

The attendant stared at the two guests, his resentment barely concealed in his voice:
"Because after every action, especially after every serious injury, he needs nourishment, food, energy, and a lot of replenishment to unleash his superhuman racial regenerative ability and repair his wounds at a rate that is unimaginable to ordinary people, so as to be 'everlasting and new'."

Upon hearing "everlasting and ever new," Yannick frowned almost imperceptibly.

Wyman coldly snorted:

"This is why those who unfortunately died as 'ingredients,' whether they were thugs or street thugs, had their bodies tampered with—water-soaked, cut with knives, burned—to cover up their manner of death, especially the open wounds on important blood vessels."

"It's not just them."

Thales interjected:

"It also includes those key figures—the wine merchant, the wool merchant and his mistress, the retired warden, and Caquere, who received me. In fact, they were all bled to death, weren't they?"

The boy shook his head, his emotions complex.

“I guess that, as a ‘newbie’ who has only been in the field for a little over ten years, Losang II is different from you. He doesn’t quite control his desires—he’s inhuman.”

After hearing the prince's strange ending, the watchtower remained silent for a very long time.

Until Yannick sighed:
"us?"

Wyman snorted coldly.

"That's right, after putting all the clues together, they all point to one possibility."

His gaze was wary and resolute:

"Lossan II, who survived a great calamity and returned to Emerald City more than ten years later, is no longer human."

Wyatt gripped the hilt of his sword:

"He had long since become a cruel, vicious, impulsive, and barbaric person..."

The attendant glanced at the two unusual guests, took a deep breath, and ultimately abandoned any more polite form of address:
"vampire."

----

Yongxing City, Fuxing Palace.

"Don't worry, that file was modified by your brother back then."

Under the lamplight, Lady Gini bent her head and processed the palace documents in front of her:
"The Kingdom's Secret Service has done a very clean job. No one, including the boy from the Caso family, will find out that the rookie trainee guard who has only been with the company for a few years is actually using a pseudonym."

A robust figure stood silently by the window for a long time.

"Resume".

“No problem, Mikolian’s already written,” Ginny said without looking up, her tone teasing. “He entered the Security Bureau through the back door, caused a series of troubles, and was a ‘temporary assistant trainee’ security officer with no hope of promotion. He was the chief idiot of the West City Security Bureau, Kai Yordle, who unfortunately died in the war during the Bloody Year. He had no parents, no…”

At this point, Ginny realized something and subtly raised her eyes.

“Indeed,” the figure by the window murmured, “There is truth in falsehood, and falsehood hidden in truth.”

Gini trembled slightly, lowered her head, and her face turned pale.

The room was quiet for a while.

"why?"

The palace lady suddenly spoke up.

The figure at the window turned around.

"When we found the lair, I repeatedly instructed them to return to the hall to report first, and to wait until reinforcements were gathered before taking action, but..." Ginny turned a page, seemingly casually:

"That stubborn fool just wouldn't listen."

The figure opposite remained silent for a while, seemingly reminiscing about the past.

"Because by then it will be too late, and the credit will go to someone else."

"Really?"

“My direct supervisor is very demanding,” the figure opposite said calmly. “She often lectures me while smoking, saying, ‘Everything is for the sake of the crime-solving rate.’”

It also has time and location restrictions.

Ginny fell silent upon hearing this.

A few seconds later, she couldn't help but laugh.

“So,” Ginny scoffed, “you just happened to bump into that vampire getting up and almost got your carotid artery ripped apart?”

The figure paused for a moment, then slowly reached out and touched the collar of his neck.

And the scar below.

"Almost."

He said quietly:

"You later realized something was wrong and arrived in time."

Ginny's smile vanished:

What if I can't make it in time?

"That would make things much easier for that guard officer; he wouldn't have to clean up the messes of those idiot subordinates who got in through connections anymore." The figure opposite him didn't seem to care at all.

Lady Ginny snorted coldly and lowered her head again:
"asshole."

“Besides,” the figure scoffed, “if I hadn’t done it, if I hadn’t been on the verge of death, how could that stingy, cowardly, sneaky old Vitano, who only obeys my father’s orders, have been willing to do it?”

Ginny still didn't look up, and her words were anything but polite:

"Deserved it."

The lights flickered, and a long silence fell over the room.

Until that figure's voice rang out again:
"Because of myself."

Ginny's eyes flickered.

"Because I want to do it."

The figure opposite slowly walked to a magnificent and expensive crystal display case, looked at the nine-star crown preserved inside, and slowly reached out.

“Because back then, that guy who was used to relying on his older brother,” the figure opposite him said softly, as if in a daze, “was the ‘chief idiot of the West City Police Department’ who depended on his superiors for help…”

"For the first time, he wanted it, no matter how foolish or dangerous it was, he wanted it..."

"To achieve something by relying solely on oneself..."

"...something."

Everything is fine.

Ginny fell silent upon hearing this.

The figure fell silent and stopped making a sound.

Only the nine-star crown in the crystal cabinet remains, still shining brightly, never dimming in the slightest.