As a dignified max-level Celestial Master, who am I supposed to explain this to?

Three vampires were running wildly through an alley when they saw a golden figure descending from the sky and stopped in their tracks in fright.

"Why...why did you chase after me?"

The male vampire's face was deathly pale. "We've done as you said! You have the body! We've agreed to go back to Europe!"

Han Xuan did not answer.

He simply took the small bottle out of his pocket and held it up in the moonlight.

The three vampires' expressions changed completely.

"This...this isn't ours..."

The female vampire's voice trembled.

"Not yours?"

Han Xuan twirled the bottle between his fingers. "Then how did it end up hidden inside the cross at the location of your ceremony?"

The three vampires were speechless.

Han Xuan looked at them, his gaze as cold as ice.

"I'll ask you one more time. What is your true purpose?"

A long silence.

Then the male vampire suddenly laughed.

His laughter was hoarse and desperate, like that of a gambler who had lost everything.

"You win, Oriental."

Its voice no longer trembled, but carried a kind of resigned composure: "That bottle contains the blood of the progenitor of the vampires, a sacred object of our vampire council."

"Three hundred years ago, it was stolen and ended up in the East. We were ordered to find it and bring it back to Europe."

It paused, looking at the bottle in Han Xuan's hand.

"We've searched for thirty years, and finally found it in this church. Tonight's Blood Moon ritual is to use the blood of the progenitor to activate the spiritual veins beneath the church, opening a portal to the vampire holy land. Our mission is to send the coordinates of the relic and the spiritual veins back, and then..."

"Then the Vampire Council can send people to the Central Plains at any time," Han Xuan continued.

The male vampire nodded.

"The spiritual energy in the East is far richer than in Europe. If we can establish a foothold here, the strength of the vampires will double in a short period of time. This is a long-term plan for the Council."

Han Xuan remained silent for a long time.

Under the moonlight, his expression was obscured, but all three vampires could sense the chilling aura emanating from him.

That wasn't murderous intent, but something far more terrifying.

It is determination.

"Your Vampire Council wants to establish a base in the Central Plains." Han Xuan's voice was very soft, as if he were talking to himself.

"Yes."

"On my turf."

"……yes."

Han Xuan raised his head, and the moonlight shone on his face.

The three vampires saw a smile on his lips, but there was no smile in his eyes.

"Tell your parliament."

He said earnestly, "Middle-earth is not a place for you. It was not in the past, it is not now, and it will not be in the future."

He put the bottle into his pocket, then raised his right hand.

Golden lightning flashed in his palm.

"As for the three of you..."

The three vampires knelt down at the same time.

"Sir! We are merely following orders! We do not wish to be your enemy!"

The male vampire's voice trembled again, "We can go back and deliver a message! We can tell the council that there is an invincible force in the East! We can..."

"You've already lied to me once."

Han Xuan interrupted him, "How do I know this isn't a lie?"

The three vampires were speechless.

Han Xuan looked at them and remained silent for five seconds.

Then he made a decision.

"I won't kill you."

He said calmly, "It's not because you shouldn't have died, but because you are more useful alive than dead."

With a flick of his right hand, three drops of golden light flew from his fingertips and silently entered the foreheads of the three vampires.

The three vampires shuddered simultaneously, a look of bewilderment flashing in their eyes.

"This is the golden mark I planted in your bodies."

Han Xuan said, "From now on, your every move will be within my perception range. If you dare to step into the Central Plains again, or dare to attack anyone in the Central Plains, the golden mark will ignite your blood and turn you to ashes within three seconds."

He paused, then added.

"If you don't believe me, you can try it."

The three vampires' faces were so pale they were almost transparent.

They knew that with this Eastern monk's strength, he meant what he said.

"Go back and tell your parliament."

Han Xuan turned around, his back to them, "The Central Plains do not welcome vampires. From now on, whoever comes here will not be able to leave alive."

He took two steps, then suddenly stopped and said something without turning his head.

"Oh, right. I'll keep this vial of progenitor's blood. Consider it compensation for the murder you committed."

The three vampires opened their mouths, as if to say something, but when they saw the golden light shining on Han Xuan's back, they swallowed their words.

Han Xuan didn't turn around and strode out of the alley.

Behind him, three vampires slumped to the ground, covered in cold sweat.

"How...are we going to explain this to the parliament?"

The female vampire's voice sounded like crying.

The male vampire closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

"I told you... you encountered an Eastern deity. You couldn't defeat him."

"...Will Parliament believe it?"

"Whether they believe it or not is their business. Anyway..." It opened its eyes, looking in the direction where Han Xuan disappeared, its eyes filled with fear.

"I dare not come again."

At the Xia family home, it's dinner time.

Xia Zhiwei sat at the dining table, with four dishes and a soup laid out in front of her. The dishes were cold, and the soup was cold, but she didn't eat; she just waited.

The butler stood to the side, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating.

"Miss, why don't you eat first? Young Master Han Xuan might not be coming back."

"He will come back."

Xia Zhiwei's tone was calm, but very confident.

The butler opened his mouth, but said nothing more.

Just then, footsteps came from outside the gate.

Han Xuan pushed open the door and came in. His Taoist robe was covered in dust, and his hair was messed up by the night wind.

However, he had a bright smile on his face.

"I'm back. Is there any food left?"

Xia Zhiwei glanced at him, but didn't ask him what he had been doing or why he was back so late.

She simply stood up, picked up the dishes from the table, and headed to the kitchen.

"It's cold, I'll go heat it up."

Han Xuan stared at her retreating figure, momentarily stunned.

Then he laughed.

"Miss Xia."

Xia Zhiwei stopped but didn't turn around.

"Thank you for waiting for me."

Xia Zhiwei paused for a second, then continued walking towards the kitchen.

But Han Xuan saw it.

Her ears turned slightly red.

It's very faint, but it's clearly visible under the light.

Han Xuan sat at the dining table, took out the bottle of ancestral blood from his pocket, placed it on the table, and examined it for a while.

"A vampire's sacred relic..."

He muttered to himself, "I need to find some time to study this."

Xia Zhiwei came out of the kitchen carrying the heated dishes, glanced at the small bottle on the table, and didn't ask any further questions.

"Let's eat." She placed the dishes on the table, sat down, and picked up her chopsticks.

Han Xuan put the bottle back into his pocket and picked up his chopsticks.

"Okay, let's eat."

Outside the window, the moon was round and bright, hanging in the night sky like a gentle eye watching over the small town.

In the Xia family's courtyard, the roof of the ancestral hall has been mostly repaired, and the surrounding wall has been rebuilt.

The craftsmen will continue working tomorrow, but tonight, the entire Xia family is immersed in a rare tranquility.

Han Xuan picked up a piece of braised pork, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and his eyes lit up.

"Did you make this meat?"

Xia Zhiwei nodded.

"tasty."

Xia Zhiwei's lips curled up slightly before she quickly regained her composure.

"Eat more. You're as skinny as a bamboo pole."

Han Xuan looked down at his muscular physique, then at Xia Zhiwei's expressionless face, and couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay. Eat more."

He buried his head in his rice and ate with relish.

As Xia Zhiwei watched him eat, something deep within her eyes seemed to melt away.

But she didn't say it.

He simply picked up another piece of braised pork and put it in his bowl.