Xue Yunxue took a deep breath, calming the heat rising in her chest. Her expression remained composed, as if this conversation were nothing more than casual small talk.
"So… what are you planning to do with those young girls, sir?" she asked gently, almost politely.
Sang Min chuckled softly, as though he had just heard an amusing question."Oh, that? Just a little side business of mine. You know how it is—gate guards earn next to nothing. It's hard to survive in this city without other ways to get rich."
"So you kidnap those girls to sell them… or simply to satisfy yourself?" Xue Yunxue pressed, her voice still calm and even.
Sang Min leaned back against the table, his grin widening."Both."He laughed quietly. "Selling them is extremely profitable. Virgin girls are high-value commodities for vampires. But sometimes… I also need to enjoy myself with a few of them. You understand what I mean, don't you?"
A cold glint flashed through Xue Yunxue's eyes.
Vampires.
This man was talking too much—and that would be his downfall. Yunxue carefully stored every piece of information in her mind.
Sang Min continued casually, as if discussing livestock prices."Of course, they'll still accept non-virgins. Just… at half the price."
"So all those girls will be sold to vampires?" Yunxue asked, her tone barely changing.
"Yes. They'll arrive before dawn," Sang Min replied lightly. His gaze then swept over Xue Yunxue's body with a disgusting look. "But you're different. If you're willing to stay with me, I won't have to sell you. You could become my partner."
Inside, Xue Yunxue nearly vomited blood.
She would rather die than touch this man.
Yet her face remained calm. She suppressed her revulsion and fury—she still needed more information.
"Why do they need the blood of pure girls?" Xue Yunxue asked slowly, her voice low but clear.
Sang Min raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the chance to show off his knowledge."The blood of a pure girl can greatly enhance spiritual energy and physical strength," he said casually.A thin smile curled his lips, one that made the scalp crawl. "Far more effective than animal blood… or that of ordinary beastmen."
Growing more smug, he continued,"But what they truly seek are girls with high levels or rare elements. Blood from such girls can help half-vampires evolve—into true vampires. Since girls like that are extremely difficult to capture, they settle for pure girls instead, draining their blood and absorbing their soul energy."
He clicked his tongue. "Unfortunately, girls with that kind of power are very hard to catch, aren't they?"
His gaze sharpened, locking onto Xue Yunxue."But the spies I placed around you reported something interesting. You possess the wood element—rare, perhaps even the only one in this entire kingdom."His voice dropped, thick with greed. "That makes you… extremely valuable."
He didn't mention that those spies only dared observe from afar—too afraid that Yun Wu, the wolf with a nose sharper than any beast's, would detect them.
Xue Yunxue swallowed.
So this was the reason.
It was no coincidence. She had been targeted from the very beginning.
"But," Sang Min continued, his tone turning sickeningly gentle, "if you're willing to be mine… I won't hand you over to the vampires."
Behind Xue Yunxue's calm exterior, killing intent slowly condensed—quiet, restrained, yet ready to erupt at any moment.
She prepared to strike, but Moa stopped her.
Sister Xue… find out which half-vampire he's talking about. Make sure it isn't Lu Xiao. If it is, he'll become your greatest enemy, Moa's voice echoed softly in her sea of consciousness.
Xue Yunxue drew in a deep breath. Cold air filled her lungs, suppressing the surging emotions. Her face remained expressionless, but beneath that calm, her vigilance rose sharply.
"Then," she said slowly, her voice gentle yet clear, "who is the half-vampire you're referring to?"
Sang Min curved his lips into a thin smile. A faint gleam flickered in his eyes, as if enjoying a game of cat and mouse. He lit the cigarette in his hand—the flame flared briefly before dying beneath his breath. White smoke drifted lazily, filling the room with a suffocating stench.
"I have no intention of telling you her name," he said lightly, as if it were mere tavern gossip. "But… she's a woman."
He stood up. His steps were slow, filled with disgusting confidence. His large hand reached out, fingers moving toward Xue Yunxue's face, as though victory were already his.
But—
Bang!
The floor trembled.
A massive vine burst through the stone, overflowing with wild, violent wood energy. In an instant, it wrapped around Sang Min's body, flinging him into the air before tightening brutally around his neck.
"Ugh—!" His breath was cut off, his face flushing red as the cigarette fell from his hand and went out on the floor.
The door was smashed open from outside. Guards rushed in after hearing the commotion, but before they could even draw their weapons, more vines shot out like starving serpents. Flesh tore, bones cracked, and muffled screams echoed one after another.
No one managed to resist.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Xue Yunxue twisted her wrists with all her strength—crack!—the ropes binding her snapped apart with effort, leaving angry red marks on her skin.
Still too weak… she thought coldly, enduring the throbbing pain.
She knew it. Her current physical strength was far from enough. If she wanted to survive in this world, she had to become stronger—far stronger.
Without looking back, Xue Yunxue stepped out of the room now filled with the stench of blood and raging wood energy.
Then she stopped.
In the dim corridor, a massive beastman stood blocking her path—his towering shadow pressing down on the air around them.
Their gazes met.
The man stood at least two meters tall. His body was massive, packed with steel-hard muscles forged through countless battles. A horrifying scar carved his face—stretching from his right forehead, slicing through a half-ruined eye, and ending at the corner of his mouth. It made his expression even more brutal and savage.
A violent aura radiated from him, crushing the surrounding space.
Detecting…
Moa moved swiftly, his consciousness spreading like an invisible net.Sister Xue, his physical level is at least sixty.
Xue Yunxue's heart pounded heavily.
Damn it…
Her own level was only twenty. Even Moa—despite his knowledge and intelligence, and despite being a lazy little tree who hated physical training—was only around level forty. Their combined strength was clearly insufficient to confront a monster like this head-on.
Yet Xue Yunxue showed no fear.
Her hand moved.
In an instant, the ground beneath the man shook. Massive vines erupted, wrapping tightly around his body. But only for a moment—he let out a low roar and forced his way free.
Crack!The vines shattered like fragile branches.
Xue Yunxue narrowed her eyes.Great strength… but nothing is without weakness.
She focused her senses, reading the movement of his muscles and the flow of his energy.
Sister Xue, Moa's voice came fast but controlled, he's strong—but slow. Your speed is your weapon.
Without hesitation, Xue Yunxue stomped the ground.
This time, the vines were different—thicker, darker, bristling with sharp thorns like fangs. They coiled around his body violently.
"Grrr—!" The man snarled as blood seeped from where the thorns pierced his flesh. "I'll kill you!"
Xue Yunxue didn't wait for that threat to come true.
She leapt—light, fast, almost traceless. Her body spun through the air, slipping past his head like a gust of wind, and burst through the door behind him just before he tore the thorned vines apart.
Outside, more than a dozen guards had already surrounded her.
Weapons raised. Killing intent surged.
Behind them, the young girls cowered in terror—pale faces pressed to the walls, bodies trembling, eyes filled with despair.
Not here…
If she fought here, they would all be caught in it.
Xue Yunxue made her decision instantly.
She moved first.
The guards attacked wildly, their strikes crude and uncoordinated. But Xue Yunxue dodged with fluid grace—her steps light, her movements flowing like a fox dancing beneath the moon.
A blade slashed—she ducked.A spear thrust—she spun.A hand reached for her throat—she vanished sideways.
Then she saw it.
A broken window at the end of the corridor.
In the next instant, Xue Yunxue shot toward it like an arrow—crash!—bursting through before anyone could stop her.
The guards quickly regrouped, forming a formation around her. The ground trembled as the giant man caught up, his aura exploding unchecked.
With a low growl, he drew a weapon from his back—a long blade shaped like a wild boar's tusk. The curved edge was rough, stained with old blood and rust. Without warning, he swung it with full force.
Whooom—!
The air itself was torn apart.
Xue Yunxue dodged gracefully, her body moving as if dancing with death. She stomped the ground, and dark green vines burst forth, attacking the bandits from all directions—binding, piercing, and dragging them down.
But the danger wasn't over.
A guard in the distance raised a long-barreled firearm. He narrowed his eyes, steadying his breath, aiming at the slender figure moving too swiftly.
That fox bitch is hard to hit…
But his finger finally pulled the trigger.
Bang!
Heat grazed Xue Yunxue's face. She barely avoided it—the bullet sliced her cheek, leaving a burning sting as warm blood trickled down.
Firearms…!
Her heart pounded.
Several others raised their guns, black muzzles all trained on her. Lethal pressure filled the air. She felt the threat closing in—but the giant man gave her no breathing room.
The tusk blade came crashing down again.
I can't drag this out!
Her gaze hardened.
In one swift motion, Xue Yunxue slipped beside a guard, snatched a dagger from his pocket, and used her speed to spin—
Crack!—she plunged it straight into the giant man's neck.
Blood erupted violently.
It splashed across her beautiful face—warm and sticky. Xue Yunxue frowned, a flicker of disgust passing through her mind.
The man roared in agony."ARRRGH—!"
His massive body staggered, then collapsed heavily to the ground.
But he didn't die.
Amid screams and blood, his body convulsed. Bones cracked, muscles bulged, and in an instant his human form shattered.
Boom!
A gigantic wild boar replaced him—nearly two meters tall, almost five meters long. Massive curved tusks jutted forward, eyes blazing red with rage and pain. Blood still streamed through the coarse bristles on its face.
"Sister Xue… you've really enraged him now," Moa's wary voice echoed in her mind.
The giant boar roared and charged, the ground shaking with each step. Its savage aura pressed down, making the air heavy.
Xue Yunxue didn't hesitate.
She stomped and leapt high, bounding lightly until she landed on the branch of a large tree. But the moment her feet touched the wood, it slipped.
Not good—!
Her body wobbled.
In the next second, a powerful arm wrapped around her slender waist, catching her just before she fell. The touch was cold—yet steady, like steel wrapped in velvet.
Xue Yunxue froze.
She turned—and found herself in the arms of a stranger.
His eyes were dark crimson, deep and ominous like blood settled in shadow. His skin was deathly pale, stark against lips that were vividly red. Long black hair fell over his shoulders, gleaming under the moonlight.
A mysterious, dark aura flowed calmly from him—silent, yet oppressive.
He said nothing.
He only looked at Xue Yunxue, as if weighing something far deeper than a chance encounter.
Her heart beat faster.
His face was grim, cold, and dark—yet undeniably handsome. Far too striking to be an ordinary passerby.
She snapped back to her senses.
Quickly, Xue Yunxue freed herself from his arms and stood firmly on the branch, keeping her distance.
"Thank you," she said briefly, her voice calm despite the faint tremor in her heart.
Below them, the giant boar roared again, shaking the night.
Sister Xue, he is Lu Xiao—one of your beast husbands, Moa's voice echoed in her mind.
What… so he's the half-vampire?
Lu Xiao's eyes narrowed.
In an instant, his figure vanished—moving like a black streak slicing through the darkness.
Chi—!
A jet-black blade pierced straight through the giant boar's heart. There was no scream. No resistance. The massive body froze, then collapsed with a heavy thud.
One strike. One kill.
The next moment, Lu Xiao turned.
All remaining guards became his targets.
Dozens of long black blades appeared out of nowhere—like shadows given form. In a single breath, they pierced the bandits' bodies with precise brutality. No one even had time to scream. Even the blood seemed slow to spill.
Silence.
The massacre ended too quickly—and too cleanly.
Xue Yunxue stood frozen on the branch, her heart pounding as she watched. A chill crept up her spine.
This man… was utterly merciless.
When no enemy remained standing, Lu Xiao lowered his weapon. The black blade vanished as if it had never existed.
Xue Yunxue jumped down from the tree and landed lightly on the ground.
She opened her mouth, wanting to ask why Lu Xiao had helped her—but the words died in her throat.
From shattered windows and broken walls, a group of young girls rushed out. Their faces were pale, fear still lingering in their eyes, but their hurried steps were filled with hope.
One by one, they knelt.
"Thank you… thank you for saving us…"
Choked sobs and words of gratitude filled the air, still heavy with the smell of blood.
Xue Yunxue looked at them, then turned to Lu Xiao.
Under the dim light, his face remained cold and calm—as if the slaughter moments ago had been utterly insignificant.
Xue Yunxue had no time to speak further with Lu Xiao.
She merely glanced at him and gave a small nod—a brief gesture heavy with meaning. Without waiting for a response, she turned and moved quickly. Though in truth, she desperately wanted to ask why Lu Xiao had appeared here so suddenly.
"Come here," she said firmly.
The girls rose at once and followed behind her. Their steps were still shaky, but now supported by a fragile spark of hope. Xue Yunxue led them across the ruined courtyard, past the lifeless bodies of bandits strewn across the ground.
Not far away, an armored vehicle stood silently, its metal surface reflecting the pale moonlight.
The door opened.
Xue Yunxue helped the girls inside, making sure no one was left behind. When the last heavy metal door slammed shut with a resonant clang, she finally took a deep breath.