Near noon, their anti-gravity aircraft finally pierced through the last layer of clouds and slowly began descending.
Beyond the transparent glass of the ship, the capital of the Yanhuo Kingdom stretched endlessly like another world.
Xue Yunxue unconsciously held her breath.
Towering buildings rose into the sky with grand classical architecture—white stone pillars, golden carvings, and crystal domes reflecting sunlight in dazzling brilliance. Between those structures, flying vehicles moved neatly along organized aerial routes, swift yet nearly silent. Royal soldiers clad in elegant armor patrolled both the skies and the streets, creating an atmosphere of discipline far removed from Wulong City.
Xue Yunxue clicked her tongue in amazement.
"Even Wulong City already felt advanced…" she murmured softly. "…but this really is a completely different world."
Down on the streets below, women walked gracefully in attire that made her gaze freeze for a moment.
Long dresses inspired by modernized hanfu designs flowed elegantly around them—light layered fabrics woven with spiritual threads that shimmered faintly under the sunlight. Crystal and gold hair ornaments enhanced their elegance, blending tradition with futuristic refinement.
Unconsciously, she lowered her head to look at herself.
A loose T-shirt.
Simple trousers.
Travel shoes still dusted from the road.
Compared to the women of the capital, she looked like a country girl who had wandered into the wrong place.
The light in her eyes dimmed slightly.
That subtle change did not escape Xiang Shuai, who stood nearby. The serpent prince's brows immediately furrowed, his vertical pupils narrowing faintly.
He said nothing—but it was clear he had noticed.
The aircraft soon landed within a restricted military zone. The moment the doors opened, Luo Shixin instantly returned to his cold, authoritative persona as a general.
"I need to head to the military base," he said briefly. "There are reports I must finish before the ceremony."
His gaze lingered on Xue Yunxue slightly longer than on the others.
"I'll come pick you up tomorrow."
His voice remained calm, yet there was a sense of certainty within it—as though he genuinely wished to see her there.
Xue Yunxue nodded lightly.
"Be careful."
Luo Shixin gave a small nod before turning away, his military cloak fluttering gently in the warm capital breeze. A moment later, he shot into the sky like an arrow.
—
After parting ways, Xue Yunxue followed Lu Xiao, Lin Yuan, and Xiang Shuai toward the city center.
The deeper they entered, the more overwhelming the capital's luxury became.
The streets were spotless—without a single thug or bandit in sight. Shops built from energy crystal glass lined both sides of the road, holographic signs floated in midair, and the scent of expensive perfume mixed with elite cuisine filled the atmosphere.
Their destination hotel stood at the very heart of the city.
A towering structure layered in black glass and gold, with a fountain of circulating spiritual energy rotating gracefully before its entrance.
The moment they stepped inside, the hotel staff immediately bowed respectfully.
Xue Yunxue only understood why a few seconds later.
"Your rooms have been prepared according to your request, Lord Lu," the hotel manager said politely.
She blinked in confusion.
A private elevator carried them directly to the upper floor—and when the doors opened, she realized something strange.
The entire floor… was empty.
No other guests.
Only them.
"Don't tell me…" Xue Yunxue slowly turned her head.
Lu Xiao walked past her casually, his black coat swaying lightly. His crimson eyes glanced at her, a faint smile barely visible on his lips.
"I rented the entire floor," he said flatly. "It's quieter."
Xue Yunxue fell silent.
So this cunning vampire… was also ridiculously rich.
Behind her, Lin Yuan chuckled softly.
"Actually, he booked two floors. I was the one who stopped him so it wouldn't look too conspicuous."
Xue Yunxue nearly choked on air.
"Yunxue, would you accompany me shopping?" Xiang Shuai asked.
Xue Yunxue's eyes immediately lit up.
"Of course! I also need to buy something." She instantly remembered her plan to find a dress for tomorrow's formal ceremony.
"Don't stay out too long, and be careful," Lu Xiao said.
His voice was calm as usual, yet his face looked slightly pale. His already cold complexion now appeared almost translucent under the room's light.
Xue Yunxue stopped walking.
She turned back.
"Are you feeling unwell?" she asked softly.
For a brief moment, Lu Xiao's crimson eyes trembled.
That gaze was too gentle… too deep… as if he wanted to say something but forced the words back down his throat.
He then forced a faint smile.
"No… I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well."
Lin Yuan, standing near the window, let out a quiet sigh, his expression difficult to read.
Xue Yunxue continued staring at Lu Xiao a few seconds longer than usual. For some reason, an uneasy feeling made her reluctant to leave.
But in the end, she shook her head lightly.
"Then get some rest. I'll cook ginseng soup for you later," she said gently. "Last time I managed to grow some wild ginseng. Its effects are very good."
Lu Xiao's eyes softened slightly.
"Thank you."
His voice was low, almost a whisper.
Xue Yunxue smiled faintly before finally disappearing behind the door together with Xiang Shuai.
The door closed.
Click.
After confirming that the two had truly left, Lin Yuan finally spoke. His tone was full of sarcasm, yet his eyes could not hide his concern.
"I think you're incredibly stupid."
Lu Xiao's face turned even paler. He clutched his chest tightly, his body bending slightly as if something were tearing him apart from within.
"Hng—!"
A mouthful of thick black blood spilled from his lips onto the polished marble floor.
A chilling aura instantly spread throughout the room.
"You should have told Yunxue the truth," Lin Yuan said flatly.
Lu Xiao fell silent for a moment before wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.
"No… I don't want to frighten her."
His answer was quiet, yet firm.
Lin Yuan frowned.
"You'll die if this continues. Next month is the phase of the Red Moon. You need that girl's heart-core essence!"
His voice rose—something rare for a man usually as calm as the deep sea.
After all, they were cousins. Watching Lu Xiao suffer like this made his chest feel unbearably heavy.
"If you don't absorb her heart-blood essence, the Gu poison inside you will never disappear," he continued. "You'll only keep rotting away slowly."
Silence returned to the room.
Of course, Lu Xiao knew all of this.
The Gu poison had lived inside his body for nearly two years.
At first, he had been able to suppress it—sealing the poison within one part of his body using his vampire blood energy. But the poison continued to grow, slowly transforming into something like a living cancer that devoured the core of his soul.
Little by little each day.
Every night more painful than the last.
And as the Red Moon phase approached… the poison became increasingly violent, threatening to turn him into a blood-crazed vampire.
He needed the blood of a pure maiden to suppress it.
During the previous Red Moon phase, he had once drunk Xue Yunxue's blood.
Only a little.
Yet the effect… had been astonishing.
The moment that blood entered his body, warm green energy spread instantly, wrapping around the Gu poison like chains of life, preventing it from spreading further.
For the first time in two years—
the pain disappeared.
That was also when he realized something both miraculous and terrifying.
Xue Yunxue's blood… was different.
It possessed healing and purifying properties.
And one thing was certain—her blood was completely unlike Hu Shui's. He had once accidentally caught the scent of Hu Shui's blood; even merely smelling it felt thick and nauseating.
But Xue Yunxue's blood carried a uniquely sweet fragrance. When he drank it, it tasted like intoxicating red wine. It contained pure plant-element energy that, according to legend, could purify even ancient poisons thought impossible to cure.
That night, he had nearly lost control.
His vampire instincts screamed, urging him to drain her completely.
But he stopped—with immense difficulty.
Because if he had continued…
Xue Yunxue would have died.
For the past two years, he had studied ancient manuscripts, searching for a way to cure the Gu poison without killing others.
The recorded methods were cruel.
He would need the heart-core essence of many pure maidens to neutralize the poison.
Dozens of lives. Perhaps more.
And each extraction carried an extremely high chance of death.
That was not healing.
It was slaughter.
But after experiencing Xue Yunxue's blood essence…
he realized something.
He did not need many sacrifices.
One person alone would be enough.
One heart-blood core.
And that… belonged to Xue Yunxue.
Lu Xiao's hand slowly clenched into a fist.
His dim crimson eyes were filled with deep conflict.
Xue Yunxue's blood was his only chance to survive.
He closed his eyes.
Her face appeared in his mind—the face he had longed for and dreamed of almost every night. The face that made him fall in love again, the face he once believed he would never see again in his lifetime. The face that gave him a reason to keep living.
His chest hurt even more.
But this time, not because of the Gu poison.
"Taking Yunxue's heart-blood… is something I will never do."
Lin Yuan fell silent.
Lu Xiao slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze was calm.
And precisely because of that… it felt even more desperate.
"I would rather die," he said softly, "than live by sacrificing her."
Outside the window, the capital's daylight shone brilliantly.
Lin Yuan clicked his tongue, clearly losing patience. With a swift motion, he tossed a small crimson bottle toward Lu Xiao.
The bottle spun through the air before Lu Xiao caught it with one hand, though his fingers trembled slightly from the lingering pain.
"Drink this," Lin Yuan said coldly. "It's not the heart-blood of a beastman, but it's the blood of an ice whale that lived for hundreds of years. It won't be as effective as a pure maiden's blood… but you're still half-merfolk. At least it'll suppress the pain longer."
His tone sounded indifferent, yet his eyes betrayed faint concern.
It was a blood essence he had obtained with great difficulty from his father—something not easily granted even to members of their own clan.
Lu Xiao stared at the bottle briefly. The pale red liquid inside shimmered faintly, emitting a cold energy like a tranquil yet deadly frozen ocean.
He uncorked it and drank without hesitation.
Cold energy spread instantly from his throat, flowing into his chest and slowly suppressing the agony that had felt like thousands of needles piercing his soul core. His unstable breathing gradually calmed.
For the first time since earlier, the tension in his shoulders eased.
"…Thank you," Lu Xiao said quietly.
Lin Yuan snorted and turned his face away as if he did not care.
"Don't misunderstand," he said flatly. "I just don't want to see my cousin die before he repays all his debts."
Yet despite his sharp words, he remained standing there, silently watching as color slowly returned to Lu Xiao's face.
Xue Yunxue and Xiang Shuai stepped into the largest shopping district in the imperial capital—a magnificent place that sold only high-class goods meant for nobles and the elite.
The polished marble floor reflected the glow of crystal chandeliers hanging from the lofty ceiling. The air was filled with the fragrance of expensive perfume. Everyone present looked graceful and flawless…
everyone except her.
The gazes of the shop attendants immediately fell upon Xue Yunxue.
From her hair, to her clothes, to the simple shoes she wore.
Soft whispers soon followed.
"Did she get lost and wander in here?"
"She looks like she came from the countryside…"
But the murmurs abruptly stopped the moment they noticed the man standing beside her.
Long silver hair shimmered like moonlight. Cold golden eyes sharp as blades. A face so handsome it seemed unreal, as though carved from the finest jade.
The youngest prince of the Shelua Kingdom—Xiang Shuai.
Several young women unconsciously held their breath.
"Shouldn't he have already returned to his country?"
"The royal family must have invited him… he was once married to a princess."
"My heavens… is he still single?"
Their attention soon shifted toward Xue Yunxue.
"Who is that girl beside him?"
"She's pretty… but her clothes look so outdated. Did she just arrive from some village?"
"Maybe she's his attendant."
"No… I think she's a slave he recently bought."
Xue Yunxue's ears burned hot. She pretended not to hear, yet her steps slowed unconsciously.
In contrast, Xiang Shuai continued walking calmly.
His expression remained indifferent—cold and proud like a true noble long accustomed to being the center of attention.
Strange.
Usually this snake prince was talkative and loved teasing her, yet now he remained completely silent.
Xue Yunxue gradually fell several steps behind.
Xiang Shuai glanced sideways… then suddenly reached out and took her hand without warning.
Warm.
His long fingers intertwined naturally with hers, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
Xue Yunxue's face instantly flushed red.
This snake usually even kept his distance from her—so why was he holding her hand in public now?!
They entered a luxurious boutique filled with dazzling elegant gowns. Silk fabrics, delicate crystals, and golden embroidery shimmered throughout the room.
Xue Yunxue froze immediately.
She had absolutely no understanding of fashion in this world.
Everything looked too beautiful…
and far too expensive.
Her gaze landed on a relatively simple dress displayed on a mannequin. Its design was elegant yet not overly extravagant—exactly the kind she preferred.
She glanced at the price tag.
And nearly stopped breathing.
Ten million chakra coins.
That wasn't even the finest dress in the store.
Her hand unconsciously gripped the hem of her own clothes. Her savings amounted to just over three million coins… not even enough for a single piece.
Xiang Shuai noticed her standing there motionless.
"Why aren't you choosing anything?" he asked.
Xue Yunxue stepped closer and whispered softly near his ear.
"Can we buy something somewhere else…?"
Xiang Shuai frowned.
"Why? The collection here is the most complete in the entire kingdom. If you are attending a royal event, you must wear a gown from this place."
His tone sounded as though it were an unquestionable fact.
Xue Yunxue's eyes almost watered.
"I… don't have enough money," she whispered quietly. "Let's just find another place."
Xiang Shuai fell silent.
His brows slowly lifted.
This girl… was worried about money?
His golden gaze swept across the entire boutique before returning to Yunxue, who looked as though she wanted to disappear from the spot.
A moment later, he turned toward the shop attendant.
His voice was calm, yet firm—leaving no room for refusal.
"Wrap up every gown displayed in this boutique."
The entire store fell into dead silence.
Xue Yunxue stared at him, eyes wide like ping-pong balls.
"…What?!"