Chương 32: Within Lust, there is regret (Part II)

Wang Chen managed to hold his temper thanks to the peaceful previous week spent alone with Bai Xiaomeng, and because fear and instinctive submission rooted him in place. Lucian had grown too strong, and his instincts advised him to take the loss without a whimper. Meanwhile, Lucian turned his gaze back to Bai Xiaomeng and extended his hand, saying,"Come." Bai Xiaomeng took a deep breath and dropped to both knees, bowing until her forehead touched the ground.

"This lowly woman asks for forgiveness," she said, stammering.

"I have served the Bai Clan since I was born, and I will serve Young Master Wang even after death. I can not thread a path where he is not welcomed." For a few seconds, there was only silence.

"What a pity," Lucian said with a faint smile.

"You are telling me that unless I take this one under my wing, you will not come." Bai Xiaomeng trembled, still kowtowing.

"He can be useful, but I'll not take him as a servant only because you told me so." Wang Chen clenched his teeth, but he could not say anything, as Bai Xiaomeng struck her head against the wooden floor. He hastily lowered himself down in concern.

"Little Meng—""Grand Cultivator!" Bai Xiaomeng interrupted, raising her voice.

"I beg you to at least allow us to follow you. We will do our best not to bring disgrace upon your name."

"You don't know my name," Lucian said, smiling with his eyes.

"You fail to recognize the weight behind your words." Bai Xiaomeng kept her head lowered, both hands pressed to the floor, muttering,"It would be our honor to know!" Wang Chen watched her with a bitter feeling, yet remained silent. Inwardly, he wanted to pull her up, but at the same time knew he had no right to do so. After all, whatever Bai Xiaomeng did, it was for both of them. He was brought back from his thoughts as Lucian's voice cut through the air, "For now, you two can stay close."

Bai Xiaomeng lifted her head, her expression brightening as she said,"This lowly servant of the Bai Clan, Bai Xiaomeng, is honored to serve." Nodding, Lucian motioned for her to stand and give a command.

"Now, let us meet the Village Head." He walked past Wang Chen, who had moved to help Bai Xiaomeng up. Then, Lucian opened the door leading to the back room. As soon as he did so, a strong herbal scent reached his nose, mixed with the familiar metallic tang of blood. On the floor, lying on a mattress, was Xu Hua, his body wrapped in bandages and covered in a green paste.

Lucian approached the groaning man and examined him, pressing along his body from the lower abdomen to the chest, neck, shoulders, head, arms, and toes. Despite having sharp nails, Lucian's touch was soft and didn't cause more pain. Bai Xiaomeng and Wang Chen remained by the doorway, each lost in their own thoughts, observing the weird movements. In their view, Lucian seemed like a doctor checking up on a patient through weird methods. If Xu Hua were a woman, they both would have strange thoughts by now.

After finishing his inspection, Lucian rubbed his temples. Broken bones are the least of his concerns, he thought. For him to remain alive this long with internal bleeding and ruptured organs is a blessing, to say the least. Is this happening because of Qi? The more he learned about Qi, the more fascinated he became. He claimed to be a cripple, and the absence of Qi in his blood confirms he's not a cultivator, Lucian reasoned inwardly. So whatever cultivation did to his body made it resilient enough to survive...

Me. Which means that if he could use Qi, he could have endured longer. Oh, maybe he could have killed me. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Lucian's eyes gleamed with curiosity, dismissing the scenario of his death with apathy. Human Sage, did you improve my Blood Essence? Did you make it something humanity can use to kill vampires? Is that what Qi truly is? A faint smile appeared on his lips as he sat beside Xu Hua and said,"Open your eyes."

Only faint groans answered him.

"How regretful," Lucian said, shaking his head.

"Hurting you was not my intention, nor was making you endure such pain. I hope you can listen to me and open your eyes." Bai Xiaomeng gasped behind him, and Wang Chen instinctively moved, placing his arm in front of her, pulling her back. Apparently, neither of them had previously realized Lucian was responsible for Xu Hua's condition. Still, they did not leave. The previous encounters had tempered their minds, and while shock lingered, neither entertained the thought of fleeing anymore.

One week was enough time for them to make peace with their decision and choose to stay with Lucian. Listening to their movements, Lucian glanced at them. The previous bloodbag and the dog had grown, he thought with faint amusement. T he ability of mortals to adapt is both their greatest strength and their most dangerous trait. Turning back to Xu Hua, he carefully removed one of the bandages from the man's chest, revealing a deep purple bruise.

"It has healed well," Lucian said, looking toward Bai Xiaomeng.

"You did a good job. It would be better if you had forced him to eat." Bai Xiaomeng forced a small smile.

"We tried, but he vomited every time. Young Master Wang attempted to force broth down his throat, but the Village Head convulsed and nearly died," she said with a sigh.

"We couldn't bring ourselves to force him again." She hesitated, biting her lip, as if weighing whether to continue. Lucian noticed this and waited, glancing at her to encourage her to finish what she wanted to say.

"I should not say this," she said, bringing her hands to her heart and lowering her gaze.

"But I believe the Village Head wishes to die." Her eyes grew moist, and her expression dimmed. It was as if the sentence had brought great pain to her heart.

"I see," Lucian replied calmly, turning back to Xu Hua.

"Both of you, leave the house." Wang Chen opened his mouth to protest, but Bai Xiaomeng silenced him and pulled him away. She knew he was concerned about what Lucian would do to the innocent Village Head, but she chose to believe everything would be okay. When they were gone, Lucian remained seated, watching Xu Hua in silence for a moment.

"Believe me," he said at last, exhaling slowly.

"I would rather kill you than do what I am about to do. It is a disgraceful act. One I swore never to repeat unless necessary. This weakness of mine, however, is beyond my control. I lack too much knowledge. This is the price I must pay." He opened his mouth, his fangs extending.

"Village Head, I know you can hear me amidst the darkness," he continued.

"If you can wake now, we may both avoid this. Whatever pain you are feeling, it's nothing compared to what you are about to see." Xu Hua answered only with a faint groan. Lucian closed his eyes briefly, then drove his fangs into the man's chest, piercing through to the heart. A thin stream of blood flowed into his mouth, and it was immediately refined into Blood Essence.

Next, biting his own tongue without taking his mouth off Xu Hua's chest, he let a drop of his blood fall into the wound, guiding it into Xu Hua's body. While he drained the man's blood, he also controlled his own blood through Blood Essence to stabilize Xu Hua's condition. Of course, saving Xu Hua wasn't his purpose. Lucian stimulated Xu Hua's marrow, forcing the body to produce blood. The new blood was converted into Blood Essence, which was mostly spent to produce more blood.

This cycle continued until the amount of Blood Essence was enough for Lucian to form a rune in his brain. A circle of shifting sigils surged, enclosing the image of four fingers tightening around a neck. Devilish Arts: Boon of Lust – Out of Touch. As the rune flickered to life, Lucian linked it to the Blood Essence flowing through Xu Hua. He didn't have enough Blood Essence to maintain it, and if he stopped the cycle of stimulating Xu Hua's marrow to produce blood, he would not be able to maintain the Rune of Lust.

This peculiar cycle made a special connection between Lucian and Xu Hua, one that went beyond the physical realm. The Rune of Lust shone in crimson light, and the world around Lucian dissolved. In its place, a crimson expanse unfolded, silent and endless, with a still lake in its center. Staring at that lake, seeing his own reflection, stood a young boy with short hair and a frail frame. The boy had Xu Hua's features. Parallel to this, within the depths of Xu Hua's fading consciousness, a crimson world took shape.

Drawn into it, Xu Hua found himself standing before a pool of blood. And within its surface, he saw not his reflection, but a tall man with black hair and pale skin. The man had sharp and inhumanly perfect features, staring back with cold, ancient eyes. Unaware of it, Xu Hua was witnessing one of Lucian's previous faces. After the two gazes saw reflections that were not their own, fragments of memory began to surface, giving life to the crimson world around them.