Nami Mochizuki extended a slender, white index finger, intending to gently touch the cursed thread. However, after reaching out, she ultimately did not touch it. After hesitating for a moment, she slowly withdrew her hand and sighed softly, "I never imagined that your power could dissolve the curse. Ling Yun, what else is there that you don't know? Your ability to break my Blood Sacrifice Technique is not just luck, but entirely due to your strength. Although there was an element of trickery involved, without your strength, how could you have had such a stroke of luck? What seems like luck is actually just an inevitable consequence of increased power."
Ling Yun smiled faintly, "You don't believe me? I remember just telling you that breaking your Blood Sacrifice Demon Technique wasn't because I was lucky, but because you were incredibly unlucky. Besides, the curse itself isn't anything special. You think it's mysterious just because you don't understand it. Do you know why you're so unlucky?" He suddenly changed his tone and asked.
Mochizuki Nami was taken aback. "Why? Am I also under a curse?" As if she had guessed something, her pretty face turned pale.
Ling Yun casually raised his hand, and a soft silver light instantly enveloped half of Mochizuki Nami's body. Mochizuki Nami shrank back, not knowing what he was going to do, but after seeing Ling Yun's signaling look, her body only trembled slightly before freezing still.
The silver light slowly faded, and Mochizuki Nami looked at her rounded shoulder in surprise. A gray trail, as if it were moving with its own consciousness, had slowly climbed up half of her body and was spreading towards her neck and body at a visible speed.
Chapter 258 Duke William
Xia Lan looked like a child who had done something wrong. Her rosy lips pouted high, and her beautiful face showed a wronged expression. Her bright eyes were covered with a layer of misty water, and she looked pitiful as if she was about to cry. Even the hardest-hearted person would feel their heart soften when they saw her and want to hold her in their arms and comfort her with gentle words.
Francis extended his middle finger, his two-centimeter-long, bright red, sharp nail pressed against Xia Lan's snow-white throat. With just a light stroke, this stunningly beautiful girl would instantly perish, and a trickle of crimson blood would even flow from her jade-like skin as his sharp fingertip grazed her.
Xia Lan remained motionless, gazing at him with a mixture of grievance and deep affection, looking exactly like an elf who was willing to sacrifice her life for her master but was misunderstood in return. At this moment, she didn't need to speak; simply displaying the pitiful expression of a little girl loyally protecting her master was enough to move anyone, including this young vampire who clearly hadn't experienced the ways of the world.
Often, killing doesn't necessarily require strength alone. Xia Lan has always been adept at utilizing external circumstances and her own conditions. As long as she can achieve her goal, she is successful regardless of the process. Besides, in terms of strength alone, Francis might not be her match. However, her initial display of weakness and charming appearance completely made Francis forget how terrifying she was.
Francis's fingertips trembled incessantly, and his face rapidly displayed countless subtle and complex expressions. Perhaps he had never been so indecisive in his life. From the perspective of the vampires, no matter how tempting this vassal was, no matter how much he loved Xia Lan, he had to kill her unconditionally, just as a human would not offend an existence of equal status for the sake of a pet dog.
But... how could he bring himself to do it to Xia Lan, with her pure and captivating face and those crystal-clear eyes? This decision was truly incredibly difficult.
Two long sighs rang out simultaneously, one from Francis and the other from Xiaorou. Francis finally slowly lowered his fingers. After a fierce struggle between greed and revenge, greed ultimately prevailed. He was truly reluctant to kill Xia Lan, after all, he hadn't yet enjoyed this exquisite beauty. He had made up his mind that as soon as he was tired of Xia Lan, he would kill her to avenge Demville. Of course, the premise was that Xia Lan had to be hidden away, and no one could know that she had killed Demville. Otherwise, even if he had a thousand lives, Francis wouldn't dare to bring Xia Lan back to Europe.
Xiao Rou's sigh was for Francis, a foolish vampire who had never seen the world. From the moment he lowered his hand, he had already decided on his path of no return. If we simply compare resisting the temptation of women, Francis was not even as good as the lowest-ranking berserker.
“I know you are loyal to me,” Francis said, looking at Xia Lan. “However, you shouldn’t have killed Demville. As a human being, you should only obey and follow orders, not commit such an insubordinate act.”
Xia Lan burst into tears and rushed over, burying her face in Francis's arms. "Great Francis, I know I was wrong. If you want to punish me, I will accept it willingly, however you wish. Do whatever you want with me."
Francis, somewhat flattered, gently wrapped his arms around her slender waist, feeling her body tremble slightly with fear. The fragrant scent of the young girl filled his nostrils, and his anger vanished instantly. He felt an irresistible itch in his heart, thinking, "What did this girl just say? 'At my mercy'? Haha, very well, very well. I'm afraid you haven't yet witnessed the methods I, Count Francis, use on human girls. I'll make you cry and beg for my mercy."
Francis's mind was already filled with the image of the girl's naked, snow-white body writhing in his hands. A hot, sweet scent emanated from the beautiful woman in his arms, carrying a slightly intoxicating aroma, fueling a wanton and ambiguous atmosphere in the basement. Francis was even floating on air, hallucinating as if a large bed had suddenly appeared in the dark, damp basement bar, big enough for him and the girl to make love...
His lower body couldn't help but become erect. A feeling of excitement, similar to smoking marijuana, quickly rose from his central nervous system, numbing countless sensitive nerves along the way. In the blink of an eye, it reached the peak of human pleasure in his brain, a kind of intoxicating numbing sensation. The vampire's special constitution also brought his sensitivity to its peak. Francis was even experiencing such a pleasant and profound feeling for the first time...
No, something was wrong. The young count's still somewhat shallow mind suddenly felt that something was amiss. After his brain worked dryly for dozens of minutes, he finally realized where the problem lay. He hadn't even taken the girl to bed to enjoy her properly yet, so how could he be experiencing pleasure as if he had an orgasm in the dark and damp basement?
Xia Lan's body suddenly turned icy cold, as if a chill from an extremely frigid place was emanating from her. In the blink of an eye, the cold sensation had rapidly spread from Xia Lan to Francis's body. Vampires are not afraid of normal low or high temperatures, but clearly, this low temperature had exceeded Francis's tolerance limit. A few extremely faint pains suddenly came from his chest, as if the icy cold had penetrated through the vampire's pale skin and entered his body.
Even though Francis was reluctant to part with the beautiful woman in his arms, he had to push Xia Lan away temporarily: "Baby, get up for a moment, I need to check, it seems like something is wrong."
"Oh? What could possibly go wrong?" Xia Lan's voice suddenly changed, no longer as soft and obedient as a lamb, but instead a voice with the same icy tone. "Great Francis, I've heard that vampires are immortal, and there's no way to kill them except by cutting off their heads or piercing their hearts. Is that true?"
Francis's expression changed drastically. He suddenly shoved Xia Lan away, and ten long fingertips suddenly emerged like steel blades, deeply piercing the girl's soft, rounded shoulders. He had just noticed the danger this girl was in, but it was too late. A thin layer of spiritual energy suddenly emerged from Xia Lan's body. Although it was only a thin layer, it firmly resisted the vampire's venomous claws.
Xia Lan's lithe body suddenly seemed to be pulled by some invisible force, and she floated backward. A silver spiritual energy field stretched between her graceful body and the young count, and one of its infinitely thin and sharp ends was deeply embedded in Francis's left chest, in the area of his heart. A small section of the silver blade had already pierced through the count's heart from his back.
"No! This is impossible!" Francis staggered back several steps, his face pale, and roared in disbelief. His bloodshot eyes were almost bulging as he stared at Xia Lan, saying each word slowly and deliberately, "You bitch, you actually lied to me? You even dare to lay a hand on me and kill me? I'll tear you to pieces."
Xia Lan showed no anger, but suddenly pulled with all her might, snatching the light blade from Francis's heart. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into tiny silver streaks in her slender hand. Francis was involuntarily spun around by her power, his heart clenching violently. Blood, which vampires considered vital energy, gushed out like arrows, hissing as it struck the black ceiling of the underground bar, instantly staining it crimson.
“Francis, I could have given you a quick death, just like your equally filthy brother, Demville. You vampires should have been despicable creatures destined for hell long ago. Since you've been so foul-mouthed, I'll show you what I'm capable of. Aren't you vampires creatures who live on blood? I won't let you die right away. I'll drain your blood bit by bit, turning you into a dried-up corpse that won't decay even after a thousand years, forever nailed to the pillar of human shame.” Xia Lan spoke calmly, but her chest heaved slightly. She was truly enraged. Whether it was Francis or Demville's arbitrary and cruel attitude towards humans, or the "bitch" he cursed, it all made Xia Lan determined to torture Francis severely.
Francis's deathly pale face suddenly flushed a frightening red. Because vampires lack capillaries, their skin is often unnaturally pale, but Francis's appearance was clearly a sign that his blood was rushing to the surface of his body. In the short time it took them to speak, the blood gushing from his chest showed no sign of stopping; in fact, the column of blood grew thicker. Within seconds, Francis had lost a third of his blood.
Life force was rapidly draining from his veins; his once youthful and elastic skin was visibly drying out and aging at an alarming rate due to the lack of moisture and vitality. Fine wrinkles were beginning to appear on Francis's face, and as his blood flowed away, the number of wrinkles continued to increase. His hair was also gradually becoming dull and lifeless, with several strands of silver hair spreading across his fiery red hair as if dyed.
Francis could no longer deal with Xia Lan. His mental energy field had been dissipated after his heart was pierced, and his consciousness was fading. Xia Lan had used some kind of strange technique to make him see such a terrifying appearance before he died. There were even pieces of muscle tissue that had decayed due to old age starting to fall off his body, driving Francis almost to madness. He was shouting incoherently, "Uncle Banier, Uncle Gaia, save me! I'm going to die."
Banir and Gaia, who were currently dominating the game, were completely unaware of Francis and Demville's unusual behavior. Their balanced strength meant they had neither the time nor the ability to pay attention to their nephews and nieces. Moreover, in their view, apart from the two high-level berserkers, Francis and Demville could easily deal with a weak human girl. Even if there was another human girl hiding in the corner, judging from her aura, she should be far weaker than Francis and could not pose any threat to them.
If Francis and Demville had been a little faster, they could have taken the Heavenly Eye from Xia Lan and then dealt with the two high-level berserkers, making their trip to Hong Kong a complete success.
Finally, Francis's screams reached the ears of Banir and Gaia. The two marquises, who were wreaking havoc on the high berserker who was struggling to resist, finally glanced at Francis. When they saw Francis lying on the ground, already dead and about to die from exhaustion, the two marquises were both shocked.
How is this possible! Two counts can't even defeat a girl with superpowers? Although I've never fought Xia Lan, I can tell from my senses that Xia Lan is at most on par with Francis and the other two. Adding an even weaker girl to the mix, she shouldn't be a match for two young vampires. How is this possible?
Banir and Gaia were immediately anxious. Francis and Demville were the Duke's biological son and another Duke's nephew, respectively. Even if the vampires only valued strength and direct lineage, if these two precious darlings died on their first mission, they would find it difficult to escape responsibility for dereliction of duty and would be severely punished upon their return.
And what about that girl? How did she suddenly disappear again? Could it be that she didn't do it, but rather that a new enemy came and severely injured Francis and Demville?
In their haste, the two marquises failed to notice Xia Lan, who had once again hidden in a corner and concealed her presence. Clearly, their objective had been achieved, and staying near Francis would easily attract the attention of higher-level vampires, so it was best to hide for the time being.
Xiao Rou silently grasped Xia Lan's hand, conveying a sense of gratitude through spiritual communication. From beginning to end, it was Xia Lan who had stood up against the powerful enemy, and she had done almost everything she could. Xiao Rou herself could never have achieved that. Xiao Rou's heart was immediately filled with admiration for Xia Lan. Xia Lan's gentle spiritual aura immediately followed, expressing an even more friendly spiritual communication. Both beautiful girls concealed their auras and used invisibility spells. Although this wouldn't completely hide them from Baniel and the others, it still provided some concealment in an emergency.
After several attacks temporarily forced back the two berserkers, Banir and Gaia rushed to Francis's side, but it was too late. The young count paid the heaviest price for his lust. The two vampires were only supporting a shriveled corpse that had just closed its eyes. The blood gushing from the heart finally stopped, not because the self-healing ability worked, but because all the blood had been drained.
Banir and Gaia were shocked and looked at each other in inexplicable fear. Panic began to spread like a plague, quickly overshadowing the joy of about to kill the high-ranking berserker. Francis and Demville were both dead, which meant that the disaster for the two marquises had just begun.
Before Banir and Gaia could come up with a solution, the isolation barrier of the underground bar suddenly lit up, and an incredibly powerful dark force burst forth from the exit that had almost been torn apart by the newcomers.
A furious, cold voice roared, the powerful notes sending shivers down everyone's spines: "Who? Who killed my and Ulysses' child? I'll tear him to pieces!"
Chapter 259 The Hidden Third Force
Startled, Mochizuki Nami immediately unleashed her mental energy field, attempting to repel the gray trail from her. She was naturally clean, and even a speck of dust made her uncomfortable, let alone the gray trail that symbolized curse and misfortune. She desperately wanted to get as far away as possible; even the sight of it made her uneasy.
But a strange thing happened. The gray trajectory seemed to be a phantom that did not exist. After merging with the mental field for a moment, the mental field actually spread outward through the gray trajectory, while the gray trajectory still stubbornly clung to her shoulder, only spreading at a slightly slower speed.
"Oh my god, what is this? Why can't I banish it?" Mochizuki Nami's heart pounded in fright. Forgetting all about her dignity as a female ninja and her desire to forget Ling Yun, she cried out anxiously, "Quick, Ling Yun, save me!" She didn't use any seductive charm, but both her natural allure and the cute, slightly coquettish behavior she displayed in her desperation made Ling Yun's heart skip a beat. From any perspective, Mochizuki Nami was a natural beauty. Her beauty, sexiness, fiery charm, and alluring gestures were irresistible.
"Don't move, and don't try to deflect it directly with a mental energy field," Ling Yun said softly as he walked over. He extended his index finger, and a silvery ray of mental energy silently shot out from the tip. "Curses have a dependent nature. If you forcibly pull it away, it might stick to your mental energy field instead, making it even harder to expel. To deal with it, you must first understand the characteristics of witchcraft, and then use your mental energy field to expel it accordingly."
As he spoke, the silver light at his fingertips suddenly shone brightly, then transformed into a faint, almost imperceptible layer of silver flame. With a sudden sound, it landed on Mochizuki Nami's body, which was covered in half of the trails, as if a burning match had been dropped into a pot of oil. The silver flame instantly formed a sea of fire attached to the gray trails and began to burn fiercely.
From a distance, Mochizuki Nami appeared as if half her body was ablaze, but she felt neither the intense heat nor the flames darting forward to engulf her young and alluring body. Even her clothes, covered in gray trails, remained untouched by the flames; instead, the stubborn and relentlessly eroding cursed power was gradually consumed. With each reduction in the gray trails, the silver flames diminished accordingly.