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The group from London left immediately to avoid being drawn into the murder case and wasting time.

They met up with the Hacks at the hotel where they were staying in Goratz, their hearts heavy.

All the evidence, including Mina's continued communications while under hypnosis and the information gathered in Goraz, points to the same conclusion: their enemy is still on the riverboat, continuing his journey; however, it remains unclear which route he is taking.

While the men had to rest for half an hour, Mina examined the different paths of the local rivers on the map and determined that the possible routes were either the Pru River or the Selez River.

She quickly submitted a report, both in writing and orally: "The Seretzhi River meets the Beatrice River in Fandø, and can be reached upstream to Bogo Bay. If traveling by water, this route is obviously the closest to Dracula's Castle."

At the next strategic meeting, their final-stage pursuit plan was quickly formulated and put into action immediately.

The next day, after dark, by the light shining through the boiler door of the rented steamboat, Huck added another paragraph to his notebook. According to the plan, he and Arthur headed up the Seretia River and, as Mina had suggested, searched for the mouth of the Beatrice River.

Harker wrote: “We were not afraid of speeding upstream in the dark; the river was deep, so we were not afraid of hitting the bottom, and the river was wide, so the steamboat could move freely even at night.”

"Lord Goethe"—Harker, who was just a solicitor not long ago, still felt very uncomfortable with the informal way of addressing people of higher social class than himself—"Tell me to get some sleep, because one person can keep watch. But I can't sleep—how can I sleep when my beloved is in terrible danger and going to that horrible place... My only consolation is that we are all in God's hands."

His account continued: October 31st, still moving swiftly. Daylight broke, and Lord Goethe went to sleep. The morning was bitterly cold; so far we had only passed a few ships, but none of them carried a chest as large as the one we were looking for. Each time we shone our electric lights on the boatmen, they were terrified and knelt down to pray.

November 1st passed without any news. We haven't found what we're looking for. We've now entered the Bitrez River. If we've misjudged the enemy's plans, our chances of catching up with him by water are gone.

We've encountered every ship, big and small. This morning, a crew member mistook us for a government vessel and treated us accordingly. Finding this to be a great convenience, we bought a Romanian flag in Fand, where the Bitrez and Serez rivers meet. Now we sail under this flag, and since then, we've earned respect from all sides; nothing we ask or do has been refused. Some Slovaks told us that a large ship passed them, more than twice as fast as ordinary vessels…

Although (I will never forget the details of this damned place) the river flows directly beneath the castle, at that point it must be too turbulent, and so it is for miles downstream, making it impossible for any boat to dock. The Earl must travel overland for the last few miles; therefore I still hope that we can meet up with Mr. Morley and Dr. Seaworth as planned, and that they will bring the necessary extra horses.

The first few days of November brought snow and bitter cold to the Carpathian foothills. On the seventh day of the month, a wagon carrying a wooden crate the size of a coffin, escorted by Gypsies, sped along the mountain road, now only miles from Dracula's castle. Inside the crate lay a man's body on a pile of dirt. Dressed in a magnificent robe, as if for some important ceremony, Dracula lay almost asleep in the sunlight, motionless, perhaps also due to recent starvation. His long hair had turned white, and his wrinkled face and hands were almost the same color.

At the same time, on a road near the Bogo Pass, Hausin was driving another carriage with only Mina as a passenger. When they left Goraz, two horses would have been enough; but later, after changing horses at an inn and rest stop, they were much faster, as Mina described, “with the power of four horses.”

The professor wore a fur coat to ward off the cold wind. He was exhausted and struggled to stay awake, holding the reins.

Mina sat beside the professor, leaning against him, continuing her new habit of sleeping during the day. She was also wearing a fur coat and had a thick blanket over her knees.

Suddenly, without any apparent reason, Mina woke up. She was lively and full of almost childlike excitement.

The professor did not comment on the fact that she had suddenly become sober, but a moment later he saw what he suspected must have been the reason that had brought Mina to her senses: a towering rock building—presumably Dracula's castle—stood on the high cliff in front of him.

Mina looked around in every direction and whispered excitedly, "I know this place."

An ancient cross by the roadside overlooks the bend in the road. The human figure on the cross is weathered and worn by time and the elements, making the blasphemous wolf's head difficult to discern.

In fact, even Hausin hadn't noticed the strange statue.

He commented, “The end of the world.” Here, especially in that towering area before him, it was indeed gloomy, desolate, and cold.

“We must keep going!” Mina urged him. She was still in high spirits.

The professor was troubled by this agitated reaction and scrutinized the young woman before him.

After a while, he shook his head and said, “It’s getting late, child. I’d better start a fire and we can rest here.”

"No, I must go! Please, let me go!" Mina's determination seemed to require brute force to stop her.

The old professor, unwilling to use any brute force, continued on with great difficulty. Finally, he reined in his horse in a small clearing about two hundred yards below the castle. Now that they had come so close, Mina was willing to rest and wait. Her guards, seeing that night was falling, quickly set up camp there. There was plenty of dry wood, and he quickly started a roaring fire. Around the campfire, Hausin sprinkled holy bread and holy water on the ground covered with a thin layer of snow.

Then, though exhausted, Hausin was glad to have the opportunity to continue moving in the cold and prepared some food. Fortunately, they were able to buy fresh food in several places along the way.

At this moment, Mina seemed even more lucid, clearly emboldened by the darkness. She crouched on the ground, gazing at Hausin with an expectant expression; Hausin disliked her posture, finding it neither ladylike nor entirely wicked. The marks left on her face by long suffering and the hardships of her journey seemed to have vanished without a trace.

After the pot of leftover meat broth from the day before yesterday, which had been simmering by the fire, was heated up, Haoxin scooped some into a bowl and served it to Mina.

"Child, you must eat something."

Why did you start calling me 'child'?

He did not answer.

She approached the bowl in Haoxin's hand, but then put it down by the fire, which aroused his concern.

She said in a clear yet distant voice, "I'm not hungry."

The old professor was displeased by her reaction, but not at all surprised. He silently returned to his spot on the other side of the campfire—walking carefully within the circle he had drawn with holy water and bread. He sat on a log, warmer than in the snow, eating the soup he had cooked himself, and watching Mina uneasily.

At that moment, from somewhere not far outside the circle of firelight, came a chilling sound; it was as if someone were tracing cold fingers across his back. What he heard was a woman's soft, silky laughter, so sweet it was almost unbearable…

The old professor looked around fearfully. Mina's expression chilled him even more. She seemed cheerful, showing no fear whatsoever. When her gaze passed over Hausin's shoulder and landed on something—or someone—her eyes were filled with interest: she could clearly see everything in the darkness of the snowy night.

Right behind his shoulder, in the snow, in the darkness, the laughter of the three women ceased. They began to speak, in a language that Hausin hadn't heard in years, yet which he could understand.

“You, sister by the fire—you enjoy him first—but leave some for us—”

He's old, but very strong. We should kiss him too—

"—We can all have a good meal before our master arrives—"

The professor was certain that while Mina normally didn't understand the ancient language, in her current state she must have understood what these women—the vampires who called her sisters—were saying to her. However, she seemed to ignore them, as if she couldn't hear them at all, or worse—pretending not to.

Mina looked directly at Haoxin with a gaze that was both pleased and pitying.

He wanted to speak, but his mouth was dry, and he couldn't think of anything to say.

At that moment, Mina suddenly jumped—a movement so animalistic that no other words could describe it—and shifted her sitting position. With this movement, her fur coat seemed to unexpectedly open, and her inner blouse also opened, suddenly revealing half of her chest, but Mina seemed completely unaware—or perhaps utterly indifferent.

A smile bloomed on her red lips, a strong indication that she was not indifferent. In the next instant, she stood up abruptly and gracefully walked around the campfire to Haoxin's side.

"What?" He managed to squeeze out those two words with great effort.

“It’s about Lucy.” Mina’s dark eyes were full of laughter.

"She harbors secret desires for you. She told me so. You must have some secret thoughts or hopes yourself... I know what men want."

At first, when Mina touched Haoxin's shoulders, arms, and hair, it was almost maternal; she gently pulled his head into a position where he could lean against her and rest. How he needed rest! But—why hadn't he understood just now that this was bound to happen? —Her bare breasts, with erect nipples, were pressing against his cheek, between his lips…

Perhaps it was only the mocking laughter of the three witches behind him that broke him from the illusion. Haoxin let out a hoarse roar, using all his strength to break free from Mina's embrace. With trembling hands, he rummaged in the inside pocket of his coat, pulled out a tin box, and then took out a piece of holy bread from it.

He could speak now, casting his words into the night sky. "God Jesus, bless this child! Turn her from evil—"

Hausin had intended to press the sacrament to Mina's forehead as a blessing, but the consequences caused him to instinctively recoil. Her skin burned upon contact with the sacrament, as if it were a piece of red-hot iron.

Mina was left with a bloody mark on her forehead and screamed as she backed away.

“I am his!” she cried. A moment later she collapsed to the cold ground, sobbing softly.

Hausin acted instinctively, busying himself with sprinkling more sacraments on the circle he had previously drawn.

After all the Holy Coins were gone, he broke down and whispered to Mina, "I have lost Lucy. I will not lose you."

Dracula's three women, frustrated, hovered outside the circle, screaming at him, "She's no safer than us. She's our sister now!"

The professor straightened his back and cursed them with all his might. "You devil's shrew! You Satan's whore! Leave us, this is holy land!"

Enraged by his method of self-defense, the three vampire witches charged at the horses. The horses neighed and retreated, uttering sounds of pain and terror like humans—but they couldn't escape. Howsing watched helplessly as they were torn to bloody pieces, while the women laughed loudly… They played this game for a long time, tormenting the four horses, while he could only watch helplessly until he fainted.

Chapter Twenty

The professor awoke shortly after sunrise, shivering despite wearing several layers of fur coats. For a long while, he had no idea where he was or what he was doing; then he remembered his nightmarish predicament.

Seeing Mina sleeping warmly and comfortably beside him in her fur coat, still within the protective circle, he felt a sense of relief. The old professor stood up stiffly and slowly, brushing the snow off his clothes. He approached Mina very cautiously, bent down to look at her as she slept, reached out to adjust her headscarf, and brushed the black hair from her forehead.

Yes, just as he feared.

Where he touched with the holy bread last night, the devil's mark was burned out, as red as sin itself.

The professor believed that since she had been tainted by vampire blood, it was impossible for her to cross this sacred circle on her own, just as the three women could not cross it.

He could no longer see or hear the three. They had, as he had predicted, retreated at sunrise. From Haak's account of his experience in the castle, Hausin knew they must have gone somewhere. He also knew what he had to do now—what he was meant to do on this journey.

Last night's crisis, which culminated in the malaria-induced slaughter of horses, ironically strengthened his resolve.

Howsin slowly moved his frozen limbs and rekindled the dying fire. The thought of food made him nauseous, but he knew he needed the strength.

To avoid seeing the gruesome horse carcasses, the old professor went to the wagon and took out bread, dried meat, and a bottle of brandy from his well-stocked supplies.

Mina was still fast asleep, curled up in her warm robe. To the professor, it was a natural sleep—otherwise, well, he couldn't do anything more for her.

After forcing himself to eat something and drink some white wine to refresh himself, Hausin picked up his bag containing all sorts of necessary special tools. Then, with trembling anticipation and suppressing his fear, he began to climb the slope leading to the forbidden area of the castle.

He hadn't climbed far when he looked back once more. Mina would be safe while he was gone; it had to be that way. He had no choice but to leave her there for about an hour or two. Hausin thought the worst-case scenario was that she would be attacked by wolves—real wild wolves. But even that was a matter of luck. Though her body might be in danger, her soul was safe! What he had to contend with was far more terrifying.

An hour later, as dawn broke, Howsin appeared at the desolate castle gates. He was so exhausted that he could barely move. He clutched his blood-stained fur coat tightly, for he carried the horse heads severed by the female vampire. With a hoarse roar, he threw the heads one by one off a nearby cliff, letting them fall into the river far below.

As sunset approached, Hausin had eaten and slept, and his strength had somewhat recovered. Mina was almost awake. Hausin noticed she looked quite normal and breathed a sigh of relief. When she looked at the blood on his coat with confusion, Hausin could only mutter a few words, explaining that it was the blood of several dead horses. She didn't ask any further questions.

Shortly after Mina awoke, the professor offered her some hot tea, and then the two of them, quite tacitly, moved the campfire, which had been burning for a day and a night, to a nearby hilltop, where they could have a clearer view of the nearest road. If their calculations of the route and time were accurate, Dracula and his pursuers would surely follow this path.

Of course, if their calculations are wrong... then one of the people Howin was counting on might already be dead, and the vampire prince might have ultimately triumphed.

Mina had been staring at the road in the distance for what seemed like hours. Then she suddenly announced, "He's here!"

Haoxin squinted and looked in the same direction, but at first he couldn't see anything. He picked up his binoculars and finally saw something that made him shout out.

“They’re racing at sunset—they might be too late—God help us!”

A pack of howling wolves emerged from the twilight forest of the nearby hills. In the distance, through binoculars, a cargo wagon escorted by Gypsies could be clearly seen rapidly approaching. Even more alarming for the professor was the sight of four mounted men hot on the wagon's heels. A minute later, on the hillside where Mina and Howsin waited, Quincy Morley's rebellious howl could be clearly heard.

A faint blast of gunfire followed by a small plume of smoke signaled that Winchester guns had joined the operation.

Mina suddenly remembered something important, or perhaps she heard a call, though Hausin heard nothing. Whatever the reason, she abruptly turned her back to the now clearly visible pursuit and energetically began climbing towards the castle against the dark gray sky.

The professor stared at her and called out, "Miss Mina, wait!"

But she paid no heed. Worried, Hao Xin had no choice but to hurry up and climb after her.

The carriage, which had to take the main road, naturally had to take a longer route than those climbing on foot. However, it was still faster than Mina and Hausin climbing the rugged terrain. The carriage rumbled past a man and a woman who were still climbing. They could both see the carriage ahead, the driver whipping the exhausted horses, and a small group of gypsies escorting them on horseback.

The hunters rode after them on horseback.

When the four pursuing knights finally caught up with the carriage and struggled to bring it to a stop, the carriage was almost at the castle. Three Englishmen and one American fought against Dracula's fanatical guards with guns, sabers, and broadswords.

Huck leaped from the saddle onto the carriage, and the driver immediately whipped him; fortunately, Quincy shot him down.

The carriage sped through the tunnel and into the castle courtyard amidst the remaining guards and pursuers.

Mina and Hausin set off to catch up. Hausin couldn't keep up with her and was too out of breath to call out to her.

The wolves were still howling around them.

As they ran into the courtyard on their knees, they witnessed just as the melee was ending.

Jack Schwartz stabbed a Gypsy with a saber to protect Mina and Hausin.

Quincy also stabbed another Gypsy from behind, killing him.

Arthur fired a shot, ending Quincy's attacker and Dracula's last ally.

Ignoring the ongoing battle around them, Jonathan and Huck focused with a mad, unwavering determination on their own unshakable goal. He had already begun cutting the ropes binding Dracula's crate to the wagon. Suddenly, with an explosion, the crate lid flew open, and the pale-faced, white-haired humanoid figure inside roared and grabbed Huck by the neck. The two men tumbled to the ground in the struggle.