Xia Lan was extremely nervous. She had already made up her mind that if Banir and Gaia implicated her and Xiao Rou, she and Xiao Rou would rather die than let Duke William capture them alive. Just thinking about it made her realize how terrifying the vampire underground castle was. If she were to suffer there, she would rather die quickly.
Banir and Gaia hesitated for a moment, then pointed together at Leonid and Ivanov, who were still transforming, and said, "It's them. They are the murderers who killed Francis and Demville."
It wasn't that the two marquises intended to exonerate Xia Lan and Xiao Rou; it was simply that, given the current circumstances, the two human women were clearly no threat. The high-level berserkers, now transformed, had to be eliminated, so identifying them as enemies was the most appropriate course of action. Moreover, the two vampires weren't stupid. Having already seen the corpses of Francis and Demville, Duke William must have already made up his mind. Berserkers wouldn't use such cruel methods of murder; the killers could only have been the two human women.
If that's the case, why does His Highness the Duke still ask who the murderer is? He must be looking for a reason to attack the berserker. The high and mighty Duke looks down on barbarians like berserkers, and even if he were to attack one, he would consider it an insult and a disgrace. Without a legitimate reason, it would be difficult to find a suitable opportunity to strike.
The two clever subordinates immediately understood and turned their attention to Ivanov and Leonid. In any case, the two human women were very weak, and capturing them alive would be a piece of cake. Since the Duke had already promised not to enter the Dark Punishment Church, everything would be much easier. In fact, once they got the Heavenly Eye, someone might just let the matter drop.
As for Francis… although he was the Duke’s most favored son, he is already dead. And the Duke has dozens of sons; soon someone new will take his place. That’s just how cruel the world is.
William glanced casually at the fully armed Ivanov and Leonid, his eyes suddenly turning cold. "One can use the power of the sun, and the other can borrow the power of the earth. Not bad, they are among the better barbarians. If I hadn't come, Banir and Gaia, you might have been wiped out this time."
Banir and Gaia were taken aback. Gaia said, "Your Excellency Duke William, before you arrived, Banir and I had already cornered the barbarians and were just a hair's breadth away from killing them. How could they have been completely wiped out?"
Duke William sneered, “Fool! Do you think that just because you have the Blood Moon, others don’t have special powers?” His eyes flashed with a sharp, cold light. “My son is dead, so someone must be buried with him so he won’t feel lonely. You two barbarians are filthy, but since you are the leaders of that group of barbarians, you can barely be buried with my son.”
He slowly walked towards the two high-level berserkers, his hands slowly extending, and two dark spheres, each swirling with hurricane energy, appeared above his hands.
The golden sun had transformed into boundless light and heat, from which a massive figure faintly emerged, its eyes blazing with endless light, roaring angrily as it lunged at the vampire who was slowly walking into the sunlight, completely unaware of its presence.
The earth trembled violently, a result of Leonid's slow movement across the ground. The soil churned up like ocean waves, and as it approached the Duke, countless black earthen ropes suddenly wrapped around him, tightly binding William's frail body. Several earthen spikes suddenly materialized from the ground, stabbing fiercely towards the vampire's heart.
William remained expressionless, and with a gentle push of his hands, the two dark spheres slowly flew into the air. Then, with a soft "poof," the dark spheres exploded, and in the blink of an eye, a powerful dark aura swept everything away, destroying all obstacles in Duke William's path as if they were dry leaves.
The sun suddenly shone brightly for a moment, and the earth trembled violently. Then, an endless darkness enveloped everything, and the underground bar suddenly became quiet, as if nothing had ever happened.
A moment later, Duke William slowly emerged from the darkness, like a richly colored watercolor painting. His face was somewhat pale, and his shoulders trembled slightly. "It's been many years since I've used my power. Perhaps I need a little stimulation," he said softly.
The darkness receded like a tide, and the two high-level berserkers fell into a permanent slumber on the ground. Apart from the patterns on their chests turning completely black, they had no other external injuries, but their breathing had stopped, and all their vigorous mental energy fields and judgment power had vanished without a trace.
The two marquises trembled again. From the Duke's dark aura, they clearly sensed the difference in power—an insurmountable gap, like the difference between a river and the sea.
William's drowsy gaze shifted to the corner, and he said indifferently, "Now, it's time to bring the real murderer back. Also, Tianyan, Banier, Gaia, I've already taken care of all the trouble for you, so I don't want any more mistakes. Also, remember to bring back Francis and Demville's bodies."
“Yes, Your Grace.” Banir and Gaia trembled and said respectfully.
Xiao Rou and Xia Lan stared in shock at what they were witnessing. They hadn't expected Duke William to have dealt with two high-level berserkers so quickly. The two girls' hearts sank to the bottom. Victory on either side would be disadvantageous to them. The best solution was for both sides to suffer heavy losses. Before William's arrival, this was possible. However, with the appearance of an unparalleled super-strong individual on the vampire side, the tide of battle immediately turned.
The Berserkers have vanished from this world. Despite being known as the Arctic Bears of Northern Europe, possessing immense strength and berserk abilities, their power was clearly insufficient in battle against truly formidable opponents, making them the first cannon fodder to be wiped out. Of course, in the deepest reaches of the Arctic, legend has it that even more powerful Berserkers exist, possessing innate ice and snow power, capable of unleashing temperatures as low as -200 degrees Celsius. This means that in the deepest reaches of the Arctic, nothing can rival them.
However, this was all irrelevant to the present situation; the two girls had no choice but to make an immediate decision to face the imminent crisis. Two marquises were already slowly approaching them. Although they had used invisibility and concealment techniques, such invisibility was meaningless in the face of a higher-level expert.
Xia Lan was frantically calculating in her mind. She wouldn't just sit and wait to die, but facing two vampire marquises, she clearly had no chance of winning, not to mention the vampire duke standing behind them. Was she really going to perish here today? Xia Lan thought with a sense of despair. A sense of panic welled up inside her.
Xiao Rou suddenly stood up, tearing open the barrier surrounding her to reveal herself. With a swift movement of her slender, snow-white right hand, the silver light of her telekinetic spear flashed once more in her hand. Her calm and indifferent voice rang out again: "Xia Lan, we will fight until we die."
Xia Lan looked at Xiao Rou in astonishment, realizing for the first time that she saw her own shortcomings in front of her, or rather, what she lacked was Xiao Rou's completely calm and unflappable demeanor in the face of adversity. She couldn't help but be attracted by her strength, and after a moment of seriousness, she nodded firmly.
Duke William watched the two young girls with interest, a hint of disdain in his eyes, almost mocking them. In his view, these strange human emotions were often laughable; no matter how passionate and excited they were, without power, they were merely throwing their lives away. However, he still wanted to find a way to capture them alive, partly to avenge his son, and partly to search them for the Heavenly Eye. It seemed these two human women already knew they were outmatched, so they were fighting with a death wish. Ha! That was the ridiculousness of humanity. Didn't they know he had enough power to make them wish they were dead?
"Ignorant humans, do you still think you can die gloriously in battle? Heh, before me, you can't even die if you want to. You can only do as I will. I will imprison you two human women and take you back to the dark underground castle in Europe, so that you can suffer the most painful punishments forever in the Dark Punishment Church, to atone for my son and Durmville's sins. At that time, you will find that death has become the best relief." Duke William said slowly, his eyes suddenly flashing with hatred.
Banier and the Marquis exchanged knowing, sarcastic smiles as they looked at the two overconfident girls before them. Perhaps having the resolve to die is a good thing; it can give one the courage to face someone many times stronger than oneself, knowing that death is the worst that can happen. But if the weak know that the strong can decide their every move, that they can't even die and can only be manipulated by the strong, how much of that fearless courage will remain?
Xiao Rou smiled coldly. She had heard such words many times and was unmoved. "You lowly dark creatures, your souls are as filthy as your appearances. If I were God, I would send down holy fire and hang you all one by one on the gallows, then nail the Holy Light Cross to your hearts, so that you would be trampled and defiled by all generations."
"What did you say!" Duke William was furious. It was the first time he had ever seen a weak superhuman dare to verbally insult him to his face. He even raised his hand, ready to deliver a devastating blow to the disrespectful girl in front of him at any moment.
Suddenly, his expression changed, and he slowly lowered his raised hand. Banier and the Marquis's expressions also changed, and they involuntarily stopped in their tracks.
The exit of the barrier opened once again, and a holy aura rushed in. This aura was not strong, but it instantly dispelled all the dark aura, and even Duke William's boundless dark aura was tightly suppressed.
A gentle voice echoed through the underground space: "Well said, you lowly creatures of darkness. I, representing the gods and the faith of mankind in the light, and in my capacity as the Arbitration Council, hereby render the following judgment upon you."
Chapter 261 A Complex Mystery
“From the moment you and Gu Xiaorou arrived in Hong Kong, you had already fallen into a carefully laid trap, or rather, you and Gu Xiaorou were just bait,” Mochizuki Nami continued.
"All the actions targeting the Yang Group are actually not aimed at the Yang family, but at you and the 'Heavenly Eye' carried by your girlfriend. Otherwise, the Fengxing family would not have needed to target an ordinary family business. The Matsumoto Group's liquid assets alone are enough to buy more than a dozen Yang Groups. I suspect that the reason the Yang Group became a target is because you and that girl Yang Yuqi are getting very close. Don't think that you can hide your romantic affairs from others. Perhaps your every move is being monitored by some supernatural organization. There are many powerful people in this world. Their methods are superb and unique, making them impossible to guard against."
When Ling Yun heard her mention the words "romantic affairs," his face flushed, and he couldn't help but defend himself, "I have no romantic affairs whatsoever. I'm as honest as can be. Besides, I've always been very low-key. What force would be secretly watching me? And I can guarantee that with my abilities, no one can secretly watch me without me noticing." As he said this, a deep sense of pride crept into his tone. Indeed, with Ling Yun's current abilities, his Eye of Illusion could see through anything hidden or invisible, and this wasn't entirely untrue.
"Oh?" Mochizuki Nami smiled faintly, her beautiful eyes looking at Ling Yun, a strange, amused glint in them. "You haven't actively provoked anyone, and you just want a peaceful life, which I know and understand. But as you said, 'The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease.' Just because you don't actively provoke others doesn't mean others won't provoke you. There's no smoke without fire. Don't think I don't know that the four beauties of Jinghua University, including myself, all have feelings for you, and you could even say they all like you. Add Xia Zhen and Gu Xiaorou to that, isn't this a romantic affair? If you really don't have any scandals, why are all the rumors about you at university about you and the four beauties?"
"This..." Ling Yun was taken aback, unsure how to answer. Strictly speaking, he didn't truly like any of the four beauties. Even his feelings for Xia Zhen and Yu Qi, who had bravely confessed to him, were merely out of friendship and affection. He had a good grasp of his own romantic relationships; his only girlfriend was Gu Xiaorou. However, matters of the heart are often complicated and difficult to unravel. To say they were purely friends seemed a bit far-fetched. He opened his mouth to explain, but didn't know where to begin. After thinking for a long time, he stammered, "This can only be considered an accident. I didn't expect it..."
Looking at his dejected appearance, Mochizuki Nami couldn't help but chuckle, thinking to herself, "You're actually quite cute."
So he smiled and said, "Alright, let's not discuss your love life anymore. I know you have special abilities, and maybe no one is really spying on you. But Lingyun, I just want to say that this world is very big, and you're not the only one who's truly special. Maybe you think you can control yourself now, but you might just be someone else's pawn, a bait. Every move you make is part of someone else's plan. What I mean by spying on you is just a guess. It might be true, or it might be false. Do you really think you can guarantee that you're completely safe? Lingyun, I think your vision isn't broad enough, and you lack a comprehensive understanding of the big picture. So you need to raise your level and look at problems from the highest perspective."
Ling Yun felt a chill run down his spine. Mochizuki Nami's words were like a bucket of cold ice water poured over his head, instantly sobering him up. Moreover, they subtly touched upon his greatest hidden worry. Ling Yun had always had a vague feeling that he was being used as a pawn, but this feeling was very unclear, and even if he felt it, he didn't pay attention to it. Now, after Mochizuki Nami's unintentional but kind reminder, an infinite chill rose in his heart. Recalling his actions, what was there that he truly wanted to do? It was all due to accidents and unknown events that pushed him step by step into the vortex of conflict among superhumans. It seemed unintentional, but in reality, everything was destined.
This is a game of chess, and perhaps the moves will be different in every game. The pieces think they are struggling to win through their own wisdom, but in fact, there is a big hand behind the scenes placing them in the right place.
"You're right, my vision is indeed very narrow." After a long while, Ling Yun sighed softly and said, a sense of frustration rising in his heart. Now that his power has grown to this level, he doesn't feel any sense of exhilaration. On the contrary, he is losing the simple joy he had before he gained his superpower. Does this mean that while he is gaining, he is also losing a lot at the same time?
"Lingyun, don't worry. You're already very talented." Mochizuki Nami gazed at him intently, her eyes filled with undisguised admiration and affection. She gently comforted him, "I know you just don't like these struggles, you don't like this complicated world, you don't like the survival-of-the-fittest world of superhumans. You became strong not because you actively wanted to, but because the environment forced you to. You're simple by nature and long for a peaceful life. In reality, you're a very simple person, and that's why so many people like you, including me."
Ling Yun felt a surge of warmth in his heart and couldn't help but look back at Mochizuki Nami with longing. No one had ever made such a direct and accurate judgment about him, truly speaking to the core of his being. Even Xiao Rou had only become his soulmate in terms of heart and emotion, but could not penetrate his soul with the simplest and most fitting words like Mochizuki Nami.
Ling Yun suddenly felt that the distance between him and Mochizuki Nami had suddenly shortened considerably, and even the deep wariness he had felt before had melted away as quickly as winter snow under the scorching sun.
"Thank you." Ling Yun said with emotion. This thank you was truly from the bottom of his heart. It was rare for someone to understand him so closely and read his mind. He never expected that it would be Mochizuki Nami, whom he had always kept at a distance. Ling Yun never thought that one day, a female ninja from a foreign country would quietly walk into his heart.
Mochizuki Nami sighed softly, thinking, "I'd rather not hear your thank you. How happy I would be if you just said you liked me. But matters of the heart are like cultivating strength; you can't get fat overnight. Judging from the current results, Ling Yun already has a deep affection for me. So, if I just nurture it properly, it's not impossible for our relationship to get closer again." Thinking of this, Mochizuki Nami felt a little happy again.
“You seem introverted and quiet, as if you have a lot on your mind, but it’s just a simple expression of your personality,” Mochizuki Nami continued. “Lingyun, it’s not just me who can understand your personality. In fact, many people can. Some people don’t even need to see you. Just by looking at what you do and your reactions, they can roughly judge your personality and character. So you are easily manipulated. You need to learn to think about these issues and not become someone else’s bait.”