CRIMSON NOCTURNE

CHAPTER 27: The Descent

The grotesque face was about to crash into the handsome man, yet he remained unmoved, continuing his recitation. Even Yi Fei began to worry. Then, suddenly, everything changed.

The man's low chanting seemed to amplify a thousandfold, echoes filling the vast space. His attendants crumpled to the ground, overwhelmed by the resounding hymn. Even Le Kester, a vampire of tremendous power, began to tremble.

But strangely, Yi Fei—a werewolf—felt no adverse reaction. If anything, the hymn made him feel refreshed. Before he could wonder at this, a beam of gentle white light pierced down from the dome over one hundred and twenty meters above, bathing the altar in radiance.

The handsome man, who had seemed so composed, now wavered under the brilliant illumination. The black mist charging at him shattered into pieces under the white light. Most evaporated into nothingness, but a few strands slipped into the blood of the ice coffin. At last, the man could endure no more. He bowed his head and dropped to one knee. Between him and the ice coffin, the soft white light gradually coalesced into a tall, slender human form.

Of everyone present, Yi Fei was likely the only one who could look directly at the white light. He clearly saw the light condense into the shape of a young man dressed in white. Golden hair cascaded over his shoulders. His brows were sharp as swords, his eyes like stars. His face was solemn, his skin as delicate as a newborn's. The hand he slowly raised, pointing at the ice coffin, was pale and slender but radiated an unmistakable aura of inviolable power.

The white-robed figure frowned at the coffin filled with blood. His lips moved as if speaking, but Yi Fei heard nothing. After a moment, the figure's outstretched hand shifted from an open palm to a clenched fist. At his gesture, the ice coffin and the blood seemed to evaporate from the air, transforming into wisps of red and white mist floating around the altar. Gazing at the figure lying within the dissipating mist, the white-robed man shook his head. He raised his hand and shot a beam of golden light into the figure's body. His task complete, he began to ascend slowly.

When he reached the height of the altar canopy, the white-robed man glanced toward Yi Fei's hiding spot and smiled faintly. Then, with a sudden motion, he spread the enormous white wings on his back and shot toward the dome at incredible speed. Just before reaching the very apex, the white-robed man vanished along with the gentle light.

Once the light had disappeared, the others who had collapsed slowly rose to their feet. The handsome man sat in the middle of the altar, smiled weakly at Le Kester, and nodded. "It's done. Though there were some complications." Le Kester offered a reserved word of thanks, then stepped onto the altar, lifted the figure from the lingering red and white mist, and prepared to leave.

"Wait—Teacher Le is leaving!" Seeing the weakened group on the altar, Yi Fei remembered his purpose. How could he pass up such an opportunity? Without a second thought, he sprang forward and landed before the altar.

"Teacher Le! Wait!" Yi Fei stopped beside the tomb at the edge of the altar, calling out to Le Kester. "Tell me where Chen Jing and Cheng Yao are!"

"Teacher Le?" Hearing the long-forgotten title, Le Kester turned. "Oh, it's you, little one. I let you go once before. Are you coming to court death now?"

"Teacher Le, I have no intention of dying. I just want to know where you've taken Chen Jing and Cheng Yao!"

"Chen Jing and Cheng Yao..." Le Kester glanced at the figure in her arms and burst out laughing. "I don't want to tell you. What are you going to do about it?"

"If you won't tell me, then I'll have to be rude!" Yi Fei clenched his fists, looking ready to fight to the death.

"Are you in such a hurry to die?" Seeing his posture, Le Kester's temper flared. She took a step toward him.

Just as Yi Fei braced himself for her attack, the handsome man intercepted Le Kester on the altar. "Le, take them and go. Don't stay here too long. I'll handle this little one." Le Kester looked at him, gave a dismissive snort, and turned to leave.

"Teacher Le, don't go! We're not finished!" Yi Fei shouted, panic-stricken, as he moved to chase her. But the handsome man clearly had no intention of letting Yi Fei off so easily. With a smooth sidestep, he blocked Yi Fei's path, watching the frantic young man with relaxed amusement.

"Get out of my way!" Yi Fei threw a punch, but the man caught it effortlessly.

"Is this the extent of your abilities, young man? Even if you caught up to Le, what could you do? Didn't that day at the school teach you anything?" The man gripped Yi Fei's werewolf claw firmly, a hint of impatience creeping into his voice. "Even if you don't value your own life, think about your friends."

"I don't care about anything else! The only thing that matters is finding Chen Jing!" Veins bulged on Yi Fei's forehead in desperation.

"Foolish creature." The man was growing angry now. "Don't chase Le. If you want answers, defeat me, and I'll tell you what you want to know."

"Really?" Yi Fei glared at the man, skepticism warring with hope.

"Rest assured. I, Vlad Tepes Dracula, have never broken my word!"

"Fine!" Yi Fei didn't even register his opponent's name. He retreated several paces, preparing to attack. (Too long—he'd never remember it anyway.) "Here I come!"

"Hurry up. The noise has already drawn enough attention. People will be here soon." Having revealed his identity, Vlad dismissed Yi Fei as a mere child throwing a tantrum.

With a low growl, Yi Fei released all his power, charging at Vlad at ten times the speed of sound. But the attack, fueled by Yi Fei's full strength, was deflected effortlessly. Vlad neutralized Yi Fei's wild strikes with what seemed like simple blocks, leaving every blow falling short.

Vlad frowned at Yi Fei's chaotic, undisciplined assault, occasionally shaking his head. "You've been out of Country C for months, and you haven't improved at all. You still fight like a street thug. At this rate, you'll never get anyone back from Le."

At Vlad's words, Yi Fei's eyes burned red. Time for his ultimate technique. He accelerated, closing the distance between them, then opened his jaws wide...

Vlad had no idea what Yi Fei was trying to do. Did he think opening his mouth would scare him to death? Just as he was puzzling over this, Yi Fei made his move. "Disintegration Cannon..." Of all things—a sonic attack at point-blank range! There was no dodging this. The moment he saw the layered soundwaves erupting from Yi Fei's mouth, Vlad wrapped himself in his cloak.

Had his ultimate technique worked again? Yi Fei watched Vlad fly backward from the blast, already dreaming of the moment he would be reunited with Chen Jing. But Vlad recovered quickly and sprang back. "Not bad. But it's just a soundwave. If you could fire a photon cannon, I'd concede."

"Photon cannon..." Yi Fei felt dizzy. "Brother, this is a fantasy novel, not science fiction."

"I know. That's why I'm telling you—there's no way you can beat me. Give up and go home to sleep. It's getting late." Vlad shrugged. "As for that Chen Jing girl—you just saw her, didn't you? She's fine. She's even received the blessing of a holy angel."

"What? You mean the person in that ice coffin was Chen Jing!" Yi Fei lunged forward, grabbing Vlad's lapels and shaking him frantically. "You're not lying to me, are you?"

Vlad scowled and gripped Yi Fei's hand hard, squeezing until it hurt. "Let go. Show some respect. I only told you because that Disintegration Whatever move of yours was interesting. Why would I bother lying?"

Yi Fei yelped and pulled his hand back, but the pain barely registered. He was drowning in the wonderful news. "She's not dead. Thank God." All the anguish and longing he had carried released at once. His eyes stung, and before he knew it, tears were streaming down his face.

"All right, enough crying. A grown man bawling like that..." Vlad couldn't stand the sight of a tear-soaked wolf face. "The girl will be fine. If you want to see her, go get stronger. For ordinary people, no power means a hard life. For beings like us, no power means death. Right now, you can't even protect yourself. How do you expect to protect anyone else?" With that, Vlad turned without another glance and walked away.

Yi Fei stood before the Papal Altar, still dazed. It wasn't until he heard voices approaching that he snapped to attention and fled in panic, leaving behind the dissipating wisps of red and white mist and the hall reeking of blood.

Back at the inn, he joyfully told Camilla that Chen Jing was still alive. Though she shared his happiness, a shadow fell deeper over Camilla's heart. "If Chen Jing comes back... what will happen to me?"

Forcing a smile to celebrate with Yi Fei, Camilla then went to help at the Blue Hermit next door, leaving Yi Fei alone in the bedroom, grinning like an i***t.

But Camilla couldn't concentrate. A terrible thought flashed through her mind—a thought that horrified even herself. "Go back to Larsen. Kill Chen Jing..." She shook her head violently, banishing the idea. Rushing to the bathroom, she splashed cold water on her face, hoping to calm down. "If Yi Fei knew I wanted to kill Chen Jing, he would never speak to me again." Mocking her own twisted thoughts, she returned to the inn and resumed her work.

Since Camilla had started working there, the little Blue Hermit's business had boomed. Some tourists even sought out the inn specifically to catch a glimpse of the beautiful girl. Though this life felt fulfilling and satisfying, she knew danger was closing in. The more visible she became, the faster Larsen's men would find her...

After her shift, Camilla wanted to share her fears with Yi Fei. But when she saw him sleeping peacefully, she abandoned the idea. "Maybe just being able to watch him every day is happiness enough. When the time comes that I have to leave, will he miss me the way he misses Chen Jing?" Chin resting in her hands, she sat by the small table, gazing blankly at the sleeping Yi Fei. "This is the life I dreamed of. I don't want to miss a single moment..."

[END OF CHAPTER 27]