Chapter 59: Learning
What!? Meng Huai is sick, and you still want to stay with him in the hospital!? Cough, cough! In the staff lounge of the Golden River Club late at night, Jiang Yao, who was gorging herself, almost jumped out of bed, and because she spoke too quickly, she choked on her food, her face turning red from coughing.
Jiang Yao had already reached the growth ceiling of most blood clans, becoming a genuine knight, and upon ending her dormancy, she had already achieved the mid-tier knight realm.
At this moment, the intense aura naturally exuding from Jiang Yao made everyone, including Jiang Yan, feel uneasy for a while.
However, Jiang Yao’s current state was still somewhat unstable, leading to a chaotic secretion of hormones inside and out, and some bodily perception control techniques were far from keeping up; theoretically, she needed to rest and recuperate for a few more days.
“Shh… Don’t be so loud, making a fuss,” Jiang Yan hurriedly patted Jiang Yao’s back, her face showing a hint of a bitter smile and helplessness.
“Cough, cough… I mean, you can’t be joking, right? If Meng Huai is hospitalized, all the leaders and colleagues from Dark Arrow will surely come to see him. What do you being in his hospital room count as?”
“Sis, are you out of your mind? Get a grip! You were only a big soldier under him before, how many things could you possibly have in common!”
“Whether it’s dangerous or not, others will think you’re Meng Huai’s girlfriend. No way, I oppose this!”
Jiang Yao puffed up her cheeks and rambled on, clearly unhappy.
This little Yao still didn’t understand the situation… Jiang Yan sat down beside the bed, gently pressing Jiang Yao back down, her expression serious: “What are you talking nonsense for? Team Leader Meng’s condition is already at stage three; he’s very likely to retire. He doesn’t have many friends or family, and it’s just these few days to settle a period of brotherhood, at least he won’t be our opponent in the future.”
“Stage three? Uh… Is he going to die?”
Jiang Yao was taken aback, touching her head as if recalling some knowledge she had been exposed to in the past.
“I don’t know; he might end up crippled… You know, in the Armored Company, maybe only I really understand his temperament,” Jiang Yan felt a pang of discomfort inside, but her face still managed to maintain a semblance of calm.
“If it weren’t for seeing the nationwide commendation for the Armored Company at the training center back then, I wouldn’t have known you were with Dark Arrow… Brother, oh no, Sister, is it considered luck that we’ve turned out like this?”
Little Yao probably still didn’t know about the children’s welfare institute and what happened last week… Hearing Jiang Yao suddenly spout a strange conclusion, Jiang Yan was also slightly startled and couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
“Do you need to add more dishes, Sister Yao?” Xiao Ling walked in. As a lower-tier knight, her address for Jiang Yao had changed as per the customs of the blood clan world where strength is esteemed above all. At least, for now, the Jiang sisters had not reached a level of familiarity with most long-time members of the Hyacinth that would allow them to bypass this custom.
“Uh, don’t call me Sister, it sounds weird… Just call me Xiao Yao. I heard that for so many days, it was Xiao Ling and Xiao Ai taking care of me. Thanks!”
Jiang Yao blushed and hurriedly waved her hands, not sure whether she was refusing more food or the change in address.
“Hehe, I think so too! Now, we Hyacinths have seven knights; if Xiao Yan levels up, we would be comparable to some small baron families.”
Xiao Ling’s personality was much livelier than Xiao Ai’s; although she had been stuck as a lower-tier knight for a long time, both her temperament and appearance were quite similar to Zhou Ping.
“Hey, my sister will definitely become one soon!”
Jiang Yao nodded proudly, then seemed to recall something and turned to look at the closed door, “Why haven’t I seen Brother Zhao Peng? In the past few days, even when I was out of it, I could always feel Brother Zhao Peng nearby.”
Jiang Yan was taken aback; her expression gradually darkened as she glanced at Xiao Ling beside her. After a long pause, she managed to squeeze out a faint smile: “Brother Zhao Peng got injured a bit, Wan Jie is treating him alone. He probably needs a few more days to recover.”
“Brother Zhao Peng is almost at the threshold of baron rank; who could possibly injure him?” Jiang Yao appeared surprised.
“It’s like this, Xiao Yao, something happened while you were dormant…”
Seeing Jiang Yan fall into silence, Xiao Ling took a deep breath and briefly recounted the major incidents that occurred during the dormancy period.
By the end, even Jiang Yao’s mood visibly dropped.
“So many people died… Sister, let’s not disturb Grandma Jiang anymore, and don’t give Wan Jie any trouble. Let the past be the past…”
Jiang Yao lowered her head, unsure whether she was saddened for Zhao Peng or for the sacrificed officers of the embroidered uniform army whom she had never met.
Seeing Jiang Yao express this, Jiang Yan could only nod.
“Xiao Yan, Xiao Yao, come with me to Wan Jie’s place!”
The door opened again, and Zhou Ping walked in with a mysterious smile, shaking a set of car keys in her hand.
“Ah? It’s already almost ten at night!”
In the room, the girls exchanged glances.
…
Driving east along the urban avenue of C City for less than an hour, they arrived at the famous fruit and flower land, Longquan Mountain.
Set against the mountains and by the water, the beautiful slopes had been developed into a luxurious leisure villa area by a state-owned enterprise developer, with each villa spaced far apart. Hidden under the greenery and blossoms, the environment was tranquil.
This was one of Wan Yue’s private residences in S Province.
Under the full moon, the car entered the villa courtyard, where Zhao Peng, dressed in a suit, stood smiling to welcome them, showing no traces of the heavy injuries he sustained a week prior during a fierce gunfire encounter at the military hospital.
Wan Yue emerged wearing home clothes, first signaling to Zhao Peng and Zhou Ping with her eyes, then gestured for Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao to follow.
On the Mid-Autumn night, the full moon hung high, silver light cascading over the mountains, penetrating the dark green forests, creating patches of soft silver spots.
After a few minutes, they reached an open glade in the woods where Wan Yue finally stopped.
“To not bring trouble to others, you must first instill fear in your enemies. Otherwise, today, you are merely a spectator to a tragedy, and tomorrow you may become a target for slaughter.”
Wan Yue glanced at Jiang Yan and the recently awakened Jiang Yao, slowly nodding with a smile and a hint of surprise.
“Wan Jie, I can’t sense those two people at all; it feels very chaotic, I can’t even tell their strength,” Jiang Yan suddenly said.
As long as they control their own pheromones, not only you but even I cannot detect their realm details from a certain distance.
Often, when blood clan members of baron rank or above engage in hostility, they are very cautious, and before any confrontation, they do not easily reveal their capabilities. This sense of chaos is a hallmark of higher-ranking blood clans, serving as the greatest deterrent.
Wan Yue knew who Jiang Yan was referring to but showed a somewhat indifferent expression.
“Wan Jie, do you plan to give us special training? How to confront barons?” Unlike Jiang Yan’s resigned realism from personal experience, Jiang Yao appeared eager to try.
“You’re overthinking it… I just want you to understand what kind of blood clans you can confront or avoid,” Wan Yue glanced at Jiang Yan, smiling, “Jiang Yan, did you feel fear about everything you saw that night?”
Jiang Yan nodded lightly; the short two minutes of frantic slaughter had left too shocking an impression on her, and she hadn’t walked out of that despairing shadow for several days. Especially the strong sense of identification with being the squad leader of the Dark Arrow unit.
“That was you unconsciously standing in the perspective of the Dark Arrow unit, or ordinary people, imagining those two Rhine blood barons as your enemies. But for us Siberian blood clans, the little tricks of the Rhine blood clan can only bully unprepared ordinary people!”
Wan Yue sneered disdainfully, even gesturing around her: “Once a Rhine blood clan reaches the baron rank, they can use their signature ability, Blood Domain. This means creating an environment filled with blood and using their own blood and internal and external hormones as a guide to produce a variety of blood water attack states, referred to as Blood Transformation.”
“Theoretically, just mixing in a few thousand milliliters of blood that isn’t fully dissolved in a swimming pool is enough for them to deploy Blood Transformation. However, the higher the blood content in the blood water, the greater the attack damage of Blood Transformation.”
“But have you ever thought about being hit by such blood water attacks versus being struck by a 9mm silver bullet? Which one poses a greater threat?”
Jiang Yan suddenly froze, slowly revealing a thoughtful expression.
Yeah, blood stab seems terrifying, but as long as it’s not a hit to the brain, heart, or other vital areas, with the physical quality of blood clans, such injuries are really not much. Being shot by a silver bullet, however, would be terrifying.
Even in a boiling blood state, the blood stab made from the special coagulated state of blood water might dissolve upon first contact with one’s flesh, decreasing lethality sharply!
Seeing Jiang Yan starting to grasp this, Wan Yue smiled and nodded: “Blood Transformation of the Rhine blood clan seems scary, but ultimately it relies on the prior creation of a large area of Blood Domain; otherwise, it holds no significance.”
Therefore, most of the time, Rhine blood barons can only strike through ambush. If their opponent is another blood clan baron, Blood Transformation becomes merely a means of interference and restriction, not a lethal trump card.
Moreover, there are limitations to the range they can manipulate and the number of Blood Transformations that can occur simultaneously. Before advancing to baron and mastering Blood Blade ability, the Rhine blood clan barons can easily be countered by other blood clan barons who are highly mobile and agile.
“The conclusion is, they can only bully unprepared ordinary people or rookies below knight rank. Of course, it seems the heavens also feel sorry for them, so the growth and promotion difficulty for the Rhine blood clan is lower, with more able to break through to baron rank compared to other blood clans.”
“When the Dark Arrow unit conducted its assault inside the building, maybe out of safety considerations in confined spaces, they didn’t carry high-temperature aluminum thermal incendiary grenades, which was their commander’s biggest blunder. Otherwise, by merely creating a large area of high-temperature environment, they could effectively destroy the Blood Domain and wouldn’t have had such tragic losses.”
After Wan Yue finished speaking, she lit a cigarette, sat directly on the ground, and even took out a can of beer from her pocket.
This explanation provided Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao with a brand-new understanding of the characteristics of the Rhine blood clan.
If they were to swap back to their previous identities as members of the Dark Arrow unit, even the battle-hardened Meng Huai, within the carefully laid ambush of the opponent, would likely only respond with bone-deep hatred and a sense of helplessness.
“We are all Siberian blood clans. Once we advance to baron and master Blood Blast ability, as long as we don’t encounter opponents of baron rank or above, we become the nemeses of most blood clans. Below baron, I am invincible; above baron, it’s a one-for-one trade, and that’s not just talk.”
Wan Yue toyed with the beer can in her hand, her cheeks slightly flushed under the moonlight, and with that smile at the corner of her mouth, a strong sense of pride quietly spread under the moonlit night.
“Below baron, I am invincible; above baron, it’s a one-for-one trade! So cool!”
Jiang Yao’s eyes sparkled, her fists clenched, already deeply influenced by Wan Yue’s aura, as if she had become a member of the blood clan baron.
“Alright, that was mainly for Jiang Yan’s clarification, so you wouldn’t think all day from the perspective of ordinary people while being a blood clan member.”
Saying that, Wan Yue turned her gaze to the eager Jiang Yao: “Next is you; you probably know you are quite special, right? When fully unleashing boiling blood, you can exhibit strength that surpasses your current realm. Last time, you were ambushed by four black blood clan members, and they fell under this aspect.”
“However, your self-control over internal and external hormones can be said to be painfully subpar; not only does it expose you more readily, but you also cannot efficiently utilize the higher quality blood energy proteins in your body compared to others. Thus, you are more suited to being an ordinary person than Jiang Yan.”
“Uh…”
Jiang Yao was like a little hen being pinched by the neck, unable to retort.
“As long as you haven’t advanced to baron, no matter how you explode with power now, you are just a knight’s enhanced version, or say a half-step baron; unless there’s some more absurd accident.”
Wan Yue stood up, walked to Jiang Yao’s side, and reached out to press her finger on Jiang Yao’s throat: “However, becoming a knight is the true first threshold into higher blood clans. Otherwise, the vast majority of blood clans around the world would just be pitiful blood servants or attendants. You now possess the blood clan’s first trump card, high-energy infrasonic wave.”
“Hmm, Wan Jie, I just felt something odd in my throat when I woke up; I thought I had too much secondhand smoke and got laryngitis.”
Jiang Yao quickly nodded, also touching her throat with an uncomfortable expression.
Are you mocking me? That’s just a manifestation of your poor control over yourself.
Wan Yue directly rolled her eyes, dropping the beer can in her hand, “Later, I will teach you how to sense and control the microscopic distortions of the vocal organs while in a boiling blood state. But remember, high-energy infrasonic waves can do significant harm to ordinary people, but to blood clans, its effectiveness is limited unless there’s a significant difference in realms. You all should understand this, right?”
Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao looked at each other, their expressions somewhat awkward.
In fact, Wan Jie didn’t need our acknowledgment at all; the identity of previous Dark Arrow unit members was already a given fact in her eyes. Thinking of this, Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao could only nod slightly, not expressing too much.
“Jiang Yan can also listen because I sense you are not far from promotion.”
After speaking, Wan Yue clapped her hands, and under the moonlight, Zhao Peng and Zhou Ping entered the glade carrying a cage, inside which was a pig that was moving restlessly!
It seemed that Wan Yue planned to use this unfortunate pig to help Jiang Yao master this high-energy infrasonic wave attack technique that is almost impossible for ordinary people to counter.
Even the well-equipped Dark Arrow unit could only use special sound-absorbing and bulletproof gear to partially mitigate the almost indomitable penetration and lethality of high-energy infrasonic waves.
If it weren’t for the fact that most of the high-energy infrasonic waves released by blood clans could only be in a very narrow beam, otherwise, in a densely populated urban area, the disaster scene would likely far surpass the mass slaughter in the military hospital just a week ago.
Suddenly, Jiang Yan abruptly grabbed the now eager Jiang Yao, revealing a somewhat melancholy expression.
Jiang Yao seemed to understand this expression, and her excitement swiftly faded as she slightly lowered her head: “Wan… Wan Jie, can I not learn this?”
Wan Yue turned around and quietly looked at the two girls holding hands in the moonlight, her face showing a trace of mockery: “Zhao Peng, take out the gun and chamber it!”
Not far away, Zhao Peng, who was guarding by the cage, was taken aback for a moment but hesitated only a second before pulling out a pistol from his pocket and then cocking it; the crisp sound of a bullet being chambered was clearly heard in the glade.
“Will you pull the trigger at an unarmed ordinary person?” Wan Yue said softly.
“No! I don’t want to be a monster!” Jiang Yan resolutely shook her head.
“Then what if… it’s your Armored Company being aimed at with a semi-automatic shotgun?” Wan Yue fixed her gaze on Jiang Yan’s eyes, asking each word clearly.
“…”
Jiang Yan shivered all over, remaining silent for a long moment.
“You unwilling to treat ordinary people as enemies and wanting to avoid harming the innocent makes me very happy. This is also the iron rule of Hyacinth. But from a certain perspective, it also seems quite foolish.”
“Whether you have a gun is one thing; whether or not you use it is another. Moreover, mastering such techniques is also the foundation for you in the future to grasp the ‘Blood Blast’ of the Siberian blood clan barons and ‘Blood Ash’ of the earls, and perhaps other abilities…”
Wan Yue took a deep breath, visibly worried, yet wanting to say something but hesitating.
Jiang Yan fell into thought, gradually loosening her grip on Jiang Yao’s hand, her emotions calming down once more.
