Chapter 86 Different Fantasies
October 28th, Monday afternoon. Wan Yue’s lengthy talk last night left Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao feeling a bit disoriented when they got home, causing them both to stay awake until three or four in the morning.
After ten o’clock, Jiang Yan was busy in the kitchen, while Jiang Yao stood at the kitchen door with a strange expression, clutching a mouthwash cup and brushing her teeth, hesitating to speak.
“The toothpaste foam got all over your pajamas. Go brush your teeth in the bathroom!”
Turning around with a plate of steamed dumplings, Jiang Yan noticed Jiang Yao was lost in thought and couldn’t help but remind her.
“Sis, I suddenly have an idea!”
“Uh-huh, you have a lot of ideas, enough that you can’t keep up with life. Look at the clothes you washed last night; you didn’t even put any detergent in!”
Jiang Yan sighed irritably and left the kitchen with the steamed dumplings.
“Not that! Sis, I really have an idea! Maybe it can solve the problems of Zhao Peng and the others!”
Jiang Yao, in a rush, followed Jiang Yan, with toothpaste dripping from the corners of her mouth, lowered her voice: “We are definitely special; otherwise, we wouldn’t have broken through to the knight realm so quickly… What I mean is, if we let Zhao Peng and the others ingest our blood, wouldn’t it possibly break their bottleneck?”
Jiang Yan’s body jolted as she turned her head, looking at the mysterious Jiang Yao with surprise. She suddenly felt like everyone might have overlooked a certain possibility. Or rather, Wan Jie was deliberately suppressing the emergence of such thoughts.
“Look, I drink your blood, and that’s unavoidable because I’m sick; I mean, I have an initial blood dependency! You drink ordinary human blood, yet my growth rate is still a bit higher than yours. That means…”
“It means we obtained a growth physique far surpassing ordinary blood clans from that big meatball, so our blood should also be useful for the growth of blood clans?”
Jiang Yan quickly finished Jiang Yao’s sentence, her left hand cradling her chest while her right hand supported her chin, pacing slowly in the living room. Her expression flickered between excitement and anxiety as she contemplated the implications of Jiang Yao’s words, perhaps also considering more risks.
She recalled how the black blood clan initially accelerated their growth and realm breakthroughs by ingesting the blood of their kind, eventually leading to the adoption of more brutal blood-feeding models. It was all about directly absorbing a mysterious growth factor from within the blood clan.
Although modern science had not fully deciphered the secrets involved, there was no doubt that the act of preying on high-realm kin had long been a verifiably evil growth model for the black blood clan…
For now, Wan Jie was trustworthy; Hyacinth was also a warm family. However… a few minutes later, Jiang Yan’s frown relaxed, and with an extremely serious expression, she looked at Jiang Yao.
“Xiao Yao, what we’ve talked about today, under no circumstances should it be mentioned again. We still don’t understand ourselves, nor do we truly grasp this blood clan world. Let me think about it some more, okay?”
As she spoke, Jiang Yan walked over to Jiang Yao, gently cupping her face with both hands: “It’s not a matter of gratitude; it’s about human nature. What if it doesn’t work? Or some people find it useful while others don’t… If what I think is correct, then perhaps Hyacinth will split apart. Besides, I’m sure Wan Jie has already considered this.”
“But Zhao Peng is really a pity… Can we sneak a try?”
Feeling a bit reluctant to shelve her grand idea.
“Xiao Yao, you’re very naive and understand gratitude; I’m glad. But this time, you must listen to me. If the timing is right, I will discuss this problem with Wan Jie, but we can’t let others know it’s us, understand?”
Jiang Yan patted her shoulder, revealing a warm smile: “I didn’t expect you to come up with such quality thoughts this time. Good… Look at how pleased you are, your pajamas are covered in toothpaste foam. Take them off, throw them in the washing machine, and get ready to eat.”
Giving Jiang Yao a little push on her back, Jiang Yan returned to the kitchen counter, grabbed a cabbage from the shelf, and prepared to make a large portion of vegetable salad.
“Hehe.”
Receiving praise from someone close made Jiang Yao feel joyful, scratching her head and grinning foolishly.
“By the way, Sis, after dinner, can I do your hair? Sister Xiaoling taught me several hairstyles; let me try them on you?”
As she said this, she stuffed the toothbrush in her mouth and began to unbutton her pajamas. Halfway through, she coincidentally encountered Jiang Yan turning around to grab some kitchenware, revealing a glimpse of spring in her partially opened pajamas.
“What are you doing taking off your clothes!”
Jiang Yan jumped, nearly dropping the plastic basket in her hands.
“I… you told me to throw them in the washing machine…”
Jiang Yao was also startled, dropping her toothbrush and pointing foolishly at the bathroom door beside her, then slowly closing her pajamas, her face slightly flushed: “It’s nothing, anyway, there are no men at home…”
“…”
Realizing her words might be problematic, Jiang Yao’s face turned redder, feeling awkward and unsure whether to turn and leave directly or back away.
The atmosphere turned oddly awkward, and the two fell into silence, the sound of a pin drop could be heard.
“Um… after dinner, can you help me with my hair?”
After a long pause, Jiang Yan broke the silence with a smile, casually turning back to continue cooking.
Once they parted ways, both felt a sense of relief.
…
At noon, twelve o’clock, the base of the Xuanjia Brigade.
“Captain!”
“Captain Meng!”
Meng Huai walked through the training area of the base with precise and formal steps, not glancing aside. Everyone passing quickly stood aside, standing straight and saluting.
Meng Huai had been off duty for nearly two months, and the new captain recruit, Captain Tao Qiaoer, had become increasingly familiar with brigade management work, just waiting for a formal appointment. This led the majority of the Xuanjia Brigade to accept a certain reality: the era of Meng Huai was coming to an end.
Rumors about Meng Huai’s physical condition had long ceased to be a secret at the base, ranging from initial confusion and anxiety to gradually getting used to it. Even Deputy Captain Zhao was surprised by Meng Huai’s sudden return to the base today.
Strangely, no matter the circumstances or reality, Meng Huai remained the captain of the Xuanjia Brigade, yet not necessarily so. This created a peculiar contradiction and observational mood whenever Meng Huai appeared anywhere in the base.
Walking directly into the familiar indoor shooting range, through the thick glass wall, Meng Huai discovered there was only one person inside practicing shooting.
That standard handgun seemed somewhat awkward in the opponent’s hands, both in stance and shooting action, indicating a lack of combat experience. It was him, the person who occasionally loitered around him, Han Jielu.
Waiting for the other to finish his last shot and remove his ear protection, Meng Huai walked over to Han Jielu, a hint of suspicion on his face: “Han Jielu, you’re from the commander’s office; why are you at the Yao Shen Brigade base again?”
“You’ve never shot before? Even if you didn’t practice shooting in military school, your family’s military tradition should have included some training.”
As he spoke, Meng Huai glanced at the fixed target deep in the shooting range, shaking his head repeatedly.
“Hehe, it’s Brother Meng!”
Once he recognized who it was, Han Jielu quickly turned around and wiped the sweat collected on his forehead due to nervousness, “I previously studied at the Huake University youth class and was brought into military academy only two years ago by my third uncle. I always thought I was just a rear support person and didn’t pay much attention.”
“Well, the Chief of Staff arranged for me to visit various brigade bases to learn about some grassroots situations while having some fun. To put it bluntly, I’m just here to gather some experience; I don’t understand anything and am wandering aimlessly… Hey, Brother Meng, how about a demonstration?”
With a strong sense of self-awareness, he didn’t hide the implications of being a substitute in the western monitoring area. As he spoke, Han Jielu pulled out an empty magazine and handed the handgun to Meng Huai.
“These discussions should be kept within your Han family… Give me the gun, and put your ear protection on.”
Meng Huai grabbed the handgun from him and took a new magazine from the side ammo rack, inserting it into the grip with a satisfying click.
As Meng Huai pulled the trigger, a crisp gunshot rang out at nearly perfect intervals of one shot per second, leaving several holes in the distant still target, the furthest being a six-point hit.
Looking at the target, Meng Huai let out a slight sigh, skillfully disassembling the gun into parts, then quickly reassembling it.
He removed the ear protection and turned around only to find Han Jielu staring at him with a peculiar smile, which made him smile back.
“Out of practice… Since you’re just here to wander about, it means you have no serious official duties. Change your clothes, let’s go eat together.”
As domineering as ever, Meng Huai did not give him a chance to refuse and walked straight out of the shooting training room.
…
Perhaps well aware of his physical condition, Meng Huai did not drive. Following Meng Huai’s instructions, Han Jielu drove directly into the central city area.
To Han Jielu’s surprise, the strictself-disciplined Meng Huai chose to have hot pot for lunch this time.
In an independent small private room, the aroma wafted through the air, and the fiery red broth bubbled steadily with a colorful array of vegetables and meats, looking quite appealing.
I thought it was just me who had an unhealthy diet, haha!
Seeing his companion happily indulging himself just a minute ago, Han Jielu felt a slight twinge in his heart, glancing at several bottles of beer at the table, and smilingly reached out with his chopsticks.
“Being in the army, each day is a day less; Deputy Commander Han let me relax and experience life; it feels quite good.”
Meng Huai showed little expression, pouring a plate of boneless duck feet into the pot and then grabbing another item from the side.
“Meng Ge, my alcohol tolerance is just one bottle; don’t drink too much; your health is important.”
Feeling the pressure of drinking too much, Han Jielu deeply sighed and picked up a bottle of beer, clinking it with Meng Huai’s.
“At this stage of my body, what else can I worry about?”
Today, Meng Huai was unusually relaxed, and his attitude toward Han Jielu was much better than before. He downed a third of the beer in one gulp, lightly chuckled through his nose, then fixed his gaze on Han Jielu’s face: “But your family, the Han family, is truly a reckless bunch; this generation has only you left as a male.”
“That’s different; I can only count as half a Han family member… Three years ago, I knew nothing, about the extravagant world, about the peaceful times.”
Han Jielu fiddled with the beer bottle, a hint of helplessness appearing on his face: “Now that I know so much, I feel it’s even more boring.”
Pausing his chopsticks, Meng Huai furrowed his brows slightly, gradually sitting upright as his expression grew serious: “Han Jielu, you are not like the other Han family members I have met. Do you find this war boring?”
“Meng Ge, from the days of sabers and spears to machine guns and cannons, for over two thousand years, have vampires been wiped out?”
Han Jielu stared into Meng Huai’s eyes, his expression peculiar: “According to public statistics, over three million people go missing worldwide each year. According to the big data estimates from the headquarters’ intelligence bureau, about five percent, or 150,000, have been blood invaded in various ways.”
“150,000, that’s a lot, isn’t it? In terms of population, that’s nearly 30,000 for our country.”
Han Jielu downed the rest of his beer in one go, then casually grabbed a new bottle, burping slightly, his tone a bit teasing: “Meng Ge, do you know how many people die in traffic accidents in our country every year?”
Saying this, Han Jielu held out his palm: “Over fifty thousand, without any exaggeration.”
“Thirty thousand blood-invaded, half of them would soon die from immune collapse triggered by the blood invasion, leaving about thirteen or fourteen thousand to become new blood servants. Of those, less than half might endure the first blood craving response, maybe around seven thousand, and then again, less than half could survive for ten years to become attendants, probably around three thousand…”
“But in the last thirty years, the number of vampires eliminated by dark arrows hasn’t exceeded two thousand in the best years… This number is very cruel, perhaps the infighting among blood clans exceeds this… I’ve only heard of a thousand days spent as a thief; I’ve never heard of a thousand days spent guarding against thieves.”
Meng Huai slammed his chopsticks on the luxurious stone table, his face immediately turning icy, almost freezing, his tone extremely stern: “Han Jielu, you’ve had too much to drink!”
Han Jielu ignored Meng Huai’s changing mood, took another gulp of beer, then grinned as he pointed to the table: “In the world, perhaps only we remain uncompromising in our fight against vampires; I’ve heard that even the EU is close to discussing coexistence with vampires.”
“Han Jielu, I warn you, your thoughts are very dangerous! You are a member of the dark arrow!”
Meng Huai slowly stood up, his face ashen, one hand moving to his waist, and a faint twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth.
His condition from the third stage suddenly reacted oddly at this moment.
“Meng Ge, sit down; I haven’t finished speaking yet.”
Not finished.
Han Jielu quickly got up and went to Meng Huai’s side, supporting his body: “Just treat this as the nonsense of a fool.”
“Alright… you speak; I believe the Han family won’t have any surrenderists.”
Meng Huai took a deep breath and slowly sat down again, his hand firmly pressing on the sore spot beneath the table, enduring the discomfort while his face gradually returned to calm.
Han Jielu picked up a napkin and smiled as he pointed to his own head: “One day, I suddenly thought, why can’t we coexist with blood clans? Of course, the coexistence I’m talking about is not the kind of model the EU tries to create, where two worlds don’t interfere with each other.”
“I was thinking, is there a day when a factory has both blood clan workers and normal human workers, who share the same lifestyle, becoming friends, colleagues, and couples under the sun… This should be one world.”
The midday sun suddenly brightened, streaming through the glass windows of the private room and casting a light glow on Han Jielu’s face.
Hearing this, Meng Huai finally smiled, a cold smile: “Don’t forget, at least half of the world’s malignant infectious diseases have their pathogens mutated from blood clans.”
“Yes, I know. I even specifically looked up related information regarding the Black Death in medieval Europe.” Han Jielu’s smile remained, “Now, most of what you’re talking about is concentrated in Africa and other regions with extremely poor sanitary conditions, while such phenomena are almost non-existent in our country.”
“That’s a medical issue. At least, I’ve never heard of anyone trying to exterminate the intermediary host animals of malignant infectious diseases in the other half of the world.”
After finishing, Han Jielu picked up the beer again. This time, he didn’t gulp it down but took a few small sips, as if just to moisten his throat.
“Do you think it’s possible to live in one world? As long as the black blood clan continues to emerge, no coexistence model can exist.”
Meng Huai suddenly wanted to laugh; he could only classify the current Han Jielu as the whimsical notions of a child not yet grown.
“The only way to achieve this ideal may be to continue fighting!”
Han Jielu put down the beer bottle, his expression suddenly turning fierce, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins, as if he had transformed.
“The answer is fighting, Meng Ge, and that’s why I listened to my mother and third uncle’s opinions to join the dark arrow. In battle, understand the blood clan and our world, seek variables, and find hope for a united world!”
In that moment, Meng Huai seemed to forget the pain in his waist, instead, he stared intently at Han Jielu’s eyes, saying nothing.
The young lieutenant suddenly paused, resting his head against the table, succumbing to his intoxication, and fell asleep.
Nonsense…
Minutes later, the pain in his body quietly dissipated. Meng Huai slowly stood up, snorting coldly.
After putting on his military coat and hat, Meng Huai opened the door and left.
The door closed, and a few seconds later, Han Jielu sat up, smiling as he tidied up the mess in front of him, as if the earlier drunken confusion had never occurred.
“Meng Ge, I’m not a fool… What I see is that you are fighting for hope, not out of despair…”
“Waiter, the bill!”
