Chapter 147: Bidding Farewell to the Old and Welcoming the New (Part 2)
In the misty world, twisted, dark, and lifeless trees stood everywhere, tall and short, shrouded in desolation as far as the eye could see.
Where am I… Who am I?
Meng Huai wandered through this eerie and dimly lit misty forest, his face etched with deep confusion.
“Xiao Huai… Xiao Huai… Hey, where did you run off to again…”
Suddenly, from deep within the decayed forest, familiar shouts and a leisurely sigh echoed.
A tall woman in a skirt gradually emerged from the mist, her long hair cascading down her shoulders, her steps steady, and her demeanor elegant as she slowly approached.
“Who are you… Who is Xiao Huai?”
Meng Huai gazed blankly at the increasingly close beautiful woman, unable to recognize her for a moment.
“Xiao Huai, I’m your mother… Why are you so mischievous?”
The woman’s face seemed to be veiled by an indelible mist, her gentle voice slowly reached Meng Huai as she extended her hand, lightly resting it on the young man’s shoulder.
“My mother… Who is my mother…”
Meng Huai felt a headache starting to form, his temples throbbed, and even his eyes began to ache, as if the pressure inside his skull had reached its apex.
“No, no, you… you’re a vampire?!”
Suddenly jolting awake, Meng Huai stepped back, his right hand instinctively reaching for his waist, but he found nothing resembling a weapon despite searching down to his thigh.
“How could you talk to your mother like that! Come on, we’re moving today, hurry and pack your backpack!”
The beautiful woman was clearly angered, her voice turning sharply, and the arm she had extended began to wither at a visible rate, transforming into a grotesque claw, the mist dissipating to reveal a twisted, horrific face beneath.
Meng Huai’s expression changed drastically; he ran, ran for his life, stumbling and dodging the blackened dead trees, plunging deeper into the mist, with only the frenzied cries and curses of that terrifying woman behind him.
The surrounding fog swirled again, and Meng Huai felt as if he had entered a vast underground space, red lights flickering above him, a giant ceiling fan slowly turning, a rusty, musty scent filling his nostrils along with faint gunfire echoes.
This place seemed familiar, but he couldn’t recall when he had been here.
“Meng Huai… Meng Huai… Hey, what are you doing here…”
Another strange female voice echoed in the underground space, still somewhat familiar, tinged with sighs, as if he had been an unwelcome guest disturbing this dreamlike realm.
A black-haired girl in a combat suit gracefully stepped out of the mist, her strikingly beautiful face adorned with a gentle smile.
“You are… Jiang Yan?”
A strange name inexplicably sprung up in Meng Huai’s mind, and his headache intensified, even his body trembled as if experiencing neuromuscular dysregulation.
“Why are you here? Go back!”
Realizing something was amiss, the girl’s expression suddenly changed, her smile distorting gradually, her eyes turning blood-red.
“Xiao Huai… leave her! She is a wicked woman!”
Behind Meng Huai, that monstrous woman claiming to be his mother reappeared, her body hunched like a ghoul, slowly approaching with claws outstretched.
“Meng Huai, hurry back!”
The girl directly shoved Meng Huai and rushed past him towards the grotesque woman, in the midst of running, her body began to swell strangely.
Like a burnt and pus-filled blister, the girl’s entire body bulged, then burst through her black combat suit from within, transforming into a bloody, constantly swelling flesh orb, with dozens of bloody tentacles erupting from the sides and below, resembling a demon from hell.
The two monstrous women clashed, tearing at each other, flesh flying everywhere.
“Monsters… you are all monsters… don’t come near!”
Meng Huai covered his head, slowly crouching to the ground, tears streaming down his face, his heart aching more and more.
“Meng Ge, hurry, I’ll cover for you!”
Another familiar figure approached, a blurry-faced young man also dressed in black combat gear, holding a semi-automatic shotgun.
“Han… Han Jie Li? Don’t go over there… they are all vampires!”
Meng Huai stood up, arms outstretched, screaming frantically, trying to stop him from getting closer.
“Hehe, yes, they are all vampires, aren’t you one too?”
The young man stepped in front of Meng Huai, slowly raising the semi-automatic shotgun, smiling cheerfully: “Meng Ge, I’ll deal with you first, then take care of Jiang Yan and Meng Xiang, and this world will be peaceful again. Your mission will be accomplished.”
The sharp gunshot sounded, the muzzle flash was close at hand, countless rounds of pellets came firing towards Meng Huai, feeling as if his body was being ripped apart, blackened blood mist erupting, instantly scattered everywhere…
In the hospital room, Jiang Yan sat by Meng Huai’s bed, holding her phone with both hands, watching the Spring Festival Gala.
Occasionally, the black-haired girl would glance up to see the young man’s face on the bed or observe the several medical monitoring devices beside her.
Even though she could still recognize Meng Huai at a glance, compared to before, the subtle differences in his appearance were now more pronounced—he looked younger and more handsome.
Every time she came to visit, Jiang Yan would secretly inject a bag of her own blood into Meng Huai, hoping for a miracle to happen, and this night was no exception.
Meng Huai seemed to be sleeping soundly today; the once lifeless gray face now showed some color and was no longer emaciated, and occasionally, she could see his facial expressions manifesting a wider range of changes.
However, these changes seemed to indicate that he was experiencing a terrifying nightmare, full of turmoil, panic, confusion, and pain. Other than providing company, Jiang Yan felt powerless to help resolve it.
On the phone screen, the 2010 Spring Festival Gala was nearing its end, the hosts were prepared, and the lines building up to midnight were coming one after another.
At that moment, a strange instrument next to her suddenly began ticking, and Jiang Yan’s smile froze. A few seconds later, she quickly set her phone down and held Meng Huai’s hand.
Meng Huai’s pulse, which had previously been irregular at twenty beats per minute, was now gradually speeding up to a steady and strong rhythm between forty beats. The rising and falling of his chest became increasingly pronounced, and his breathing deepened.
Familiar waves of breath began to diffuse around them.
Though still somewhat chaotic, they were vigorous and powerful, carrying a tinge of sadness and anxiety.
Meng Huai’s knightly upgrade slumber was nearing its end, about to awaken. Counting from the day he fell into a coma, it had lasted a total of fifteen days—a surprisingly short number that was astonishing.
Perhaps receiving a remote alert, a nurse dressed as a servant from the Wang family hurriedly entered the room. First, she politely nodded to Jiang Yan, then scanned the screens of the medical equipment before sitting by the bed to check Meng Huai’s vital signs.
“Impressive! He’s upgraded much faster than the average knight… Luckily today’s the day Dr. Lu is on duty; he’ll conduct a full-body check again after dawn.”
The servant girl turned her head and smiled at Jiang Yan, politeness tinged with a hint of humility, a commonly adopted attitude towards high-status bloodline families.
As her words fell, Jiang Yan’s body quivered slightly, then she quietly stood up, grabbed her phone and the canvas bag, and began to back away towards the door, still hesitant.
“Hey? Miss Jiang, why are you leaving? He’s about to wake up!”
The servant stood up with a puzzled expression, not understanding.
Why had the beautiful girl, who had almost been keeping vigil at the bedside these days, suddenly decided to leave at this moment? It seemed there was some great trouble she couldn’t handle, making this half-step baron of the Hyacinth regretful.
“I… I have something to do.”
Jiang Yan felt flustered inside, forcing a smile, unsure how to cover up this easily exposed lie.
Unbeknownst to her, Jiang Yan had already retreated to the door, gripping the doorknob, quietly watching the young man on the bed.
She noticed tears pooling at the corners of Meng Huai’s eyes, so many that it was unbearable to see, like a silent cry for help.
“Um… sorry, Miss Jiang, I need to hurry to the pharmacy to prepare some nutrient supplements for him… at least, could you bear to stay for a few more minutes?”
The servant girl got up, smiling as she removed several monitoring probes from Meng Huai, not directly condemning Jiang Yan’s strange evasive action.
Suddenly, from deep in the corridor behind Jiang Yan, perhaps from a doctor’s office, the song “Unforgettable Tonight” rang out, an eternal classic belonging to the New Year’s Eve gala.
Jiang Yan couldn’t help but look towards the window at the end of the hospital room; amidst the ever-dark night, buildings adorned with neon lights of varying heights sparkled with vitality and splendor.
Though there were no fireworks or firecrackers accompanying it, the New Year had already arrived, a fresh start, and the entire nation celebrated.
Her phone buzzed with the unique message tone from social media.
As the dings continued, countless messages flooded in, red dots all over the screen; it was that time again for frenzied New Year greetings.
Yao Batian: Sis, happy Year of the Rat! May you be prosperous! I want a red envelope!
On the screen, virtual fireworks exploded, and Jiang Yao’s comical avatar popped into view, full of enthusiasm.
Staring blankly at the phone screen, then at the lying Meng Huai, Jiang Yan suddenly didn’t know what to do next.
…
As the clock struck midnight, the grand club, still resplendent, was sparsely populated with only a few people sitting in the vast hall watching the Spring Festival Gala.
Zheng Shaolin, who was supposed to be recovering at the Golden River Club, was absent. Hours earlier, like a teacher long-separated from his students, he had hurried back to the Dragon Spring Mountain Hyacinth Villa, choosing to spend New Year’s Eve with Xiao Ling and the little blood servants.
Little Mei, who had yet to arrive at her own home, naturally teamed up with Liang Tai to oversee things on New Year’s Eve. Aside from them was Jiang Yao and another burly male servant.
While others’ attention remained focused on the Spring Festival Gala in the lobby, Jiang Yao had curled up on a sofa in the employee lounge where Zhao Peng was dormant, fervently playing on social media.
From private game groups to club work groups, “Yao Batian” was overwhelming, sending red envelopes flying everywhere. It was conservatively estimated that within less than a minute after midnight struck, at least ten thousand yuan had been given away.
In the Hyacinth club work group, who didn’t know that Jiang Yao was now a little rich woman? Not only had Wan Yue personally rewarded her with a high-end flat worth its weight in gold, but for the past month or two, she had reaped numerous battle bonuses to the point of being overwhelmed.
However, another profile named “Yan Zi” had barely spoken in the crowd and was now as silent as if submerged for eons.
One could say that Jiang Yao’s social aloofness was entirely disproportionate to her current influence in Hyacinth.
Although Jiang Yao received countless praises and blessings, her expression grew more uncomfortable as time passed.
The reason was simple; that smooth-talking Zhong Jing had seemingly gone offline and hadn’t appeared at all.
“Playing dead? Isn’t He Jianqing back in Japan already?”
Having repeatedly tapped on the other party’s avatar without any response, Jiang Yao’s brows furrowed tight.
Looking back at the peaceful Zhao Peng on the bed, a sense of boredom slowly brewed in Jiang Yao’s heart.
“Let’s go set off fireworks in the suburbs, and then I’ll take you to burn incense!”
A familiar voice called from the door, and when Jiang Yao turned her head, she saw Zhong Jing’s sunny smile akin to a big boy, holding a large bag of fireworks.
“Ha ha… wait, I’ll go change clothes!”
Jiang Yao jumped up, just about to rush to the changing room, when she suddenly stopped, conflicted as she looked at Zhao Peng on the bed, “But I still have to keep watch…”
“Go, have fun! I’ll look after things here.”
Liang Tai strode in with a confident demeanor, grinning broadly while holding a pump-action shotgun, which provided a comforting sense of security.
Outside, a series of fireworks burst in the night sky, signaling the start of C City’s official New Year’s Eve fireworks display.
…
On this vast territory of nearly ten million square kilometers, billions of people created a grand joyous uproar that night, staging an unparalleled collective celebration on this planet.
With nostalgic reminiscence of past bittersweet times and joyful anticipation of future happiness, this moment captures the essence of empathy.
However, the beautiful life we can imagine often trudges at a slow pace year after year, while unforeseen pains frequently arrive unbidden.
In the southern XG Province, bordering Vietnam, city F faced a disaster that most of the blood families in Huaguo had never encountered. The ebbing tides washed against the remote coastline, and in the distance loomed dazzling city lights,
but here, it was a bloody hell filled with severed limbs and mangled bodies.
The encroaching tide struggled on the muddy flats, and the salty sea breeze blew chaotically, with a few bloated and deformed corpses trapped in the silt, emanating dark red blood froth.
These were strange mutants that didn’t belong to any bloodline, or perhaps it was an irreversible collective mutation.
The upper bodies of the corpses seemed to be a mass of swollen tissue, their original arms and heads wedged tightly among these flesh masses, irregularly hanging several tentacles.
Most of the bizarre corpses were damaged; some had suffered from the ravages of firearms, while others had clearly fallen victim to the powers of high-ranking vampires.
The dull and familiar sound of blood bursts echoed again on the dark coastal mudflats, and moments later, Wan Yue, appearing somewhat fatigued, dragged an even larger grotesque corpse slowly towards the inland.
“Miss Wan, thank you for your hard work; if it weren’t for your timely arrival, we might have capsized again.”
A baron from the Wang family, clutching his severed arm, hurried over while glancing at the deformed corpse dragged behind her.
“Was it these that you were ambushed by last time?”
Wan Yue glanced at the tear in her own arm, her expression calm. Was the Wang family not planning to disclose this to the hidden dangers? What does your Uncle Qi think?
“Mm… two viscounts were also injured; Uncle Qi is currently following the elder’s directive, so it’s still confidential for now… But I’m sure it must have been those families from Europe and America; I believe Uncle Qi knows exactly what they are.”
The Wang family baron sighed deeply, his previously lofty demeanor now turned unusually cautious: “I was too young, I’ve never encountered anything like this… Who would’ve thought that blood servants could become like this and could rival knights, while servants like this would dare to confront barons.”
The ‘Uncle Seven’ spoken of by the Wang family baron was the senior earl of the Wang family who led this operation to “suppress” the Liang family’s treasonous black vampires, who fought a death duel with the Japanese vampires over half a century ago.
“What kind of devilish things did the Liang family’s traitors attract… Wuwu, my second brother is dead…”
A female knight from the Wang family sat on a large stone not far away on the mudflat, weeping as she cradled the dismembered body of a male knight from her family, shivering all over, still terrified and heartbroken.
A chase had turned into an ambush; two male barons from the Wang family and ten knights were intercepted and thrown into chaos by over twenty black vampire blood servants and servants who had been injected with who knows what, resulting in heavy casualties.
One of the Wang family barons died on the spot, while the other was seriously injured, losing an arm; as for the ten Wang family knights before the battle, only four remained afterward.
“Brother, I’m sorry; I must leave today. If you need anything, have Old Jin contact me… Until we meet again.”
Without passing any judgment, Wan Yue had neither the qualification nor the inclination to comment on the Wang family’s situation.
The leader of the Hyacinth abandoned the corpse and lit a cigarette with her blood-stained hands, glancing back at the bloody battlefield, letting out a faint sigh as she walked toward the dark inland.
A massive firework exploded in the night sky ahead, its brief brilliance illuminating the bloody flats and Wan Yue’s face, which bore a look of numb acceptance mixed with helplessness.
