Chapter 205: Enemy and Truth
As dawn broke, a mysterious phone call woke the ancestor of the Wang family, who was far away in the Shunan Bamboo Sea of Y City.
“Ancestor, it’s news from Uncle Eight…”
The housekeeper lowered her head, walked to the bedside, and slowly recounted a bloody battle that had occurred at the border of Ya Province a few hours ago.
“Is it confirmed to be the Frankenstein elixir? I thought it was just Chu Dali borrowing power to weaken Jiulong… That girl Wanyue, with her reckless antics, forced some things to the surface.”
The Wang ancestor squinted as if deep in thought.
“Alas, if it were just power struggles, that would be one thing, but this time it’s a real betrayal from within. Let’s wait and see… Tell Uncle Eight to look into the matter with Uncle Five, I suspect he’ll likely head south, maybe join up with Chu Dali.”
Furthermore, have Uncle Nine run a trip to Ya Province to ensure they treat matters correctly… I never expected the Blood Boiling Taboo would force out a queen-level being again, this is getting interesting, two queens.”
After saying this, the Wang ancestor snuggled back under the covers, intending to take a nap.
The housekeeper silently nodded and exited the bedroom.
Uncle Eight is the most mysterious high-level figure in the Wang family; probably no one besides the Wang ancestor himself has ever seen his true face.
For millennia, every generation’s Uncle Eight has been a uniquely special existence. They never reveal themselves; they quietly execute the task of removing those who have fallen within the family or doing the dirtiest jobs.
In recent decades, due to the emergence of the Wuju Pill, a secret elixir capable of easing inner demons, instances of defection within the Wang family have become scarce, but the position of Uncle Eight still has someone in office.
…
As she slowly opened her eyes, Jiang Yan found herself standing in a blood-soaked swamp with no visible end, surrounded by a chilling fog.
Looking down, she saw a long snow-white gown, its hem soaked in blood, the crimson hue slowly creeping up to her knees.
Wandering aimlessly through the swamp, Jiang Yan suddenly realized something as shadows resembling swamp plants gradually came into focus in the mist—those shadows were all human bones or ancient weapons like rusty spears, short swords, and flintlock guns, with an old catapult, a vintage combat aircraft, or a tank scattered here and there.
Those objects resembling trees or huge rocks, upon closer inspection, turned out to be ancient catapults, vintage combat aircraft, or tanks smeared with flesh and blood.
This seemed like a time pond steeped in all the cruel conflicts of the world, recording every bloody slaughter humanity has experienced from ancient times to the present.
In the distance, a huge shadowy silhouette appeared, intermittently showing through the bloody breeze and swirling fog.
The closer she got, the deeper the blood in the swamp became, and when Jiang Yan was less than a hundred meters away from that gigantic shadow, the blood reached her waist.
“Are you calling me?”
In front was a massive, brain-like mass of flesh, lying in the blood swamp like a giant’s head that had lost its skull protection but was still asleep.
The giant brain seemed to hear Jiang Yan’s voice; its surface ridges slightly twisted, followed by a slow floating upward, creating ripples of blood-red waves.
Finally freed from the swamp, the giant brain hovered mid-air, its enormous eyeball twisting left and right upon the blood-soaked flesh surface, with countless vine-like tentacles dangling beneath the giant brain.
In her ears, a wailing cry seemed to resonate, but no matter how she looked, she couldn’t find any vocal organs on the giant brain. The sound felt as if it directly entered her mind, inescapable.
Such a terrifying image didn’t instill fear in Jiang Yan; the entity had long existed. Jiang Yan furrowed her brow and extended her hand, pointing to the two fierce eyeballs hanging slightly lower in the center of the giant brain.
“You’re in pain… You don’t want me to get close?”
Jiang Yan took a step forward, but the response she received was a shrill reprimand, and all tentacle-like vines began to thrash and twist in a frenzy, but no tentacle dared approach her.
“Xiao Yao?”
Suddenly, Jiang Yan noticed a familiar frail body appearing in the blood swamp beneath the giant brain. The same white dress, similarly soaked in blood halfway up.
“Don’t come over!”
Jiang Yan’s face turned pale; she shouted in fear, even pulling out a rotten spear from the blood under her feet, glaring fiercely at Jiang Yan.
Xiao Yao, come over here!
Seeing a dozen tentacles stealthily approaching from behind Jiang Yao, Jiang Yan felt a peculiar sense of crisis and quickly extended her hand while continuing to move forward.
“Don’t come!”
Jiang Yao, trembling, swung the broken spear with all her might, as if Jiang Yan, who was approaching her, was the most terrifying monster in the world.
More and more tentacles closed in on Jiang Yao; the closest ones wrapped around her arm, merging with her bare skin like glue.
“Big sis, save me…”
Tentacles swarmed in, engulfing Jiang Yao’s body; the spear slipped from her grasp and fell into the blood, stirring up a feeble blooming ripple.
The tentacles that enveloped Jiang Yao’s body felt as if they had picked up a cocoon and contentedly retracted back into the giant brain’s mass, even emitting a hissing sound of satisfaction, seemingly mocking Jiang Yan’s helplessness.
“Xiao Yao, let her go…”
As Jiang Yan cried out, countless bloody hands rose from the blood swamp, clinging, dragging,
capturing, nearly wrapping around Jiang Yan’s torso and limbs, making it difficult for her to move forward.
Jiang Yan could no longer make a sound; she could only awkwardly extend a hand, desperately waving it forward, helplessly watching that massive giant brain slowly descend back into the blood swamp, eventually vanishing without a trace.
Seemingly sensing something, Jiang Yan slowly turned her head and was shocked to find someone in dark combat gear—Meng Huai—standing merely ten meters away, coldly looking at her with a semi-automatic shotgun in his hands.
“Turns out Xiao Yao was afraid of you earlier… You scared her, Meng Huai.”
Ignoring the bloody hands still tugging at her limbs, Jiang Yan revealed a bitter smile.
Meng Huai didn’t respond; he slowly raised the weapon in his hand, his icy expression devoid of any emotion.
The familiar sound of gunfire resounded, countless pellets hitting her, and Jiang Yan felt herself being torn apart, but there was no pain, only her consciousness fading…
March 27th, Friday.
“Boom, K City.”
“It’s so shocking… This is the queen level… Yes, it is indeed a queen!”
In the room, Uncle Nine trembled as he spoke, unable to contain his excitement while looking at the sleeping black-haired girl on the bed.
Beside the hospital bed, Wan Yue frowned slightly, deep in thought, while on the other side, Jiang Yao lay against the bed’s edge, her hands folded under her chin, her expression numb and indifferent to Uncle Nine’s praise.
“What are you idiots still doing? Hurry up and record all the test data; do you need me to write the paper for you?”
Uncle Nine snapped back to reality, yelling at the dazed Uncle Jin and others behind him. He then scrambled to a massive medical testing device in the corner of the room, baring his teeth as he strained to push it, wishing to move it right next to the bed to complete the tests he wanted.
“Wait, Uncle Nine, how can there be two queens? Didn’t we agree there would only be one…”
Sneaking a glance at the not-so-far Jiang Yao, Uncle Jin was somewhat baffled, or rather, since he arrived and encountered Jiang Yan’s aura, he had fallen into a state of confusion.
Just like Jiang Yao before, there was a full-body blood essence protein renewal, and a strange aura reminiscent of a black hole, along with physiological indicators that didn’t resemble any promotion. It felt like time was replaying, but the person had changed to Jiang Yan.
During her menstrual boiling blood taboo, Jiang Yan actually broke through the boundary shackles. Although she was still in grave danger, her deeper body and mind had already made a tremendous leap.
Wan Yue had stopped thinking about the horrifying injuries; if it weren’t for Zheng Shaolin and others going crazy, pouring every bit of blood they could find into Jiang Yan’s body and rushing her to the Luo family in K City overnight, perhaps they would have already been holding a funeral for Jiang Yan now.
For a full seventy-two hours, including using several strategic reserve drugs from the Wang family, they managed to pull Jiang Yan back from the brink of death caused by the boiling blood taboo, which had led to multiple organ failure, immune function collapse, and hematopoietic failure.
“Uncle Nine, when will Jiang Yan wake up?”
After another round of examinations, Wan Yue sent everyone else away and stayed in the room with Uncle Nine.
“She’s not in hibernation; she’s in a self-regenerating phase. As long as she reaches a certain level of repair, she can wake up at any time.”
Uncle Nine wrote in his notebook without looking up. As a researcher extremely rare in the bloodline, his interest in scientific research after dusk had long surpassed the situation at hand.
Thanks to the elders and Uncle Nine’s care; I have nothing to return except for this little gesture…
Saying this, Wan Yue clapped her hands, and Xiao Dong walked in carrying a small box and placed it on the table next to Uncle Nine.
Oh, another RMCE, how many do you actually have in hand?
Uncle Nine’s eyes brightened, then quickly calmed down, nodding happily and saying, “Not bad, just in time for the injured second in the Luo family. This time the Luo family also lent a hand; otherwise, it’s hard to say if Jiang Yan would have survived until now.”
About Jiang Yan’s identity, don’t worry; the Luo family doesn’t dare to leak it. The head of the Luo family and the second are both my big brothers.
After saying this, Uncle Nine proudly patted his chest.
Big brother? Sigh, I heard that missing Uncle Five is actually your Wang family’s grandmother…
Wan Yue turned her head, arranging Jiang Yan’s blanket, casually muttering.
This precise jab made Uncle Nine cough several times, awkwardly turning his head away.
Well, since both Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao are here, I might as well take another sample of their blood and tissue, how about that?
Uncle Nine gently brushed Jiang Yan’s eyelids open, closely observing her pupils while quietly speaking.
Sure, Uncle Nine, you’re the senior; don’t play any tricks in front of us juniors. Now we’re all in the same boat; just make sure to give me the real test results.
After speaking, Wan Yue stood up, stretched, and left the room.
Jiang Yan’s recovery place was the Luo family’s property by Dian Lake, in a grand villa of a golf club.
In the third-floor corridor, Meng Huai was fully armed, standing straight against the wall, looking down at the polished marble floor, expressionless.
Why don’t you go die? You damn man, unscathed!
Jiang Yao stood not far away, coldly mocking, continuously bombarding the tall youth with harsh words. This had been going on for nearly two hours at any opportunity she found.
Meng Huai didn’t avoid it nor retort; he simply remained silent in place. Beside him, Liang Tai, also on guard duty, could only show empathetic eyes, afraid to chime in.
“Hey, Xiao Yao, don’t say that!”
Xiao Dong hurried over, grabbing Jiang Yao’s arm and signaling towards the corridor behind her, “Wan Jie praised him yesterday; don’t go against her…”
“It’s nothing, I just find him unpleasant; cursing him a few times won’t hurt.”
Jiang Yao rolled her eyes, rubbing her lower abdomen, sitting on a nearby grassy stool and tossing a golden pill into her mouth with a relaxed demeanor.
You two have each played the boiling blood taboo since we met, which makes us seem so incompetent…
Wan Yue walked over, first glancing around at everyone present, then focusing her gaze on Jiang Yao and said with self-deprecation.
…
Jiang Yao’s face turned red; she avoided Wan Yue’s gaze, mumbling, unsure of what to complain about.
“It doesn’t mean much to gather here. Liang Tai, Xiao Dong, Li Huai, stay here to watch. Once Jiang Yan’s body is recovered, we’ll return to C City together. Jiang Yao will let Uncle Nine draw some blood for tissue samples, and then we’ll go back.”
At this point, Wan Yue intentionally looked at Meng Huai several times, giving a slight nod.
Meng Huai didn’t pay attention to what Wan Yue was saying; he just kept his head down, as if he were in a state of numbness and detachment.
“I can stay to take care of sis!”
Jiang Yao quickly tightened her grip.
Right now, you two sisters should avoid staying in the same place as much as possible to avoid being wiped out together… you still can’t defeat me, so don’t bargain with me.
Wan Yue didn’t look at Jiang Yao at all and walked down the spiral staircase.
Sister, I could easily take out a first-class baron; surely I’m not worse than you…
Jiang Yao expressed indignation but was helpless, as Wan Yue, such a genius half-step baron, indeed instilled a sense of deep-seated fear.
Lastly, she glared at Meng Huai, then turned and walked into Jiang Yan’s room.
“Xiao Yao speaks honestly, she’s just a child, don’t mind her.”
Once everyone had left, Liang Qin awkwardly sidled up to Meng Huai, smiling in an uncomfortable manner.
Meng Huai remained silent, only glancing at Liang Qin’s windflower combat gear, gently nodding.
Wan Yue walked onto the outdoor lawn, where she saw two Wang family knights in a heated argument with Zheng Shaolin.
Spotting Wan Yue stepping out of the villa door, Zheng Shaolin also took two steps back, falling silent, his expression somewhat sullen.
“Wan Jie, we are here on orders from Uncle Four to retrieve that syringe…”
A man and a woman from the Wang family, looking unusually serious, clearly were not with Uncle Nine. The mysterious syringe they mentioned had been inadvertently obtained by Zheng Shaolin while cleaning the battlefield.
At that time, the mysterious syringe was still held by Nawa’s severed hand, undamaged.
“Wan Jie, they have no intention of negotiating at all; they keep mentioning Uncle Wang Four; it’s so domineering!”
Zheng Shaolin retreated to Wan Yue’s side, looking displeased.
“Do you know what that thing is?” Wan Yue glanced at the Wang family knights not far away, smiling as she took out a cigarette and lit it, “Could it be something the Wang family lost previously?”
The two Wang family knights exchanged glances, their faces slightly flushed. They typically wouldn’t seize others’ spoils, but since orders came from above, they had to obtain it.
“Ten million; just pay the money.”
Wan Yue exhaled a puff of smoke, turning her back and smiling slyly; this mode of bargaining made Zheng Shaolin somewhat at a loss.
“Wan Jie, we represent Uncle Four…”
“Fine, I’ll ask about it shortly!”
The woman seemed reluctant, while the man quickly took a half-step forward, nodding repeatedly.
The Wang family knights walked away, and Zheng Shaolin expressed unwillingness, “Wan Jie, the spoils from the scene were all bought at the cost of Xiao Yan and Li Huai’s lives, to just give it away like this…”
“That thing might just be a curse; we can’t hold onto it… Giving it to them may earn us a bit, just consider it Jiang Yan’s medical and protection fee.”
Wan Yue sighed lightly, looking up at the azure sky, lost in thought.
“Protection fee?”
Zheng Shaolin was even more confused.
“Do you think you all could escape unscathed this time solely because Jiang Yan risked her life?”
Wan Yue pointed towards the villa, her expression solemn: “Nawa died that night less than two kilometers from the scene, killed in one blow… His body is now in the freezer below.”
“Hiss…”
Hearing this, Zheng Shaolin took a sharp intake of breath.
Nawa was a well-known black blood clan chief in Southeast Asia, of mid-tier baron rank, among the strongest in Southeast Asia, actually killed in one hit by someone from the Wang family ambushed.
“This time, let’s count our blessings; we’ll hand over Deng Baoyi’s body to the Wang family and let them negotiate with the Hermit Alliance. The windflowers will pretend to be ignorant of this matter.”
Wan Yue turned around, revealing a stern expression: “The truth behind Deng Baoyi’s death at Jiang Yan’s hands is known only to the three of you and must be absolutely confidential!”
“Understood, Wan Jie!”
Giving away a largely intact mid-tier baron’s corpse to the Wang family could possibly mean it would return to the Hermit Alliance; it was very hard to take.
Zheng Shaolin understood the gravity of the situation; considering the Wang family’s current role, he quickly nodded and stopped being calculative about his earlier confrontation with the Wang family knights.
…
Late at night, only two people remained by Jiang Yan’s bedside.
“Tomorrow, I’ll take Jiang Yan back to C City; I’ll leave her in your care.”
Wan Yue adjusted the blanket on Jiang Yan, her tone extremely calm.
“Wan Jie, what level is Jiang Yan exactly?”
Meng Huai, holding Jiang Yan’s hand that was exposed from the blanket, suddenly looked up and asked.
“Does it matter?” Wan Yue glanced at Meng Huai’s expression, unruffled, “She risked her life for you to be here, lost in your thoughts.”
But Zheng Shaolin said she was from the Siberian blood clan; she’s only a half-step baron, how could she unleash the Blood Explosion and even the Rhenish blood clan’s Blood Blade?
His eyes were steadfast.
In the blood clan world, like the normal world, there are always some exceptional geniuses or peculiarities.
Wan Yue slowly stood up, seeming to smile, “I am from the Siberian blood clan, but I also master quite a bit of pheromone interference control technique that only blood clans possess.”
But you don’t have much to explain to me; do you think you’re so ordinary? That Chairman Yin, if he really had the energy to communicate secretly with the Dark Arrow, wouldn’t have had to stoop to the Black Dragon Society before.
The atmosphere stiffened, as both sides seemed to be trying to divert the other’s attention with another topic.
I want revenge, no matter what I become, I don’t care…
Meng Huai looked at the ground, muttering to himself.
Wan Yue let out a gentle sigh, stepping behind Meng Huai: “Meng Huai, are you looking for excuses, or are you avoiding the truth… I know who your enemy is, but can you truly disregard everything and go after your enemy?”
I remember the Fujiwara family in Huaguo generally has a mutually beneficial relationship approved by the upper echelons. Will you submit to the greater good or heed your own heart?
If you kill someone from the Fujiwara family now, pulling them down with you means endangering the strategic stability of this country; you will be the sinner; can you accept that?
Wan Yue’s words, like a blade, pierced into Meng Huai’s heart, causing his face to twitch in pain.
But, I can create opportunities for you to understand your inner hatred and demons, but you must abandon another belief as a price; can you accept that?
Wan Yue stared at Meng Huai’s back, her words carrying an ominous undertone: “If you don’t let go, you may lose Jiang Yan, even lose the meaning of becoming a blood clan.”
Meng Huai turned around, straightening his back, his face serious: “Windflowers and her are not my enemies; everything you do is right!”
Wan Yue suddenly laughed, crossing her arms as she walked around the room: “The Wang family, the Fujiwara family, the Hermit Alliance—you’ve engaged with all of them… Whether you admit it or not, they are all part of this world, good and bad. The definition of right and wrong is often hard to establish.”
Are these people, including the windflowers, your enemies? It’s not determined by their actions of right or wrong, but by your stance in life and your beliefs.
In your previous world, to eliminate a bad person, the constraints are numerous, and often the outcome would leave you gritting your teeth in helplessness. But in the blood clan world, you can act as you wish based on your unilateral judgment, without psychological burden.
Wan Yue sat back down beside the bed, looking at the young man across from her, her tone calming again: “Meng Huai, actually, in your heart, there is no distinction of right and wrong. If you don’t want to become a person rejected by both worlds, try letting go of your previous beliefs and standards to observe the good and evil in both worlds anew.”
You must not only be correct but also learn how to get along with the right people. Normals and blood clans will always find a communication bridge and consensus, such as the Wang family and the Dark Arrow’s Han family.
One day, those compromises and tacit agreements that you view as mere exchanges of interest and lacking trust could become genuine interdependence. Only then will you know who your true enemies are and why you hold your convictions…
Only at that moment will you truly be qualified to say that you don’t care whether you are an ordinary person or a blood clan.
Seeing the sharpness and determination hidden in Wan Yue’s calmness, Meng Huai inexplicably felt very small.
Hehe, you two are truly peculiar; you’re bound to do some things I perceive as incorrect yet are still good people…
Observing the slightly dazed expression on Meng Huai’s face, Wan Yue shook her head slightly, feeling somewhat emotional—what she just said was not only directed at him but also a form of self-reflection.
Meng Huai… don’t…
Just as Wan Yue was teasing, the black-haired girl on the bed suddenly sighed, her expression reflecting some pain.
This sound, akin to waking from a dream, not only interrupted Wan Yue’s words but also caused Meng Huai’s thoughts to scatter instantly.
What did you do to her?
Wan Yue frowned, turning her head to look at Meng Huai.
Meng Huai was also taken aback, his face filled with innocence.
