Chapter 256: Emotional Temptation
Germany, Emden, May 25th, 11 AM local time.
Bright sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling glass window, illuminating Erwin’s face, reflecting a rainbow-like sheen deep within his lake-blue eyes.
Erwin’s gaze slowly scanned across the computer screen. On the official website of the International Communications Satellite Organization, there was a freshly released inconspicuous operational notice.
According to relevant operational regulations, due to a propellant leak in a specific international space communications satellite, the organization would suspend satellite communication services in certain areas and conduct technical maintenance on the communication ground stations in those regions, expected to last three days.
The wording was very simple, as if this were an ordinary procedure, which in fact had not happened even once in the past few decades.
A slight smile crept up on the corners of Erwin’s mouth as he moved his finger, and with a faint click of the mouse, the browser was closed.
“Sir Erwin, Kong Ming’s condition has worsened. He has refused our offer of medication and is unlikely to last much longer. He has already designated a new candidate for his position and will contact you shortly.”
Miss Secretary Emma’s cautious voice sounded from nearby.
“Unlike the North American Federal Security Council, Kong Ming has always been a collaborator who commands respect, completely oblivious to the personal interests in the Ancestor Program. Perhaps he is a thorough nationalist; from my limited exposure, such individuals abound in high levels within China.”
Erwin gestured, and Emma hurriedly retrieved red wine and glassware from the side cabinet, pouring a glass for him.
“Miss Emma, how do you think the dark arrows and that old Prince of the Wang family will respond to this challenge?”
Erwin, not fond of wine, especially relishing that unique dryness, took a sip, slightly closing his eyes as if talking to himself.
“Sir Erwin, perhaps the dark arrows have been extremely vigilant towards the Wang family from the very start. After all, the Blood Dragon Squad, as a secret unit, inherently opposes the safety interests of the blood clan. Once they reveal themselves, achieving peaceful coexistence will become very difficult, let alone cooperating.”
“Using others to eliminate potential competitors has always been the Wang family’s forte. As long as they can preserve the existing legitimate family order of China from collapsing, that becomes their optimal choice.”
Emma thought for a moment and could only respond thus.
Erwin nodded, shifting in his seat to face his private secretary, “Well, that should be the understanding of most. However, I must remind you that at levels like that of a great-grandfather, their overall perspective is far deeper than ours. Sometimes their decisions are incomprehensible to us, but they must be met with the utmost respect and vigilance.”
“In China, there exists an ordinary group of people who make strategic plans that far exceed their lifespan and teach future generations to carry them on. Such individuals place life and death at the bottom of all choices, and it’s hard for the outside world to stimulate their greed… I’ve always been curious as to how my great-grandfather managed to achieve all cooperation agreements with Kong Ming simply by meeting him once.”
Emma nodded. A few seconds later, confused, she asked:
“Sir Erwin, will Kong Ming really watch the Blood Dragon Squad, established over forty years, be eliminated? Isn’t the cost too high for him?”
Within the dark arrows’ fold, a special group led by Kong Ming has maintained a forty-year secret partnership with the Engel family, which Emma, as Erwin’s confidante, was aware of. However, she found it hard to imagine that he would be so ruthless as to adopt a shoot first, ask questions later approach simply because there are people from the Wang family in the Blood Dragon Squad.
“Too high a price?” Hearing such a question from a subordinate, Erwin chuckled wryly. “Whether the price is high or not is relative to the benefits.”
“In the past year, the legitimate families led by the Wang family have been constantly hit hard. The Hermits’ Alliance has been completely dismantled; the Bloods, represented by the Black Blood Society, have been nearly eradicated. All this aligns with the fundamental interests of the dark arrows. There’s even a chance in the future to seize leverage over the Tada family and curb the James family’s infiltration of China… Do you think a mere few thousand members of the Blood Dragon Squad lost would be an unbearable price?”
“The ones truly suffering are only the blood clan in China. Furthermore, with this arrangement, China should gain a significant advantage.”
The small amount of power painstakingly restored over centuries would be consumed again. Moreover, afterwards, they would have to accept the dark arrows’ fostering with an even more compliant attitude than before.
Miss Emma, whether Kong Ming or the dark arrows in their entirety, after this war, the dark arrows will be the biggest beneficiaries. For those in high positions, all costs are merely numbers that can be regained through time and money, which is nothing for a superpower.
And having the dark arrows and the blood clan within China mutually eliminate each other and weaken one another is precisely the outcome we desire, right? Compared to the dark arrows, the blood clan of China is the most uncontrollable group, especially that Duchess of the Wang family; once she holds sufficient power, the outcome becomes unpredictable.
At this point, Erwin paused, turning again to gaze outside the window.
Emma hesitated for a few seconds and lowered her voice. “But, Sir Erwin, the establishment of dark arrows itself is a product of the Wang and Han families resisting the Ancestor Program… The influence the Wang family has over the Han family is hard to gauge. Does our cooperation with Kong Ming also carry unpredictable risks?”
This question had weighed heavily on Emma’s heart for a long time, only to be voiced today.
The inquiry from his private secretary led Erwin into a brief silence, the wine glass in his hand pausing just a centimeter from his lips.
After pondering for several minutes, Erwin finally smiled and shook his head. “The times are changing. Kong Ming’s confidence, superiority, and sense of mission regarding Chinese civilization have long since surpassed the simple contradictions with the blood clan. He and my great-grandfather reached a consensus long ago: China’s greatest enemy is not the blood clan itself.”
“The Ancestor Program is ultimately a community of interest that can benefit both ordinary people and the blood clan. The more thoroughly its value is excavated, the more likely China will have a reason to continue existing in this world. Both in China and North America, they recognize this fact.”
However, the ambitions of the James family and the North American Federal Security Council are even greater; what they desire is global supreme and comprehensive hegemony, making both ordinary people and blood clan bow at their feet. Therefore, in this regard, my great-grandfather is more inclined to cooperate with China.
One has to say that whenever it involves the stance and actions of the family’s old Duke, whether understood or not, Emma has no choice but to agree, yet doubts remain on her face.
Seeing the conflicting expressions on his subordinate’s face, Erwin did not mind and continued, “Miss Emma, the dark arrows have rapidly developed over the past forty years, even surpassing their Western counterparts in certain fields, becoming one of the world’s strongest secretive forces. This itself benefits from our secret cooperation with Kong Ming. Otherwise, technologies such as tracking butterflies and stabilizing blood agents would have been impossible for China to develop.”
Based on this secret cooperative relationship, various industries in China have received massive foreign investments, spearheaded by us over the past forty years, enabling them to become a superpower that can stand shoulder to shoulder with North America in just a few decades. They call it the great rejuvenation. The stakes we put into cooperation cannot be said to be less than theirs.
This is my great-grandfather’s consideration; for the Engel family to maintain equality of status with the James family, they must cooperate with a great power strong enough to maintain strategic balance with North America. This fragmented land of Europe, already tamed by North America, is very difficult to meet the conditions that reside in my great-grandfather’s heart, which is undoubtedly a regret.
Having said that, Erwin’s sarcastic smile became more apparent, for the true driving force behind Engel family’s continued undertaking of the Ancestor Program is far more complicated than the reasons stated above.
Just then, an urgent drumming interrupted the conversation between Erwin and Emma.
Bodyguard Frank walked in, his steps somewhat hurried and his expression tense.
“Sir Erwin, there is an urgent communication from the Alps Manor. Regarding the Duke…”
Frank completely disregarded Emma’s presence, directly approaching Erwin and leaning down to whisper in his ear.
As he listened, Erwin’s pupils contracted, nearly spilling the wine glass in his hand, his face turning ashen.
Emma, understanding, bowed slightly and quietly left the room.
Erwin pressed a button on the table, and the automatic curtains drew closed. The large electronic screen on the wall lit up, revealing the middle-aged maid who had guarded his great-grandfather for years, her once dignified demeanor replaced by a look of exhaustion and fear.
“The Duke just fainted. After Dr. Dole’s examination, it should be… it is…”
On the screen, the maid hesitated, even lowering her head, completely hesitant to say the latter half of her sentence.
“The signs of life-limiting symptoms appeared, didn’t they? Was this only discovered today?!”
Erwin’s face was cold, his sharp gaze seemingly trying to pierce through the electronic screen and tear apart the maid’s figure.
The maid still said nothing, merely nodding gently.
“Were there any final instructions from Otto before he fainted?”
The air in the room seemed to freeze. After a moment, Erwin took a deep breath, regaining his calm.
“The Duke’s condition after getting up today was very good, he had a good appetite, even drank two glasses of wine, and expressed a desire to visit the Eden Base… but after returning from a walk in the garden, it happened like this…”
The maid quickly looked up, recounting every detail she knew.
A close brush with death, or as described in Eastern terms, a sunbeam reflection, even a Duke of the blood clan cannot escape the ultimate fate of being a life form on Earth. Perhaps besides God, life does have an end.
“Seal off all information, especially do not let the James family know! Anyone who knows must not leave the manor!”
Erwin stood up, discarding the wine glass, and coldly issued instructions: “Frank, go immediately to bring my great-grandfather to the Eden Base for treatment, and raise the security level of the base to the highest!”
The bodyguard nodded and hurriedly exited.
Since the recklessness of the Goebbels family seventy or eighty years ago, the stability of the Ancestor Program has drastically declined; this is no longer a secret within Eden Base. The existing technical solutions can only barely suppress the instability of the Ancestor, but cannot change the trend.
If we were to refer to an older solution, it would entail having the Ancestor devour high-ranking blood clans, with higher realms yielding better results. The Goebbels family caused considerable harm to the European blood clan for this very reason.
Perhaps Otto anticipated long ago that the Ancestor would not wait until the return of the Queen this round, which is why he gave up on conservative hibernation. For a top-tier blood clan, this might be the most ungraceful and shocking self-sacrifice…
In the room, only Erwin remained, this golden-haired lion of the Engel family, now with his eyes closed, his body slightly trembling.
…
…
Seven time zones away, in a remote mountainous area in H city, western province of China.
Under the last radiant sunlight before dusk, shrouded in shades of green from the forest, a group of nine led by Jiang Yan stared agog at a huge bonfire in a valley farmer’s courtyard.
Having left at five in the morning and after more than ten hours of travel, the members of the group, known as Hyacinth, now bore signs of varying degrees of fatigue, but it was evident that the Wang family’s twelfth brother, who had apparently been waiting for them, showed no desire to give everyone time to rest.
Several stacked large boxes were filled with combat gear prepared by the Wang family, meaning that from now on, all participants from Hyacinth would appear as members of the Wang family.
“Sister, why hasn’t Sister Wan arrived yet? She won’t make us listen to the Wang family’s commands here… hey, sister, why do I feel like your chest seems to have grown larger over the past month?”
As the day turned darker, Jiang Yao, while changing clothes, leaned in next to Jiang Yan and spoke.
“Be quiet, Sister Wan has some temporary matters and will arrive slightly later.”
Jiang Yan shot a glance at Jiang Yao, her cheeks slightly flushed, slightly turning away as she slid a magazine back into her tactical vest, directly avoiding the latter half of her words.
However, Jiang Yao’s latter comment caught the attention of several other girls in the room who were changing clothes, and several gazes converged.
One has to say that the Wang family’s jungle digital camouflage combat uniforms, especially for the female version, look particularly stylish on taller girls; both Wan Yue and Jiang Yan seem to fit that description.
As for Jiang Yao’s comment about Jiang Yan’s chest size changing, both Xiaoling and Xiaodong simultaneously glanced down at themselves, then silently turned their gaze elsewhere.
“Miss Jiang Yan, our prepared vehicle is parked on a nearby village road, requiring a bit of a walk. Once you arrive at the location, someone will…”
The door cracked open, and a female knight of the Wang family squeezed in, holding a set of car keys.
“Huh? Sister, aren’t you going to be with us? Where are you going?”
Jiang Yao was a bit stunned, seemingly not yet coming to her wits.
“Well, Sister Wan has special arrangements. I need to go a little further away… Until Sister Wan arrives, you all listen to Brother Zheng and Brother Liang’s instructions. Xiaoyao, especially you, follow commands for everything!”
After checking her gear one last time, Jiang Yan grabbed a silenced submachine gun, picked up her helmet, and finally surveyed those in the room, specifically calling out Jiang Yao’s name.
“No wonder you’ve been so preoccupied on the way today… wait a minute, you’re not going to find Meng Che, are you?!”
Jiang Yao grinned, suddenly recalling something and quickly pulled Jiang Yan’s arm.
“Do you think I would do such a thing under Sister Wan’s name?”
Jiang Yan, feeling awkward, looked at the silent girls in the room and could only pull Jiang Yao to a corner.
“Ha, you never know… He’s dead set on mixing with the dark arrows; we’re not on the same side anymore. Do you really want to drag him back?”
Jiang Yao snorted a couple of times, her expression disbelieving.
Looking quietly at that face filled with emotions, Jiang Yan sighed internally and directly hugged Jiang Yao’s body with both hands, resting her head on one of Jiang Yao’s shoulders, whispering softly into her ear, “This battle will be very dangerous. Be careful, and try to protect Sister Dong and the others as much as possible…”
Once Jiang Yan left, everyone, including Liang Tai, didn’t voice any opinion, as it seemed that Wan Yue’s arrangements appeared to them as well-thought-out and reasonable, leaving no room for doubt.
Once they finished changing, the sky had completely darkened. Due to the need for stealth, even in the farmhouse courtyard, fire was prohibited. Jiang Yao and the others had a very simple dinner, and they all squeezed into a few small rooms for a makeshift night.
Zheng Shaolin, responsible for liaising with the Wang family, returned, his expression very excited.
“It’s settled! Uncle Seven from the Wang family is personally on the case; wow, a lower-ranking Earl!”
Zheng Shaolin squeezed into the girls’ room, rubbing his hands together, winking at Xiaoling. “The Zhou family, Sun family, Deng family, and Luo family have all sent people this time. Plus, with Sister Wan, we have a total of eight high-ranking blood clan members here, and over twenty knights!”
“Brother Shaolin, wasn’t it said that Uncle Seven from the Wang family was injured before?”
Xiaoling quickly leaned closer, her expression skeptical.
A lean camel is bigger than a horse; since Uncle Seven from the Wang family has come, it indicates that the Wang family is indeed well-prepared. This time, the Zhou family sent a viscount, plus our Sister Wan, a half-step viscount, and our overall strength is slightly stronger than the opponent!
Zheng Shaolin’s optimism infected the girls from Hyacinth. Even Xiaoguo and Xiaolian, who were seasoned elite knights, breathed a sigh of relief. After all, no one wants to face a strong enemy while being weak.
Now with a highly respected earl from the Wang family on the field, their chances of success and sense of security increased dramatically.
“Yup, our Xiaoyao is also secretly extraordinary; she easily took down Keru Jianya before. It’ll surprise them!”
Xiaoling grinned, leaning into Jiang Yao’s body and rubbing against her.
Jiang Yao’s ability to wield the left hand of the Altai blood clan’s Earl was no longer a secret among the Hyacinth knights, especially for Xiaoling, who had seen it firsthand more than once; Jiang Yao was almost a super hidden weapon comparable to Wan Yue.
The crowd burst into cheerful laughter, the atmosphere transitioning from nervousness and anxiety to confidence and composure.
Among them, only Xiaodong’s expression was somewhat unnatural. As the most perceptive person in Hyacinth, Xiaodong was the first to notice the unusual signs. This time, she also discovered another point of curiosity about Jiang Yao—she seemed to have missed her period over the past two months and regularly took some mysterious medication.
“It’s a bit hot in here; I’m going out to keep watch!”
Jiang Yao fanned herself with her hand, standing up as though there was something on her mind, and walked out of the room in front of everyone.
“I’ll go too; remind Brother Liang to take my place after midnight.”
Xiaodong thought for a moment and quickly grabbed her weapon to follow.
Inside, the others exchanged glances.
Sitting on a large rock high up nearby the courtyard, Jiang Yao cupped her chin in her hands, her elbows resting on her thighs, gazing at the moonless night sky, lost in thought.
In her mind, she replayed a scene from a few hours earlier spent with Zhong Jing.
She didn’t quite understand the emotional state she was in; she had chosen to sleep beside Zhong Jing again, yet both had exercised restraint, not speaking a word through the entire night, except for simple embraces.
Only after departing did Jiang Yao discover something extra in her bag—a delicate little box containing a ring.
“How cliché, a diamond ring. Does he think I can be fooled like a little girl…?”
As she traced the small object in her hands, Jiang Yao grinned, speaking to herself.
“Did Zhong Jing give this to you? Is he proposing to you?”
Suddenly, Xiaodong’s voice chimed in from beside her. Startled, Jiang Yao almost dropped the ring in her hand.
Just sliding a ring into my bag constitutes a proposal? What about the Japanese aunt waiting to marry him at home?!
Jiang Yao feigned calmness, tucking the small box away without daring to look at Xiaodong’s face.
“Um… Xiaoyao, I don’t know whether I should say this… but, are you… pregnant?”
Xiaodong hesitated for quite a while before quietly sitting beside Jiang Yao.
“Uh… Xiaodong, you’re a dog; you can detect that? I thought only those like Sister Wan had that capability…”
Jiang Yao paused, and a few seconds later, she burst into a relaxed smile.
“Then Sister Wan definitely knows; why did she send you this time… Though I don’t know your specific situation, it’s quite dangerous for blood clan girls to get pregnant…”
Xiaodong grabbed Jiang Yao’s wrist nervously, feeling her pulse, her expression revealing concern.
“Because I’m a monster, haha! I don’t have the symptoms you’re mentioning.”
Jiang Yao shrugged nonchalantly, then continued cupping her chin, staring into the night, a hint of confusion in her eyes. “Xiaodong, why is it that once a woman gets pregnant, the first thought is whether to marry the man?”
“Unless in special circumstances, isn’t the transition from intimate contact to pregnancy just a manifestation of a solid relationship? As for Zhong Jing’s character, I can’t say I fully understand, but he can give you a ring; I feel it’s heartfelt, carrying a boy’s shyness and tentative nature.”
Xiaodong mulled over her words for a few seconds, providing a vague answer.
“Xiaodong, do you think Zhong Jing and I could always coexist like siblings? I simply can’t envision a future of marrying a man…”
Jiang Yao continued musing, tilting her head as if seeking wise counsel.
“Ah?”
Xiaodong pondered for a long time before pointing feebly at Jiang Yao’s abdomen: “It’s possible. After all, marriage may likely be the grave of love. However, if children call Zhong Jing ‘Daddy’ in the future, you two can no longer maintain a sibling relationship; that’s merely self-deception.”
Jiang Yao frowned, as if realizing a flaw in that logic: “Then what should I call Zhong Jing? Uncle?”
At this, Xiaodong was even more puzzled, once again expanding her understanding of Jiang Yao’s thought process.
“Xiaodong, have you grown accustomed to this type of life? It seems that ever since becoming a blood clan, the focus of life revolves around these extreme themes of life and death. One day, there’s music and dance; the next, there might be a fight for survival. The usual leisurely peace feels so fake… Will someone like Zhong Jing, an ordinary person, face it with me?”
After a few minutes of silence, Jiang Yao suddenly posed a question, recalling Gao Ping and Meng Huai.
“Ha, do we even have a choice? However, if Gao Ping can share this pressure of life and death, it’s certainly better than being all alone.”
Xiaodong wore a pained expression and gently shook her head.
Sharing the burden of life and death?
Was that what the sister and Meng Huai felt that drove them closer together?
And what feelings drew Zhong Jing and me together?
Remembering the moments shared with Zhong Jing thus far, Jiang Yao found herself at a loss.
