Chapter 33 Leaving This World
July 21st, Sunday, early morning.
The summer morning was anything but gentle; by seven o’clock, the scorching sun was already roasting the flowers and grass in the small courtyard, showcasing its vitality.
Jiang Yan woke from her drowsiness, her last memories lingering on the few minutes after Jiang Yao had left in the middle of the night.
The air conditioning had been turned on at some point, and the indoor temperature was just right, pleasantly cool. The physical discomfort from yesterday’s tide had faded to a negligible degree, and Jiang Yan felt as if she had escaped a life-or-death ordeal, gaining a rare breath of relief.
The bedroom door was pushed open, and the familiar Zhou Ping entered, accompanied by two other club female colleagues who looked somewhat familiar but whom Jiang Yan had not interacted with before.
“When did you all come… Did Xiao Yao call you? Where is she?”
Jiang Yan asked, a bit confused. She turned to look at the door behind the three but saw no sign of Jiang Yao; even her familiar aura had vanished.
“Xiao Yan, Xiao Yao isn’t in good condition… I’m sorry, we were a bit careless in the early morning and let the Black Blood Clan in…”
Zhou Ping’s expression was strange; her eyes were slightly red, as if she had been crying. She lowered her head, her voice quiet.
The Black Blood Clan!? Jiang Yan’s body jolted; she immediately guessed what had happened and rushed out of bed towards Jiang Yao’s room.
In the second bedroom, Zhao Peng was sitting on a chair at the foot of the bed reading a book he had found at Jiang Yan’s home.
On the bed, Jiang Yao was wrapped in bandages in multiple places; both arms were in splints and casts, her eyes tightly closed, her expression devoid of emotion, breathing softly.
Intravenous tubes connected to her underclavicular veins, with several bags of blood or serum-like fluid hanging from the IV stand.
“Xiao Yao!”
Jiang Yan’s heart raced as she hurriedly moved past Zhao Peng, crouching at the head of the bed. She held Jiang Yao’s hand and looked skeptically at the blood bags on the IV stand.
In her understanding, Jiang Yao could not be receiving any blood other than her own.
“The danger period has passed. With her physical fitness, the healing from the bone and flesh injuries won’t be too slow… Don’t worry, these are just blood substitutes that look like blood, used to maintain blood pressure, compensate for body fluids, and provide nutrition.”
“Although our clan’s hematopoietic ability is several times that of ordinary people, excessive blood loss still requires some measures.”
Zhao Peng showed a hint of apology, walking over to Jiang Yan and gently patting her shoulder: “In the early hours, a few Black Blood Clan knights attacked her; she killed two on the spot, and we handled the rest—none of them escaped. For a long time to come, the Black Blood Clan won’t dare to show up here again.”
“Two knights and two attendants, the strongest one reached the peak of an upper-level knight. She had to activate boiling blood during her physiological period.”
Zhao Peng briefly recounted the events that had transpired in the early morning.
Everyone in the room had a somber expression, finding it hard to imagine how Jiang Yao had fought back desperately in isolation.
Jiang Yan remained silent, simply pulling back a corner of the air conditioning blanket.
What she saw was a body long devoid of clothing, covered in wounds, with a wide medical pad beneath.
On the highly absorbent pad, a large area of dried blood was shocking to behold, as if silently narrating the harrowing struggle Jiang Yao had faced alone in the early hours.
Without any expression, Jiang Yan gently touched each wound wrapped in gauze on Jiang Yao’s body, her lips quivering slightly.
At that moment, the pale blonde girl’s body no longer emitted the pheromones that used to escape everywhere but instead was weak to the point of almost being undetectable, giving the illusion that she had returned to being an ordinary person.
“The taboo of boiling blood during the physiological period works this way: blood proteins expedite depletion, leading to the failure of some organs. Luckily, there were no distortions at the time; now she just needs time to recover slowly.”
Zhao Peng pulled Jiang Yan up and pressed her into a chair: “You don’t need to come to work these days; take good care of Xiao Yao. I’ve asked Xiao Ping to stay here too.”
In fact, there were some things Zhao Peng did not say—that Jiang Yao’s strength had severely dropped under the boiling blood taboo during her physiological period. At her weakest around three in the morning, she had fallen to the level of a blood servant.
Typically, such a decline in strength is irreversible. However, after Zhao Peng found the blood Jiang Yan had stored in the refrigerator ahead of time, Jiang Yao remarkably recovered to the level of a lower-level attendant, and there were signs of further recovery.
What astonished Zhao Peng even more was that Jiang Yao activated boiling blood during her physiological period and ultimately lost control, yet she had not experienced any distortion in body parts, which was truly perplexing.
“Thank you all, really thank you all.”
Jiang Yan raised her head, scanning the room full of club colleagues, her smile calm and sincere.
Zhao Peng led most of them away, leaving only Zhou Ping to watch over Jiang Yao, while Jiang Yan planned to tidy herself up and then go out to buy ingredients.
“Xiao Yan, this is what Brother Zhao left for you.”
When Jiang Yan walked back into Jiang Yao’s bedroom after coming out of the bathroom, she saw Zhou Ping with a mysterious look on her face. At her feet lay a black box.
What is this? Jiang Yan crouched down suspiciously and opened the box, revealing various gun parts, scopes, and several magazines, along with a few boxes of loose ammunition.
Seeing the iconic thick gun barrel and the integrated wooden stock, Jiang Yan’s expression immediately lit up.
The latest model of the famous VSS silent sniper rifle from the former Soviet Union, which had been extensively used by the secret agencies’ vampire-hunting teams and even by the Arrow Corps of Huaguo in small quantities after entering the new century.
The VSSM silent sniper rifle, using subsonic ammunition, has excellent sound suppression, high accuracy, and significant power. It can perform both sniper shots and continuous fire, making it a powerful support fire in medium to close-range combat.
After picking up a magazine and pulling out a bullet, she immediately recognized it as a silver-tipped bullet specifically designed for dealing with vampires, further elevating her assessment of Sister Wan’s abilities.
“Sister Wan can still get such good stuff. Thank you.”
Although she had only handled it a few times during training, Jiang Yan still skillfully assembled the entire rifle and checked the other accessories. The entire process was seamless, leaving Zhou Ping, who had planned to explain some practical knowledge, at a loss for words.
However, there was an unwritten rule within the club that one would never actively inquire about each other’s pasts, so Zhou Ping had to suppress her inner surprise.
“Sister Xiao Ping, could you please take care of Xiao Yao? I’m going to buy some groceries.”
…
Walking out and heading down the narrow alley, she soon found the path blocked by many people, mostly elderly residents from the area.
As she got closer, she discovered a small sedan had crashed against the wall of the alley, creating a giant hole in the beautifully rustic wall, with bricks and stones scattered into the courtyard.
Two traffic police officers were taking pictures at the scene while a disheveled middle-aged man, with a distressed expression, stood nervously behind them, not knowing where to put his hands.
“You’re really something! This is a pedestrian path, and motor vehicles are prohibited from entering. Not only did you drive in at night, but you were also under the influence; you managed to sleep in the car overnight after causing this mess! Fortunately, no one was hurt; otherwise, having your license revoked would be the least of your troubles!”
The traffic cop scolded the driver with a very stern expression, recording the driver’s information.
“Please don’t revoke my license! I’ll pay for the wall in full; I need this to drive for ride-hailing!”
The middle-aged, disheveled driver immediately turned red with anxiety, clasping his hands together as he begged the traffic officer for mercy.
“Begging me won’t help; wait here for a moment until someone from the street office comes to assess the damage to the wall… Oh, look at what you’ve done; not even a tow truck can get in!”
The surrounding elderly residents pointed and murmured, the atmosphere lively with the officers scolding and the spectacle of the scene.
Within and outside the crowd, Jiang Yan’s gaze met that of the middle-aged, disheveled driver, whose eyes lit up with a hint of a smile before he turned back to continue pleading with the traffic officer.
It was Uncle Liang, the inconspicuous security guard from the Jinhe Club.
Looking down at the ground in the small courtyard, where she found no trace of a battle, a wave of warmth suddenly surged in Jiang Yan’s heart.
This was a bond of friendship different from that of the Arrow Corps; it was not just about finding security in unity. This collective led by Sister Wan felt like a big family.
Jiang Yan thought to herself.
…
…
In the Western Surveillance Zone of the Dark Arrow, the Xuange Brigade’s base.
During a certain siege operation in early July in the J District of City C, although the opponent was just a bloodthirsty and out-of-control upper-level knight acting alone, it had well-coordinated the largely new Xuange Brigade.
The morale, which had been severely damaged during the April operation in City D, finally saw some recovery after a small victory. Yet, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that without another three to five months, the Xuange Brigade would still struggle to execute a real major mission.
In the base office, Meng Huai was reviewing some personnel documents when he heard a familiar “report” from outside the door.
Tao Qiaoer was now the only veteran of the Assault Squad who was approaching two years in service and had taken over Xia Yan’s position as Meng Huai’s deputy. After the casualties of Xia Yan and several other veterans, Tao Qiaoer’s status had soared.
Although each action team of the Arrow Corps nominally had a deputy team leader, they usually remained at the base, responsible for logistical support, daily training, and ideological construction, not serving as combat commanders.
Thus, most of the time, the deputy to the team leader was the most senior member of the assault squad, the default choice for the next team leader.
Having already been promoted to lieutenant, Tao Qiaoer was not wearing her black combat uniform today but a neatly pressed uniform, holding a file folder in her hands.
“Team Meng… It’s been nearly three months since the operation in City D. The follow-up processing documents regarding Xia Yan and Gu Yao need to be confirmed and submitted in the next few days.”
After speaking, Tao Qiaoer gently placed two documents with photos in front of Meng Huai.
The personal files of Xia Yan and Gu Yao were clearly marked with the word “Missing.” This was defined according to routine procedures.
Members of the Arrow Corps who had escaped after being blood-invaded, if not successfully apprehended, are typically classified as missing within three months. They are then redefined as casualties, formally reported to their families, and included in another secret file at headquarters.
Once classified as casualties, it means that Xia Yan and Gu Yao would no longer be acknowledged as living in this world; all their identification and legal information would be canceled.
Of course, there is another label, “Deserter,” which carries an entirely different connotation.
Silently gazing at the portraits of the two young soldiers in the photos, a few strands of confusion flickered in Meng Huai’s vision.
He rubbed his forehead hard, opened a drawer, and took out two ID tags that had belonged to Xia Yan and Gu Yao.
Rubbing the metal pieces, Meng Huai finally sighed lightly. He picked up a pen, with a cold expression, directly filled in the word “Casualty” on the files of Xia Yan and Gu Yao, then struck out the word “Missing.”
“Xiao Tao, from now on, please work with Officer Wu to complete the subsequent processes, applying for special pension benefits for the members of the Arrow Corps who died in the line of duty, and notify their families. If there’s to be a martyr memorial service, please step forward with Deputy Squad Leader Zhao.”
“Okay…”
Hearing the way he addressed her, Tao Qiaoer was taken aback, with a look of astonishment on her face. It was the first time she had heard him greet her in such a warm and friendly manner.
“Um? Is there anything else?”
Seeing that she had no intention of leaving, Meng Huai raised his head in confusion.
Coming back to her senses quickly, Tao Qiaoer hesitated for a moment and pulled out another piece of paper from the folder, handing it over to Meng Huai again: “This is the health check report for all members of the Assault Squad from last week. Three were prioritized for observation, and one was deemed unqualified, which… is your name, Team Meng.”
“These should be things Officer Wu takes care of; why is it in your hands?”
Meng Huai casually picked up the document and when he cast a glance, his brows furrowed tightly, and he crumpled the document into a ball and tossed it in the trash can.
“Officer Wu didn’t dare to show it to you, so he entrusted me to bring it… Team Meng, in the two years since I joined the team, you’ve participated in every single frontline operation without exception! The adaptability of the anti-blood invasion immunity agents is significantly declining; you can no longer inject them. If it reaches the third stage, there will be lifelong sequelae!”
Tao Qiaoer suddenly raised her voice, her face flushing red.
“Are you done? If you’re done, then get out… Take care of what I told you!”
Staring intensely into her eyes, Meng Huai’s expression turned icy, and there was a hint of barely perceptible ferocity in his gaze.
Quietly saluting, Tao Qiaoer turned and left.
Sitting at his desk in a daze for a few minutes, Meng Huai bent down and fished the crumpled health report out of the trash can. Slowly, he unfolded it, staring at several lines of annotations under his name.
He would be turning twenty-eight by the end of this year. According to the long-term frontline data observations of the Arrow Corps, the closer one approaches thirty or accumulates too many injections of the anti-blood invasion immunity agents, the lower the adaptability becomes, and serious consequences might even occur.
Once the so-called second-stage warning is reached, if injections of the anti-blood invasion immunity agents are not stopped, bodily complications that would last a lifetime could occur, and withdrawal from the frontline or being forced to retire might become necessary. If a third-stage warning is reached, surviving a few more years would be a matter of luck.
Thus, within the entire Arrow Corps, very few combat personnel—be they team leaders or members—could be found over thirty still active.
Only Huaguo, with its rare blood type population ranking among the top in the world, could strictly enforce such a humanitarian standard. In some smaller countries, it was not uncommon to see precious secret personnel being used to death. In many other countries, they could only covertly seek assistance from the Arrow Corps.
No, I can’t retire… I must kill all the monsters… eradicate them all…
Muttering words only he could hear, Meng Huai abruptly stood up and opened the door, heading towards the shooting range.
…
…
It wasn’t until the third day that Jiang Yao finally woke up. Seeing everything in the room, she was taken aback at first, realizing that she had narrowly escaped death, and burst into wild laughter in front of Jiang Yan, her tears flowing.
Zhou Ping hurriedly went over to hold her down, fearing that she might accidentally disturb the intravenous lines.
“Whoa… I thought I would never see you again…”
As Jiang Yao laughed, she began to cry, a wave of delayed terror from her desperate struggle making her tremble all over.
“Xiao Yao, I’ll go get you something delicious; it will help speed up your recovery!”
Receiving a glance from Jiang Yan, Zhou Ping quickly got up and left the bedroom.
“Well done. You scared them off; now no one dares to come back. Your task now is to take good care of your injuries.”
With only the two sisters left in the room, Jiang Yan gently stroked Jiang Yao’s long hair, her expression relaxed as she feigned reassurance, giving her a thumbs-up, though her own eyes were slightly red.
“Sister… I miss Grandma Dean… Will she forget us?”
Suddenly, Jiang Yao turned her head, quietly gazing at the black-haired girl in front of her.
“No, once you recover, I will take you to see her.”
Patting her hand, Jiang Yan smiled faintly.
With Zhou Ping’s help, Jiang Yao ate something, changed into clean clothes, and then fell into a deep sleep again.
In the dead of night, Jiang Yan held the newly acquired VSSM silent sniper rifle, keeping watch on the rooftop.
The distant, dazzling lights of the city flickered continuously in the gaze of the black-haired girl looking out.
Suddenly, Jiang Yan felt as if this world was drifting further away from her, with all things familiar accelerating into strangeness.
