Passing through the Wasteland Forest and taking care to conceal their tracks, the delegation bypassed the battlefield and, after a few close calls, safely set foot on the land of the vampire clan.

“We’re back!”

The group cheered, and the dark clouds hanging over their hearts finally began to lift. Unfortunately, their joy was premature.

An arrow suddenly flew through the air, embedding itself diagonally right in front of the group. The arrow’s fletching quivered rapidly, emitting a piercing sound.

“An arrow from the vampire clan…”

Zax flung open the car door and scanned the area ahead.

Several banners came into view, their poles made of animal bones and their canvases displaying vivid colors—these were the bone banners of the Royal Capital’s nobility.

Fortunately, the arrivals were not troops from Bashir’s side, but rather a faction aligned with the imperial in-laws. Though there was tension between them, it hadn’t yet reached the point where they would demand Zax’s head.

“Isn’t that His Excellency the Count?” The commander of the knights, perched high on his horse, looked down at Zax with a hostile tone. 

“We’re fighting for His Majesty the King, yet here you are, strolling leisurely along the borderlands?”

Zax gazed at him from a distance, his eyes dark and menacing, his tone laced with warning: “Roy, you’d better understand this: it’s only because I was sent on a mission to the Snow Domain to forge an alliance with the Wraiths that you’ve achieved this victory today!”

“What a tremendous contribution—I commend you,” Roy said sarcastically, his tone sounding more like mockery than praise.

Ignoring Zax’s sour expression, he flicked his riding crop and pointed ahead, boasting, “The sun is about to set. Are you planning to press on, Your Excellency, or rest for the night at the fortress? The lands at the Trident River now belong to me.”

“Belongs to you?”

“Yes.” Roy gave a malicious grin, looking smug and self-satisfied. “The borderlands nobles colluded with the rebel forces, allowing them to grow stronger and stronger, posing a threat to the kingdom. In accordance with His Majesty the King’s orders, the rebels have been executed, the northern territories have been redistributed, and the lands have been granted to the meritorious soldiers.”

The matter had been planned in secret and was not disclosed at the meeting.

The servants had no way of finding out, and Zuona was unaware of it, so naturally she hadn’t told Zax.

“Colluding with rebel forces, betraying the kingdom—are you talking about the nobles of the borderlands?”

Zax didn’t care for the borderlands nobles, but he knew full well that these charges were utter nonsense. It was entirely in Gorod’s character to view the borderlands nobles as a grave threat and seize this opportunity to eliminate them all.

Fabricating charges, taking lives, and even defaming their honor after death. He was sufficiently insidious and cunning, ruthless in his methods—he would stop at nothing. Zax suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

At that very moment, he and Zuona felt exactly the same way.

As obstacles about to be cast aside by the king, they were destined for a grim fate. They didn’t want to die—they had to save themselves!

Suppressing his turbulent thoughts, Zax did not argue with Roy any further. He quickly composed himself, thanked Roy for his kindness, and stated that the delegation did not need to rest.

“We must return to the Royal Capital as soon as possible,” Zax said. “We’ve already wasted too much time on the road.”

“As you wish,” Roy said, knowing when to back down, and did not press the matter further. He immediately ordered his men to clear the road and watched as the delegation rode off into the distance. Zax returned to the carriage and ordered the party to set off.

One carriage after another passed by, flanked by the family’s knightly escort.

The servants accompanying the delegation trailed behind. After enduring the ravages of the storm, they all looked disheveled, their clothes in tatters and their toes peeking out of their shoes—they looked just like a group of beggars.

Seccombe still had not made an appearance.

He leaned back in the carriage, arms crossed, resting his eyes. Soon, very soon.

Once back in the Royal Capital, he would immediately set out for his fiefdom. There was no need to notify anyone else; he simply needed to take his mother and sister, along with the necessary personnel and supplies, and set off for the Thousand Lakes Fief.

Seeing the situation in the borderlands, he became even more convinced of his choice.

Golden Rock City was beyond saving; rather than turning a blind eye and sinking with it, it was better to extricate himself as soon as possible. Doing so entailed considerable risk, but the rewards would undoubtedly be substantial.

He led his troops in silence as they marched past, disappearing from view of Roy and the others.

Only after watching the last wagon drive off did he glance up at the sky and order everyone to return to the stronghold.

“My Lord, aren’t we going to continue hunting down the rebel forces?” asked a knight captain.

“It’s going to rain again tonight,” Roy replied, sidestepping the question. Riding his horse past the river mouth and feeling the dampness in the air, he continued, “Mopping up the stragglers will take time; there’s no need to rush.”

The fate of the nobles of the borderlands not only sent shivers down Zax’s spine but also left the nobles of the Royal Capital deep in thought. Though they were the beneficiaries of the status quo, they understood the saying, “When the rabbit dies, the fox mourns.”

Gorod’s actions sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

They couldn’t help but wonder whether annihilating the rebel forces in one fell swoop was necessarily a good idea.

It was an unspoken understanding among them all: using the weather, floods, and sudden ambushes by the rebel forces as excuses, they deliberately dragged out the campaign, seizing the opportunity to consolidate the land they had gained and establish a firm foothold in the borderlands.

They were all striving to strengthen their power, hoping that when a crisis arose, they could defy the king’s orders and avoid suffering the same fate as the nobles of the borderlands.

If one does not look out for oneself, heaven and earth will destroy them.

“This is not my fault, Your Majesty.”

Roy turned his palm upward to catch the falling raindrops.

Through his gloves, he could not feel the rain’s temperature. He simply clenched his fingers, gripping a handful of coolness.

“Speed up!”

At Roy’s command, the column of several hundred knights turned and galloped across the stone bridge upstream, racing toward the fort on the opposite bank of the Trident River.

The thunderous sound of hooves echoed along the riverbank, piercing through the wind and rain, clashing with the sound of the water, and lingering for a long time.

Another night of torrential rain had fallen in the North, yet the Snow Domain was blessed with rare fine weather.

Bathed in brilliant sunshine, Storm City sat atop a mountain peak, surrounded by swirling white mist. A rainbow arched over its ramparts, making the city resemble a gigantic mirage—a wondrous illusion crystallized in the light.

Inside the royal palace, ornate window drapes were drawn back one after another. The floor-to-ceiling windows stood half-open, allowing sunlight to pour into the palace and illuminate every corner. Colorful shadows danced across the floor, walls, and dome, reflecting off one another and shimmering brilliantly.

A ray of light streamed into the Queen’s bedchamber, extending to the corner of the bed and slipping through the gap in the bed curtains. Cen Qing, half-asleep, opened his eyes just as he met Wu Ying’s smiling gaze.

The Wraith King lay on his side beside him, his long hair scattered across the pillow—smooth, lustrous, and not a strand out of place. The collar of his nightgown was slightly open, revealing a sliver of his delicate collarbone.

That slender neck was just inches away; all Cen Qing had to do was lift his head, and his teeth would pierce the cold skin, letting the cool blood flow down his throat.

“Awake?”

The voice sounded right by his ear, and Cen Qing’s wrist was seized.

Wu Ying gently kissed his fingertip, then leaned in close, allowing his fangs to press against her neck: “You needn’t hold back—I will satisfy your desire.”

“Your Majesty, are you spoiling me?” Cen Qing opened his mouth, only to find his voice hoarse beyond recognition.

“I’ve always been spoiling you.” Wu Ying let out a soft chuckle, his chest vibrating slightly with the laughter. “I want to spoil you rotten, so that you’ll never be able to leave me.”

A large hand brushed aside the hair from Cen Qing’s forehead, and soft lips touched the space between his eyebrows.

The Wraith King’s voice was full of seduction, luring him into an involuntary surrender: “No one but me can satisfy you, my Queen.”

“I belong to you—I have always belonged to you, Your Majesty.”

Cen Qing no longer held back.

He wrapped his arms around Wu Ying’s neck, opened his mouth, and his sharp fangs pierced his skin; the tips of his teeth tasted the metallic tang of blood.

Wu Ying gripped the back of Cen Qing’s head, his slender fingers running through his jet-black hair. The gesture was gentle, yet undeniably forceful.

Like holding a beautiful bird—indulging him, doting on him, yet keeping him firmly confined. Giving him everything, yet never allowing him to slip from his grasp. A sound came from outside the door, and the thorn vines appeared in the hallway.

They stood outside the bedchamber, waiting quietly to be summoned, not daring to knock on the door. A long time passed before the door finally swung open.

The morning light was bright, illuminating the floor and casting rippling white shadows. The Wraith King had already risen.

Ignoring the maids who had entered, he pulled back the bed curtains with one hand and leaned down to kiss Cen Qing’s eyes: “I plan to leave the city. Would you be willing to accompany me?”

“A journey?”

“There have been abnormalities in the Wasteland Realm. I will lead a patrol.” The Wraith King looked at Cen Qing, his finger brushing the corner of his eye. “Do you want to go?” 

“I want to go.” Cen Qing took the hand resting by his cheek and nuzzled against it. “I want to be by your side.”

Wu Ying’s smile deepened; he was clearly pleased by Cen Qing’s words.

He kissed Cen Qing’s forehead once more, his breath brushing against the corner of Cen Qing’s mouth as he pressed a light kiss there.

“I have to go,” he said, his tone serious—he was certainly not joking. “Otherwise, you won’t be able to leave the bedroom, and today’s plans will have to be rescheduled.”

“All right,” Cen Qing said, grabbing a handful of silver hair and tilting his head back to kiss Wu Ying’s cheek. Then, smiling, he let go. “Your Majesty, I look forward to traveling with you.”

Wu Ying gazed at him, his finger brushing the spot where she’d kissed him, a smile filling his eyes.

“My Queen, you always bring me joy.”

With those words, he finally stepped away from the bed, passed the maid with thorn vines hanging from her shoulders, and strode out of the room with long strides.

Cen Qing lay on the edge of the bed, watching his retreating figure. He casually picked up a scattered gemstone and held it up to the light, watching the refracted light and shadows dance across it. It was beautiful.

If he remembered correctly, this gemstone had once been set in Wu Ying’s sash. And that sash had been wrapped around his wrist all last night, remaining there until dawn.

Yuanwei and Juandan stepped forward, one on each side, and drew back the window curtains, allowing sunlight to fall upon the bed.

Moli walked over to Cen Qing and handed him the letter brought back by the raven: “Your Majesty, the raven has brought news from the Black Knights.”

Cen Qing took the letter, unfolded it, and skimmed it from beginning to end, confirming that it was written by the captain of the Black Knights; the sweeping, flowing handwriting revealed the writer’s character.

“We arrived safely at the Thousand Lakes Fief. Following the raven’s guidance, we located the secret gold mine, though the path is difficult to traverse and requires a dedicated passage to be cleared.” 

“Sarei discovered the ruins of an ancient city. The city walls are missing, and all the buildings have collapsed; it is currently uninhabitable.”

“There is an abandoned settlement within the territory; it appears people have been living there recently. We are currently searching for those who fled.”

“The team is short-handed.”

The letter wasn’t very long, but the information it provided was quite extensive.

Mino led the Black Knights into the Thousand Lakes Fief. Guided by a flock of crows, they successfully located the secret gold mine beneath a dried-up lake.

The terrain around the mine was rugged, with tangled trees, vines, and dead grass everywhere; where birds could fly, men and horses had to trudge with great difficulty.

The brave knights faced a dilemma.

Holding the letter, Cen Qing could easily imagine the expression on Mino’s face at that moment.

Before mining the ore, they would first need to clear a path to facilitate future travel—at the very least, to ensure the miners could pass through safely. Then there were the ruins of the old city.

Since the existing buildings were unusable, it seemed everyone would have to set up tents. As for the settlement’s inhabitants, Cen Qing wasn’t particularly concerned.

As long as they lived within his domain and were unwilling to move away, they would eventually come forward on their own.

“Things are going fairly smoothly,” Cen Qing said as he folded the letter and stood up from the bed.

He raised his arms to stretch, and the sash of his nightgown came loose, revealing a slender, muscular waist. There were several red marks on his side, fading away, vaguely recognizable as fingerprints.

The maid drew back all the curtains, and the dark-haired member of the vampire clan was bathed in light, his pupils veiled in a mist that concealed a mysterious glow.

“Moli, has there been any news from the North? How is Penorte faring?” he asked.

Moli shook her head and unfolded a new coat, its dark fabric adorned with golden roses that stood out in striking contrast, making it appear even more luxurious and dazzling.

“Nothing yet, Your Majesty.”

“I see.”

Cen Qing looked somewhat disappointed.

Developing the Thousand Lakes Fief required manpower. Whether it was mining, building cities, or even clearing roads, more labor was needed.

“Is there any news on the situation in the Northern Frontier either?” Cen Qing continued. 

“No,” Moli shook her head again.

Compared to the progress in the Thousand Lakes Fief, there was far too little news about Penorte and his party.

“Perhaps we could ask the snow sprite for information?” Yuanwei suggested. “The snow sprite?” Cen Qing looked at her.

“Dambia—the snow sprite who’s most often by your side—is exceptionally well-informed.” 

Yuanwei explained. “The Wraiths have sealed off the borderlands and cleared out all rebel strongholds. They can no longer enter the Snow Domain and have no choice but to make a last-ditch effort. The vampire clan’s Royal Capital has already dispatched troops; unless a miracle occurs, the rebels won’t stand much of a chance—at best, it’ll be a case of mutual destruction.”

“A stalemate would be best,” said Juandan. She bent down to fold up the blanket and swiftly replaced it with a new one.

“I seriously doubt the nobles from the Royal Capital are all that strong in battle,” another maid spoke up. She wasn’t very tall and was rather unremarkable among the maids, easily overlooked.

Her name was Dujuan, an assassin among the maids, most skilled in stealth and assassination.

Back when the maids stormed Golden Rock Fortress, she had taken advantage of the chaos to sneak up behind Gorod, coming within a hair’s breadth of piercing the king’s heart. Unfortunately, she was spotted by a Skeleton Knight, and her mission failed at the last moment.

“Whether anyone wins or loses, it won’t harm His Majesty,” said Moli as she adjusted Cen Qing’s collar and fastened her brooch and collar clasp. “As long as the Black Knights haven’t gone missing or been unlucky enough to get captured, they’ll always send word back. There’s no need to worry—just wait patiently.”

“Indeed.” The maids brought the conversation to a close and returned to their tasks.

Cen Qing adjusted his cuffs but did not rush to leave the room. He turned to ask a maid to bring paper and a pen; he intended to write back to Mino.

“Yuanwei, go to the villa again, release the raven, and send the letter to the Thousand Lakes Fief.”

As he spoke, Cen Qing sat down at the desk and picked up a pen to write a short note.

In the letter, he addressed each of the challenges Mino had raised, providing solutions one by one.

Since mining the secret gold vein was difficult, it could be temporarily set aside; instead, they would first open a passageway, with Tiemu and the others clearing the surrounding area.

“We’ll proceed with mining once the personnel are in place.”

As for the discovered city ruins, they should be further surveyed, and the search area expanded.

If they are worth restoring, the city walls and buildings should be rebuilt on their original sites. If not, they could simply choose another location to first establish settlements and villages, then develop them steadily in the future.

“There’s no need to rush; mistakes are bound to happen when we’re in a hurry.”

You can’t cross mountains and seas in a single stride.

Cen Qing was eager to develop, but he had to face reality.

Given the resources currently at his disposal, only by keeping his feet on the ground and moving forward step by step would his efforts hold true meaning. Having finished the letter, Cen Qing rolled up the paper, sealed it with wax, and pressed his ring against the seal.

Once the wax had hardened, a rose bloomed in all its splendor—a symbol of Cen Qing, the purest royal descendant of the vampire clan.

“Yuanwei.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The maid serving the thorn vines stepped forward to take the letter, curtsied, and withdrew from the room, quickly leaving the palace for the country estate.

“Your Majesty, where would you like to have breakfast?” Moli asked.

If Cen Qing didn’t want to go to the dining hall, breakfast could be brought to his room.

The snow sprites were more than happy to serve; they never hesitated to offer their services, which, for the first time ever, made the thorn vines feel a sense of unease.

“I’ll go to the dining hall,” Cen Qing said as he rose from the table, his black hair falling smoothly over her shoulders. A breeze blew in through the half-open window, carrying a hint of coolness—though nowhere near as biting as the winter chill.

This is a sign that spring is coming.

“What will spring be like in the Snow Domain?” Cen Qing tilted her head to look out the window, unable to suppress her curiosity. The maids knew nothing about the seasons in the Snow Domain.

But they didn’t like spring in Golden Rock City.

When it came to the Vampire Royal Capital during this season, they began to talk at length.

“You were born at the end of winter, and before you knew it, it was spring. It had been raining nonstop in the Royal Capital for days on end; the sun hadn’t shown its face, and the air was thick with a damp, musty smell—it felt suffocating,” said Juandan.

Every spring, Golden Rock City was always filled with a musty smell.

“Moss grows wildly everywhere. I remember the Red Castle was once so overrun by green that it practically changed color. It took a lot of effort to clean it up,” said another maid.

“And then there are the bugs everywhere—oh my goodness, I hate them!”

The thorn vines opened up, expressing their lack of fondness for spring in the Royal Capital of the vampire clan. Especially the dungeons beneath the palace.

They had been trapped there for a hundred years—damp, cold, and always filled with the stench of decay, strange noises, and the lingering smell of blood.

“It’ll be different here,” Cen Qing said, suddenly stopping as he stepped out of the room. He turned to look at the maids and smiled. “I promise you, things will be different. You’ll never have to go through any of that awful stuff again.”

His words carried a deeper meaning—one that went beyond the seasons.

The maids lifted their skirts and bowed deeply to him, offering no effusive words, only boundless loyalty and gratitude.

“Your Majesty, thank you for your kindness.”

As the group entered the corridor, Cen Qing suddenly remembered that he hadn’t seen the snow leopard cub since yesterday.

“Where’s Snowball?” he asked Moli.

A maid pointed out the window, gesturing for Cen Qing to look toward the courtyard.

Cen Qing peered out curiously and soon spotted the snow leopard, which had grown noticeably larger.

It was running around the courtyard, circling the enormous snow wolf. Not long ago, it had been quite afraid of that wolf.

“What’s going on?” Cen Qing asked in surprise.

“The snow sprite stepped in to communicate with the wolf; it won’t attack the cub anymore. On the contrary, it’s been kept occupied.” Moli’s expression was a bit peculiar. “The snow leopard is growing up; it’s becoming more and more lively and active. It needs to play and learn. In the palace, only that wolf is suitable to keep it company.”

“Is it willing? I mean, the snow wolf.”

“At least it doesn’t object.”

Cen Qing looked out the window again. The snow leopard cub was gradually losing its cute appearance, growing the sharp fangs and claws of a predator. Still, compared to the snow wolf, it was still just a tiny thing.

It kept crouching and pouncing, letting out growls—as if it were playing, yet also as if it were practicing hunting and fighting. Without a doubt, it was growing up in its own way.

“That’s a good thing.”

Cen Qing said with a smile, then turned his gaze away and continued toward the dining hall.