After Taken as a Prisoner of War, the Vampire Queen Turned Me Into a Vampire and Made Me Her Daughter-Chapter 253: Sunset

“Families of Heavenly Sin brought disaster to the realm of mortals, leaving the boneyards of heroes in embers…”

Ji Bai could not recall who had originally said those words to him. They tumbled from his lips as if guided by an unseen force, leaving him momentarily bewildered.

“…Families of Heavenly Sin…” Gordon echoed the phrase softly to himself. “Who told you this?”

“I’ve forgotten.” After a moment of contemplation, Ji Bai shook his head. “I just vaguely recall hearing it somewhere.”

The familiar cadence of Gordon’s words seemed to have struck a chord deep within his consciousness, prompting an immediate, instinctive response.

“You don’t remember?” Gordon did not doubt him in the slightest. The very notion that this guileless tin can could deceive anyone was questionable in and of itself; Someone simple and bullheaded like Ji Bai was utterly incapable of deceiving someone without broadcasting his guilt to the world.

“Is it that important to you?”

“Not particularly. Just rang a bell, that’s all.” Gordon replied after a moment of thought, not dwelling much on it. “I remember seeing them etched on some hidden magical ruins.”

“When beings of higher realms descend, the half-shattered tower shall crumble, surrendering its form to dust…?” Ji Bai stroked his chin, lost in deep contemplation, before abandoning that train of thought shortly after.

Those phrases were like oil and water, devoid of any causal link to each other. He could not make any sense of them at all.

“So, you know your way around this place?”

“I was born and raised here.”

“Looks like I’ve lucked out, finding the local tough guy right off the bat.” Gordon said as he fished out a lollipop and popped it into his mouth. “Mind giving me a tour of your hometown? I’m dying to see that half-collapsed crystal tower that’s been standing since the last epoch.”

“No problem.” Though Ji Bai had a sneaking suspicion that there was more to Gordon’s request, he did not press the issue. After all, everyone had skeletons in the closet they were desperate to keep hidden.

“We should find a place to stay first. With all these people in the city, we’ll be searching all day for a hotel if we wait too long.” Lin suggested, glancing back at the queue that seemed to stretch on forever.

“Mhm.” As a native of Silk Shuttle City, Ji Bai knew its streets and alleys like the back of his hand since childhood. Naturally, he was the perfect guide to show the two newcomers around.

Although years had passed since he last set foot in his hometown, the reunion failed to evoke a myriad of emotions and memories within him. All he felt was a faint whisper of warmth and belonging, stirred by the familiar air he breathed.

“Follow me.” Ji Bai led the way.

Every tree and blade of grass was just as he remembered years ago. The layout remained mostly the same, save for a few new storefronts with unfamiliar names.

Silk Shuttle City looked just as it had when he left, unchanged even in the face of countless departures. He was fairly certain that his former house should still be standing on the southwest corner of the city.

Perhaps she was in this very city, just like him, at this moment.

Ji Bai shook those thoughts aside and led the way, veering them away from the southwestern part of the city – Whether that was intentional or not, he could not tell.

——————————

“Most impressive. It seems he knows exactly what he’s doing.” A middle-aged man reclined languidly in a silk chair, a wide smile spreading across his face as he generously offered his praise. “I’d thought about offering a few pointers, but it appears that was completely unnecessary. The Vice Chivalric Head’s arrangements were spot on.”

“Hayaki, were there any noteworthy incidents lately?”

“All is well.” The masked figure standing guard beside him stopped mid sentence.

“If you have something to say, don’t hold back. There’s no need to hide it. Aren’t we all family here?” A playful grin appeared on the man’s face.

“I’m afraid the young miss may not look favorably upon this.”

“Ah, so this is what’s troubling you? Have no fear, she’s my daughter, and she understands her position and mission. When the time comes, she won’t lose her composure.”

“Speaking of which…” A knowing, mischievous aura radiated from the middle-aged man’s smile. “How are things developing between you two?”

“It’s… alright.” The masked man slightly averted his gaze while wearing an unreadable expression.

“Hahaha. I know an old geezer like me shouldn’t meddle in the fiery love affairs of the young. Still, remember this: moderation in all things. A girl won’t take to a man who’s overly passionate,” The middle-aged man said, a hint of playfulness in his tone.

“Fear not, Your Lordship. Our relationship is nothing but proper.”

“Hahaha, Hayaki. Is that a hint of shyness I see?”

“Not at all, Your Lordship. Though I humbly request that such jests be avoided in the future.” The masked man replied in a rigid and methodical manner.

“Alright, alright. I shan’t meddle in the affairs between you youngsters anymore.” The middle-aged man’s smile faded, his expression turning serious once more. “Just remember this above all else: Never forget your mission. This responsibility, etched into our very blood since birth, is not hers alone to bear.”

“It shall be done, Your Lordship.”

——————————

“So, this is what remains of the crystal tower?”

Crafted entirely from crystal, an icy-blue tower glittered brilliantly, casting off a kaleidoscope of colors under the sun. A sturdy guardrail encircled the structure, bearing signs that warned visitors to keep out of the area.

“It seems to go on forever,” Gordon murmured to himself, seemingly lost in wonder.

“To see the tower in its entirety, you’d have to go a few kilometers outside the city. From there, you should be able to faintly make out its spire reaching high into the sky.” Acting as their guide, Ji Bai began to explain the place to them.

“Any idea when it was built?”

“Who knows? It could date back to the previous era, the one preceding it… or even the first epoch.”

“That’s really incredible. To think it endured for millennia without crumbling in the slightest …Seriously, what material did they build this out of?” Gordon shielded his eyes from the tower’s reflection, his curiosity piqued.

“No idea.” Ji Bai’s response failed to satisfy his curiosity.

“You’re kidding, right? Don’t tell me your Temple Association friends never bothered to study its structure in detail?”

“We tried, but to no avail,” Ji Bai said, shaking his head. “The material used in its construction is so impenetrable, it’s like chipping away at a mountain – We couldn’t get a single sample from it.”

“Which leads me to believe that some divine workmanship is at play here; no lesser being could ever create something like this.”

“…Have you ever wondered… how this tower collapsed all those years ago?” Gordon muttered, gazing at the spire that soared far beyond his sight.

What kind of being could have possessed the might to cleave this impenetrable tower into two?

“Say, vampire, is your kind capable of this level of craftsmanship?” Gordon asked, the question slipping from his lips at the sight of Lin approaching.

“Probably not… Anyway, have either of you noticed that red streak lingering on the horizon?” Lin pointed towards the sky, her face expressionless.

“Hmm??” Ji Bai’s brows furrowed slightly.

“Red streak?” Gordon instantly felt there was more to Lin’s words than met the eye, and turned his attention toward the setting sun in the sky.

“So, you’re saying… when the sun’s halfway down the tower, something strange will happen?”

“No, what I’m trying to say is…”

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

“Bonk!” Lin brought Ji Bai’s and Gordon’s heads together.

“It’s already sundown. We all agreed to find a hotel, didn’t we? Well? ” Each word seemed to scrape past her gritted teeth, leaving a beat of silence in its wake.