Outside the manor.All the attendants stood quietly downstairs, waiting.Behind Anna, Li Xiao was very curious: what kind of important person would Thorne require such a grand display to welcome?While they waited, it wasn’t long.The distant Outside the manor, all the attendants stood quietly downstairs, waiting.
Behind Anna, Li Xiao was very curious: what kind of important person would Thorne require such a grand display to welcome?
While they waited, it wasn’t long before the distant motorcade passed through the manor gates and slowly drove in.
The car stopped downstairs, and the old butler, Micah, eagerly stepped forward to open the car door.
When the door opened, a ridiculous scene was revealed inside.
A noblewoman was leaning in the arms of a young man, her face flushed.
“Madam Irina, you’ve returned.” “Irina?
Isn’t that the name of the mistress of this house?” Li Xiao looked at the somewhat unseemly scene in the car and couldn’t help but glance at Patriarch Thorne.
Seeing Thorne’s normal expression and Butler Micah’s smiling attitude, Li Xiao only felt that this world had gone mad.
He finally understood that the Pure-blood’s bizarre thought process wasn’t unique to Thorne.
With the car door open, Irina, seemingly with some regret, tidied her already disheveled clothes.
She extended her hand and, with Micah’s support, got out of the car.
Her gaze swept past Thorne, who was closest, and landed on Anna.
“My little princess, it’s been months, and Mama misses you so much.” Embraced and feeling the softness from above her head, a hint of helplessness flashed across Anna’s face.
She pushed Irina away with effort, pouting with a touch of disdain: “How could Mother miss me?
You’re already home, yet you still don’t mind appearances.
Aren’t you afraid Father will get angry?” Irina ruffled Anna’s head.
“Don’t talk about that.
Come, Mama will take you to meet your future husband.” Irina said this and, without waiting for Anna’s reaction, pulled her to the front of the car.
At this moment, the young man from earlier also stepped out of the car.
“Anna, this is Marcus Toredo, a very outstanding male among the unmarried Vampires.” As she spoke, Irina’s eyes seemed to be reminiscing about something.
The Vampire youth, Marcus, extended his hand with a polite smile.
“Hello, Miss Anna.
It’s a pleasure to meet you.
You are truly, as Madam Irina said, like a blooming rose.” A flicker of discomfort crossed Anna’s eyes, but her upbringing in etiquette, despite her reluctance, made her extend her hand.
“Hello, Sir Marcus.” Marcus’s demeanor was very gentlemanly, making it hard to believe that he was one of the protagonists of the absurd scene just now.
He lowered his head and lightly kissed Anna’s hand, praising: “Miss Anna, you are as beautiful as your mother.
If I may, I would be very willing to become your husband.” Anna, completely unprepared at this moment, could only silently withdraw her hand.
Marcus still smiled, his gaze turning to Thorne.
“Patriarch Thorne, I’ve long heard of your esteemed name.
Father often says that among all the legitimate branches of Toredo, the Angier Family has always been that bright pearl, orbiting the dark moon.” Thorne smiled and nodded, accepting the compliment calmly.
“Marcus, thank your father for his appreciation.” “My manor is always open to you.
Come quickly, the Angier Family has prepared a grand banquet for your arrival.” “Please.” Marcus smiled and nodded, then, surrounded by everyone, walked into the manor’s banquet hall.
Irina naturally linked arms with Thorne; the earlier absurdity seemed not to have affected the feelings of this Vampire couple…
In the banquet hall, this time, Li Xiao finally didn’t have to suffer guarding the door.
Thorne introduced Marcus to many influential figures of Eternal Night City.
In a corner of the banquet, Li Xiao stood bored behind Irina and Anna, the mother and daughter whispering to each other.
Li Xiao, meanwhile, looked around, observing the important people present.
Among them was a very ugly old man, whose appearance and attire strongly resembled a certain Vampire elder from an animated movie Li Xiao had watched in his previous life.
With gaunt limbs, a face covered in black spots like a banana, and a fashion sense that was clearly that of an old relic from the last century.
It was hard to imagine that such a scruffy and ugly old man would be the City Lord of Eternal Night City.
“You really can’t judge a book by its cover.” Although he was already a deacon, Li Xiao still didn’t have the qualifications to sit at the table at this banquet.
He could only stand loosely behind Anna, like a wooden figure.
Li Xiao was bored, his mind wandering, when…
The mistress, Irina, turned her head.
She carefully sized up Li Xiao, then reached out to feel his eight-pack abs, which felt like iron blocks.
This sudden touching made Li Xiao jump, and he instinctively took half a step back.
“Hehe—” Irina raised her hand to cover her red lips and chuckled softly, her expressive eyes with their blood-red pupils flashing red, as if imagining something inappropriate for children.
“Your body is very robust.
Your Familiar is quite good, Anna.” Anna turned and glared fiercely at Li Xiao, pouting.
Her complaining tone to Irina was somewhat like a child’s wheedling with an adult.
“Mother, please tell Father not to let him follow me around every day.
Just seeing him puts me in a bad mood.” “Is that so?
I think he’s quite nice.” Irina’s eyes held a teasing look as she beckoned to Li Xiao.
Li Xiao lowered his head and pursed his lips.
“Am I really that charming?” Seeing Irina’s expression, Anna knew that her mother hadn’t listened to her earlier words at all, and she could only sigh in resignation.
“Beep—beep beep.” Li Xiao, who was staying out of it, felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.
Li Xiao picked up his phone and glanced at it.
He hadn’t expected Tang Lai to call; something must have happened.
“Madam Irina, Miss Anna, please excuse me for a moment.” “Go ahead, handsome boy.” Irina smiled, her lips curving.
“Anna tells me you live next door to her.
Remember not to lock your door tonight…” Hearing this, Li Xiao, who was turning away, stumbled, nearly reenacting a cartoon-like fall on flat ground.
…
Leaving the banquet hall, Li Xiao couldn’t help but inwardly grumble: “So this is a Pure-blood Vampire, I’ve seen it now.” Shaking his head and clearing Irina’s voluptuous figure from his mind, Li Xiao answered the phone.
“Big Brother Tang, what’s wrong?” On the other end of the line, Tang Lai’s voice was urgent.
“Boss, someone trashed our company, and the leader left a message, demanding that we immediately stop our Conversion business, otherwise, they’ll keep coming back.” Li Xiao frowned upon hearing this.
He hadn’t expected his industry, which he considered his foundation, to be coveted so quickly.
“Do you know the identity of the people who came?” “Clenton is a native of Eternal Night City.
He knows this group is an underground gangster organization called the ‘Dark Cult’.” “Gangsters?” Thinking of this, Li Xiao’s face darkened.
It truly was a case of ‘the more things change, the more they stay the same.’ Even in a supernatural world, such parasites as gangsters existed.
It was truly infuriating.
Though surprised, Li Xiao wasn’t shocked.
There were plenty of strange beings in this world, so a gang wasn’t out of place.
“How strong is the Dark Cult?” “Unclear.” Tang Lai shook his head on the other end of the phone.
“We only know they have a large sphere of influence in the South District, involved in many illicit activities.
It’s said that many fraudulent intermediary companies have their shadows behind them.” After all that, Li Xiao roughly understood the situation.
It was nothing more than having disrupted someone else’s moneymaking path and being sought out for revenge.
But thinking about it, it made sense.
Fraud could be done countless times.
A genuine transaction like that of the Wish Fulfillment Company was more of a one-time deal.
If everyone was Converted, where would these fraudsters go to deceive people?
Li Xiao glanced at his status panel.
After this period of development, his bloodline already numbered over a thousand people.
The vast quantity brought about very obvious improvements.
His strength as a “Peak Grandmaster” already stood at the pinnacle of Fifth-tier Transcendent.
“Aside from a small handful of people, not many in Eternal Night City should be able to threaten me.” Li Xiao assessed his strength and immediately made a decision.
“Understood.
Don’t act rashly yet.
Wait for me to come.
These people are treating me like a soft persimmon; I have to break them in half.” The call ended.
In the stuffy company office, Tang Lai looked at the other three with a sigh of relief.
“It’s okay now.
The boss said he’ll handle it personally and told us not to act rashly for now.” Huang Qiushui nodded without speaking, but there was a hint of worry in her eyes.
Imperceptibly, she began to worry about Li Xiao without even realizing it, her knuckles clutching the black book turning white.
“Still too weak.
Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been attacked.” Klinton Platinum sighed.
The few people sitting there didn’t know what to say, as it was the truth.
They were all newly Converted Vampires, still First-tier.
Although they had begun cultivating the Transcendent system, they hadn’t yet entered the gates.
Amidst their despondency, Tang Lai seemed to remember something, making a mental note to tell Li Xiao in person when they met…