“No, Lord Rorona was personally granted a True Name by Master!”
“How could we let Lord Rorona hold the rear!”
The vampires looked at Rorona and hastily began to plead with him.
“Master granting me a True Name was definitely not so I could hide behind all of you.”
“Receiving a True Name also brings responsibility.”
“For Master's path, so what if I must sacrifice myself?”
“This path is destined to be filled with thorns and blood. Have we not long since prepared ourselves?”
“To follow closely behind Master!”
“Go, quickly!”
“Now is not the time for you to hesitate!”
Rorona shouted.
In the pitch-black sewer, eyes shining like rubies brimmed with tears.
“Yes!”
In the end, the remaining vampires dashed into the depths of the darkness with their rescued kin.
But then, an unexpected development arose.
A figure emerged from the darkness, blocking all of the vampires.
He held a longsword and was dressed completely in black, his black leather boots tapping crisply against the ground.
“The sewers...”
He raised his sword, let out a laugh, and continued.
“They really suit you rats.”
“I never expected vampires to actually come and rescue other vampires.”
He drew closer, step by step.
Rorona's brow furrowed tightly. Tonight was probably going to be real trouble.
“It seems you are the leader of these rats.”
The dark figure looked toward Rorona.
“Who are you?”
Rorona asked calmly.
“I am Budale So.”
“A hunter.”
Once Budale finished speaking, more and more figures stepped out from behind him.
Behind them, the pursuing guards had also bypassed the barrier of black flames.
They were now surrounded on all sides.
“In the end, did I still misunderstand, Master?”
“I really did disappoint you. Did I fail to decipher your true meaning...”
Rorona murmured under his breath.
He only hoped his failure would not affect Master's grand plan.
“Lord Rorona, even if you are the only one,”
“please, make sure you escape alive.”
“You are far more important to Master.”
The vampire beside him had already prepared for the worst.
Rorona merely glanced at them and said nothing.
But drawing his sword made it clear he would not simply walk away over the corpses of his companions.
“Though I would love to investigate the origin of you vampires...”
“As long as you, the leader, are alive, I should be able to get the answers I want.”
“So, my apologies.”
“Except for you, I will kill every last one of these rats.”
Budale extended his longsword, pointing it at Rorona with contempt in his eyes.
It was as though he were not looking at vampires, but rather a literal nest of rats.
“Though it will dirty my sword a bit,”
“but seeing your corpses sink into the filthy water of the sewer will be quite a pleasing sight.”
Budale's voice echoed through the empty sewer.
“So now, die.”
With a swing of his sword, Budale dashed forward.
But the moment he lunged, Budale lost all sensation in his legs, collapsing onto the ground.
He looked down at his lower half.
Then, his eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
His entire lower body had been cleanly sliced off, blood spurting out with a soft hissing sound.
Following that, he felt something heavy land on his back.
It seemed to be a person, stepping right onto his back.
“What did you just say? I didn't hear clearly.”
“Could you please say it again?”
Only then did the agonizing pain finally register in his brain.
“Aaaaargh!”
The scream was choked in his throat.
“Master!”
Rorona stared at Li Xiuman in utter disbelief.
How!
How could Master possibly appear in the sewers?
Could it be...
Rorona gazed at Li Xiuman.
Once again, he felt the truth of Sister Jetis's words.
The more you try to fathom Master, the more unfathomable you feel he is.
Sometimes, it even makes one break into a cold sweat, as if staring into the abyss only to have the abyss stare back.
He had never told Master about this plan.
Yet, at the critical moment, Master appeared in the sewers to save him.
Master must have...
...directly deduced his plan and noticed the vulnerabilities in it,
allowing him to show up in the sewers just in time...
Combining this with Master arriving in White Crystal City at this specific time,
it was highly likely that Master had already predicted a complication would occur here while he was still in White Bear City, and came to clean up his mess.
It certainly couldn't be that Master was unwilling to pay lodging fees and lived in the sewers to save money, right?
Just how incredibly brilliant and calculating was Master?
Rorona felt as if Master were looking down on them from high above...
Li Xiuman slowly straightened up.
He looked at Rorona, and then at the group of tattered vampires behind him.
He was currently very, very, very confused.
Why was Rorona in White Crystal City?
Why were there so many vampires in White Crystal City?
Why were there so many vampires who looked like they had just been rescued from some castle dungeon?
Why on earth are you all in the sewers?
Why did you happen to start fighting right outside my doorstep?
Why are you looking at me with those eyes that say, “As expected of Master, everything is under Master's control”?
Why...
Damn it, there were just too many baffling things.
For a brief moment, Li Xiuman even suspected he had been cursed by some strange force.
His place was already almost too crowded to house any more vampires.
And yet, they were still bringing more vampires home without making a sound...
Cough, cough. Well, on the account that these vampires could properly clear dungeons to earn money and be self-sufficient,
Li Xiuman didn't really mind. They were like little cats—since he fed them regularly, they just brought back more stray cats.
Looking at those ruby-red eyes that gazed back at him, filled with anticipation and excitement,
what should he say now?
Damn it, what was he supposed to say right now?
What could he say to maintain his dignity as their master?
In this situation, although he had no clue what was going on, Rorona had probably messed up, right?
“...You have greatly disappointed me.”
After pondering for a long time, Li Xiuman spoke.
Hearing those words, Rorona's suspicions were instantly confirmed.
Indeed!
As expected!
Everything was within Master's calculations.
What profound foresight!
Was this the “Abyss Mode” Master that Sister Jetis spoke of?
He was bottomless, completely bottomless!
“Everything was within Master's expectations.”
“Rorona has disappointed Master and almost ruined Master's plans.”
“Rorona is willing to accept whatever punishment follows.”
Li Xiuman was more bewildered than ever.
I don't have a plan! Don't just make things up!
What plan of mine? Why am I completely in the dark here?
Damn it, I really want to ask you guys what my plan is.
But if I ask that, the last shred of my dignity as Master will be completely swept away.
For this very reason,
Li Xiuman chose a long, wicked path.
Pretending to understand when he didn't.
Little did Li Xiuman know that this was where the wickedness truly began.
He simply spoke:
“Everything is under my control.”
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