Chapter Sixty-Four: Reunion with the Blade

Chaos and slaughter seem to be the eternal undertones of New York’s nights.

In a damp alley, a middle-aged man in a suit was fleeing in terror, his face twisted with visible panic.

Swish!

A silver arc sliced through the darkness, tracing a beautiful curve as it passed through the man’s throat.

A bright flash of red, like a miniature sun of annihilation, bloomed and faded in the alleyway.

The middle-aged man vanished in an instant, leaving only a wisp of ash and an S-shaped silver boomerang lying quietly on the ground.

Footsteps echoed, clear and measured, approaching from the distance. From the shadows emerged Blade, the warrior who had once crossed paths with Gu Zhongyan.

Tall, imposing, dressed in stylish gear with a cold, steely demeanor—anyone who laid eyes on him would have to admit: he looked cool.

Yet this aura of coolness was destined to be disrupted by a single remark.

As Blade crouched to retrieve the boomerang from the ashes, a teasing voice rang out beside him.

“I meant to ask last time we met—why do you wear sunglasses in the dead of night? Can you really see anything?”

Click!

Hide, spin, draw—three actions completed in the blink of an eye. In an instant, Blade moved from the center of the alley to behind a trash can, and somehow, the cold barrel of his shotgun was already aimed at the young Chinese man not far away.

“It’s you?” Blade looked at Gu Zhongyan in surprise, a flicker of astonishment crossing his face. He quickly holstered his shotgun and turned to leave, clearly uninterested in any conversation.

Gu Zhongyan raised an eyebrow, his voice ringing out, “Leaving already? Aren’t you curious why I’m here?”

“Not interested,” Blade replied coldly, like an emotionless machine.

“Even if I could suppress your vampire blood, free you from the increasingly useless anti-serum, you still wouldn’t be interested?” Gu Zhongyan smiled deeply.

Blade’s steps halted. He turned slightly, glancing at Gu Zhongyan. “What did you say?”

Gu Zhongyan stepped forward, smiling faintly. “Lately you’ve been struggling more and more to control your thirst for blood, haven’t you? Even increasing the dose of your serum does little to quell your vampire side.”

“If this continues, you’ll become just like the creatures you hunt—a full vampire.”

“But I happen to have the means to suppress the vampire blood within you. So, are you willing to talk now?”

Blade’s brow furrowed, and he fixed Gu Zhongyan with a deep gaze. “What do you want?”

“Cooperation,” Gu Zhongyan replied. “You’re a vampire hunter. Coincidentally, I have an interest in these blood-drinking creatures of the dark. We can work together.”

“There are too many vampires in this city. You’re skilled, but killing them all is a daunting task.”

“That’s why you need help, and I am precisely the person who can offer you that help.”

“You possess both human and vampire blood, inheriting the strengths of both. If you allow me to conduct some research, I might find a way to distinguish humans from vampires.”

“Once that’s done, eradicating vampires will be much simpler.”

“Also, if I’m not mistaken, you should still have part of the Vampire Bible. I’d like you to give it to me. In return, I can help suppress your bloodline, and perhaps even heal Whistler’s crippled leg. What do you think?”

Blade did not answer but countered, “What about that vampire from before? What did you do to her?”

Realizing Blade still suspected the influence of Lilith, Gu Zhongyan laughed. “Don’t worry. I used her for a bit of experimentation. Once I was done, I sent her to meet the great vampire progenitor.”

“Why should I trust you?” Blade narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Gu Zhongyan.

Gu Zhongyan smiled lightly, flicking his wand nonchalantly. “Because I could have easily subdued you and turned you into a specimen for others to dissect, but I haven’t. I’m still here, negotiating with you in good faith.”

“Shatter!”

“Restore!”

A brilliant light shot from the wand, smashing a gaping hole in the ground behind Blade with a thunderous boom.

Before Blade could react, an invisible force swept across the earth. Like a film in reverse, the scattered bricks flew back, and the shattered ground instantly returned to its original state.

Behind his sunglasses, Blade’s pupils contracted, his body tensing. His hands instinctively reached for the mithril sword on his back and the shotgun at his waist.

Yet, as his fingers brushed the hilt, Blade caught himself. Facing such overwhelming power, he realized he stood little chance. Slowly, he withdrew his hands from his weapons.

Seeing this, Gu Zhongyan smiled broadly. “Well? Are you willing to trust me now?”

He believed his smile to be sincere, but after the display just now, Blade could see nothing but threat in it.

“Cooperation isn’t mine to decide alone. I have to discuss it with my partner,” Blade said after a moment of silence.

“No problem,” Gu Zhongyan replied cheerfully, shrugging. “In fact, I’m quite interested in your adoptive father, Whistler. Let me give you a ride—I’d like to say hello.”

As he spoke, he stepped forward, grabbed Blade before he could react, and waved his wand.

“Apparate!”

A dizzying whirl, and Blade’s vision blurred. Suddenly, he found himself staring at the familiar abandoned factory.

He sucked in a cold breath, unease settling in his heart. He hadn’t expected Gu Zhongyan to have even found his secret base. If this man harbored ill intent, neither he nor Whistler would escape alive.

Ignoring Blade’s wary gaze, Gu Zhongyan greeted him with enthusiasm. “Why stare at me? Let’s go. Didn’t you want to consult Whistler?”

With that, he strode boldly inside.

Passing through the factory’s abandoned machinery, they soon spotted an elderly man with white hair, still vigorous, working on a machine with a wrench. Several submachine guns lay nearby, giving him the air of a munitions depot guard.

Hearing footsteps, Whistler turned and immediately saw Blade’s grim expression and Gu Zhongyan’s friendly smile.

“Eric, did you forget? This is our secret base, not a children’s playground. What’s with this kid?” Whistler frowned, pointing at Gu Zhongyan.

Blade replied gruffly, “Remember I told you about that so-called wizard I ran into raiding a vampire bar? This is him.”