Chapter Sixty-Five: A New Alliance

Whistler instinctively widened his eyes, staring at Gu Chongyan in disbelief.

Gu Chongyan nodded slightly and smiled. “Hello, Mr. Whistler. I’m Shawn Gu, a wizard. If you don’t mind, just call me Shawn.”

Whistler came back to himself and turned to look at Blade. “Eric, is this true? You’re not lying to me?”

Blade nodded, then stepped forward and explained the circumstances under which Gu Chongyan had requested their cooperation. After a moment’s hesitation, he also described in detail the scene where Gu Chongyan used Fragmentation and then restored himself to his original state.

Just like Blade, after hearing all this, Whistler’s gaze toward Gu Chongyan was filled with wariness.

“All right, honored wizard, since you possess such formidable abilities, why do you wish to cooperate with small-timers like us? Forgive me, but I don’t quite understand.”

Gu Chongyan shook his head at these words. “Small-timers? No, Mr. Whistler, you underestimate yourselves—or rather, you underestimate Blade. As far as the realm of vampires is concerned, he is quite a significant figure.”

Both Whistler and Blade were taken aback by this, looking at Gu Chongyan in confusion, unable to grasp his meaning.

Gu Chongyan smiled at their expressions but did not explain. It was only after reading the Vampire Bible that he came to know the truth.

Many people knew that Blade was a unique existence, but few realized just how much more extraordinary he was than they imagined.

Blade was a hybrid of human and vampire, bearing the bloodlines of both. In the history of vampires, there had only ever been one such being.

The Grand Sorcerer Varna, the so-called progenitor of vampires.

Yes, as the very first vampire in history, Varna could not truly be considered a pure vampire, but rather a mage possessing the abilities of a vampire.

In the arcane world, there is a saying: all coincidences are inevitable.

That Blade possessed the same constitution as Varna meant, in a sense, that he could be seen as the incarnation of the vampire progenitor.

It was for this reason that Blade could so easily distinguish between humans and vampires—for all vampires could be considered his descendants.

Thus, Blade’s blood could open the Hall of Eternal Night, and during the Festival of Eternal Night, when the other pureblood vampires perished after the sacrifice, he alone survived.

All this was enough to prove how unique Blade was.

The Vampire Bible, as the foundation and primer of black magic in the Marvel universe, had greatly helped Gu Chongyan understand the true nature of the world’s magic. The records of the vampire transformation ritual, in particular, gave him new inspiration regarding his own magic.

Through studying the Vampire Bible, he realized that, if used wisely, the existence of vampires might bring him considerable benefit.

That was why he sought out Blade just as the Defenders were preparing to eradicate the vampires.

After all, as Varna’s successor, even if Blade himself was not exceedingly powerful, the symbolic and research value of his magical nature was extraordinary.

If his conjectures were correct, perhaps his own magical power would not increase much this time, but his overall strength and foundation would surely double.

Seeing that Gu Chongyan did not elaborate, the two men’s brows furrowed even more tightly.

After a moment’s thought, Whistler spoke. “Wizard, I’d like to know—if we refuse, what will you do? Will you use your magic to kill us?”

At these words, Blade immediately tensed, his gaze fixed warily on Gu Chongyan.

But Gu Chongyan’s expression remained unchanged; instead, he even smiled. “Mr. Whistler, what kind of man do you take me for? A monstrous fiend, a butcher who slaughters without remorse?”

“My cooperation with you is for the purpose of eradicating vampires. If you are unwilling, I will not force you.”

“But I must remind you: the influence of the vampire blood within Blade is growing ever stronger. Eventually, you will be unable to suppress it. If you don’t take measures, it is only a matter of time before he becomes a vampire.”

“And as for you, Mr. Whistler—how many more years do you think your cancer will allow you to keep fighting like this?”

“Once you are gone, do you truly believe Blade can keep going on his own?”

As he spoke, Gu Chongyan sighed deeply, looking at them both with genuine regret.

“If you refuse, all I can feel for you is pity. After all, if you work with me, Blade need no longer be tormented by his vampire blood. As for your cancer, Mr. Whistler—while I cannot cure it, I can halt its progression, at least allowing you to live out your natural life in peace.”

“If I were you, I would think not only of myself—but also of each other.”

“Mr. Whistler, do you truly wish for Blade to become an inhuman vampire, forever consumed by remorse and regret in his immortal existence?”

“And Blade, do you really want to watch Whistler wither away and die, slowly tormented by cancer?”

Hearing this, both men’s expressions changed. They could not help but look at each other, their eyes filled with undisguised concern.

There was no denying it: Blade and Whistler were both tough men, strong in spirit. But no matter how strong a man, there is always a soft spot in his heart.

Thus, they could ignore their own pain but could never bear to see their loved one suffer.

Gu Chongyan’s words were like two sharp blades, stabbing straight into their weaknesses, impossible to dismiss.

“Think carefully about what I’ve said. As you noted, with my power, I could destroy the vampires even without your help—it would merely be more troublesome, nothing more.”

With that, Gu Chongyan turned to leave, as if he had given up on cooperation.

Seeing this, the two hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back. In the end, it was the younger man who faltered first, unable to suppress his urgency.

As Gu Chongyan turned away, Blade could no longer restrain himself and called out, “Wait!”

The corners of Gu Chongyan’s lips curled slightly as he turned back and smiled. “Is there something else?”

Blade glanced at Whistler, his gaze lingering on the other’s white hair. Determination flashed in his eyes as he spoke.

“I agree to work with you. But first, you must prove you can treat Whistler’s cancer.”

“If you’re telling the truth—whether it’s the Vampire Bible or anything else—we’ll follow your lead.”

“No problem,” Gu Chongyan replied with a broad grin. “Mr. Whistler, you’ve studied the Vampire Bible for so long—you’re halfway to being a man of the arcane yourself. Surely you recognize this?”

As he spoke, Gu Chongyan produced a glass vial the size of a palm. The crystalline liquid inside glowed with a warm light, like a sunbeam on a winter’s day, filling one with comfort.

At the sight, Whistler’s eyes widened in shock and he cried out, “This—this is holy water from the Church, and at the very least, it’s been blessed and sanctified by a cardinal!”