"Could one person really be responsible for all this carnage?" Ye Qingyi whispered under her breath. Was it even conceivable for a single individual to achieve such destruction?
Sun Ting struggled to believe it herself, yet the evidence was undeniable. "Perhaps he's the disciple of some powerful master, disguising himself as a deliveryman."
Even An Bai found Sun Ting's hypothesis plausible. How else could someone possess such strength as to massacre an entire neighborhood?
"How did she end up like this?" Ye Qingyi muttered, holding her breath against the stench of blood as she stepped inside to examine the scene.
An Bai whispered nervously, "It's as if all the blood has been drained from her body. Could it be… some kind of monster?"
Sun Ting tapped An Bai on the head. "Too many TV shows have warped your mind. Monsters? Honestly."
"But she was drained dry," An Bai pouted, rubbing her sore spot. What if Tang Ze decided she'd asked too many questions? Would he put a bullet through her head?
Ye Qingyi agreed with An Bai. There wasn't a single trace of blood left in the corpse. Something this strange—it couldn't possibly be natural. A virus, perhaps?
"Let's keep moving. We need to check the next house."
At the next residence, the three women encountered another shriveled female body. The pattern repeated itself throughout Building 4—every woman they discovered was desiccated. No, it wasn't limited to Building 4; the entire neighborhood bore the same gruesome mark.
The sight left the three women pale with terror.
By now, they were certain Tang Ze was behind it. Add a bit more deduction, and their suspicions solidified further. After all, hadn't they nearly become victims themselves?
Back in their apartment, the trio remained in a daze, moving like automatons.
Tang Ze, they concluded, was undoubtedly a vampire.
And not just any vampire—one who preyed exclusively on women.
Just then, Tang Ze emerged from his room, yawning loudly. He immediately noticed the three women staring at him with undisguised fear.
He hesitated briefly before breaking into a grin. "So you've seen everything, haven't you?"
An Bai nodded timidly.
"Are you… truly a vampire?" Ye Qingyi asked, her voice hollow.
Tang Ze paused, torn between admiration and amusement. She was sharp, yes—but also alarmingly gullible.
Suddenly, his demeanor shifted. His voice grew deep and menacing. "I intended to live peacefully among you, but I see no point in hiding anymore. Let me come clean—I am Edward's seventy-ninth-generation descendant, Nicholas, the domestic vampire of Shuanglin Road."
The three women gasped audibly.
A real vampire! No wonder he had access to supplies. This must be part of his supernatural power. Movies often portrayed vampires with similar abilities.
Watching their reactions, Tang Ze chuckled inwardly. These fools actually believed him.
Well, if they wanted to believe, so be it. Their naivety amused him.
He approached them suddenly, contorting his face into a terrifying grimace. The three women recoiled in unison, clutching each other in fright.
"HA!"
Tang Ze's maniacal laughter only reinforced their belief.
"Behave yourselves, or I'll drain every last drop of blood from your veins," Tang Ze growled, pinching An Bai's cheek. Her wide-eyed innocence was almost endearing.
An Bai nodded fervently, followed by Sun Ting and Ye Qingyi.
After teasing them enough, Tang Ze's stomach rumbled. Time to eat.
For lunch, he decided on filet mignon—a proper meal to replenish his energy.
"Master, may I ask you something?" An Bai ventured nervously.
Tang Ze nodded as he chewed a piece of steak.
"Why do you only eat meat and never drink blood? Won't you suffer from malnutrition?"
Tang Ze's lips twitched involuntarily.
"Do you sleep in coffins and avoid sunlight like traditional vampires?"
"Has your evolution made you immune to daylight?"
"If the blood types differ, does it make you nauseous?"
An Bai bombarded him with questions like an eager child. Tang Ze's jaw began to clench visibly. Without warning, he picked her up and carried her to the balcony, snarling, "If you don't stop, I'll start draining you right now."
"No, Master!" An Bai pleaded.
Tang Ze pretended to bite her delicate neck. An Bai froze, convinced she was moments away from death—but felt no pain.
"One more question, and I'll leave you a lifeless husk," Tang Ze threatened darkly.
An Bai clung tightly to his neck, her long legs wrapping around his waist as she let out a soft whimper. "Mmm…"
Sun Ting and Ye Qingyi exchanged relieved glances. They had feared the worst for An Bai.
Suddenly, Tang Ze froze. His gaze shifted outside. The wind had died down, and the rain had ceased. When had it stopped? None of them had noticed.
"The rain… it's stopped!" An Bai exclaimed in disbelief.
Sun Ting and Ye Qingyi rushed to the balcony, opening the windows. Though the sky remained overcast, the storm had indeed passed. Faint sunlight pierced through the clouds, hinting at hope.
In her heart, Ye Qingyi wondered: Was this a sign that help was near? Or merely a fleeting reprieve from the crisis?
Her once-dim eyes brightened with renewed hope, as did Sun Ting's.
But before they could celebrate, they spotted a scattered group of figures approaching the neighborhood gates. The crowd grew larger, their footsteps odd due to plastic coverings on their shoes.
If they weren't mistaken, these strangers were heading straight for their community.
There seemed to be at least a hundred of them. In contrast, fewer than sixty men remained in their neighborhood. Clearly, internal conflict hadn't thinned their numbers significantly.
Each of them wielded blades. Their cold eyes and sharpened weapons spoke volumes—they weren't here to save; they were here to slaughter.
Tang Ze's excitement surged. Last night's killing spree hadn't satisfied him, and now fresh victims were walking into his domain. If only murder could fill an energy bar.
Down below, the leader stood out—a bald, fearsome figure gripping a butcher's knife wrapped tightly with white cloth.
"Boss, leave Xie Yuhong and Feng Jin to me. Damn them—they injured my brother at the supermarket last time," one man spat venomously, his hatred palpable.
Mo Han turned to address his followers. "Today's mission is simple: Kill the men, take the women, seize the supplies!"
His underlings raised their weapons, chanting in unison, "Kill the men, take the women, seize the supplies!"
"Boss, I heard there are beauties here—flight attendants, even. I saw one last time. Stunning," another man leered, his leer sickening.
Mo Han spat disdainfully. "From now on, every woman in this area belongs to me, Mo Han! My harem will number three thousand!"
"Long live the boss!"
On the balcony, Tang Ze held a breathless An Bai close, smirking. "These guys are united, unlike us."
"Should we hide?" Ye Qingyi suggested. The enemy's numbers were overwhelming.
Instead, Tang Ze tossed the flushed An Bai onto the sofa and retrieved his zhanmadao. Its golden hilt gleamed with intricate engravings, exuding nobility, while the blade radiated a chilling sharpness.