CA – Chapter 148
Chapter 148
The afternoon sun wasn't very intense. Lucille stood on the terrace, looking down as she treated the wound on her arm. The external injury had mostly healed, but a few beads of blood would occasionally well up.
She used a handkerchief to wipe away the blood, then applied a common medicinal ointment. Although human ointments were of little use to vampires, in Tang Qiu's words, it was "better than nothing." So, to keep Tang Qiu from worrying, Lucille never found it troublesome to apply it to her wounds each time she was injured.
As she was treating her wound, an uninvited guest leaped up from downstairs. Silver hair cascaded down her back. Beverly had changed out of her dust-covered clothes and was once again looking glamorous.
She leaned against the terrace railing, her probing gaze shifting back and forth over Lucille's arm. Although the wound was no longer bleeding, Beverly could still smell the faint scent of blood in the air.
The smell of this blood wasn't like the lifeless scent of a vampire's; it was more like human blood... fresh... alluring.
Beverly licked her lips. Seeing that Lucille was completely unconcerned by her arrival, she clicked her tongue and spoke up, "I just had a chat with Byron. He told me some interesting things."
Byron had been locked up in Rose Manor by Evan for some time. Although they hadn't decided what to do with him and had merely imprisoned him, Byron had still learned some of Rose Manor's secrets by talking with the other vampires.
"Elder Evan wants to use vampires and humans to reproduce." Beverly looked utterly baffled as she said this. "What is he plotting? Humans and vampires can't reproduce, can they?"
When Lucille and Lola had come to her to discuss their cooperation, they had also mentioned that Evan captured her brother for the purpose of reproducing with humans.
Therefore, Beverly's intuition told her that Lucille definitely knew the inside story.
Moreover, judging by their determination to kill Evan at all costs, this secret... was probably related to her.
Beverly's gaze fell on Lucille's arm again, her expression profound. All signs indicated that this vampire was very strange.
Her blood was strange, her aura was strange, and even her rank was strange.
"Evan wants to create a new species." Lucille didn't even raise her head, her tone cold. "For the past few hundred years, he has been capturing vampires from other clans for his experiments."
Lucille's words diverted Beverly's attention. She frowned. "Evan's actions have violated the rules established between the clans. When I return to the Blood Domain, I will inform the elders of the other clans."
The Tzimisce Clan has more than just Evan as a third-generation elder... If she didn't go back and explain things clearly, it could easily cause a dispute.
The death of a third-generation elder was a troublesome matter. Beverly sighed. She truly hadn't expected that Lucille and Tang Qiu could actually kill Evan.
And she had become an accomplice.
"Regarding Evan's crimes, you may need to come to the Blood Domain to explain in person." The thought of the trouble she would face upon returning to the Blood Domain gave Beverly a headache.
Lucille glanced up at her and refused coldly, "I won't go." She would go to the Blood Domain, but she had no interest in meeting the elders of the other clans.
Who knew if they shared the same ideas as Evan.
Beverly paused. She looked at Lucille and said with amusement, "Do you think you have a choice in the matter?"
Seeing Lucille's expression turn cold, she shook her head and chuckled. Beverly stretched, rolling her neck as she said nonchalantly, "You are still very weak, Lucille."
Because Lucille was the descendant of her friend, she didn't mind giving her a few pointers.
"There are thirteen clans living in the Blood Domain, but only half of them are in contact with each other." Thinking of the intricate relationships between the clans, Beverly pursed her lips. "These clans consider themselves the masters of the Blood Domain, and they call the other clans who are unwilling to be bound by rules 'wanderers.'"
"The Gangrel are one of them."
Lucille lowered her gaze slightly, listening intently.
"The Gangrel are the most powerful of the wandering clans. Even those clans who call themselves masters of the Blood Domain are unwilling to provoke them."
"The Gangrel prefer to live in the wild and are the most united of the clans. They have three branches, and the faction under Violet is the largest."
Beverly seemed to recall something, her expression turning wistful. "You are Violet's descendant. He has disappeared, so you can take over his forces for your own use." She paused, then added with a smile, "Of course, you'll need the ability to do so."
Vampires have long lifespans, so it's not strange for one to disappear occasionally. But Violet has been missing for some time now. Beverly went to the Gangrel clan to ask, but even his clansmen didn't know where he had gone.
With him gone, the forces under his command are on the verge of being carved up.
Beverly didn't want to see her friend's territory encroached upon by others.
"An individual's strength is ultimately limited. You need a clan to back you up." With those words, Beverly turned and leaped off the terrace.
Lucille rubbed the wound on her arm, her head lowered slightly. Beverly's words had already swayed her.
Evan was dead, but that didn't mean she was safe.
Evan wasn't the only madman among the vampires. Imprisoning and even killing countless vampires for the sake of an ethereal method of breaking through was enough to breed discontent among the clans that had suffered losses.
As long as the vampires weren't a monolith, there was much she could do.
An arm suddenly wrapped around her waist, and a soft body pressed against her back. Lucille snapped out of her deep thought. She held the arm at her waist and turned her head slightly. Tang Qiu was resting her head on Lucille's shoulder, so all she could see was the top of Tang Qiu's head.
A flicker of confusion crossed Lucille's face. She frowned and asked, "Did something happen?"
The aura around Tang Qiu was a little low.
Tang Qiu pressed against Lucille and took a deep breath, then lifted her head slightly and said in a low voice, "Just a little tired."
There were dark circles under her eyes, and her expression was filled with exhaustion. Despite having the Holy Water of Light, Tang Qiu still felt fatigued. She had been badly injured during her fight with Evan, and afterward, she had run for thousands of miles in a state of high tension to escape the blast radius of the powder.
Her body was screaming for her to rest, but her mind was still racing, pondering Delia's recent words.
She had never imagined that her transmigration would have anything to do with a "god."
Lucille gently pulled Tang Qiu's arm away, then turned, lifted her into her arms, and placed her on the bed. Tang Qiu had wounds on her body, so Lucille unfastened her robes and carefully inspected her external injuries.
Tang Qiu obediently lifted her arms and legs. Seeing Lucille's serious expression, she had wanted to tease her a bit, but after covering her mouth to yawn, she couldn't resist the drowsiness and her eyelids grew heavy as she fell asleep.
Lucille's movements paused for a moment, and she subconsciously became gentler. She sat on the bed, took out the Holy Water of Light, and washed the wounds on Tang Qiu's body over and over again, patient and tender.
Tang Qiu slept for two straight days before she felt she had recovered. Her external wounds had all healed, and although her internal injuries still ached faintly, complete recovery was only a matter of time thanks to the Wolf Race's self-healing abilities.
Having eliminated a hidden danger put Tang Qiu in a great mood. She changed into a simple priest's robe and sat on a bench in the garden, leisurely enjoying afternoon tea.
Finally able to see Tang Qiu again, Kama was also in high spirits. She darted through the garden, occasionally plucking a rose in full bloom and placing it on the table in front of Tang Qiu, grinning to reveal a set of white teeth.
Tang Qiu watched the restless Kama with a helpless smile. She reached out, caught her, and gestured for her to sit opposite. Then she poured her a cup of hot tea and said with a smile, "You've been away for so long. Won't your family be worried about you?"
Kama hugged the cup, thought about it seriously, and then shook her head.
Tang Qiu looked at her with a gentle gaze. "Then do you want to go home?"
This time, Kama didn't hesitate, shaking her head immediately as she looked at Tang Qiu, her eyes bright and clear.
Tang Qiu shook her head and chuckled. "I have to return to the Holy See eventually. Taking you with me will bring you danger."
Kama's face fell, looking a little sad.
Seeing the child so upset, Tang Qiu propped her chin on one hand, thought for a moment, and comforted her, "I won't be going back for a while. You can stay with me. When you want to find your people, I'll take you back."
Kama blinked. Although she neither shook nor nodded her head, a smile had returned to her eyes.
While Tang Qiu and Kama were "chatting," Erin also came to the garden. She sat in the remaining empty seat and told Tang Qiu of her decision to leave soon.
Her sudden departure took Tang Qiu by surprise. She frowned and asked, "Where are you going?"
Erin placed Little Fur Ball on the table and fed it a leaf as she answered Tang Qiu's question. "I'm going back to Witch City with Vera to get the Dark Key."
"Witch City?"
Tang Qiu remembered that Erin had escaped from Witch City with great difficulty. And now she was going back voluntarily?
Erin nodded. She reached out and stroked Little Fur Ball's head, telling Tang Qiu about her agreement with Vera. "Vera wants to return the Dark Key to me. She hid it in Witch City, so I have to go back with her for it."
"I'll wait for her in a nearby city." Erin had her own concerns, so she had set conditions with Vera, which Vera had agreed to. "Don't worry, I won't go near Witch City."
She paused after speaking, worried that Tang Qiu had a bad impression of Vera, and couldn't help but defend her friend. "Vera won't hurt me. She's my good friend."
Tang Qiu shrugged at Erin's mention of "friend." She lifted her cup, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Do you need me to go with you?"
Erin's eyes lit up, but then she seemed to think of something and shook her head with regret. "No, it's fine. You have a lot to deal with too."
Erin was well aware of how complicated the blonde bishop's current situation was, so she didn't want to cause Tang Qiu any trouble.
After all, the journey to Witch City was long, and there was no telling how much time a round trip would take.
Erin's refusal was within Tang Qiu's expectations. She took a sip of her tea, then looked up, her gaze circling between Erin and Little Fur Ball a few times before she finally nodded in agreement. "Alright. Be safe."
Given Little Fur Ball's special nature, Tang Qiu wasn't too worried about Erin encountering any life-threatening danger.
However... she still had to give Erin a word of warning.
"Vera is meticulous and calculating. You need to be on your guard around her."
Although she was a Garcia witch, she was always mixed up with Glanna. In Tang Qiu's eyes, she was not someone to be trusted.
Erin, busy teasing Little Fur Ball, didn't look up and just replied casually, "Okay, I know."
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