CA - Chapter 175

Chapter 175

An elevation in status had its pros and cons. Tang Qiu could no longer enter and exit Lucille’s manor as freely as before. Her every move was now being watched, so after bidding farewell to Jennifer, she could only obediently return to the Holy See under the escort of the Holy Knights.

The Holy See was empty and somewhat desolate. Tang Qiu returned to her own manor and dismissed the Holy Knights who had escorted her back on the grounds that she needed to rest.

Having been uninhabited for a long time, the manor was so deserted it lacked any trace of human presence. Even the greenery seemed a bit less vibrant. Tang Qiu pushed the door open and went inside. The window in her room was wide open, letting a cold wind pour in from outside.

A cleric was supposed to clean her room regularly. How could the window be open?

Tang Qiu narrowed her eyes, a smile already forming on her lips.

She walked to the window and placed a hand on the frame, leaning out to look. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her waist, and a soft body pressed against her back. A familiar scent enveloped her. A gentle smile, more genuine than usual, bloomed on Tang Qiu’s face.

Lucille buried her head in the crook of Tang Qiu’s neck and took a deep breath, the crimson in her eyes surging. She opened her mouth slightly and planted a firm kiss on Tang Qiu’s neck.

“You took too long to come back.” Lucille’s voice was cool, but her next actions betrayed her urgency. She spun Tang Qiu around and pressed her directly against the cold wall. Licking her lips, she lifted Tang Qiu’s chin with her fingers and lowered her head to kiss her heavily.

The moment Lucille pressed against her, Tang Qiu had prepared herself for being fed upon. She hadn’t expected Lucille to endure her hunger and choose to be intimate with her first.

A flash of surprise crossed Tang Qiu’s eyes, quickly replaced by a deep smile. She raised her hands to Lucille’s shoulders, tilted her head back slightly, and gently returned the kiss.

Lucille’s hand wrapped around Tang Qiu’s slender waist, and with a slight exertion of force, she lifted her onto the table. She raised a hand to caress Tang Qiu’s cheek, her lips slowly moving upward to kiss her forehead.

The cold wind tousled Tang Qiu’s hair. She reached out and untied the ribbon in Lucille’s hair, then gathered the windblown strands and casually tied them into a ponytail. Her sky-blue eyes traveled down from Lucille’s forehead, finally resting on her lips.

“Did you see your clansmen when you returned to the Blood Domain?” Tang Qiu cupped Lucille’s face in her hands, their foreheads touching as she asked with a smile.

Although they hadn’t seen each other for some time, the separation had not created any distance between them.

The proximity allowed Lucille to feel Tang Qiu’s breath. The familiar scent made her eyes darken slightly. She licked her moist lips, her gaze lingering on Tang Qiu’s open collar. Her voice was a little hoarse. “I did.”

Lucille hooked a finger into Tang Qiu’s shirt, her thumb gently stroking her throat as she said distractedly, “I can now skillfully master the talents of the Gangrel clan.”

Her throat tickled, and Tang Qiu dodged backward slightly. “Oh? Show me,” she said with interest.

Lucille glanced up at her, tantalized by the slight curve of her lips. She pursed her lips, and the hand resting on Tang Qiu’s throat flashed with black light. Sharp nails suddenly appeared, glinting with a cold, sinister light.

The nails were a hair’s breadth from her throat. A gentle push forward would undoubtedly cause blood to gush out uncontrollably.

Tang Qiu froze for a moment, then glanced down. Her tone was laced with a subtle nuance. “...Be careful your surprise doesn’t turn into a scare.”

She moved away a little to get a better look at Lucille’s hand. These changes were somewhat similar to her own when she transformed into a werewolf.

But this was likely related to Lucille’s dire wolf bloodline.

Seeing Tang Qiu completely unguarded, Lucille let out a low chuckle. Her nails lightly grazed across Tang Qiu’s neck, and a bloody line instantly appeared, from which crimson beads of blood welled up.

The pain made Tang Qiu frown. Lucille pressed one hand on her shoulder, forcing her to lean back. Lucille leaned over her, her tongue licking away each bead of blood until the skin was clean.

Tang Qiu ran her hand through Lucille’s red hair, ruffling it. The pressure on her neck was increasing and moving downward. She chuckled softly, understanding that Lucille didn’t want to talk right now and only wanted to fill her stomach. She could only temporarily set aside her curiosity, relax her body, and cooperate with Lucille’s movements.

Werewolves possessed exceptionally outstanding stamina and energy. Unless they had just been through an incredibly arduous battle, there was little that could make them feel tired.

The sky turned from light to dark. Tang Qiu and Lucille moved from the table to the window, and finally back to the bed. Lucille’s naturally cold body temperature had been warmed by Tang Qiu’s heat. She leaned against the headboard, closing her eyes slightly to steady her breathing. A trace of blood still stained the corner of her mouth, and she wore only a loose black dress, her long red hair scattered messily down her back.

Tang Qiu lay with her head on Lucille’s lap, toying with the red hair splayed across the bed. Her clear voice was slightly hoarse, but surprisingly pleasant to listen to. “Besides the changes to your hands, are there any others?”

She thought for a moment, then asked curiously, “Can you turn into a wolf?”

Lucille shook her head and said flatly, “No.”

“So it’s just the changes to your hands?”

“My strength and speed have also changed.” After mastering the talents of the Gangrel clan, Lucille’s emotions had gradually stabilized and were no longer as easily influenced as before.

It was as if some kind of power that had been accumulating in her body had finally found a proper outlet. Lucille’s aura was no longer as erratic as it had been.

The dire wolf bloodline was incredibly powerful. Without proper guidance, it could easily lead to the situation Lucille had been in before.

Tang Qiu rested her head on Lucille’s lap, her eyes closed. “No other parts changed?” she asked, a little disappointed.

It seemed the Gangrel evolution only enhanced parts useful for combat.

Because Tang Qiu’s eyes were closed, she didn’t see the fleeting, subtle expression on Lucille’s face after she spoke. Lucille looked down at Tang Qiu for a while, then raised a hand to touch her sweat-dampened forehead. Instead of answering her question, she asked in a low voice, “How are things at the Holy See?”

Tang Qiu grabbed Lucille’s hand and used it as a pillow. She yawned and briefly recounted the events that had occurred at the Holy See during her absence.

“Cambecus is currently in Skont City, on the border of the Gosse Empire.” Tang Qiu opened her eyes and looked at Lucille’s clothes. “I don’t know what secret orders the Pope has given him.”

At the mention of Cambecus, Lucille’s expression turned cold. “Should we kill him? I brought several fourth-generation Gangrel vampires from the Blood Domain.”

With proper planning, killing a Red-robed Archbishop wouldn’t be that difficult.

Tang Qiu lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment. “Let’s not be hasty,” she said.

“Let me think it over. If we act rashly and Cambecus manages to escape, it will cause too much trouble.”

Cambecus had held a high position for many years; he surely had plenty of ways to save his own skin. Dealing with him required caution.

However, no matter what, now that he had left the Central Church, there was no way he would be allowed to return.

---

In Skont City, Cambecus’s carriage stopped by the roadside. Half of the Holy Knights and priests in the convoy entered the city first. After clearing out the demonic beasts within, they quickly cleaned up a relatively magnificent manor.

The owner of the manor was a nobleman, but it was unknown whether he had died at the hands of the demonic beasts or had left with his knights before they arrived.

Cambecus’s carriage passed through the streets and arrived at the manor’s entrance. Some civilians who had luckily survived the demonic beasts hid in corners, watching them curiously. A few of the bolder ones tried to approach for help but were driven away by the Holy Knights before they could get close.

Although the manor was ordinary, its former owner had been a nobleman who knew how to enjoy life. Cambecus sat on a comfortable soft chair and ordered the rest of the convoy to find lodging elsewhere, keeping only his attendant priest and some Holy Knights with him.

The season was late autumn, and the night wind was cold and biting. It swept fallen leaves across the vast courtyard, creating a desolate scene. Cambecus sat in his room with his eyes closed, resting. He tapped his fingers lightly on his leg, as if quietly waiting for something.

The candlelight on the table flickered a few times and then suddenly went out. Moonlight shone in through the window, and several clouds of black mist abruptly appeared in the corners of the room. The mist slowly elongated, forming into slender human figures.

The figures wore black cloaks with hoods pulled over their heads, revealing only a pair of red eyes that glinted with a sinister, dark light.

The attendant priest’s expression didn’t change in the slightest upon seeing the vampires appear in the room. He bowed his head to Cambecus and said, “Your Excellency, they have arrived.”

Cambecus opened his eyes and glanced at the vampires in the room, a little surprised. “It’s just to capture a bishop. Isn’t your elder being a bit too dramatic?”

To capture a single bishop, they had sent five vampires, two of whom were fourth-generation.

“Elder Eden does not trust you,” the vampire said in a calm tone. “He wants to investigate Elder Evan’s matter himself. You just need to bring the person to me.”

Cambecus sneered. “Could Evan’s death possibly have anything to do with the Holy See?”

The vampire didn’t speak, merely staring at him with gloomy eyes.

Unfazed by his cold gaze, Cambecus shrugged nonchalantly. “Take her. The Holy See has plenty of bishops; we’re not short one.”

He raised a hand to his chin and said thoughtfully, “Just wait on the border of the Gru Empire. I will send her over to you.”

Werewolves were so hot-tempered. He had to hand the person over to the vampires before the blonde bishop went to the werewolf territory to negotiate, lest she be torn to shreds by the furious werewolves.

Besides, the Gru Empire was far from the Central Church. As long as all of Reese’s people were dealt with cleanly, no one would know what had actually happened.

When the time came, wouldn’t the truth be whatever he said it was?

“However, you’d best disguise it as an attack by Black Witches. I will send people to assist you in secret.”

The conflict between the Black Witches and the Holy See wasn’t intense enough. Those foolish humans only knew how to ask the Holy See to protect them. It was time to show them the sacrifices the Holy See had made to protect this continent.

The blonde bishop was respected and loved by the common people of the Gosse Empire? Perfect. Her sacrifice would ignite humanity’s deeper rage against the forces of darkness.

The Holy See needed to appear as a “savior,” not some useless “guardian.”

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