Chapter 395: Chapter 394: Determination to Save People
"Yes!"
The vampires set off in pursuit of the werewolf ranks. This time, they were determined to make the Werewolf Clan pay a steep price. A victor had finally emerged between the two great factions of the Eternal Night World.
Disregarding her own injuries and the Vampire Clan’s victory, Heather approached Ye Fan, only to discover his breathing was extremely weak. She swiftly picked him up and rushed toward the Holy Temple.
「A day later.」
The Vampire Clan achieved a sweeping victory. The werewolves were completely exterminated, and in the world of darkness, the vampire faction now reigned supreme over the entire dark age. However, Heather could not find joy in their triumph. The Vampire Clan had suffered heavy losses, for which she blamed herself. Moreover, Ye Fan remained unconscious.
"He is the benefactor of our Vampire Clan!" a Blood Ancestor said.
"We shall never forget his kindness!" another Blood Ancestor declared. The remaining Princes remained silent, evidently in agreement. In their eyes, Ye Fan was beyond saving. Although he was not yet dead, it was only a matter of time.
Heather then said, "I will use my Life Force to save him!"
"Ancestor Lord, you mustn’t!" a group of Blood Clan members cried out, hastily kneeling.
Heather exclaimed angrily, "Do I need your approval to act?"
"No, Ancestor Lord, that is not what we mean," a Blood Ancestor urgently explained. "With his injuries, even your Life Force cannot save him. Furthermore, our Vampire Clan still has to face the European Church Court!
"The European Church Court is watching us covetously. If something were to happen to you, Ancestor Lord, our clan would surely be annihilated!"
"I will know if it works after I try!" Heather insisted.
She knelt, bent over Ye Fan where he lay dying amidst the rose petals, and kissed him, transferring her Life Force. Alas, he did not awaken, and she was nearing the end of her strength.
"Please, Ancestor Lord, stop!" the vampires pleaded.
Heather cried. She, the high and mighty Ancestor Lord, had never shed a tear in her entire life, but her encounters with Ye Fan had brought one new experience after another. She loathed her own helplessness. Wiping the tears from her face, she forced herself to appear strong. "All of you, leave. I need to be alone." She refused to let her clan see her at her weakest.
The vampires quickly withdrew, but Heather’s gaze remained fixed on Ye Fan. With a heavy heart, she said, "No matter what, I will not let you die. You promised to be my servant... my consort king!"
She immediately picked up Ye Fan and headed toward the deepest, darkest part of the Holy Mountain. Had any of the Blood Ancestors seen her, they would have been astonished, for she was going to the Vampire Clan’s forbidden sanctuary: the Holy Tomb.
This site was not only the burial ground for the clan’s past leaders but also the secluded retreat of its creator, the Cain Ancestor. He had been slumbering there for over a thousand years, and no one knew if he was alive or dead. But without a doubt, Cain was one of the most formidable beings in the world. It was he whom Heather now sought.
After passing through numerous checkpoints, Heather carried the fading Ye Fan into the tomb. With a wave of her hand, candles instantly flickered to life, illuminating their surroundings and revealing an ancient scene. It looked like a burial ground, dominated by a dark, looming cross from which blood seemed ready to drip at any moment. A terrifying presence permeated the vast, boundless space, which felt like a small world unto itself. Heather carefully placed Ye Fan upon the cross.
A chilling wind blew through the darkness.
"Grandfather!" Heather called out urgently. "Although I cannot see you, I can feel your presence. Grandfather, I beg you to come forth!"
A voice answered from the darkness. "Heather, why have you come? I have not yet awakened and cannot meet you in person. I am currently conversing with you from within a dream. And who is this Easterner beside you?"
Heather promptly replied, "Grandfather, he is my consort king!"
The powerful presence seemed to stir, unsettled. After all, the Cain Ancestor was a primeval powerhouse, and his presence, even in a dream, was staggering.
"Heather," the voice said, its tone tinged with disappointment, "you should not have been so impulsive. Now is not the time for you to have a consort king. Our Vampire Clan is in a period of metamorphosis!"
"Grandfather, please, you must save him!" Heather begged.
"Give me one reason to save him," the voice replied calmly.
"Because... because he is a benefactor of our Vampire Clan! Without him, our clan might have been destroyed! Therefore, Grandfather, you must save him!"
"Has the European Church Court attacked the Blood Clan?" the voice asked doubtfully.
"No, it was the werewolves. He saved us. This is a debt our Blood Clan owes him, Grandfather. Saving him would be our repayment!"
In truth, Heather knew that even if Ye Fan was saved, the debt of kindness could never be truly repaid. But at this moment, it was the only argument she could make. She knew her grandfather was a capricious man and had no idea if he would agree.
The voice fell silent, seemingly lost in thought, before speaking again. "That reason is not compelling enough. Our Vampire Clan does not need his rescue. When a true crisis comes, I will naturally emerge to handle it." Clearly, the Cain Ancestor was not going to grant her this favor, perhaps for reasons of his own.
But Heather dropped to her knees.
"Heather, what are you doing?" Cain rebuked her from his dream.
"Grandfather," she replied, "when I was young, you taught me that we must help our allies at all costs. Why do you go back on your word now?"
"That was in the past," Cain’s dream-voice said. "Sometimes, allies cannot be trusted."
"No, Grandfather, he is absolutely trustworthy! If you do not agree, then I shall not rise!" Heather declared.
Cain sighed. "You truly are a stubborn child. Is this really worth it?"
"It is!" Heather said, her voice firm.
"Very well. I will grant your request this once. Do not be so impulsive in the future," Cain sighed, resigning himself to her plea.
"Thank you, Grandfather!" Heather was overjoyed.
"Go now," he told her. "In three days’ time, he will stand before you, completely unharmed."
Still, Heather hesitated, her worry plain to see.
The voice sighed again, this time in exasperation. "Do you not even trust me?"
"No, Grandfather! I’m leaving right away!" she replied quickly, and with that, she left.
The Holy Tomb sealed shut behind her, and the candles were instantly extinguished, plunging the chamber into darkness. Within that oppressive blackness, Ye Fan staggered to his feet. He did not know where he was or whether he was dead or alive. All he knew was that he was shrouded in darkness.
Is this... Hell?
