You Rong followed behind Lin Qinghe, still shocked by how easily she had made Mu Shaoqing kneel and beg for mercy.
He had heard his father mention how powerful the vampires were countless times since childhood. Mu Shaoqing, as the Grand Elder of the Vampire Elder Council, the highest level of pure-blooded vampires, was hundreds, even thousands, of times more powerful than the vampires his father had encountered. Such a vampire... was utterly defenseless before Lin Qinghe.
Just how powerful was Lin Qinghe, as the progenitor of the vampires?
And what Lin Qinghe had said earlier… was she truly unaware of the vampires’ frequent attacks on humans?
The thought that flashed through You Rong's mind was dismissed just as quickly.
The red liquid in the goblet on the dining table might very well have come from recently killed humans. How could she possibly not know about the vampires attacking humans!
You Rong's dislike for Lin Qinghe intensified.
Moreover, Lin Qinghe was keeping him as food, raising him in captivity!
There wasn't a single good vampire!
As the progenitor of the vampires, she couldn't be any better!
Returning to the bedroom from this morning, Lin Qinghe turned around and saw a look of disgust flash across You Rong's handsome face. She guessed some of his thoughts and raised an eyebrow, asking, "What? You don't believe what I told the Grand Elder just now was true?"
You Rong snorted contemptuously, "I'm not an idiot, of course I don't believe you. Isn't the blood you drink every day obtained from attacking humans… Hmph, and you pretend to be ignorant of the vampires attacking humans? Hypocritical!"
If it were the original body, You Rong would have lost his life long ago for such words. But Lin Qinghe, instead of getting angry, smiled, "Oh? Don't you know that occasionally drawing a few hundred milliliters of blood from humans has no adverse effect on their bodies? In fact, it's beneficial. This drawn blood is stored in the hospital's blood bank, and vampires have plenty of money, so most of our blood supply is purchased from blood banks."
You Rong was stunned, clearly unaware of this.
Lin Qinghe smiled and pinched his cheek, "Little wolf cub, you're young and ignorant, it's not your fault. I forgive your ignorance this time."
You Rong angrily slapped away Lin Qinghe's hand, "Don't try to fool me. If that's the case… why do you still attack humans? It's common for vampires to kill humans, isn't it!"
"Well…" Lin Qinghe earnestly searched the original body's memories and said, "It's simple. Blood can awaken the greatest desires within a vampire's body. Most vampires, especially lower-level ones, have no resistance to this desire, which easily leads to overconsumption of blood, resulting in human deaths. And the warm blood fresh from a human body… always tastes better."
Lin Qinghe paused, then continued with a bright smile, "But I'm different… I can completely suppress the desire for blood. However, I must consume blood, or I will starve to death."
You Rong looked at Lin Qinghe with complex emotions, half believing, half doubting her words.
No!
I can't be fooled by her. Father said vampires are extremely cunning. Everything she's saying now might be to trick me!
Lin Qinghe clearly saw the change in the young man's expression and guessed his thoughts. She was unconcerned. After all, his father and siblings had recently died at the hands of vampires. It was impossible for him to believe vampires in just one day.
Anyway, she had plenty of time. She believed that as time passed and they spent more time together, she would change You Rong's hatred for vampires.
Lin Qinghe patted You Rong's head, "Alright, you had a fever all night and still have a slight one. Go lie down and rest in bed. I'll call you when it's time for dinner."
Lin Qinghe pushed him onto the bed and pulled the quilt up to cover You Rong. As she turned to leave, You Rong's heart tightened, and before he could think, his hand grabbed Lin Qinghe's skirt. "Where… where are you going? Aren't you staying here?"
Lin Qinghe stopped and looked down at You Rong.
The young man looked a little uneasy. Clearly, in an unfamiliar place filled with enemies, he was very anxious, so much so that he was almost dependent on her.
Lin Qinghe patted You Rong's hand and comforted him with a faint smile, "I'm going to ask the butler to handle some things. Don't be afraid, this is my room. Without my permission, no vampire dares to enter."
You Rong abruptly withdrew his hand, his face stern and his voice stubborn, "Who's afraid! I'm not!"
The smile in Lin Qinghe's eyes deepened. Her words were like coaxing a child, "Okay, okay… you're not afraid. Go to sleep quickly, I'll be back in a moment."
You Rong snorted and turned away from Lin Qinghe.
Lin Qinghe shook her head with a smile and turned to leave.
She needed to instruct Zhang Yi to prepare some things. You Rong was different from vampires; he needed food like humans, and there was clearly none of that in the castle.
The bedroom door closed. Hearing Lin Qinghe's footsteps gradually fading away until they disappeared, You Rong, who had his eyes closed, opened them. He sniffed gently. The quilt carried the same faint rose scent as Lin Qinghe's body, which inexplicably made him feel at ease.
You Rong buried his face in the quilt and slowly closed his eyes.
He didn't want to think about when he might be eaten. He was truly tired now and needed to rest.
-------------------------------------
Meanwhile.
Mu Shaoqing, Shang He, and Li Shuo emerged from the castle. Shang He frowned and was the first to ask in confusion, "What's going on with the Progenitor? She hasn't cared about the Elder Council or vampire affairs for tens of thousands of years. She's always turned a blind eye to the vampires violating the covenant. Why is she suddenly taking it seriously today? And got angry?"
Mu Shaoqing's face was grim, and he remained silent. Li Shuo shook his head, "...I don't know. I can't guess the Progenitor's thoughts. In any case, we'd best not go against her wishes. You all saw it just now. If she wanted to kill us, it would take no effort at all."
Shang He trembled at the words. The pressure he felt from Lin Qinghe earlier made them fear her from the depths of their bones.
After a long silence, Mu Shaoqing pursed his thin lips and said in a deep voice, "Alright, that's all for today. You can go back first. Everything will be done according to the Progenitor's wishes. As for those vampires who don't abide by the covenant, they'll be dealt with. Also, the four great families who don't comply… they should be more careful."
Shang He nodded, "I understand."
"Well, I'm going to the Ouyang family. I'll be going now."
Mu Shaoqing walked to a limited edition Rolls-Royce. A servant bowed and opened the car door. He bent down and got in.
The car door closed, and the car started.
Mu Shaoqing slightly lowered his eyes, his hands trembling slightly.
It wasn't from fear, but from excitement!
Greed and obsession flickered in Mu Shaoqing's eyes, mixed with madness.
To witness the Progenitor's power once more! That was a power that absolutely crushed everyone!
He had to have it!
No matter what it took, he would devour Lin Qinghe's power!
And… the once-in-a-millennium opportunity was just around the corner!