Chapter 3044: Blood-Stained Addiction 20

Jin Chen lay in the icy coffin, beneath him thick yet chilly velvet, above him the equally cold yet soft Count, he also didn't say whether he agreed, the arm wrapped around Saiyin's waist tightened, lightly patting his back.

Just moments ago, the Count who had fiercely dragged him into the coffin went limp, obediently lying on Jin Chen's chest, burying his cheek in Jin Chen's neck, and closed his eyes.

Inside the coffin it was unusually quiet; Jin Chen slowly traced the dark inner wall, near Saiyin's head, where extremely ancient, complex dark-red runes were carved. It was a composite magic formation to ease the vampires' pain and gather chilling yin energy.

It seems this is Saiyin's sole refuge for centuries, whenever the blood moon comes and he must endure that boundless agony alone.

After a moment, Jin Chen lowered his head, pressing his ear to Saiyin's and whispered softly, "Does it still hurt tonight?"

Saiyin lay in his arms without opening his eyes, shaking his head ever so slightly.

"Then why rest here?"

Saiyin muttered softly, "Because I am a vampire."

Vampires, dark kin, children of the eternal night, coffins are their home—this needs no explanation.

Jin Chen let out a barely audible sigh and casually said, "But... my lord, I'm not a vampire."

I don't want to sleep in a coffin.

Saiyin opened his eyes, propped himself up with his arms on Jin Chen's sturdy shoulders, and glared at the silver-haired beauty beneath him, whose face was full of innocence and helplessness.

The coffin is narrow; this pose brings them extremely close, almost nose to nose.

"Not allowed."

Jin Chen quietly looked at him, the corner of his mouth curling, then pinched Saiyin's earlobe, his fingertips lingering on the ear.

"I know, my lord, you are currently weak."

"If you don't want to be seen by the guards outside or other blood servants in the castle, I can carry you out of this room and you can turn into a small bat."

A few days ago in the castle, Jin Chen saw lower-ranking vampires on messenger duty turn into bats, flitting about clumsily, and found it rather amusing.

Thus, at this moment he couldn't help but feel a hint of anticipation: what would the haughty, ferociously beautiful Count Strandle look like as a fluffy little bat?

Saiyin: "......"

This damned, overreaching, endlessly inventive slave!

How annoying.

He pressed his lips tightly shut, his blood-red eyes glaring at Jin Chen.

Being carried out is absolutely impossible! But turning into a bat… that would be even more…

Finally, Saiyin turned his face away, his movements somewhat stiff, using his hands to brace against Jin Chen's shoulders and the coffin wall, he stumbled up from Jin Chen and stepped out of the icy coffin.

He stood at the coffin's edge, his long hair disheveled and spilling over his thin back.

Jin Chen unhurriedly sat up from the coffin, rose gracefully, smoothed his blood-stained white robe, and looked at Saiyin's slightly stiff back.

Saiyin gave a slight turn, vanished from the spot, replaced by a small bat fluttering up unsteadily.

The bat's body was covered in soft fur, its tiny claws tucked underneath, only the ear tips and wing edges adorned with splendid dark red; a pair of large blood-red eyes like fine rubies were set in its fluffy little face, staring at Jin Chen.

Jin Chen smiled and reached out his hand.

The small bat circled once in the air, landed in Jin Chen's palm, its tiny claws gripping his tiger's mouth, wings folded, it curled into a fluffy little ball in his hand.

Jin Chen lowered his head, looking at the creature in his palm—more exquisite and lovely than any bat he'd ever seen, adorable beyond belief—pleasure and interest rose in his eyes.

He stroked the soft fur on the bat's back; its little head rubbed lightly against his fingertips, the dark red eyes half-closed, as if enjoying it.

The butler Aidejia, guarding outside the door, suddenly heard faint movement and footsteps inside; he immediately straightened his stooped back, his cloudy old eyes nervously fixed on the heavy door.

Jin Chen walked out from inside, his white robe hanging smoothly behind him, his steps unhurried, appearing no different than usual.

But he was cradling a bat in his hands!

Aidejia's cloudy eyes widened the instant he saw what Jin Chen held; for the first time his withered-face showed such a vivid complex expression, and he quickly lowered his head, daring not to look again.

——

The blood moon dyed every stone of the castle an abnormal dark red, and the gothic spires cast distorted shadows in the moonlight.

At the far end of the corridor, in a secluded corner, Aosding crouched behind a stone pillar, his fingers drawing runes on the ground.

The place is concealed, backed by a thick ancient stone wall, the forward view blocked by ruined structures, and an overhanging eave above blocks most moonlight—ideal for a secret ritual.

Even though the vampires now thrive, maintaining a fragile surface balance with humans under the pact not to appear unless necessary, he is nonetheless a Holy Knight.

Hiding here, enduring humiliation, all to deliver a fatal blow to these dark creatures.

During the blood moon festival, the castle's guards are halved, and those counts' attention is also diverted by the blood moon—this is the best time for him to act.

Aosding knelt on the ground, dipping his finger in secret silver powder, drawing a tiny communication sigil on the floor, the final stroke about to be completed.

The silver powder on the floor trembled slightly, the runes lighting up one after another; just as Aosding focused all his mind, ready to activate the sigil's core, the shadow behind him stirred without warning, as if gaining a life of its own, breaking free from wall and ground, coalescing into a humanoid black mist.

The black mist flashed silently behind Aosding, only two steps away.

Aosding's hairs stood on end, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest!

He jerked his head around, seeing the gathered black mist gradually solidify into a figure cloaked in a wide black robe; beneath the hood was not a face but rolling black mist, only two crimson points of light like beast eyes hidden in the depths, flickering in the mist.

It was Count Nuoya……