Chapter 81: There’s Never Enough Blood Like There Is Urine

“No, you can’t go alone. I’ll go with you.”
The door was pushed open, and Chief Hopper strode in, evidently having been eavesdropping just outside.
“This won’t do—the situation is too dangerous. The one who took Dustin isn’t an ordinary person, but a legendary vampire.”
Lin Xiao didn’t wish to keep anything from Chief Hopper. He had already heard from Nick about the existence of extraordinary beings and knew that mysterious creatures roamed this world, so there was no need for concealment.
Chief Hopper gave a confident smile, pulled a magazine from his pocket, and handed it to Lin Xiao.
“These are silver bullets from Nick. He said the town hasn’t been peaceful lately and told me to stay alert. If I ever run into a monster that ordinary bullets can’t kill, I should use this silver magazine. I’m not exactly helpless, you know.”
Lin Xiao understood. Nick certainly knew how to handle people, and it was clear he’d already spoken to Chief Hopper—no doubt with the intention of befriending Lin Xiao as well.
After all, having another friend is far better than making another enemy.
Lin Xiao considered for a moment; a lone hand can accomplish little. Since Chief Hopper did have some fighting ability, bringing him along would be wise.
In the original story, Chief Hopper displayed astonishing prowess—killing thugs, fighting beasts, and confronting agents single-handedly. His combat skills were not to be underestimated, though the current foe was simply too formidable, which had left him outmatched.
It was already past seven—eight o’clock was fast approaching. There was no time to lose. After letting Joey and the others know he was going to meet the kidnappers, Lin Xiao set out with Chief Hopper, heading for the north shore of Lake Campas.
The haunted house was in the northwest, not far from the ferry on the lake’s northern shore—about two kilometers away. The two men jogged, reaching the spot in just over ten minutes.
As they approached the ferry, Lin Xiao felt a subtle tension. Damonte’s strength probably surpassed his own, but not by a wide margin. If he seized the right moment, victory wasn’t impossible.
Besides, he still had Number Eleven up his sleeve. If things became truly desperate, he could call Number Eleven over and gang up on the enemy together.
As for noble spirit?
Indeed, a good old-fashioned gang-up was the very essence of noble spirit—expensive, too.
Beneath the moonlight at the ferry, two tall figures stood on the bank. One was Damonte, the vampire count who had been repelled days ago—Stefan’s brother.
The other was a stranger, a white man, whose identity Lin Xiao didn’t know, but the person in his grasp was all too familiar: Dustin, the kidnapped boy.
Lin Xiao and Chief Hopper approached. Dustin was being held aloft, his mouth stuffed with a wad of cloth, shaking with terror, his face ashen—he was just a child.
Seeing them arrive, Dustin began to struggle desperately. The white man, clearly impatient, slapped him across the face, causing blood to stream from his nose as tears ran down his cheeks.

When Lin Xiao drew near, Damonte greeted him with a smile, but his expression darkened when he saw Lin Xiao empty-handed. He rebuked loudly,
“Where’s your blood, Mr. Byers? I told you—bring me one thousand CCs of fresh blood, and I’ll let your little friend go.”
“Sorry, you know how it is—men have those few days every month. What can I say? I’m short on blood.
But don’t worry. If blood’s not enough, I can provide plenty of urine—ample supply, and it’s golden and refreshing.”
Lin Xiao chuckled, deliberately making a flamboyant gesture. Chief Hopper stifled his laughter, barely able to contain himself.
This guy—still cracking jokes at a time like this.
Damonte’s face turned black with rage. What the hell—those few days every month? Did he think he was a fool? Everyone knows it’s only at the start or end of the month.
No, wait, he’s not even a woman—what nonsense is this about those days?
“Nonsense! You’re not a woman, so how could you have those days? Don’t play tricks on me. Hand over your blood, or I’ll rip out the boy’s throat.”
Though Damonte always prided himself on his noble bearing, he couldn’t help but curse, seizing Dustin and lifting him to his mouth as if about to bite.
“Wait! All you want is my blood—I can give it to you, but I have a condition.”
Lin Xiao raised a hand to stop him, his gaze flickering as he quietly lifted his left hand toward Dustin.
“Oh? And what’s your condition?”
Damonte put Dustin down in triumph. Indeed, while noble spirit had its uses, these underhanded tricks worked even better. To get his blood, let nobility go to the devil.
“It’s simple. We’re both adults—nobody expects us to keep our word. I’m not stupid; I give you my blood, and you fly off with the hostage, only to pull the same stunt next time. I’ll be bled dry at this rate.
Here’s my proposal: you put Dustin on the ferry behind you and then step aside. I’ll bleed myself right here and pour it for you. See, I’ve even brought an empty wine bottle to show my sincerity.”
As he spoke, Lin Xiao pulled an empty wine bottle from his pocket—the Bordeaux bottle he’d finished off last time. He’d brought it along just for this performance.
Damonte frowned. In truth, he had considered this himself. A single thousand CCs wasn’t nearly enough; he’d need five or six thousand at least to advance to marquis rank.
His plan was to wait until Lin Xiao was too weak from blood loss, then capture him and keep him as a living blood supply—a truly sustainable resource.
But Lin Xiao was no fool, seeing through his intentions at a glance and proposing this alternative. Still, if the bloodletting was done on the spot, Lin Xiao would be weakened all the same—the plan remained viable.

“All right, I accept your terms. Step back a few meters, and I’ll put the boy on the ferry.”
Damonte agreed, snapping his fingers. The white man dragged Dustin to the ferry behind them, then returned to the bank.
The ferry was four or five meters away from where they stood, and Damonte, to show he would not go back on his word, moved to a spot off to the side.
This way, once he received the blood, Lin Xiao and Chief Hopper could rush to the ferry and rescue Dustin.
Of course, Damonte could also spread his wings and immediately snatch the hostage from the ferry, but he had a grander plan in mind and didn’t care about such details.
Yet details decide success or failure!
Seeing Damonte fall into his rhythm, Lin Xiao was pleased, though he showed nothing on his face. He bent down to place the bottle on the ground, making as if to roll up his sleeve.
Damonte and his henchman’s eyes followed his every move, utterly unaware that Chief Hopper’s hand was inching toward his waist.
“Now’s the time.”
Suddenly, Lin Xiao snatched up the wine bottle and hurled it at Damonte. With all his strength, the bottle flew fast as a bullet, tearing through the air with a sharp whistling sound as it crashed toward Damonte.
Instinctively, the vampire dodged aside and was about to unfurl his wings to seize Dustin when a giant demonic hand swooped in and snatched the boy from the ferry in a single motion.
“You dare break our agreement!”
Damonte was livid, realizing he’d been tricked. Lin Xiao had never intended to offer his blood—instead, he’d forced Damonte to place the hostage on the ferry, then used this trick to rescue him.
With a thunderous snap, Damonte spread his wings—the one wounded days ago now fully healed. His henchman did likewise, revealing himself to be a vampire as well.
The two leaped into the air, circling overhead before diving at Lin Xiao.
Just then, a hail of silver bullets spun from the gun’s muzzle, striking both vampires in a spray of blood.
Chief Hopper had opened fire.