Chapter 85: An Invitation from the Blade Warrior

“Blade, you dare stop me? That man killed our young master Cullen. I must capture him today to answer to Duke Cullen. If you stand in my way, we fight to the death.” Lestat roared in fury, but his reply was a hail of spinning silver bullets.

Eric Smith, the Blade Warrior, wasted not a single word—he simply raised his weapon and fired, his decisive style instantly earning Lin Xiao’s approval.

Indeed, there was nothing to discuss with these people. Better to open fire first; best if they died, but if not, wounds would make them easier to handle later.

Lestat, the arrogant braggart, was struck by three or four silver bullets. He screamed in pain, flapping his wings frantically to dodge, desperate to escape the relentless barrage.

But the Blade Warrior’s marksmanship was uncanny. His wrist flicked, the muzzle tracking Lestat’s every movement, capturing his trajectory with unerring precision—nine out of ten shots found their mark.

Reduced to a living target, Lestat howled in fury yet was helpless. In close combat, he couldn’t subdue the human; at a distance, he was no match for the Blade Warrior; his best skill, mental domination, had backfired and nearly harmed him in turn. Every move he possessed was perfectly countered.

With no other option, he soared high above, glowering down at the two below. His voice was like an icy blade as he declared, “I will return. I swear I will come back and drain your loved ones and friends of every last drop of blood before your very eyes. I want you to witness their agony as they die, to hear their heart-wrenching screams. I swear it by the name of the Blood Ancestor—my oath will be fulfilled. Just you wait.”

With that dark vow, Lestat beat his wings and vanished into the moonlight, becoming a distant shadow, then finally, a mere dot.

“Rest assured—before you can carry out your oath, I will take your head,” Lin Xiao thought coldly as he watched Lestat vanish. To threaten his friends and family—had he forgotten how Damon met his end just moments ago?

Speaking of which, Damon’s corpse had also been left behind.

Glancing over, Lin Xiao saw that the once-living body had already shriveled to a gaunt skeleton, a terrifying sight.

“Greetings, extraordinary human. I am Eric Smith, a Blade Warrior. May I ask your name?” The Black warrior holstered his gun across his back and approached with courteous words.

“Jonathan Byers. Blade Warrior—is that a profession?” Lin Xiao introduced himself and questioned the other’s identity. The title sounded vaguely familiar, yet he couldn’t quite recall where he’d heard it.

The Black man dusted off his clothing, glanced at Damon’s skeletal remains, and explained, “We Blade Warriors specialize in hunting vampires who prey on humans. If we catch them in the act, we execute them on the spot. You seem to possess extraordinary abilities as well—which organization do you belong to?”

Lin Xiao walked over to Dustin to check his condition, replying as he went, “I haven’t joined any organization. I’m on my own. Are there many Blade Warriors?”

The Black warrior followed, glanced at the unconscious Dustin, and shook his head. “Not many. We descend from the Knights Templar, who have themselves declined—there are only a handful of us left, hardly enough to challenge the vampires. That Lestat who escaped is a vampire marquis, who values his oaths above all. He will certainly come for you again. Judging by the direction he left, he’s probably headed to the vampire stronghold for reinforcements. Your situation is dangerous.”

When am I ever not in danger? Lin Xiao thought wryly. Since crossing over, he’d encountered peril daily—even drinking a cola nearly got him dosed with a love potion. Wasn’t life hard enough already?

“So you mean, he’ll bring a vampire duke?” Lin Xiao asked.

The Black warrior shook his head. “Unlikely. Most vampire dukes are deep in slumber; only one at a time governs, and with his status, he wouldn’t risk exposing himself to extraordinary humans. But there are many living vampire marquises. If he brings two allies, even if we fight together, we cannot win. Worse, the vampires possess thirteen sacred relics, each a fearsome blood-magic weapon. Should they come wielding one, we wouldn’t even have the chance to escape.”

Lin Xiao’s expression darkened. Stefan had warned him before—not to provoke these powerful vampires—but now things had escalated beyond control. Still, he felt no regret; had he let Damon go, the man would surely have returned to cause trouble. Only by eliminating him could he ensure peace.

Sheriff Hope, clearly worried, interjected, “Then what should we do? Can’t we ask the government for help? Request protection?”

The Black warrior snorted. “Rely on those capitalists? At best, they’ll clean up our corpses. The vampire elite have already infiltrated the government—many high officials and tycoons are likely their thralls. We’re lucky if they don’t come after us themselves.”

This news weighed heavily on Lin Xiao. He hadn’t realized how dire things were; there was no one he could count on. If Zoe were here, perhaps he could reach out for help, but she had just left. When he returned, he’d have to ask Number Eleven to contact Zoe immediately. He could only hope she returned faster than the vampires arrived, or disaster would be unavoidable.

Noticing Lin Xiao’s grim face, the Black warrior reached out his hand sincerely. “I invite you to join the Blade Warriors, Mr. Byers. You’re strong, and now you’re an enemy of the vampires. Become one of us, and I will fight alongside you to protect your loved ones and friends.”

Lin Xiao studied him closely. No doubt, this Blade Warrior had delayed his appearance to make this very offer, hoping to recruit him.

Damn, this feels like being invited to join some band of outlaws. Why not try a beauty trap instead of playing the martyr?

“How can I trust you’ll truly help me? And how can I be sure joining you won’t bring even more trouble?” Lin Xiao asked.

The Black warrior seemed prepared for this skepticism and shrugged. “You don’t have to trust me. When they return, you’ll see for yourself who stands for justice and who for evil. By the way, I must warn you: your friend was bitten by a vampire, and you made him drink vampire blood. He will soon transform. You must be prepared.”

He added, “My duty is simple—I hunt vampires who drink human blood. Of course, vegetarian vampires are another matter. As long as they abstain from human blood, I can turn a blind eye.”

Lin Xiao understood his meaning: if Dustin transformed and dared to feed on humans, the Blade Warrior would cut him down without hesitation.

He hadn’t expected this—Michael and Lucas had yet to become werewolves, yet Dustin would become a vampire first.

Great, now all his friends were turning out strange. Michael and Lucas were about to become werewolves, Dustin a vampire, Number Eleven was a witch, and Will seemed to be changing as well.

The thought of all these bizarre beings together under one roof struck him as almost comical.