Chapter 93

Chapter 93

The wound was level with the wrist, the severed end fresh.

Ning Qiuyan recognized it at a glance as Lu Qianque’s hand. He had seen the pale scar on Lu Qianque’s right index finger before.

On the day they were searching the archive for the specimen, Lu Qianque had told Gu Yu that the scar was from when he had cut himself on paper as a child. Because he had not taken proper care of it, the wound had become infected and left a mark. The normally careless Gu Yu had immediately slowed down the way he turned pages after hearing that, terrified he would get cut and end up with a scar too.

His premonition had come true. Ning Qiuyan’s face went as white as paper in an instant, and he had no idea what he should do. A doorman at the hotel recognized him and came over to ask if he was all right. Only then did Ning Qiuyan snap back to himself with a start and clutch the wooden box tightly in his arms.

At three in the morning, Guan Heng got off the plane with hardly anyone at his side.

The moment he walked out of the VIP passage, he saw Ning Qiuyan waiting in the hall.

The young man sat beside Qu Shu, wearing the milky-white hoodie he often wore. His complexion was poor, his eyes faintly red-rimmed. His body swayed unconsciously, restless and lost, as if he had no idea what to do. As though sensing something, he turned his face in Guan Heng’s direction, then stood up all at once.

“Mr. Guan!” Qu Shu went forward to meet him.

This reunion was nothing like what one might have imagined. There was no trace of lingering romance left.

Guan Heng had already heard about Lu Qianque on the plane. He merely nodded to Qu Shu, then strode toward Ning Qiuyan.

With one reach of his long arm, Ning Qiuyan’s face was buried against the side of his neck.

“You looked?” Guan Heng asked.

“I did.”

Leaning against Guan Heng, his drifting, unsteady body finally found somewhere to land.

Ning Qiuyan stopped trembling and said, “It’s Lu Qianque’s right hand.”

Guan Heng’s large hand cupped the back of his head and rubbed it gently. His phoenix eyes were dark, his aura cold and forbidding, as though he had brought the wind and snow of Du Island with him across thousands of miles.

Both of them were tall and elegant; the scene should have been a feast for the eyes. Qu Shu, however, was in no mood to appreciate it. She reported to Guan Heng, “Sir, I’ve already been to the club. The place was empty. The basement has four floors, no elevator, and only one very narrow entrance. The entire first basement level was fitted with ultraviolet lamps. Aside from that, they left no clues behind. Whoever did this was very clean. I’ve already sent people to search for Young Master Lu. Li Tang has broad connections, so I’ve also put the word out through him.”

Guan Heng let go of Ning Qiuyan, his expression grave. “Mm. I know.”

In the car, Guan Heng called Wagner Jones directly.

It was not hard to guess who was behind this. Ning Qiuyan had almost immediately thought of Mr. Jones as well, because everyone knew Huanle was inextricably linked to Mr. Jones.

Mr. Jones had failed to win Guan Heng over, and Guan Heng had seized that thread and pursued it to the bitter end. The person who would do something like this could only be Mr. Jones.

“Lu Qianque has gone missing?” Wagner Jones asked in his usual slow drawl, sounding faintly surprised. “Ah, how careless of him. But Mr. Guan, I know nothing about this matter.”

Guan Heng said flatly, “Wagner, spare me the act.”

“Mr. Guan misunderstands me. Lu Qianque is one of your people. How would I dare touch him?” Wagner replied courteously. “In truth, I don’t know about Mr. Guan’s affairs, just as Mr. Guan doesn’t know about mine. After all, you live year-round on an isolated island, far removed from the world. It’s inevitable that your information is sometimes limited, and you are no longer a member of the Blood Supervision Council.”

Guan Heng said, “One Lu Qianque is not enough to threaten me.”

Wagner hurriedly said he would never dare.

Before hanging up, Wagner added, “Severed arms and mutilated limbs… Whoever opposes you does seem to act very much in your style.”

The sky was dark and dim.

The city scenery outside the car window flashed past in the early-morning hours. Guan Heng’s lashes were half lowered, betraying no emotion.

Taking Lu Qianque truly was not enough to threaten Guan Heng.

Because a Vampire could not truly be killed. Even if their head was cut off, they were still considered alive.

Ning Qiuyan asked softly, “Can Lu Qianque’s hand still be reattached?”

Guan Heng turned his head slightly. Looking at Ning Qiuyan’s panicked expression, he answered, “Yes.”

Ning Qiuyan said, “Then we have to find him quickly.”

After saying that, Ning Qiuyan only kept his head lowered and said nothing more.

He felt he bore an inescapable responsibility for this. If he had not insisted on going to pick up Rong Qi, Lu Qianque would not have noticed that club, and he would not have fallen into the trap their enemies had set.

Of course it was good that the hand could be reattached. But what if Lu Qianque never came back?

What if Lu Qianque had also been thrown into the deep sea ten thousand meters below, disappearing without a trace and spending thousands upon thousands of years alone on the ocean floor? That would be more terrifying than death.

“This has nothing to do with you.” Guan Heng’s insight was sharp, and he saw through Ning Qiuyan’s thoughts. “Even without you, this still could have happened.”

Ning Qiuyan looked up at Guan Heng.

Guan Heng continued, “If he was captured this easily, it only proves he wasn’t cautious enough in how he acted and lacked observational skill. Sooner or later, he would have had to suffer for it.”

The words were somewhat merciless.

But after Guan Heng sent Ning Qiuyan back to the Black House, he did not even get out of the car. Taking Lu Qianque’s hand with him, he ordered the driver to head straight for the Blood Supervision Council.

Ning Qiuyan knew he would not be of any help. After showering, he climbed into bed but could not sleep, so he simply got up and sorted through the cardboard box of things Rong Qi had given him.

In the middle of it, he saw the crystal bowl on the table, filled to the brim with cherries-they were the ones Lu Qianque had specially had someone bring from Luochuan. Even after becoming a Vampire, Lu Qianque was still meticulous and considerate, because at his side, there was still a Gu Yu.
What would Gu Yu do if he found out?

What would Gu Yu do if Lu Qianque never came back?

These feelings surged up, washing away even the regret and sorrow Ning Qiuyan had felt when saying goodbye to Rong Qi.
That morning, Li Tang rode in Qu Shu’s car to the Black House. Guan Heng had not returned yet.

According to Li Tang, the Blood Supervision Council had already accepted the case, but several administrators belonged to Wagner Jones’s faction, and there were obstacles at every turn. The matter would probably become very difficult to handle.

There was one thing Ning Qiuyan could not understand.

He had gone to the club earlier than Lu Qianque. If their goal was to coerce Guan Heng, why hadn’t they simply taken him instead?

He bore Guan Heng’s Mark. Anyone would know what his relationship with Guan Heng was. Besides, as a human, he should have been easier to control than Lu Qianque.

Li Tang said, “Because this contest might go on for a hundred years. A human lifespan is too short.”

Ning Qiuyan had not expected that answer. For a moment, he was speechless.

Qu Shu coughed, and Li Tang quickly explained, “That’s not what I meant. I mean Lu Qianque has been with Mr. Guan for so long that he’s long since become Mr. Guan’s trusted aide. There are many things that only he can handle. As long as Lu Qianque stays by Mr. Guan’s side, he’ll always be Mr. Guan’s right-hand man. Pull one hair and the whole body moves. It would be very hard to cultivate another Lu Qianque from scratch. By kidnapping him, they’re in a better position to tug things back and forth in the long run, which benefits the reform they’re fantasizing about.”

Ning Qiuyan only half understood. He asked, “What exactly do they want? If making Huanle is about money, or about controlling humans, then why do they also want to create Newborns?”

For thousands of years, Vampires had been able to hide perfectly among humans. Aside from the Blood Supervision Council’s restrictions, another very important reason was their small numbers. If their numbers increased sharply, it would not only affect the operation of the Blood Supervision Council, but also put Vampires at risk of exposure.

Li Tang said, “You’re wrong, Xiao Ning. Vampires have never truly been hidden.”

He listed several names that were famous enough to thunder in anyone’s ears. Without exception, they were powerful figures active in politics, business, and other circles.

“See? The world has always been in the hands of a small number of people. Where there is power, there is struggle. Strengthening your own faction only brings benefits, no drawbacks.”

Ning Qiuyan felt his scalp go numb. His entire worldview had been overturned, and for a long while, he could not speak.

Only after quite some time did he ask, “Then Lu Qianque… what will it take for him to come back?”

“This is a game between multiple sides.” Li Tang was uncharacteristically serious as he laid everything out for Ning Qiuyan. “Since Mr. Guan refuses to agree to the Newborn Plan, he has to stay completely out of it. He can’t even interfere with Huanle. But Mr. Guan’s stance is too clear. As an important figure, not only does he refuse to participate or cooperate, he also wants to stop Huanle from circulating in the human world. He’s become a thorn in other people’s eyes, a thorn in their flesh. If Mr. Guan wants to save Lu Qianque, he has to stop interfering with Huanle immediately, and stop interfering in anything that comes after.”

Ning Qiuyan asked, “What if Mr. Guan doesn’t stop?”

Li Tang said, “Then he can only abandon Lu Qianque.”

The answer was cruel. Ning Qiuyan pressed his lips tightly together, and even Qu Shu’s brows furrowed deeply.

“Unfortunately, even if Mr. Guan is willing to abandon Lu Qianque and make Huanle disappear completely, the Newborn Plan won’t be terminated,” Li Tang said. “The older a Vampire is, the more powerful they are. Their blood genes can be passed down and can create the most outstanding Newborns. Mr. Guan is the oldest Vampire we know of, but that doesn’t mean they absolutely need him. As far as I know, aside from trying to rope Mr. Guan in, Wagner has long been searching for other people. He already has some leads now. Sooner or later, the Newborn Plan will move forward.”

Dr. Ling had told Ning Qiuyan that Vampires admired strength. Part of that was simple worship, while another part was that the blood of the powerful could even change their physiques and raise their status. To them, it was an extremely powerful temptation.

That was why stowaways were willing to risk going to the island.

But other people?

Ning Qiuyan asked, “Are there Vampires in the world around the same age as Mr. Guan?”

Li Tang said, “Of course.”

A chill ran down Ning Qiuyan’s back.

“Vampires didn’t appear out of thin air,” Li Tang said. “It’s said that the one who transformed Mr. Guan was the oldest vampire known to exist. K came from the Arctic Circle and was over seven thousand years old. But apart from knowing that K wore a gray robe, no one knows K’s name or gender, and no one has ever truly seen K’s face. It’s as if K doesn’t exist at all… Most likely, K is already sleeping and weathering away in some corner of the world.”

After learning all this, Ning Qiuyan did not feel the slightest bit relieved. Instead, he grew even more worried.

He had originally thought that once Guan Heng went to the Blood Supervision Council, a solution would be found and Lu Qianque could be rescued. But looking at the situation as a whole, even Guan Heng might not necessarily be safe at the Blood Supervision Council.

Qu Shu understood what Ning Qiuyan was feeling. She gently patted his shoulder. “Sir will be fine.”

Li Tang also said, “Qu Shu is right. There’s no need to worry about Mr. Guan. You just haven’t heard about what he’s done.”

Ning Qiuyan asked, “What has he done?”

“This isn’t the first time the administration has changed. The last major reshuffling of the Blood Supervision Council… I mean, a real bloodbath,” Li Tang said. “More than two hundred years ago, when Mr. Guan set out for Du Island, he once slaughtered his way through the Blood Supervision Council. Alone, he carved a path out of their encirclement. Blood flowed across the ground like rivers, and torn chunks of flesh and severed limbs were everywhere. It was a living hell.”