Chapter 77

Chapter 77

“He and I had some disagreements on certain matters,” Xia Zeqin said.

Lin Junruo gave Xia Zeqin a suspicious look upon hearing this explanation.

She remembered clearly that back when Qin Nan first arrived in the Realm of Death, Xia Zeqin had shown blatant malice toward Jian Fan on the bus. That was hardly something that could be explained away as a simple disagreement.

“Our paths diverged, so it was better for us to go our separate ways,” Xia Zeqin added.

Qi Shuping smiled, seemingly accepting Xia Zeqin’s explanation at face value. “I see. Since you two share the same mentor, you certainly wouldn’t do anything to betray your fellow disciple, even here in the Realm of Death.”

Xia Zeqin curled his lips into a smile. “Of course.”

Lin Junruo nearly rolled her eyes.

Knowing Jian Fan’s personality, she felt that if it were just a matter of differing paths, he would at most ignore the person-much like his attitude toward her. His attitude toward Xia Zeqin, however, was markedly different. Thinking back to how Xia Zeqin had just shoved her out earlier, she suspected he had stabbed Jian Fan in the back before, and the situation was likely much more serious than he let on.

However, she didn’t dare say any of this right now.

“Professor Qi, you killed that group of Vampires, so you’ll likely face quite a bit of trouble later. As your student, I’d like to stay by your side; I should be able to be of some help,” Xia Zeqin continued.

Qian Xing didn’t react, and Qi Shuping nodded with a smile without much thought.

Only Lin Junruo was different.

Lin Junruo pursed her lips tightly, using every ounce of her willpower to keep her body from trembling.

Xia Zeqin had been in the Private Room with her the entire time and had no way of gathering information. This meant that if she didn’t know something, Xia Zeqin shouldn’t have known it either.

So, how did Xia Zeqin know about the Vampires?

She had only learned this information from Qian Xing after being rescued. What about Xia Zeqin? How did he know about the Vampires? Moreover, that far-fetched suspicion Lin Junruo had earlier resurfaced in her mind.

Did Xia Zeqin know that man was a Vampire? Had he pushed her out knowing full well what the man was?

This thought filled Lin Junruo with an uncontrollable fear.

She wanted to speak up and ask Qi Shuping to refuse him, but she lacked the confidence. Doing so might even draw Xia Zeqin’s malice toward her. Yet, if she separated from Qi Shuping now, she had absolutely no ability to survive on her own.

She had no choice.

At this moment, she once again missed Mu Xin’s kindness.

Mu Xin, however, was in no mood to worry about Lin Junruo. She was currently with Qin Nan and Jian Fan, exploring the Vampire’s Lair.

After passing through that Corridor, the space ahead suddenly opened up, as if they had entered an ancient European castle.

Before them stood a magnificent, palatial hall. At the moment, the grand hall was completely empty.

Qin Nan immediately looked at Jian Fan.

Jian Fan’s gaze swept quickly across the hall before he took the initiative to walk forward.

The layout of the hall was visible at a glance, and Jian Fan didn’t intend to linger there for long. If they needed to find clues, they would have to search thoroughly, which would likely take a lot of time in a place this size. Their time was strictly limited.

Therefore, Jian Fan had to quickly map out the entire first floor before deciding on a plan.

Qin Nan and Mu Xin naturally followed him.

It was the perfect image of an ancient castle. The Corridor they had come through seemed to be a passage leading into this fortress.

Beyond the hall, this floor contained several servant quarters and other rooms, as well as a spiral staircase leading to the upper floors.
Jian Fan didn’t hesitate for long and chose to go upstairs.

There were many rooms on the Second Floor of the castle. Jian Fan picked the one closest to the top of the stairs. He didn’t enter immediately, but instead pushed the door open and peered inside.

The first room was a guest room.

After a quick glance, Jian Fan closed the door and moved on to the second.

Another guest room.

A storage room.

…

Jian Fan checked them one by one. Qin Nan followed behind, also observing his surroundings. He and Mu Xin occasionally exchanged glances, communicating silently before continuing to follow Jian Fan with a wordless understanding.

After opening an unknown number of doors, Jian Fan paused briefly before a particular room, then stepped inside.

Now, this was interesting.

Qin Nan hurried his pace and entered the room.

Once inside, a few glances were enough for Qin Nan to understand the situation.

This was a study.

Jian Fan walked toward the desk first.

It was a large desk topped with several books and a computer. Beside the computer lay some pens and paper showing signs of use, along with a few documents.

Jian Fan picked them up and flipped through a few pages, his eyebrows arching slightly. Just as Qin Nan approached, Jian Fan handed them over.

Qin Nan took them, read the title of the document, and skimmed the contents. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.

It was a planning document for an event at the Bar.

Qin Nan set that document down and picked up a few others. Some were the Bar’s financial records, while others were partnership contracts between the Bar and other companies. In short, they were all related to the Bar’s operations. This meant that the original Vampire might very well be the owner of the Bar.

Jian Fan didn’t linger on the documents on the desk.

Having confirmed that point, he began searching the desk drawers.

The drawers contained more documents, along with the Bar’s business licenses, corporate seals, and similar items. In the bottom drawer, Jian Fan found a face-down photo frame.

He pulled the frame out.

Seeing this, Qin Nan and Mu Xin immediately crowded around.

The photo inside showed a man and a woman. They were dressed in ancient, magnificent court attire, and the background appeared to be a banquet held within the castle. The two were leaning into each other, smiling radiantly at the camera.

“This person…” Qin Nan pointed at the man in the photo. Before he could finish his sentence, he froze, suddenly clamping a hand over his own mouth.

At the same time, Jian Fan and Mu Xin both went rigid.

Silence. The study was as quiet as a tomb.

The three of them remained frozen in their positions for a long while. Only after ensuring nothing was amiss did they breathe a sigh of relief. Even so, Qin Nan didn’t dare speak again.

He pulled his hand away and gestured with both arms, finally mimicking the motion of drinking.

Qin Nan’s pantomime was clear enough. Both Jian Fan and Mu Xin understood what he was trying to convey-or rather, it wasn’t just Qin Nan who had recognized him; they had all seen it.

The man in the photo was the very same Bartender who had mixed the Bloody Mary for them at the counter earlier.

Certain things seemed to be coming to light, yet Jian Fan’s brow furrowed.

Was that Bartender truly the original Vampire? But if so, why was this photo hidden face-down in a drawer? Was it because the girl in the photo was gone, or was there some other reason he didn’t want to remember?