Chapter 743 - 692: Gathering Together! (4)
Sweden.
To the people of Huaxia, it was a country boasting the highest happiness index, a place where you supposedly didn’t even need to work because the government would provide for you. But it was only after Qin Fan set foot in this nation that he realized all that talk about a "happiness index" was utter bullshit. In Huaxia, you could venture out in any reasonably sized city, no matter how late, and never go hungry; the streets would never be deserted. Here in Sweden, however, it wasn’t even ten o’clock at night, and the daytime bustle had completely vanished. As far as the eye could see, the vibrant cityscape of towering, luxurious buildings was utterly devoid of a single soul. Wandering through the streets as snowflakes fell, he saw no people, not even a single car on the road.
And they call this a country with a high happiness index? What a joke!
Of course, Qin Fan knew that every country had its own lifestyle, but when he thought of the longing and aspiration in the eyes of his fellow Huaxia citizens, he couldn’t help but laugh. For someone from Huaxia, living in a place like this wouldn’t be happiness—it would be a complete breakdown! No shopping, no hanging out with friends, no food delivery... happiness? What a load of crap!
Shaking the snowflakes from his shoulders, he stopped contemplating Sweden’s so-called happiness and released his Divine Sense, sweeping the area for the presence of Vampires.
Aha...
A moment later, a smile touched his lips. His Divine Sense had picked up several Vampire auras rapidly converging on a single castle. Inside that castle, the collective Vampire aura was denser than anything he had ever encountered. There was even one powerful presence that made him pause. Compared to the Vampires he had slaughtered in England, the presences within that castle were on a completely different level.
Looks like I’ve found their den. Gathering together like this... do they know this Heavenly Venerate is coming for them? he murmured with a wry smirk.
Qin Fan didn’t rush over. Instead, he maintained an even pace, treading slowly through the snow. He was going to give them time to gather and regroup, so he could save himself the effort and wipe them out in one fell swoop.
***
At the same time Qin Fan arrived in Sweden and locked onto the Vampire stronghold, dozens of figures raced across the snow like lightning. Their target was the very same castle.
It didn’t take long. These wolf-like figures stormed straight through the undefended entrance.
Inside the castle hall, Earl Geman, having already sensed their approach, smiled thoughtfully.
"Father, have the Werewolves arrived?" Leaman asked, his voice filled with surprise and delight as he heard the commotion outside. He had assumed that even if the Werewolf clan came, they would drag their feet for as long as possible. Who would have thought they would arrive so quickly? Was the Wolf King already leading the charge?
"The Wolf King simply made the most logical choice. Leaman, you still have a long way to go. Your mind... it still lacks maturity," Earl Geman said, shaking his head at Leaman with a hint of disappointment.
Then he stepped forward and walked outside. Delay? Wait until the Vampires and Qin Fan have wounded each other, then show up to kill two birds with one stone? A perfect outcome, admittedly. But also the most foolish idea! Does the Wolf King think I wouldn’t see through a self-serving ploy that even a three-year-old could come up with? Nonsense. The Wolf King may not be some paragon of virtue, but as one of the four great dark overlords, he is certainly no fool. If he truly dared to play such a trick, I have a thousand ways to lead Qin Fan right to his Werewolf kin for a nice, thorough slaughter!
So, after agreeing to Geman’s terms, the Wolf King had no choice but to rush over as fast as possible. Killing Qin Fan in the shortest time with the least cost was the best option for everyone. Both Geman and the Wolf King understood this.
"Earl Geman, it has been a long time!" The Wolf King’s majestic, world-defying aura radiated from him without restraint. He laughed heartily, as if greeting a long-lost friend. To the uninformed, they might have seemed like the best of companions.
"Come in and have a seat. He has already entered Sweden. With his ability, finding this place won’t be difficult," Earl Geman said with a faint smile, standing a few meters away from the Wolf King.
With that, he turned and walked to a guest sofa at the side of the hall, taking a seat. He then retrieved a red glass bottle with no label or identifying marks from a nearby wine rack.
Not bothering with pleasantries, the Wolf King snorted with a smile and strode to the other side of the hall. From beginning to end, he didn’t deign to give the other members of the Vampire lineage—not even Geman’s own son, Leaman—a single glance.
"This is the essence of a Late Stage Transformation Realm Martial Artist from Huaxia. I’ve had it for three years and couldn’t bring myself to drink it. Today, I’ll share it with you."
Without further ceremony, Earl Geman flicked his finger at the mouth of the bottle. The cork shot out with a pop. A thick, nauseatingly coppery stench immediately billowed from the opening. To the noses of Werewolves and Vampires, however, it was the most exquisite fragrance in the world.
"I must say, the blood of a Late Stage Transformation Realm Martial Artist always smells so fragrant! Haha, Earl Geman, I thank you for your hospitality!" the Wolf King said, taking a deep, appreciative sniff of the air.
Geman merely shook his head, his expression unreadable, and poured the fresh blood into a wine glass.
Without waiting to be served, the Wolf King made himself at home, picking up the glass. He went through the motions of tasting a fine red wine, first bringing it to his nose for a deep inhalation. Then, with a look of pure rapture, he brought the glass to his lips.
"Earl Geman, for this hospitality alone, I won’t claim any of that Huaxia mongrel’s essence later! Hehehe!" Setting down the now-empty glass, the Wolf King cackled sinisterly.
"After the Vampire lineage paid such a heavy price, you wouldn’t have the gall to ask for it anyway, would you?" Geman sneered mockingly as he refilled the Wolf King’s glass.
While the Wolf King and Earl Geman continued their hypocritical charade, each with their own hidden agenda, Qin Fan finally arrived outside the castle after a leisurely walk through the snow that lasted for tens of minutes.
He looked at the imposing yet eerie castle before him and smiled playfully. He could sense the Werewolves’ auras inside, and among them was a Wolf Breath no less formidable than the strongest Vampire Breath he had detected.
The strongest Wolf Breath and the strongest Vampire Breath... so the damned Wolf King and this Earl Geman are having a little party while they wait for this Heavenly Venerate? Capturing two kings in one battle... how efficient!
As his words left his lips, he circulated the energy of the Mixed Element Golden Pill within him.
He lifted his foot and stomped it fiercely onto the snow-covered ground.
BOOM!!!
With the explosive roar, a terrifying fissure erupted from beneath his foot, racing straight toward the castle.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
The moment the fissure reached the castle, deafening cracks rapidly spread through the structure. The vast, majestic castle began to shake violently.