《Bloody Emperor》


 1 Dark Soul Hear

    There was almost no sound in that huge castle except for tears falling to the stone floor.


    Nero, who had just lost all his family and clan, had no hope. His mother used her body to protect him from a silver grenade, which was lethal against vampires, and the troops who prepared for years to slaughter all of his race did not realize that Nero had hidden under a dead soldier body.


    "Mother...Father...Sister ..."


    "All dead. Why do I still live??? I can''t even revenge you. "


    This year, humans declared war on non-humans. The vampires were always numbered, living in seclusion. Though much stronger than all races, they were cursed to walk during the night and be vulnerable to silver.


    But humans have always been jealous of their alliance with the elves: adorable, extremely passive creatures who were very close to nature because of their magical and mysterious bodies.


    Humans wanted to use elf'' blood as samples as they did with dwarves, but the elves would ask their sworn protectors, the vampires, for help.


    So for many years, human governments began to prepare a great onslaught against the cold bloodsuckers. The humanity using technology to create powerful silver weapons, there was no way for vampires to survive this ambush, with missile airstrikes attacking in the morning. Ground troops followed to destroy all vampire existence.


    Vampires lived in reclusion like all non-human races. Nero''s family was like royalty within his race. His father was always aiming for the good of others above himself. His mother was the most present person in Nero''s life, always giving him all the love and affection a son could want. And his sister was so cute and happy.


    Nero''s life was perfect. This year he would be 17, and everything was excellent. But now there was no one left. Nero was always taught to respect others, and even though he trained hard and increased his strength, he never thought he would use to kill any person, human or not.


    Vampires had to feed on blood but not kill. They used animals and sucked people who volunteered to give some of their blood without side effects in exchange for resources. Giving vampires a bit of their blood was familiar to many elves, and their races always grew together, helping each other.


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    Nero did not understand why humans had to go and slaughter them. These racist ideas that humans must rule the entire planet made no sense to him.


    But so it was. And because he was weak. He lost everything.


    "Power...if only I had power..."


    He never wanted ''power'' as much as now.


    After the soldiers left the place to chase vampires elsewhere, Nero thought he was alone in what was left of the vampire castle. But a figure that comes over from a strange shining portal watched over him from the sky.


    She was beautiful as spring came after a harsh winter. With a stunning olive skin, a thin waist, and a very sexy hourglass figure, with a huge pair of breasts, brown hair, golden eyes, and pink lips. She had red scales on some parts of her skin and a pair of slightly curved upwards horns and wings with the same color of her skin. She was dressed in a mini red belly dancer costume, with gold accessories that gave a unique exotic style. She showed off many parts of her body, but Nero could not enjoy it now in such an unstable and sad emotional state.


    From above, she watched Nero, fascinated by this new life form, after all a vampire''s body was an anomaly everywhere in the universe, a cursed existence sucking blood for a living, but also much stronger than all others, even with the silver and sun''s colossal disadvantage.


    The beautiful exotic lady, who was no young considering the maximum age on Earth, that even among the strongest vampires was no more than 300 years old. That was nothing in the eyes of that woman, who now was thinking she could improve even better the Nero vampire''s body to have no weaknesses and only advantages.


    She that was lightly flapping her wings come down softly in front of Nero, who hastily got up, looking astonished at the woman that he once would have certainty flirted in a different time.


    Facing Nero, she was studying him carefully and couldn''t help but contemplate how handsome he was. Nero could stand out from even the most beautiful elves who were once considered the most beautiful creatures on Earth. With a height of 5.9 feet, broad shoulders, muscled body, enough to still look thin yet looking strong, slightly messy white hair that gave a relaxed young look, big red eyes that could hypnotize any woman, he was a real ''lady killer.''


    Nero was wondering what to say to the beautiful woman who was not human when she disappeared, and soon he felt a hand on his head, and darkness filled his vision. For an indefinite time, Nero felt nothing as if he slept, and his numb body did not obey his commands until he opened his eyes and saw a strange smile of the beautiful woman.


    "Hello, Nero, don''t worry. I was reading some of your memories to learn your language."


    Before he could say anything, the strange woman continued in her sweet and soft voice.


    "My name is ''Sarah Pendragon,'' I came from another world and saw your suffering. I also have my share of pain with humans in my world."


    Sarah tried to sound honest and trustworthy. She felt that was the best chance of getting help and didn''t want to ruin her first impression.


    Even though Nero sympathizes with the part she says she has ''hurt'' with humans, he can''t trust anyone and has to suspect everyone for his survival now that he''s alone in the world, someone who reads his mind on the first meeting can be trusted? Even if she''s so beautiful and charming?


    "What do you want from me? And as you know, my name, what else did you read from my mind?"


    Nero said, trying his best to scowl to show his displeasure. He had a thousand questions but wanted to do the ones he found most important first.


    Sarah liked more and more the young vampire, she saw his suspicious as a bright mind, and his hostility was a new sensation, a good one no expected since he did not act like all other men except her father, who saw her with lust-filled eyes, only thinking about her beautiful looks and how to please her to have her body.


    "I only read basic information about you, such as names and general knowledge, without going into your privacy. I appreciate you suspect me, and it proves that you are smart and have understood that you can only count on yourself to survive from now on."


    Sarah spoke in the same calm tone, keeping her smile warm as if he were her good friend, and she would never do him any harm, which made Nero even more anxious to know what she wants from him because nothing so good can come for free. He was sure when Sarah''s expression turned serious as if she were going to break the news of his unstoppable horrible death.


    "I want to offer you ''power'' for your revenge on the humans who killed your people. In return, my soul will enter and share your body, and you will come back with me to my world and help me avenge those who killed my family and my people just like yours."


    Sarah prepared to tell her entire story in detail, but before she could continue, Nero surprised her.


    "I accept, if you can help me exterminate all these damn humans, I don''t mind giving you all my body, soul, or any help, take as long as it takes. But first, give me that power! "


    Nero found everything about this woman very strange. Humans explored other planets in the galaxy but never found life; everything away from the Earth was empty and inhospitable. But that woman of a race he never saw appeared from a magical portal that was absurd and seemed like a dream. But at that moment he couldn''t think much about everything strange about this woman.


    He just wanted blood. Kill all those humans. Nero was so angry and sad that his fangs were itching to bite all humanity. Her nails, already twice their standard size, clenched in her fists, causing her blood to drip from her hands.


    Nero was never aggressive but because of his mother, who always treated him with love. But vampires, though peaceful, were predators by nature, their instincts beastlike, always in search of prey. Vampires were both intelligent and violent. Being a hunter requires patience and planning never to lose their target, but when attacking, being brutal and ruthless.


    And now was the time to be brutal. If that woman can help him get revenge, he will do anything to help her too. Nero didn''t consider himself a good person, but he paid back twice as much for those who harmed him as for those who helped him, and now he needed a miracle.


    "Okay¡­ I''m hurt, and I lose my power every second. We have to be fast. First, I''ll change your body to take away your weakness against silver and sunlight."


    With each word, Sarah felt more anxious, and she wanted to act fast to pass every drop of her cultivation that came out of her body every moment, to him, and then use the ''dark soul stone,'' hoping that her plan works well.


    A heart-shaped stone appears in Sarah''s hand, leaving Nero amazed at how this strange stone came out of nowhere. The stone was black with spike-like tips, and the inside was hollow, like a container for holding liquid, but it had nothing now. As soon as he saw the ''stone,'' a strange sensation washed over him, amplifying his hate. He fixed his eyes for one second on the ''stone,'' but it was enough to seem like hours.


    Soon he could hear shouts and sounds of explosion. He smelled burning flesh and dust. Nero was cold, and even though vampires were almost immune to the cold, it was a strange feeling as if that stone could bring out his soul and expose it to all evil, and he could only protect himself by destroying anything hostile to him. Then Nero heard Sarah''s voice like an angel coming to his rescue in the darkest hour.


    "During the process of rebuilding your body, this ''stone'' will be your new heart, and it will be your core of power and allow you to enter the world of cultivation. You must absorb it all without resisting it. I will use my Spirit to make sure that it does not reject you and make you suffer fewer side effects, but it will weaken me, so when you are done, you have to suck all my blood and allow my soul to enter in the stone inside your body."


    Sarah spoke with a worried and anxious tone at the same time and brought the stone close to Nero''s heart, which was getting colder and colder.


    "If all goes well, after absorbing me, I''ll be able to talk to you over the mind. Remember, it will hurt! BE STRONG!!"


    Nero felt a deep pain in his chest. He stopped breathing when fear raged in his soul, he thought his heart was beating too fast, but he could not hear. With wide opened eyes Nero saw his heart in Sarah''s other hand, the movement was so fast that he did not even understand what happened when she told him to be strong, Nero tried his best to believe her, for the good of his revenge he wanted to believe that was not his end.


    Sarah slowly thrust the ''dark soul stone'' in place of Nero''s heart, and the ''stone'' began to loosen black goo tentacles around it and clung to Nero''s body. It was as if the ''stone'' was healing and becoming part of it. The inside of Nero''s body was a mess of blood and flesh, and when the black tentacles came together perfectly, they began to turn red, starting at the inner walls of Nero''s chest and taking the blood into the ''dark soul stone.''


    Sarah couldn''t help but smile as she saw that the ''stone'' did not reject Nero, even with her using Spirit to mediate the transfusion.


    Using ''spirit'' was a taboo for every cultivator, as it meant a great increase in momentary power, and one needed to be a cultivator focusing on ''Spirit Qi.'' Still, after a few hours, the cultivator lost all cultivation and became crippled. Sarah had no time to lose, and she is dying right now.


    Using her ''Spirit Qi'' to help Nero was the best she can do, even though she was in great pain, she smiled, thinking how strong and monstrous the foundation of Nero''s body would be, how a vampire, with the ''dark soul stone,'' one of four ''great cursed relics'' and her ''Spirit Qi.'' He is her hope for revenge, just as she is his.


    While Sarah thought of the future revenge for overcoming the pain of that ''spirit,'' Nero, who felt an even more significant pain of the dark souls stone, thought of his dead people and family. He sought every drop of hate against humans. He just thought of tearing every human throat on this planet with his fangs. Then the pain in his chest stopped, and Nero lowered his head to look at his chest, where his torn shirt showed off his pale and perfect skin as if he had not a single scratch all his life.


    Then Nero''s vision darkened again. And he fell passed out into Sarah''s arms.

 2 Family

    Nero, still seeing nothing but dark, felt a soft touch on his foot. A tiny cold hand was lightly pinching his skin.


    "Come on! get up, big brother!!"


    He heard the cute and annoying voice of his little sister.


    "Mom said today would be great. She is right now preparing your 17 old birthday party!!"


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    Amelie continued pulling her blanket and then climbed into bed on top of Nero.


    Nero was forced to turn around and open his eyes to find his beautiful little sister looking at him with those brilliant cute cat eyes. Amelie had 5.2 feet, long white hair, and beautiful red eyes inherited from her mother as well as Nero. Amelie was thin, with a girlish figure still having so much to grow. She was adorable in her 14 old years.


    Always being treated as Nero''s most precious treasure, Amelie has always loved that brother more than anything. She trusted him and believed that nothing in this world could hurt their family, and they could ever live together with much love and happiness.


    "What does my very cute little princess want so early?"


    Nero thought it was bizarre to say "early" as vampires sleep in the day and wake up around 6:00 pm, but that was normal for his race.


    "Mouu b-big brother, let''s go for a walk around the village and play in the river."


    Amelie blushed as she spoke. She loved being called ''cute'' by Nero, but she was always embarrassed to be spoiled by him, even though she loves it.


    "Ara Ara~~. You two always have fun without me!!"


    A beautiful mature woman with 5,57 feet came into Nero''s room with a melodic voice that made the sibling''s hearts fill with love and affection.


    Vanessa was like a mature version of Amelie. Nero''s mother, a charming perfect woman who could touch the heart of everyone in the universe. So you can imagine how beautiful Nero and Amelie are, having such a mother. Nero did not know what his mother saw in his father, and she always says that his benevolence to think about the good of everyone before himself was a very noble character, and that moved her.


    "M-Mom!! You know that are both my favorites."


    Nero did not like parties; he was always reclusive, only meeting with beautiful ladies to flirt and have sex without engagement. He wanted to keep all the love and affection he could for his family, not only this cute pair of mother and daughter but also his good father, who always worked hard himself for the safety of the family and clan.


    "Yes, yes, I know, dear. Amelie, let your brother get ready, today we will celebrate Nero''s 17th birthday with the whole family."


    His mother and father wanted to have a party to celebrate their birthday, but also because times were going so well, no problem with humans or elves.


    Soon night came, and the party was going very lively until dawn. With an hour to the sun, everyone began to say goodbye.


    Nero''s father and mom watched Amelie cling to him, not letting the young girls flirt with him.


    "Julius, don''t you pity him for having to carry this cute burden all his life?


    Vanessa spoke with raised eyebrows and a smile on her face, finding every Amelie show very fun.


    "As if you don''t know how he loves and spoils his little sister. You''re jealous that you didn''t have such a good brother, hahahahah..."


    Julius enjoyed his family more than anything, so he worked so hard for all vampires to have the same happiness as him. He had a broad smile on his face, seeing the pair of brother-sister dancing at the end of the party until a horrible feeling went through his mind when he heard an exploding sound.


    It was all so fast, the castle walls falling, the ground shaking. The vampire castle was a very protected village. Not only did humans have better technology, but vampires also used theirs to boost their defenses. Around the entire town and castle were several layers of defensive barriers, the whole foundation of the houses an incredibly durable alloy of steel and stone. The castle is even stronger, but humans have used all-new generation ballistic power specially made to destroy the vampire village.


    But it was no use, and everything was falling, dust and stone falling from the roof. Chaos engulfed everyone in the room. Julius, with his quick thought, shouted for Vanessa to stand beside Nero and Amelie as he ran out. Passing Nero, he looked into his son''s eyes with determination and love.


    "Protect your mother and sister. Whatever happens, you three must survive. I will try to stop this madness! "


    Julius left, leaving Nero hugging his mother and sister, along with other young men and women in the hall. Nero wanted to go with his father to help, but in an unknown attack, they had to stay in groups to protect themselves. Nero was afraid like never before, but he didn''t care that something happens to him. All he feared was not being able to protect his loved ones.


    He feared for his father but could not leave his mother and sister, who was trembling in his arms. Soon two vampires came back and said it was a human attack. Julius was fighting ground troops that came with silver weapons and ultraviolet ray grenades. Julius and the strongest vampires were killing many humans, but they always came more. And soon, the vampires were slowly dying. Nero wanted to go to his father''s side, but his mother told him to trust Julius and not let them.


    Nero blamed himself for being weak and could do nothing for vampires. He was not at all weak for his age, but the vampires needed a lot of blood to get stronger and stronger. And he, as they lived in peace, fed only not to die and not to strengthen himself. So only those over the years would vampires be powerful.


    At that moment, Nero, he began to think that if he devoured many humans and was a brutal and cruel beast, he would have a horrible life but could protect his family. He would willingly sacrifice himself to protect this family that only gave him love and affection.


    Nero began to think of blood; his fangs began to grow and itch, his nails already twice as big as hard as the stiffer steel. Nero''s heartbeats sped up, he began to hear better, smell better, his vision applauding by the second. Vampire senses were far more potent than other races, but he could improve more and more as the vampire sucked blood. So all he could think of was blood and killing the damn humans.


    Soon a thudding sound was heard bringing Nero back to reality and seeing his father who opened the doors of the hall, his eyes full of tears of blood, his mutilated body, without one arm, with silver fragments and cuts all over his body.


    "S-Soryyyy!! I failed as a leader and as a father. Humans are many, and we are surrounded. You have to try to run aw-"


    Julius could not finish speaking when he was struck by a silver flash that exploded his head, spilling blood everywhere. Vanessa and Amelie screamed, bleeding from their eyes. Nero had released them both when he saw his father and was running for help when halfway there, he saw bits of his father flying across the walls and splattering blood on him.


    Nero''s mind went into shock, and he didn''t know what to do. His heartbeats fast, he wanted to cry, but the sadness was mixed with anger and madness. Nero stopped working for less than a second, but it seemed like hours until his voice pulled him out of his trance.


    "I have to protect my mother and sister "


    It all happened so fast when Nero went to help his father, Amelie run after him too. Nero saw humans coming from outside the hall with guns. He turned when he saw Amelie rushing toward him. At that moment, once more, fear overcame all the others when he could no longer understand how he could be so terrified that his soul trembled.


    "Amelieeeeeeee!!!! "


    Nero shouted as loud as he could; he wished he could push her away with his voice if he could. Nero knew he couldn''t live if something happens to his little sister, who he loved so much more than his own life.


    "Bi- "


    Amelie couldn''t finish calling her sweet, beloved ''big brother'' when her blood splashed on Nero''s face. There was almost nothing left of her small upper body. The silver bolt pierced Amelie in front of Nero, and that image will haunt Nero for the rest of eternity, like the moment he failed the most important thing in his life.


    With his hand raised in the direction that Amelie was coming from, Nero could slowly see the rest of her body falling, how he felt the heat of the blood on his face, that smell. Even her blood smelled of roses. Smell as sweet as that cute little sister. Nero could hear it that was an annoying but soft and lovely voice that he could never hear again.


    "Gaa-aaarr-rrrrrrr!!!!!..."


    Nero screamed like the worst and most terrible beast in existence. He was bleeding from all the holes. It was not known which was more intense, the sadness or the anger.


    The coming human soldiers were terribly afraid of that infernal scream. Even the remaining vampires were afraid to freeze their souls.


    Only Vanessa, who cried all the blood in her body, could understand the pain Nero felt for losing his beloved little sister. At that moment, Venessa knew it was the end of family and race. She felt nothing but unbearable pain that could kill anyone just imagining.


    But she had to act fast when she saw the frightened soldiers throwing all the grenades they had in hand into the hall. She knew that anything would be lethal to all vampires. She had to use her last breath to give Nero at least one last hope.


    "Mom..." Nero felt his mother''s hug in the darkest hour, her heat trying to enter his body and rescue his soul that was lost in despair.


    Vanessa covered Nero''s body with her own. And it jumped to the ground as the grenades exploded, leading soldiers and vampires to their deaths in a mess of blood and flesh.


    Nero, woke up still dizzy with a loud humming in the head of the explosions. He had to push rubble and some human bodies that didn''t explode with silver-like vampires. He didn''t see or hear anyone. The flashes of memory of his father, sister, and mother dying still flashing through his mind. A blood-stained white bow fell over her shoulder. It was from Amelie, and she liked cute black and white maid costumes.


    There was no life in this castle; he did not feel alive. Nero wanted to die the worst possible death, and he felt more angry with himself than with humans. After all, he, as a vampire, could be strong drinking a lot of blood and protecting his family like that.


    But there is no remedy for regret. Nero cried all his blood on the cold floor of what remained of the castle. Memories of his family, all the love he had, and how they died in front of him, and he could do nothing.


    Nero was in shock, and his body didn''t work. His mind in pieces. He was in a pit of despair, his soul mad with anger at him, forcing him to review the scenes of his dying loved ones.


    "You have not suffered enough!!!"


    Nero heard a voice that sounded both him and not him either.


    "You need to understand that only by being brutal and relentless can you make those who killed your family pay."


    "You have to embrace the pain, all this suffering, and it will strengthen you ... so you can erase humanity from existence... "


    The voice said and continued to show the death of his family over and over, in slow motion, with zoon and every angle.


    That torture is too much for Nero to resist. Not only him, but anyone in the universe, even the Real Gods of legend, would break if you showed them losing everything they loved even though life itself, over and over and over.


    But then the voice spoke a sentence that moved Nero. He felt that was all that was left for him.


    "These memories of them dying ... use this, carry them with you, not only the bad memories. Carry all their memories and. KILL !!! "


    "Kill all humans, drink all their blood ... for you ... for your family ... for your race ... for your little sister ..."


    "Kill everything and everyone, and show the universe how important their loved ones were, and make the souls of those who hurt them suffer in eternity... an eternity of pain and suffering... for their deaths..."


    "I am the ''DARK SOUL STONE.'' Together we can absorb the souls of your enemies and make them never see anything but the worst suffering of existence."


    "YES!! I accept that, let''s give humanity an end worse than any hell."


    Nero answered his voice in his head, which made a sinister laugh that would make his soul shiver if it wasn''t for already his soul that was laughing.

 3 Lets work together

    As Nero continued to relive the death of his family, Sarah watched him tremble and scream in pain over and over.


    She didn''t know what to do. There have never been reports of people surviving the ''Dark Soul Stone.'' The ''stone'' rarely accepted the transmutation of heart. And when it was a success, no matter how strong are the cultivators, they might die in agony.


    Sarah took the ''black soul stone'' from the Golden Palace''s treasure so that no one of her people would try to use it. Many wanted to increase their strength, and one of the four Cursed Relics was tempting.


    But she never thought that she would use it. Legends tell that the ''Dark Soul Stone'' enters the place of the heart and targets the cultivator. It is a cursed existence that goes against the laws of life and prevents the host from absorbing the Qi of nature.


    When Sarah saw that Nero''s body could draw blood from others to feed his vitality, she wanted to believe that if ''Dark Soul Stone'' accepted him, then he could suck the cultivation out of others and thus grow stronger, even faster than cultivators who take Qi from nature.


    "My father would be ashamed of me"


    Sarah can''t stop thinking like that. She, a dragon princess, was totally against the dark arts.


    Sarah''s father was the ''Golden King Dragon,'' her family ruled the ''Golden Palace'' in the Northern Endless Divine Kingdom. The Dragons were peaceful and lived much longer than other races, always seeking knowledge, saw many empires grow and fall.


    Sarah was thinking of her family when she felt Nero stop shaking. She was anxious that Nero finishes absorbing the ''Dark Soul Stone'' soon. Her body didn''t have much more time.


    In those few hours on earth, it was like years for Nero. ''Dark Soul Stone'' had to amplify all the hatred and suffering of the host. To survive, he would have to be ruthless. Only a road of massacre and terror would be ahead of him.


    Two hours later, ''Dark Soul Stone'' changed Nero''s whole soul. He believed that only by killing humans could he honor his family. It can be said that the ''stone'' found the young vampire''s body cozy.


    An existence that sucks the lives of others, this is the fate of the ''Dark Soul Stone,'' and this is the fate of a vampire. Soon they merged utterly, and if Nero died now, one of the four ''Cursed Relics'' would be destroyed. No one would believe that, for the strongest existences in history have ever tried to destroy all nine legendary relics, even the five holy ones, and no one has ever succeeded.


    Now that Nero and the stone were one, a place was created within his body. It was his Dantian, every living creatures have it, but only those who enter the world of cultivation can awaken and use their Dantians to store Qi and use to fight and reach higher heights than any ordinary person can dream of.


    Nero woke up, feeling a considerable weakness, could not move his legs. His whole body hurt, his fangs even more. It looked like he didn''t drink blood for months. That was the side effect of waking up your Dantian without any Qi.


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    Ordinary ''Cultivators'' meditated for weeks with the help of herbs and pills to awaken their Dantian. But ''Dark soul Stone'' had nowhere to get Qi from, especially here on Earth, which is a low-level world, so much far from the center of the universe.


    Nero realized that he was on top of something soft. He squeezed with his hand as he tried to clear his vision. He soon realized that he was squeezing one of the twin peaks of the beautiful exotic woman who gave him this new heart.


    "Sarah... she said would be weak, and I would have to suck all her blood and allow her soul to enter my body."


    Nero wondered if it would be a good idea to let someone into his body. But he could not come back with his word if she said that they were both in the same body should not have problems.


    "I told you to suck my blood, not to touch my body, you perverted!"


    Sarah wanted to hit Nero until he regretted harassing her body. But she was fragile from burning her Spirit Qi.


    "Vampires have an intense sexual desire, but that was not my intention, not at this moment where I can only think of blood!!"


    Nero wanted blood so much that he was losing control of his body, which led him to continue clutching Sarah''s fluffy.


    When he talked about his bloodlust, along with the memory of her asking him to suck her all over, he couldn''t hold back and get too excited. When a vampire sucks blood straight from the victim''s body, his emotions intensify. He soon becomes excited as if it is a battle, and he is sucking his enemy. In that case, he will become more violent and want more blood and will attack with increasing intensity and energy.


    When a woman offers her blood to a vampire, he is also excited and more energetic for another kind of battle.


    "Can... I?" Nero, who could only move his upper body, brought his face close to Sarah''s.


    His heavy breathing, slow movements, eyes fixed on hers. He was holding back since such a beautiful woman asking him to suck her all was like an aphrodisiac to him. In times past, he would have attacked her mercilessly, but now it was no joke. Both Nero and Sarah were in a terrible state, and he needed blood.


    "W-hat do you meee-an???


    Sarah seeing Nero''s face approaching, can no longer restrain fear that he would take her right here. She never brought any man to her eyes, she was very proud of her strength and beauty superior to all, and no one was worthy of her.


    But even she the ''Dragon Princess,'' cannot contain herself the first time she saw Nero and his beauty of godly level. Just when she saw him carefully, she thought that in a different world where their families didn''t die, she would be very proud and happy to be his wife.


    Then she blushed and was embarrassed to think about it at such a critical moment for both of them. But Nero was quick and explained the situation before Sarah died of shame.


    "Drinking your blood. Can I even drink it all? It would not destroy your body???


    "I''m poisoned, this poison runs all over my body and destroy my cultivation, now there is almost nothing left, I would soon die, but as you became one with the ''Dark soul Stone'' you must be able to absorb souls, don''t devour my soul and let me be free inside your heart."


    Nero was saddened when he saw Sarah''s sad eyes as she talked about the poison. He felt strange for caring for her, who was a stranger. Nero always only loved the family, and no matter how nice all people treated him, he never felt affection for others but his family.


    Nero didn''t know, but when Sarah burned her Spirit Qi to help build his new heart, she let that Qi mark all over Nero''s body. Share Spirit Qi is a taboo, but many lovers in history have done it because the person who received this Qi will always have the best feelings for the one who gave their own Spirit Qi to save the other.


    Now Nero''s whole body instinctively trusts Sarah. She would never talk about that to him. Sarah has always been a very proud Dragon. But she knows he couldn''t help but sympathize with her, and it makes her feel cheating to get his help in her revenge. But it was the only way to make sure that ''Dark Soul Stone'' didn''t control his mind.


    Sarah has sworn to herself always to treat Nero with all her dedication so they can avenge their families,, and one day has some peace.


    Looking at Sarah''s beautiful face, Nero was impressed, and he could not believe how he felt so much affection for her now. He thought it might be because she was so cute blushing. Whatever she will give him all the blood, and live in his heart, so there''s no way to be more intimate than that.


    Nero stopped thinking so much since time was something they didn''t have now. He opened his mouth to reveal those white fangs growing with excitement as he approached Sarah''s beautiful little neck.


    Sarah thought it would be disgusting and painful to have her blood sucked. She braced herself with all determination. She closed the eyes and thought about the revenge on those who killed her father. And she waited for the pain. The pain never came but a warm sensation. She looked at her neck, where Nero gently kissed her skin.


    "Uhm~~mm...uh...W-what you...ahhh..."


    Sarah could not contain herself but began to moan when Nero kissed and licked her neck with such affection. She wanted to know why he didn''t suck her right now. When she had the strength to ask Nero, he bit, and she felt like she was floating out of her own body.


    Sarah, for a while, forgot everything. Her brain went blank, and she felt like a pleasure that she never thought was possible. But it wasn''t Nero''s fault, and he didn''t know that when a vampire sucks a much-loved person, they release subsistence that dramatically enhances their partner''s pleasure.


    Nero always had unloving relationships with his female partners and never sucked on his beloved family members. He didn''t know it was Sarah''s Spirit Qi fault that she was already so important to him. So also he drank the best blood he had ever tasted.


    The blood was so good for Nero for two reasons: First, he had an eternal connection with Sarah, and second, she was a cultivator. Nero was unknowingly sucking the last of the remaining Cultivation in Sarah''s body. He was filling his empty Dantian with this Qi.


    Nero was amazed by the sense of power flowing from Sara''s body to him. He felt the whole body getting stronger, his vision improving, he could hear birds over two miles away. His Dantian was filling up so fast with Qi, Nero already felt it was full, and the more he sucked, it seemed like it was going to explode.


    Soon Nero''s Dantian broke the first barrier of ''Qi Refinement,'' the first kingdom of cultivation. His Dantian had grown over and over, and that amount of Qi, formerly too much. Now only filled a small part of the bottom.


    Nero was in the first layer of the Qi Refinement. But he kept sucking on Sarah''s delicious blood. His Dantian began to refill, even very fast. It could be seen that it had a bit slower compared to the first seconds.


    Soon Nero broke another barrier and went to the second layer of Qi Refinement. The sense of power was several times greater. The more blood Nero sucked, the more excited he became.


    But then the absorbing speed of Qi slowed a lot until it stops. Of course, with each layer of a Realm, it is often harder to pass. And for other Realms, it''s hundreds and thousands of times harder than the previous ones. A cultivator''s life is full of hardness and hard work. But for Nero, who is a vampire, it will only be full of blood and victims.


    Nero could feel Sarah''s blood running out. Sarah felt no pain, just the sweetness of Nero''s touch. At some point, he didn''t even realize that Sarah hugged his head with her arms tightly; she didn''t want him to stop to suck since she never felt such great pleasure.


    But Nero knew they had to focus now. He pulled out his fangs from Sarah''s neck and licked the two tooth marks so as not to let any of that wonderful blood leak.


    Sarah felt every action of Nero, and she saw how he treated her like his most precious lover. His every move was full of affection and care. She wanted to stop in time and live this moment forever. But life was not that sweetness that they could caress as long as they wanted. She knew she would soon have no more body, and only her soul would live inside Nero.


    As Sarah lost herself in thought, she felt another of her first feelings in life. She felt an enormous heat on her lips, that soft texture of Nero''s lips pressing against her own.


    Sarah wanted to say something. But when she tried to open her mouth, Nero''s tongue invaded her smallmouth and began to explore as if it were his new summer home. Every soft, warm movement that she could not contain herself and her tongue soon warred with his. A war she didn''t care about if it lasted for years. So why to breathe? When that feeling was the best, she wanted that sweet taste in her mouth forever.


    Nero was not so different from Sarah. He felt a whirlwind of feelings: Fury, anger, sadness. Then Sarah brought new feelings for him, such as affection, hope, fear. He wanted to protect Sarah from all evil and feared something would happen to her.


    But wasn''t it going to happen? She would lose her body and reside within his own heart. Well, if she can get in, there must be a way for her to get a new body one day? Nero didn''t want to think much now. All he can do is do his best for Sarah.


    "Sarah, let''s work together from now on and fight against everyone in our way."


    Nero broke their kiss to make another promise with Sarah. One he wants to do on his own. Maybe a little bit influenced by Sarah''s Spirit Qi. But that cannot be helped.


    Sarah, who no longer cared how her influence is on Nero''s actions. She gladly accepted that promise as he drank the spittle that bound their lips and added her own words to the promise.


    "Yes, Nero... let''s work together now and forever."

 4 Darkest days

    Nero would like to kiss Sarah for days. But they had a vengeance to launch on two worlds.


    A long way where they will have many moments to enjoy each other. But now Nero had to suck the rest of Sarah''s blood and absorb her soul.


    Sarah couldn''t help but smile as Nero sucked her all over. Sarah had an extreme sure that Nero as a vampire with the Dark Soul Stone, could one day throw the whole Endless Divine Kingdom into hell. And then they will kill all those who participated in the fall of their race of Dragons.


    Sarah began to pass her soul into Nero''s body. Her conscience entered his heart, and of course, that would not be possible if Nero resisted, but his body would never be hostile to her, courtesy of her Spirit Qi.


    Sarah soon found herself in a red world, and the view seemed endless, a dark red floor, and a bright red sky. Dark Soul Stone, it is worthy of a ''Cursed Relic,'' was among many things that are also the greatest spacial treasure in the universe. With this world of space, Nero could store kingdoms and even other small planets like the Earth.


    While Sarah marveled at the red world, Nero finished sucking her body. He looked down at that perfect body, now so pale with no more blood. She had closed eyes and a silly smile on her face. Nero was sad for a moment before remembering that is just the beginning of their partnership that would last forever.


    Nero kissed Sarah''s body cold lips, and she blushed in the red world. She could feel his sadness, even if it was only the loss of her mortal body. There were many ways to get a new body in the Endless Divine Kingdom. But she respected Nero''s feelings, and she couldn''t be happy herself seeing her own lifeless body.


    "You can control the space of Dark Soul Stone with the mind. Just tap and think of sending something in or think of something that is inside, and it will instantly transport to you."


    "Send my body inside, when you have time, can give me a tumble."


    Nero followed Sarah''s instructions, and with the thought, Sarah''s body entered the red world.


    "I''m going to give your body a good tumble Sarah, jus-"


    Nero stopped talking, surprised. He was focused on Sarah''s body as he sent it into red space when he realized that upon entering it, it had stopped deteriorating. Of course, the Dark Soul Stone is fantastic. In this ample storage space can not keep living creatures, but all else, and nothing ruins there as if the time did not affect things there.


    "Yes, I see. The poison does not affect my body here. That''s great, but still, I can only get back to this body when we cure this poison. It''s a seven-color poison, one of the strongest of Endless Divine Kingdom."


    Sarah was happy, but Nero could still feel in her voice that it would not be easy to cure this poison.


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    "Sarah, don''t think about it too much. A stupid poison can''t stop our partnership. Soon you will be in your body again. and we will continue from the kiss."


    Sarah blushed profoundly, listening to Nero. But she couldn''t help but have that silly smile, she had lived for 400 years herself, but she was like a little girl with her first love. Waiting for a few more decades would be no big deal.


    As a flushed Sarah thought of a thousand things that were not about revenge, Nero walked through the rubble of what was left of the castle. The sun had already risen with lightning penetrating the broken places in the ceiling.


    Nero tried to find parts of his family''s bodies, but the silver attacks were too brutal for ordinary vampires. After losing a large part of the body, the silver still corroded them until nothing remained.


    Nero kept walking through the broken castle until he reached Amelie''s room, even with some broken walls, her bed still complete, with her sweet smell on the air. Smelling his beloved sister scent, Nero burned with fury. His eyes went from red to black.


    Sending her bed, wardrobes, and other Amelie''s stuff to the red world, Nero left the castle. He also got a bed for Sarah. Even though she was a spirit, he wanted her to feel the best she could in the red world.


    "Sarah, tell me all I can do with my new body and this Qi that you gave me."


    Then Sarah began to explain the basic knowledge of the cultivation world. She said that Qi was a mystical force that could be used in infinite ways. No one could claim to know all kinds of Qi or know all about it. Every second, some cultivators somewhere in the universe made new discoveries about Qi.


    To get revenge against these normal humans, he didn''t need much knowledge. Sarah began by talking about how Qi improved his entire body, increasing his strength, speed, and senses several times. Since Nero''s body was already much stronger than any race, even in the second layer of Qi Refinement, it already had an explosive force more significant than a normal human of Qi Refinement sixth layer.


    Sarah said that each cultivator was more compatible with some attributes, some genial cultivators are compatible with more than one attribute, but it all depends on their level of compatibility.


    "I am fully compatible with fire and light, like my father..."


    Nero could feel the sadness in Sarah''s voice, and that was his sadness as well. He will wait until she is comfortable to tell her story. There are no secrets between them, but some things are still too painful for Sarah to remember.


    Sarah continued, she said that Nero would have to plunge his conscience into his Dantian to understand what his main attribute was. When cultivators absorb Qi, from nature or otherwise, that Qi passes through their meridians and becomes the Qi of their main attributes.


    Nero focused on his Dantian. Soon he found himself in a red room, not too big, with dark walls from which dripped a red liquid like blood, but with no smell.


    In the center of the room was a fist-sized orb that was made of red material that is like blood. This orb floated in a beam of bright light, red too. Nero could not help thinking that his main attribute should be blood.


    Nero approached the ball of blood, and when he was less than ten steps from the red-light beam, he began to hear a beating sound, similar to a heart. Nero was startled but still, come closer to touch the orb.


    When Nero''s hand was almost touching the orb, he felt that all his blood was stirring, even though his body was only a spiritual representation. He could not enter his real body into his Dantian, which is in his own body.


    Before Nero''s hand touched the orb, it moved and joined with his hand. Nero felt a familiar presence from that malleable red mass. It was hot and cold at the same time, but he felt it like part of his body. As if he lost a hand and years later the re-encounter and it joined perfectly in his body, he was complete again now.


    The orb, which turned into a mass, ran animated for Nero''s body. It was like a child reconnecting with their lost parents. The more it played, the more excited it becomes.


    Nero didn''t know what to do with this mass, so he stopped concentrating and left the Dantian with his mind. When he found himself in the normal world, the mass was still running through his body. He didn''t know what to do, it was like having a dog that won''t stop biting you, and you don''t know how to get rid of him.


    "It''s cute. You''re so lucky to have a ''Qi Guardian,'' don''t make that bad look of who suffered a significant loss, you idiot!!"


    Sarah was not the most patient teacher in the world. But she was happy for Nero. A "Qi Guardian" was much rarer than cultivators with two or more attributes. These cute little things were more than the perfection of Qi compatibility. With them, the cultivators hardly used advanced techniques, for the Qi Guardians is the very manifestation of Qi and could assume all the forms their master wanted.


    Sarah continued, explaining to Nero that he had only to command by his senses, and the red mass would follow the flow. Then he wished it would disappear, and the mass entered his body as if it was nothing. There was no change in Nero''s body, but he could still feel the mass in him as if it was an additional but invisible member that was not even a bit uncomfortable.


    "Only you can learn along your Qi Guardian, how to use it as a weapon, or anything else."


    Sarah wanted to help Nero in everything she could, but Qi Guardians are something only their owners can understand, and she didn''t even have one. What unfair world, as she a noble Dragon Princess, does not have a Qi Guardian?


    Following the teachings of his beautiful and cute teacher, Nero thought of a sword. Vampires love swords like ordinary men love cars.


    Nero swung the sword from side to side like a fool, not knowing what to do. Sarah rolled her eyes at the red world. It was clear that Nero didn''t know how to use a sword with his changed body. He trained a long time with swords, but now his body is over 100 times faster and stronger. He needs to retrain from the beginning to be able to handle a sword well again.


    So Nero thought about what might be more useful now. And then he looks at his hands. Vampires had sharp and hard nails that grew longer when they get excited by combat. These nails were already an excellent combat weapon, but what if...


    Sarah was surprised when Nero''s arm began to shine, the red mass rising from his elbow toward his hand, forming gauntlet that had huge claws.


    "What a beautiful masterpiece!!! For behaving so well, I''ll call you ''Little Red''."


    Nero smiled like an idiot, wiggling those giant claws that shine with so sharp is.


    Sarah lost count of how many times she rolled her eyes at the nonsense of this strange vampire. At times he was so cold but at others so intense that she wants to dig a hole and hide.


    Nero was happy with the monstrous gauntlet that ''Little Red'' could turn, stronger than the best steel, and sharp as light. He didn''t need any training with this glove, as it was like moving his own fingers. He could already imagine taking a human by the neck with this demonic gauntlet.


    _________________________________


    A week later, Nero had become accustomed to his body in strength and speed. His synchronization with ''Little Red'' was also more than Sarah could have expected for such a short time.


    Nero at full speed turned into a shadow, and it was impossible for any human to follow him with their eyes even if he slowed to half. His strength was sufficient to break any earth metal alloy with a finger without the Demonic Gauntlet.


    It wasn''t that Nero was invincible anywhere. Just the Earth as a world without Cultivation has no longer a danger to him that had learned so much about Qi from Sarah.


    Nero looked up at the sky, pointing his Demonic Gauntlet and closed his fingers into a fist. In his favorite kind of black suit, which made him look like a noble steampunk prince, making Sarah blush with wrong thoughts at the wrong time and in the wrong place.


    "It''s time to start my revenge. Will you still be the same about me, Sarah? Even after I kill all humans on this planet? Many of them will be ''innocent'' and children..."


    "I''m not here to judge and would never do that with you. We are a partnership, your revenge also mine as well as the contrariwise, right?"


    "Yes, partner, now let''s get our hands dirty. For the damn humans, today begins their darkest days..."

 5 The new World

    Two years... It sounds like a lot, but it passed quickly to Nero and Sarah.


    That was the time it took for Nero to kill all humans on earth. Even with his incredible speed, it was 8 billion human lives after all.


    Nero hunted every human in every place and missed nothing. It was a long time killing.


    It would take centuries to any vampire to process the blood of thousands of victims. But Nero only sucked the blood of those he found necessary to suck their soul and trap within the ''Dark Soul Stone.'' A place separate from all the rest of the ''stone,'' which only intended to catch souls and torture them with their worst memories countless times for as long as the host lives.


    Nero brutalized the humanity, many torn throats, and dismembered bodies. But he still gave a clean and fast death to those he judged most ''innocent.'' Nero did not believe humans deserved to live, for all those corrupt racists were once young and ''innocent'' as the most.


    Nero found many captive ''Elves'' in human laboratories. But they all had no salvation. Humans attacked them while destroying vampires. Most of the Elves died, but many could not even commit suicide before being drugged and becoming a test subject to human scientists who had no compassion or mercy.


    Soon Nero finished killing the last group of humans who hid at a base inside a mountain. He burned the corpses with almost no blood on the top of the hill and watched the smoke rising to the sky.


    "You avenged your family, Nero, even if it does not change the fact that they are dead, you made the humans pay in blood all the shit they did. Now at least on this planet, humans can no longer do any evil to any life."


    In those two years, Sarah didn''t say much. She didn''t interfere which the way that Nero had chosen for his revenge. She just said things about Cultivation and her world or tried to cheer him up with some words of support.


    "Thanks, Sarah. Even with that power, it would be hard to go through all this shit alone. Having you as a partner is good. Fine... It''s time to use your ''Teleport Token''?"


    During their time together, Sarah explained her entire situation to Nero. She came from Golden Palace to Earth with a Teleport Token, a very rare mystical artifact that can send a person anywhere in the universe.


    Still one of the best escape items of all, it has some drawbacks. If their enemy has a better Cultivate Rank than they, it can prevent them from putting the Qi on the token, not letting them activate it. But if anyone can put their Qi in the token, it will open a portal that sends them to a random place in the universe.


    Sarah thanked all the Gods she could imagine, for appearing near the Vampire''s castle and find Nero, she could only think they were destined to take revenge together. She only regrets not having come in time to save Nero''s family. With that in mind, Sarah concluded that her father must have died at the same time as his family.


    Sarah hasn''t told you all about what happened to her Dragon Clan yet. She does not want the massive difference between her old Cultivate level to disrupt Nero''s understanding of Qi.


    "I only had two Teleport Tokens. Will leave us to a random place in the universe. Hopefully, it will be a world with large amounts of Qi, which allows Cultivation."


    In the infinite universe, there are many different worlds, the closer to "Elune," which is the core of the universe, more excellent is the Qi. Elune, as the oldest planet, is the largest of the "Superior Worlds." And the planets that are being created farther away from Elune are the "Inferior Worlds," the farther from the Core, and those planets are newest with less Qi.


    Earth, like many of the most distant, has so little Qi that there is no Cultivation. By contrast, in the Higher Worlds, Qi is very abundant, and all Cultivation is much faster and with fewer limits.


    "Anyway, put your Qi in Token, and a portal will open and pull you." Sarah was nervous at the thought of where Token would take them. She never fears most dangers, with her old Cultivation, But Nero was just in the second layer of "Qi Refinement."


    Sarah knew, while much safer in an Inferior World, it would still be full of dangers that could kill Nero in less than a second if they don''t always stay vigilant.


    "So, let''s go!" Nero pressed in hands what looked like a coin format jewelry with a "?" symbol. He focused on his Qi, flowing all over his body and moving to the Token.


    With a popping noise, a bright blue circle appeared in front of him. Inside the circle, whose diameter was about 2.5 meters, there was an image of a forest. It was not very clear, as if looking through the water.


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    Nero could feel the suction force of the portal, and he just had time to take one last look at the Earth before being pulled inside.


    "Haaah!" Nero held his breath as his vision darkened. Less than two seconds later, he felt cold, but it soon passed, and he slowly blew out his breath and opened his eyes.


    "How beautiful..." What was in his vision was the most beautiful forest Nero could imagine. The trees were giant, some over forty meters, and some even bigger, leaves of all colors and shapes, fruits he has never seen.


    The ground had a soft grass of beautiful emerald green, and he could feel the delicacy even with his leather boots.


    For Nero, the air was good for the first time, and it looked like there were bright particles everywhere. Vampires don''t need air, but they still have their complete breathing system. But in this world where Qi makes all nature better, he felt it was worth breathing in this nice fragrant air.


    As a lively forest, there was much noise everywhere. Nero being a Cultivator and vampire, with powerful senses, he could hear birds singing, animals running, even the wind shaking the trees made a different noise from the earth.


    "Sooo amazing... everything in this new world seems mystical" Having the first contact with this world, Nero, for a few moments, forgot his melancholy. He just stayed there and enjoyed all that new experience.


    Until that beautiful voice in his mind brings his usual concentration back.


    "Uhm... Very good, though an Inferior World, there''s a decent Qi. So you can grow up until we can go to Elune without being easy prey." Sarah was already thinking of all the ways that Nero could go to the top of that world.


    They were alone in an unknown world. All they had was a Qi Refinement Early-stage force and the vast knowledge of a Dragon race Princess. Lucky Sarah was someone who enjoyed reading and studying. She was a master that anyone in Inferior Worlds and even much in Superior Worlds would kill for.


    "First, every mode of Cultivation varies by person. But one thing that is always needed is Qi Resources. These resources vary in rank and type, according to the compatibility of each person."


    "In your case, souls feed you because of Dark Souls Stone and blood because of your vampire constitution. Anywhere in the universe, this would be considered one of the most diabolical forms of Cultivation..." Sarah felt guilty for making Nero to Cultivate in such a corrupted way.


    In the world of Cultivation, everything is allowed, and the only law is Strength. But not everyone accepts. "Evil means," Dragon Race is one of the few people who think about Justice or equal rights.


    "You know Sarah... I''m not looking for a peaceful place to live a fairytale. Our enemies chose not to play fair, and they will pay with their souls and blood."


    "Dark Souls Stone and I are already one existence. While you do not hate me, I will be the most terrible monsters of all, more diabolical than all who oppose us."


    "I can never hate you, Nero. We''ve already made our promise. We''ll always walk together, even in the darkest deep ways."


    "So just as I killed the humans of the earth, I will suck all the blood I can and absorb the necessary Qi to kill our enemies."


    "Yes... For now, we need allies, and you need to join some clan or sect. No one can know your means of Cultivation. You need to act like a normal cultivator. On the Path of Cultivation, everyone is always fighting and killing each other for resources and power."


    "How stronger you are, more enemies will appear. Blood will not be missing."


    "I see, and now how are we going to find these clans and sects?" Nero had been killing normal humans for two years, he already drank a lot of blood, but nothing was anything similar to Sarah''s blood. He was eager for Cultivators'' blood.


    "We have to find a city, always be as discreet as possible, and we should not draw unwanted attention. Go ahead, and I can still use my spiritual sense in the state of a soul in the red world inside you. When I start feeling people, I''ll let you know which direction to go."


    "You''re very useful, Sarah... one day you can be a good wife..." Nero began to run through the woods while teasing Sarah''s spirit, which quickly turned red by abashment inside Red World. It was too much red to discern anything.


    "I''ll make sure to ''payback'' you when I have my body again! Stupid vampire..."


    "Yes... You''ll have a lot to do at that time, but not what you expect, Princess..." Nero had no one else to consider family beside Sarah, and both are not good with words or showing affection. Spending two years together, their relationship only improves, even with no physical contact.


    At least Nero can still focus on Red World and see Sarah''s face sometimes... But soon both get embarrassed and can''t talk much avoiding doing that a lot.


    ________________________________________


    It''s been three hours. Nero had not found anyone yet or tracks or any indication of a city. But he can see a lot of plant, mineral and animal variety. Everything was new and kind of mystical.


    Nero tried to drink the blood of a horned rabbit. Even though it was good, it was still very different from a Cultivator. In taste, Nero favored human blood but had some Qi gain, not enough to cause changes in his Dantian.


    Vampires don''t eat anything except blood. That''s good sometimes and bad others. How stronger a Cultivator, the longer it can go without eating or sleeping. But in Nero''s case, his vampire body and heart of Dark Souls Stone require fresh blood in short periods.


    Nero wasn''t sure if the question was more physical or mental, but he was very accustomed to killing and sucking blood. Against normal humans, it was easy to fight, and wherever he went, there was a bloody feast.


    While Nero was lost in thought of taking a few liters of delicious blood from some sexy female Cultivator, Sarah felt a greater use of Qi from a distance. It could be a Beast in the early-stage of Qi Refinement or Cultivators.


    "Nero! On the left, about a mile. Take care, and look at the situation before we think about how to proceed." Sarah wanted to be sure what it could be before thinking of any movement.


    As Nero approached where high Qi usage came from, he could hear voices and laughs. Nero understood nothing of that language, but it was clear that they were pleased with some discovery.


    About a quarter-mile, Nero could see six men forming a circle around what appeared to be a young woman. Nero couldn''t see much of the girl''s body, but he noticed something he had never seen.


    Fox''s ears... She had beautiful cute hairy ears that resemble a red fox.


    "Humans intimidating other races... New world but old habits..." Nero had a melancholy air as if he could no longer see the same kind of scene.


    "Everyone is in Qi Refinement, and two are in the second layer, two are away from the group in the third layer, all others are from the first. If you want, go ahead and give them the hell they deserve."


    "I''ll enjoy it" Then Nero''s lips expanded in a wide bright smile. Any woman would be fascinated, men would die in envy with that beautiful smile, but Sarah knew that after that smile, only despair would follow.


    "I know you do..."

 6 Xun Family

    The warm feeling is often welcome. But not when the sun hits your face, but you still want to sleep.


    Xun Lan didn''t want to get out of bed, but she knew today was an important day.


    Xun Lan lightly slapped her face that she considered the most beautiful in the entire Green Valley region, walked to a washbasin, and washed her face with clean water.


    "I have to make it! I can''t lose to her. I will try my best and leave this damn hole at the end of the world!!!" Xum Lan spoke to herself, watching her reflection in the water.


    Xun Lan was the daughter of one of the two greatest lords in the city of ''Abun.'' The only town in the Green Valley region, which is formed by a vast forest surrounded by giant mountains.


    Xun Lan wore a blue dress with white frills, dark blue boots, blue gloves, and many jewels. She didn''t dress like a Qi Refinement third layer Cultivator. She, who was considered the second-best Young Cultivator in the city of Abun, thought of her appearance before practicality.


    Xun Lan was 17 years old, with 1.65 meters tall, a slim and sexy figure, healthy olive skin, and green eyes. She had beautiful long brown hair, and she would be considered a success top model on Earth.


    Leaving her room, Xun Lan saw her father staring out the window deep in thought. Xun Lan hated that her family was the second, and she knew her father would never try to change that fact. He was accommodated and had no ambition.


    "My beloved daughter... I can feel your eyes full of disappointment, even on my back. You know we can''t do anything against them. Your mother tried. and I regret losing her every day."


    Lord Xun was a simple middle-aged man with a sad look and too gray hair for his age. In his youth, he was once considered the liveliest warrior in the entire Green Valley. But everything changed after he fell in love with Xun Lan''s mother.


    He wanted to be responsible and take good care of his family. But destiny was cruel, taking your beloved wife so soon. Now he wants to make sure his children can leave this godforsaken land and have a chance to be happy.


    "I understand, dad. I''m sorry..." Xun Lan knew that her father wanted the best for her, but still, she was so angry she felt could explode at any moment.


    "Lan... You and your brother are so close to getting out of this hole, and that is not the time to lose your mind. You have to get Master Xiong''s attention, and if he chooses you and takes your brother too, I can rest in peace knowing that you will have a better future than mine."


    "I know, dad, and I won''t fail! I may look spoiled and useless, but that is the chance I''ve always waited for. I will be able to join the Black Sword Sect."


    "But I don''t think brother wants to leave you, and he even likes the simple life here. That loggerhe-


    "What? How are you going to insult your older brother at that time?" Xun Lan stopped to speak when she saw her brother entering the room.


    Xun Feng was very similar to his father in youth. 1.7 meters tall, good facial features to not be considered ugly, short dark brown hair. He was a good son and brother with simple thoughts without many ambitions.


    "Lan, Feng, today is not a day to play. I don''t know how Master Xiong will do his test, but it won''t be easy." Xun He had feared that his children would not pass the Black Sword Sect Elder''s test. Or get in trouble with people who shouldn''t.


    "You can do your best, but don''t get in their way... you know. If it wasn''t old debts being honored, we could not live in peace. If you don''t join Black Sword Sect now, you will have other opportunities, but we can not leave a child break alliances."


    "Yes, dad, we understand." Xun Lan and Xun Feng talked together slightly bowing.


    "So go. I won''t interfere with the test or anything because Black Sword Sect people like to have strong and independent disciples."


    With your father''s blessing, the siblings left their house. Xun Feng wore leather armor with metal parts, a mixed strength, and mobility. Both siblings equipped with short swords.


    The Xun family house was a big old Victorian-style mansion made of stone and excellent quality wood. It was possible to see that this house had already been through bad times, with many patched parts. Despite everything, the home and Xun family have always survived stormy times.


    But parents must want the best for their children. And the current Lord Xun wants his children to fly greater heights than he and go better places than Abun.


    Every two or three years, Black Sword Sect sends Elders everywhere looking for young talent. Not always someone comes to the Green Valley region, but this time they were lucky.


    Although it is very difficult almost impossible for a Qi Refinement Cultivator passes through the mountains but, Elder Xiong, like all Elders in the external court of the Black Sword Sect, is a Martial Warrior.


    Martial Warrior is the second Realm in Cultivation World. In Abun, Xun He, the leader of the second, more fabulous family and the third strongest person in the city, is just an eighth layer Qi Refinement Cultivator. There are no known live Martial Warriors in the Green Valley region.


    Walking the streets of the simple city of Abun, the siblings drew a lot of attention. The common people love to gossip about everything. The children of the Xun family are one of the most controversial issues because they are always in contact with the most powerful family of the city.


    "Look!! Are the Xun siblings? They are going to the square to do Master Xiong''s test."


    "They are so notable as young, especially Young Lady Xun, beautiful and talented..."


    "But, they will have no chance..."


    "Don''t be so pessimistic, and Black Sword Sect Elders are known to be fair and give less importance to trivial things like family influence."


    "Hopefully, you are right because if Xun Siblings are chosen, they may need protection right away."


    "Hey! You three, stop gossiping if they catch you talking such things you will not even know how died!"


    Three passers-by were so immersed in conversation that they ended up talking louder than they should. Luckily, a servant from Xun Family passed by and caught their attention before the worst happened.


    It was very common ordinary people being killed for almost no reason, and no one said anything. It was the law of the strongest. Although Xun Family is not as bad as another, they did not show weakness. The powerful need to show who is in charge and do not accept criticism well.


    Even if people whisper, Cultivators have better senses than normal humans. Xun Lan hearing that many people think so well of her could not help but smile. With that beautiful look and liveliness of youth, she quickly attracted many hearts.


    Xun Fang was glad to have such a beautiful sister, he wanted to enjoy every time with her, because he believed that soon she would fly heights he could not follow. Increasing the speed behind the sister who was already running anxiety they soon approached the city''s main square.


    ____________________________________________________


    "Shit!!! She is already here. Always the first. I should have woken up earlier." Xun Lan''s eyes sparkled with anger and competitiveness when she saw her biggest rival.


    Dai Zhi was a young girl at seventeen years old, 1.67 meters tall, fair skin with medium-sized black hair. She was beautiful and different from the flat Xun Lan had a couple of great boobs.


    Dai Family was the strongest in the entire Green Valley region, the leader of the city of Abun. Dai Family has always been linked to Xun Family since the days when they were part of the common people.


    But things have changed a lot in the generation of Xun He. Because of the debt of life, these two families do not go to war until only one survives. Now the younger generation competes a lot, focusing on the two brightest stars in the city: Dai Zhi and Xun Lan.


    In the city square, you could see many people, the closest to the center were all Cultivators. Everyone focused on the Black Sword Sect''s Elder and his assistant. Xiong Zhelan was a well-known Elder in the Black Sword Sect''s external court.


    Elder Xiong had very high requirements for personal disciples. With a year in recluse Cultivation, he failed to break the barrier of the second layer of the Martial Warrior realm. At his age and with resources from the external court, he had no hopes of advancing to the third layer.


    So conforming to his limitations, he, like many Elders, set out in search of talented disciples to at least try to guide a young genius who will advance far beyond him. Getting so far in this godforsaken valley, Elder Xiong has combined with the city''s leading figures a competition.


    Elder Xiong looked to be in his sixties but still looked strong and healthy. Standing next to his young assistant, who seemed to be about 20-22 years old, was waiting for all the most notable young people in town to come to the competition.


    Xun Lan was approaching the center, keeping a severe look at Dai Zhi. Elder Xiong knew these two were the two most remarkable Young Cultivators in town for what everyone said and because he could feel the intensity of Qi in them.


    Elder Xiong will take a close look at whether they pleased all the requirements he wanted in a personal disciple. He wanted talent, but he was also looking for people with good character and hardworking style.


    "I will explain only once, and I will be brief. My assistant is in the Qi Refinement fourth layer, and he will flee through the forest. Your job is to catch him. You can do it any way you like, even get together in a group. Just don''t kill my assistant."


    "I''ll be watching you, and I want to see how you handle the situation and how strong you are. It all depends on how I rate you during the chase, but of course, I will also consider if you catch him."


    "Any question?" Elder Xiong asked, but no one spoke up. All the young people there understood that they had to show their best sides and do their best to catch the assistant or at least show that they were good enough to get into the Black Sword Sect.


    "Go!" After signaling to his assistant, Elder Xiong declared the competition start.


    The forest was less than 200 meters from Abun''s main town square. After Elder Xiong gave the signal, his assistant ran at the top of his speed. Young Cultivators who were mostly in Qi Refinement first and second layer found it challenging to follow, but those few in the third layer hoped to catch him.


    Xun Lan looked at Dai Zhi, who was staring at her too. Dai Zhi made a hand signal for call seven young people and ran into the forest towards the assistant after giving a mischievous smile to Xun Lan.


    "Sister, don''t worry about her. Let''s focus on showing Elder Xiong that you''re the most talented here." Xun Feng tried to motivate his sister. After Xun Lan nodded, they both ran into the woods in the same direction everyone was going.


    All the young Cultivators were running into the woods with smiles on their faces, hopeful of joining such a glorious sect. But that day the forest was receiving a very unusual guest.


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    A Demon... A bloodthirsty one... Thirsty for human blood.

 7 A Friendly Grip

    The year 1523 of Golden Phoenix, day 6 of the fourth month. A very busy day for the small town of Abun.


    Everyone was looking at the Endless Forest in the southern part of Abun. Mountains surrounded the Green Valley, but a small part of the south was forested. A forest that had an unknown end to everyone in Abun as it was the division of the world into north and south. The first controlled by humans and the last by Demi-Humans.


    As the green valley was a resource-poor region, it was not the target of powerful beasts or demi-humans, but Abun''s people could not go so far in the south because they did not return, being eaten by beasts or killed by demi-humans.


    But far from these thoughts, young people now enter the Endless Forest with hopeful smiles on their faces. Everyone wants to get out of the distant little town of Abun and now is the chance. Everyone was after the prize. Elder Xiong''s assistant was their target.


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    Many young Cultivators came together in small groups with acquaintances; others had it alone, hoping to be more noticed by Elder Xiong. But he had already chosen who to take as a disciple.


    He wanted the two most notable Ladys in town. Miss Xun and Miss Dai, with their strong personalities and competitiveness, would be perfect apprentices. Elder Xiong already had many plans to use one to help the other grow.


    But even though he has made up his mind, he has to keep up the idea that Black Sword Sect is always fair to give everyone a chance to prove themselves. And this is partly true, they are already by far the most talented young Cultivators in Abun, and he had his assistant keep an eye on anyone who shows exceptional talent if anyone proves worthy he can still choose, as no one knows about his decision.


    But still, Elder Xiong planned to enter the forest but to take a nap.


    Dai Zhi entered the forest with a group of seven cultivators, formed by his cousin, who was also in the Qi Refinement third layer, and six other cultivators who worked for her family, two Qi Refinement second layer and the others in the first.


    Dai Zhi had a lot of confidence but knew that catch the Qi Refinement fourth layer assistant alone was almost impossible. She was not afraid to use help and be rejected by Elder Xiong because she was confident in her talent.


    Planning to let the other youths chase after the assistant, Dai Zhi and her group walked quietly through the woods waiting for the opportunity to surround the target together when he is tired. She could not help but think about how her rival, Xun Lan, was going.


    "Huh?" Dai Zhi, as she walked with many thoughts, stopped her steps when she heard distant footsteps.


    "Did you hear something, My lady?" One of Dai Zhi''s trusted henchmen asked, confused.


    "Is it the assistant? Cousin?" Dai Wen, Dai Zhi''s cousin, asked. He always kept a high image of her in his mind. Everyone knew Dai Wen''s respect and affection for her beautiful cousin, and they also knew that she only treated him like any henchmen.


    "It is not human." Dai Zhi spoke in her usual cool, and calm tone. But there was a different sparkle in her eyes. A sparkle that could be seen in every human eye when they think of non-humans.


    "Shall we chase?" Another henchman asked without hiding his craving, which almost causes him running with a torch in his hand, shouting "dieeee monster."


    "Yes, but let''s observe before attacking." Dai Zhi always values caution in her actions, especially if she already knows she''ll be hostile.


    "Yes, My lady. Let''s go!" That eager henchman called his companions and went in the direction Dai Zhi had appointed.


    ___________________________


    "Fuck!!! Shit!!! That damn bastard..." A severely injured woman limped through the woods as she cursed every curse she could think of.


    Marie was very angry with her former teammate, but she still felt more upset with herself to be weaker.


    "There''s no damn cave in this damn forest??? I need to hide until I regain my cultivation."


    Marie had a bloody battle with a Cultivator stronger than her, and even though he was very hurt, she couldn''t even use her Cultivation now and was no different from a normal non-human without Cultivation.


    She was a beautiful young girl with big hairy fox ears, but that wasn''t all her differential. Marie had her upper face and various body parts covered with an auburn pelage. Her nails were bigger and stronger than humans. Strength and senses slightly better than humans. The Fox-people were awesome.


    But at that moment you couldn''t see Marie''s beauty. She looked like a little fox wounded, all dirty and full of wounds. She didn''t regret starting the fight with a stronger Cultivator, and even a part of her was happy and proud to have come out alive and dealt a lot of damage to her opponent.


    "Argh... shit!" Marie thought when it was too late, and she found herself surrounded by humans. At other times she would not be surprised by Cultivators in the Qi Refinement Realm and many even stronger. But she was now surrounded and too weak to fight even a cat.


    Marie could speak the human language, but she was sure it would not be useful. Non-humans knew well about human hatred for them, senseless and irrational hate. If she tried to beg for mercy or run away, it would only give them entertainment.


    Seeing the cruelty shining in the eyes of the men surrounding her, Marie fell silent and closed her eyes, expecting the worst.


    "Aaaah!" Marie was knocked over and fell, hitting her shoulder on a rock, and she turned her face to the man who knocked her down. Marie felt a terrible fear when she saw that man''s sinister smile.


    Marie was not afraid of death but feared to die helplessly as a toy for someone who would enjoy her suffering. She always thought she would die fighting for the glory and honor of her Fox Clan or her best friend.


    "My bes-. No. My sister! I hope you are safe. I will not be able to help you" Marie tried to think of her sworn sister to try to distance herself from the pain she felt but ended up feeling worse.


    When one of the men was going to kick her belly, everyone heard a voice. "Ahem."


    Dai Zhi walked slowly a few feet away from her henchmen, and Dai Wen followed behind like a dedicated butler.


    "Why are you bullying her?" Dai Zhi asked with a serious tone, and all the henchmen got scared. "How she''s defending that non-human if she said we could do whatever we want." Thought all of them except Dai Wen, who knew his lovely cousin loved a theatrical seine.


    "I''m kidding you, idiots. Just don''t give this shitty beast an easy death." Dai Zhi started laughing at her dumb henchmen but stopped when she turned and faced the serious face of her rival who appeared out of nowhere.


    Xun Lan, who heard the laughter, went to investigate only to find Dai Zhi and her happy group beating a non-human.


    Xun Lan felt no pity for the poor girl who was lying on the floor, but she was very curious why this non-human appeared here and now. It was not common for non-humans to appear near Abun, but it had happened other times, enough for stupid people to propagate ideas like ''Non-humans want to kill us and steal our land.''


    "Don''t look at me with that ugly face Dai Zhi. No one will defend her and take entertainment from your guys, but we need to get some information on where she came from and if there are other non-humans around." Xun Lan calmly spoke while showing hostility to Dai Zhi.


    "Fine, but don''t get into it, smelly Xun Lan." Dai Zhi was already familiarized with Xun Lan''s treatment, unlike her henchmen who were already agitated to rush and hit Xun Lan''s face for talking to their Miss like that.


    After making her point clear, Dai Zhi walked towards the fox-girl. "You just have to tell us your story, and the pain will end quic-." Dai Zhi couldn''t finish her words when she and everyone looked at the trees in the distance.


    Everyone heard a growl from the bushes. "Somebody go check if it''s a wolf." Dai Zhi barely finished talking, and a Qi Refinement first layer Cultivator moved toward the noise direction.


    While Dai Zhi and the others turned to fox-girl, the henchman headed toward the bushes that swayed in the wind. He wanted to check fast and get back to the fun with fox-girl, but still, he wanted to do a simple task very right to be useful to his Lady.


    But that man after walking a little over a hundred meters and out of sight of the group in the trees, lost his life without knowing how.


    "Shh..."


    When that poor young man felt the cold grip of death on his neck, he knew it was the end. But the end didn''t come fast. He couldn''t make any sound, and his body was too weak to move. Then he felt two points dig into his neck.


    He knew it was fangs, and he could feel the suction. Having his blood drained by an unknown creature, that man never imagined that he would die so strangely.


    He wondered what would happen to his family without him. Even young, he already had wife and children, all servants of Dai Family, and he had no regrets working for them. Dai Family always treated him well and there among their servants. He found friends, support, and a good wife.


    Thinking of his friends, he remembered his home and parents, how his father helped him enter the Cultivation World from childhood. His father helped him train, and his mother taught things like general knowledge.


    One memory led to another. Soon he remembered things like when he was very young, and his mother taught him to speak his first words.


    "My memory??? What???" He tried to stop remembering, but something forced the memories back. Sounded crazy, but he wondered if his aggressor was reading his memoirs with him. But how could something like this be possible?


    But the worst was yet to come.


    The poor man realized that the tightness in his neck was almost non-existent now. He didn''t feel cold anymore but a strange heat. When he looked down, he saw white hair, he never in his life saw or imagined that there was anyone with white hair in the world, but he felt a strange familiar sense with that man.


    How did he know it was a man? Why he felt so safe with this man?? How could he feel that this is his best friend in his whole life, and he was sure that this ''brother'' would never do him any harm???


    That poor man had a thousand questions as Nero sucked his blood and learned about all his memories. All those strange sensations he felt were effects of Nero''s hypnotic powers. It would be better if the prey didn''t resist while he learned everything he needed from the young Cultivator''s memories.


    "Fine, fine, it''s already over." Already speaking the new language that he learned from the henchman''s blood, Nero spoke perfectly to the poor boy.


    Pale as he was practically bloodless, the man gave his best smile to Nero, his best ''brother'' just to see a look of scorn and an evil sparkle in Nero''s eyes. Before feeling terrible pain in his chest and for a second before his vision went dark, he could swear he saw his own heart in Nero''s hands.


    "Die damn human, and it''s just to die that you serve me."


    Nero spoke as he tightened his grip on the man''s neck until it broke, and a mixture of flesh and bloodless veins fall to the ground.

 8 A confused Fox-girl

    "Ahem! Do you not have any problem seducing a man?" Sarah asked anxiously with strange thoughts running over her pretty little head.


    "I didn''t ''seduce'' him! It''s this poison that comes out of my fangs without my consent. I don''t like men, you know." Nero wanted to hide in a hole. To think that a cold-blooded killer would have such a shy side.


    "You better. If you had that kind of wish, I would have to fix you..." Sarah started speaking in a normal tone, but in the end, it was almost like whispering.


    "How to ''fix me''? What problems would you have if I like men?" Nero would never miss the chance to provoke the pure Sarah.


    "Duh, you know. I am not ''man''..." Sarah knew he was performing with her, but that was good too. That kind of jokes kept them both sane.


    "But seriously, this life-sucking way is insanely convenient. Holy shit! Nero, you''re like a parasite that steals all the hard work the victim has had." Sarah was happy each time with increasing Nero strength, even if it cost the death of others as if no one except he worth nothing.


    "Eh? Parasite? You make it look weird like that, not that humans deserve some noble treatment ..."


    "Ahh, yes, Lord ''Vampire.'' How was the amount and quality of Qi that you absorbed from it?" Sarah asked, even though she knew he couldn''t get much because the Cultivator was Qi Refinement''s first layer.


    "It was much better than humans without cultivation. But it was still thousands of times lower than yours. My Qi that filled forty percent of my Dantian now fills almost half." Nero could choose even if he stole anything from the victim who sucked. In this man''s case, he took it all, and even the guy''s soul was now feeding the Dark Souls Stone.


    "And now that you have his knowledge what is your plan?" After Sarah asked, Nero gave a brief explanation of the situation with the fox-girl and the group.


    ___________________________


    "What the fuck! Can''t you speak our language?! You stupid animal!" Dai Zhi was already out of patience, she thought that with a little torture, the fox-girl would talk everything, but until now, she held herself to not even making any sounds.


    "Gah..." Xun Lan looked at Dai Zhi''s show with dead fish eyes.


    As Dai Zhi was about to kick Marie again, she heard footstep sounds from the henchman who came back from the bushes. At least it should be him, but why did this white-haired man come back in his place?


    "Ooooh... MY FUCKING DAMN GOD! How can he be so devilishly handsome?" It was the same thought as Dai Zhi and Xun Lan.


    "How the fuck does he have white hair?" Was Xun Feng''s thought.


    "Is he human?" Was Marie''s thought


    Well, the henchmen don''t think much if they would be in another profession.


    "Where is the ''beast''? And why didn''t you check if I was alive? You fucking stupid maid! Answer me!" Nero said in a super angry tone as if he would kill the first person who came before him.


    "Stupid maid? Beast? What?!" Everyone was confused, but no one got in the way of Nero, who went towards Marie.


    "Oh. Excuse me, and I had a terrible day. First, my grandfather was killed by a demonic beast I had never seen, and then this maid ran away without even helping me." Nero stopped before reaching Marie and turned around performing as best he could.


    "Wh-" Even before Dai Wen asked, ''who?'' Nero continued his act. "Forgive my ways. My name is Nero. I live in Midnight Grove with my grand. Well, now it should be alone because he died."


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    Nero was doing an incredibly perfect act. Anywhere he would be considered a first-rate actor. But the hardest thing was to focus with Sarah laughing in his mind things like ''Midnight Grove? Really? Come on!''.


    Seeing Nero''s sad face when talking about his dead grandfather, the girls could barely hold back the tears.


    "What the fuck is that???" Xun Wen did not understand the cause of the sadness of Xun Lan and Dai Zhi. Aren''t these the most heartless, selfish, spoiled girls in town? "Was it just because he was handsome? To hell with this guy!" Xun Feng was smart to think and not speak those words.


    "Do not be sad. Your grandfather would be proud of the man you are." Dai Zhi was the first to speak. She who had never been interested in men now felt that only this handsome stranger was worthy of his affection.


    "Yes. Don''t get depressed now. Tell us about this beast, and I''ll help you get revenge." Xun Lan, like her rival, was already off guard with this beautiful stranger too.


    "You don''t wanna know where the hell is Midnight Grove?? Or why is he so pale? And what about this white hair? This can''t be normal, right?" Xun Feng was already freaking out in his mind.


    ''Fucking stupid maid?'' Marie was trying to understand why Nero told her that. "Did he confuse me with someone else?" It took her a few seconds to realize that, for some reason, he wanted to help her out of this situation. "Is that why he is also non-human?" Marie was increasingly sure that he was not human.


    "Thank you, girls." Nero sniffed and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. An impeccable performance for sure. "The beast. It killed my grandfather, who was too strong easily, now I followed the trail of destruction here..."


    "I''m not reasoning. This beast is so strong I can do nothing against it. Unless you are


    Qi Refinement third layer Cultivators, there are no chances of beating it. So it''s bett-"


    Nero couldn''t finish giving his ''warning'' when Dai Zhi held his hands and spoke excitedly. "Don''t worry. I''m strong enough, and I will help you!" Xun Lan once again made his classic dead fish look, seeing this ''new'' Dai Zhi. As if she hadn''t fallen for Nero too.


    "Seriously, will you help me?" Nero shook Dai Zhi''s hands excitedly but then blushed and pulled her hands away shyly. "Sorry, I''ve never had contact with a girl before, and you''re so cute..." What a perfect performance! Dai Zhi was so proud and shy at that moment that he became jelly and went limp of cuteness.


    "But what about the slave? What shall we do with her?" Nero turned to Marie again with that angry look on his face.


    "Doesn''t it just kill her?" Xun Lan joined the conversation. She wouldn''t let Dai Zhi have Nero without a fight, even though her father blamed her for it.


    "Uhh... I''m not sure. She has been serving me as a maid since we were both children. I thought she was loyal, but I was naive." Nero then put his hand on his chin as he looked at Marie with a questioning look.


    "I do not want the only ''thing'' of my past to break. As the beast destroyed my house, this slave is all I can remember of my grandfather and my old life." It was strange to want to keep a non-human as a ''reminder'' even though the story was convincing so far; this was still strange. And Nero knew he had to fix it.


    "Well, I also want her to pay for not protecting my grandfather with her life and leaving me alone. I want to torture her for the rest of her life!" Nero spoke with a mischievous smile.


    "Yes, now it makes sense that he wants to keep her alive just to play with her." That''s what everyone thought. Yes, that was the fucking damn thought of humans.


    Marie no longer knew what to think of Nero. "Is he such a good actor, or does he think he''s human?" She was already grateful to him for the confusing thoughts, and then she could forget the pain for a while.


    "Alright, you can have it. It''s your family slave, after all." Dai Zhi spoke before Xun Lan did it. She had already understood that it was a battle for who would stay with Nero, and she was confident in winning.


    "If it''s okay, I think we should hunt the beast now." Nero didn''t hide his sneer at Marie when he said ''beast.'' Those subtle little details made his act so perfect. Dai Zhi, Xun Lan, and even Xun Feng did not doubt Nero''s honesty.


    Marie, on the contrary, was perplexed. She knew the story with her was a lie, but she wasn''t sure if that had ever happened to Nero. "Be strong, you fox!!! Marie spoke to herself in her mind.


    "Yes, let''s all together look for..." Dai Zhi stopped in the middle of his words and looked at the Xun siblings with a provocative look. "Not everyone needs to go together."


    Nero already knew about the disagreement between the Dai and Xun families from the dead henchman''s memories. And this competitiveness between Dai Zhi and Xun Lan he plans to use to separate them.


    Nero knew he couldn''t kill everyone now without drawing the attention of the entire region and possibly some Cultivators stronger than himself. He just planned to help fox-girl escape and kill some idiots for blood and fun.


    The girls were people he didn''t want to kill now, but the way they talk about fox-girl, he had already blacklisted both Dai Zhi and Xun Lan.


    "I think we''d better split up into smaller groups to find the beast faster." Nero threw his idea and gave a shy look between Dai Zhi and Xun Lan. "I can''t concentrate too next to such beautiful girls. I''m afraid of doing something that will make you regret later." Nero made his point very clear.


    "Wow! What a gentleman!" Dai Zhi and Xun Lan couldn''t help but sigh with hearts in their eyes. "Whatever you do to me, I won''t regret it even if I die next." Was the thought of both girls in love.


    "Yes, we split into smaller groups sounds like the best idea." Xun Feng and Dai Wen talked together. They both didn''t want the Ladies near this dangerous stranger.


    "Alright, let''s split up like this..." Dai Zhi split the group of six men in half. She and Dai Wen, along with a Qi Refinement''s first layer henchman, went in one direction. In the other was Xun Lan and Xun Feng. Nero Stayed with three of Dai Zhi''s henchmen and Marie.


    "Whoa... Just let me get some rest. Running all over this forest after the beast made me very tired, a few minutes, and I''ll catch my breath." Nero said, breathing fast as if he were exhausted and sat on the floor near Marie, who was lying on the ground all the time.


    The henchmen didn''t think much since it made sense that he was tired if he came running from who knows where. But Marie was eager, and she didn''t know what she thinks. What is his plan? Can he beat them alone? Or does he hope I can help him?


    As Marie became increasingly agitated, she tried to make a move trying to get up to see this stranger giving her the most beautiful smile she has ever seen in life, so full of affection and concern. At that moment, Marie was sure he would help her, or she didn''t deserve to live if she was so wrong.


    "Eh???" After smiling at Marie, Nero stood up abruptly and looked into the far bushes with a focused look. "Did you guys hear the growl? It could be the beast."


    "Let-" One of Dai Zhi''s henchmen couldn''t finish talking before Nero continued. "One of you comes with me, and the other two watch over this slave. She must not escape," Nero spoke as he ran toward the bushes. The henchmen looked at each other before nodding their heads with mutual consent, and one of them, who was a Qi Refinement''s second layer Cultivator, followed Nero away from the other two and a confused Marie.

 9 Little fox

    "Look! The beast?" Nero asked the henchman after leaving the sight of the rest of the group.


    "Huh? Wh-" The poor man did not understand when Nero in front of him turned and asked. He tried to go on guard, but Nero vanished from his sight in less than a second, then he felt his feet leaving the ground.


    "On here! You fool..." Nero didn''t have to work hard. Using far less than half his maximum speed, he grabbed that henchman''s neck and lifted him off the ground.


    "Oh, fuff!!!" The man thought as his vision turned upside down. At first, he believed that Nero had thrown him away, but soon he realized that he no longer felt his own body, then he saw in slow motion his body falling in a shower of blood and veins.


    "Tsk... What a waste of blood..." Sarah said after seeing how Nero broke and split the henchman''s neck.


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    "I have to release Fox-girl soon. There will be plenty of opportunities to suck these idiots until death. And it was very theatrical as this shit''s head spun in the air as he watched his body fall." Nero commented to Sarah as he quickly returned to Marie and the other two who would soon join their friend in the same ''bloody act.''


    "The beast! Behind you!" Nero ran from behind a tree and shouted at the two henchmen who turned their heads back, trying to see the ''beast.''


    "Crack!" Before they finished turning their heads, Nero had already reached them and hit their heads from one to the other, breaking them both instantly.


    "Not that ''behind'' ah..." Nero sighed as if disappointed by the ease of killing these idiots.


    "Hahahahaha ... What? Wasn''t that funny to you?" Nero started to laugh, looking at the fox-girl, but she didn''t look pleased but gave him a questioning look.


    "Don''t you speak this language or sympathize with humans?" Nero tried to talk to the fox-girl again because she still didn''t answer him.


    "Aren''t you human?" The fox girl''s voice was soft but deep as she was very hurt.


    "How many white-haired, red-eyed humans do you know?" Nero asked, but the fox-girl answered quickly. "This is not impossible, you know."


    "And now?" Nero opened his mouth wide and let his fangs grow to reveal a captivating predatory glow.


    "Whoaaaa, what beautiful fangs!" Marie spoke with her mouth wide open, which allowed Nero to see that she had slightly more extensive and sharper canine teeth than those of humans. It was expected her to be charmed with Nero''s fangs. In the non-humans world, better fangs mean strength and nobility.


    "Ah, you speak little fox. Nero. Is the name of that honorable vampire who saved your ass." Nero now felt very theatrical, which earned Sarah many laughs in the red world.


    "Marie. That ''little fox'' that could turn you inside out with a tied hand if I wasn''t so hurt. Marie never liked people who thought much of themself, but she knew Nero was theatrical. She didn''t know if it was the beautiful fangs or the fact that he was all beautiful that made her like him so quickly.


    "I bet so, but now you''re hurt, and I don''t wanna expose myself, so you have to save yourself. All I could do was give you this opportunity." Nero spoke as he bent down to check the bodies of the henchmen.


    He hadn''t checked if the other two he killed had anything substantial, but Sarah warned him that he would find some convenient on the Cultivators he kills, even if it''s useful resources to him, can be given or trade with others.


    "Uh?" Nero found a small bottle with a green liquid. "Must be a healing potion. Give it to the fox-girl should be useful for her." Sarah spoke neutrally. She didn''t feel anything about Marie, but she knew Nero wanted to help her, so It''s not a problem to giving a low-quality potion.


    "Take it and go. Do not worry about the others, and I will kill them, but only when it will not disturb me." Nero spoke kindly to Marie but at the same time spoke of the death of humans as if he killed them is the right way for things to be.


    Marie loved that. It was how she thought non-humans should act if humans treat them like beasts; they must treat them as prey.


    She was very hurt now and still had to continue her mission. She wanted to stay and talk with Nero, but that was not a good time. And he seemed to be very busy. She thought she was fortunate to be in his way.


    Marie took the potion Nero threw at her, even with the wounds Marie still had energy. "Thanks. Thank you very much! I owe you more than my life because you saved me from death without honor."


    "You owe me nothing, little fox. We non-humans have to take care of each other." Nero gave Marie a friendly smile as he turned and walked away.


    "Ahem! Wait. At least answer me. Are you from the Dark Elves Clan?" Marie had heard of people with very pale skin and white hair. They were the Dark Elves. A banished Elven Clan who was now considered corrupt and evil to most non-humans.


    "I do not know about them. I am a ''Vampire,'' and you will not see others because I think I am the last." Marie was confused by the term ''vampire'' as she had never heard it but was more impressed with the fact that he talked about being the ''last of them.''


    Marie couldn''t even imagine how bad it would be to lose all of his race and how lonely Nero''s life must be. She felt very sorry for him and wanted to hug and comfort him.


    "I will remember you, ''honorable vampire.''" Marie used ''honorable'' just like Nero before to try to change the course of that sad mood.


    She gave her best smile and turned to walk away while drinking the healing potion.


    "I won''t forget you too little fox... If we meet again on a happy occasion, I''ll delight in caressing those sexy and cute ears of you." Nero thought to himself, why saying that would only cause trouble with Sarah.


    "Do you seem to like those ears a lot?" Sarah asked in a cold tone that would make Nero know he was already in trouble.


    "I just don''t have much contact with non-humans, so I may have looked a bit like it was the first time I saw something like this, but that''s not a big deal." Nero spoke calmly, but in his mind, he thought things like ''To hell! How could she have noticed???''.


    "Okay, then. But now, what is the plan? ''Honorable vampire''?" Sarah wouldn''t let him get out so easily after this lot of flirt with the fox-girl. ''What flirt???'' Nero would think if he could hear Sarah''s thoughts.


    "Well. Are we back to plans to find Sects or Clans that you talked about?" Nero was not sure what to do. In his mind now only had ''fox ears'' and ''Dark Elves.'' He was intrigued by that name. Nero had always loved the elves, and now, with and mention of Elves and Dark Elves, he didn''t know if he should go south after them.


    Surely his place was the South. He knew about the world division of henchman''s memories. But he felt he needed to increase his strength now. Sarah was always talking in his mind that things weren''t as simple as killing these Dai Zhi henchmen. She said that this region was inferior and remote, so the dangers here were almost non-existent, but it would not be so everywhere.


    He needed blood, needed to get strong by drinking blood full of Qi. He didn''t want to have to kill every non-human that appeared in front of him, but he could do that to humans and still have pleasure. So, for now, the best place for him was on the human side of the world.


    "Yes, I think like you, the best place to grow up fast is this side of the world. Your human appearance and the fact that you can prevent your nails from growing and hide your fangs help keep this act of being human. But that white hair and red eyes still get a lot of attention." What was most striking about Nero was his beauty, but Sarah would never complain about it.


    "Do you want me to shave my hair and go bald?" Nero asked worriedly.


    "Bah, I don''t think so. Stupid! Just keep a history of a family disease or whatever." If Nero could see Sarah now, he would see her rolling her eyes.


    Yes, such a thing should work. Nero was already thinking of a story of how his mother died giving birth to him and so his hair turned white with sadness. Something quite dramatic because he wanted to be more theatrical.


    "What about these gothic clothes???" Nero has always worn black vampire suits. It looked good on him, but Sarah knew it would draw a lot of attention in this world. When he was strong to overcome any challenge in this world, he could use anything. But now it was a miracle that Dai Zhi, Xun Lan, and the others did not find the clothes of the Earth strange. Did living at this end of the world make them very naive?


    "I''ll tell the girls my grandfather wasn''t a good couturier and ask them for new clothes." Nero thought of using Dai Zhi and Xun Lan as much as he can before tearing their necks and drinking some blood.


    "It goes that way, and soon you will become a little friend of humans." But Sarah could not contain her jealousy and had to make clear her displeasure.


    "Aw Sarah, don''t be like that! I do not become horny with humans." Nero spoke with disgust. He had a body very similar to humans, but something emotional inside him broke when humans killed his family, and now he could only feel hate and disgust for them.


    "It''s good that you are like this."She still wanted to say something like, ''what about your little fox?''. Not even Sarah knew how she ended up as a jealous wife.


    "Whatever. I have to find the girls soon and find out more about the city of Abun. In the memories of the henchmen, there was something about a competition to have a better chance of entering this so-called Black Sword Sect." Nero wanted to know what Sarah was thinking before planning anything.


    "From what you tell me, they want to be taken as an apprentice to that Elder Xiong. Perhaps it is your best way out of this valley as we have no information about the dangers in the mountains." Sarah understood well that a resource-poor region would be bad for cultivation. In Nero''s case, this was also true since he sucks Qi from the blood of his victims. He needs victims with large amounts of Qi, or his cultivation will be slow too.


    "If you enter that Black Sword Sect, you will have many multi-level cultivators to suck. And in that kind of sect, the competitiveness is huge, so there is no shortage of people killing themselves to climb internal ranks and gain better resources." Sarah saw a lot of sects like that in the Endless Divine Kingdom, and she thought it would look the same here just with much fewer resources.


    "After you join a sect, you can also go on quests or things like that. With the sect name protection, you can venture out free and suck a lot of blood for many places. Of course, you can''t leave live victims to tell your secret." Sarah only thinks of blood that even looks like a thirsty vampire.


    But all of Sarah''s words make a lot of sense to Nero. He thinks the same as her now; he needs to put these plans into action. "So my focus is to be chosen by the Black Sword Sect''s Elder as a disciple. It doesn''t seem hard, Sarah, but you know the people closest to that Elder Xiong are Dai Zhi and Xun Lan." Nero had a provocative smile when told about the girls.


    "And about the fucking damn Elder''s assistant??? You playboy!!!" Even though Sarah knew he was teasing, she couldn''t hold back even half a second before exploding in jealousy.

 10 Mental damage

    In one chair was an old lady sewing a coat that was so small it had to be for a very young child. Next to her on the carpet was a boy of about five or six and on the other side a girl younger than him.


    "Grandma, are you going to make a coat like that for me too?" The boy asked his lovely grandmother.


    "No, my dear. Yours will be blue, not pink." That sweet lady loved her grandchildren and cared for them with great affection.


    As the two younger children watched their grandmother sew near the fireplace, the oldest granddaughter already about fifteen watched the full moon illuminating the sky of that cold night from the window of the cabin in the woods.


    "Knock knock." that young girl at the window heard sounds of someone knocking on the door.


    But who knocked on the door of a cabin in the woods at this time of night? It couldn''t be a good thing.


    "Wait!" The older sister screamed, but it was no good because the boy had already opened the door.


    "Roarrrr!!!" A terrible giant humanoid wolf growled fiercely and grabbed the boy, and went out the door.


    "Ahhhh!!!" Everyone in the cabin screamed in fright. The young girl has never been so afraid of her life. She was in shock from dread.


    "AHHHH!!!!!!" Then a claw broke the window and caught her shoulder, giving her an even bigger scare than anyone else.


    "Sister! What''s your problem?" Xun Feng asked Xun Lan as she looked at a rabbit that had just emerged from the bushes. He could not believe that his sister, one of the most talented young Cultivators in town, was now afraid of a rabbit.


    "Feng, I''m sorry I got carried away by my thoughts." Xun Lan apologized for imagining that behind those bushes would be the ''beast'' she had heard in stories to scare children into the childhood of a maid of her family.


    How if the ''beast'' that Nero invented would be the same as in the classic history of the grandma and her little grandsons in the cabin in the woods? Perhaps since both were inventions of a wicked mind.


    "You agreed to hunt this ''beast'' so quickly before. Why are you now full of fears?" Xun Feng didn''t want to think that his tough sister would fall in love so quickly, but he couldn''t be more right.


    "I didn''t think straight then. If this ''beast'' killed Nero''s grandfather, who was stronger than him so easily, what will about us if we find it?"


    Xun Lan had no idea of Nero''s strength, but as she was already in love and considered him her man, he had to be the strongest of them all. If her man was the strongest, his grandfather had to be even stronger. But what about the beast that killed him then?


    "Fucking passionate girls!!! To hell, with fucking love!" Xun Feng had many such thoughts, but he would not speak out loud because everyone knows what is good for them.


    _____________________


    Dai Zhi was running through the forest eager with his henchmen looking for the ''beast.''


    "This beast can''t run from me. Nothing gets in my way! He will be mine, and that cow Xun Lan will only be able to cry." Dai Zhi spoke in a loud tone as she ran. Now it was Dai Wen''s turn to make Xun Lan''s classic dead fish look.


    "Shooo!" A strong wind passed right in front of Dai Zhi and her group. When she looked to the side, she saw Elder Xiong''s assistant passing her. Dai Zhi stopped in contemplation of what to do.


    "Go after assistant or ''beast''?" It was a tough decision for Dai Zhi.


    "Why aren''t we going to get him?" Dai Wen asked quickly full of wishes to catch the assistant and be chosen with Dai Zhi to go to the Black Sword Sect.


    "But what about the beast..." Dai Zhi spoke in a soft tone as she knew to ignore the assistant was wrong.


    "Huhh???" Zhu Tai, the Elder Xiong''s assistant, almost fell when even away heard the Dai Zhi''s reply. "Is she ignoring me to hunt a beast? What kind of beast is better than joining the Black Sword Sect?" Zhu Tai can''t help but stop and look back, still afraid of being a trap.


    So the scene was Dai Wen and the henchmen looking confused at an even more confused Zhu Tai while Dai Zhi blushed.


    "BLUSHED??? My fucking god, why is she blushing now?!?!?" Thought them all confused except Dai Zhi, who, thinking about what would be best to hunt, eventually imagined the ''reward'' that Nero would give her if she returned with the beast''s body as a gift for him.


    "Fucking passionate girls!!!" Would have said Xun Wen if he were here.


    _________________________


    While girls wreaked havoc on the minds of the boys in the woods, the cause of all this headache walked quietly with his jealous spirit-form wife looking for the damn fucking assistant.


    "Ahem, do you already know about him?" Sarah falsely coughed and asked in her usual calm tone.


    "The man in the tree? Yes, I can smell him." Nero answered honestly. It was a reasonable distance away that he could smell a man on a tree far away from him.


    "To smell? It looks like smell and speed are your best attributes..." Even with all of Sarah''s knowledge, she did not fully understand Nero''s body. But watching him every day, she was beginning to understand more and more.


    "I feel like I can never use my speed to maximum. Whenever I''m close to my limit, I start to lose control as if my mind can''t process all the speed my body can handle." Nero had already tried to check the limits of his body and managed with almost everything, but speed was still a mystery to him as he starts to get dizzy when he passed a certain speedrunning.


    "You have not had similar opponents in strength or speed so far. So it is normal for you not to have a full understanding of your limits, which prevents you from perfecting yourself in certain parts." Sometimes Sarah talked like a severe teacher. Anyway, Nero always listened carefully to everything she said.


    "Can this man on the tree help me perfect myself like you said, Sarah?" Nero would not lose any chance of getting stronger.


    "Qi Refinement third layer. It won''t help much, but the blood will have much more Qi than the others." Once again, Sarah spoke as if someone were just a meal for Nero.


    "I won''t waste good food then." And Nero loved that way Sarah saw all humans as blood bags because he did it too.


    "Are you some ape-man?!" Nero asked just as he reached under the tree that was so big as a five-story building.


    "You bastard!!! Don''t disturb me. I''m busy!" The man on the tree looked like he was looking for something or someone as he looked everywhere, even as he cursed Nero.


    "Come down, and then I''ll give you a ''banana.''" Nero knew how to use words as a weapon. The man jumped at the same time panting in anger.


    "What the fuck! Do I look like an ape-man?" The man did not expect that as he searched for Elder Xiong''s assistant looking down from the top of the trees, an idiot would appear to disturb him.


    He wouldn''t mind beating anyone who got in his way, but now was not the time for jokes he tried to send the stranger away, but who would think he would continue to insult him?


    Insult him who reached the Qi Refinement third layer at just twenty-two? He who was considered a great talent even though not as good as ''the young ladies'' but enough that ordinary people couldn''t mess with him without suffering dire consequences.


    That man had many thoughts of greatness in mind. Luckily, he didn''t say everything. He thought otherwise Nero would die of boredom.


    "I''ll let you attack me ten times, and I''ll dodge without leaving the spot. If you can hit me at least once, I give you a quick death." Nero was increasingly enjoying being theatrical. "It''s not fair yet..." Sarah can''t help but comment.


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    "Youuuu!!!" The furious man no longer tried to speak and punched in Nero''s direction with only brute force, thinking that it would be enough to bring at least down this white-haired stranger who appeared out of nowhere and only pissed him off.


    "Whoosh!" "Crack" The man didn''t understand how he hit a tree behind the white-haired stranger. When he was almost connecting his fist and the stranger''s face, he passed him like a ghost. That was so weird, but he didn''t think about it much as his anger only increased. He soon turned and tried to punch one more time.


    "Whoosh!"


    "That was the second chance," Nero spoke, laughing as if these blows were a joke to him. But it was far worse because he could see in slow motion the nervous man''s movements and didn''t even have to use half his speed to dodge without leaving the place easily.


    After missing a second time, the man realized that this stranger was dodging and seeing how he remained calmly in the same place, and he feared himself was the weaker.


    "Blue fist!" Realizing that the battle would be difficult, the man tried to use his martial technique ''Blue Fist'' passed by his father and his grandfather. Cultivators who had Martial Techniques could easily win against those they didn''t have and only used common weapons or fought with bare fists relying on strength and speed.


    As the man threw his punch as he did the other times this time less than a second after starting the movement, the man''s fist began to turn bright blue.


    Nero could see a thin layer of what appeared to be a mist that appeared from his fingertips and was covering the man''s entire fist, and soon, his whole arm was covered with that bright blue mist.


    Nero understood that the man was transforming the Qi in that blue mist, and that increased the size of the man''s arm by twice, and he knew that this attack would be many times stronger than the previous ones.


    "Still too weak to penetrate your body''s current resistance," Sarah warned him.


    "Yes. But I made a deal of just dodging." Nero could see the man''s technique and talk to Sarah because, with his senses activated, he could see the man''s movements in slow motion at his much higher speed.


    The man, this time, turned his arm in the air coming at Nero with his arm horizontal as a big blue bar.


    The man wanted to increase the size of his attack so that it was much wider than the stranger, preventing him from dodging unless he moved aside.


    He was pretty confident in this attack but ended up with a total disappointment. Unbelievably, the stranger vertically bent his body less than a few inches from his arm until he was close to the ground, dodging from his Blue Fist as if his body had no bones.


    "Whoosh!" Yes, as expected.


    "How is this possi-" The man could not stop after starting the movement, and after missing Nero, he was thrown with the force of the blow to that same tree that was already destroyed in the ground.


    "Yoo-hoo, are you okay? There were only three movements. Do you think you can finish ten or..."


    Nero stretched his body, making crackling sounds as he stood erect as if his bones broken and repaired at the same time. He regretted expecting so much from this poor man.


    The man could not get up, but not because of the fall but because of the harm of seeing Nero bending the body like that. And the crackling sounds the stranger''s bones made when they returned to the place would never leave his mind like an eternal nightmare.


    "Whatever." When the man did not get up or answer, Nero left the place and went to him. Nero lifted the man in shock over his shoulder and pushed his head to the other shoulder side as he put his fangs to work.


    The now no longer angry man fell into the vampire''s mesmerizing venom and snuggled into the arms of death.


    "I need to find female victims... Sucking only men, it''s shit." Nero thought softly, afraid of Sarah knowing his thoughts even before it existed.

 11 The fucking damn assistan

    A horrible smell drifted through the air.


    The northern part of the Endless Forest near Abun that was supposed to be very busy now with the hunt for the assistant was tranquil.


    And he saw a group that completely ignored him in search of a ''beast.''


    Zhu Tai was confused about thinking about these three things that seem to be interconnected.


    "Huh?" Following the scent, which he could only describe as death, he soon found a trail of destruction in the trees as if something big or someone was thrown around too hard.


    After walking slowly down the trail at some point, he realized that there was also blood on the broken branches and ground.


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    Arriving in an open area after the trail of destroyed trees, he saw a rock on the other side.


    "Hey, you, what happened here?" On the stone was a person lying with his back to Zhu Tai. He appeared to be a man by his clothes, but Zhu Tai could not see his upper body as if he were hanging over the other part of the stone.


    "Look at me yo-" When the man did not answer, Zhu Tai approached and pulled back the man by the belt. But what fell from the stone was not a man but half of one.


    "What the fuck!?" Everyone would be alarmed to see a person torn in half with their insides still dripping on the floor. Or at least it was meant to be. But the ''beast'' who did that found humans torn in half a beautiful view.


    "What happened here? Who could do this? It must not be human. It can not be. That ''beast''?" Zhu Tai had seen a lot of things on that trip with Elder Xiong, but this bloody scene still made him very impressed. He couldn''t imagine who would do that kind of thing, but then he remembered the ''beast'' that the pretty girl talked about in the group that ignored him a few minutes ago.


    "So they are ignoring me to kill this beast that is doing so much damage? Should I help them and forget about the competition?" Zhu Tai wanted Elder Xiong to be here as it should have been if he wasn''t so lazy.


    "Oh, Master... What kind of mess have you gotten me into?" Zhu Tai sighed, lost in thought.


    So he left the half body on the ground and kept walking through the woods. Zhu Tai wanted to rediscover that group with the pretty girl to ask them about the situation, not giving more importance to the competition.


    After walking for half an hour, Zhu Tai turned back instinctively with fear growing within his core.


    "Crack" "Creak" "Whoosh"


    Zhu Tai heard the sounds of trees breaking, and then a half-mutilated body came out of the bushes and flew past him, creating a trail of broken trees and branches like the one he had seen a while ago.


    "Shit! Shit! Shit!" These were not words of Zhu Tai since he was already too scared to speak or even move. "Run! Run!! Runnn you fool!!! The beast is coming!" Nero shouted as he ran from the trail left by the mutilated body toward Zhu Tai.


    "Don''t kill him so fast! This is the first Qi Refinement fourth layer Cultivator that we see in this shitty place. You should at least find out something about him before you rip his head off the body as you have done so much with others." Sarah warned Nero that killing anyone who passes in front of him without thinking would only create problems on some occasions.


    "You''re lucky that I''m so good at improvisation," Nero answered Sarah mentally.


    Zhu Tai had a lot of confidence in himself because he went through many difficult battles and even fought wild beasts in the mountains surrounding this valley. But he always trusted to fight close to Elder Xiong, who took him as an assistant on this trip and was always protecting his life if something went out of his control.


    Now in this forest that he thought was harmless roamed, a terrible murderous beast that left victims'' bodies everywhere was very close, and he cannot help but imagine situations where he would end up very badly.


    As his mind rushed free in strange thoughts, Zhu Tai snapped out of his trance, feeling a hand pat his shoulder. He looked to the side and saw the smiling face of the most beautiful and strange man he had ever seen. "Why the hell does he have white hair?" Zhu Tai would think so if he was not so afraid.


    "We have to get out of here, brother. Now!" Nero spoke warmly, and when Zhu Tai was about to open his mouth, Nero lightly squeezed his shoulder and continued.


    "We have to run away from the ''beast'' while he was devouring the others. I''m sorry for them, but I can''t go back, and it wouldn''t even help if I had the courage to go." Nero bowed his head slightly as he spoke of the others, and Zhu Tai didn''t miss a sadness in his eyes.


    "The small details are the most important in acting. Make notes Sarah and one day you could be as good as me." Nero spoke in his mind to Sarah while acting as the sad boy in front of Zhu Tai.


    "You DON''T have to be so affectionate with him!!!" Sarah emphasized the denial as she didn''t care to contain her jealousy.


    "Alright, let''s get out of here fast, and you tell me what happened." Zhu Tai understood that that stranger could only escape the beast thanks to his friends who turned into food and distraction. But he was not going to judge anything because he would do the same. Zhu Tai thought that the most important thing for someone was their own life, and he did not consider himself a coward for thinking like this and would not think so of others either.


    Zhu Tai ran in another direction with all the speed he could without even thinking that the stranger behind him could not follow at that speed.


    "Ah!" When Zhu Tai remembered that the stranger appeared to be younger than him and should not have a larger Cultivation, than he was late, and he had already run about three miles.


    "Glad you''re there." Zhu Tai only had to go back half a mile before finding the stranger leaning against a tree and breathing hard. He should have done his best to keep up the pace but still not enough to catch up.


    "!" Nero raised his hand and opened his mouth but only made breathless sounds as if he was still breathless to speak normally. Of course, Nero slowed his running speed to look weaker. It was never good to show the letters and draw unwanted attention. That was not only Sarah''s thinking, but Nero thought so too.


    "Calm down, and you did well. I forgot my strength and ended up using a little more speed than I should have. Save the air now to run because we have to get to the city first of all." Zhu Tai had a lot of questions for that stranger, but he didn''t want to risk even one second in this damn forest without his Master.


    Nero nodded and followed Zhu Tai who was now running a little slower in the direction that seemed to lead the city of Abun.


    ____________________________________


    "A simple life should not be so bad." A middle-aged man thought while sitting on a branch on top of a very tall tree.


    "Should I go into the forest to see how things are?" Xiong Zhelan, who was resting at the top of the tree, didn''t think he would change his mind about choosing Dai Zhi and Xun Lan as apprentices.


    "What could happen in this part of the forest? Even though it is in the division of the world, it is a very poor region far from the lands of southern non-humans." Xiong Zhelan was sure that nothing interesting would happen in the forest. But if someone showed a hidden talent, his assistant would tell him.


    And nothing would happen to this assistant because Xiong Zhelan was confident in Zhu Tai''s strength. "He is not so talented at his age, but against these young cultivators, he can handle very well. Xiong Zhelan thought as he chewed a green leaf.


    "It is not as if the forest would be full of hidden dangers as non-humans approaching very close to the borders of countries." Contemplated Xiong Zhelan.


    "Ufahh!!! Glad we ran away from the beast. Phew!"


    "Yes, the ''beast'' is a danger to be avoided... Wait! What beast???" Xiong Zhelan was so deep in thought, which he thought the sentence he heard was from his mind, but soon realized that this female voice was not his and knew nothing about that beast.


    Xiong Zhelan jumped from the tree and fell in front of the Xun Siblings, who seemed to be having trouble breathing because they were panting with their hands resting on the tree trunk.


    "What beast are you talking about, and why did you leave the forest so early?" Xiong Zhelan waited a half minute before asking the Xun Siblings who were staring at him with wide eyes.


    "The beast... is terrible and monstrous...Killed Nero''s grandfather and is now loose around, killing everything in front of him. Or her. Not sure what it looks like because I was lucky enough to get away in time." Xun Lan said confusing things because her mind was so creative and exaggerated.


    "Nero? Who is Nero? Who is killing who?" Xiong Zhelan realized that this girl was talking nonsense even she didn''t understand what she was saying.


    "Can you tell me what happened?" Xiong Zhelan turned to ask you Xun Feng, who seemed in a better state of mind looking at his sister with a poker face.


    "A fucking rabbit! We''re running from a rabbit. Strike me until I pass out, please!" Xun Fang spoke as he put both hands on his head like someone losing his mind.


    Xiong Zhelan was now more confused than ever. "Are these kids crazy? Did they eat the famous ''red berries'' that one should not be eaten?" And one more person started talking about fairy tales and stories to make children sleep.


    _________________________


    Nero could already see the tops of the larger houses among the shrinking trees as he and Zhu Tai approached the square in the southern part of Abun.


    Nero already knew very well what the city of Abun was like because he had sucked a lot of blood full of memories not only with facts but also images, sounds, tastes, among others, as if living the life of the victims.


    "It''s very different from the earth..." But even knowing what the city was like was a new experience to get out of the woods and see that bunch of people looking like ordinary citizens of the Medieval Age on the Earth.


    Through the streets were women in vintage linen dress carrying platters of fruit or things like a bucket of water. Men wearing linen and leather clothes with rustic boots carried heavy things like planks or tools while giving flirting glances to women gossiping in the streets.


    The houses were of good quality wood with stone parts, and the streets were made of small stones with poorly detailed sidewalks. It would be a typical small country town in the medieval age of the Earth.


    "My master is there! Let''s talk to him about the ''beast,'' and you can tell us your story." Zhu Tai saw Xiong Zhelan coming out of the woods and heading downtown in the square with the Xun Siblings and couldn''t wait to run and report everything to his master.


    Leaving his thoughts of the simple life of the people of Abun, Nero followed the now excited Zhu Tai toward the young woman he had already met in the woods with the little fox.


    "How the hell is his hair white?" Nero can''t help but listen to that stupid question from passers-by who saw him.

 12 The Poor Grandpa

    Nero could see Xun Lan talking as she gestured wildly to a middle-aged man who must be the Master that his new friend spoke.


    That friend was Zhu Tai. Who eagerly ran to his master, screaming. "Master master! Had a problem..." He breathed hard. It looks like he ran beyond his limits. After all, fear is an excellent exempt.


    "Hum?" Xiong Zhelan turned when he heard the familiar voice of his assistant. "Does he know about the beast too?" After hearing Xun Lan talk so much about the beast, Xiong Zhelan already figured that was why Zhu Tai left the forest before finishing the little competition.


    "Did you saw it with your own eyes?" Xiong Zhelan asked quickly, wanting to know all he could think about someone other than a fantasy girl and an angry boy who didn''t speak clearly.


    "Won''t you ask if I''m fine?" Zhu Tai, who was already less than ten meters away, started walking slowly towards his master while sadly talking about his master not being worried about his health.


    "Aren''t you there alive and kicking? I wouldn''t be so insensitive if you were hurt or something like that." Xiong Zhelan scowled at Zhu Tai as he scolded him but soon noticed the white-haired stranger coming after his assistant.


    "And who are you, child?" Xiong Zhelan asked Nero, and at that moment, the Xun Siblings, who was looking curiously at Zhu Tai, noticed the well-known white-haired boy as well.


    "Oh! I still don''t know his na-" Zhu Tai could barely finish speaking when Xun Lan jumped at Nero and hugged him with all her might.


    "Nero! His name is Nero, and he is under the protection of my Xun family." Xiong Zhelan and his assistant made a confused face just like everyone who heard around because Xun Lan didn''t speak quietly.


    Xun Feng rolled his eyes as he expected something like that from his impulsive sister and now in love too. Sarah was in the red world, doing all the expressions of anger she could because the jealousy has reached heights that it has not yet arrived.


    And Nero? He wanted to cry until he died. He hated being hugged like so by a stinky human, but there wasn''t much he could do because Sarah had already warned that the middle-aged man was a Martial Warrior realm cultivator.


    Nero had an explosive force and even more incredible speed that could beat up Qi Refinement late-stage cultivators, but against someone from Qi Refinement peak would not be easy. Even an early-stage Martial Warrior would be practically impossible.


    "Calm down, little Lan. I''m fine." Nero patted Xun Lan''s head and spoke kind words after thinking of the strength of the middle-aged man.


    "Little Lan to hell, you fucking playboy!" Nero practiced his acting skills wanting to avoid problems, but he forgot his jealous spirit-wife who respected nothing about acting and always complained to him mentally.


    Nero was tired of arguing with Sarah about these things and just ignored her and tried to get rid of that sticky mass called Xun Lan.


    "I was worried the beast would catch you! Waaah!" Xun Lan looked pretty pitiful now. She even started sniffing at Nero''s shoulder. "Forgive me, please, Nero. I wanted to go back to meet you, but I was so scared."


    "It''s all right. It was my fault for asking you to help me find such a dangerous beast." The more Nero pushed Xun Lan away, but she hugged him like a koala who didn''t want to leave her mother. Nero wanted to be able to rip her little throat right now.


    He would start by squeezing her face with both of his strong hands. Then he would knee her stomach, making her spit her guts. Then he would show his fangs getting bigger and bigger until he bit and suck her blood before tearing and splitting her throat, separating her head from her body.


    "Mm..." "Ahem ahem..." Nero woke up from his bloody fantasies when Xun Lan began to moan as he was hugging her too tightly back, and the other people coughed to warn them that this is not the place for that kind of thing.


    "Come to my house. I will introduce you to my father, and he will take care of the beast." Xun Lan was like a cute little girl taking her first love to meet her family. She no longer cared about anyone around.


    "Ahem... Please wait." Xiong Zhelan had to get in the conversation because Xun Lan wanted to take the boy before he could know anything.


    "Please let me go..." Nero begged with a slight blush. He didn''t know how he would act to get the ''koala'' Xun Lan out of him.


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    "Ah, Nero! Sorry! I was so out of my mind that I didn''t realize I was squeezing you so hard." Xun Lan knew very well what she was doing and was very happy when she saw the flush on Nero''s face.


    "He is so naive and insecure. It will be easy to make him fall in love with me!" Xun Lan thought as she planned to do everything to make clear her points to Nero, which was: Be mine, and I will treat you very well!


    "It''s all right. You don''t have to apologize. I understand you were worried about my safety, and I thank you for that." Nero spoke with smiles and even bowed slightly to Xun Lan when he thanked her for taking care of him.


    But only Sarah knew how he really felt because Nero spoke to her in his mind because he needed to let off steam with someone, or he would be so crazy to be ''nice.'' "Damn, humans! Dumb primate donkeys!!! I will kill you all and drink your blood in front of your family!"


    "Calm down you, ''evil vampire''... You need to find out if that is the Elder of the Black Sword Sect." Sarah figured that one would be the Elder that Nero discovered in the memories of the cultivators he killed in the woods.


    "Hello, sir, my name is Nero. Sorry for my manner, but I''m not used to being around so many people." Nero, who was now free of the koala Xun Lan, turned and bowed slightly to Xiong Zhelan, showing much respect for the elders, which was well regarded by everyone there.


    "Oh, what a good child... You can talk to me normally." Xiong Zhelan liked Nero and how polite he was. Xiong Zhelan thought that if Nero were talented as Xun Lan and Dai, Zhi would be an excellent disciple.


    "I lived in the forest with my grandfather ever since. I was born in that forest..." Nero acted as well as ever focusing on the small details he took a deep breath with regret before telling his sad story.


    "My mother died when I was born ... My grandfather always said it wasn''t my fault, but it was just to make me feel better. I don''t know about my father because my grandfather never told me. We always live well in a safe place in the woods. Then one day, everything changed..."


    Nero paused and looked up at the almost dark sky, but the stars could already be seen. He sniffed and shook hands as if he had taken the courage to finish his story.


    "Three days ago, a beast appeared while I was training with my grandfather and killed him as he tried to defend me. I ran away while the beast devoured him..." Nero bowed his head in shame, and they could even see a tear slowly descending.


    "Poor grandpa..." Sarah spoke in Nero''s mind, and he didn''t take half a second to say ''shut up.''


    "Alright, Nero, doesn''t be sad like that. If not, I can''t contain myself, and I''ll cry." Xun Lan couldn''t bear to see the man she loved so sad. She came over and took his hand lightly, not wanting to be too abrupt but also wanting to express that she was there for him.


    "Yes, I have to be strong to avenge his death." Nero shook Xun Lan''s hand tightly and raised his head to Xiong Zhelan with a determined smile on his face.


    "So only you and your grandfather lived in the woods? Did the beast come and kill him? What was the beast like? What was your grandfather''s strength?" Xiong Zhelan wanted to believe in such a nice boy. But he would not believe so easily without proof and constructive details in any story.


    "I lived with my grandfather, but we also had a fox-girl slave as a maid."


    "The beast appeared when my grandfather tried to teach me a martial technique that needed concentration, so we were both with eyes closed and in the lotus position. Then the beast caught my grandfather from behind unawares."


    "The beast looked humanoid over six feet tall with a hairy upper body and its head resembling a bat."


    "My grandfather was at Qi Refinement fourth layer since I can remember," Nero answered all of Elder Xiong''s questions quickly, making everyone believe that there was no way to be a lie because he was severe and did not stutter or stop looking into Xiong Zhelan''s eyes.


    "Really a born actor. He acted divine and impeccable." That''s what Sarah thought in the Red World.


    I understand. Hum. Sorry for so many questions, but where is that slave now, and what is your and her strength? Elder Xiong was quite pleased with Nero''s answers, and now he completely believed the story but still wanted to know more details to understand how to proceed.


    "She also ran away when my grandfather was attacked. That worthless fox didn''t even care about me and just thought of running without looking back. She is no big deal just in the Qi Refinement first layer because forest life is not safe for non-cultivators, so my grandfather helped her a little." Nero spoke in a slightly louder tone as if angry but holding back.


    "Little fox..." Nero thought in his mind that speaking badly of Marie, her ear should turn red. But when he thought of those fluffy fox ears, he soon started to get excited.


    He didn''t forget to think all about Mary so Sarah wouldn''t hear. There was a distinct difference in talking to Sarah mentally and just thinking to himself.


    "Where is your slave now? Did she run away again?" Xun Lan, who paid close attention to Nero''s story, remembered that they found the slave along with Dai Zhi''s group, and they left her with Nero.


    "Yes... She ran away when the beast found us and killed the two guys who were helping me." Nero started speaking typically and then lowered his voice and even lowered his head when he talked about the death of two of Dai Zhi''s henchmen.


    They always believed their words completely because they thought Nero couldn''t lie as though he did not control his emotions well, and his body was always sincere with his movements and actions.


    Xiong Zhelan and Xun Lan were already tired of the way Nero regretted and was saddened by things that were clearly not his fault. Xiong Zhelan meant for Nero to be stronger and not to be shaken by an unfair life. Xun Lan just wanted to hug him, saying that everything will be all right so he wouldn''t feel so sad.


    "Don''t be sad about the henchmen. They knew one day they would die working for that Cow Zhi." Xun Lan comforted Nero but did not miss the chance to insult Dai Zhi by calling her a cow.


    "Let''s keep due respect, Miss Xun. Please." Xiong Zhelan didn''t think it was wrong for competitiveness between Xun Lan and Dai Zhi because he even wanted to use the desire to beat each other to make them want to improve. But he wanted them to respect each other still.


    "Talking about Dai Zhi... Hasn''t she left the forest yet? It''s almost night, and the ''beast'' can eat her." Elder Xiong said already worried, knowing that the beast could kill a cultivator like Nero''s grandfather. He didn''t bother to defeat it easily, but in the case of young cultivators like Dai Zhi, he didn''t think they could have any chance of winning.


    "I don''t think the ''beast'' will eat her..." Nero thought with the classic dead fish look of Xun Lan.

 13 Dai Family

    "The beast..." An ordinary middle-aged man spoke in a slow tone as he stroked the bard of his chin, immersed in thoughts of the rumors circulating the city.


    "A terrible monstrous beast that killed many young cultivators in the woods..." A young girl spoke beside the middle-aged man as if to elaborate on the idea of such a beast.


    "Yes, that''s what I heard." One of the boys who brought news of the rumors spoke with a proud smile, thinking he did an excellent job bringing news as fast as he thought it was possible. "I heard that even the Xun siblings that are already so strong ran away scared of the forest."


    "Is that true?" The girl asked when a sparkle appeared in her eyes when she heard about the Siblings Xun.


    "Yes, that is true. I saw them terrified in the town square talking to Elder Xiong of the Black Sword Sect." The boy told everything he heard about the rumors and also about the group he saw talking in the town square. These were the group of Nero and Xiong Zhelan.


    "And my Zhi?" Before the girl can answer the errand boy, ''I understand,'' the middle-aged man asked now in a more concerned tone.


    The boy bowed his head. The girl didn''t know what to think, but the middle-aged man got up alarmed from the old wooden chair.


    "Say clearly everything you know about my daughter!" Dai Dong knew that the boy was avoiding talking about Dai Zhi because it was not good news, and he feared his fury.


    "Calm down, father! The big sister knows how to take care of herself." Dai Jingyi, the Dai Zhi''s little sister, said trying to calm his father because the terrified boy would not give precise information.


    "I li-lis-listened t-that she could be eaten by the beast." The errand boy stammered but, in the end, managed to speak what he heard in the town square.


    "It can not be..." Dai Dong fell limp backward, which luckily fell into the chair he was previously on. "My little princess? Beast food?" Dai Dong widened his eyes in disbelief and fear.


    "Tsk... You''re getting old, dad..." Dai Jingyi, who was only thirteen, shook her head in disappointment at her father, who is getting softer with the years.


    "Call Wei Ping now!" Dai Jingyi roared loud enough for the servants of the Dai family to hear and turned to the boy who was startling, seeing the old Dai Dong stunned in his chair. "And you boy get back on the streets and bring us any useful information." Dai Jingyi took a silver coin from his father''s pocket and threw it at the boy who took it and ran out of the room.


    "Get back, dad. People can''t think our family is weak. You need to be strong or at least pretend in front of others." Dai Jingyi patted Dai Dong on the head as she advised him to be intimidating.


    "Little Miss." It wasn''t even a full minute before Wei Ping arrived and bowed to Dai Jingyi. He knew she called him but when he came and saw Dai Dong in the room wanted to introduce himself to him but soon noticed that the formally ''head'' of the Dai family was not in a condition to give any orders, so he bowed to the Little Miss who didn''t was immature for her age.


    "You have to take a couple of Qi Refinement sixth layer cultivators and head into the woods in the south of the town square where the Elder of Black Sword Sect is doing his little competition to find the big sister. Now!" Dai Jingyi spoke quickly and clearly in a dominant and authoritative tone.


    "Yes, I am going right now, my lady!" Wei Ping was pleased that the two Misses were still quite sharp and confident, unlike Dai Dong, after his wife traveled.


    It was well known that Dai Dong was a made by his wife but after she left he focused on strengthening Dai Zhi and family matters would be overlooked if it wasn''t for the clever little Miss who kept everyone in line when her older sister only wanted to know about Cultivation and to compete with the Xun family daughter.


    "I trust my big sister''s strength, but it looks like there''s a new beast prowling the woods, and I don''t want to risk her safety." Dai Jingyi still kept his tone serious, but when she spoke of her sister''s safety, she made a kind expression and looked at her father just to shake her head.


    "I understand. I''ll leave now. Take care of your father, and thank you for leading us, little miss." Wei Ping was a thin middle-aged man with gray hair. He looked like a kind grandfather and always acted like this to both Little Misses as he took care of the safety of the Dai family before their births.


    "Big sis... What did you get into this time?" After Wei Ping left the room, Dai Jingyi thought of his sister, who always got in trouble as she rolled her eyes at her father, who looked even more childish than Dai Zhi.


    ______________________________


    "Why does my ear burn? Who is speaking ill of this beautiful and talented Miss?!" Dai Zhi, who was almost arriving in the town square, stopped for a second when she felt her warm ear and knew that someone was talking about her.


    Dai Zhi took advantage of the fact that she stopped running and kicked one of the henchmen in the ass. "You are useless! Why can''t you even find a simple beast?" She was furious to find no trace of the beast. Dai Zhi had to be very unlucky not to find the tracks of destruction and bodies that Nero left in the forest.


    "We are sorry, my lady! That beast must know that it cannot survive a blow from you, so it must have been hiding in fear. The unfortunate henchman who was accustomed to being brutally treated by his Miss tried his best to put her in a good mood.


    "Yoo-hoo, don''t try to flatter me, you idiot, you''re lucky that I''m a good miss and don''t send you hunting the beast the whole night." Dai Zhi gave another kick to the poor guy, and then they continued walking to leave the forest, which was very sinister at night.


    Well. On that specific day, the forest was much more dangerous in the day. At least for humans.


    After walking for half an hour, Dai Zhi and his henchmen could see lights from the town square. "I hope he left the forest safe too." She can''t help thinking about Nero. She liked that new feeling of caring for someone other than her father and sister.


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    "Ah!" After arriving in the street in front of the town square, Dai Zhi was thinking about Nero when she saw him sitting on a bench next to Elder Xiong and holding Xun Lan''s hand that looked like a little girl in love on a date with her lover.


    "That idiot Xun Lan arrived first and is already so close to him!" She didn''t wait another second before running towards them.


    "Nero! Glad you''re fine!" Dai Zhi arrived and didn''t even care about Elder Xiong, then jumped on Nero, hugging him tightly and pulling him out of Xun Lan''s claws. "Sorry me please, I couldn''t find the beast." Dai Zhi apologized while sniffing on Nero''s shoulder in the same way that Xun Lan had done before.


    "And here we go again..." Everyone thought except Nero who thought another round of curses in his mind. Xun Lan also has different thoughts, thinking that Dai Zhi was very scandalous now and that she would never do anything so inappropriate... She did the same!


    ________________________________________


    The main square in the city of Abun has never been so lively and full of people. Even at night, everyone wanted to go to see the Elder of the Black Sword Sect, the main misses in the city, and a strange white-haired boy who lived in the forest.


    Many people were whispering through the streets and corners. Old and young, women and men, all paying close attention to the circular bench where you could see several young cultivators.


    Sitting from left to right were: Zhu Tai, Dai Wen, Dai Zhi, Nero, Xun Lan, Xun Feng, and an old lady who was already sitting there.


    Dai Zhi and Xun Lan were holding Nero''s arms while making faces at each other. The boys were jealous of the attention Nero received from the girls who even forgot about the beast. Elder Xiong was thinking about what to do after hearing everyone''s point of view about the beast''s story. And the old lady only thought about why the boy in the middle of the girls had white hair like her but was clearly so young.


    "Has any of you seen or heard of a bat-headed beast?" Elder Xiong asked, and everyone except Nero shook his head in denial. "Uhm... I also never heard about anything like that..." Xiong Zhelan thought out loud, and everyone was making ''Uhm'' sounds.


    "Whatever it is, we have to kill it. But now it is night, and it must be more challenging to find the ''beast'' in the dark without an excellent tracker." Xiong Zhelan is confident in his strength as a Martial Warrior, but against the unknown, it is always good to be cautious. Thinking like that, he survived until now, even with so many disasters that occurred to him.


    "Mmhm, uh-hu." And everyone seated nodded in agreement, even the old lady.


    "And now we have to decide where Nero is staying tonight. Tomorrow we will enter the forest and find the beast, so it will not take more innocent lives." Xiong Zhelan planned to take Nero to the same inn he stayed. Then tomorrow they would go to the forest to find the beast.


    But when everyone nodded in agreement that time, Dai Zhi and Xun Lan looked at each other clearly to show their point of not letting Nero escape from them. And Xiong Zhelan understood well what was going on, but he didn''t know how to solve it and could only try to take Nero with him.


    "He will stay with me!" Dai Zhi quickly spoke as she got up. "He''s under the protection of my Xun family!" Xun Lan spoke louder. And the two faced each other with imaginary rays passing between them.


    The boys did not know what to do. The old lady who was closely watching them liked the show she saw having a lot of fun with it all. Passers-by on the street and people in the square also enjoyed the show and gossiped more and more.


    Nero made a confused face with a slightly flushed tone. Anyone would think he was embarrassed to have two beautiful girls fighting over him. And this was supposed to be what he calls ''little details of the performance'' but that red tone was him containing the explosive anger that was growing more and more.


    Nero promised himself that these girls would not live until next week. Sarah, on the other hand, already wanted them dead for the next few minutes. But things were not as easy as killing who they wanted when they wanted. At least for now.


    "Today was a challenging day for you and all the young cultivators who were in the forest, so let Nero come with me and rest. Tomorrow he is still healthy and kicking so you can have as much of him as you can." Xiong Zhelan just wanted to go out and rest after so much ''beast'' history. But he didn''t want to leave Nero with these two girls who looked like ''beasts'' now.


    "Please, girls, calm down and let me go with Elder Xiong to rest. Tomorrow we will all meet again." Nero had to use a lot of willpower to keep from tearing their throats and talking calmly to Xun Lan and Dai Zhi.


    "Meh, whatever you think is best," Dai Zhi and Xun Lan released Nero''s arms and turned around with a ''humph'' and crossing their arms in disapproval.

 14 The night just started

    That silence.


    The stars shone in the night sky, adorning the three moons that illuminated the city of Abun.


    "Is it difficult to sleep at night?" Sarah asked Nero, which rolled over, in the bed of the best inn in the city because an Elder of the Black Sword Sect deserved only the best treatment that the city could offer.


    "It''s been over two years since Dark Soul Stone took my sun weakness, but I still feel more comfortable at night." Dark Soul Stone has improved Nero''s body to the point that he no longer suffers from side effects from the sun and silver, but it is difficult to change his seventeen years of night habits.


    "Do you want to go out and hunt for some stress relief?" Sarah asked Nero in a loving tone like a wife wanting the best for her lover. But the fact that she asked if he wanted to ''hunt'' broke any climate.


    "Don''t you mind if I go ''hunting''?" Nero can''t help but provoke her.


    "You stupid playboy! One day I will beat you until you cry for intimidating me so much." Sarah just wanted to be able to get out of the red world and punch Nero. But in the end, it would be that light punches in the chest that wouldn''t hurt a fly.


    "Okay, let''s get out then." Nero stood up and jumped out the window as he didn''t want to alert anyone, especially Elder Xiong, who thought he was tired and wanted to sleep.


    "Whooosh," Nero fell in the middle of the street with one knee and one hand resting on the floor. It was the famous ''superhero landing'' he saw in movies on Earth.


    Nero got new clothes from Zhu Tai, who didn''t bother to give him after Xiong Zhelan asked.


    Now he was wearing black linen pants. Black social shirt ornamented with flowers in a vintage style. A small red vest over the shirt. Red leather boots with very resistant black metal. And to finish off a black overcoat with gold dragon ornaments.


    If any steampunk fan saw Nero like that, they would have an orgasm of such excitement because he was amazing now. But anyone who liked black would also find his look beautiful. Well. In the case of Nero, anything he wore, everyone thought it was beautiful because he left the clothes looking better than it was.


    Sarah found the dragon ornaments in the overcoat perfect and felt as if those ornaments were her mark that would tell the world that he already was taken by her the Dragon Princess.


    Nero felt he was lucky that Zhu Tai shared his appreciation for black with him. He would cry blood if he had to wear green or yellow. "A vampire has to wear black and look intimidating." Nero thought. After the extinction of his race, he wanted to do more classic vampire things as a way of showing respect for ancient traditions and that he would never forget his family.


    "Aww, what an adorable angel!" A woman leaning against the inn''s wall sighed when she saw the beautiful Nero fall from the sky. But when Nero gave her an evil smile. She could have sworn she saw a strange shine on his white teeth.


    "No... He''s the devil!" The woman thought she was drunk and entered the inn before something bad happened. A good decision that saved her life.


    "What a pity that the prey fled in fear." Nero shook his head and walked in the opposite direction from the inn.


    "Didn''t you want to scare her with that demonic smile? Even I would fear you like that." Sarah can''t help asking.


    "And you didn''t want me to scare her?" Nero could also play the same game as Sarah.


    "..." And the two were silent as Nero walked around the city being faced by the few people who were on the street so late at night that it must have been a new day.


    "Ooh-la-la! What a big mansion." Nero walked until to stop in front of a huge mansion made of stone like a medieval castle.


    "Get ready!!! I feel cultivators in Qi Refinement seventh and sixth layer coming towards you." Sarah warned as she could feel those cultivators within a mile with her spiritual sense.


    "It can not be! Damn them!!!" Nero''s eyes widened in disbelief and anger but not because of the arrival of the cultivators but because he smelled a specific smell that he already knew.


    "Yes... I can feel she too even though she is very weak." Sarah understood Nero''s reaction and she knew that now was not the time for play and heads were going to roll.


    _______________________________


    "How many times have I done this? Oh, whatever, I can''t complain." Wei Ping thought aloud as he ran to look for Dai Zhi in the forest, and his helpers did not respond because he completed before they could say anything.


    Wei Ping was already accustomed to having to rescue the older Miss from Dai Family. Dai Zhi always got into trouble whether they were fighting with other families, going too far north near the mountains to encounter dangerous beasts, or going too far south in the forest.


    Wherever she gets into trouble, he was the one who would always be sent because Dai Jingyi and Dai Dong were afraid that no one else could calm her down. The young misses saw Wei Ping as a strong grandfather and respected him a lot.


    Wei Ping was a Qi Refinement seventh layer cultivator, and his comrades were in the sixth layer, so they had a speed several times faster than most people in Abun. They did not go to the forest through the town square but on a path that they were already accustomed to using on the east side of the city.


    So they didn''t know that Dai Zhi had already left the forest and was at home now taking a hot shower and touching her ''little flower'' thinking of a white-haired young man.


    Wei Ping just wanted to find Dai Zhi fast and get back to the comfort of home, so he ran as fast as his men could follow. But after two hours without finding anyone, he sent one of the men back to check. This man went and came back quickly to say he heard rumors about Dai Zhi and a group in the town square.


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    "So she is not stupid to stay in the forest at night. Good!" Wei Ping was not angry but happy that nothing had happened to Dai Zhi. Then he and his men began to return to the city.


    "Wait!" Wei Ping waved and stopped still in the middle of the forest.


    "I can hear your breath you dirty animal!" Wei Ping spoke while looking at the bush less than a hundred meters from him and his men already understood that someone was there.


    _________________________________________


    Nero''s eyes burned with fury, and his already large fangs pierced his skin, staining his mouth with blood.


    He couldn''t bear to see the brutal way a middle-aged man dragged Marie by the foot. She was already all bruised full of dirt and leaves. She was bleeding through all the holes.


    "Do I take any risks by fighting them?" Nero asked Sarah, barely holding back and running to save his little fox.


    "They have much higher cultivation than you do, but I believe that if they don''t have some absurd martial art, you won''t have a hard time killing them," Sarah responded precisely, giving Nero more confidence.


    "What chance do I have to beat Elder Xiong?" Nero asked a more important question.


    "None." Sarah paused quickly and then continued. "He is a martial warrior. Even though your speed is almost equivalent to his, your strength is much less. And he knows a lot of martial arts unlike you who don''t know any."


    "Not to mention that you do not know anything about advanced battle techniques, nor do you have full knowledge of your body''s capabilities." Sarah shared all her thoughts, neutrally, and realistically.


    "What are the chances that Elder Xiong will not consider me hostile if I do a carnage here?" Nero tried to change the perspective.


    "I''m not sure, but I don''t think he cares much for the people in this city. He came here to find promising disciples. If you show yourself to be a talent, he may even side with you against these men. But I believe he will want a better reason than to save a non-human." Sarah showed a similar thought that Nero had in mind.


    Nero''s mind works at a thousand per second. When he smelled Marie, he started to think about all the chances he had to fight, but he wanted to confirm everything with Sarah because his life was no longer just his with Sarah being his partner for anything.


    "I appreciate your support and understanding, Sarah. I''m sorry for being so impulsive and selfish." Nero knew that Sarah would stay by his side at any time, and he felt even worse why she was so loyal to him even when he does stupid things.


    "I wouldn''t love you if you weren''t like that... Ahem! Go and save her now." Sarah got carried away by the tense situation and spoke more than she wanted to.


    "Right now!" Nero stepped out of the shadows and went towards the man carrying Marie to the big mansion.


    ____________________________________


    In a room that smelled of lavender, a girl was walking from side to side with a small teddy bear in her hand. The girl talked to herself about her thoughts and looked at the little bear waiting for answers.


    "That family has already taken a lot from us." The girl thought and remembered the first time she knew how bad things were for her family. It was a difficult conversation she had with her father that day.


    "You are already big enough, my daughter, to know why we shouldn''t go against the Dai family." Xun He spoke to the girl who shifted in the chair across from his.


    "Nothing you tell me will change the fact that I hate Dai Zhi, and I will not lose to her!" Xun Lan crossed his arms with a ''hump!'' and faced her father.


    "I will summarize for you, so do not worry." Xun He began a story of how the Dai and Xun families founded Abun many years ago from forest dwellers. The patriarchs of the two families were like brothers not connected by blood and always promised to make their descendants get married to unite the good with the right.


    And so it was for two generations afterward, making two families one. But with the third generation, both families had only women, so there was no marriage, separating one family from the other. Families continued in an alliance but thinking separately.


    The couple who were formed by a Xun and a Dai did not like how things were going, but the current generation considered them old bones not useful. So they left the city and went to live their lives in the forest to avoid being disappointed with the family.


    That generation thought completely different from each other. Dai Family wanted to explore south of the forest or north in the mountains in search of cultivation resources for themselves, but Xun Family wanted to improve the quality of life in the city and help the common people.


    As time went by, a new generation came. The Dai family had two sons and a daughter. Xun Family had only one son. The eldest son of the Dai family was a loyal follower of his mother''s convictions. He believed that everything was allowed in the quest for power and soon killed his mother to take over the family faster.


    The two other children of the Dai family were very close to each other since they had to defend themselves against their abusive brother and mother. When the oldest brother took over the family, everything got worse, and they had to flee and seek shelter in the Xun Family because they knew about the ancient traditions and alliances.


    Xun He was the current generation at that time and, with the same thought that his mother, which was already old, welcomed the Dai Siblings into his home. The head of the Dai Family did not like that his brothers abandoned him, but he did not want to risk fighting the Xun family and left them alone.


    Over time Xun He fell in love with Miss Dai, and they married having the blessing of his mother and Dai Dong, who was the youngest son of the Dai family. Everything was going well, but over the years, the Dai Family got out of control and started forcing people to go far south or north, brutalizing everyone who opposed them.


    Xun He knew that the Dai Family was already stronger than them, and he didn''t want to take any more risks now that he already had two children to raise. But Miss Dai was a woman with a lot of willpower, and Dai Dong would follow his beloved sister wherever she went.


    Together the Dai Siblings went to confront their oldest brother, but he didn''t like it and attacked them without mercy. Miss Dai died before Xun He arrived with reinforcements and narrowly succeeded in saving Dai Dong''s life and kill the head of the Dai Family. That terrible day the city was stained with blood by the struggle between the two largest families in the town, and many died on both sides.


    In the end, Dai Dong was able to take control of the Dai family by committing himself to the woman who was the right arm of the former leader of the Dai family and had a lot of influence on the cultivators. She was a very cunning and ambitious woman who would force Dai Dong to fight against Xun He in the future if it weren''t for them making a non-aggression pact right after the battle.


    And so the families continued to be separated once again. Now with both family heads living in sadness and regret for the death of the former Miss Dai.

 15 Blue and black at nigh

    "I will not lose him to her!" Xun Lan made a determined expression and clenched both hands in fists.


    "Who is he?" Xun He came in the door and asked his daughter who she didn''t want to lose because he already imagined who ''her'' was.


    "Ah, Dad! Since when were you spying on me behind the door?" Xun Lan looked like a child caught in the act.


    "I went to the bathroom but heard your footsteps and whispers it was hard to resist coming to take a look at what could take my daughter''s sleep." Xun He looked at his daughter with a curious and playful look.


    "Hump..." Xun Lan turned and crossed his arms and scowled. This was to be considered a bad attitude, but Xun He found everything about his beautiful daughter to be perfect, as she was very much like her mother.


    "Maybe it''s something about a young man with white hair?" Xun He, as the leader of the second-largest family in the city, would not be uninformed. But in fact, it was Xun Feng who told everything very quickly, and his informants did not add any new information about the stranger named Nero.


    "He is a good person. Believe me. I feel in my heart that he is special." Xun Lan defended Nero so quickly that Xun He already knew it was too late to try to chase them away.


    "I didn''t say that I have anything against it. But what about going to the Black Sword Sect?" Xun He could already predict what his daughter would say he just wanted to confirm.


    "You know ... Feng doesn''t want to leave you, and he even likes this boring small town." Xun Lan spoke with cute puppy eyes and hands together as if she were praying.


    "He would gladly follow you. To protect you, he would abandon his wishes. You have a good brother, and you should be more grateful to him." Xun He was just giving his point of view, but he knew it was useless to try to convince his daughter, which as stubborn as her mother.


    "I think the best thing for him would be to go with me to the Black Sword Sect, but he has to want it too. Maybe Elder Xiong can take the three of us." Xun Lan had a hopeful look as everything was as easy as in her plans.


    "So you think you are already Elder Xiong''s choice, and he would easily agree to take you with your brother and boyfriend?" Xun He spoke calmly but showed a smile when he saw Xun Lan blush when he said ''boyfriend.'' Xun He was a father who loved to tease his daughter to see her making different expressions.


    "Nero is the strongest of all! How could he not be so amazing being the man I chose?" Xun Lan had not yet seen Nero fight, and Xun He knew this from his sources, but even so, she was sure he was incredible. She was wrong about many things about him, but about him being too strong was not a mistake.


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    "Yes, Yes. Of course, my daughter wouldn''t choose anyone. But what about him? Will he accept to be yours so easily?" Xun He liked to talk to his daughter even though it was about boys. He knew how difficult it was for adults to have a good relationship with young people.


    "He just needs a little push to realize that I will treat him better than anyone." Xun Lan showed a mischievous smile.


    "..." Xun He didn''t know what to say.


    "I can''t sleep now with so many thoughts. Can I go out to get some air?" Xun Lan just wanted to run to tire her body and relax without any ulterior motives.


    "Okay, but don''t go too far and take someone as a bodyguard." Xun He was already accustomed to his daughter leaving the house whenever he wanted, and he was always sure that she was well accompanied when she left at night.


    "Thanks, Dad! Love you." Xun Lan kissed his father on the cheek and ran like a happy little deer.


    Xun Lan thought that going for an evening walk could sleep better. But that night she would see things that would hinder her from sleeping for decades.


    _____________________________________________


    "Oy! Who owns this big mansion?" Just before entering the Dai Family mansion, Wei Ping saw a white-haired man wearing an all-black outfit walking towards him with a curious look.


    "Who are you, boy?" Wei Ping asked in a polite tone as he had never heard of anyone like this stranger in the city, so it must be someone newcomer, and he didn''t want to risk offending anyone he doesn''t know.


    "Ah! Sorry about my manners. My nam-" Wei Ping was opening the iron gate. One of the henchmen was on the street and the other on the sidewalk holding Marie by the foot. Nero walked slowly towards them while asking about the mansion, but when less than a meter from the man on the street, he jumped on him with all the speed he could and twisted the neck of the poor man who did not understand how he died.


    *Crack*


    Wei Ping and the other henchman heard the man''s neck-breaking so fast that they still felt like the stranger was in the same spot a meter away from the man who was now dead.


    *Bang*


    Then the stranger took his hands off the head of the man who fell lifeless on the floor. And just as easily a Qi Refinement sixth layer cultivator died. One of the strongest people in the city and an essential part of the strength of the Dai family. But it was all thanks to Nero catching them off guard as they did not expect a young man to attack them out of nowhere.


    "It won''t be that easy now. Take off your overcoat because I don''t want you to destroy it." Sarah advised Nero, who then slowly took off his overcoat while facing Wei Ping and the other man who still couldn''t digest the scene.


    "Who are you?! What the hell do you want?!" Wei Ping was very worried about the situation as he had never lost a henchman that way so quickly and for no apparent reason.


    Wei Ping, who once had a hundred questions for that stranger, now had a thousand. What did he want? Where he came from? Who was he? How did he kill the man so fast? Why did he seem to have a speed that even I couldn''t keep up with? And all this looking very young?


    The whole scene was still not more than five seconds after Nero appeared from the shadows asking questions. Then he slowly threw the black overcoat on the sidewalk and looked like a gangster in clandestine fights with a black dress shirt and a red vest over it.


    "I want your life. But first, some desperation is acceptable." Nero gave Wei Ping a sharp look that made him shiver in the back.


    Nero was fighting a lot against the urge to open his mouth and show his fangs to threaten Wei Ping as if it were an instinct when he encountered a strong enemy.


    "Before you killed my friend, we had no grudge between us. Why do that? Do you even know who I work for?" Wei Ping thought Nero had lesser strength or similar to him and only managed to kill the man by catching him off guard. But he couldn''t risk it, so he wanted to try the same thing as the stranger by asking questions and then catching him off guard.


    *Whoosh* *Whoosh*


    Nero dodged the punch with a blue mist that Wei Ping tried to throw at him, but when he lowered Wei Ping quickly turned his body and punched again this time vertically trying to hit Nero down, but he dodged to the side even faster.


    "It''s the same blue mist. This man must have taught this martial technique to the boy you fought in the forest." Sarah spoke the same words that Nero thought when he saw the blue mist and remembered the boy at the top of the tree.


    *Whoosh* *Whoosh* *Whoosh* *Whoosh* *Whoosh*


    Nero kept avoiding the punches, so Wei Ping started to kick, also using the blue mist on his feet. That was a martial technique that transformed Qi into a blue mist that looked malleable but was quite hard and heavy that did severe damage when in contact with the target.


    "Someone already tried to hit me with this blue mist, and it didn''t end well for him..." After dodging so many times looking like he was kidding, Nero talked about the boy in the forest to provoke Wei Ping.


    "What did you do to him?!" Nero was pleased with Wei Ping''s worried reaction. He wanted to make this man who was mistreating his beloved little fox suffer long before killing him.


    "Ah, oh... I had a lot of fun with him." Nero spoke evasively and with a strange intonation when he said ''fun.''


    "Arrgg! If you did anything to him, I would kill you painfully!" Wei Ping was very upset by Nero''s words because the only people he passed the Blue Mist martial technique to were his son and grandson, but only his grandson was alive, and he feared that Nero would have found him and done him some harm.


    "Someone has already died painfully, and someone today is also going to die painfully, but it won''t be me." Nero dodged easily without even using all his speed because Wei Ping had already lost control and was fighting brutally and unclearly because of his anger.


    But even with the speed advantage, Nero felt an instinctive fear of Blue Mist''s heavy blows, believing that he would not be able to resist even if he took a single direct hit. He wanted to tire Wei Ping until he was out of Qi to continue holding Blue Mist so he would trade blows with him. But Nero was not very optimistic about the other henchman staying out of the fight for long or even reinforcements arriving as they were in front of the mansion that seemed to be the base of these men.


    The henchman after digesting the death of his companion was very angry with the stranger who appeared out of nowhere and attacked them, but everything was so fast that he soon started to fight with Wei Ping, his superior and the strongest cultivator of the Dai Family even stronger that the leader of the family. Wai Ping was second only to Dai Dong''s wife, who traveled away from Abun more than two years ago.


    The poor man looked at the flashes of blue and black down the street, not knowing what to think. At first, he believed that Wei Ping would win quickly because the stranger only managed to kill his companion by luck by catching him with his guard down, so his strength had to be less than them.


    But soon, the henchman''s eyes widened in disbelief because the more Wei Ping and the stranger fought, the more they looked equal in strength. The poor man had high cultivation compared to the people of Abun, but he was clearly quite stupid as he did not know the difference between strength and speed, not realizing that Nero was only dodging and not exchanging direct blows with Wei Ping.


    But after ten minutes of this black and blue dance, Wei Ping started to ignore Nero''s taunts about his grandson. So focusing more on analyzing the fight, he realized that he hadn''t hit Nero once, and he didn''t hit him either. It didn''t take long for him to think that Nero had a movement martial technique but was no stronger than him.


    Wei Ping first thought of asking the henchman to help him, but he would not be able to follow the speed they were now, and the stranger could just run away. Then he thought about sending the man to call for reinforcements as they were close to home. Several men would soon arrive and surround the stranger preventing him from running away.


    "What are you waiting for there, you idiot? Go and ask for help while I hold this stranger here." Wei Ping could not speak his plan out loud, so he tried in every way to give signals to the henchman who did not take long to understand because Wei Ping was not very subtle.


    "It took him a while to understand that it was to call for backup. Will those who come also be stupid like that?" Nero, who had already noticed the signs since the beginning, cannot help provoking Wei Ping about the capabilities of his henchmen.


    "Do you know that soon you will be surrounded, but you are still not running away? I know you are not stronger than me, and you are just lucky to have this movement technique." Wei Ping was worried for a second after hearing that Nero already knew his plans but soon remembered that he only had speed.


    "I came to her. So I won''t leave here without my little fox and your head no matter what." Nero spoke decisively and prepared to use his trump card before reinforcements arrived.

 16 Little Red vs Blue Mis

    "Are you going to use it?"


    Sarah asked Nero, referring to the trump card he would have to use to equal his strength with Wei Ping.


    "I think it is the only solution, and I must do it quickly."


    Nero dodged Wei Ping''s kick and somersaulted backward. Wei Ping thought of taking advantage when Nero made a different move and followed with a punch full of Blue Mist.


    *CLang*


    "How!?" When Wei Ping was about to hit Nero, who had just gotten up, he was surprised. The punch still shining with the Blue Mist was blocked by Nero''s hand, making a clashing metal sound. Not by the bare hand but by a black clawed gauntlet that was sinking into Wei Ping''s flesh.


    "Arrgh!" When Wei Ping tried to pull his hand away, he realized that the strength of Nero''s grip was greater than his. The more he pulled his hand, the more deformed it became. Nero''s gauntlet was tearing Wei Ping''s hand apart.


    "Stupid old man! You messed with the wrong fox." Nero squeezed Wei Ping''s fist, which was already all deformed and bloody without the old blue brightness.


    *Creack*


    When Nero broke the bones of Wei Ping''s hand by tearing it off, he realized that it wasn''t over yet.


    *Whooosh*


    Nero ducked when Wei Ping quickly after losing his right hand gave a kick full of Blue Mist aiming at Nero''s head.


    *Poooh*


    Wei Ping saw his blood fly in slow motion out of his mouth. At that moment, he realized it was his end, and he didn''t even saw the blow that took his life. The only thing he regretted was not knowing about his grandson''s condition.


    When Nero dodged Wei Ping''s kick, he had already prepared the counter-attack, but in the end, he was surprised when he managed to reach a higher speed than he had before. He hit a blow with the claws straight that pierced Wei Ping''s chest and gripped his heart.


    Nero was cruel, and even before he felt a full heartbeat, he smashed Wei Ping''s heart, causing him to spit blood in Nero''s red vest.


    Nero didn''t have time to drink Wei Ping''s blood, so he threw his body into the red world and ran towards the little fox that was unconscious on the sidewalk.


    "His death should have been yours, but I will pay you back somehow," Nero spoke as he looked at Marie''s bruised but still cute face. So he took her with a princess carry, preparing to get out of there fast.


    "Who are you?! Where is Wei Ping?!!" Nero was about to leave when he heard a deep voice, and before the owner of the voice finished the sentence, he was already surrounded by ten cultivators among men and women of different ages.


    Nero did not answer because he was thinking about how to proceed. Sarah was talking in Nero''s mind about the strength of these cultivators who were almost all Qi Refinement fifth and sixth layer but the leader in the seventh layer as Wei Ping.


    "If you abandon her, no one will be able to follow your maximum speed," Sarah spoke in a disapproving tone, knowing that he would not accept his suggestion. At this point, Sarah already knew Nero''s determination to predict his actions. When it''s about non-humans, he was very protective.


    "What if not? Would you regret it if I died in such a stupid way?" Nero spoke as if he was mocking himself.


    "It is not stupid to want to protect someone. And you know that I support you in all actions, even the stupid ones. That''s how I am more loyal than you deserve. Fucking stupid playboy." Sarah was adorable even in the most difficult moments she was the light that Nero was very grateful to have.


    "And now? Fight or surrender?" Nero asked Sarah.


    "Do you think that surrendering they will come out of the shadows and help you?" Sarah asked in a curious tone without knowing how things were going to end.


    "Perhaps. They are watching me from the beginning to let me die like this." Nero was having this conversation with Sarah while holding Marie still surrounded by the cultivators.


    "Are you deaf or not taking me seriously?" Asked the leader of the cultivators in an angry tone.


    Dai Dong was perplexed. He was alerted that one of Wei Ping''s men returned, saying that he was being attacked in front of the mansion. Dai Dong didn''t have to think for more than a second before calling anyone who was nearby and running to the front of the house.


    Dai Dong wanted to know who was stupid enough to attack his family. They had to be very unlucky to go against Wei Ping, who was the strongest cultivator currently among them. But when the henchman said that Wei Ping was losing the fight and called for help, everything changed. Now Dai Dong felt an instinctive fear and hoped that Wei Ping would not die.


    When Dai Dong arrived at the gate, he saw no sign of a struggle or Wei Ping but a young man with white hair holding an injured woman. Looking closely, he saw that the young man had a lot of blood on his clothes, and the woman was non-human.


    Now Dai Dong was concerned. Who would that man be? And where the hell was Wei Ping?


    When Dai Dong tried to interrogate the stranger, he did not answer and had his eyes closed, holding the woman as if nothing was happening. Dai Dong felt his instincts warning that this young man was dangerous. So he prepared to attack with all his cultivators at once. Prevention was better than cure.


    "Are you going to hide forever?!" When Dai Dong was about to give the order to attack Nero, but he shouted, still with his eyes closed.


    Dai Dong and his group thought Nero had gone crazy or was playing with them. But then he heard a voice that made him even more concerned. But then he heard another voice that made him think it would be the end of his family.


    "He''s under the protection of my Xun Family!" A man spoke in a deep voice like Dai Dong. That was Xun He. The leader of the Xun Family.


    "He is my disciple, so he is under my protection." A man spoke at the same time as Xun He, confusing both leaders of Abun''s two most powerful families.


    There were also two female voices, but no one heard them because they spoke as softly as if they were whispering.


    Also, a certain fox opened one eye to take a little peek at what she thought was a bizarre show that she did not want to repeat again.


    ______________________________________________________


    A little over an hour before.


    "That boy is fascinating...What purpose does he have here?" Xiong Zhelan was good at reading people, but he was very intrigued by Nero.


    "Whatever it is, I have to take him to the Big Sis." The moment Xiong Zhelan saw Nero with Zhu Tai, he knew he had to take this strange white-haired young man with him to the Black Sword Sect.


    "He also cannot sleep. Is it a habit of them?" Xiong Zhelan had many strange thoughts as he heard Nero rolling on the bed next door.


    "Huh? Is he going for a night stroll? Or something different?" A Martial Warrior''s senses were far superior to that of people in the Qi Refinement Realm. Xiong Zhelan heard Nero coming out the window and was already prepared to follow him from the shadows.


    When Xiong Zhelan saw Nero''s beautiful appearance dressed all in black, he couldn''t help but think that his Big Sis would be delighted with him.


    _________________________________________________


    A little over half an hour before.


    "Is he dreaming about me?" Xun Lan walked the streets of Abun, thinking about Nero. She didn''t want to go too far from home, so she was running around the center of Abun with a servant in the Qi Refinement sixth layer.


    "Why did it have to be me? I just wanted to have a peaceful night''s sleep." The upset servant of the Xun Family who followed Xun Lan thought.


    After a few minutes of walking, the servant passed Xun Lan and stopped in front of her.


    "Miss Xun, please do not go this way as it is not good for you to be walking around the Dai Family mansion." The man was concerned that Xun Lan would get into trouble with Miss Dai, and he would be in trouble.


    "This is a free city! Can''t I even walk the streets in peace?!" Xun Lan understood the servant''s point, but she was still stubborn and did not accept back down because of others.


    "Ah! Please wait." Xun Lan ran past the servant and continued towards the street that was opposite the Dai Family mansion. The servant was much stronger and faster than Xun Lan, but he would never use force on his Young Miss. So he could only keep protecting her and praying that nothing wrong would happen. The poor man must have prayed for the wrong gods.


    "Oh!" When Xun Lan was close to passing the Dai Family''s mansion, she stopped because she saw Wei Ping and other men walking down the sidewalk dragging a very injured woman. It didn''t take long for Xun Lan to recognize that woman as Nero''s non-human slave.


    "Nero thought she died, but in fact, she is here with Wei Ping. How?" Xun Lan did not doubt when Nero said that the slave must be dead when she tried to escape in the attack of the beast in the forest. Now that she saw that the slave was alive, she wanted to go to Wei Ping and demand her back to Nero.


    The servant of the Xun Family was very nervous when he saw Xun Lan walking towards Wei Ping. The man was confident in his strength as one of the strongest in the city, but Wei Ping was famous as the strongest cultivator in the Dai Family, and he was not confident about coming out alive of a fight with someone like that.


    But Xun Lan and her servant stopped before they even got close to Wei Ping when they saw a young man heading towards the group. Xun Lan recognized Nero from afar as it was challenging not to notice that white hair that seemed to shine even at night.


    Xun Lan felt strong jealousy, followed by a feeling of loss when she thought Nero could be here looking for Dai Zhi. But soon, she was horrified that Nero had broken the neck of one of Wei Ping''s men so quickly that she couldn''t even see his movements.


    "But what the fuck is that?!" Not even the servant who was so strong saw the movements of the young man with the white hair. He just thought about taking his Young Miss and leaving this place as soon as possible.


    "Hey, you!?" Xun Lan felt her feet coming off the ground then realized that her servant had caught her and was about to run away.


    "He''s our ally! Leave me here and come back quickly to tell Dad." Xun Lan would not leave there even if the skies were falling.


    "But...young miss?!" The servant tried to argue, but Xun Lan said she would stay hidden and out of harm''s way. So the man could only run at full speed to inform Xun He.


    As he was a Qi Refinement sixth layer cultivator, it didn''t take him even five minutes to get to the Xun Family''s home.


    Xun He understood that the situation was of the utmost importance, so he called the strongest cultivators around and ran to the Dai Family''s mansion.


    Xun He arrived very quickly and joined his daughter on the roof of a house to watch the fight, which was an excellent show.


    Xun He wanted to help Nero at his daughter''s requests and also because he thought he was a very talented young man like he had never seen. But he still didn''t know what Nero had against Dai Family, and he had no confidence in fighting Wei Ping. But then the unbelievable happened, and Nero killed Wei Ping.


    Xun He wanted to see what Nero would do next, but he was too busy holding his daughter who would have jumped in the fight a long time ago if it weren''t for him being firm.


    Soon Nero was surrounded by Dai Dong and his men, so Xun He had to make a difficult choice. Will he go against Dai Family again?


    Xun He thought of Dai Dong''s pact of non-aggression, but since then, his family has been bullied in other ways. Now that Dai Dong''s terrible wife was out of town, things were better, but what if she came back?


    The incredible young man named Nero killed Wei Ping, so Xun He thought that if he were his ally, the chances of beating Dai Dong were high even though he was still the strongest cultivator there.


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    When Xun He made his decision, he was surprised and happy that Elder Xiong appeared out of nowhere and also showed that he supported Nero.


    Xun He couldn''t help but smile and imagine that today would be the day when his family would become the strongest in the city.


    All thanks to his daughter''s good eyes?

 17 Dai Jingyi

    "Will he dream about me?" Another girl thought that night.


    "Huh?" Dai Zhi, who was lying on her bed, heard a noise and people running. When she looked out the window, she saw some of her family''s best cultivators heading towards the mansion''s entrance. Dai Zhi was very curious, so she left the room and headed towards the street to see what was happening there.


    "It''s him!?" It didn''t take long for Dai Zhi to see the group of cultivators led by her father surrounding a man holding an injured woman. Dai Zhi was going to look at her father again for answers when she recognized the man. She was thinking about him less than a minute ago.


    Dai Zhi couldn''t even imagine how the situation got to that point. She was about to speak to her father, that knew Nero when she heard two voices that she knew well and left her perplexed.


    _________________________________________________


    "But what the hell is going on here!?" Dai Dong could not understand where came from this strange white-haired young man who is both protected from the Xun Family and disciple of Elder Xiong. But the most important thing was not where he came from but that he seemed to be hostile to his Dai Family. "So now, how to proceed?"


    "Calm down, Dai Dong. He is my disciple, and this injured woman is his slave, so it is normal that he had problems with your men who were taking her." Xiong Zhelan wanted to use his authority as the Elder of a great sect to solve the problem quickly and take Nero away.


    "So, where''s Wei Ping!?" Dai Dong asked because he couldn''t see any pieces of Wei Ping''s body and only saw the corpse of one of his men on the street.


    "He is dead. But without a body, because the boy used a special technique that killed him without leaving a trace except for the blood on his clothes." Xiong Zhelan saw Wei Ping''s body mysteriously disappear when Nero touched him. Xiong Zhelan had no idea how Nero did it, but it made him think it was increasingly worth taking the mysterious young man to his sister.


    "Do you understand how difficult this situation is for me? This young man comes here and kills my friend. Wei Ping was an important person to my family, and I cannot leave his death ignored." Dai Dong didn''t know what to do, but he wanted some punishment for Nero.


    "Elder Xiong has already said that Wei Ping was taking Nero''s slave. He tried to reason with him, but his family does not understand the side of the others, and the situation ended up in a fight, but it was not Nero''s fault that he only defended himself." Xun He spoke in defense of Nero but lied about how the fight started because he saw it when Nero attacked Wei Ping''s group by surprise.


    "And what do you have to do with that young man!?" Dai dong was not as smart as his wife, but he thought that Xun He just wanted to bond with Nero because of his strength and connection with Elder Xiong.


    Dai Dong knew it would be the end of his family if they fought Xiong Zhelan, but he also feared that the Xun Family, together with Nero, would still be enough to beat them.


    "He''s a friend of my daughter, and maybe in the future, they''ll be even more than friends, so it''s normal for him to be with us." Xun He talked about Nero and Xun Lan as if he was very much in favor of the couple being together. Of course, Dai Dong understood that he would also want such a talented son-in-law.


    "Really!?" Xun Lan and Dai Zhi exclaimed together, but it was very low, so hardly anyone heard. Xun Lan was pleased that her father had nothing against Nero but in favor, but Dai Zhi was dying of jealousy without knowing how to fix things between Nero and her family.


    "I know what you want to do here, Xun He! But what about you, Elder Xiong? Do you want to join the Xun Family to destroy us? I thought that the people of the Black Sword Sect were always fair and didn''t get into other people''s disputes." Everyone thought those words made a lot of sense. But it was not Dai Dong who spoke, but his daughter. Not Dai Zhi but Dai Dong''s younger daughter, who was still a child.


    Dai Jingyi was already listening to the conversation since Dai Dong arrived. She followed him even before Dai Zhi and was thinking about how the situation got to this point and how her family could survive this storm.


    Even though the story of the taken slave seemed to be true, there were still things left unsaid. Dai Jingyi thought so because she was sure that Nero had a particular hostility towards her family.


    Dai Jingyi was very cunning, even at such a young age. She knew it didn''t make sense for Wei Ping to start a fight for a non-human slave, so Nero should have started the fight. But why? Nero''s motivations were still a mystery to her.


    When Dai Jingyi thought about how important this non-human was to Nero, she saw her father trying his best to resolve the situation. Still, his intelligence was limited, and Dai Jingyi thought it was time to get into the discussion.


    "Jingyi! You must not stay here as it is dangerous right now." Dai Dong knew that his daughters were brilliant. Even though Jingyi was very smart, he was still a child, and there was a difference between accepting her advice at home and letting her lead things in a dangerous moment of emergency.


    "Dad, don''t treat me like a child and let me speak." Dai Jingyi entered the middle of the circle formed by the cultivators around Nero, who still kept the non-human like a mountain with infinite determination. Dai Jingyi was increasingly sure that Nero had a lot of affection for the alleged slave.


    Dai Dong was about to send one of his henchmen to take Dai Jingyi, but when he looked at the man, he shook his head in disapproval. Dai Dong was confused and looked at another man on the side, but he also told him with his head that it would be a bad decision. Then Dai Dong could only hope that his daughter would be able to help them.


    "Nero, right? Can I call you by name? I don''t know your surname." Dai Jingyi spoke in a lively and relaxed way as if she were meeting a new friend. When Nero nodded in agreement, she continued.


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    "The core of the question is that my family hurt your ''slave,'' right?" Dai Jingyi emphasized the word ''slave,'' and everyone already understood that it was not a simple slave. Before Nero could answer or even nod, she said more.


    "Haven''t you already killed Wei Ping? But your slave is still alive and only injured. So here we are discussing why you went too far. But as my family knows how to forgive, we will let you go so that there are no more problems between us." Everyone thought it was impressive for a fourteen-year-old girl to speak so well and clearly, but few understand that Dai Jingyi''s mother is an incredibly astute person and has taught her daughter a lot.


    This time Nero didn''t nod but opened his eyes and looked at Dai Jingyi. What he saw was a younger version of the stupid Dai Zhi. But that girl was different from everyone he had ever seen in this new world because she was extremely smart. Nero thought she looked like his sister, Amelie. Both were very sharp and dynamic.


    When Nero thought of his sister, his protective instinct grew even though it was already high that night. He still wanted to kill the entire Dai Family, but now the most important thing was Marie''s safety and health. Nero also knew that he would not be able to fight so many cultivators with his current strength, and he did not want to ask for help from others to solve his problems.


    "I''m leaving now. But my problem with your family didn''t start now, and it won''t end now. But when I get back, I''ll be sure to come alone." Nero spoke as he walked out of the cultivator circle. The men opened their way to Nero when Dai Jingyi gave a signal to them, and Dai Dong said nothing against it.


    Xiong Zhelan was happy that he did not have to kill these people to protect Nero. He didn''t like to go against the Black Sword Sect''s reputation, but he thought that some things were more important than others.


    Xun He was sad that Dai Dong did not attack Nero so that he could interfere and start a war against the Dai Family. But he was hopeful when he heard Nero say he would be back. So he still hoped to be the young man''s ally in battle.


    Xun Lan was happy that nothing terrible happened to Nero.


    Dai Zhi was happy that his family and Nero were fine. She still doesn''t understand everything that happened here and mainly because Nero was showing such affection for the slave that himself said that he would punish in the forest.


    As much as she thought, Dai Zhi still couldn''t think about what problems Nero said he had with his family before. "Was it also because of the slave? Was he mad at me over a non-human?"


    Dai Zhi was now confused because she thought what Nero had against her family was the fact that she hurt the non-human slave in the forest. But it didn''t make sense to her that Nero would like something like this non-human so much.


    Dai Jingyi noticed his older sister''s confused and worried look and understood the situation. She had heard Dai Zhi saying Nero''s name the entire time after she arrived from the forest. Dai Jingyi found this situation very strange and wanted to know more about Nero as they were enemies.


    "Let''s go to my house. There we can take care of the girl, and you can rest." Xun He spoke looking at Marie in Nero''s arms and then turned to Xiong Zhelan, making it clear that he was inviting them both.


    "Seems good," Nero spoke at the same time as Xiong Zhelan and went towards Xun He and his family.


    Nero, still carrying Marie, joined Xiong Zhelan and the people of the Xun Family and left for Xun He''s house. They walked because Nero did not want to cause Marie more pain, so Xun He sent the cultivators ahead and walked alongside Xun Lan, Xiong Zhelan, and Nero. Xun Feng was also with the group of cultivators who returned home as he did not have much to add to the situation and did not like to see his sister''s jealous eyes.


    "Why do you like her so much?" Xun Lan couldn''t help but think a little louder than she should and making Nero listen.


    "Liking is not about ''why'' but about yes or no," Nero replied while looking at the cute little fox in his arms. He also didn''t know why he liked her so much, but he just felt that he had to protect her as she was non-human like him.


    The little fox in Nero''s arms made no sudden move since Nero caught her. Despite being tremendously hurt, she was awake and saw everything that happened.


    When she heard about Nero liking her, it made Marie a little embarrassed and shy. She clutched her head against Nero''s chest and really liked the smell of him that even though he had blood on his clothes, he still smelled so good. Marie tried not to move and enjoy that smell as long as she could because she knew she wouldn''t be able to stand awake for long and would soon pass out from weakness.


    Marie felt safe for the first time since she was wounded in a fatal battle. After so much suffering in the forest, she was very grateful to have Nero taking care of her now. The little fox closed her eyes and fell asleep, smelling that smell that she would never forget in her life.

 18 Peace before the storm

    After Nero''s group left the front of the Dai Family''s mansion, almost everyone went back inside.


    Dai Dong was furious about Wei Ping''s death, but he understood that no matter how bad things were, it could have been worse, and maybe it is not over yet. But now all he could do was go home and mourn the death of his friend.


    But there were still two people standing on the sidewalk looking in the direction that Nero went. The Dai Sisters were standing side by side looking at the street with curious and concerned looks.


    It was evident that they were curious because everything that happened was extraordinary. But Dai Zhi''s concern was about Nero liking a non-human more than she. Dai Jingyi, on the other hand, was concerned that Nero would not forgive her family and return to kill everyone.


    "Big Sis, what did you do..." Dai Jingyi understood that it all started with her sister''s mistakes, but now it was too late, and all she could do was try to save her family.


    "I don''t understand how things ended up like this. I didn''t do anything wrong! It is the fault of that non-human who somehow seduced Nero." Dai Zhi looked at his younger sister with a questioning look. "Do you understand that it is not normal to like non-humans? Or do you also admire these animals?!"


    "Whether he likes it or not, it shouldn''t be our problem. But now that you''ve touched his reverse scale, we''re in trouble. We didn''t saw his strength, but to defeat Wei Ping and a person in the sixth layer of Qi Refinement at such a young age, do you think we have a chance to live if he decides to kill us?" Dai Jingyi was really good with words, and Dai Zhi understood that she did shit.


    "And now what do we do? If only the mother were here..." Dai Zhi thought of her mother, who was a very authoritarian and even scary woman at times but always had a good plan in mind.


    "I think we can try to hand you over to Nero so that he can punish you until he''s satisfied that probably will be when you die in pain." Dai Jingyi seriously spoke, making Dai Zhi feel an enormous fear running down her spine.


    "Little Sis? Boo-hoo, how can you!?" Dai Zhi did not believe that her little sister would do that, but she still couldn''t resist crying as she was already depressed about everything.


    "Of course, there is another solution that is to leave the city and try our luck in the north. The mother must have done it so we can too." Dai Jingyi spoke while patting Dai Zhi on the head, who bent down to hug her little sister, who was the most mature person there.


    "The mountains are full of scary beasts that can even kill a Martial Warrior. How cou-" Dai Zhi thought out loud about this solution, but Dai Jingyi put a finger in her mouth, making an ''Shh'' sound to her stop talking.


    "You can''t see because you''re in love, but Nero is scarier than any beast." Dai Jingyi was very smart and observant. She couldn''t even imagine that Nero was non-human but she could feel that he was a terrible and cruel person. She would regret being right about that.


    _________________________________________________


    "Lead Nero to the guest room. I will call someone with knowledge of healing to help the girl." Dai Dong spoke to his daughter when they arrived at the Xun Family home.


    "Marie is her name. She may be non-human, but she is a person and a very important one to me. I appreciate your hospitality, and I will be even more grateful if you can help her heal." Nero spoke respectfully to Xun He but made his point about Marie''s importance clear.


    Nobody there understood why Nero liked a non-human so much. Except for Elder Xiong, who had some suspicions. But Xun He and his family knew that not everyone hates non-humans, and they want to be in good shape with Nero to take good care of Marie.


    "Come with me. You will like the guest room, and it is close to mine." Xun Lan spoke excitedly even though Nero only nodded in agreement and followed her, still carrying Marie very carefully.


    Nero remembered well that Xun Lan was there in the forest with Dai Zhi when they hit the already very injured Marie. Xun Lan didn''t kick her like the others but talked about ''taking information from her, '' which meant torturing Marie in search of her secrets.


    A part of Nero wanted to rip Xun Lan''s throat by separating her head from the body and throwing it at her father. But he knew that he could not go to war against all humans in this world because his strength was close to the bottom in the ''food chain.''


    If he has to look human and be among them to have more blood, it is better to choose well with which humans to ally. Nero already has an idea that Elder Xiong may know about him being non-human from the curious looks he has been doing. But Nero still doesn''t know much about Xun Family, so he wants to know more about them.


    "You know, Nero. I had no idea that Marie was so important to you. I''m sorry for not helping her in the forest." Xun Lan was not stupid and could feel Nero''s murderous gaze on his back. She didn''t have to think long to understand that he should be mad at her for the events in the forest.


    "Good that you understand your mistakes. But now your family is helping me, and I will try to forget about it. But if Marie wants to settle this with you when she recovers, I won''t stop her." Nero spoke the truth because he did not want to kill those who are helping him even though they are human. But he could still kill them all at any time if he felt like it.


    Nero could be hypocritical at times, but he didn''t care because he did what he wanted and whenever he wanted. He had no one to talk about what is right or wrong or anything about morals. His family was dead, and Sarah supported him in everything at any time.


    Nero didn''t know how Marie became more and more important to him even though they had nothing to do with except being non-humans. He had no control over that overprotective side that awakened every time he looked at the cute little fox.


    Sarah didn''t like having a woman other than her in Nero''s arms, but that overprotective side of him was cute for her. She was more and more sure that there was a destiny that brought them together because she knew that Nero was the best ally she could have in her revenge. Super protective with his partners and cruel to enemies.


    "Thank you for trying to forget this. I will understand if she is still mad at me, and I will accept any punishment because it was my mistake." Xun Lan was not very happy that Nero showed so much consideration for the non-human, but she couldn''t do anything. She still thought he was special, and it was worth anything to be with him. If Nero were hers one day, it would be perfect, and Xun Lan would never give up on that goal.


    Xun Lan took Nero to a huge and expensive room. He put Marie in a large double bed and turned to Xun Lan, waiting for her to leave and give them some privacy.


    "My father must already be bringing a healer to help Marie. I''m leaving now, and if you need anything, just find anyone in the house and send them to tell me." Xun Lan spoke with a sad face as it was quite unfortunate to see that expressionless look of Nero. She wanted him to look at her with a smile, or it would be better if he looked at her like he looks at the non-human.


    After Xun Lan left the room and closed the door, Nero sat down beside the unconscious Little Fox and looked at her fondly.


    "What is her situation?" Nero asked Sarah in his mind.


    "I''m not sure. My spiritual sense was much weaker after I lost my body and is almost nonexistent now. But I can say that she is stronger than a Martial Warrior and who knows how many realms up there. But she suffered a lot of injuries and is now without all her cultivation."


    Sarah spoke calmly and lied about her spiritual sense being weak as it was really a miracle that she could still use even that little bit of spiritual sense after burning her spirit Qi to help Nero merge with the Dark Soul Stone.


    Sarah knew the consequences and did everything thinking about Nero to help her revenge. But after spending two years together, she started to feel very guilty because they will be connected forever, and Nero doesn''t even know the effects of her spirit Qi on his body.


    Nero was very concerned because if Marie was so strong, she must have faced an enemy too powerful to have ended so badly. He wanted to protect Marie eliminating the person who hurt her, but he understood that it is needed a lot of strength to kill someone from Realms above Martial Warrior. All he could do was take revenge on the Xun Family and let Marie recover in peace.


    "Rest, Little Fox. As you recover, I will accompany the Dai Family. And don''t worry because I''m not going to touch those lovely cute ears." Nero spoke to Marie, who slept with a peaceful face as if she were feeling very safe, but when Nero spoke, he could see her ears shaking instinctively. Nero didn''t know, but it was a sign that Marie was very comfortable in his presence.


    While Nero comforted the unconscious and cute little fox, someone knocked on the door. After he sent Xun He in, he came to him with an older woman looking like a nice grandma who smelled of herbs and medicine.


    "She is an experienced healer and is in my family ever since. She is trustworthy and will take good care of Marie." Xun He spoke proudly because that old lady was known in the city as the best healer in the region.


    Xun He tried to take Nero to talk outside the room and let the healer work in peace. But Nero insisted on being there all the time watching everything that was done with Marie. As she was unconscious, the old woman washed her body with wet cloths and warm water full of herbs. Nero was careful not to see Marie''s naked body while the Grandma took care of her.


    "She must be very important to you. I''ve done everything in my power. Now we have to wait for her to regain her mental strength to wake up. But it can take days or even weeks." The healer looked at Marie and then gave Nero a friendly look as she left the room.


    Nero looked at Marie, who was now full of ointments, herbs, and bandages. He couldn''t help feeling sad and angry that she was hurt, but now she was being treated and could soon recover. Having loved ones hurt was better than dead loved ones, and Nero understood well that terrible feeling that would never leave him.


    Nero spent more than two hours watching Marie sleep peacefully then left the room. In the corridor, he saw Xun Lan and Zhu Tai sitting on the floor talking.


    "How is she?" They both asked Nero about Marie.


    "She''ll be fine. Unlike the Dai Family." Nero spoke in a way that made it clear what was coming next.


    "She is lucky to have you." Zhu Tai spoke because his master had already warned him to be more friendly to Nero that would return with them to the Black Sword Sect.


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    Nero can''t help but wonder how things could end up like this. He knew nothing about Marie and had only talked to her for a few seconds. Now their paths were connected in ways they would never have imagined.

 19 A healthy drink

    "Do you think about killing my daughter?"


    "I wanted. Maybe I still want to."


    "But I will not kill. You have my word."


    "If she doesn''t get in my way, of course."


    "That''s good for me."


    Nero was in a large room sitting on a chair in front of the fireplace, and next to Xun He seated on another chair. They both talked, looking at the flames, thinking about other things.


    Even though they talked about Xun Lan''s life, they were thinking about the Dai Family. Xun He wondered when Nero would attack and whether he would accept his help as it was evident that he would not be able to defeat all the Dai Family''s cultivators alone. At least for now.


    Nero thought about how he could kill the entire Dai Family. First, he needed to increase his strength. Then with more power and his high speed would not be a problem. But he also worried about someone following him.


    Nero had no problem if his enemies discovered his secrets before they die because he would not give them time to tell anyone. But it was different if someone followed him wanting to support and saw more than they should. It was bad enough that Xiong Zhelan and the Xun Family know about his Qi Guardian, even though they didn''t completely comprehend what it was. Still, they saw the gauntlet formed by ''Little Red.''


    "Ahem! Is everything okay with Marie?" Xiong Zhelan entered the room and pulled a chair close to the fireplace, joining Nero and Xun He.


    "She''ll be fine," Nero said few words, and Xun He added that she was in the care of a good healer.


    "Good, good. So let''s talk about you leaving with me." Xiong Zhelan did not want to waste time and was right to the point.


    "I never thought of staying in this place for too long. But I have to end my business with the Dai Family." Nero knew about Xiong Zhelan being in search of disciples and thought he would want to return to the Black Sword Sect soon after he did it. After seeing the fight against Wei Ping, Nero was sure that Xiong Zhelan would want him as a disciple.


    "You must know that I will not take you as my disciple but to be my sister''s disciple. She has a much better position than me at the Black Sword Sect." Xiong Zhelan''s eyes sparkled with admiration and respect when he talked about his sister.


    Xiong Zhelan was not a tracker, but he could feel that Nero was not yet at the Qi Refinement''s late-stage and defeated Wei Ping. So he had to be very talented, and Xiong Zhelan didn''t think he would be the right teacher for such a genius. But his sister, who was much stronger than he, would very much like such a talented and peculiar disciple.


    "While this does not bring problems for me, I have nothing against it." Nero thought it was okay to go to the Black Sword Sect. If he didn''t like something, he would think of other plans, but now it was a good way.


    Nero wanted to strengthen himself and could only do so by drinking blood. He tried to suck only humans, so going south to look for other non-humans was not his goal. Of course, Nero would like to live among non-humans, but he could only think of peace after finishing Sarah''s vengeance that was already his as well.


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    "What about Marie? We can wait for her to recover, but if it takes too long, we could go ahead and then send someone to come and get her." Xiong Zhelan thought that Nero would not want to part with Marie after all. He thought it would be okay even for a non-human to go to the Black Sword Sect because he had faith in his sister''s influence, and they could work it out.


    "Marie has her life and her goals, so I don''t think she wants to go further north just to find humans who hate her for no reason." Nero knew nothing about Marie. But he didn''t think she would follow him after being saved or anything. He also didn''t want her to go further north as humans only know how to hate non-humans.


    Nero wanted to stay until Marie was healed, and then they would follow different paths. Nero thought the path of revenge was lonely, and even if he used allies, it was only for convenience, and he would not want to use Marie because she was pretty adorable.


    "I understand. Do you want help with Dai Family? You are still very young, so don''t blame yourself for not being able to handle so many experienced cultivators." Xiong Zhelan wanted to help because he feared that Nero would be impulsive and end up dying or seriously injured in the confrontation with the Dai Family.


    "About that, you have to respect my decision. I don''t want any help because I''m going to kill them all solo. I don''t want you to follow me, and that goes for you too, Xun He." Nero spoke decisively and gave Xiong Zhelan and Xun He a sharp look.


    "We will respect your decision, so don''t worry." Xun He was not happy because he thought Nero would not be able to defeat the entire Dai Family alone, but he could not go against him either. So all Xun He could do was follow Xiong Zhelan''s lead.


    "But are you sure you can beat them now? With some time and preparation, you can defeat them, but you need to get stronger." Xiong Zhelan wanted to help Nero train and teach him some martial techniques.


    "I know that I can''t defeat them now, but tomorrow I can. I''m almost breaking the second layer''s barrier of Qi Refinement, and when I get it, I''ll have enough strength to beat them." Nero seriously spoke because he had plans to drink the blood from Wei Ping''s body, who was in the red world during the day to climb up and get to the third layer attacking the Dai Family during the dawn of the next day.


    "What!?" Xun He and Xiong Zhelan got up from the chair at the same time while they exclaimed in surprise. They both thought Nero should be in the sixth or fifth layer of Qi Refinement, but they never imagined that someone who killed a Qi Refinement seventh layer would still be in the second layer.


    Xun He to all the people of Abun did not have much knowledge of the world but knew that it was possible for cultivators geniuses with incredible martial techniques and powerful artifacts to beat cultivators in stronger layers in the same realm. But that seemed impossible because the difference between Wei Ping and Nero was huge, and it didn''t look like he had any artifacts.


    "You are talented! Maybe your grandfather taught you some miraculous cultivation techniques?" Xiong Zhelan was a person who came from a very resource-rich region and had already seen many talented people, so he didn''t think that was impossible, but he felt he was fortunate to find Nero before others.


    Xiong Zhelan thought that Nero should have a unique cultivation technique that made him as strong as other people in the upper layers. Or maybe it was because of his peculiarity? Xiong Zhelan was not sure, but he knew that his sister could discover all of Nero''s secrets over time.


    "My grandfather only taught me a basic cultivation technique, but it is a family heirloom, so I can''t pass it on to others, and I wouldn''t even know how to teach." Nero knew it was too late not to attract attention, so he had to tell a compelling story. If they tried to get any information out of him, it would be very bad.


    "I understand. You do not have to worry because I will not try to force your secrets, but when you meet my sister, you will want to tell her everything willingly." Xiong Zhelan was totally confident that his sister would get anything she wants.


    "Well. Now I need a quiet place to continue my cultivation and get to the third layer of Qi Refinement." Nero spoke, looking at Xun He, who was the owner of the house. Xun He nodded and got up to call a servant and guide Nero to a room, especially for cultivation.


    Nero soon arrived in a room with the servant who bowed in awe and said that if Nero needed anything, it was only to go out in the hall and find any servant because everyone knew he was an honored guest.


    Nero entered the room, which was quite large and round with a circle of stones in the center. The walls were bluestone looking simple and had some furniture in the corner. It looked like a kind of training room because it had a lot of space with a sofa and some chairs as if it were for observers.


    "You have been very quiet. What''s the matter? Has the cat got your tongue?" Nero couldn''t help playing with Sarah because he was getting boring without her talking so much in his mind.


    "Humph! You have been paying close attention to your Little Fox. What do you want me to say?" Sarah was cute even when she was throwing a tantrum.


    "When she is cured, we will have nothing to do with each other, and we will follow different paths. You, on the other hand, will be mine forever, so why feel jealous of her?" Nero could be very convincing with words, and even Sarah knew that she couldn''t help but agree with him.


    "Who is yours!? I am clearly the dominant person in the relationship! You can be mine if you behave." Sarah spoke with a mixture of embarrassment and authority. Nero could imagine her puffing out her cheeks in a cute way in the red world, but he wouldn''t spy on her.


    "Let''s focus now. I want to try to drink Wei Ping''s blood, but I''m not sure it will work because vampires don''t drink cold blood very well." Nero spoke of the fact that vampires were repulsed by drinking blood from dead bodies for a long time, but he thought that the red world would conserve bodies by keeping the blood still warm as if the person had recently died.


    Nero thought of Wei Ping''s body, and it left the red world appearing on the ground near where Nero was pointing his hand. Then Nero realized he was right because he could feel the heat slowly coming out of Wei Ping''s body as if he had just died a few seconds ago.


    "You have to be quick because he is losing Qi to the environment. The process of losing Qi when a person dies is faster and faster; the more the person has higher cultivation. He must have less than eighty percent of his cultivation by now." Sarah warned Nero that he should suck the blood quickly to get the most out of Qi.


    "Mmm, this blood tastes different. It seems full of vitamins and nutrients. Despite being better than those of the guys in the woods still far inferior to yours, Sarah." Every time Nero drank blood, he couldn''t help but compare it to Sarah''s blood, which was the best he had and probably will have in his entire life.


    Nero felt the pleasure of drinking blood like a vampire and also the pleasure of absorbing Qi as a cultivator. All at the same time and in great intensity when he sucked blood from cultivators and those sensations would be more and more intense when he drank blood from cultivators in better realms.


    Nero could feel the Qi flowing through the blood and going straight to his Dantian. Soon the space that was almost half full started to rise, and a few seconds later, he was almost breaking the barrier of the third layer.


    "Ahh..." Nero felt a force that prevented Qi from filling his Dantian, but soon the Qi that came from the blood forced the barrier, and an explosion of Qi happened that transformed Nero''s Dantian then making it bigger.


    Nero felt an explosive increase in his strength as if he were several times stronger and his Dantian several times greater. But he still hasn''t stopped sucking Wei Ping''s blood. After he entered the third layer, the speed that the Qi filled his Dantian slowed, but it was still enough to fill more than half, making Nero very grateful to the old man for being useful in death.


    "So, a seventh layer cultivator was enough to you get so far." Sarah was very pleased that even the amount of Qi that Nero absorbed was less than ten percent of Wei ping''s maximum Qi.


    This method of cultivation absorbing Qi into the blood had many flaws. The amount of Qi that Nero could absorb was a small amount compared to the larger amount that was lost to the environment after it left the victim''s body being sucked.


    And there was also the question of cultivators using Qi in battle and that Qi then naturally regenerates to the maximum amount it was before. But if Nero sucks someone after fighting that person, he can only suck the part of Qi that was not used in battle.


    And last but not least, the fact that Nero requires a much larger amount of Qi because his Dantian is several times higher because of the Dar Soul Stone.


    Levando tudo isso em conta e o fato de Wei Ping ter sido sugado ap¨®s ser morto, Nero e Sarah ficaram muito felizes com esse aumento de for?a.


    "Now it''s time to visit Dai Family. Will they welcome me?" Nero thought sarcastically with a devilish smile on his face.

 20 Head sho

    "Blood? Why is there blood here? Was he injured during cultivation?"


    A servant from the Xun Family entered the training room to clean up and saw a bloodstain on the floor.


    Nero had already absorbed all of Wei Ping''s blood and had already left the house towards the Dai Family mansion.


    It was afternoon, and the sun was still shining. The Xun Family house was very busy with people walking around. Some people very nervous thinking about what could happen, and others just nervous to see others anxious.


    In the living room with a big fireplace, the most concerned people were gathered.


    "How can you let him go alone?" Xun Lan very concerned asked her father.


    "What do you want me to do? He killed Wei Ping alone and you that I, a Qi Refinement sixth-layer cultivator, can tell him what to do?" Xun He understood his daughter because he was also concerned about Nero. He was a possible great ally for his family, so Xun He didn''t want him to die in vain.


    "And you, elder Xiong? Isn''t he already your disciple? Can''t you just tell him not to risk himself in that stupid way?" Xun Lan then tried to convince Xiong Zhelan to do something about it, but he was too focused on looking at the fireplace with a thoughtful look.


    "Stay calm, sister. He was already so strong before, and now that he has risen a layer, it will not be difficult to end the Dai Family without Wei Ping and Dai Dong''s Wife." Xun Feng tried to give some comfort to his sister, who seemed to be having a panic attack.


    "Yes, I think he won''t be in trouble, but I still wanted to follow him at least if something goes wrong." Xun He wanted to make sure that the Dai Family would fall today and would have followed Nero even without his consent if it weren''t for Xiong Zhelan to tell him not to go.


    "Do you remember how Nero knew that we were watching him even though we were far away and in the shadows? He has powerful senses, and what if we follow him against his will, and he turns against us?"


    Xiong Zhelan still didn''t understand how Nero could know about them even though he made a layer of Qi to block sight and sound. It wouldn''t be difficult for someone focused on tracking or someone stronger than him to discover his cover. But Nero was just a young man at the Qi Refinement early-stage.


    "He''s so mysterious..." Zhu Tai envied Nero''s talent and strength. But he could only blame himself for just being an assistant. Maybe he could learn something from Nero and become an Elder''s disciple in the sect.


    Zhu Tai appeared to be young, but he was already thirty years old and was still in the fourth layer. He was lucky to be able to follow Xiong Zhelan as an assistant. If not, he would still be working as a simple servant in the Black Sword Sect''s external court.


    "I hope he is OK..." Xun Lan had many thoughts now. She thought about Nero''s safety, but she also thought about the Dai Family. They were her usual enemies, but now that they were about to be attacked, she didn''t know how to feel.


    Xun Lan thought of Dai Zhi, who was her rival. They always competed for everything, but Xun Lan didn''t think Dai Zhi was evil or cruel person. And Dai Jingyi, who was still so young. A good, young girl who never hurt her. Xun Lan really started to feel bad for them, unlike her father, who was looking forward to the Dai Family ceasing to exist.


    "Die because of a non-human. Isn''t Nero taking this too far?" Not only Xun Lan but everyone there thought so too.


    But the main people involved in the case were not there thinking that way.


    Marie rested in a deep sleep, dreaming of the touch of a particular ''last vampire.''


    And Nero. He was walking the streets now deserted because everyone in the city already knew what was happening. Rumors fly even faster when it comes to large families like Dai and Xun.


    _________________________________________________________


    "Shit! Shit! SHIT!" Dai Jingyi circled the main room at the Dai Family mansion.


    "Argh, was he already coming?" Dai Dong asked in a bad mood. Since Wei Ping''s death, he was not at all well.


    "They said he left the Xun Family''s home." Dai Zhi also spoke in a bad mood. She didn''t understand how things got so bad. Dai Zhi thought that Nero was her charming prince, and they would go to the Black Sword Sect together. But now he was coming to her home to kill her entire family, including her.


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    "This has to be a nightmare. Yes, this is a nightmare! It doesn''t make sense for him to kill me for a non-human!" Dai Zhi was in a panic, saying random things.


    She was not accustomed to things, not being her way. Everyone, including her younger sister, always has spoiled dai Zhi. Despite being very smart and talented, she didn''t know how to deal with negative things.


    "You still don''t understand what you did? You, my dear sister, hurt someone significant to someone very protective. Now he won''t rest until you suffer ten more times." Dai Jingyi exclaimed, looking at Dai Zhi with a look from a mother scolding her daughter. When Dai Zhi tried to say ''but,'' she continued the talk.


    "And to finish, Wei Ping hurt her even more. It has nothing to do with her being non-human, but it has to do with Nero being brutal and merciless. I said we couldn''t do anything else, and we had to get out of this city."


    When Dai Jingyi heard the first about a beautiful young man with white hair, she didn''t think much about it because it seemed just her sister finding her first love. He was supposed to be a handsome boy and maybe a little talented, but he shouldn''t have any problems, but then she heard about a non-human being his slave.


    Dai Jingyi found the story her sister told her very strangely. A boy who lived in the forest with his grandfather and a non-human. She wanted to alert her sister, but then it happened that this same young man came to their house and killed Wei Ping. At that time, Dai Jingyi knew that Nero was just trouble.


    Then Dai Jingyi saw the look that Nero gave her sister before he left. Also, he said that he would return to solve previous problems. Dai Jingyi was sure he wanted hurt Dai Zhi. But there was no chance for her and her family to let Nero do anything with Dai Zhi. Dai Jingyi thought that the family had to protect themselves at any cost.


    Dai Jingyi begged her father to leave the city and try to escape and hide for a while. She was sure that a person talented as Nero would not stay in the town for long, and Elder Xiong had already said that he would take him as a disciple.


    But Dai Dong did not want to leave the city. He says that they have no chance in the north in the mountains or the south. Dai dong said that Xiong Zhelan would not interfere as the Black Sword Sect''s reputation was to be impartial above all. And since Nero couldn''t defeat them all alone, they were not at risk except for the Xun Family.


    Dai Dong was confident that Xun He would honor the non-aggression pact so Nero could do nothing against them. So they didn''t run away, as Dai Jingyi suggested.


    But then they heard rumors that probably came from the servants of the Xun Family about Nero advancing in cultivation getting much stronger. Now Dai Dong was very worried because Nero had already shown a lot of strength, and maybe they can no longer survive against him even alone.


    "Is there no way he can forgive Miss Zhi?" One of the strongest cultivators in the sixth layer of Qi Refinement who was in the room asked Dai Dong.


    "Aaaaaaaaaaahh!"


    But they heard a soul-chilling cry before anyone there answer the man about Nero forgiving Dai Zhi.


    Then the loud, high-pitched sound of the breaking glass attacked everyone''s ears.


    It was all so fast that no one noticed the man who had spoken less than ten seconds was dead now. He felt terrible pain before his head was crushed by something that came breaking the window.


    Everyone looked at the broken window, already wondering who would have done this. But then someone saw the man on the floor with his head crushed.


    "Aaaah!" A servant screamed, alerting everyone in the room, and almost killing some of them in fear. They hadn''t even seen Nero yet, but the panic screams were already happening.


    "SHIT! SHIT!! DAMN!!! FUCKING DAMN!" Dai Jingyi panicked because she knew things were worse than she could have imagined.


    A sixth-layer cultivator just had his head crushed by another head that came flying from who knows where? This was something that no one thought possible there. Not for people of the Qi Refinement realm.


    "What kind of demon is he?" Dai Dong can''t help but think out loud.


    "Perhaps even demons cannot be like that. We have to run, and right now!" Dai Jingyi spoke as she ran to take her sister''s hand, who was in shock, trembling with fear.


    "Don''t think about running away because it will be worse!" Nero''s voice came in through the broken window, making some people pass out from fear.


    "What the fuck! How far can he hear us!?" Dai Jingyi was the only one there who still had the audacity to curse Nero.


    Dai Dong was already praying to all the gods to save his daughters'' lives. Dai Zhi couldn''t think or even move because she was in shock. Other people have already started to run away and others to sit and cry.


    ___________________________________________________________


    A few minutes before.


    "Are you going to kill them all?" Sarah asked in a casual tone.


    "I''m not certain about all, but many it''s sure." Nero was very angry with the Dai Family for hurting Marie twice and didn''t mind killing them all for it. But he knew that sometimes things are not going as planned.


    Nero soon arrived in front of the Dai Family mansion. It had a large iron gate and a great two-meter-high wall surrounding the residence that appeared to use an entire city block. The gate was approximately three meters long and had a fifth layer of Qi Refinement cultivator as a guard on each side.


    The guards spotted a person in black coming towards the mansion, but it was still too far away for them to see more details. The streets were deserted, so Nero stood out even more with his stylish clothes.


    Soon the stranger was close enough for the guards to recognize him as Nero, the white-haired young man who was a public enemy of the Dai Family. So fear took over the guards because Nero was already very famous for defeating Wei Ping, who was much stronger than them.


    "How does he have the audacity to attack our family alone? Does he have help in the shadows?" One of the guards asked the other who was also very uncomfortable.


    "Anyway, he seems decided. You better go and tell others." The Dai Family was already on guard for any attack, so a group of sixth-layer cultivators was prepared near the gate.


    "I''m goi-" The guard who quickly prepared to go and warn the other cultivators gasped at his words when he saw his companion''s heart leave his body along with Nero''s hand that had crossed the poor man''s body with his arm.


    The guard who was attacked panicked, seeing his heart in front of him still beating dripping blood on the floor. The last thought before he died was that he did not understand how Nero arrived so quickly, even though he was more than fifty meters away from them.


    "You don''t have to go and call anyone because I''m going to let them know," Nero spoke to the other guard who looked at him in shock without knowing whether to run or beg for life. Then Nero took his arm out of the dead guard and raised his heart in the air, squeezing to drink the dripping blood.


    "Demon!!!" The guard could only think of that word to describe the horrible scene that was Nero drinking the blood from his companion''s heart.


    So the guard took courage enough to run because he no longer thought Nero would spare him. But before he could barely turn around to run, Nero took his head in one hand. The strength of the grip was too strong, making the guard feel terrible pain and scream in despair.


    *Crack* *Crack*


    Then there was the sound of the guard''s skull bones breaking. Next, the sound of Nero breaking the neck with his other hand and separating the guard''s head from the body apart.


    "This expression of panic will be a good exhibition for what is to come tonight." Nero was pleased with the way the guard''s head was wide-eyed with fear and pain. Then he heard people on the second floor of the mansion with his senses much more potent than before.


    "Won''t you come to receive me?" He thought and threw the guard''s head hard in the direction he could feel a man standing.


    He was satisfied when he heard the scream coming from the place where he threw the head.


    "Oh!? Did I hit the target?"

 21 Dai Zhis Nightmare

    "What the hell is going on?" A cultivator in the fifth-layer of Qi Refinement asked in a severe tone. But inside, he was scared to death and praying to any god that might exist and save him.


    "How am I supposed to know !? They just started screaming out of nowhere." Another man from the group of cultivators who was standing near the gate spoke.


    "It must be obvious that the boy came. We all go together because he is the only one, and we have a numerical advantage. Even though he is stronger than Wei Ping, he cannot defeat us all." A man who looked older than the others spoke. He was the father of Dai Wen and a secondary part of the Dai Family.


    "Yes, Captain!" The other men who appeared to be the majority between the ages of thirty and forty spoke together in a motivated tone. Then the group that had a little over twenty cultivators ran towards the gate.


    As they were near the gate, it didn''t take more than a minute to get there. It is easy to see Nero as he was not hiding and was standing at the gate, looking up to the second floor of the mansion with a smile on his face.


    "You bastard! Don''t think you can come and attack the Dai Family anytime you want." The man they called captain spoke with an angry look.


    "Do you think you could kill Wei Ping and continue to come back here without consequences?" Encouraged by their captain''s courageous words, the men freely began to curse Nero.


    "Don''t think you ca-?" Before the man finished speaking, his head was already flying.


    "How!? Before anyone understood how Nero killed the man so fast that no one can even see another one die.


    "Argghh!" Some of them had time to shout, but no one in the group escaped alive. Nero wanted to kill everyone and quickly so there would be no unforeseen events, so he was using full speed and the Qi Guardian''s gauntlet.


    "Please wait. You don''t have to kill everyone!" One of the men that Nero kicked was still alive. Even though he was severely injured, he crawled with his hand raised towards Nero, asking for mercy.


    "Hum? I have a feeling I''ve seen you somewhere." Nero crouched in front of the captain, who was on the ground badly injured, but that now had a little hope that he was not going to be killed instantly.


    "I don''t think we met, but maybe you think I look like my son. Yes, I have a son to raise. He and my wife will not be able to live decently without me to take care of them." The man certainly much wanted Nero to have compassion for him, so he started talking, and when he thought about being similar to his son, he started talking about the family thinking that Nero would feel sorry and not kill him.


    "Perhaps you are right. What is your son''s name?" Nero had an idea of who he might be, but if the captain knew what he was getting into, he would have hit his head on the ground until he died for being so stupid.


    "Dai Wen, he is a good young man." The man proudly spoke but then saw a strange smile on Nero''s face and thought something was wrong.


    "So good that he was beating a wounded and weak woman. A woman that no one will touch without suffering my fury!" The captain didn''t even have time to regret it before his head was crushed by the iron bottom of Nero''s boot.


    "I wonder if your little fox thinks so highly of you like that." Sarah couldn''t help but comment about how Nero cared so much for Marie even though they didn''t know each other.


    "I do not know either. I''m probably not rationalizing well about non-humans after my family was killed. Maybe I''m too broken?" Nero knew that killing a lot of people he had never even seen by someone he doesn''t know is too much.


    Even though Marie suffered a terrible injustice and was a cute non-human, Nero still knew that killing everyone was not right. But he didn''t care about right or wrong, he would do things the way he wanted and killing humans for whatever reason or for no reason was okay for him.


    "Maybe you''re broken. If so, I must be too. But who cares? Our family died, and now we are all that''s left each other. So fuck the world, kill everyone you want. I will always support you." Nero was sure that no one in the universe would be more compatible with him than Sarah. Even in insanity, they were perfect for each other.


    "Well said, my dear. Now let''s say hello to our viewers on the second floor." After Nero entered the third layer of Qi Refinement, he was feeling much more powerful than before with his senses better and better so he could hear people talking about him on the second floor of the mansion that was more than two hundred meters away from him.


    "Aw!" "Ohh!" "Ahh!"


    Dai Dong and his daughters, who watched Nero through the window, were shocked when he looked directly at them through the broken window in the mansion''s second-floor room. It seemed that he could hear even though they were speaking in a low tone.


    "He''s really a demon." Dai Dong commented sadly, already without hope.


    "A demon that we provoke." Dai Jingyi could only shake her head with thoughts that all this could be avoided just by not attacking a simple non-human.


    "Is he really going to kill us?" Dai Zhi still did not believe that it was happening. She really wanted everything to be a nightmare.


    "Of course! And I will start with you, Miss Dai." The group formed by Dai Dong and his daughters was not alone in the room. Many servants of the Dai Family left the mansion out of fear, but many still remained loyal and were all gathered in the living room.


    Then a voice came from behind everyone, scaring them to death. Everyone who had not yet passed out from fear saw Nero standing at the door looking at them with a sinister look. Most did not even think about how he got there so quickly but prayed to any god who can save them. Many even wished for a quick death in order not to suffer from this tension anymore.


    "Aaah!" "Aaaahh!!" "Help me, please!" "Someone, please!!!"


    It was a bloody scene when Nero entered the room, ripping people in half with his bloody gauntlet. Many tried to run, and others to attack him, but it was as if a wolf entered a chicken coop. Cultivators of the sixth and fifth layers of Qi Refinement could not do anything against Nero, who killed without mercy.


    In the midst of that bloody slaughter, Dai Dong took courage and attacked Nero with his martial technique inherited for generations.


    With his super senses, Nero could saw in slow motion when Dai Dong conjured with his hands a rough crystal ball that reflected with a strange red light. He could feel the heat coming from the sphere that Dai Dong threw at him with all the strength he could.


    Nero could dodge the ball that was less than a foot in diameter. But he wanted to block with the gauntlet and test the resistance.


    *Clank* *Crack*


    Everyone heard a metallic collision sound when the sphere hit Nero''s gauntlet, which had raised his forearm then, less than a second later, the sphere broke into thousands of fragments as if it were dust.


    Nero was surprised by the strength of the red ball as he didn''t think much about Dai Dong''s strength. But even so, the defense was almost perfect with only a small piece of the gauntlet breaking with the direct collision with the ball.


    "Your Guardian Qi is really amazing!" Sarah exclaimed in Nero''s mind when she noticed the gauntlet repairing itself almost instantly after taking damage. "And it will get harder and stronger when you get to more advanced layers and realms."


    "I am proud of you, Little Red." Nero stroked his gauntlet with a kind look on his face as if he were looking at his son. He was making Dai Dong almost vomit blood.


    "Now, do you understand a little of the feeling of despair that Marie felt when you and your group of thugs were beating her up?" Nero spoke to Dai Zhi as he walked towards her. He was walking slowly and avoiding the mutilated bodies on the floor, causing Dai Zhi to panic. Well, she never stopped being panic since Nero arrived, and no one still alive there could blame her.


    "Y-Yo-You-I-I-I-I didn''t k-know it was wrong. You h-have to understand! W-we and non-humans are natural enemies!" Dai Zhi couldn''t even speak complete sentences. She gave trembling paces backward, stuttering as Nero walked towards her.


    "You, damn humans will always be prey to us!" Nero thought so, but he would not say out loud why it would only cause problems if his prey knew that they were hunted in their own territory.


    Dai Don knew that his martial technique was useless against Nero, but he could not see his daughter being killed so easily, so he ran towards Nero with all the speed he could and prepared to engage in hand-to-hand combat and hope for his daughters to escape.


    *Crack*


    Dai Dong heard the sound of his spine breaking before he even felt the terrible pain that came when Nero dodged his blow then faster than anyone there could see. Then came after Dai Dong and kicked his back so hard that he did the poor man''s body arched unnaturally.


    "Dad!!!" Dai Jingyi ran to help her father when he was thrown into a wall by Nero''s kick.


    Then Nero turned again and went towards Dai Zhi. He walked slowly, taking great pleasure in seeing the desperation on her terrified face.


    "N-noooo, pleaseeee!" Dai Zhi continued to walk backward until she reached the wall then fell to the floor, crying and pleading with her face already all covered with tears and phlegm. But it got worse. Because of so much fear, Dai Zhi pissed himself soaking the floor around her.


    "You are a very pitiful stupid girl. Now, do you regret it?" Nero asked, finding it all very entertaining.


    "Y-yes, yes! Please, I will never do anything like this again." Dai Zhi nodded like a chicken pecking corn saying that she was sorry.


    "So you think I would save you just because you regret it? I am not some kind of merciful God, you know." Nero couldn''t stop ''playing'' with Dai Zhi.


    Dai Zhi was going from heaven to hell when Nero looked like he wouldn''t kill her and then making jokes. She was unable to contain her tears and urine, which had already made a big mess all over her clothes and the floor.


    "I think it''s enough fun. Say hello to the afterlife if it exists." Nero talked jokingly but then remembered that he absorbed the souls of those he kills with Dark Soul Stone, so there is no way to know what kind of terrible destiny they suffer.


    "Wait!" Nero was not surprised that Dai Jingyi got in front of him because he heard her movements. But he still found it unexpected that she had the courage to go against him. She was just a fourteen-year-old girl and was there protecting her sister in such an extreme situation.


    "You are a very brave, little girl," Nero spoke with a strange smile, but Dai Jingyi was not afraid and stood her ground.


    "Don''t you think you''ve gone too far? I don''t need to be an adult to realize that." Dai Jingyi spoke bravely. She was almost sure that nothing would stop Nero, but she still had to try.


    "Perhaps. But who''s going to stop me? You?" Nero was enjoying the evening more and more. Terrifying Dai Zhi was excellent, but he was also enjoying seeing this little girl''s serious expressions.


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    "Of course, I don''t have the power to stop you, and I don''t think anyone in this city does." Dai Jingyi was grateful that Nero was listening to her words but was also concerned that she did not have a plan in mind and had to think quickly about what to do for her and her family to live.


    "You are an interesting little girl. But I don''t care, and I''m going to kill your sister. Just get out of the way before I help you do that." Nero was prepared to move Dai Jingyi out of the way when he saw a sparkle in her eyes, and then she raised her hands, waving awkwardly.


    "I have a suggestion! I will speak quickly, so please listen to me, and if you don''t like it, you can kill us all." Dai Jingyi was panicking, but then she thought about saying that she had something in mind, but she was actually just saying random things that she thought.


    "It''s all right. So say your plan right away." Nero couldn''t deny that he was a little curious about what the little girl would say.


    Dai Dong and Dai Zhi, who were the only others alive there, were passed out from pain and fear. Nero and Dai Jingyi were standing in the middle of that bloody scene looking at each other with similar thoughts.


    ''What kind of idea did this young Miss have?''

 22 Reading mind?

    "So, are you going to talk or not?" Nero was waiting for Dai Jingyi to speak the suggestion she claimed to have thought.


    "Well..." Dai Jingyi was getting more and more nervous because she couldn''t think of anything.


    "Your non-human friend..." Dai Jingyi wanted to talk about the non-human, but she didn''t know if Nero would react well.


    "Her name is Marie." Nero hated that people called Marie of ''non-human.'' Indeed, she was not human, but she had a name like everyone else.


    "So, Marie, she''s not dead, right?" Dai Jingyi started trying to make Nero realize that he was going too far for someone who was supposed to be fine now.


    "Do you think that will stop me from killing Dai Zhi? Marie would have died terribly and brutally if I hadn''t made it there in time." Nero was losing patience. He thought this girl was going to be more interesting.


    "Look well, and see what you have already done. You killed almost everyone in my family. You probably crippled my dad and made my sister pass out from panicking in her own urine." Dai Jingyi wanted to show Nero that he had done extreme damage to them and that her family would probably never be able to recover from that damage.


    "About that, I agree with you. I did a good job, but I''m not done yet. When I finish your sister, you will know." Nero thought that was all that Dai Jingyi had to say, but when he tried to go towards the passed out Dai Zhi, his arm was held by the little girl.


    "Please understand that you have already done us much harm. It all started with my sister''s mistake, but you killed so many people that I think, in fact, you just wanted to kill us and used Marie as a reason."


    Dai Jingyi said everything as quickly as she could in a clear and fairway. She thought that her words could make Nero rethink his actions, but it did not have that result.


    Nero thought that everything Dai Jingyi said made a lot of sense. In fact, all he wanted now and will probably want in the future is to kill humans. Marie''s case affected him in a way that he still didn''t quite understand, but it brought together the two wills to kill humans, so who cares?


    But Nero found the little girl''s way of thinking quite interesting. She had been right about him wanting to kill them regardless of Marie, and she was able to speak very convincingly.


    "You are right. So I''m sorry for killing others. Consider it as if I wanted to kill them and not for Marie. Now about her, I still want to hurt your sister more, but I''m not going to touch anyone else, okay?"


    Nero gave a mischievous smile that made Dai Jingyi''s heart beat faster. But she was not falling in love but more afraid of him because she believed that this demon was capable of any monstrosity.


    When Nero finished speaking, he again went towards Dai Zhi, causing Dai Jingyi to panic again. She did not want her sister to suffer anymore because everything had already been horrible, and probably her family would have nightmares forever with that night.


    "Wait! I will agree that you punish her more." When Nero walked a few more steps, Dai Jingyi shouted something that made him stop because he did not believe what he heard.


    "Eh?" Nero did not understand how this little girl who was fighting so hard to protect her family and did not try to run away would ever say something like that now. He gave a confused look that made his point clear for Dai Jingyi to explain quickly.


    "I understand that you have to do this for Marie. You are right to be a very protective person to those you love and have to show that others cannot hurt her and go unpunished. Seriously, I understand that, and I agree that you punish my sister more. But on one condition if you will allow me."


    Dai Jingyi increasingly surprised Nero, who, for the first time, thought that a human was not so disgusting. He didn''t understand how such a young girl could argue with him like that for so long in a room full of mutilated bodies of her family members.


    "What condition?" Nero knew she was brilliant and observant, so he tried his best to look serious and not let her realize that he thought good of her.


    "That you punish me instead of her." Dai Jingyi boldly declared, already sure that she probably would not survive.


    "Why?" That shocked Nero very much as he thought about how Dai Zhi had such a good sister that would die for her.


    "She is my sister, blood of my blood. If I can''t protect her, who will?" Dai Jingyi thought that she was foolish for trying to defend Dai Zhi, who was always so spoiled and irresponsible. Often she had to clean up the mess for her older sister and still takes the blame for mistakes she hadn''t made.


    Dai Jingyi has always believed that the family should support itself above all and remain united. When she saw her family suffering so much, she was very sad. She even really liked the people in the second branch of the family and the servants.


    Dai Jinyi was a very dedicated and protective person who would not stand still as long as she could prevent people dear to her from suffering. So it seemed right for her to sacrifice herself for her sister.


    "This is very admirable of you. But you don''t even look like a cultivator. How do you expect to survive when I start torturing you? Or is it okay if I kill you?" Nero didn''t think so badly of a human for the first time, and he didn''t want to kill her. At least not now.


    "Yes, you can''t kill me because it wouldn''t make sense to punish me with death when Marie didn''t die. What is certain is that you beat me like she was beaten." Dai Jingyi spoke a lot of random things that came to her mind without knowing that she looked like a sage now.


    "So how am I supposed to do this without killing you? This idea is yours, so you have to give all the solutions!" Nero found the little girl''s way of thinking more and more interesting and wanted to see what she would do. He even started to wonder if her blood would be better than the others because she was less ''stupid human.''


    Dai Jingyi was happy that the ''Demon'' seemed to hear what she was saying. If she could continue to get his attention, things might not end in the worst way. But now she had to think faster and faster and find the solution to the question of not dying in torture.


    "If only I were stronger!" Dai Jingyi regretted not paying so much attention to cultivation. She was still very young and had to deal with family matters since her mother was always very busy with research before she left.


    Dai Dong always paid more attention to Dai Zhi and focused on helping her to become stronger, so Dai Jingyi ended up being the person responsible for running the house even though she was very young. Now she had no cultivation, and her body was like a normal person. If she were tortured by Nero, who was such a strong cultivator even if he took it easy, she would still die quickly.


    "AH! If I am not strong now to be tortured, I could be one day!" Dai Jingyi, who was thinking deeply, found the solution when she shouted.


    "Explain it." Nero already had an idea of her plan from the words he heard. But he was in doubt as to whether he would accept it because he never thought he would not want to kill a human for being interesting.


    "It''s very simple. You can''t torture me now because I''m weak. So I will work hard on cultivation, and when I get stronger, you will punish me until you are satisfied." Dai Jingyi spoke excitedly because even she thought the plan was excellent.


    It was strange to see someone so happy to want to be strong to be tortured. But Nero understood that her plan made sense.


    "It is not so simple. What makes you think that I would like to torture you more than your sister?" Nero sure thinks that the little girl is more interesting than Dai Zhi, but he would never say that to a human. Too bad he didn''t have to.


    Before Dai Jingyi could answer, Nero went on talking. "And how am I going to make sure you keep the promise?"


    "It''s not like I can just leave this place, and you can always come back here and kill everyone. I would not lie in that situation." Dai Jingyi responded promptly, hoping that Nero would not doubt her as she was speaking the truth and would never return with her words.


    "How am I supposed to know that you won''t run away when you get strong enough?" Nero found it interesting to talk to this little girl because she always made different expressions ranging from confusion and worry, then going to happy and others when she thought about something or had a good idea.


    "You should already have an idea of what kind of person I am. I haven''t tried to save myself once, and I''m here arguing with a scary demon to save what''s left of my family. Am I not responsible?" Dai Jingyi boldly spoke, then crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks in a way that Nero found very cute.


    "What the fuck!? Humans are not cute!! They are prey!!!" Nero was repeating these words in his mind and in a way that Sarah was listening as if he was asking for help. But she could only roll her eyes at this strange situation.


    "So? Do you accept it?" Dai Jingyi was looking very brave in confidence, but inside, she was just as scared as Dai Zhi or even more.


    Dai Jingyi lost count of how many times she had to hold back tears and urine today. Sometimes she has the feeling that her vision is getting darker, but she has to be strong because she was the only one standing to discuss her family''s life and death.


    Dai Jingyi knew that the plan was very crazy, and hardly anyone would believe it even if she was telling the truth. But she had a hunch about Nero. One that, unfortunately, for him, was right.


    "I could accept it. But I could also kill your whole family and not for Marie but because I want to and no one would stop me. Can you give me a good reason for not doing that?" Nero made a sinister expression trying to scare Dai Jingyi just to see her reaction.


    Dai Jinyi was on her limit. She wasn''t going to be able to stand for another full minute before she started crying and collapsing. But she still had the last trump card.


    Dai Jingyi was not sure if her last move would work as it looked really crazy, but she saw several signs in Nero that she could be right. So this was the time to risk everything, and she had to be correct. For her and her family''s sake. Maybe not so much for her sake.


    "You will accept my suggestion because... You find me interesting!" Dai Jingyi started bravely, but then she reached the limit and closed her eyes with various feelings driving her crazy. She was afraid, angry, hopeful, proud, and even embarrassed; after all, she was still a fourteen-year-old girl.


    "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh?" Nero almost fell with the impact those words had on him.


    "Does this mean that she saw through me all the time and was playing with me? But how was she supposed to know my thoughts? Does she read minds? Damn, she is really different from other humans! Is she fourteen, or is she an old dwarf witch?"


    All of these thoughts made Nero''s mind a mess. It would be like that with anyone who thought they were so smart and then be entirely discovered by a little girl. Dai Jingyi would be amused to see Nero''s confused expressions if she wasn''t shaking with her eyes closed.


    "You stupid fool! It was stamped on your face the whole time that you were finding her very interesting. She still took a long time to realize or found it hard to believe that someone like you would find her interesting while killing and torturing her family." Sarah spoke to Nero, taking him out of the strange thoughts.


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    "But it was still obvious from the expressions you made when you looked at her saying random things. You are always so good with words and acting, but you didn''t think a little girl would be at risk. So you stopped acting and was exposed for her to see right through you."


    "Thank you, Sarah. I don''t know what I would do without you. Now I understand how I was naive, and I will not let my guard down again even if I find the situation interesting." Nero understood that the little girl was not some kind of old dwarf witch but that he made his feelings visible.


    Now he would have to be more careful because if he did it again, the other person might not be as simple as a little girl. But in reality, the situation was not as simple as Sarah said because most people would not have understood Nero by his expressions and would not have the courage to reveal it. Dai Jingyi was many things but not simple.

 23 See you

    "So it will be like this. You will get stronger, and then you come to me so that I can do whatever I want with you?" Nero had already lost all desire to kill that he had when he arrived. Dai Jingyi had a significant impact on his mind.


    Nero thought that the experiences he had with humans on Earth had made him see things in a very closed way. Perhaps the issue was not ''humans are always predictable,'' but ''anyone'' can be different. Dai Jingyi was a perfect example. Even in a family of bad people, she was very decent and was willing to sacrifice herself for them.


    Nero knew that things were not so simple, and Dai Jingyi was willing to do a lot for her family, but that does not mean that she was a good person, or she would not hate non-humans as all humans usually do. But he was interested in seeing what kind of person she would become in the future. Maybe they might even be friends one day.


    Dai Jingyi was still trying desperately to stand. She said Nero though she was interesting because he heard everything she said even though he didn''t have to do that. But now she was apprehensive that it wouldn''t work.


    "Will you really accept it?" Dai Jingyi did not believe that Nero would spare them, but when she heard him confirm her idea, she cannot help but hope. She was still terrified, so she opened just one eye to see Nero looking at her with a smile that looked amused but no longer evil.


    "It''s not because I think a brat like you is interesting, but just because it''s a good plan. You see, I have no way to have a lot of fun torturing Dai Zhi now, so having the opportunity to torture you who will last much longer in the future will be good." Nero couldn''t help thinking that the situation was funny.


    "Demon!!!" Dai Jingyi thought more and more that Nero was really a demon disguised as a human. And those red eyes were proof of that. Even though she never saw or heard of someone who saw a demon.


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    "I know that you are not the type of person who would be standing very much in the same place. Someone so talented would take to the skies, so when I get stronger, I will seek you out to receive my punishment."


    "But you have to leave my family in peace because they have already suffered a lot and paid for the mistakes they made." Dai Zhi was now really happy because Nero seemed to have accepted the offer. It is not every day that she survives what could be the end of her family.


    "Yes, fine. I just want you to keep your word of looking for me in the future; otherwise, I will have to come back for you, and I don''t think you will want it, right?" Nero just wanted to taunt the little girl more to see her expressions that amused him a lot.


    "You don''t have to worry. I''ll find you!" Dai Jingyi knew that he said a lot just to tease her. But in this situation where he just brutally killed so many people, she couldn''t help feeling intimidated and scared.


    "Well, then I have to go, and you have a lot of cleaning to do." Nero was already getting bored because he couldn''t get much more from the little girl who was almost passing out from shaking, so he thought it was time to go.


    "Wait! There''s one more thing." Dai Jingyi knew that it had already been a miracle for her to stop this demon from killing, but if she didn''t solve everything this time, she didn''t know if she could solve it later. Even though it was ridiculous for her to stop him from leaving, she had no other option.


    "You are a very demanding little girl." Nero couldn''t help but make a face, just to keep frightening her.


    "You can call me by my name, Dai Jingyi. I have to ask you not to let the Xun Family destroy us. Now that you have killed most of my family''s strength, we are very vulnerable, so they will surely come for us." Dai Jingyi understood more and more how Nero thought, so she was a little more comfortable asking for some terms.


    "It''s fair. I will talk to them to not interfere with you, your father, and your sister. But on other matters, I cannot promise anything. They are not dogs that I can command as I please." Nero spoke while shrugging his shoulders as city affairs had nothing to do with the situation. Not for him, but it was undoubtedly impacting Dai Jingyi.


    "Understand that we are no longer one of the strongest families in the city, and if they still attack us, how am I going to get strong quickly to go look for you?" Dai Jingyi tried to argue in every way because her family needed any help now that they were so bad.


    "It''s all right! I make it very clear that your family cannot be touched! Is that okay, or do you want something else, Miss Dai Jingyi?" Nero was getting annoyed that everything Dai Jingyi said made a lot of sense, and he was starting to think that killing her and her family should be the right choice.


    "It''s all right! That was all I needed. Thank you for understanding." Dai Jingyi started to move her hands in a disorderly manner when she became nervous, thinking that Nero might be upset with her and change his mind.


    "So we''re agreed. It won''t be long before I leave town with Xiong Zhelan, so in the future, you should have an idea of where to look for me. See you, little girl." Nero did not wait for Dai Jingyi to respond and jumped through the broken window and disappeared into the darkness.


    "Unfortunately, see you, Demon!" Dai Jingyi can''t help but breathe a sigh of relief that things have not ended in the worst way. But still, this was by far the worst day of her life. For now, because she made a pact with the devil to suffer in the future so she didn''t know how ''bad'' it would be when such a day comes.


    "Boo-hooooo! I''m just a little girl, so why the hell do I have to go through a situation like that? Waaaaah!" Dai Jingyi collapsed on the ground, weeping rivers of tears. She held on for a long time holding her emotions, so she thought it was okay to release now.


    "This is all your fault! It is good that you lament and change the way you do things." Dai Jingyi looked furiously at her sister, who was in a sorry state but was unharmed. She was mad at Dai Zhi for all of this, but she was also very angry with Nero and would dream every day of paying him in kind one day.


    __________________________________


    "I don''t know how things ended up like this, but I''m glad you didn''t kill her," Sarah commented on Nero''s mind after he left the Dai Family''s mansion and headed for the Xun Family''s home.


    "Why?" Nero was a little confused by Sarah''s comment.


    "It shows that you are letting go of your hate for humans and thinking more clearly." Sarah understands well about hate because she also lost her family. After spending two years watching Nero kill all the humans on the Earth, she thought he should have already discharged, but the pain they share cannot be forgotten.


    But things could get better. Humans on earth thought one way. Most that they have found here so far also think so, but that does not mean that all humans hate non-humans.


    Sarah wanted Nero to be able to think of humans as people and not bags of blood. But she understood that it would not be easy but a slow and time-consuming process of learning.


    She was happy that he met someone like Dai Jingyi, and that was the first step not to get rid of the pain of losing his family but to at least heal the wound that was still open.


    "Perhaps you are right. I spent a lot of time killing. Then something broke inside me. I hope you can stop me when I''m going too far." Nero liked the fact that Sarah supported him in everything, but he knew he didn''t clearly think when it came to humans, so it was better for everyone if Sarah could stop him sometimes.


    "I wouldn''t have let you kill that girl. But you stopped yourself, so it''s okay. I want the best for you, and it won''t always be just killing." Sarah spoke in a loving tone that made Nero very comfortable.


    So Nero continued walking on the deserted streets of the small town of Abun. The night was very calm, and Nero walked slowly while talking about random things with his spirit-wife until he arrived at the Xun Family''s house.


    "He''s back!" Everyone in the house could hear Xun Lan''s scream when she saw Nero coming. She was watching from the window since he left and now that she saw a person all in black with gold ornaments coming she knew it was Nero.


    "Silly, sister." Xun Lan bowed her head in shame when Xun Feng commented on her being silly, and everyone started laughing.


    "It''s okay to fall in love. Don''t pay attention to them, my daughter." Xun He approached his daughter and gave her some loving advice. But only after he managed to stop laughing.


    "Mhm." Xun Lan could only make low sounds of agreement with her father''s advice and pats as she was very ashamed of that situation. When Nero entered the living room, she pressed her face to her father''s chest and did not look at Nero. She was like an immature little girl, and Xun He liked to pamper his daughter.


    "So, how was it?" When Nero entered through one door, Xiong Zhelan came through the other and asked what everyone wanted to know.


    "The Dai Family has lost almost all its strength. I killed many, but in the end, I didn''t want to kill Dai Dong and his daughters. I have plans for Dai Jingyi so no one can touch her even when I''m gone."


    Nero went straight to the point making many people confused. They didn''t even need to ask because their faces showed that he would have to explain the story in detail.


    Nero did not say exactly how things happened but the most relevant parts. Xun He promises that he wouldn''t hurt Dai Family when he took the leading position in the city. He also said he would keep an eye on the Dai sisters so that no harm could happen to them.


    "Did you fall in love with Dai Jingyi? I know she is stunning, but she is still a child, and she doesn''t even have breasts." Xun Lan did not miss another opportunity for people to laugh at her.


    "I''m not a pedophile! I just didn''t want to kill children. So I kind of regretted going so far, and now I want them not to suffer too much. It''s not that hard to understand, right?" Nero didn''t know how to explain that he was interested in seeing what Dai Jingyi would be like in the future, so he said random things.


    "Are you jealous of a little girl?" Xun Feng would not miss the chance to make fun of his sister, who ran after him throwing weak punches.


    "Has there been any change in Marie''s situation?" Nero got serious and asked Xun He.


    "She is healing very quickly with the healer''s treatment. But it will take weeks for her to completely recover because her cultivation is much bigger than mine, and she was seriously injured, so it will be long until she stays as she was before." Who answered was not Xun He but Xiong Zhelan, who took a good look at Marie to report to Nero.


    "I am glad that she is recovering. You must take good care of her, Xun He, because if anything happens to her, you know what will happen to you, right?" Nero made his point very clear. Xun He understood that he would have to give his life if needed to protect Marie.


    "Now that this question is over let''s talk about going to the Black Sword Sect." Xiong Zhelan talked about leaving the city as it made no sense to stay here any longer since Marie would take a long time to recover, and Nero had no reason to stay.


    "Okay, let''s set up the journey details. Tell me everything essential." So Nero sat in a chair by the fireplace next to Xiong Zhelan.


    "As I said before, you will not be my disciple because I believe my sister will be a better teacher for you." Xiong Zhelan started telling things about the Black Sword Sect and the journey to get there.


    While Nero and Xiong Zhelan talked, everyone went back to their duties. Xun He went to deal with politics and move his people to become the main family in the city.


    Zhu Tai and Xun Feng were talking on the other side of the room. But Xun Lan was sitting in a chair in the middle of the room, giving Nero curious looks, making him and Xiong Zhelan uncomfortable.


    "You can join the conversation, Little Lan. Don''t you know that you will be my disciple? Of course, if you still want to go to the Black Sword Sect with us." Xiong Zhelan gave Xun Lan a friendly smile, looking like a loving grandfather with his granddaughter.


    "Of course I want it! It would be an honor to be your disciple!" Xun Lan shone with happiness because with so much Nero in mind, she forgot about being Xiong Zhelan''s disciple and going with him.


    Now that Xun Lan thought about it better, she couldn''t find it more perfect. She will leave this city without hope and go for a large and powerful sect as an elder''s disciple. But it was not just that because she went with Nero.


    Xun Lan was so happy that she knelt down to Xiong Zhelan, saying things like ''Xun Lan greets the master'' and other things.


    "Silly sister!!!" Xun Feng spoke again, but everyone could not help laughing because Xun Lan was very exaggerated.

 24 A little of fluffiness

    "SHIT!"


    "Right now that I was almost asleep," Nero grunted when he heard the knocking sound at the door.


    "The breakfast is ready. Come eat with us." Nero could hear Xun Lan calling him in a very cheerful tone. But he was not in a good mood. If normal people can be in a bad mood for waking up early, vampires can get worse because they hate mornings even more.


    "Breakfast!? DOUBLE SHIT!!" Nero couldn''t believe he was being prevented from sleeping to eat. He does not eat typical food. "Will they serve me a glass of blood? Oh yes, nobody knows what a vampire is."


    "If you want, I can come in there to help you out of bed...Maybe help you get dressed...I don''t mind..." Xun Lan started speaking clearly, but soon the tone dropped and ended up whispering. She was trying to be bold, but she was still a little shy.


    "Really? Can it get any worse?" Nero was starting to panic. He could handle bloody scenes well, but he didn''t know what to do with Xun Lan''s advances.


    In fact, Nero knew how to solve the problem for good. "Tearing her throat, separating her head from the body! Muahahahahahaha!" He kept thinking like that every time he saw Xun Lan giving him flirty looks.


    Nero loved to tear throats. That is definitely not a good habit, and Sarah was encouraging him to stop that kind of thinking whenever he doesn''t know what to do. She wouldn''t let him kill Xun Lan just because she fell in love with him.


    "Does your silence mean yes?" Xun Lan was already very nervous about being saying these things in the corridor. Still, when Nero didn''t answer, she thought he was also shy. So she prepared to take that first step for them and reached for the door handle.


    "Aaah!" Xun Lan was already immersed in thoughts of what kinds of things she and Nero would do and did not notice when he abruptly opened the door and almost reached for something else.


    "I will not have breakfast. I ate at the Dai Family''s house, and I am satisfied now." Nero spoke in a serious tone, so he quickly closed the door before being harassed by that stupid girl.


    "Aww, he must be timid. I prefer it that way because when he is mine, I will have no problem keeping him away from other women." Xun Lan sighed and turned to leave, but she was happy that Nero seemed shy. She didn''t think for a moment that he was not attracted to her, who was such a beautiful young woman.


    "Wait! What does he mean? Did he eat at the Dai Family house? He didn''t go there to kill? But did he snack after killing more than half of them?" Xun Lan stopped thinking about romantic fantasies when she remembered what Nero said then left with many doubts in mind.


    "If it were your Little Fox, you would be very pleased to accept her help, right?" Sarah asked in a sarcastic tone.


    "It depends on whether you would be angry or not." Nero was sincere because he didn''t want to lie. Since the first time he saw Marie, he would love to eat her as breakfast or anytime.


    "Yes! I would be angry!" It didn''t take Sarah even half a second to make her point clear.


    "So, what am I going to do while you have no physical body? Even you must be tired of watching what I do in the bath." Nero knew that Sarah watched him in the bath even though she didn''t admit it.


    "I do not know what you''re talking about! Just focus on getting strong and stay away from those ears!!" Sarah was embarrassed to be discovered so easily, but she was stubborn and would never admit it.


    "But, I''m not even thinking about any ears!!" He was also stubborn and would not admit that he thought much about Marie''s fluffy ears.


    So Nero and Sarah were silent. Ten minutes later Nero chose to go to the damn breakfast just to get out of that tense atmosphere.


    ______________________________________________________


    "Aren''t you going with your sister?" Xun He asked his son because he worried about Xun Feng staying in Abun and regretting not having had good adventures with Xun Lan in the Black Sword Sect.


    Xiong Zhelan planned to take two people as a disciple. He was sure that Xun Lan and Dai Zhi would be the right choice, but now he didn''t want to have anything to do with the Dai Family to avoid having problems with Nero.


    So he had to choose someone else or just stay with Xun Lan. He understood that Nero thinks well of the Xun Family even though they were not great friends. And he also became very close friends with Xun He, so taking the Xun siblings wouldn''t be too bad even if Xun Feng wasn''t very talented.


    "I already made up my mind, dad. I am fine here, and I have no ambition to become super strong or live great adventures. Just living here with you is good enough for me." Xun Feng made his point clear.


    Xun Feng liked the simple things in life. He was a cultivator to help protect his family, but he had no big ambitions, so he was happy to live in a small land like Abun. He also knew that his sister would be fine without him with the protection of Xiong Zhelan, so it was better to continue here with his father.


    "I understand. If that''s how you want it, I promise that I won''t talk about it anymore. It''s not like I hate my son to want to send him away." Xun He wanted the best for his children, but if Xun Feng will be happier here with him, it''s okay. He is glad to have his son by his side.


    "Ah, Nero! Good Morning." Xiong Zhelan was the first to notice Nero entering the door as he had the sense of a Martial Warrior.


    "I''m not hungry. I just came here to find out what time we will be leaving." Nero went straight to the point. They had already decided everything the day before about the journey. They thought it would be better to leave the city in the morning to be able to camp in a place in the mountains that Xiong Zhelan knew.


    "Ah, yes. We will finish breakfast and next prepare to go." Xiong Zhelan wanted to give Xun Lan a good breakfast and time to say goodbye to her father and family before they left.


    "Well, I don''t have any bags to pack because all I have are these clothes that Zhu Tai gave me." Nero was pleased with the new clothes that were washed by the maids after the bloody fight against the Dai Family.


    "I have to thank you again, Zhu Tai. These clothes are excellent." Nero gave his sincere thanks to Zhu Tai for the clothes, but he only nodded because he knew the clothes were from Xiong Zhelan and who knows where he found them.


    "Just having a set of clothes is not good. I have a few sets left over in that same style so you can keep them as I don''t even use them." Xiong Zhelan had some sets of these clothes because he took them from an assassin he killed. He thought the clothes were pretty sinister all in black with golden ornaments, but he wouldn''t say that to Nero because it was simpler just to give the clothes.


    There were many compartment artifacts like bags, backpacks, boxes, and even jewelry that were made with concentrated Qi and various rare materials so that they could have an interdimensional space to store multiple things without taking up much space.


    An example of these compartment artifacts was magic backpacks with a few feet of space as Xiong Zhelan had. Other wealthier and more powerful people could have rings with more than hundreds of meters of space. But Nero had the Red World from Dark Soul Stone, which had space to fit even small planets.


    Abun''s people were inferior in Qi resources, so Xun Family could not give Xun Lan a magic backpack but a common one but very well made. Xiong Zhelan also didn''t have much space in his magic backpack, so everyone would end up carrying several backpacks and bags.


    After several explanations of what the journey to the Black Sword Sect would be like, everyone had to go prepare clothes, equipment, camping stuff, and food.


    Nero received two sets of black clothing, including boots and a large backpack. He would also carry a bag with supplies, just like Zhu Tai and Xiong Zhelan. Xun Lan would only carry her big backpack because it was full of women''s things.


    When everything was almost ready, Nero thought about doing one last thing before they left.


    "I will say goodbye to Marie. Even though she is sleeping, I think it would be good to say goodbye as I don''t know if I will see her again. Like talking to someone asleep can be awkward, but I think they must hear something or...I''ll be right back!"


    Nero wanted to see Marie before leaving, but when he spoke of saying goodbye, Sarah started saying things about ears in his mind, so he fumbled with the words and ended up trying to explain the situation to Xiong Zhelan''s group who was confused.


    "He likes her so much that he even fumbles." Xun He couldn''t help but comment and earning a frown from his daughter.


    _______________________________________


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    "Little Fox, we don''t talk much or know anything about each other. But I''m sure that in any case, we would be great friends." Nero sadly whispered as he sat on the edge of Marie''s bed.


    He was sad to leave before she woke up, and they could at least talk a little. Things were a mess starting in the forest, and Nero never imagined that he would be so connected to someone he had never seen before.


    Perhaps it is because the elves, allies of the vampires on Earth, died, and he was unable to do anything to help them. Now he feels guilty not only for his family and race but also for the other non-humans on Earth who have suffered the same tragic fate.


    After taking revenge by killing all humans on Earth, Nero thought he would feel better, but revenge did not bring as much peace as he thought. When he arrived in this new world and saw a non-human being beaten by humans, he again felt that pain of being unable to protect the people he loved.


    Nero did not know if he would meet Marie again as destiny is uncertain and full of surprises. Still, he was already very happy to be able to help her. The feeling of protecting someone brought the peace that revenge could never bring.


    It made him think about Sarah''s situation. She did not tell the whole story, but it was she made it clear that she did not know if her family or clan were all dead because when she ran away, only her father had suffered fatal injuries. So Nero really wanted to become stronger so that one day he could help her discover everything that happened and maybe save people dear to her.


    This new way of thinking not about killing but protecting made Nero feel that life could still be good, and he would always be grateful to Marie, who even for a coincidence of destiny showed him.


    "You can touch it. But just this once!" Sarah saw Nero''s sad look and knew that he was unhappy about the farewell. She understood how Marie had impacted his life and was grateful to Marie too as she liked Nero over protective more than Nero cold-blooded killer.


    Of course, Nero would still kill many because to protect those he loves in a world where strength is everything he would have to kill the strong to protect the weak. Marie''s case is the perfect example because he didn''t hesitate to kill so many of the Dai Family for having done harm to her.


    "Do you not mind?" Nero knew that Sarah was fighting with her jealousy to let him touch those dreamed cute ears. He couldn''t be more grateful, but he still had to make sure it didn''t cause him any future problems.


    "It''s all right. I will let that one pass." Of course, Sarah did not want to see Nero being intimate with another woman. Still, she knew it would take hundreds of years to have a new physical body, so she was already preparing to accept that Nero would have to be intimate with other women until she could be the only one.


    "Sorry, Marie, for not being able to get your approval before doing this, but I don''t know if I would have another chance in life." Nero wouldn''t ask Sarah a second time and apologized to Marie for not having her approval while moving his hand slowly to those cute ears.


    "Aww, what an adorable Little Fox!" Nero couldn''t help but exclaim when he put his hand close to Marie''s head, and her ears slightly trembled as if she knew what was going to happen.


    "Mm, it''s so cute and fluffy! I could pat it forever."


    Nero was sure it would be great to touch Marie''s ears, but when the time came, it felt better than he could have dreamed. It was so good that he doesn''t know how long he was playing, but when he took his hand off Marie''s ears, a fragrance stayed on his hand for a long time after. A perfume that he loved!


    Even asleep, Marie would never forget those pats and would do anything to feel that sensation again. She will be one of the first people to enter a war for pats. One that would not be bloody but definitely challenging and full of powerful opponents.

 25 Through the Mountains part 1

    "Everyone ready to go?"


    Xiong Zhelan asked Nero, Zhu Tai, and Xun Lan, who already had their backpacks and bags ready to go.


    "Sure."


    Nero answered in his usual serious tone. People were already used to him not showing emotions except when it was about Marie.


    "Yes, me too."


    Zhu Tai responded in a respectful form that he always spoke to Xiong Zhelan.


    "All right!"


    Xun Lan was by far the most exciting and jumped up by raising her arm in agreement.


    "So let''s go. Will you follow us to the exit of the city?"


    Xiong Zhelan asked Xun He, who had previously mentioned that he would escort them to the city limits to wish them a good journey.


    "Yes, let''s go."


    Then the group now formed by those who were going to travel, and some members of the Xun Family went north of the city.


    The streets were full of people coming and going from various places. It was an animated day in the center of the small town, as there was a significant change in the arrangement of powers.


    People talked a lot everywhere about Xun Family, becoming the most influential family in the city. Many said that they had attacked the Dai Family and killed most of their forces. Others said it was someone new to the town who had disagreements with one of the Dai sisters.


    There were also rumors that someone in the shadows was protecting the Dai sisters, and even the Xun Family could not touch them. Everyone had many doubts and assumptions, but no one dared to think of harming them.


    The group cannot help laughing about the rumors they heard as they walked to leave the city. Xun He was a good person and only wanted the best for Abun''s people. So he wished that this matter is forgotten and that everyone progress.


    Nero found it particularly interesting what people said about a person all in black walking through the night like a shadow. He loved that humans feared him. Sarah thought it was very childish, but he just laughed about it.


    After walking for less than an hour, Nero could already see a wooden fence on the edge of the city where the houses ended, and the cobbled street became just dirt.


    The houses closer to the city limits were very humble, made of wood and clay. The fence was very simple and should not hold a normal wolf, but as far as Nero knew, the beasts did not come so far south of the mountains, and that fence was enough to mark the city limits.


    The fence had a wooden arch as a gate written ''Abun'' with flowers as details. After the arc, Nero could see a multitude of green landscapes with few trees.


    The northern part of the Green Valley was a clear horizon to the mountains, and the southern part was just forest. One opposite the other but with terrible dangers, the further as someone went ahead.


    As they got closer to the exit, Nero could see animals like cows, horses, and goats in the fields outside the fence.


    He asked the group if it would be better for them to go horseback riding, but Xiong Zhelan replied that they could not go on the mountain roads with regular horses as they would not be able to run there and would also attract many beasts that could cause problems for them.


    "We are here."


    It was easy to see that Xun He was discouraged by his tone. But it was to be expected because he was saying goodbye to his only and beloved daughter.


    Xun Lan could return alone when she was stronger or even require help to come to visit him, but she had to focus on cultivation for a long time from now on.


    "Dad! I will really miss you so much, but I won''t hesitate to come to visit you."


    Xun Lan hugged her father and brother tightly as she said goodbye with tears in her eyes. She was not sad to go to the great Black Sword Sect but knew that she would miss her family.


    "Nero, please treat my daughter well. Even though we haven''t known each other for a long time, she thinks of you fondly, so if you can at least be a friend to her, I would be less worried."


    Xun He, like everyone else, still had many doubts about Nero. No one knew for sure much about him other than the story of living in the forest with his grandfather and having lost his mother at birth.


    But nobody thought badly of him just that he was very mysterious and impulsive. Xun He knew it would be difficult for his daughter to adapt quickly to a new place, so having someone she knew would be nice. That friend could very well be Nero, who was going with her from the same place.


    Nero didn''t want to be too involved with Xun Lan, but he knew that the Xun Family had been good for him, so it was okay not to be hostile to the girl. Then he nodded in agreement leaving father and daughter Xun with smiles on their face.


    "Remember, treat Marie well, and when she wakes up, tell her about the situation, as I explained."


    Nero once again spoke to Xun He about explaining to Sarah everything that happened in the way he said when she woke up. He feared that she would misunderstand things and think badly of him even though they might never meet again.


    "Do not worry. I will take care of her and keep an eye on the Dai sisters."


    Xun He was a decent man and would keep his word even though he was not a non-human sympathizer, but he would not hurt Marie without reason, and Nero was a great reason to take good care of her.


    "Goodbye!"


    After all, was said and confirmed, the farewell ended, and Nero''s group went the dirt road towards the mountains in the north.


    ________________________


    The group did not run, but they also did not walk very slowly and always kept the same speed. For more than five hours, they walked through the same landscape that was green pastures and a clear horizon with few trees.


    It was tranquil, and they talked to pass the time because there were no beasts sighted, and they would see any danger that could appear from afar.


    Zhu Tai talked a lot with Xun Lan about Black Sword Sect and other things. Xiong Zhelan sometimes spoke useful things about beasts that occupied the mountains and even possible bandits on the other side of the mountain.


    Nero was always walking in silence and didn''t even make sounds. The others tried to start a conversation, but he just nodded, making it clear that he didn''t really like small talk. But in fact, he talked a lot with Sarah in mind about things of all kinds.


    They left the city in the morning, and it was already the middle of the afternoon when the landscape began to change from green pastures to a gray land with many rocks and some trees with few leaves.


    But still no sign of wildlife. The mountains were still far away, but they could already feel that the road was going up, and they were no longer walking in a flat line.


    After a few more hours, the sun left to make way for a beautiful moon. The mountains were already very close, and the dangers would begin at any moment.


    "We must camp now because, from that point, we can be attacked by wild beasts at any time, and some will be at the level of the Martial Warrior Realm."


    Xiong Zhelan had made this journey to come from the Black Sword Sect to Abun, so he knew well what were the best places to camp.


    Nobody had anything against it, and they took advantage of the fact that the night was well illuminated by the moon to set up camp peacefully. Xiong Zhelan had two tents in his magic backpack, and Xun Lan had one in hers.


    "You know... I don''t care if you sleep with me... Of course, if you promise not to do anything funny."


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    Xun Lan did not miss the opportunity to try something with Nero. Even though she warned him not to do anything funny, she really wanted something on her mind.


    "He better shares the tent with Zhu Tai; they are young and will have no problems with each other."


    Xiong Zhelan liked Xun Lan the first time he saw her. She was talented, and even though she was a little spoiled and childish, she could become a great person if he instructed her as well as a disciple.


    As his only disciple, he wanted her to be happy and would always try to help her. It was quite evident that Xun Lan was fascinated with Nero, but he knew that Nero did not have the same interest in her, so it would be better for her to understand as soon as possible.


    After everyone had set up their tents, Nero and Zhu Tai went to get firewood for Xun Lan and Xiong Zhelan to cook something for them to eat. After she made a soup with dried meat that they brought for the journey, Nero apologized and said he was going to be a little away from the group for cultivating.


    The group found Nero quite different from normal young people as if he were a bit eccentric but did not find it suspicious that he wanted privacy for cultivating. Then, after eating, everyone went to the tents while Nero was cultivating.


    ___________________________________


    "I think you will reach the fourth layer."


    Sarah excitedly spoke when Nero arrived at a place more than five hundred meters away from the camp.


    Nero wanted to go very far so that no one would see what he was going to do. The land was mostly stone with a huge tree nearby. There was a rock almost the size of the tree that blocked the view towards the group, so he did not fear being discovered.


    "That time, I got almost thirty bodies in the sixth layer of Qi Refinement."


    Nero had put in the Red World twenty-eight cultivators that he killed at the Dai Family''s mansion. More than half he killed, leaving Dai Jingyi confused when she supervised the cleaning, but she had no way of imagining that Nero had caught them to drink their blood when he had time.


    "How is it to drink from corpses?"


    Sarah knew that Nero didn''t like draining bodies but living people. He just had no way of stopping to drain people in the middle of a fight because his secret would be revealed, and someone could find out, causing problems that he couldn''t handle without being stronger.


    "This sucks. But I have no choice now."


    Nero spoke to Sarah as he drained the bodies behind the large rock. He had no way of doing this very quickly as it took a while to absorb Qi by blood. As always, there was a lot of loss to the environment, but he was filling his Dantian slowly and would soon reach the maximum limit in the third layer.


    "I thought of something, but I don''t know if it will work as I don''t have much knowledge of Qi Guardians."


    Sarah spoke in a calm but hesitant tone making Nero very curious.


    "Little Red? Tell me about your idea."


    Nero had complete confidence in Sarah, so when she talked about having an idea to improve the cultivation method, he was radiating with expectation.


    "Your Guardian Qi is probably related to blood so you could try to drain the blood by the gauntlet. That would not work for many reasons, but as you have Red World, it can work."


    "You would attack with the gauntlet and focus your Qi Guardian to suck the victim''s blood, then at the same time try to pass the blood that came from the gauntlet to Red World. You could have containers at Red World to store that blood and drink it later."


    Nero listened carefully to the idea of Sarah and cannot help thinking that an incredible idea. It would be much better to drink blood like juice than to drain from dead bodies. Of course, the most delicious method is still sucking from living prey, but it won''t always be possible.


    Nero wasted no time and tried to do it right away with one of the corpses. If he manages to suck blood from a corpse with the gauntlet, it will also be possible to do it in battle, and it will not be strange because when attacking someone, it is supposed to hurt and draw blood from the other.


    "Hahaha! It''s working! Sarah, you are incredible."


    Nero couldn''t help but be celebrating when he felt the blood coming from the gauntlet and then being transported to Red World. He had to maintain focus and concentration, but with training, it would not be difficult to master that art of stealing blood with the Qi Guardian.


    "Hehe. Of course I''m amazing!"


    Sarah was also happy to make things better for Nero. She, who was in the Red Word as a spirit, could see the blood appearing from nowhere and falling to the ground because Nero had not yet placed any container in the Red World.


    After two hours, Nero was almost finished draining the twelfth corpse when he felt the barrier of the fourth layer break, and he felt once again a massive increase in his strength, speed, and senses.


    "Congratulations, Nero. Another one advances so fast you are really amazing!"


    Sarah understood well that it was not easy to advance so fast in cultivation without a lot of support from resources, and she was quite content at that pace. Her plans had Nero going to the Endless Divine Kingdom more than two thousand years later, but now she thought less than a thousand could be a reality.


    "Every advance I make is only possible because of you so you don''t have to praise me."


    Nero and Sarah were talking about the new advance as he continued to drain the remaining corpses. But then he heard the sounds of an animal coming almost a mile away.


    "Your senses are very potent! Get closer to it, and then I can use my spiritual sense to see the level of cultivation. Perhaps that beast will be a good opponent for you to test your new strength."


    Sarah didn''t need to speak twice before Nero went in the direction he heard the wild beast''s movements.

 26 Through the Mountains part 2

    "ARH-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"


    A loud, long howl of what probably was a wolf sounded in the peaceful night just over some miles from Nero''s camp. Then after that louder howl came other, slightly weaker howls.


    "SHIT! FUCK!! DAMN!!!"


    Nero was very upset. He had been running for more than half an hour but could not get rid of the wolves that were chasing him. Maybe it was time to run to the camp and ask for help. Nero was really upset about having to ask for help. But he couldn''t even count how many wolves in the Martial Warrior Realm were after him now.


    "You jerk! I told you it was going to suck!"


    Sarah was almost sick with worry even though she was a spirit. She couldn''t help but blame Nero for being reckless.


    _____________________________________


    About half an hour before.


    "Can you find out anything else about the sound?"


    Sarah asked Nero about the animal sound he heard as they went towards the sound.


    "It was like a dog walking and smelling. Now it''s going away, so I have to increase my speed, so it doesn''t run."


    Nero was really enjoying his senses, being so much more potent after he reached the fourth layer. His strength, and especially the speed, also had significant improvements. Now that he heard that dog-like animal, he was eager to test his power improvement.


    "It is probably a wild wolf. You have to be careful as wolves can be weak on their own, but they usually go in packs, and that makes them a serious threat."


    Sarah could feel a certain amount of cultivation with her spiritual sense that even though it was fragile could still be useful. If Nero got close enough to the wolf, she could tell if it would be dangerous or not. But Sarah was afraid that a wolf would not walk alone except in rare cases.


    "Okay, I''m just hearing one of them."


    Nero kept running, and in a few seconds, he could see a wolf walking towards the top of the mountain. The wolf was almost two meters long and nearly one meter high. It was a huge wolf compared to those on Earth. Its fur was black onyx, and he was sniffing the ground as if it were tracking some prey.


    "It is in the first layer of Martial Warrior Realm. Even if you can defeat it quickly, I think it is better not to go against it because if others appear with the same strength, you can get in trouble."


    Sarah was sure that Nero could defeat someone in the early-stage of the Martial Warrior, but she feared that other wolves would appear. Sarah''s thought was always to be cautious, but Nero was sometimes very impulsive.


    "I do not hear any sounds other than the wind and insects in a mile. It must be safe to fight this wolf, and if more appear, I can just run."


    Nero was not very confident in his strength, but his speed was another story. His main attribute was certainly speed and senses, but even that has its limits.


    Nero ran towards the wolf with the Qi Guardian gauntlet formed ready for action. Sarah could only roll her eyes at Red World for Nero''s recklessness.


    *Clang*


    When Nero was about to hit the wolf from behind in a surprise attack, the wolf turned and blocked the grip that Nero tried to make with the gauntlet with its teeth making a sound of metal colliding with another metal because the wolf''s teeth were really hard.


    "Too slow!"


    Nero had not used all his speed because he wanted to test his whole body, so when the wolf blocked his gauntlet, he used the wolf as an impulse to throw his legs high in an attempt to kick from top to bottom as if falling from the sky.


    The wolf was unable to dodge because Nero used more speed, so the wolf was kicked in the head, making a whining sound and trying to run from Nero, who fell standing two meters from it after the move.


    When Nero realized that the wolf was trying to escape, he gave a sinister smile and ran after the poor wolf. Even injured, the wolf was very fast running with its four super strong legs. The wound it had was on the head, not preventing the wolf from running like never with such fear.


    "Wait! I am feeling several auras. Some stronger than that wolf. Can''t you hear anything? Focus, they may be hiding."


    When the wolf passed a large rock and left Nero''s vision, Sarah exclaimed in his mind to alert him.


    "Heh?"


    Nero stopped just as Sarah spoke and focused on the audition. In the first few seconds, he could hear in detail even the sound of the wind hitting rocks and some trees, but then he heard a soft beat sound.


    When he focused on the beat sound to try to figure out what it was, he also heard a slight breathing sound. Then he realized that it must be another wolf sleeping, but then he heard another one and then more until he couldn''t count.


    "I can hear it, Sarah. There must be a wolf pack sleeping near- Heeeeee?"


    When Nero was reporting what he heard to Sarah, he also continued to pay attention to where the sound of the sleeping wolves came from. It seemed that they were all asleep because the sounds were very low and at the same pace.


    But then while Nero was still talking to Sarah, he heard a change in the situation of the wolves because that wolf he hurt got there howling. When Nero heard that he knew it would not end well.


    "The injured wolf arrived with the pack, and they are waking up quic-"


    "Run now! They are coming, and some are possibly in the middle-stage of Martial Warrior Realm."


    Nero heard the wolves waking up and coming towards him, but before he could speak, Sarah screamed for him to run. She also felt the auras approaching and some stronger than Nero adding the fact that they were in high numbers that would be fatal for Nero.


    Nero didn''t think for a second before turning to run. But at that precise moment, he didn''t run but bent down. And then a wolf passed over him, growling fiercely. Nero had heard the wolf coming and almost didn''t believe in the incredible speed it had.


    Nero tried to run after dodging the wolf. When he was going in the other direction, another wolf came, and Nero was forced to jump to dodge that one, but the wolf behind him took the chance to bite Nero''s arm when he touched the ground.


    "Arrrgh!"


    Nero couldn''t help but groan in pain as the wolf was powerful, and its teeth sank deep into his left arm. Nero acted quickly and punched the wolf in the head. His fist was covered by the Qi Guardian''s gauntlet before reaching the wolf''s mouth, which did not expect that hardness and suffered severe wounds.


    While one wolf was sent to the ground with a broken mouth, the other attacked Nero once more, who dodged and succeeded in running away because other wolves were coming.


    "Shit! They are chasing me. Damn, wolves!"


    Nero couldn''t help cursing as he ran from the wolves that were less than fifty meters from him, and more were coming after those. Nero knew that he had kicked a ''vespiary'' this time. The only solution now was to try to run faster than the wolves and hide from them.


    Nero ran as fast as he could, and after ten minutes, he had managed an advantage of almost half a mile from the wolves. But the beasts still chased him excitedly until the wolves at the front went to the side as if making way for some wolf that was in the middle of the pack.


    "ARH-WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"


    Then Nero heard for the first time the loudest howl so far that it was clearly the alpha wolf that ran out of the pack running faster than the others. After the leader took the lead, the pack began to run faster and erase the advantage that Nero had worked so hard to obtain.


    "Really?"


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    Nero was really scared now when he saw the alpha wolf that was bigger than the other common wolves and had mixed black and red fur. Wolves were already fast, but now they were clearly faster than him after the alpha wolf''s encouragement.


    "Sarah? Any ideas, or am I am going to be wolf food?"


    As the wolf pack came closer and closer to Nero, he asked for help from his unique partner. But Sarah was very nervous as she did not know what to think as the situation was really alarming. The wolves were about a hundred or more and all strong in the Martial Warrior Realm. Maybe the alpha wolf was even from the late-stage, which was not a good thing!


    Sarah and Nero didn''t even think about Xiong Zhelan as no one from the Martial Warrior alone could handle this pack of wolves. If Nero ran to the camp, it was only to give more food to the wolves.


    "I have an idea! But I think it is unlikely to work, and now is not a good time to try new things."


    Sarah had one of her ideas about Qi Guardian, but things about it were always complicated as it was not known to her and were just variables that could work or not.


    "But we have no option now! Anything you have thought of could be our only chance."


    Nero knew that Sarah cared a lot for him, and they both shared the same body. Trying new things in dangerous situations was what made him end up in this mess, but now was not the time to think much about things because the wolves were less than a hundred meters from him.


    "Your Qi Guardian. I think you could try to send it to your legs and try to improve the internal structure by increasing your speed."


    Sarah believed that Nero could use his Qi Guardian in many ways related to the body as the blood attribute should be very complex. Sarah had heard of several Qi Guardians with similar attributes, but blood was new to everyone. And they weren''t even sure if it was really ''blood.''


    When she thought that Nero could suck other people''s blood with the gauntlet, Sarah believed that many other things she thought might be possible, but that would depend on how Nero''s Qi Guardian would grow over time as it was still very young and little now.


    As the gauntlet significantly increased Nero''s strength, Sarah understood that the ''Little Red'' had as one of the primary uses in improving the body. If Nero could improve his strength, then it would not be impossible to focus on his legs and boost the speed.


    As the situation was desperate and Nero would never doubt Sarah, it didn''t take him even a second to try the idea. He focused on the Qi Guardian and this time, not for the hand but the right leg. At first, he couldn''t help thinking about making a boot as it would be the same principle as the gauntlet, but he knew that the red mass in his Dandian would not be enough for two boots as it was for a gauntlet.


    So Nero tried to get only half of the Qi Guardian to go to his right leg and just as he thought the red mass appeared on his skin. The mass was all moved by Nero''s thoughts and soon took on a form of red lines over the skin, going from the knees to the feet under the pants and leather boots.


    "Hahahaha! It''s working! Once again, you surprise me with your idea, Sarah. I wish I could kiss you now, but there is still a wolf pack chasing me."


    Nero couldn''t help but thank Sarah as he could feel the strength in his leg increase as the lines of Qi Guardian entered his flesh, becoming one with his body. With the increase of power in the leg, he could run faster, so Nero wasted no time in doing the same process with his left leg, soon getting faster than wolves and starting to gain the distance advantage again.


    "Don''t thank me yet as things are not going to end so easily. You need to run as fast as possible to the camp to join the group and get out of here fast because the wolves even not seeing you will still smell and follow you."


    "Yes. That seems like the right thing to do. I''m going back to camp to warn the others before the wolves arrive."


    Nero agreed with Sarah''s plan and went on running now much faster than the wolves towards the camp where everyone was already alarmed, hearing the distant howls and worried about where Nero was.

 27 Through the Mountains part 3

    "A wolf?"


    Xun Lan startled asked when she left the tent and saw Xion Zhelan and Zhu Tai standing looking at the horizon from the direction the howls came from.


    "It sounded like one. But this kind of beast was not supposed to be so far from the mountain peaks."


    Xiong Zhelan, which had the best senses before Nero in the group, heard the howling while they were far away. He was surprised because when he made this journey before, he only saw dangerous beasts in the highest parts of the mountain.


    He hadn''t slept for even a second because he was worried and curious about Nero, who was more than a few hours away from the camp. He really wanted to go check out what kind of thing Nero was doing, but he wanted more to have a good relationship with him because he was sure his sister would appreciate someone like Nero very much.


    When Xiong Zhelan heard the howling, he immediately thought that Nero might be in trouble, but he also could not just leave Zhu Tai and Xun Lan to go look for Nero, that no one did not know where was. Letting the two coming with him to look for Nero in the direction of the howls also seemed like a wrong decision.


    "Perhaps they are just young wolves from the Qi Refinement Realm who have separated from the pack for some reason and have descended far from the highest parts of the mountain."


    Zhu Tai knew from his master''s expression that the situation was not so simple, but he still tried to see things positively.


    "Heh? Look over there!"


    When Xiong Zhelan exclaimed and pointed away at the horizon, everyone could see a black ''dot'' that seemed to move towards them. As the landscape there was almost flat with few rocks and trees, it was not difficult to see distant things even further for cultivators who had better senses than ordinary people.


    "Is it Nero?"


    Xun Lan was the first to ask, but Xion Xhelan was already sure that it was him because the ''dot'' moved very fast, and soon they realized that ''it'' was a person the closer he got.


    Everyone was impressed with the speed that Nero ran and could not even see the movements of his legs. Xiong Zhelan was by far the most impressed as he was sure that even he, a cultivator of the Martial Warrior Realm, could not run as fast as Nero. Xiong Zhelan was sure that Nero should have not only a mysterious cultivation technique but also a movement technique.


    In less than a minute after the group saw the ''dot'' on the horizon, Nero was already in front of them, breathing hard because he had run on the limit of his body.


    "We do not have time! There''s a pack with over a hundred wolves chasing me, and they''ll probably be here soon."


    Nero did not want to waste time, so he got to the point while picking up the backpack and bag that he was responsible for, making it clear that the situation was critical.


    "It''s all right. Come on, just take the essentials and leave the tents. We have to be quick."


    Everyone understood that the situation was not a joke and Xiong Zhelan gave the order making the group grab the backpacks and bags to run away from there quickly.


    ____________________________________________


    A few minutes later, the group was already far from the camp, but they could still clearly see the wolves arriving there as they were on a high ground closer to the mountain peaks.


    "That was close! Phew!"


    Xun Lan was the first to show relief while she still had her hand on her belly, breathing with difficulties as the whole group ran as fast as they could. Everyone was happy to have left the camp in time and could see the wolves destroying the tents.


    "Let''s try not to get away from each other from now on as we never know what dangers might arise."


    The group did not stop to rest and continued towards the mountain peaks where the valley''s exit was located.


    The terrain was increasingly filled with stones and rocks. The road was small as an ancient trail almost faded, and in the front, they could see a small crack in the mountain where the passage was.


    After more than five hours walking, the group arrived at the crack and saw a trail that passed through the middle of the mountain, but they could not see the other side of the trail because the path had curves and the inner walls of the mountain prevented the view of the other side.


    "It looks pretty sinister."


    Xun Lan couldn''t help commenting on the gloomy air on the trail inside the mountain had. Everyone in the group had similar thoughts except Nero, who found the dark trail enjoyable.


    "That will be the most dangerous part. Be very careful on the trail, and never go far from me. We can do it without problems if we are quick and cautious."


    Xion Zhelan warned, and the group slowly entered the trail. He had problems with a wolf and a bear when he first came for this path, but he had no injuries as the creatures were alone and at the same level of strength as him. But he knew that there were beasts much stronger than he in these mountains, so being careful was not an exaggeration.


    A wild beast could have cultivation, just like people. These beasts absorbed Qi from nature in many different ways and passed through the same Realms. Between a fight of a person against a beast at the same level, a lot could happen, but most of the time, the person had more advantages because of intelligence.


    The beast act on instinct while humans and non-humans could think strategically. Of course, it all depends on the beast and the person who will be fighting because, just like people, beasts can also have unique skills like techniques and Qi Guardians that can give significant advantages in fights.


    As Nero walked with the group along the trail, he could hear sounds of the creak of stones, slow movements, sounds of breathing and heartbeat, and also light growls within the trail that had become foggy at some point.


    With his very powerful senses, Nero knew that there were many beasts hidden on the trail, not in the middle of the path, but in caves and other cracks along the way. Then he would only say something about a beast being very close to them and not those that were far away and would not create problems as they walked fast and without making loud noises.


    "Your arm, Nero! What happened? We have to attend this wound."


    As they walked the misty trail, Xun Lan was beside Nero and noticed an injury to his arm. So far, they had run without thinking much about anything other than running away from the wolves, but when they entered the trail, they started to walk more slowly and pay attention to everything around them.


    Nero suffered a serious injury to his forearm fighting the two wolves before being chased by the pack. He was always running and couldn''t pay attention to the wound that had already bled a lot. After entering the trail, he started to pay attention to the different sounds that came from all over the place and ended up forgetting about the wound again. Even though it was bothering a lot, he was very resistant to pain.


    "I got hurt fighting a wolf, but now it has stopped bleeding, so don''t worry because when we pass the mountain, I will wash and bandage it."


    Nero didn''t want the group to stop on such a dangerous part of the path just to take care of his wound, so he didn''t let Xun Lan do what she wanted, but she insisted a lot. Xiong Zhelan had to ask her to be quiet and assured that Nero would have no problem taking care of the wound after they crossed the trail.


    "Wait! I heard something ahead."


    As they walked, Nero quickly exclaimed for the group to stop because he heard a sound of movement coming from more than five hundred meters ahead. Xiong Zhelan and the others did not think much and stopped to hear what Nero had to say.


    As the trail was full of curves and had several different sounds coming, Nero had difficulties isolating and understanding each sound separately from a distance greater than five hundred meters. Still, now that this sound was closer, he can clearly understand that it was a big beast in their path.


    "I can hear a beast coming towards us, and I feel like it''s quite big because it makes a big impact when steps on the ground."


    Nero seriously spoke, causing Zhu Tai and Xun Lan to make faces of fear and Xiong Zhelan to be impressed once again.


    "How can you hear it so far that even I can''t?"


    Xion Zhelan couldn''t help but ask Nero about his powerful senses as he understood that on this trail, it was challenging to use the senses well as the fog and the curvy path were difficult obstacles. But when he was questioning Nero, he can also feel the beast coming within three hundred meters.


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    "It looks like a bear because of its size, but it is even bigger than the one I faced here on my first time. Everyone behind me! I will try to face him, but if things are going bad, I will tell you to pass by me while I hold the bear and follow the path because we are almost across the mountain."


    Xiong Zhelan realized that the beast must be a bear, and because of its size, it was stronger than him, so he prepared to face him alone as it would be fatal for any of the others. Xiong Zhelan was prepared to risk his life holding the bear for the group to cross the mountain safely.


    Because as the fight would be almost impossible to win he should at least give the group a chance to pass the bear and then after they are safe on the other side of the mountain, he would flee away from the bear with an escape technique and try to cross the trail in another time.


    Xun Lan and Zhu Tai understood Xiong Zhelan''s plan well and were sure that he could escape from the bear after they passed them. But Nero didn''t think so because he didn''t know how to react to a human by risking his life for him.


    Nero wouldn''t care for humans losing their life, but he could fight together with Xiong Zhelan, and they could win the fight even if the bear were stronger than they in one against one. But he didn''t know if that was what he wanted or if it would be right to let Xiong Zhelan do everything on his own and risk his life.


    "You don''t know if he would be hostile to you if he knew your secret. And he probably already knows and I sure you think so too. So forget about this shit of humans and non-humans now and help him because that''s what you really want."


    Sarah went straight to the point, taking Nero out of confused thoughts and making him sure that it was right to fight alongside Xiong Zhelan. Nero already liked the good middle-aged man and thought he knew about him being non-human or at least suspected because of his always suspicious conduct.


    "Xiong Zhelan! I will go together, and you know it will be better this way because we both cannot do much against the bear alone, but together, it will not be difficult to defeat it."


    Nero wasted no time after thanking Sarah for always being a reasoned voice in his mind and followed Xiong Zhelan, who was heading towards the bear.


    "Thank''s boy. I never doubted that you were a good person even though you have a lot of reasons not to like us."


    Xiong Zhelan knew that Nero was powerful, and he did not understand if it was his talent or perhaps his peculiarity. Xiong Zhelan was very suspicious, but he always hoped that Nero was a good and decent person.


    When he saw Nero going with him to fight the bear, he knew that taking him to his sister was the best decision he could make, and he was sure that the fight against the bear would be a victory now.


    "He knows!"


    When Xiong Zhelan talked about Nero having reasons to dislike ''them,'' Sarah and Nero thought together that he knew about the secret. Now, if that were good or bad, they would have to find out over time as Xiong Zhelan has always treated Nero with a lot of respect. It remains to be seen if that is the real him or a mask.

 28 Through the Mountains final par

    "You don''t have to worry about your secret. I have no reason to tell anyone, and you will understand my intentions when you meet my sister as she will be your best ally on this side of the world."


    Xiong Zhelan had to calm Nero, who was making a perplexed face after he ended up talking more than he wanted to.


    "Okay, I''ll trust you now, but if I know you have other intentions, you won''t have a quick death."


    Nero and Xiong zhelan were more than a hundred meters from Xun Lan and Zhu Tai and could already see the bear. He was really big with a little more than three meters in length and two meters in height.


    The bear that, according to Sarah, was in the middle stage of the Martial Warrior Realm had dark gray fur and a vertical cut scar on its right eye. The main attribute of the bear was its great strength. He had claws full of huge nails that were four inches long with the durability of stone and as sharp as steel.


    When Nero and Xiong Zhelan approached, the bear gave a loud roar to demonstrate that it was hostile to them. Nero already had the Qi Guardian gauntlet covering his hand. Xiong Zhelan remembered that gauntlet of Nero''s fight against Wei Ping and was very curious about it, but now was not the time for questions.


    "Any plan?"


    Xiong Zhelan had a lot of ideas on how to hold the bear for the group to pass, but about fighting together with Nero, he had no idea, so he asked him. They were still almost a hundred meters from the bear, so there was time to plan the move as the bear stopped to roar and face them.


    "We go on opposite sides with me in front of a few feet. When the bear attacks me, I will dodge and hold his head with my gauntlet, so you deliver the final blow. Looks good?"


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    "It looks good, but are you sure you have the strength needed? That bear is much stronger than me."


    "You can be sure. I won''t be able to hold for more than a few seconds, but it will be enough for you to make your move."


    Xiong Zhelan feared that something would happen to Nero, but he would have to rely on his strength now. He nodded to Nero in agreement with the plan and then took a sword from the magic backpack that was on his back the entire time.


    Nero couldn''t help but be fascinated with the proudly shining sword. It was a beautiful silver double-edged Xiphos sword with fifty centimeters of blade and ten of hilt made of leather.


    "It''s a level one magic weapon. It was a gift from my father, and I carry it with me always. It has saved my life many times, and now will be enough to send that bear into the afterlife."


    Xion Zhelan saw how Nero looked at the sword with fascination in his eyes, and he couldn''t be more proud of his beautiful sword that was like a companion in his life.


    Magic weapons were rated from one to six in this world as well as magic armors. Magic weapons and armors were made by blacksmiths who were also masters of magical formations that used Qi to increase all attributes significantly on the created item.


    There were also magic jewels like space rings, but they were not classified in six but three because they were all very varied with very different attributes and uses and were classified mainly by their value.


    Nero continued walking towards the bear while Xiong Zhelan followed him from the other side with his sword in hand. The bear came towards them running, prepared to attack Nero, and defend what it thought was its territory.


    When the bear was very close, Nero focused all his concentration on his senses, and it was almost as if the world was in slow motion. Nero saw the bear opening its mouth and trying to bite towards him and had time to dodge as he wanted. The bear was not a very fast creature and prioritized strength and endurance.


    When the bear''s mouth was very close to Nero''s shoulder, he dodged aside and tried to grab the bear''s neck with the gauntlet, but as the bear was huge and wide, he had to use both hands to be more firm in the grip.


    "SHIT!"


    Nero tried to hold the bear standing on the side of its head, but the bear threw itself towards the inner walls of the mountain, hitting Nero against the rocks. Nero hits his back against the stone wall and could hear the sound of his bones creaking to show dissatisfaction with that treatment.


    When Nero was thrown at the wall by the bear, he also hit his head against a stone and got a little dizzy. The bear that saw Nero fall to the ground turned to go after the other enemy.


    "Nero!"


    Xiong Zhelan was right behind, but everything was so fast that he can only see Nero being hit against the walls by the bear. He was very concerned about Nero and did not realize that the bear was already coming towards him.


    Xiong Zhelan was a cultivator of balanced attributes, so he had no super senses like Nero. He knew it wouldn''t be easy to dodge the bear, so he used his sword to block the bear''s mouth horizontally. The impact was hard, and the bear started to push Xiong Zhelan with the sword still stuck in its mouth.


    Xiong Zhelan didn''t need to look back to know that the bear was pushing him towards the mountain walls as the trail was narrow. He tried to use all his strength, but still, his feet were sliding across the floor while the bear was pushing him by the sword.


    Nero, who recovered from the impact, stood up and saw the bear pushing Xiong Zhelan against the walls just as it was done with him. Xiong Zhelan looked out of options, but then he held his left hand on the bear''s head and using the other hand, he pulled the sword out of the bear''s mouth from the side and threw it away.


    That was a very strange action, and Nero couldn''t help being confused, so Xiong Zhelan, who was now holding on the bear with his hands, started to shine with a black light. The sword on the floor also started to shine with the same light, then Xiong Zhelan disappeared from the bear''s front less than three feet from the wall.


    "Heeeh?"


    Nero was surprised when Xiong Zhelan disappeared into the blacklight, but as his senses were excellent, he was quick to notice that Xiong Zhelan had appeared on the sword that was on the ground. So he came to the conclusion that this was a martial technique about teleportation or something like.


    "Okay, Nero?"


    "Let''s keep the plan. I''ll make it that time!"


    Xiong Zhelan took advantage while the bear was confused by his sudden disappearance and asked Nero if he was okay. Nero seemed to be fine because he was already running towards the bear and told him to follow the same plan as before.


    Xiong Zhelan stood up with his sword shining in his hands. He had used his family''s oldest martial technique that was taught to him by his mother. That technique could teleport the user to his sword, but it consumed a lot of Qi and was very difficult to learn.


    He had already spent almost half of his Qi reserves, but Xiong Zhelan was still pretty good for fighting, so he ran after Nero towards the bear prepared to attack as soon as he had the chance. Less than a second after he started running towards the bear, he saw Nero run as fast as a flash and send a punch towards the bear''s head.


    Xiong Zhelan was confused by Nero''s action as the plan was for him to dodge when the bear attacks him, but then he understood when he saw the bear raise its front claw to block Nero''s attack. Nero changed the direction of the punch when he was almost hitting the bear''s claw, so he went to its side and managed to climb on the bear''s back by catching it off guard for that unexpected action.


    Nero knew that holding the bear''s head would be very difficult because the bear could throw itself against something then hitting him, but if he were on top of the bear, it would be more difficult for it to hit him against the walls.


    The plan, in theory, was good, but when Nero climbed on top of the bear, things got complicated as it started to swing from side to side while Nero held its neck tightly with both hands. Nero was holding on so tightly that the bear''s skin was tearing against his nails. He thought he couldn''t take more than a few seconds before the bear threw him away or collapsed to the ground above him.


    "NOW!"


    But then Nero heard Xiong Zhelan''s voice and took his hands off the bear''s neck a second before Xiong Zhelan''s sword passed by cutting off the bear''s head. Nero saw everything in slow motion still on top of the bear. The sword shone with sharp, and the bear''s flesh seemed to make way to the blade willingly.


    Xiong Zhelan used all his strength to make that a devastating blow. The bear''s blood splashed on Nero and Xiong Zhelan, completely covering them. When the bear''s head fell to the ground, Xiong Zhelan sat back tired. Nero jumped off the bear''s back before it fell dead and couldn''t help but taste some of the blood on his hand. He could feel the Qi very high in the blood, but the flavor was still pretty bad.


    "I said the plan was good."


    "It was crazy! You climbed on a Martial Warrior Realm bear''s back while still being in the Qi Refinement Realm. Nobody would believe it because it is simply impossible!"


    "If it was impossible, how are we still alive?"


    "..."


    Xiong Zhelan did not know how Nero could speak so calmly after the miracle he did. Xiong Zhelan was sure that Nero was a type of cultivation freak. A genius who hasn''t appeared in less than ten thousand years or so he was a different kind of thing that he never heard of.


    "You were also very effective with that sword. Does everyone in the Black Sword Sect have such magnificent swords? Will I have one too?"


    Nero was really impressed with Xiong Zhelan. He tried nothing more than his plan, and thanks to that good teamwork Nero who already thought well of him, now thinks much better. Nero already thought of him as a friend. Going through a life or death situation brings people closer together, which leaves no doubt. Xiong Zhelan also thought very highly of Nero.


    "Everyone in the sect has a chance to get exceptional swords depending only on their efforts, but this sword here is a gift from my parents, a family heirloom. You seem to like swords. You will one day thank me very much for introducing you to my sister because she has the best swords of the sect by far."


    "I hope you''re right. I really like swords."


    "Hahahahahah..."


    Nero spoke without taking his eyes off the sword, which, despite being full of blood, still glowed with pride, making Xiong Zhelan laugh at Nero''s excited expression. Xiong Zhelan thought the right place for Nero was in the Black Sword Sect with his sister and was excited to see how satisfied she would be with him.


    "Nero! Are you okay?!"


    Xun Lan barely arrived and already ran to check Nero looking up and down his body, looking for any injuries. Nero, who was sitting next to Xiong Zhelan, cannot do anything while Xun Lan turned him over and over.


    "How was the fight? We didn''t see anything through the fog."


    After Xiong Zhelan told Zhu Tai and Xun Lan about the fight, avoiding telling any secrets about Nero, the group advanced on the trail towards the other side of the mountain.

 29 Sunflower Village

    "WOW!"


    Xun Lan couldn''t help exclaiming when she saw the view from the other side of the mountain.


    The group followed the trail right after the fight against the bear, and it was not long before they reached the end of the inner part of the mountain.


    Nero''s vision could not see until the end of the landscape because they were too high. There were forests, rivers, fields of various types such as plantations and fields of natural flowers. He could also see other smaller mountains, trees of all types and sizes.


    It also had villages and castles. Nero could see small communities near plantation fields that looked like Abun. Roads were connecting small villages to others and castles that varied in size and color. As the group was at the top of the mountain, it was easy to see everything from afar even though they were places that were far from each other.


    "Kujin. The name of this country is Kujin, and it is in the territory of the Xu Dynasty."


    Xiong Zhelan saw Nero and Xun Lan looking in wonder at the view of the horizon that was really beautiful, and he told them the name of his homeland. Kujin was a vast country and essential to the Xu Dynasty, which was the region is to the far east if the planet was seen on a map.


    "The Black Sword Sect is to the west, so we still have a long way ahead."


    Xiong Zhelan pointed to the west where it was possible to see villages and forests, but the Black Sword Sect was after the hills that were not yet visible in that direction.


    "Shall we stop at Sunflower Village?"


    As the group went down the mountain road, Zhu Tai asked his master about stopping at the village that they rested the first time they did this route. He still remembers the village that they were very welcoming, and although simple, it had great food.


    "Yes. We go stop there to rest and wash Nero''s wound."


    The group followed the road that got better each time they went down. The background has also completely changed, beginning to appear several trees and different flowers. The land became more and more grassy and green, then the road started becoming formed by well-organized cobblestones showing that they were already in the territory of a village.


    Soon the group began to see people working in the fields and walking the streets. Nero found the people here very similar to Abun''s, who resembled Eastern people on Earth. The vampire country on Earth was also in the east, so Nero also had soft oriental features because his mother was western.


    Everyone looked at the group with curious eyes. Everyone in Nero''s group drew a lot of attention because Nero was very handsome; Xun Lan was also a beautiful young woman; Xiong Zhelan wore clothes similar to the people of the Black Sword Sect and even had an emblem of an elder of the sect, but few knew the emblem; Zhu Tai was just himself, ordinary.


    "Are we some kind of attraction to them?"


    Zhu Tai couldn''t help but complain about how he found the looks that people gave their group very unpleasant. But of course, he was more upset by the fact that the women''s eyes were all on Nero, and he was being excluded.


    "The common people are not to blame for being curious. It is not always that visitors come to this area except by the Duke''s tax collectors."


    Xiong Zhelan gave some talks to Nero and Xun Lan about the political organization of the Xu Dynasty. The territory was too large to be managed by the royal family only, so there were four great powers in the main cardinal points.


    The Black Sword Sect managed the South region as the most significant power, but even so, it was still difficult to deal with so many villages and towns. Then like the other big powers, they divided the regions into Duchies, each controlled by a family of high strength and prestige.


    The place they were now was the small sunflower village that was under the control of a Duchy, and the family responsible for that region managed and protected the entire region. It was common to collect taxes and other things like requisitioning people for war or as servants. Some Duchies did not do these methods, but everything depended on the place and its rulers.


    The hierarchy of power started with the Xu Royal Family and next on to the big four authorities until it ended with the Duchies. So Xiong Zhelan, even though he was an elder of the external court in the Black Sword Sect, was a higher authority here than the Duke.


    Xiong Zhelan was a humble person and lived by his sword, so he would not use his authority without reason. Still, people could recognize his clothes and treat him with great respect, but he was always friendly and helpful, which only increased the Black Sword Sect''s good reputation.


    The group walked slowly through the small village that was very busy. They went to the main street and were soon able to see the inn where Xiong Zhelan had already stayed.


    Sunflower Inn


    The name on the board was not very creative, but it showed that it was the main tavern in the city, saving time for travelers who wanted the best place. The inn was like a big mansion looking like it had more than ten rooms in addition to a big hall. It was made of good quality wood and stones with very charming glass windows.


    When they entered the tavern, they were attacked by a wonderful smell of homemade food. People came in and out of the inn, which was very busy with several groups of people drinking and talking. It is an enjoyable and friendly climate.


    "Welcome esteemed guests!"


    As soon as the group entered the door, a waitress who danced between tables with a tray full of glasses passed by Nero''s group and called them towards a table in a very friendly and dedicated way showing that she was excellent for the attendant service.


    People noticed the group quickly, but no one stared at them openly, and some people gave them friendly looks and sometimes slight nods showing that they respected the group formed by what looked like an Elder from the Black Sword Sect.


    The atmosphere was very pleasant, and everyone was excited to order some food. The group followed the waitress, who was excitedly taking them to the best available table. She couldn''t help but give Nero a few looks as she found him the most beautiful man she had ever seen, leaving Xun Lan with a severe and attentive look as if to protect her treasure.


    "You can sit down. I''ll bring anything you want, just ask. Today we have a roast lamb that looks amazing."


    "We are going to spend the night here, so I wanted to ask you to take Nero to a room and give him towels and bandages so he can take a shower."


    The waitress was talking about the dishes, but Xiong Zhelan asked her to give the handsome young man a room. She couldn''t be happier, and if he asked her to help him in the bath, it would be even better.


    "I''ll help him with the wound!"


    "Okay, Lan. I can handle that alone, so sit there and eat in peace. I''ll be right back."


    Xun Lan would not miss an opportunity to approach Nero, even more seeing the excited look on the waitress''s face, but Nero called her by her first name in such a loving way that she couldn''t help but nod and sit in her chair.


    The group ordered a lot of meat and drinks for another waitress who came after the first one to leave with Nero towards the rooms. The tavern owner had already recognized Xiong Zhelan and ordered the attendants to treat the group in the best possible way.


    __________________________________________


    "It was not a bad sight."


    Nero was slowly getting used to that kind of feeling. Maybe he was a racist for a long time, and now he started to see that people were just people before any kind of physical characteristics.


    Judging someone for the mistakes that others have made was not right. And those curves are not so different from the ones that he loved so much...


    Nero was having very strange and confusing thoughts as he looked at the cheerful backside of the waitress who was excitedly shaking, trying to get his attention.


    Sarah would be happy that Nero started showing less anger at humans and started treating them depending on how each person treated him. But she was not at all happy with that silly smile he was doing while looking at that sweet butt.


    "That is the room. It is the best we have, so I hope that Sir. is comfortable."


    The waitress took Nero to the last door on the second floor of the tavern. When he entered the room, he could see that it was a very large suite with a double bed in the middle and several furniture like tables and sofas. The bathroom had no door, and it was possible to see a large bathtub where he would take his shower.


    "You can call me Nero. If possible, I would like to take a shower now, so thanks for everything."


    Nero really wanted to take a shower and relax because the mountain journey was almost without any rest, so he tried not to be rude to the girl who was being so kind.


    "I don''t want to disturb you, but I couldn''t help but hear that you''re hurt, so how about I help you with the bandages in the bath?"


    She had never seen such a handsome man, and even though he seemed to be dirty as a traveler who came from afar, she couldn''t help but find his scent very good. To waste such a chance would be a sin.


    "I don''t think it would be appropriate for a girl as young and beautiful as you to give me this service."


    "It would be an honor! By the way, my name is Qiao Mei. Let me take care of you today."


    Nero was not as disgusted by the girl as he would be from humans two years ago, but he still didn''t want her to serve him in the bath for no reason. He tried to be gentle, but she still insisted, and the desire to continue refusing was fading over time.


    "Sarah?"


    "It cannot be helped. But you will forget it when you leave this place!"


    Nero would not accept this kind of thing without Sarah''s permission, but when she was not entirely against it even though she showed that she was not very happy, he had to go ahead.


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    "It''s alright. You can help me, Qiao Mei."


    "Thank you, Nero. Then you can go into the bathroom because I''m going to get the bandages."


    Qiao Mei couldn''t be happier, and she demonstrated it well by running to prepare bandages while Nero headed for the bathroom without knowing what to make of this strange situation.


    "And now? Should I take this to the end or just help him with the bath?"


    Qiao Mei was a nice and working girl. She comes from a simple family in a simple village. Even though she has a little bit of cultivation, she is still in the first layer of Qi Refinement and has no hope of living great adventures away from this land, so she wants to take this chance to do something crazy at least once in life so as not to regret in the future of having a boring life.


    Even thinking of it as a crazy youth thing, Qiao Mei could not help feeling doubtful whether she should flirt with Nero and go to the end doing any action or just teasing him for fun. She already thought he was beautiful, but when he denied his first request to help in the bath, she was also sure that he was a nice guy who didn''t want to take advantage of her.


    "Hmm, I''ll let him decide what happens next."


    Qiao Mei grabbed the bandages and extra towels then headed towards the bathroom, jumping like a cheerful doe.

 30 Memorable Bath *

    Warning.


    That is an extra chapter with sexual R-18 content not essential to the main plot.


    I repeat. THE CONTENT OF THIS CHAPTER DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH THE PROGRESSION OF STORY. YOU CAN IGNORE IT IF YOU WANT.


    ________________________________________


    "Hum, it''s going to be a good bath after all this time."


    Nero went into the bathroom and turned on the bathtub tap while waiting for Qiao Mei to come. He couldn''t deny that he was a little excited about having someone in the bath with him because, after all, it was two years of living alone. Physically, of course, as Sarah never missed a day without at least a few words just to be there.


    When the bathtub was half full, Nero started taking off his shirt. But then he felt someone coming slowly towards the bathroom. He knew it was Qiao Mei by the smell, so he didn''t turn around and just continued to take off his shirt but more slowly as if leaving space for her to help him.


    "Let me help you."


    Just as Nero thought it was possible, Qiao Mei helped him take off his shirt. He had already left his overcoat in the room, so she helped him out of the red vest and then the black shirt. Her movements were very delicate and slow as if she were treating her good husband after he arrived tired from work.


    Qiao Mei was still very nervous. She came slowly trying to find the courage to be bolder, but it was difficult, and she found herself being shyer than she thought. When she saw him taking his shirt off, she thought it was going to be an excellent opportunity to start so that she would touch him while he didn''t see her flushed face.


    Qiao Mei was trying her best to be very practical, but when she touched Nero, she felt a shiver run through her body, so she focused on being delicate so as not to appear abrupt or rude in any way. She was enjoying touching those slightly muscled arms and that pleasant smell that seemed to mesmerize her. Qiao Mei feared losing focus and to look silly in front of this stranger who was driving her crazy.


    Nero was really enjoying Qiao Mei''s treatment. He was losing himself in the delicate touches of that girl who seemed very soft and kind. Her scent was like daisies blooming. Nero was afraid of losing control attacking Qiao Mei because he hadn''t had sex for more than two years, so he didn''t know how his body would react if she continued to be so hot.


    "Mmm... I think you better stop there or... I don''t know what I can end up doing."


    When Qiao Mei finished taking off Nero''s shirt, he turned to face her and warn that things were getting out of hand.


    "Don''t worry because I''m already a big girl, so let me serve you properly."


    Qiao Mei was surprised when Nero turned so fast as she was not prepared to see his body from the front. It was better than she imagined because Nero''s chest was not muscular enough that he looked strange, but he was not too thin for him to appear weak, making Qiao Mei find it perfect and cozy.


    That pale white skin was different, but Qiao Mei didn''t think it was bad and that white hair... There was no way anyone could not notice white hair at a young age guy, but the world was so big and full of things unknown to people in small villages. Qiao Mei already loved that white hair.


    "Okay, so I''m going in."


    Nero feared to look boring by stopping Qiao Mei all the time, but he feared more attacking against her will. But as she said she was a big girl, he turned and pulled his pants off to get into the bathtub.


    "I will do that too!"


    When Nero was pulling his pants down, he felt Qiao Mei hold his hands. Nero could feel her movements before she even finished thinking of what to do because his senses were much superior to hers. With that speed, Qiao Mei couldn''t do anything without Nero wanting to, but he was allowing everything because he wanted to see where it would end.


    Nero said nothing and let Qiao Mei take off his pants because he had also left his boot when he entered the bathroom and ended up only in his underwear.


    Qiao Mei took off his pants very quickly, but she couldn''t help but stop when she saw the volume in Nero''s underwear. Qiao Mei knew what she would find and was already preparing to see him completely naked, but when she saw all that size, she was scared.


    Nero stared at Qiao Mei in his underwear, trying to understand why she did it. Could it be that he was so charming? Nero never had a problem finding women willing to have sex with him, but this girl was very eager without even knowing him.


    "Do you also want to remove that part?"


    Nero couldn''t help but smile and tease Qiao Mei, who was so cute flushed. He thought about provoking her even more by taking off his underwear in front of her, but then he was surprised when he felt her move her hand towards his underwear. He wasn''t sure until she pulled his underwear down to reveal his friend very erect and ready for any action.


    "Should it be so big!?"


    Qiao Mei had a lot of theoretical knowledge of what a dick should look like, and she had even seen some of the young children, but she doesn''t expect Nero''s to be that big and looked harder than metal. She didn''t know whether to be afraid or excited, but she felt both at the same time.


    "I''m not sure. I have nothing to compare with to know."


    Nero never paid attention to other people''s dicks, but he still heard his colleagues and his father comments on how big he was in public baths and things like that. But it was not something he would like to be proud of and was only satisfied with his own body, so he already had ready phrases as he had been through this kind of situation before and just acted like he didn''t know anything.


    "I''m sorry... I didn''t mean to be indiscreet. I just don''t have much experience..."


    Qiao Mei was very ashamed of thinking out loud and did not know where to find a hole to hide. She was so surprised that she thought she had offended Nero.


    "The truth is, you never did anything like that. But do you still want to continue anyway?"


    Nero forced himself once again to be the annoying person who tries to stop the fun, but he just wanted one last consent from her so things would not end without proper action.


    "Just get in the bathtub, and I''ll wash your back."


    Now that she has come here, Qiao Mei will not give up on anything. She would do everything her heart wanted and even more until she was satisfied.


    The water was hot and when Nero entered the bathtub. There should be a pipe system going through some kind of wood-burning heater; after all, this seemed to be the best room in the inn. Nero sat in the bathtub and relaxed his body while waiting for Qiao Mei to do her part.


    He closed his eyes and soon smelled lavender. Qiao Mei was putting bath salts in the water, and when she finished, she took a sponge and began to wash Nero''s shoulders delicately. When she got close to the wound on his forearm, she couldn''t help but be impressed as it was a very violent wound, and it should be hurting a lot, but she didn''t see Nero showing any signs of pain or discomfort.


    "If it hurts, you let me know."


    "You are too careful to hurt me."


    Qiao Mei did not want to hurt Nero, so she warned him while cleaning the wound with all the care she had, but when he commented on her being very careful, Qiao Mei couldn''t help but smile because she liked that he knew what was good for him.


    "Keep your eyes closed, and I''ll give you extra service."


    Qiao Mei couldn''t help but blush even more when she started to take off her shirt slowly. She wanted Nero to take the first step, but she knew that she could do other things before, like washing his back more pleasantly.


    "Mmm..."


    Nero felt a soft touch on his back. It wasn''t hands, and he knew what part of the body Qiao Mei was using. He couldn''t deny that he was enjoying the feeling of that pair of breasts, which even wasn''t very big, but Nero thought was perfect.


    "You seem to be enjoying it a lot..."


    "And could anyone not like it?"


    Qiao Mei found it very comforting to hear Nero''s soft moans demonstrating that he was enjoying her breast massage. She pressed her chest against him tighter and slid up and down with the soap foaming between them.


    Qiao Mei had doubts about whether he would think she was good enough because she knew she didn''t have big breasts, and that would be considered bad for many men. But when Nero rhetorically asked if someone could not like it, she knew it wasn''t a problem for him and was glad to have chosen someone like Nero.


    "How nic-. Aaaah!?"


    Qiao Mai was going to tease more Nero when she suddenly found herself flying and can''t even saw his movement when she was already falling into the bathtub and splashing water all over the bathroom.


    Nero lost the last straw of desire to resist when Qiao Mei started rubbing his back so hard with her breasts. He, of course, asked permission from Sarah, who was silent as if she wasn''t listening and made it clear he could do what he wants now.


    "I''m still wearing clothes!"


    After throwing Qiao Mei into the bathtub on his lap, Nero didn''t think twice about tearing up the dress she was still wearing. Nero was already at the limit of his resistance, and his cock would take control of his body at any moment if it hadn''t already.


    "Now, you''re not using it anymore! Do you regret entering the wolf''s den, little sheep?"


    "Are you going to eat me, Sir Wolf?"


    Nero couldn''t help but tease Qiao Mei, and she was a great acting partner because she made a face of fear that soon turned into a mischievous smile when she teased him back.


    "Wow!"


    Qiao Mei''s mind went blank, and then it was like fireworks exploding when Nero kissed her suddenly. He hugged her tight with those long arms that she loved so much, and she allowed his tongue to enter her mouth and explore as much as it wanted.


    Nero loved the flavor of Qiao Mei. It was smooth and sweet without being even a bit cloying. She showed no resistance when he put their lips together and let him explore that beautiful little mouth to his heart desire that lasted for some minutes with a few short breaks for her to breathe.


    "When I finish eating you, there will be nothing left."


    "I dare you to do that!"


    Nero once again teased Qiao Mei, who followed his lines like a well-prepared script. Not only did she speak, but she also began to rub his cock, which was quite happy to receive such attentive treatment.


    "You are quite bold for a virgin."


    "Are you going to help me with that question, right?"


    Nero couldn''t help but press Qiao Mei against the other side of the bath. She was on his lap until now, but he reversed the situation and stayed on top of her, pressing his waist against her panties. When he tore the dress, the panties were still intact, but it wouldn''t stay that way for long.


    "You... naughty girl!"


    "Mmmmm..."


    Nero started to kiss Qiao Mei''s lips hard, and then he started to kiss her face, passing to her neck until leaving his mark on all the upper part of her body.


    When he started kissing her right breast and caressing the left one, Qiao Mei couldn''t help but moan with pleasure. Did she never think that the first time would be so fucking good, or would Nero be such a good lover? Something didn''t make sense because other women reported that the first time would be bad, and the men would be rude, but Qiao Mei thought that Nero''s performance couldn''t be more perfect.


    Nero was afraid that after two years, he would have lost his ''bed skills'' so he would have to be careful not to hurt Qiao Mei. Things seemed to be going well as she moaned a lot, and he was just starting.


    "Holy shit!"


    Qiao Mei couldn''t help but exclaim when she felt Nero''s finger slowly enter her most private place. She felt so good when Nero did slow movements with his fingers that she compared to when she did it on herself but ended up sure that it was nowhere near as his fingers looked divine.


    "Mm... This is so good!"


    Nero took his fingers off after playing inside Qiao Mei and sucked on the dripping liquids. Those liquids were not water, but the juices of Qiao Mei that Nero was sure to praise as it was delicious. Qiao Mei blushed with embarrassment, but she still had a smile on her face showing that she was happy with him enjoying her taste.


    "I can''t wait any longer!"


    Qiao Mei almost had an orgasm several times, but it looked like Nero was holding back when she was almost there. So she thought he wanted her first orgasm to be with his dick, so she had to make it clear that she wanted this and now.


    She tore what was left of her panties with one hand and took Nero''s cock with the other hand. She stroked a few times and then put it in the direction of her pink as she moved forward, trying to become one with him.


    Nero didn''t provoke her this time and moved his waist towards Qiao Mei. He knew that she would feel pain the first time even though he was as gentle as possible, but after a few seconds, she could start to feel pleasure if he had not forgotten how to do it properly.


    "Mmm..."


    When Nero felt the head of his cock touching what he could only describe as a super cute plush toy, he felt enormous pleasure. The lips of that cuteness slowly opened to welcome the visitor who entered opening the pink inner walls of Qiao Mei.


    "Aaah..."


    Qiao Mei was very nervous and anxious, but when she felt Nero''s hot rod touch her most private part, she felt a shiver, and then he slowly penetrated her while gently kissing her on the neck. She couldn''t help but gasp as he entered her until he reached the bottom. Even with a little pain, she was fine and knew that it was due to all the care and affection that Nero did the action.


    "Let me get used to it for a few seconds."


    Nero nodded in agreement with the Qiao Mei''s request and did not move, leaving his cock inside her for a few seconds. When she nodded back, he started to move slowly back and forth at a slow pace.


    That tightness... that softness... Nero couldn''t help thinking that he spent a long time without that wonderful feeling, and Qiao Mei was really incredible. He continued to penetrate her faster and faster as she moaned and screamed in great pleasure.


    Qiao Mei no longer felt any pain or discomfort and was going against Nero when he made moves to increase their pleasure. Her nails had already left several scratches on his back because she held him very tight and pulled him against her trying to take his cock to the depths of her pussy.


    Qiao Mei has never been happier to do something impulsive before. She had her eyes wide open shining with happiness every time Nero hit her hard, and her tongue was already out of breath so much. She felt like it was heaven.


    "Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!"


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    "Mmmmmmm!!!"


    As it was her first time feeling so much pleasure, Qiao Mei did not take long to come. And Nero, who hadn''t felt that pleasure in a long time, was also no different. Nero separated from Qiao Mei before he came, leaving the water white in the bathtub with the mixture of both love juices.


    "That was amazing! Hahahaha..."


    Nero and Qiao Mei said at the same time while each leaning on one side of the bathtub, breathing hard and laughing in ecstasy.


    "Once again?"


    Qiao Mei was the first to recover, and when she went towards Nero, she could feel her rod still hard and ready for more action, so she made a cute expression to ask for more fun.


    "As much as you want!"


    Nero got up quickly and picked up Qiao Mei in the way of carrying the princess then headed towards the bed in the room where they did many things for a long time.

 31 Looking for Problems

    "Isn''t he taking too long to take a shower? And that naughty waitress? I didn''t see her come back!"


    Xun Lan was already very nervous about Nero''s delay. Of course, she was dying of jealousy, and she regrets not having insisted on going with him. When more anxious she gets, the more she eats, scaring Xiong Zhelan and Zhu Tai.


    "Do you think he would do something with that simple girl when he did nothing with a beauty like you?"


    Zhu Tai had been upset for a long time with the way Nero treated Xun Lan. He did not think he was suitable for her because he was very old and knew his limits, but he could not sit and watch Nero ignore such a beautiful young woman who was clearly in love with him.


    "You''re right. Thanks for the praise, but I''m not as beautiful as you say. If I were, he wouldn''t run like that from me."


    Xun Lan liked to be praised before, but now no praise helps her ego because the only person she wanted to satisfy doesn''t seem to care about her ''great beauty.''


    "Do you not understand? He lived in the forest his whole life with his grandfather, so how do you expect him to come to society and out of nowhere understand everything?"


    "He doesn''t know about concepts like ''beauty,'' and he shouldn''t know about relationships either. So you must be patient and not force the situation because, at some point, he may be really upset with you before you can have anything with him."


    Xiong Zhelan did not want to get into this kind of youth thing, but he did not like to see Xun Lan treating Nero as a normal young man when he was clearly not like them. He didn''t think Nero was abnormal just that he had a childhood far removed from society and probably being not entirely human as he thought, so there was no way to expect things like that from him.


    "Sorry, master. I know he is naive, but that is because I am worried that she will take advantage of him."


    "He is coming. Enough of this matter because what he does with his personal life is none of our business."


    Xun Lan still wanted to argue about Nero being a victim of the waitress, but Xiong Zhelan put an end to the issue when he felt Nero coming towards them.


    "Hey guys, how was the meal?"


    "Heh?"


    Nero arrived excitedly and sat next to Xun Lan, asking about the meal. The group had not been with Nero for a long time, but they knew he wasn''t a talkative person and never saw him in such a good mood, making them surprised.


    "What? Is there something on my face?"


    "YES! That fucking radiant smile!"


    Nero thought it was strange that the group gave him confused looks, but Sarah spoke again to clarify things. From her tone, he knew that this matter would not be easily forgotten, and one day he would pay for it. But even if he suffered some punishment, it would still be worth it because Nero didn''t know how he needed it until he remembered what it was like.


    "Oh, sorry guys, I am not a very communicative person, but I want to improve this at least with the people close to me."


    "And the wound, did you take care of it?"


    Xiong Zhelan saw that Nero seemed to be trying to be more social and he didn''t want to complicate things, so he started asking about the wound by making Nero show his bandaged forearm.


    "It''s okay, I already took a bath, but now I''m going to get some sleep. I just came to tell you that I''m not going to eat with you, and I''m going back to rest in the room."


    "But it''s still the daytime! Didn''t you eat anything and go to sleep!?"


    Nero tried to give an excuse to go back and sleep as he was really tired of all the actions he did for almost two hours with Qiao Mei. But Xun Lan hit on the table and exclaimed in objection, drawing the attention of everyone in the hall.


    "Xun Lan! Don''t make a big deal out of it. We are all tired, and Nero fought the bear with me. So he is even more tired and has no problems if he wants to use the time to sleep before we get back on the journey."


    "My apologies. I will rest too."


    Xiong Zhelan had to get Xun Lan''s attention and it ended with everyone went to separate rooms to rest leaving a lot of talk for the people who observed the show.


    ___________________________________________


    The stronger the cultivator, the longer they can go without resting or eating. As Nero''s group was still in the Qi Refinement Realm, they slept in the afternoon and evening until dawn the other day as the journey through the mountain was very tiring. Even Xiong Zhelan had to rest appropriately.


    Nero was the last to wake up because he doesn''t like the day very much. He got up with the knock on the door that he already knew, but now he was not as angry as the first time.


    "Good morning, Nero!"


    Xun Lan was all overjoyed as if the previous day''s jealousy had not happened. She came to pick him up for breakfast.


    "Good morning, Lan."


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    Nero was not used to calling people by their full names, but he knew that calling she that way was a sign of proximity. He wanted to demonstrate that he accepted Xun Lan as a friend, but she had different thoughts and was all excited when he called her so.


    They went to the main hall to have breakfast.


    After talking to Xiong Zhelan and Zhu Tai, they chose a table and started having breakfast. Nero already had an idea of how to resolve suspicions about his eating habits.


    "I don''t say much about myself, but it is because my life was not at all interesting. So it''s okay not to understand some things about me. I was born with a difference in the stomach, so I don''t eat normal food as it would make me sick. I consume liquid food with vitamins that I make myself with fruits and vegetables, so don''t worry if you only see me drinking."


    Nero had already obtained many bottles from Qiao Mei so that he could store blood in these bottles and drink as if it were vitamins, and no one would suspect. Of course, people with high senses could recognize, but he would be prudent when drinking. But it was a good excuse, and he would use it from now on.


    During the night, Nero passed blood from the remaining corpses he had in Red World to a few bottles. Qi started to come out of the blood as soon as it left Red World, but Nero could still have it if he drank right after he got it.


    He drained half of the remaining corpses at night, but he did not obtain good results as he had very little increase in Qi. Sarah said it would be more and more difficult to advance from layer and even more difficult to advance from realms.


    Nero would need to drain cultivators from the Martial Warrior Realm or dozens of the Qi Refinement if he wanted to have a good increase in Qi. But even so, he was still drinking the blood he still had in the bottle like liquid vitamins. The group believed what Nero said, so everyone was enjoying breakfast.


    "I haven''t seen you carry these bottles before."


    Xun Lan believed Nero''s story but still commented on not seeing anything before. Xiong Zhelan did not know what Nero''s situation was, but he understood that he must have a lot of secrets, so he didn''t want others to question him, but Nero responded quickly.


    "My grandfather left a storage ring with me. It has little space, but it serves to store my food. My grandfather told me never to show it to anyone, so I keep it safe."


    "You lie as fast as lightning. If you ever lie to me, I will break your legs!"


    Nero was getting better at making up stories, and everyone believed him when he talked about the storage ring. Sarah couldn''t help but comment in his mind on how good a liar he was and made her point clear.


    "Do you want anything else? We have a great strawberry cake."


    The group was eating and drinking while they talked about returning to the journey. Nero was trying to be more communicative, and everything was going well until a waitress came to clear the table and asked if they would like anything else.


    Of course, that waitress was Qiao Mei, who made a point of giving Nero a seductive look. She wanted to be very discreet, but it was visible to everyone making Xun Lan very angry.


    "He''s not going to eat your stupid cake so you can leave."


    "Sorry for any inconvenience."


    As Xun Lan soon denied that they would want anything, and Nero said nothing, Qiao Mei apologized and sadly left. She had no hopes that Nero would marry her or anything as she knew he was a traveler, and what they had together was just one thing for the moment.


    But Qiao Mei thought they would at least be friends, but Nero barely looked at her. She couldn''t help but be disappointed because she thought he was a nice guy, but now she thinks he should be the boyfriend of the girl who sent her out and still slept with her.


    "You shouldn''t treat her like that because there is no grudge between you and her."


    Nero wanted to talk to Qiao Mei because he thought she was a lovely girl, but he also knew that if he were kind to her, it would make Xun Lan even sadder. Nero understood that Xun Lan liked him, but he didn''t feel the same and didn''t want to hurt her, so he ended up in a situation that he didn''t know what to do and doing nothing he hurt Qiao Mei.


    "Did you see how she looked at you? Isn''t that clearly being my rival?"


    Xun Lan would not give up what she wanted and would fight anyone who tried to steal what she already considered to be gain. Many people may think she was spoiled, but others would see her as someone very determined.


    "Now I have to go and apologize to her. She was so friendly to us, and you maltreated her."


    Nero felt really bad about the way Qiao Mei left. He got up and went over to her to apologize for letting Xun Lan speak to her like that. Xun Lan crossed her arms and made a bad face making it clear that she did not agree.


    Qiao Mei had gone towards the inn''s kitchen because she was very upset and wanted to take a break. She just wanted to be friendly to Nero and his group but ended up being so offended. She was from a poor and humble family, but she would never abandon her dignity.


    "Mei! Forgive me. I should have stopped her."


    "I didn''t give you permission to call me that!"


    Nero came quickly to Qiao Mei and tried to apologize, but she didn''t like him calling her by the first name, and he didn''t know what to do. She kept walking towards the kitchen, making people give Nero strange looks. He felt very sorry to hurt her.


    "Please listen to me, Qiao Mei."


    Nero wouldn''t let her out like that, so he ran and stopped in front of her looking her straight in the eyes to beg for forgiveness as it was all his fault. Qiao Mei could see the regret in his eyes, and she didn''t think he was to blame. She knew they would never have anything, but she was still very emotional about losing her virginity to him, so it ended up in this mess.


    Qiao Mei just wanted to distance herself from Nero now so as not to get attached to him. But when he called her ''Mei'' it was so good that she couldn''t help but be moved. Still, she knew he would be gone soon, so she had to stay away from him, or she would just end up hurt.


    "You don''t need to apologize because I don''t think badly of you, but I can''t get close to you, or I''ll be sadder when you leave."


    "You are really an amazing girl."


    Qiao Mei already had tears in her eyes while trying to distance herself from Nero, but she was unable to escape because he hugged her and started to wipe the tears that fell while comforting her.


    Nero never imagined that he would feel affection for humans, but throughout those few days, he has already made human friends, and now he thought that this waitress he only met for less than a day was really a fantastic person.


    Qiao Mei was always a strong girl, but now she was hugging a stranger in the corridor and crying in his chest. She didn''t know how she got attached to him so quickly, but she could only think about how bad it would be when he left.


    "QIAO MEI! S-sorry to interrupt you, but it''s urgent."


    While Nero and Qiao Mei had their moment hugging in silence, a boy came running and called her breathing hard.


    "What happened!?"


    "The tax collectors arrived earlier than expected. They are creating problems for your father."


    Qiao Mei knew the boy as her neighbor, and when he talked about problems with her father, she couldn''t help but be worried.


    "I''ll go with you."


    "No! That is my problem, and you don''t have to get into it. Please forgive me."


    Nero did not have to think hard to understand that the boy came to get Qiao Mei''s help to her father, and he would not let her go alone because the situation seemed dangerous.


    Nero was never someone who would get into other people''s lives even more strangers, but he couldn''t ignore the time they had together and thought that now they had to be at least good friends. And friends help each other in bad situations.


    When Qiao Mei told him not to meddle in the matter, Nero did not look at her but at Xiong Zhelan, who he could see in the hall as the corridor was not very far away. Nero knew that Xiong Zhelan overheard the conversation as they were not speaking softly, and almost everyone at the inn could hear everything.


    Xion Zhelan had already understood that Nero somehow befriended the waitress, and when she was in trouble, he saw Nero giving him a determined but also pleading look. Xiong Zhelan was grateful that Nero asked for his permission, as it showed that he respected him.


    Xiong Zhelan understood what the girl said about ''tax collectors'' and could already imagine what the situation would be like. He nodded to Nero in agreement and was prepared to follow him but would not get into the matter unless necessary.


    While Nero looked at Xiong Zhelan to ask for his permission Qiao Mei ran off with the boy. When Nero saw Xiong Zhelan nod, he knew he had his consent, so he didn''t waste a second before running after Qiao Mei.

 32 Tax Collectors

    The sounds of hooves hitting the stone street sounded through the small Sunflower Village. The sun was shining in the early hours of the morning, and people were already leaving the house because the work in the fields was always hard.


    There was a group of men riding horseback through the streets, drawing the attention of everyone who was leaving for work. People already knew that group and knew that nothing good would come next.


    But most of the village''s population was not a cultivator, and the few who had it were from the early-stage of Qi Refinement Realm. So there was nothing they could do but obey the group that was the law. All people could do was look at them with fear and comment on how screwed they were.


    "They came much earlier than the time agreed."


    "That is ridiculous! How do they expect us to have money now?"


    "Damn, Duke! He gets in trouble, and we have to pay."


    "Speak softly, or we will lose more than just our money."


    Two men were talking about how the group came earlier than they expected and clearly showed that they were not happy with the ''duke,'' but another man came to warn them not to speak up unless they wanted to lose their heads.


    "And do you think that will change anything? I don''t have the value they want, and there''s no way to negotiate with these thugs."


    "I don''t think anyone in the village already has the value, but who knows? Maybe they understand and accept what we have."


    "You must be too stupid to think that these bastards would accept excuses such as the lack of time to get the agreed value. They''ll take anyone who doesn''t pay as a slave if they don''t kill them right away."


    The group is known as the ''tax collectors'' worked for the region''s Duke. They came at a specific time to collect taxes for ''protection'' in the name of the Duke, but this time they arrived ahead of time, leaving the population of the small village scared.


    Some people believed that they could be negotiated with them, but others had seen situations where that group killed entire families just for the lack of a few bronze coins.


    The metal was the most accessible and most basic form of trade for the Xu Dynasty, like in other regions, and people used coins as money. From the simplest, which was bronze to silver and next to gold. Ten silver coins made one gold, and ten bronze made one silver.


    While people ran to their homes to collect all the money they had to pay taxes, the group headed towards the village square. They had already done this method several times, and it was easier to get everyone in one place than going from house to house.


    Arriving at the village square, the group got off the horses, and a middle-aged man in his forties led the group to a platform in the center. The platform was used to set up a varied sales fair, but now the group''s leader was standing in the center surrounded by his men while picking up a scroll.


    "Listen, everyone! On behalf of Duke Ming, I come here today to collect taxes. I know it is sooner than expected, but the war does not wait for anyone, and the Duke''s troops will not be able to protect this land without supplies and weapons so you can only blame our enemies."


    Tao Jian was a knight loyal to the Ming Family for many years. His father and grandfather were also the most important man of the Ming Family heads, and he was very proud of that. He always led the group of tax collectors as the wealth of the Ming Family was a crucial issue.


    There were many wars in the Xu Dynasty, mainly against non-humans in the south and rebels in the north, but now the Ming Duchy was getting weaker and weaker, so the Duke ordered the taxes to be collected earlier.


    Tao Jian did not think that was a problematic issue as dealing with the people of the small villages was easy. He knew that they would show some resistance, but with a little use of force and taking some of them as slaves, the common people would give everything they had.


    Tao Jian couldn''t deny that he liked to feel strong by putting tension on simple people who were terrified of him. He wanted to deal with tax collection as there were always people willing to resist, and he could always beat and intimidate them as much as he wanted.


    Everyone knew the reputation of Tao Jian and the brutal tax collection group, so when the people heard the warning, everyone started heading towards the village square with all the savings they had. Often, money alone was not enough, so many people also took animals, weapons, and even young teens to give as a value.


    The people were very disgusted with this situation, but no one could do anything because the Ming Family was the law in that region. As Tao Jian read and called the names of the families on the parchment scroll, people approached the platform to deliver everything of value to the group.


    Many thought about not going to the square and saying they didn''t know about the event or just hiding until the tax collectors left, but it wasn''t that easy. Tao Jian had records of all the villagers, and he would look for anyone who would not pay taxes. When he had to look for a family for that reason, things didn''t end well, so people didn''t try to avoid the group.


    While the people closest to the square were giving everything, some guards of Tao Jian''s group went around the city, calling everyone who did not yet know about the event. Soon the square was filled with almost everyone in the village.


    "Sir, please have mercy because our village is small, and we cannot get money so fast."


    An older man who was the leader of the village tried to argue with Tao Jian, who was beating up many people who were trying to pay the tax with animals and other things. But he also got kicked right in the chest and fell to the ground getting injured.


    "Don''t you guys understand? Your Duke needs money or strong men to protect you from a terrible death by the non-humans or barbarians, and all you do is try to pay it with animals and rusty weapons."


    Tao Jian was beating almost everyone because most did not have much money and tried to supplement with animals and old weapons. However, even though he said that it was not enough, the group still collected these animals and weapons.


    Some people were being beaten so severely that they would not recover from broken limbs and other serious injuries. The village leader was an old and simple man, but he knew that Tao Jian was enjoying being brutal. But he still had to try to argue to try to save his people, but he did nothing but get hurt too. Then the beating session proceeded.


    "Why are they doing this to us? If they kill us, who will work to pay the next taxes?"


    "They don''t care to kill us as there are other villages that would work harder after discovering that others died from not paying enough."


    "That is very brutal! We are giving everything we have, and even if we are hungry, they are still not satisfied."


    People in line were waiting for their turn to pay taxes, and many knew they were going to be beaten. So they were not concerned with being heard and spoke clearly about what they thought of the situation.


    "Did you hear about an elder from the Black Sword Sect arriving in the village?"


    "I heard about that too. If he is an elder of the Black Sword Sect, he could save us from this misfortune."


    "But who would ask him for help? Paying taxes is part of the management of the Duchies, so I don''t know if the Black Sword Sect would see it as wrong."


    A woman talked about rumors about Xiong Zhelan, and many who were hopeless had sparkles in their eyes, thinking that an elder from the Black Sword Sect could be their salvation.


    But a man spoke the truth. The management of each region was the responsibility of the Duke, and people from the Black Sword Sect might not want to get involved in such a small matter as their simple village.


    "Isn''t their reputation for being the fairest of all the Xu Dynasty?"


    "Of course! Even if our village is not of great importance, a person from the Black Sword Sect will not let us suffer this brutality."


    "Clearly, the tax collection group is unreasonably abusing our people, and this elder will understand and save us."


    "Okay! So someone has to go and tell him."


    "I''ll go but give me cover so that no one sees me leaving."


    The group of people in the line concluded that asking Xiong Zhelan for help was a valid hope, so some people caught the attention of the guards while a man went to look for their savior.


    "Sir, I beg you not to cripple me because I will not be able to keep working to support my family."


    It was the turn of a middle-aged man to pay taxes. He had forty-nine bronze coins, which was one less than required by Tao Jian. The man tried to pay for the missing coin with a sword that looked very old but was still sharp and easily worth about twenty bronze coins.


    The man feared that Tao Jian would not take the sword well and still beat him. It was not the pain he feared but being unable to work in the fields and support his family. That man was very good and decent. He had a wife and daughter to care for, but he never failed to help people in need.


    As his daughter worked at the inn and he was doing well in the field, the man''s family had no economic problems, but he recently purchased an expensive medicine from a traveler for his neighbor, who was very sick. Now that the tax collectors arrived earlier, he did not get the amount for lack of just a single coin.


    "Do you think an old sword will be useful?"


    Tao Jian saw that the sword was still good and knew that it would be worth at least twenty bronze coins, but he would not miss the chance to continue hurting these people. When he saw the fear in the eyes of the poor man, Tao Jian got excited and prepared to hit hard.


    "Sir, I must report something."


    When Tao Jian was going to beat the man, one of his guards came to his side to whisper something important. Tao Jian came close to the guard and told him to explain.


    "From the documents, this man has a very young daughter, and I heard rumors from the people that she is stunning. Perhaps you can accept another type and compensation for the tax."


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    The guard acted as a secretary to Tao Jian, checking the records of everyone who was going to pay taxes. When this man''s turn came, he already knew who he was and about the famous ''beautiful daughter'' he had, and he can''t help wanting to be useful to Tao Jian, thinking of being rewarded later.


    "I heard you have a daughter. Wouldn''t it be an honor for her to serve someone as powerful and important as me?"


    Tao Jian liked the guard''s report very much and wasted no time requesting the young woman to the poor man. Everyone close to him knew his lust because he had already broken many young women and that one was in trouble now he heard about her.


    "Sir, please, I implore you! Accept this sword because it has been in my family for generations, and even though it is old, it is still a good sword that is worth a few coins to make up for the lack of a single coin."


    "Do you think your daughter is too good to serve me?! Me, Duke Ming''s most loyal man!


    Qiao Kun thought that being crippled and not being able to support his family would be bad, but when he heard that this terrible man wanted to take his little girl, he was terrified. He tried to argue again because he would never let his beloved daughter have such a cruel end. But Tao Jian would not leave the chance to have a new girl so quickly.


    "She''s an innocent and silly girl, so she wouldn''t be proper to serve a great man as important as Sir."


    "You must wish for death!"


    Qiao Kun was shaking with fear that something terrible would happen to his daughter. When Tao Jian shouted at him, demonstrating that he would not give up having her, he knelt down to beg, but before he knew it, he was kicked in the head and thrown off the platform.


    Qiao Kun fell to the ground and was unable to get up before two guards started to kick him. Tao Jian did not order the guards to stop to beat the poor man because he did not care if he died so that it would be easier to get the girl.


    When Tao Jian beat the people, he did not go so far as he did not want to stop them from being able to work. But when he got angry at someone, that person would not die quickly, and so the guards were hitting Qiao Kun very hard but avoiding critical points so as not to kill him before causing much suffering.


    It was a very brutal scene. Qiao Kun was curled up on the floor like a ball, and the guards kicked him without mercy. He was crying, but he was still trying to resist because he feared his family would suffer if he were not there to protect them.


    Everyone in the square was impressed by his resistance, who was not a cultivator but was resisting so much to protect his daughter. This injustice increasingly revolted the people, but no one could do anything.


    All Qiao Kun wanted to do was protect his family, so he started praying to any god who could at least get his wife and daughter out of the village as he knew he would not survive that brutality for long. He started to imagine that his family would hear about what happens, and they would flee the village, but then he heard a voice that made his soul tremble, and his heart almost stopped beating.


    "DAD!!!"


    "WH-"


    *Crack*


    Qiao Mei was running with his neighbor after discovering that her father was in danger. As the square was not far from the inn, she could soon see the platform in the center and her father being beaten in the front. She was very sad to see him suffering so much, and she couldn''t control herself by shouting loudly and getting everyone''s attention.


    When Tao Jian saw Qiao Mei, he opened his eyes wide in surprise but not because of her but the shadow that came behind her. He could only see a blur as the person was running at a speed that he couldn''t keep up with.


    The whole scene was very quick, and before Tao Jian could speak a full word, the shadow passed by Qiao Mei and arrived in front of the guards who beat Qiao Kun then hitting their heads against each other.


    The blood flew while everyone still struggled to understand what had happened. When the head of one guard hit the other, they exploded, sending blood, brain, and bones everywhere like some kind of bizarre show.


    "Don''t worry."


    While Qiao Kun wiped the blood that covered his face, he heard the stranger who had just saved him talking to him while making a strange smile. He could not deny that he was terrified of that young man with white hair, but he would not refuse even the devil''s help to save his family.

 33 Little Red vs Blocking part 1

    "Your father is in trouble."


    Qiao Mei was terrified to hear that. She loved her parents very much and couldn''t stand the thought of them suffering. She wouldn''t think twice about running to try to help her father. But she didn''t know what kind of difficulties he was in, so she couldn''t drag Nero into her problems.


    When she denied that Nero followed her, he looked away, and she understood that he would not insist. Qiao Mei did not know if she should be happy or not because she told him not to meddle in the matter, but maybe she wanted him not to leave her alone.


    Anyway, she didn''t have time for that kind of thinking now that her father needed help, so while Nero looked to the side, she took the boy''s hand and ran out of the inn. The boy said that her father was in the square, which was very close, so they ran there.


    "No! Dad..."


    When Qiao Mei approached the square, she could see her father being beaten on the floor, and she felt a pain in her chest that she had never felt before. That brutal scene was too much for a good girl like her. Qiao Mei was a novice cultivator, but she had never fought hard except with the old teacher who helped young people with the way of cultivation.


    Qiao Mei was a girl who was always protected by her father. She was not spoiled because since she was very young, she was already helping with housework, and when Qiao Mei turned sixteen, she started working. But she still didn''t know the ugly side of the world. She never saw violence like the one that was happening to her father.


    Having the first contact with that kind of brutality was a very strong impact on Qiao Mei. And the worst was that it was happening to her father that she loved so much. Qiao Mei''s mind was a mess because she didn''t know what to do to stop it.


    As she ran towards the platform, she thought of several things. She didn''t know what had happened, but she was sure that her father was innocent because he was the best person she knew, so there was no way he could have hurt anyone.


    "Those men... Why are they doing that to my father?"


    "They should stop... They must stop! If I could stop them..."


    The distance between Qiao Mei and the center of the square was not large, but in those few seconds, a lot passed through her mind. She first wondered why it was happening and concluded that it was all the fault of those men. Then she started cursing them because she knew she didn''t have the strength to stop them.


    As she ran, her father continued to be beaten, and she became more desperate. When she was close to them, she couldn''t contain her screaming heart.


    "DAD!!!"


    Qiao Mei shouted as loud as she could, wishing her pain would stop those men. She would never be prepared for what happened next. Nobody would be prepared...


    Qiao Mei felt a wind pass by her side, and before her cry traveled across the square, the heads of the men who beat her father exploded in a bloody mess.


    She who already felt a whirlwind of emotions now had new feelings in the mix. She felt fear, confusion, relief, and then security.


    She, as everyone feared the unknown and the one who killed men so quickly, should be a monster. How could anyone be so fast? Anyone would feel a lot of confusion for not understanding movements so fast. How could she not be relieved that the men who caused her father so much pain died?


    But all of those feelings were still weaker than despair until she looked at the face of the man in black and realized that he was someone dear to her. Someone that she didn''t want to cause problems but also wanted beside her.


    When she realized that he would not abandon her, everything was better. Qiao Mei felt that with Nero''s help, she would fear nothing. Perhaps it was strange for anyone to trust someone they had known for less than a day, but it seemed so natural for her to believe that he was a mountain that would protect her from everything.


    Qiao Mei ran towards Nero and her father.


    "Dad!"


    "Mei!"


    Qiao Kun got up with the help of the stranger who had just saved him, and before he knew it, he was hugged by his crying daughter. Qiao Kun couldn''t help hugging her tightly while crying too.


    "Everything will be fine. They can''t hurt you anymore."


    Nero did not interfere with the father-daughter moment, but he faced Tao Jian and made his point clear. He would never act on impulse and always tried to think twice before following a plan of action. Nero did not have to ask Sarah about the strength of the group, as she also knew his way of thinking.


    When he was still coming, Sarah said that most of the men were from the ninth and tenth layers of Qi Refinement Realm. Only one of them was much stronger than the others being in the third layer of Martial Warrior Realm, so he should be the leader.


    Nero knew that this fight would not be easy. But Sarah said that if he used his speed well, there was a good chance of victory. Sarah''s confidence was all Nero needed to face any challenge.


    When he saw the poor man''s suffering and Qiao Mei''s despair at not being able to help him, Nero remembered his family and how he felt useless for not being able to do anything for them. He would not let people dear to him suffer the same terrible fate, so he had already decided that this group would die no matter what.


    "I am Tao Jian, and I was sent here by the Duke himself! Who are you to kill my guards?!"


    *Wooosh* *Creack*


    "Too slow!"


    Nero heard someone pull the string from a bow the moment he faced the one who was supposed to be the leader of the group. Nero could even hear the hard breathing of the person who was very nervous as he kept the bow taut.


    When Nero saw the leader of the group nod slightly when he introduced himself, Nero knew it was a signal to the archer who did not think twice before releasing the bowstring. Nero heard the sound of the arrow passing through the bow until it was free-flying towards him.


    Cultivators can specialize in various types of weapons. An archer was one of the most dangerous kinds of cultivators as they were far away, and with their superior senses, it was easy to kill the target from several different angles. There is also the question of the quality of the bow and arrow that could even be magic weapons made by great masters of formation.


    While the arrow flew towards Nero, he concluded that it was better to block than to dodge because he could feel the arrow was not strong enough to cause much damage to his ''Blood Gauntlet'' (Name that Nero thought was appropriate to call the gauntlet made of Qi Guardian).


    The group of tax collectors was already used to working with Tao Jian, so everyone knew how to do things his way. When anyone went against his orders and challenged his authority, whoever first brought the person down would be rewarded.


    All the guards realized what was going on when Nero killed his teammates and was prepared to fight. When Nero faced Tao Jian and showed hostility, all the guards wanted to run to beat Nero, but they did not forget how he killed two of them so easily, so nobody wanted to be the first to die.


    But for an archer, proximity to danger was not a problem as he could attack without leaving his safe zone. So he prepared the arrow, and when Tao Jian nodded, he knew it was the signal, and if his arrow were successful, he would be rewarded generously.


    Tao Jian would not forgive anyone who was against him even more when he was on duty for the Duke. When Nero killed his men, he wanted to run and hit him at the same time, but he did not live for so long, being impulsive.


    He was a smart and cunning man. Tao Jian didn''t feel an aura of the Martial Warrior Realm coming from the stranger, but the speed this man used was higher than he had ever seen even in the Duke who was stronger than he.


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    Tao Jian believed that this man had a movement technique and other secrets that made him very dangerous. Then he noticed the archer prepared and thought of talking to the stranger to get his attention while the guard wounded him with the arrow.


    A surprise attack would be perfect for measuring the stranger''s strength, but he never expected the man to take the arrow with his hand covered by a sinister gauntlet that came out of nowhere.


    "You have an interesting gauntlet there, but will it be enough to defeat us all?"


    "You will know soon."


    *Woosh* *Clang*


    Tao Jian was very interested in the stranger''s gauntlet and can''t help provoking him. He didn''t think the man would attack all of them and was just trying to defend the old man and his daughter, but he can''t even talk before the stranger attacks him with super speed.


    Nero knew he was outnumbered and was weaker than the leader, so he would have to use his superior senses to end the fight quickly. He climbed onto the platform quickly while trying to grab Tao Jian''s neck, but it was not so easy as he blocked his attack with a long sword.


    The sound of metal hitting the gauntlet made the people in the square return from their confused thoughts and realized that a fight was going on, and it was not safe to stay there.


    The common people began to run away from the square as the guards positioned themselves around Nero and Tao Jian. Qiao Mei took advantage of the fact that the guards were focused on Nero and took her father along with the people leaving the square.


    After his blow was blocked, Nero continued to attack. When Tao Jian blocked again, a guard tried to launch an attack on Nero, but he dodged and tore that guard''s neck. And so the bloody fight continued with many guards dying brutally from by the Blood Gauntlet.


    "Monster! Who are you?!"


    "The devil who came from hell to meet you!"


    Tao Jian was unable to attack Nero as he continued to attack him with high speed. It was not such strong blows allowing him to block, but even when the guards attacked Nero, it was not possible to stop the gauntlet''s charges. He could only call Nero a monster, but he made fun of him while continuing to kill his men.


    ____________________________________


    "He will always be a monster if we compare to less talented people."


    "He will always be a devil for those who get in his way."


    "You can only wish for a quick death now. I can''t even say that I''m sorry for your men, Duke Ming..."


    Xiong Zhelan watched the fight with Zhu Tai and a concerned Xun Lan. He had many thoughts in mind about Nero''s fight and was enjoying the show as he felt nothing good about Duke Ming with whom he had disagreements in the past.


    He was prepared to enter the fight and help Nero but it seemed that he had everything under control even though Tao Jian was stronger than him.


    __________________________________


    "Where are you going?"


    "Nero is alone fighting all of them for us! Of course, I will help him."


    After Qiao Mei took her father to the inn, she turned to go back to the square, but her father held her hand, still crying.


    "It''s very dangerous! You can''t go back there. I will be forever grateful to him for saving us, but we have to get out of this village as soon as possible as no one can stop Tao Jian and his group."


    Qiao Kun was a man who would always repay those who help him and would never abandon anyone in need. But his focus was still on his family in the first place, and today he understood that he would never stop doing everything to protect them.


    He couldn''t help but like Nero after he saved them, but there is no chance of letting his daughter go back to where that terrible man wanted to harm her.


    "He''s strong enough to kill those bastards, not mentioning that he has an elder from the Black Sword Sect in his group. So I''m going to support him, don''t worry."


    Qiao Mei was pleased to be able to count on Nero''s help, and even though she trusted his strength and his group, she still wouldn''t be calm knowing that he was risking his life while she was hiding.


    Qiao Mei strengthened her heart and ran out of the inn towards the square to help her ''hero'' who looked more like a demon, but she didn''t care.

 34 Little Red vs Blocking final par

    The metallic sounds of the collision of the Blood Gauntlet and Tao Jian''s sword were loud and made the heart of the group of tax collectors tremble. Each time an attack by Nero was blocked, he made a quick move and killed one of them.


    Sarah was confident in Nero''s victory, but she couldn''t help but ask what his plan was.


    "How do you expect to win like that?"


    Nero at first entered the fight, just relying on his superior speed but was surprised by Tao Jain''s sword skills. When he realized that he couldn''t get through the block only with speed and the Blood Gauntlet, he had to think of another plan that he told Sarah.


    "I will continue to attack so that he cannot attack me, and then as soon as everyone else dies, he is alone, and I will be able to tire him out until my victory is absolute."


    Sarah understood Nero''s idea and couldn''t help but agree with him. They both knew that Nero''s resistance was much higher than other people on the same level, and even now, against a Martial Warrior Realm cultivator, he would be fine in a prolonged fight and would have no problem beating Tao Jian after he got tired.


    It was visible to everyone watching the fight that Nero was trying to kill the guards to leave Tao Jian alone. Not only did Xiong Zhelan''s group understand, but so did the tax collector group.


    Tao Jian even understood that Nero must have been relying on his endurance to win the battle, but he had already fought worse battles and was still here, alive and kicking. Tao Jian was one of the best swordsmen in that region. He always focused the cultivation on the sword and trained very hard to reach that level of skill, but he also had a Martial Technique.


    She had even killed cultivators stronger than him with this powerful technique. He, as a swordsman, trusted only his body and the sword to fight, so a technique could not be better for him than the ''Body Improvement Technique.''


    There are several different Body Improvement Techniques at various levels, but all are about improving the user''s body capabilities. The one that Tao Jian had was one of the simplest but still increased his strength and reflexes enough to be a powerful resource, which he was sure would be enough to deal with Nero.


    But why hasn''t Tao Jian used that technique yet? It was because he was a smart person and was almost sure that someone like Nero would not be alone.


    The Body Improvement Technique was excellent, but it had a side effect. The cultivator will be stronger and faster for a specific time, but at the cost of a large amount of Qi. When the person''s Qi came close to the end, the positive effects would stop, and then a great weakness would make the user pass out for a few hours and take days to recover fully.


    Tao Jian only relied on this technique as the last resource as he could not even defend himself when his Qi ran out. He could also rely on his guards to protect him, but he needed to eliminate all enemies before the effect ended. That was not a difficult task for him, but until now, he had not seen anyone else together with Nero.


    While the battle continued, more than half of the guards had already died, and Tao Jian was getting nervous as he didn''t know if it was better to use his technique now or wait to see who was with Nero. He knew that the situation was getting out of control, so he tried again to provoke Nero to try to get him to call his companions from the shadows.


    "Do you think you can really get out of here alive? If I start to fight seriously, you will not last even a minute, so why not save time and call your friends right away."


    Nero didn''t know if Tao Jian really knew about Xiong Zhelan''s group watching them from afar or was just bluffing. He was also unsure whether he had any secret plans or skills, but since he was someone of high status, that was very likely.


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    While giving his all to attack with as much speed as he could, Nero was starting to be concerned that his plan didn''t work out, but if everything went wrong, he could still trust Xiong Zhelan''s help even though he was really against asking for help.


    Nero now thought that Tao Jian could only use his secret skill or plan once, so he wanted to make sure that he hit all enemies. Nero did not want to ask for help, and then he had to be prepared for whatever was coming, so he continued his attacks while taunting Tao Jian.


    "People who are already dead shouldn''t talk that much."


    As Nero showed no sign that he was going to ask for help, Tao Jian had to start his move. He blocked Nero''s gauntlet again, but this time he also jumped backward, taking a greater distance between them. Just like the other times, he saw Nero kill another guard with a counter-attack.


    But he could no longer allow Nero to kill more of his men, so he gave the order while starting to focus the Qi on use his technique.


    "Everyone stays away from him because now I will go hard."


    The guards have already fought hard alongside Tao Jian to understand the plan and was relieved that he was willing to use his technique before more of them die. Then everyone moved away from the center of the square, giving space for Tao Jian and Nero to fight.


    Nero understood that Tao Jian was going to use anything to try to defeat him now, but Sarah spoke in his mind to clarify the situation.


    "He is using Qi to strengthen his body so you will have problems for a while until the effects fade off. I suggest that you stay on the defensive and don''t try to block directly."


    Nero knew that the situation would not be easy since Tao Jian already had much higher strength than his, usually. After using this technique and gaining more speed, the difference between them would be overwhelming.


    "Do I just need to hold on until he gets back to normal?"


    "When he runs out of Qi, it''s all over because he won''t be able to stand anymore. But do not think that you can get out of this fight without suffering serious damage even with your high endurance."


    While Nero talked to Sarah about how to proceed, Tao Jian was ready. He managed to use the body improvement technique successfully, and his muscles increased in size, boosting his strength. Tao Jian could feel his senses much better, so he ran towards Nero with his sword in hand while shouting intimidating words.


    "You''re going to die, stupid boy!"


    Nero did not feel threatened and ran towards Tao Jain with his gauntlet ready.


    *Woosh*


    "Aaaaah!"


    Tao Jian took a vertical strike with his sword trying to cut Nero in half, but he dodged downward. After Nero dodged, he attempted to punch Tao Jian in the shoulder with the Blood Gauntlet, but he moved his attack quickly, bringing the sword to collide with the gauntlet.


    This scene would be like the other times that Tao Jian blocked Nero''s attack, but this time, he was unable to hold the sword that seemed to have much higher strength than before, causing Nero to be pushed down.


    Nero screamed as he tried to stand against the sword, but he realized too late that Tao Jian was not holding the sword with both hands like before, and then he couldn''t do anything while a punch connected with his face.


    The punch of Tao Jian sent him over ten meters. He was in a lot of pain, and blood was running all over his face as he got up quickly to try to dodge the sword stroke that was already close.


    Tao Jian ran towards Nero after he was thrown to the ground. He wanted to end the fight quickly, but he couldn''t help but laugh and speak words of mockery as he went towards Nero with his sword, making a sharp sound as it cut through the air.


    "Hahahaha... Now it is useless to repent because I do not forgive those who get in my way!"


    Nero was injured but not defeated, so he jumped up and tried to dodge the stroke this time to the side. Nero saw the sword pass very close to his face and thought he had managed to avoid it entirely, but then he felt a pain in his back and was launched flying again.


    Tao Jian could now see Nero''s movements at the same speed as his or even slower. When he dodged the sword, Tao Jian turned and kicked Nero in the back with as much power as he could.


    Nero was thrown into a tree while flying across the square. He was not only injured in the back by Tao Jian''s kick but also in the front by the impact that broke the tree.


    He was in great pain and could hear the sounds of his bones cracking as he tried to get up more than once. This time Tao Jian did not come running but strolled while looking at Nero, who was unable to jump up this time.


    "As I said, you wouldn''t last a minute if I really fought. Now I''m going to fuck that girl while you and her father watch."


    Tao Jian was an observant person, and he knew that it was no coincidence that Nero appeared at the same time as the daughter of the man his guards were beating. He thought Nero was the girl''s boyfriend and wanted to make them all suffer a lot before killing them.


    Nero felt the same feeling as Qiao Kun when Tao Jian talked about harming Qiao Mei. But it was not the time to be afraid because he was still alive, and he could win this fight to protect her, so Nero once again tried to get up and keep fighting.


    Tao Jian would not let Nero stand a chance and came close to him while launching a sword stroke, not waiting for him to get up.


    Nero saw the sword coming towards him and raised his gauntlet to block the attack. As there was no change in Tao Jian''s strength and Nero was more wounded than before, the sword did not stop and continued to descend aimed at Nero''s chest even while he held the blade with the gauntlet.


    Tao Jian was forcing the sword on Nero, but even in such a deplorable state, he was still able to block the sword. Tao Jian thought Nero''s resistance was incredible, but he was still sure of his victory. Then he used his other hand to hit the sword''s pommel, causing it to descend further and further.


    As the sword approached Nero''s chest, he was left with no option and had to hold the blade with both hands. The blood started to flow like water because the left hand was naked, and the sword was still going down.


    "STOP!!!"


    Before Tao Jian could punch Nero, they both heard a shout and looked in the opposite direction to see Qiao Mei running while filling the floor with tears.


    Tao Jian stopped pressing the sword against Nero because he thought the fight was already over and wanted to hurt Qiao Mei in front of Nero before killing him to show everyone that no one can go against him.


    "Glad you came. Now I can play with you in front of your boyfriend."


    While Tao Jian went towards Qiao Mei, who did not run, Nero was on the floor in a pool of his own blood but had not yet given up.


    "Shit!!! That is more difficult than I expected."


    Sarah did not like to see Nero hurt, but she could not deny that a cultivator''s life was like that, full of difficult fights. So she tried to motivate Nero to try harder.


    "Aren''t you going to get up and save your favorite waitress?"

 35 No Taxes That Time

    Tears fell to the floor.


    Xiong Zhelan had a hard time holding Xun Lan, who was screaming and struggling to help Nero.


    "We have to help him!"


    It is not as if Xiong Zhelan does not want to help Nero, but he knew that cultivators need to go through difficult fights to improve themself and advance in the world of cultivation.


    He knew what kind of opponent Tao Jian was and could stop the fight with a word before Nero suffered fatal injuries. So Xiong Zhelan continued to watch the fight even when it got awful for Nero, and he held Xun Lan, who would have gone to help even though she was too weak for this fight.


    Zhu Tai, who watched the fight, also thought it was time to help Nero. He could not deny that he did not have good relations with him and was also jealous, but it was not right to see Nero suffering that much.


    "Maybe he''s already on the limit."


    Xion Zhelan was in a difficult situation because he also wanted to help Nero but knew that he was the kind of person who doesn''t like receiving help and would prefer to deal with the matter alone. In addition to the fact that fighting on the limit is very beneficial for any cultivator, he chose to wait before doing anything.


    "Let''s give him more time."


    The group watched the fight, and Xiong Zhelan was prepared to intervene when Nero was about to be pierced by Tao Jian''s sword. But when he was about to make a move, Qiao Mei appeared, and Tao Jian went towards her leaving Nero.


    Xion Zhelan now had no choice. To let the fight continue, he would have to do something. He gave Xun Lan, who did not stop crying to Zhu Tai and headed towards the center of the square.


    ----------------------------


    Other tears fall on the floor. These are from Qiao Mei, who was running towards Nero. She didn''t know why that day was being so bad. If it wasn''t enough, her father to go through hell, now her benefactor was in a worse state.


    While she went towards the man responsible for all this evil, she cannot help but beg him to let at least Nero go out alive.


    "Please let him go! I do everything for you."


    Tao Jian was a cruel person who would not miss the opportunity to make others suffer for no reason, and now he was too angry with Nero to want to hurt him as much as possible. He thought the situation couldn''t get any better when Qiao Mei arrived because now he would be able to do all kinds of brutality with her and Nero.


    "Ah, yes, you will do anything. But you will not want, and your boyfriend even less."


    Nero couldn''t help but be happy knowing that Qiao Mei didn''t run away and came back for him even though she couldn''t do much. He had spent two years alone and could not trust anyone, but now, in such a short time, he had already found two persons who risked their lives for him.


    Xiong Zhelan and Qiao Mei, even though they were human, did not abandon him at risk, and even though she did not know about his secret, that act was still very significant for Nero.


    He liked that lovely waitress more and more. So it was not the time to stand and see her in trouble. Nero could hear Xiong Zhelan coming, so he took a bottle of blood from the Red World and drank it to regain Qi and vitality. After a sip, he felt better to get up and scream.


    "TAO JIAN!!!"


    Nero''s scream caught Tao Jian''s attention, and he turned to look, and at that moment, he saw Nero running towards him. He was very impressed with Nero''s will and thought his recovery had to do with the potion he was drinking while running.


    Tao Jian didn''t think much as he headed towards Nero to knock him down again when he felt another person approaching. He knew that it was Nero''s allies that he was sure that were in the shadows. Now that he would see all the enemies, things would be easier, but he had to defeat them quickly as his technique would not last much longer.


    Tao Jian wanted to take advantage that Nero was still recovering and attacked him quickly, so he launched a sword stroke in Nero''s direction, but then he heard a familiar voice that made him tremble.


    "Someone as dumb as you have lived for a long time."


    Xiong Zhelan quickly arrived in the center of the square and held Qiao Mei so that she did not go in the direction of danger. He cannot help commenting on Tao Jian''s recklessness, recalling old conflicts.


    Tao Jian stopped his attack while turning to face someone he wouldn''t want to meet again. A long time ago, he fought with Xion Zhelan when they had the same strength, but he knew that Xiong Zhelan would not get stronger with time and did not worry about him going back for revenge. But Tao Jian did not fear him but his sister.


    Now seeing Xiong Zhelan here probably with Nero, Tao Jian didn''t know what to think. He prepared himself for the worst and asked Xiong Zhelan without showing his fear inside.


    "What do you have to do with the boy? Don''t tell me that you intend to use him to fight in your place since you are crippled?"


    Xiong Zhelan did not want to open old wounds. He had fought with Tao Jian in the past, but it was nothing so bad that he couldn''t forget it, so this issue was not about him but about Nero.


    "You don''t deserve my time. This problem is yours and Nero''s, so I''m going to take this girl away, and you can continue without my interference."


    Tao Jian was very confused when he saw Xiong Zhelan ignoring him and taking the girl away. He didn''t know what to think because nothing made sense, so he questioned it again.


    "You are kidding? The boy is already finished."


    Xiong Zhelan would be laughing now if it were not inappropriate as Tao Jian did not know the stone he had kicked. He turned with a disguised smile and warned the man who could no longer be considered alive.


    "I don''t think anyone with that look would be even close to being finished. One more thing... If you knew who he will be a disciple of... You would already be on the ground begging for a quick death."


    Now the confusion took over Tao Jian''s mind. Xiong Zhelan left with Qiao Mei crying and struggling to stay and help Nero. Tao Jian kept looking in the direction that he was still trying to understand the situation.


    "How... Maybe... Her?!"


    Nero was relieved when Xiong Zhelan came and took Qiao Mei because he couldn''t fight well, knowing that she was in danger. He was also happy that Xiong Zhelan did not interfere in his fight against Tao Jian even though they had disagreements in the past.


    Then he finished drinking the bottle of blood. Now it was time to return to the fight, and he ran towards Tao Jian with his gauntlet ready. Nero knew that the difference in strength was still significant, so he would have to resist a little more until the effects of the technique were gone.


    *Woosh*


    Tao Jian was having a lot of thoughts, but he was a cultivator, and his senses were heightened, so it was not difficult to avoid the blow that Nero tried. Tao Jian no longer wanted to fight because he feared that doing any harm to Nero would only cause him problems if his thinking was right.


    "Stop, boy! Our fight can end now. I won''t touch anyone here anymore, and you can go on your way."


    Nero understood that Tao Jian must fear Xiong Zhelan and the Black Sword Sect now, but he didn''t care. Every bloody battle would make a vampire more and more excited, and it was no different from Nero but even more intense because of the Dark Soul Stone that amplified negative feelings.


    After Nero got up and drank blood, he felt furious and excited at the same time. His whole body burned with desire for blood, and he was already fighting against the desire to put his fangs out. His nails had already grown, in his right hand, the gauntlet covered it, but in his left, he had to close his hand in a fist to hide the nails that tore his flesh.


    Nero went towards Tao Jian attacking with all the speed and ferocity he had. Tao Jian was trying to dodge the attacks because he didn''t want to kill Nero, but he was suffering many cuts by the gauntlet and started bleeding from several parts of his body.


    Tao Jian started to feel a lot of pain because of Nero''s attacks, and along with that pain came a wave of new anger that was overcoming the desire not to kill Nero. It didn''t take long for him to forget anything Xiong Zhelan had said and started attacking Nero again with the intention of killing.


    "Idiot Boy! I gave you a chance to get out alive, but you insist then there is nothing to do but kill you."


    Tao Jian started attacking Nero with his sword, leaving several cuts on his body. One suffering damage by the sword and the other by the gauntlet. They always hit counter-attacks as they both had similar speed, and Tao Jian could no longer block due to the reduction of stamina, and his emotional state weakened.


    And so it was for a few minutes while one managed to deflect another cut appeared. Both were already bleeding everywhere, and the ground was red as evidence that the battle was nearing its end.


    "Arrrggh!"


    "Aaaahhhh"


    Tao Jian talked a lot during the fight trying to make Nero stop or distract his attention, but Nero didn''t speak a word or make any sound. He just attacked and attacked with a sinister smile on his face and a devilish look.


    When Tao Jian hit Nero, there was no result other than blood because Nero did not seem to care and continued to attack him. Tao Jian was almost at the limit, but Nero appeared to enjoy the battle more and more. It was like fighting a demon, and Tao Jian started to think that Nero could really be the devil. Those red eyes shining with excitement were suitable proof of that.


    When Tao Jian could no longer follow Nero''s movements with eyes, he realized that his Qi was almost exhausted, and his end was approaching. He couldn''t understand how Nero could change from someone who was practically dead to a kind of berserker who got stronger the more he was hurt. He started to think about what type of liquid was in the bottle that Nero drank.


    Then he flew. Nero hit Tao Jian on the chin with the gauntlet as hard as he could, sending him flying a few meters.


    When Tao Jian fell to the ground, he almost felt no pain because he didn''t even feel his body properly having so many injuries. He stayed on the ground, looking up at the sky, waiting for death to come because he no longer had the force to get up. His Qi was mostly exhausted, and he knew he would not be awake for more than a minute and would probably not wake up again.


    The soldiers in the tax collection group did not believe what they were seeing. All guards were keeping their distance from the center of the square as ordered by Tao Jian, but then they saw the fight that should have been won easily to be lost by their leader.


    The guards were not stupid, and they had seen how Nero managed to kill them while fighting Tao Jian before so they would not interfere now. Some archers had the audacity to try to shoot arrows at Nero even though they could hit Tao Jian but were killed by Xiong Zhelan before they managed to shoot from a distance.


    And so the fight ended. No one would think it was an easy fight, as it was challenging to say who was most hurt between Nero and Tao Jian. But Nero was still standing with blood running down his evil smile.


    "Hahahahahaha..."


    Nero made the first sound since they started to fight seriously. His laugh was very sinister, which made even Qiao Mei feel goosebumps while watching from a distance.


    Tao Jian could hear Nero''s footsteps coming towards him while laughing devilishly. Tao Jian knew it was the devil coming to claim his life, and it was all his fault. He died for insulting a simple farmer in a small village. That was really unbelievable.


    Xiong Zhelan''s group arrived in the center of the square with Qiao Mei. They saw that the fight was over and came to help Nero, who was severely injured. Qiao Mei and Xun Lan ran towards Nero, shouting his name at the same time.


    Nero heard the girls calling him, but he could only think of blood and kept walking towards Tao Jian. Sarah tried to speak in his mind, but Nero didn''t care about anything other than taking Tao Jian''s life with his hands.


    "Tao Jian! You gave me a fight like I never had before, so I''m going to give you a quick death. But I''m still sure that your afterlife will be worse than any hell you can think of!"


    Nero approached Tao Jian and firmly grasped his head with the Blood Gauntlet. Then he stepped on his chest and pulled his head slowly. It was definitely not a quick death, and Tao Jian was feeling a pain that many could not even imagine.


    "AAAAAHHHHHH!!!"


    Tao Jian''s neck started to crack and make strange noises. It didn''t take long for his head to be ripped off by Nero''s gauntlet and the blood to fly everywhere.


    The expression in Tao Jian''s eyes was one of terror because he suffered not only with a lot of physical pain but with a lot of fear before he died. Even though he expected to die, it was not in such a terrible way.


    But the worst was not the pain of death, but the fact that Nero sucked Tao Jian''s soul into the Dark Soul Stone for a special place. A place that was filled with the souls of humans from Earth. A place where these souls would be tormented forever as long as Nero lived.


    Nero still didn''t feel entirely well after taking Tao Jian''s head off. Then his hand moved upward by extinct, raising the head of Tao Jian, who was oozing blood.


    Blood...


    He wanted Tao Jian''s blood. Drink straight from the body right after brutally killing him. That feeling excited Nero''s body differently from everything. The feeling of drinking this blood filled with fear and terror was like a drug for Nero, and he couldn''t refuse it.


    Killing Tao Jian was different from killing the Dai Family''s people and humans on Earth as it was a very difficult fight. He felt several mixed feelings at the same time and defeated an enemy much stronger than himself.


    And now no one could deny his reward. It was entirely fair that he drank his enemy''s blood...


    Nero opened his mouth with his fangs slightly, showing as he drank the blood dripping from Tao Jian''s head.


    "Mm... Delicious..."


    Nero was out of control, driven only by the vampire instinct. He didn''t realize that he could expose his secret to so many people approaching the center of the square. But that scene didn''t last more than a few seconds before Sarah screamed in his mind bringing Nero back to rationality.


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    When Nero realized what he was doing, he couldn''t help feeling tired. The fight had taken up a lot of his physical and mental energies, so he took Tao Jian''s body to the red world and went towards Qiao Mei and Xun Lan who were looking at him strangely while standing at a distance.and

 36 Differen

    While most of the people returned to the square after the fight was over, the rest of the group of tax collectors fled the village as quickly as they could.


    They were very curious about the young man who fought against Tao Jian. Some people were brave not to go too far and could see part of the fight even from a distance.


    Everyone had several thoughts in mind, but nobody thought it was bad what happened. Tao Jain''s group was brutal and mistreated the population, so everyone was happy that he died and could only thank the young man who fought bravely.


    The elder who was like a village leader went towards Nero, still wounded and being helped by other citizens. He tried to plead with Tao Jian before but ended up getting hurt and was taken away by others.


    Now he wanted to personally thank Nero not only for having stopped Tao Jian but also for saving Qiao Mei and Qiao Kun, who were very dear people in the village. But as he went towards the center of the square, not him, but everyone saw the young hero drinking the blood that dripped from Tao Jian''s torn head.


    It was to be expected that everyone hated someone like Tao Jian because he was really a terrible person. But there is a big difference in killing someone badly and taking his head off to drink blood.


    The scene that they could only describe as dreadful caused everyone to run back to their homes in great fear. That time there were not even a few brave people willing to stay out of the house after seeing the devil himself.


    The village leader who could not understand what was happening was quickly taken away by his helpers, who almost fainted by fear. It didn''t take a full minute for the square to be empty except for Nero''s group and Qiao Mei.


    Qiao Mei wanted to run to hug Nero when Tao Jian fell. She went through a lot of suffering today, but thanks to Nero, she and her father were safe, and she couldn''t wait to show all her willingness to thank Nero.


    But she also stopped when she saw that strange scene. Qiao Mei''s mind became a mess as she couldn''t process what she was seeing. She had a mental image of Nero being the classic knight in shining armor, but now another image has come into conflict with that one. The devil one. And the two images fought in her mind trying to overcome the other.


    As much as she wanted to keep going towards him, she was afraid. Qiao Mei was very confused and did not know what to do, so she tried to ask Nero, hoping that he would clear things up.


    "Nero... Drink... Blood?"


    The situation was not much different for Xun Lan, who was also standing facing Nero without knowing what to think. She knew he was brutal because she remembered well that he killed so many people in the Dai Family for a non-human, but she was still scared to see him drinking blood.


    Xun Lan was already in love with Nero on a level that she found impossible to love another person more, but that didn''t stop her from being scared, which made her rethink if he was more peculiar than she thought.


    While the girls were having mixed thoughts, Zhu Tai just thought that Nero was too strange to live in society, and Xiong Zhelan feared that others distrust Nero as a human.


    But Nero was feeling very well. He lost control over his instincts, but in those few seconds, he felt excellent. That feeling of crushing his enemy was so addictive, and Nero thought it was the right way for a vampire to live.


    After Sarah took him out of the trance, Nero saw the girls'' confused looks, but that didn''t take the sinister smile off his face.


    Nero did not think for a moment that he would be sorry if someone disapproved of his actions. He couldn''t deny that he had favorable feelings for Xun Lan and Qiao Mei, but he didn''t care what they thought of him. Only Sarah''s opinion was important, and that would hardly change.


    Sarah was happy when she saw that Nero was not upset by the girls'' reaction. She couldn''t deny that she felt threatened by other women while she didn''t have a physical body to keep her man, so if he didn''t care what they thought, it was a good thing.


    But she couldn''t help being also a little upset. She saw Nero as her man, and when other people judged him, it sounded very wrong to her. She got angry and had to comment to Nero, the only one who could hear her.


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    "Stupid girls! So what if you drink blood? They don''t know how diabolically wonderful you are!"


    Nero knew it was wrong to expose himself like that in front of humans, but he knew it was his true nature, and he couldn''t be more grateful for Sarah understood and like that wild side of him. But a small part of him can''t help thinking if Qiao Mei would sleep with him knowing about his true nature.


    Xiong Zhelan saw that Nero was walking towards them calmly as if nothing had happened and would not say anything, so he had to say something to reduce the tension.


    "Ahem! Nero lost a lot of blood in the fight, so he must be a little confused. Please, let''s go back to the inn."


    The girls were very confused but didn''t know if they wanted to investigate Nero. After Xiong Zhelan spoke, everyone agreed and headed for the inn. Nero couldn''t help but give Xiong Zhelan a nod. At least someone didn''t think of him as a monster.


    ____________________________


    *Thud*


    "..."


    After the sound of the inn''s door slamming against the wall, silence filled the ambiance.


    It was amazing how fast the news goes. It was not more than five minutes since the fight was over, and the whole village already knew that the young man who defeated the terrible Tao Jian was scarier than anyone.


    The people didn''t even care if he was from the Black Sword Sect or not and just talked about him drinking blood from a severed head. Everyone was very scared, and those at the inn did not know if it was better to run home or serve them as if nothing had happened.


    Most of the people chose not to do anything that could offend the devil and tried to continue their lives normally, praying for him to leave the village soon. But they couldn''t help but freeze in fear when Nero''s group entered the doors.


    That silence created an even more frightening mood. Nero could hear several hearts beating fast, and he couldn''t help feeling that fear was somehow tasty.


    Qiao Mei looked at her frightened father with a pleading look. Both did not know how to act since they were saved by Nero and did not want to appear ungrateful even though they were terrified of him.


    But Qiao Kun was a very decent man and would not judge Nero without knowing him well. Then he got up with difficulty as he was still injured and went towards Nero.


    "You saved my family, and I will never be able to pay that debt even with all the gratitude I have. I have no money or anything of value with me; otherwise, I could at least give you something."


    Nero didn''t fight for them wanting gratitude or anything like that, so he just nodded to Qiao Kun and headed towards the bedroom. But when he was near the corridor, he stopped, scaring everyone in the hall. Then he spoke without turning around in a tone that everyone could hear.


    "Do you regret it?"


    "..."


    Nobody understood what Nero was talking about except for one person. But Qiao Mei didn''t know how to respond or didn''t want to, so silence was the answer. Nero went to the bedroom, and everyone was able to breathe again.


    After Nero left, Xiong Zhelan''s group choose a table together with Qiao Mei and her father. And since the mood has gotten so much better without Nero, Qiao Kun started talking.


    "Thanks for the help, Elder Xiong. I don''t know what would have happened to us without your help."


    Xiong Zhelan understood the situation very well, and he did not blame ordinary people for fearing Nero. But he didn''t think the same way, and he didn''t like people treating Nero like that just because he was different from what was considered normal or correct.


    Tao Jian brutalized the people for no reason and had corrupt and disgusting means of torturing innocent people for pleasure. He would have done unimaginable things with Qiao Mei if Nero hadn''t fought for her, so Xiong Zhelan didn''t care about Nero''s means and didn''t care if he liked to drink the blood of his enemies.


    It didn''t change the fact that he protected people innocent without wanting any kind of reward. And Xiong Zhelan couldn''t keep quiet while Qiao Kun thanked him for doing nothing.


    "Nero saved you and your daughter. I would not have meddled in that matter because even though I don''t like Tao Jian, he is under the Duke''s orders, and I am only an Elder of the external court."


    "I could have asked him not to hurt innocents, but knowing the way he acts would not surprise me if he waited for me to go out to come back and get your daughter. Not only did Nero choose to fight for you, but he also freed the world from a terrible man who can no longer hurt anyone."


    Xiong Zhelan''s words not only touched Qiao Kun but everyone in the hall. Everyone was paying close attention to their conversation, and Xiong Zhelan did not softly speak when he defended Nero.


    Qiao Kun didn''t even know what to say because he was sorry. Not only did he want to run away when Nero was fighting, but he also gave him the same strange look that would give to someone who was not welcome.


    Qiao Mei also felt guilty. She had her first time with Nero, and he saved her family in a situation that no one could help. She was very grateful to him, but fear was a barrier that prevented her from thinking straight.


    People not only in Sunflower Village, but most of the Xu Dynasty had straightforward thoughts about "the different." "If it is strange, it is bad and evil, then keep your distance."


    Humans have been afraid of everything for a long time, and so they are taught since childhood that they can only trust what is considered typical and right. So it was not Qiao Mei''s fault to think that Nero was "evil" because she was grown like that, and so were her parents.


    "..."


    After Xiong Zhelan spoke, no one else dared to make a single sound. Everyone was trying to understand Nero''s attitude and not be afraid, but no one would be able to change their minds so quickly. It was easy to think badly about someone who looked good, but it was hard to think well of someone different.


    Xun Lan had her head down because her case was even worse than these people who only met Nero for a day. She fell in love with him at first sight, and they had been together for a few days.


    She thought Nero was a prince charming even though he was sometimes very mysterious and different. But being peculiar was quite different from drinking blood. So much as she tried to get back to having the same thoughts she had about him before, it was still challenging.


    Some things cannot be changed, and most people would always think that Nero was some kind of corrupt and evil cultivator even if he did the right things. Xiong Zhelan did not like that situation, but it could be worse if they started to suspect that he was not human.


    People were very racist and intolerant. Xiong Zhelan was a person who believed that everyone could be good or bad depending on the actions and not how different they were. But he knew that the others did not care about seeing things from another point of view. They only knew how to judge wrongly.


    This side of the world was a dark and lonely place for different people. So Xiong Zhelan wanted to take Nero to his sister. She was a person who could give Nero a place where he could show his true nature without being feared and avoided by anyone.

 37 Back on the Road

    As the fight between Nero and Tao Jian happened in the morning, it was still early when he returned to the room. He had no trouble sleeping during the day, and no one came to disturb him because everyone was too scared to approach.


    Nero didn''t want to be in the presence of people who saw him as some kind of freak, so he took a bath and stayed in the room for a few hours until Xiong Zhelan came to call him back on the road.


    Xiong Zhelan did not want to stay in this village, so he prepared supplies quickly and was ready to leave before lunch.


    When Nero left the room and went through the hall with his backpack, everyone lowered their heads or looked to the side without looking at him. That mood was really shit, but Nero didn''t feel bad as he never thought his place was among humans.


    But he was still disappointed with Qiao Mei. He could feel that she was in the kitchen, but she would not even show up to say goodbye.


    Xiong Zhelan thanked the innkeeper for everything, and the group went out the door leaving everyone more relieved.


    As Nero''s group headed towards the city exit, he heard Qiao Mei running after them, so he stopped in the middle of the street waiting for her to speak.


    Qiao Mei was very confused as to how she felt about Nero, but she will always be grateful to him not only for saving her family but also for giving her a memorable night. Even though she was afraid of him, now she still had to say what she thought about the time they spent together to make things clear.


    "I don''t regret it!"


    Nero couldn''t help but smile and continue on his way. He didn''t turn around because Qiao Mei didn''t want to say goodbye and just make her thoughts clear.


    And so Nero left the sunflower village, leaving the entire population with a horror story to tell their children and grandchildren. But one person had much more than the scary parts to tell. Anyway, rumors about a handsome white-haired stranger drinking blood would travel across Xu Dynasty faster than anyone imagined.


    __________________________________________


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    The atmosphere was very different on the other side of the sunflower village. The road from the mountains was long, with a clear horizon and few trees. But the other side towards the west was a road full of trees around, seemed like it was made inside a forest.


    After walking half a mile, the group could not even see the village anymore because the road curved with very tall trees blocking the view not only of the sky but also the sides.


    Nero could hear the sounds of birds and animals like in any other forest. These and the sounds of the group''s footsteps were the only sounds he heard because the group did not talk as before.


    The mood was terrible because Xun Lan was walking with her head low, still not knowing how to think, and Zhu Tai would make faces to Nero a sometimes showing that he was upset by Xun Lan''s emotional state and blame Nero for that.


    Xiong Zhelan couldn''t blame them for not understanding Nero, but he came from a family that was never normal, so he sympathized more with Nero than with the others. He didn''t want Nero to feel bad or anything like that before he could take him to his sister, so he tried to talk to Nero to improve the mood.


    "Ahem! Nero, I didn''t tell you about my sister, right?"


    That subject made Nero interested because he was really curious about the sister that Xiong Zhelan had already mentioned several times but without giving relevant information.


    "Your sister?"


    Xiong Zhelan was happy that Nero was willing to talk and started telling things about his childhood and his sister.


    The Xiong family was one of the oldest in the Xu Dynasty and also one of the strongest in the past. His ancestors were always incredible swordsmen who left their legends around the world.


    But there was a fundamental question about the Xun Family. They were peculiar. In ancient times people believed in honor and did not judge others by characteristics but by their actions. The Xiong Family was highly respected for defending others and the country with their swords always ready to fight.


    Even though not everyone in the Xiong Family was purely human, they were not seen in a negative way but as honorable people and excellent swordsmen.


    Xiong Zhelan''s father died when he and his sister were still very young. He fought a great war to defend the people of the Xu Dynasty from non-human enemies from the South and was considered a hero.


    The whole Xiong Family was very proud of Xiong Zhelan''s father. He and his sister wanted to be great swordsmen like their father and defend their people to be remembered in history as well.


    But times have changed, and people who were not considered entirely human or slightly different were hunted and were not accepted into society. Xiong Zhelan and his family suffered severe losses as many were not entirely human.


    Xiong Zhelan''s mother was a powerful woman and defended her children by making everyone believe that they had no peculiarities. She took care and trained Xiong Zhelan and his sister very well by teaching them to be good characters and strong swordsmen.


    Xiong Zhelan said that he always dreamed of being like his mother because he didn''t know much about his father except for the legends, but his mother was a very amazing and strong person. He and his sister saw their mother as the most incredible person in the world and trained hard to one day be like her.


    Xiong Zhelan and his sister grew up training hard together with the same goal of reaching their mother''s strength. They loved and protected each other, and everything was going well.


    "But then a group of people discovered my sister''s secret and attacked us. My mom was very strong and could fight several cultivators at the same time, but one of them managed to get close to my sister, and I had to defend her."


    Xiong Zhelan was emotional to talk about his sister.


    "My sister... Ling''er... Xiong Ling is her name."


    Nero can''t help but be emotional too.


    "Was she okay?"


    "Everything was fine with her, but..."


    Xiong Zhelan continued the story by telling that he had to get in front of the stroke to defend his sister. It was a spear that pierced his Dantian, causing an almost fatal wound. His mother realized what had happened and killed the attacker quickly, but it was too late, and Xiong Zhelan suffered a severe injury that remains today.


    When the fight was over, Xiong Zhelan''s mother tried everything to heal him, but no one could do anything. She was very sad and felt guilty for not being able to protect her children, so she went looking for a cure for Xiong Zhelan. For five years, she traveled much of the world, and one day came back with a very rare flower.


    The flower was a scarce medicine and cured Xiong Zhelan''s Dantian by allowing him to return to cultivate. But after reaching the Martial Warrior Realm, he was unable to absorb more Qi. His mother knew it was a side effect of the flower, but it was still hard to accept that her son could not improve his cultivation anymore, so she left home again in search of better resources.


    "So, since that day, my sister and I had to live alone trusting only each other."


    "Even though I couldn''t absorb more Qi, the Martial Warrior Realm still allows me to have a good life. But my sister inherited our mother''s talent and became stronger and stronger."


    Xiong Zhelan said it didn''t take long for his household''s resources to become irrelevant to Xiong Ling. So they went on to the Black Sword Sect''s recruitment, and his sister was easily considered as a great talent that hasn''t appeared in thousands of years.


    He can also enter the sect''s inner court because he was young, but after many years he had to become a simple elder of the outer court. On the contrary, Xiong Ling became stronger and more famous within the sect. She wanted to help her brother with her influence, but Xiong Zhelan is very proud and is okay with having a simpler life.


    Today Xiong Ling is one of the most powerful elders, and Xiong Zhelan thinks she is even stronger than the sect master.


    Nero asked if Xiong Zhelan knew anything about his mother but he had no more news about her since she left. So Nero continued to ask questions about the Black Sword Sect and Xiong Ling as the group went on the road.


    _______________________________________


    The group walked for hours until night came. They found no beasts or any problems along the way, so they set up camp in a clean spot not far from the road and close to a stream.


    They woke up and proceeded on the road. After some hours, they were almost at a crossroads when Nero smelled something like smoke.


    "Wait! I think something happened ahead."


    Xiong Zhelan remembered that region and knew there was an inn at the crossroads a little further on. He didn''t doubt Nero''s senses, so he prepared for the worst.


    "You guys stay here while I will check."


    Xiong Zhelan, as the group''s leader, walked towards the crossroads to understand what had happened. He couldn''t help but smile when Nero walked beside him. They went on without saying anything because there was no need for one to be polite to the other as they already considered themselves good friends.


    While Xun Lan and Zhu Tai hid in the forest, Nero and Xiong Zhelan ran along the road. After running for a mile, they reached the crossroads and saw the inn on fire. Screams for help could still be heard from the flames.


    Nero thought that the situation had no solution because the fire had already taken over the entire inn, and there would be no way for them to enter the middle of the flames to save the people who were screaming for help.


    But Sarah did not think so and commented about her suspicions to Nero, who become surprised.


    "I think his attribute is water, so maybe the situation can be saved."


    While Sarah was talking to Nero, Xiong Zhelan started making strange movements with his hands in the air. After two or three seconds, his hands began to shine, and then drops of water started to appear and formed a circle just like the movements he made.


    Nero had no further doubts about the element of Xiong Zhelan being water. After a few more seconds, the water circle grew until it was too big to rotate vertically without hitting the ground.


    Then Xiong Zhelan leaned without stopping moving his hands, causing the circle of water to rotate horizontally around him as it continued to grow. In less than five seconds, the circle had grown so large that it looked like a river around Xiong Zhelan. Nero had to move away a few meters, not wanting to get wet.


    Xiong Zhelan shouted as he pointed a hand towards the inn, then the circle of water like a river under his command was flying towards the fire.


    The noise of water evaporating against the fire was very loud because the fire was very intense. It took almost a minute, but Xiong Zhelan managed to keep the water spinning around one hand and running towards the inn by the other until all the fire is extinguished.


    He had to consume almost all of his Qi to canalize such much water from the air, so when the fire ended, he fell on his knees on the ground hard breathing. Nero ran to help Xiong Zhelan, but he didn''t want any help.


    "I will recover. You have to help people at the inn quickly before everything falls apart!"


    Nero didn''t think twice and ran towards the inn.

 38 Femme Fatale

    The sun was shining in the sky. Birds sang. The fresh morning wind swayed the trees, making a soft sound.


    But the situation was tense for a specific woman.


    It was no better for her opponent.


    The black wolf stared at the woman while snarling.


    The woman ran towards the wolf, who did not want retreat. When she tried to attack with the sword, the wolf tried to bite her hand.


    The woman''s movement was fast and accurate, but the wolf could follow that speed very well. Both were at the peak-stage of the Qi Refinement Realm.


    When the sword was almost hitting the head of the wolf that was almost biting the woman''s hand, something happened very quickly to change the course of the battle.


    "Eeeh?"


    The woman and the wolf were perplexed. They could only think of one word at that moment. But the sound did not follow the speed of thoughts for the woman to speak. The wolf wouldn''t talk even if it had the speed needed for that, of course.


    An ax. A colossal silver ax fell on the wolf''s head so quickly that it and the woman couldn''t finish their movements.


    *Creak*


    *Thud*


    The wolf''s head fell to the ground as the body squirted blood everywhere. And the woman can''t help cursing.


    "Damn you. Why did you disturb me?"


    The tall man in metal armor rested the handle of the large ax on his shoulder and turned to leave but not before making his disappointment clear.


    "You wouldn''t have hit it before you lost an arm. Do I save you, and don''t you thank me but curse me?"


    The woman didn''t like that man at all. She didn''t know if it was the fact that he likes other men or other things, but they never got along.


    "Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you warm the captain''s bed, Han Bo?"


    Han Bo found this woman as annoying as her master, but he could do nothing but complain because he was just a mercenary, and very powerful people supported the woman. But he would leave without mourning.


    "And can you do anything? Do not think that I cannot kill without anyone knowing, Guan Zexi."


    "Do you dare?"


    "Do you want to risk it?"


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    Han Bo and Guan Zexi could have been fighting like children for days without realizing how stupid they were.


    But the man who came down the road leading a group of mercenaries did not like these stupid fights and would like to be able to punish them both. Of course, he punishes Han Bo all nights, but in another way.


    In Guan Zexi''s case, the situation was different. He couldn''t touch her because she had a very important background for him, even thinking about doing any harm to her hair. But he had to show strength as the group''s leader and could not help but scold them.


    "Why do you have to fight all the time? We are all servants of the Guan Family, so why can''t you be at least friendly to each other."


    Han Bo and Guan Zexi stopped discussing when they heard the captain''s deep-toned voice. The group did not even know the name of the man who led them and only called him captain. He was a calm and reserved person.


    The captain was very similar to Han Bo. Both were tall and strong men with brown skin. Han Bo looked to be in his thirties and still looked young. But, the captain was already a middle-aged man and was probably almost a hundred years old since cultivators of the Martial Warrior Realm have no difficulty in appearing to be forty even with a century old.


    Han Bo and Guan Zexi bowed their heads because they respected the captain and knew that they should not fight.


    "Sorry captain, it was my fault!"


    After they both bowed and apologized, the mercenary group continued walking forward the road. They had been traveling for a long time, and everyone was exhausted, but there was still a long way ahead before they got home.


    The captain was leading the group, and Han Bo was carrying the big silver ax beside him. On the other side, Guan Zexi walked elegantly, drawing the attention of all the men in the group and even some women. Of course, the captain and his partner were not among her fans.


    Guan Zexi was a beautiful woman with black hair. She was 1.7 meters tall and had fair skin. If Nero met her, he would undoubtedly be surprised. Not because she was so beautiful but because of her similarities with someone he knew.


    If Dai Jingyi was like a small copy of Dai Zhi, Guan Zexi was like a big one. Anyone who saw they together would be sure they were related.


    The group walked went the road for a few hours until they saw an inn at the crossroads. Everyone cannot help but be happy because they were too tired to travel for so long without a satisfactory rest.


    The captain didn''t even think to deny the group a good lunch. Then almost fifty mercenaries entered the inn, alarming the few people in the hall.


    Guan Zexi was so hungry then rushed to the receptionist to order food and drink. The people at that inn were used to serving groups of travelers who passed the crossroads, so they had no problems with large orders even though were few workers there.


    The group split up on several tables and began to eat and drink excitedly. The few other people in the hall stayed apart of them as a mercenary group was very scary.


    They spoke loudly and beat each other. The waitresses couldn''t help being scared while listening to some of their conversations.


    "I can''t believe we caught a salamander this time."


    "Yes. She is so sexy that she will be very popular in the fights."


    "I will not lose a chance to watch that bitch once!"


    "But why do we have to go back before the main group?"


    "It''s because Boss wanted to check some rumors, but someone has to come back and tell her family, so they don''t worry."


    "Will she find species rarer than the centaur?"


    "Who knows? Boss always wants the most exotic."


    The mercenaries continued to talk about ''species,'' which made it clear that it was about non-humans and beasts more intelligent than normal ones. The inn workers began to assume that they were non-humans slaveholders.


    Most people at Xu Dynasty hated non-humans, but some of them did not, and others even saw them as exotic attractions and made them slaves.


    The imperial family and the four great powers were against these practices, but they did not make a point of punishing someone for having non-human slaves, so a few people who had particular desires had no problem with that.


    This particular group was part of a larger group that served a family that did various events with non-humans. The non-humans caught by them suffer much more than just die because they were forced to various brutal and humiliating acts.


    While some talked about some of the slaves who were coming with the larger group, others talked about resting when they returned to the house. But at the table where the captain was with the strongest mercenaries in the group, the conversation was quite different.


    "Why does Boss like that stupid woman so much?"


    "Shut up, Han bo! She is a servant, but the family is very fond of her, and not only Boss will be angry if something happens to her."


    "But captai-"


    The captain couldn''t take any more of the fighting between Han Bo and Guan Zexi. He did not understand why his partner was not like the other mercenaries who simply accepted that she was superior and lower their head.


    He started to think that by sleeping with Han Bo, he began to get more insubordinate and feel better than the others. When Han Bo started to complain about Guan Zexi, she was in the bathroom, but the captain wanted to avoid any problems and told him to shut up.


    Guan Zexi was a brilliant woman and always took advantage of any person or opportunity. When she was coming back from the bathroom, she stopped after seeing a man entering the kitchen.


    He was a very handsome young man, and she couldn''t help but be interested. It had been a long time since she had any fun, so that seemed like an excellent opportunity. Guan Zexi wasted no time and went into the kitchen looking for the handsome man.


    She was very confident in her beauty and did not think that the man might not want to be with her. When she entered the kitchen, she saw the man carrying a vegetable hamper to a girl who was cooking. She didn''t think much and approached him while speaking loud enough for everyone in the kitchen to hear.


    "Hey handsome, this lady here will give you a treatment worthy of the gods today."


    The man did not know who this woman was because he was out collecting vegetables for his wife to cook, so he was surprised by the situation. He loved his wife very much and would not go anywhere with another woman.


    "Forgive me, my lady, but I will have to refuse your goodwill."


    Guan Zexi thought she had drunk too much wine and was listening wrong. How could a man reject her divine body?


    She approached the man and tried to take his hand. But the man would not let another woman disrespect his wife so, then he turned his hand away, not letting Guan Zexi touch him.


    Guan Zexi was a cultivator almost at the Martial Warrior Realm, so she was more than a hundred times faster than man. But she never had to use force to make anyone want to sleep with her. So when the man dodged her touch, it was a surprise for her.


    "You can not be serious! Are you really going to miss the chance of your life?"


    The man first thought the woman was kidding, and then when she tried to touch him, he thought she might want to make fun of his wife. But now that she was speaking in a very serious tone, he couldn''t help but be confused.


    It was not his fault that he was confused because it was not typical for beautiful women to harass married men very often. He didn''t know who she was but dressed like that, and with that look, she had to be someone important and of high status.


    He felt disapproval and hostility at the woman''s tone, so he started to get afraid. So he stood in front of his wife, who was already shaking with fear and tried to argue.


    "My lady, please understand, my wife and I are simple peasants, and we cannot oppose such illustrious people as you. But I love my wife, and I would feel horrible about doing anything like that."


    Now, Quan Zexi was sure she found a blind man. How could he deny being with her to be loyal to a girl who was so ugly and ignorant? She cannot help being offended by thinking that the man, despite wanting to sleep with her, did not want his wife to know.


    She was quite sure that no man would deny staying with her for at least one night. But seeing that the man didn''t want to give in at the right time made her angry. She lost all desire to have fun and started thinking about how to punish the man for not knowing what was good for him.


    "You have no idea how you will regret that choice."

 39 Couples Nightmare

    The inn was very lively at lunchtime. In addition to other travelers who arrived, the mercenary group already filled almost every space in the hall.


    While people were talking about different subjects, the captain and Han bo ate in silence as the mood was not very good among them because of complaints about Guan Zexi.


    A waitress arrived with another plate of meat on their table. The innkeeper knew how to recognize people very well and thought that the mercenaries were very important people that they might not offend but should please.


    When Han Bo was about to thank the waitress for the food, the captain kicked his chair quickly. As they were sitting next to each other, it was not difficult for the captain to make a move while still seated.


    Han Bo was a little weaker than the captain, which was quite a success as the difference between their ages was considerably large. But even with his high speed, Han Bo was thrown away from the table and was confused for a second before realizing that the captain had helped him.


    The wall behind the balcony was broken by a man who continued flying towards the chair that Han Bo was sitting on, and as the captain realized this, he kicked Han Bo''s chair just in time to prevent them from colliding.


    "What the fuck?"


    Han Bo was perplexed wondering why someone would throw a man at him. But as he went towards the man who was thrown on the floor near the table, the captain kept quietly eating as if nothing had happened.


    He was paying attention to Guan Zexi''s movements since she came out of the bathroom and had no difficulty listening to everything going on in the kitchen with his excellent senses. The captain''s only doubt was whether he would have to interfere.


    The man who was thrown through the wall was surely the loyal husband who did not want to have fun with Guan Zexi. Before Han Bo could get close to questioning him, he heard her sinister laugh.


    "It was so simple! You only had to serve me, and in return, you would have had a great pleasure that many can only dream of having. But you had to complicate everything!"


    Guan Zexi was very irritated for being rejected and would not have peace before making the man pay profoundly for that insult. She then grabbed the arm of the wife, who was trying to escape while crying rivers of tears in fear.


    Everyone in the hall fell silent as they stared at the scene in surprise. No mercenaries there felt sorry for the man, and they just wanted to see a good show.


    The man tried to get up, but as he was just a cultivator of the Qi Refinement first layer, he could not help but moan by the pain coming from his broken arm. He looked at the hole in the wall while he was still on the floor only to be desperate to see his wife crying while trying to escape from Guan Zexi.


    "Please, my lady, at least have mercy on my wife as she has nothing to do with that matter."


    But Guan Xi was not known for being merciful. The suffering and regret she saw on the man''s face were like a portion of delicious exotic food that Guan Zexi would enjoy until the last bit.


    She took the woman by the hair and started kicking her in the belly. Guan Zexi could feel that the woman was not a cultivator, so she attacked her with little force to hurt without killing.


    It was a brutal scene to see Guan Zexi beating the poor woman while her husband was crying on the floor without being able to do anything. He tried to get up again but was kicked by another mercenary causing the whole group to start laughing.


    The other people in the kitchen had already run to the second floor of the inn, and a waitress recalled that a very big adventurer who looked extremely strong was sleeping in one of the rooms. He had arrived at night quite tired, but after sleeping until lunchtime, he should be fine now.


    When the waitress woke up the adventurer and asked for his help, he didn''t think twice before going down to see how the situation was going. Despite being very big and muscular, the adventurer was still a cultivator of the Qi Refinement middle-stage.


    When he arrived at the hall, he couldn''t help but be surprised because he saw the mercenary group laughing as they watched Guan Zexi beat up a woman and some men kicking a guy on the floor. He recognized the woman as a kind cook, and even being afraid of such a large group, he still tried to reason with them.


    "Please, guys. These people are kind and straightforward. Even though they have offended you, we can still come to a less brutal conclusion."


    Everyone was laughing while they continued to drink, and nobody noticed the adventurer trying to talk, or they just didn''t care about him. But Guan Zexi stopped hitting the woman who was already bleeding all over her mangled body. She threw the woman on the floor and started kicking her while looking at the adventurer.


    "What if I don''t stop? Will you stop me?"


    The adventurer did not consider himself a hero or anything like that, but he had slept in this inn many times and liked the people here. When he saw the condition of the cook, he could not help himself anymore and ran towards Guan Zexi while bringing an ax out of his magic backpack.


    *Woosh*


    When the adventurer was almost arriving in Guan Zexi, he felt a wind pass through him, and then his vision went dark when a cold assaulted his belly. He looked down only to see a sword''s blade going through his body, so he concluded that someone hit him from behind before closing his eyes to salute the afterlife.


    The captain, even eating in silence, was still paying attention to the situation, and when he saw the adventurer went towards Guan Zexi, he did not want to take any risks by killing him quickly. He took the long sword from the adventurer''s chest and swung it to wipe the blood while returning to the table.


    Everyone was silent when the captain made his move. When he returned to the table, the mercenaries hit the mugs on the table while shouting praises at him. Guan Zexi couldn''t help but smile while she provoked him.


    "So, our beloved captain also wants to have fun?"


    The captain was not someone who liked to torture others for pleasure or anything like that. He is undoubtedly a ruthless mercenary, but he did everything in order to save money to live his last days in peace in a remote place, possibly with some handsome young man.


    But some things were out of his control. Guan Zexi was someone he couldn''t offend for any reason, so letting her kill everyone at the inn was much better than trying to stop her. But he still made his point clear while eating calmly.


    "Don''t get me into your bizarre games. I just have to be sure to escort you in perfect conditions."


    Guan Zexi continued to beat the couple until they could no longer resist and die. The mercenaries also tortured other adventurers at the inn and some of the workers. But some people hide well and others ran away.


    The captain did not care for those simple people and let the group do whatever they wanted, as it was good that they used violence to de-stress sometimes. But he was a cautious person, and even though they had already done a lot of harm to people at the inn, he still wanted to eliminate future problems by setting everything on fire.


    The group followed the road as the inn caught fire leaving people inside in a terrible nightmare. But the captain still gave a final order to ensure that no one left.


    ____________________________


    Nero felt no pity for these people when he heard the story from one of the men he helped to take out from the inn after Xiong Zhelan put out the fire.


    He already tried to do good for humans, and they just saw him as a freak, so he was going back to his cold way of looking at them. And their problems were none of his business, so Nero thought nothing of it and only took people out of the inn because it was a request from Xiong Zhelan.


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    Nero respected Xiong Zhelan very much and knew that he was a good person who liked to help others. They were all together when one of the inn workers told the story, and Nero could see that Xiong Zhelan was sorry for the suffering of these people.


    Xiong Zhelan paid close attention to the story, and when one of the people talked about hearing a mercenary talk about the Guan Family, he didn''t know what to think. He knew the Guan Family well and gave Nero a brief explanation.


    He said that the Guan Family was the second most powerful in the eastern region, and even though it was not one of the greatest powers, it was very influential.


    Nero couldn''t help but clench his fists in rage when Xiong Zhelan said that the Guan Family was the largest organization that enslaved non-humans in the Xu Dynasty. He is not a hero of non-humans, but he couldn''t help but be angry that non-humans suffered so much by human hands.


    Xiong Zhelan continued telling about the Guan Family. He said that even though most people of the Xu Dynasty did not accept the idea of non-humans living among them, but they could not do anything against the Gaun Family.


    A brilliant and ruthless woman led the Guan Family, but the question was not her strength, but the fact that the second imperial prince was in love with her. Even though she refused to marry him, the influence of her family only grew.


    The prince was a romantic man who would not use force or power to have the woman he loved, so he kept trying to conquer her affection over for years. So no one dares to insult the Guan Family by fearing to create problems with the Imperial Family.


    Xiong Zhelan, like most people in the Black Sword Sect, hated the Guan Family for their obscure and disgusting businesses. Still, because their influence was so significant, they all knew how to keep the distance from them.


    Even if he wanted to punish the mercenaries who had done so much harm to the people at the inn, he had no strength or support, so he just had to leave because he had already helped as he could by putting out the fire.


    "We have to go. I''m sorry for not being able to give you any justice, but these people have the support of someone I can''t attack."


    "Let''s come back, Nero."


    When Xiong Zhelan and Nero were returning to meet Xun Lan and Zhu Tai, but Nero stopped the moment Sarah warned in his mind.


    "I feel someone''s presence. It''s more than a mile away and is using stealth skills to hide its presence, but I still feel a little bit of Qi flowing."


    Nero focused his senses in the direction that Sarah spoke and heard heartbeat sounds confirming that someone was possibly watching them.


    When he warned Xiong Zhelan, he couldn''t help but be concerned.


    __________________________


    Two men watched the burning inn from a long distance. They were scouts from the mercenary group and were following the captain''s orders not to let anyone leave the inn alive. They are scouts from the mercenary group and were following the captain''s orders not to let anyone leave the inn alive.


    Both were very good at stealth skills, but only one of them had high visual skills. He was called ''watcher'' by the other members of the group. As he watched the inn, he saw Xiong Zhelan and Nero coming and putting out the fire.


    He waited for Xiong Zhelan to finish his movements as everything was swift and soon finished, then he turned to talk to his companion and explain everything he had seen. After the two understood everything that had happened, they discussed how to proceed.


    "Should we notify the captain?"


    "He was very clear that everyone should die there so as not to cause future problems."


    "But he is an elder of the Black Sword Sect."


    "Whatever, it is not our duty to think about what to do, but to report."


    "So, you go report to the captain while I keep watching them."


    After concluding that it was better to report everything to the captain, one of the scouts went while the other stayed. The mercenary group had been gone for about thirty minutes, so they weren''t far, and if the scout ran fast, he would reach them quickly.

 40 Mercenaries part 1

    "Urraaaaaah!!!"


    *Woosh*


    Nero narrowly dodged the big ax.


    Han Bo did not think that it was bad because he prefers a challenging fight. Then he turned the body over while Nero was still dodging his attack and launched another strike, still shouting madly.


    "Urraaaahahahahaa..."


    Nero had no difficulty in avoiding the ax, but the blade comes very close, and a mistake would be his death. Han Bo looked like a madman screaming and laughing as he swung the big ax from side to side.


    Everyone could see that he was enjoying the fight, but Nero was not happy that way. He relied on his speed to beat more powerful enemies, but now he couldn''t do anything but dodge the damn ax.


    Han Bo was not worried because he knew that Nero was a weak cultivator of the Qi Refinement Realm and was only lasting because of some speed technique but would soon tire. So he wanted to enjoy and play with him a lot before killing him.


    "You are so handsome! Tell me your beauty secrets, and I can give you a quick death."


    "Not talking? Do you want to look tough? Look at me, you son of a bitch! I''m tough!"


    While Nero dodged the ax strokes, he didn''t say a word no matter how much Han Bo tried to talk to him. After more than twenty miss strikes, Han Bo was beginning to find it a little boring and shouted at the other mercenaries who were around watching the fight.


    "Let''s make things more interesting... Archers try to hit his legs!"


    When Nero''s eyes widened with an expression of fear, Han Bo couldn''t help but laugh. But Nero was not surprised at Han Bo''s order but by the sound of someone being thrown towards them through the forest.


    The person who was launched was flying through the forest while breaking the trees with its own body at an insane speed. Anyone at the Qi Refinement Realm would die if they went through something like that, and someone from the Martial Warrior Realm would be severely injured.


    Nero couldn''t even imagine what kind of attack would launch someone so far, but now the most important thing is to prevent the person from getting hurt anymore.


    He jumped over two meters and picked up a body that came out of the forest like a missile. Nero couldn''t help being angry when he fell to the ground holding the man and spoke the first time surprising Han Bo and the other men who haven''t heard him until now.


    "Xiong Zhelan..."


    While Nero looked at the passed out Xiong Zhelan, he heard another sound coming from the forest and rolled to the side, still holding his friend''s body to dodge the sword that was flying towards them.


    When Xiong Zhelan''s sword hit the ground in the same spot as they were a second ago, a deep voice came from the forest.


    "Is that the strength of the Black Sword Sect''s elders? That''s the reason for the southern region being a garbage hole!"


    _____________________________________


    About an hour before.


    One of the scouts in charge of watching the inn reached the mercenary group on the road. He went directly to the captain to report everything he saw.


    When he spoke about an elder from the Black Sword Sect and a handsome young man with white hair, not only was the captain surprised, but Guan Zexi was excited.


    The captain put the hand on his chin while thinking aloud.


    "An elder of the Black Sword Sect? Hmm... At the early stage of the Martial Warrior Realm... I don''t think anyone will miss a useless one like that."


    While the captain was wondering if it was worth going back to kill the elder, Guan Zexi had already decided to return to see the handsome man because she did not have the fun she so wanted at the inn and was frustrated now.


    The captain decided to go back and kill anyone who might create future problems for him. Since the people of the Black Sword Sect liked to defend innocents, fight for equality, and other things like that, so it was better to kill a few of them alone than to wait for others to appear.


    He knew that the Black Sword Sect was stronger than the family he serves, but they would not go so far as to attack them only for a weak elder.


    "Han Bo, pick half of the men and comes with me. Guan Zexi, you keep on the way."


    Gua Zexi was irritated by not being able to go to see the handsome man, but she had already made a lot of mess and knew that the captain''s patience is not infinity. But she couldn''t help but mumble as she watched the group return.


    "Idiots!"


    __________________________________________


    Nero and Xiong Zhelan went back to meet Xun Lan and Zhu Tai. After the group got together, they went on the road to the north of the inn while the mercenary group traveled the east one.


    Xiong Zhelan knew that the people in the Guan Family were not simple, and creating problems with them would not be good. Then he made his group run at full speed to avoid any conflict.


    But it seemed that the problem was trying to find them because Nero could still feel the scout following them even from a great distance.


    Xiong Zhelan began to think that the group that destroyed the inn wanted to kill witnesses to avoid future problems, and the fact that he is from the Black Sword Sect must have worried their leader.


    The scout was very fast, and as much as they ran, it was not possible to get rid of him, so Xiong Zhelan became more and more worried until he stopped.


    "You move on. I will kill the person who is pursuing us, and soon I will follow you again."


    Nero understood the situation, so he knew that the group was dangerous people. If Xiong Zhelan stayed behind, the chances of him dying were great, and he would not let him go into danger alone.


    When Nero started to return, Xiong Zhelan knew what he wanted, but now the situation was not under his control.


    "You also go ahead with them. I don''t need your help against just one person, and you will only disturb me."


    Nero couldn''t help but be moved by the words of Xiong Zhelan. Nero knew that he was trying his best to keep him out of danger and thanked him for that care, but he still wouldn''t let his first human friend fight alone.


    "My speed is greater than yours, so I go kill him while you move on."


    Nero and Xiong Zhelan started to discuss who should return while Xun Lan and Zhu Tai became more and more worried and confused.


    Xun Lan was getting more and more worried about the situation, and adding to the fact that she was still very sad about her conflicting feelings for Nero, she started to cry. Then Zhu Tai tried to stop the discussion between Nero and Xiong Zhelan.


    "Why don''t you both go there and come back quickly? Discussing so is not going to get us anywhere."


    "Because it is not necessa-"


    When Xiong Zhelan was going to say that Nero didn''t need to come back with him, something happened, and everyone stayed silent.


    Nero turned in the direction the scout was following them and made the most concerned expression the group had ever seen on his face. Nero always had a very cold look and had rarely shown fear before, so it was to be expected that the group worried whatever was coming.


    Even while arguing, he was still paying attention to the scout, and at the same time that Sarah warned him, he also heard several people approaching it.


    "Some are in the Qi Refinement, but most are from the Martial Warrior Realm... some of them in the middle stage. It is a very strong group for you to face now, so I suggest you run away."


    Even when Sarah told him to run away, she already thought he wouldn''t leave Xiong Zhelan so easily, but she still had to try.


    "You have to decide it now because they are coming quickly!"


    Everything was very fast. When Nero and Sarah felt the mercenary group coming, he only thought for a second before warning Xiong Zhelan and making his decision.


    "They are already here. You have to go while I hold them!"


    Nero believed that with his high speed, he could buy some time for Xiong Zhelan and the others to flee, but everyone was silent, not knowing how to react quickly to a difficult situation.


    "..."


    Xiong Zhelan knew that if they were really Guan Family''s people, they wouldn''t have much chance of getting out alive, but it was better to die fighting than running away. But Xun Lan and Zhu Tai would not last long in a fight like that, so the best thing for them was to try to run while they were fighting.


    "Now! Run!!!"


    When Xiong Zhelan also shouted, Zhu Tai took Xun Lan''s hand and ran while Nero and his master stayed to fight. He knew about the Guan Family and feared that his master would die, but there was nothing he could do against cultivators much stronger than him.


    Xun Lan was in shock. She didn''t have enough time to adapt to Nero''s strange situation, and they are already encountering another terrifying situation. She turned as she ran and took one last look at Nero.


    She first thought of him as a charming prince who would be a perfect husband for her. Then she was confused when he fought so hard for a non-human but still liked him a lot. Then she saw him drink blood... Now he was staying to fight mercenaries while she ran away...


    It was difficult for her to understand how to feel about him. But she didn''t want him to die...


    As Xun Lan and Zhu Tai ran down the road, Nero and Xiong Zhelan started to return to face the mercenary group.


    Xiong Zhelan did not expect that they would have to face such danger on the way. That region was very safe for Black Sword Sect''s people, but what bad luck it was to meet people from the Guan Family here.


    "I''m sorry, boy."


    Nero did not blame Xiong Zhelan. After all, he was alone in this world and would have to fight many opponents who would probably be more powerful than he. Fighting together with a friend was more than he could wish for.


    "We are still alive, and we can fight, so don''t give up!"


    "Hahahahaha... Well said! Let''s do our best."


    "If we survive this... I hope your sister is really amazing, as you say."


    "Do not worry. I don''t think you''ll ever see a more beautiful, strong, and intelligent woman like her."


    While Xiong Zhelan talked about his sister being so amazing, Nero and Sarah thought the same thing.


    "I doubt it!"


    Nero was not very confident in fighting a group of cultivators from the Martial Warrior Realm, but he couldn''t help but hope it was possible.


    "Any ideas, Sarah?"


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    Sarah understood that the difference in strength between Realms was huge, but Nero''s body was something that never existed in the cultivation''s road, so she couldn''t deny that much was possible.


    "If you manage to reach the fifth layer, you can win against these people."


    "That shouldn''t be too difficult..."


    Nero did not waste the bodies of Tao Jian and his guards. He took everyone to Red World and then sucked their blood. Even though he had a large Qi gain, he still needs more to break the fifth layer barrier.


    While Nero was thinking about how to get blood, Sarah gave the most obvious idea, but it was not so simple.


    "Ask for some of his blood."


    Even though Nero didn''t like that idea much, he didn''t have time to think of anything better.


    "Xiong Zhelan... Can I drink some of your blood? If I can get some of your Qi, I would improve my strength, and we''ll have a better chance of winning."


    "Heeeeeeee?"


    Xiong Zhelan did not expect this. He would never have imagined that Nero could cultivate by drinking blood. But it was not the time to think about that kind of thing because they were in a critical situation. Then he stretched his arm even reluctantly.


    "Okay... Do it fast!"


    Nero didn''t think twice about releasing his fangs to bite Xiong Zhelan''s arm.


    *Woosh*


    But instead of biting, he pushed Xiong Zhelan backward, and a large silver ax passed between them less than an inch from his face.


    Nero and Xiong Zhelan looked towards the forest and saw a group of over twenty men coming towards them. A middle-aged man led the group, and a very muscular one at his side looked fondly at the ax that got stuck into a rock after breaking some trees on the other side of the road.

 41 Mercenaries part 2

    Han Bo looked at his ax on the stone and then looked at Nero. He was surprised by this stranger could dodge his ridiculous ax throw.


    But then he noticed something even more unbelievable. The stranger not only had bright white hair at such a young age but also he was the most handsome man he had ever seen.


    Nero noticed a strange sparkle in Han Bo''s eyes as he stared at him. Sarah can''t help but comment for him to be careful with that muscular man.


    Xiong Zhelan stared at the group''s captain while he wondered if there was any chance of negotiating.


    "What do you want from us?"


    The captain knew that Xiong Zhelan had already understood the situation but was still trying to negotiate. But he didn''t want to waste time allowing to appear others from the Black Sword Sect.


    He took out a long sword from his magic backpack and pointed it at Xiong Zhelan.


    "Han Bo, take care of the white-haired boy. I kill the Black Sword Elder. If you do it fast... I will reward you tonight..."


    The other mercenaries understood that they did not need to interfere in the fight and settled on rocks or on the floor to watch the show.


    Xiong Zhelan was frustrated that the captain ignored him, but that was how the people in the Guam Family acted. They didn''t care anyone except the Royal Family and killed everyone in their path.


    The captain did not wait for a second and ran towards Xiong Zhelan, preparing his sword stroke. It was as fast as Xiong Zhelan feared. He took the xiphos sword from the magic backpack and prepared himself for combat.


    Han Bo ran towards Nero to kill him with empty hands, ignoring the ax across the street. Nero knew that Han Bo was in the third layer of the Martial Warrior Realm and would be a powerful opponent like Tao Jian or even stronger.


    Xiong Zhelan never feared to die in combat, but he can''t help but look sadly at Nero before crossing swords with the captain.


    "Don''t die, boy."


    Nero did not think about dying. At least not before killing Sarah''s enemies. But he was grateful for Xiong Zhelan''s care.


    "Don''t die, old man."


    Everything was swift as cultivators of the Martial Warrior Realm had incredible speed. The captain struck his sword vertically, and Xiong Zhelan blocked it horizontally.


    *Clang*


    The sound of metal hitting metal was so loud that even animals in the forest could hear it. Xiong Zhelan''s hand vibrated uncontrollably, clearly showing who had the advantage.


    Xiong Zhelan already expected the captain to be much stronger than him, but coming so hard on the first blow showed that he didn''t want to waste time.


    When the captain''s sword was blocked, he raised his knee, hitting Xiong Zhelan in the belly, throwing him into the forest.


    The move was much faster than the sword attack catching Xiong Zhelan off guard. He felt a lot of pain in his belly and spit out some blood when he hit a tree.


    He got up quickly, making a defensive position with his sword prepared. When he focused his senses to find out the captain''s location, it didn''t take him a second to try to turn around and find a kick coming from above.


    Xiong Zhelan was thrown once again, hitting other trees in the forest. More blood came out of his mouth, but that was far from over.


    "I''ll have to use it..."


    While on the floor, Xiong Zhelan took a black pill from his pocket and consumed quickly. The captain went towards Xiong Zhelan right after throwing him but was not quick enough to prevent him from using the pill.


    "Do you think you have a chance with that kind of cheap trick?"


    The pill was a gift from his sister. It is a drug that improves the body, very similar to a Body Improvement Technique, but without side effects.


    As it is a very rare and valuable pill that only people of great importance in the Black Sword Sect have access to it. Xiong Ling gave one to her brother, but the pill has a percentage effect, so the better the base power, the better the increase will be.


    In the case of Xiong Zhelan, the increase was enough to give him the power of a third layer''s Martial Warrior for some time. After consuming the pill, he had a better perception of the captain''s speed, who was running towards him.


    Xiong Zhelan rolled on the ground to dodge the sword stroke that sank into the ground. The captain did not stop and tried to kick him, who got up and jumped backward, dodging other strokes until he managed to stay ten meters away from him.


    Although the captain''s sword was not a magic weapon like Xiong Zhelan''s one, it''s still a high-quality sword, but the captain used more kicks and punches than the sword.


    Xiong Zhelan thought he had a chance of winning because he is a better swordsman and couldn''t help but provoke the captain, hoping to decrease his concentration.


    "Why do you use a sword if you don''t know how to use it?"


    The captain saw a smile of hope on Xiong Zhelan''s face, but he didn''t care about swords. Then he threw his sword at Xiong Zhelan, who deflected quickly.


    "I was trying to improve my sword''s skills, but it seems like I will never be a swordsman. Whatever... I honestly don''t like swords."


    Xiong Zhelan thought that the captain was strong but not skilled with the sword. That would be an advantage for him, but then the captain discarded his sword and took two clubs out of his magic backpack, making Xiong Zhelan rethink his strategy.


    "So, the sword was not his main weapon..."


    The captain never abandoned his severe attitude and attacked with strength and speed. Xiong Zhelan still had some advantage as he could handle the clubs well using his sword.


    For almost ten minutes, the captain attacked without stopping, but Xiong Zhelan managed to defend all the hits. The captain was impressed with that sword skill.


    But he couldn''t waste any more time, so he moved back and put away the clubs. He was stronger and faster than Xiong Zhelam, so there was no reason for him to insist on fighting in a way that these advantages were not helping him.


    Xiong Zhelan, even being able to handle the captain''s strikes, was not in good condition. He was fighting at his limit and could only block, so when the captain moved away, he tried to end the fight by attacking one time with all his remained strength.


    "I have to win! I can''t just lose here and abandon the boy..."


    He used all the strength he could and even evoked his Water Qi around the sword. The attack looked a strong and precise wave going horizontally towards the captain with the intention of splitting his body.


    But the captain still showed no fear while putting away the clubs and taking a huge mace from his magic backpack. He wasted no time and attacked the wave with his big mace, causing a huge explosion of water.


    Xiong Zhelan was confident that this attack would break any weapon other than magic. But to his shock, the captain''s mace did not move when it came in contact with his sword. His hands vibrated more than before, and he understood that the mace is also a magic weapon.


    When the water fell on them, the captain was holding his mace still looking serious while Xiong Zhelan was having trouble breathing after using so much effort in a single attack.


    "It seems that it is your limit."


    "Don''t hold on."


    Even being at a great disadvantage now, Xiong Zhelan would not give up so easily. He tried to attack the captain again as he could not be defensive against the big mace.


    As it was a weaker attack than the previous one, the captain had no problems blocking, but this time, he did not stop and kicked Xiong Zhelan, throwing him against the trees.


    When Xiong Zhelan got up, he realized that they were inside the forest and far away from the road where Nero was fighting Han Bo. He had been fighting for about fifteen minutes, but he didn''t notice anything around him and was completely focused on the captain.


    Before he could organize his thoughts, the great mace comes not giving him time to dodge. He tried to block with his sword, but the strike was too strong, and he was thrown again.


    "If nothing changes, I won''t be able to take much more..."


    Xiong Zhelan stood up again. He was severely wounded, bleeding from various parts of his ripped tunic. Still, he couldn''t give up. Then he raised his sword and prepared for the great mace that was coming destroying everything in its path.


    The captain had no mercy and hit again harder and harder, throwing Xiong Zhelan again and again, who looked like a kite loose in the wind while painting the ground with blood. So he stopped in front of Xiong Zhelan, who couldn''t get up this time.


    "Even being pretty weak for a Black Sword Sect''s elder, you fight well."


    Xiong Zhelan, still on the ground, gave the captain a smile.


    "You have a good mace there... It was a good gift from those pigs."


    Almost everyone at Xu Dynasty hated the Guan Family, and the Black Sword Sect is one of their biggest enemies. But since no one would go against the second prince, he saw nothing at insults like that.


    "It wasn''t the Guan Family that gave it to me. It is an inheritance from my father."


    The captain was not like most people who worked for the Guan Family, and Xiong Zhelan was beginning to realize that. Since the start, he had fought seriously, not an idiot like the others that Xiong Zhelan meets.


    "Why work for people like them?"


    "Work is work no matter what. If they pay me well, so I don''t mind killing anyone."


    Damn mercenaries. Xiong Zhelan could only think like that because there was no way to negotiate with the captain even if he was not like others in the Guan Family.


    The captain had already given Xiong Zhelan time to say a few last words, so he raised the great mace to kill him.


    "You seem to care a lot for the boy, so I can only promise that I will give him a quick death if he is still alive."


    Many thoughts came to Xiong Zhelan''s mind while he watched in slow motion the great mace falling to take his life.


    He remembered his father. He was like a high mountain that would defend everyone from any evil. But then he died, leaving his family alone.


    So his mother took care of his family with all the love and protection he could ask for. She was the most amazing woman in the world, but then she abandoned him and his sister.


    So his sister... She always took care of him. But he would leave her now...


    Not only her... But he would also abandon a boy who needs his help in a land where everyone would hate him.


    If only he could be as strong as his sister...


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    "I can not give up!"


    Xiong Zhelan started thinking about the people he cared about, and then he realized that he would miss them a lot. He couldn''t give up and abandon them. So he focused all the Qi he still had for one last move.


    The captain saw Xiong Zhelan raise his sword, and he thought it was a defensive move that would be useless. But then Xiong Zhelan threw his sword that ignored the mace and went towards his back.


    Xiong Zhelan threw the sword, and when it had passed through the captain, he had already prepared the teleportation technique. Before the mace arrived, he teleported to the sword still in the air and caught it with his hand, already starting an attack aiming at the captain''s head.


    The captain cannot help but find that movement incredible. It would be fatal for any cultivator on the same level as Xiong Zhelan and even stronger ones, but he did not fear this attack.


    He didn''t have enough speed to dodge, but he managed to turn his head at least so that the sword hit his shoulder, and it wasn''t a fatal blow.


    The pain of having a deep cut on his shoulder made the captain angry. He reacted quickly by hitting Xiong Zhelan with his big mace this time with all the strength he could.


    Xiong Zhelan no longer had the strength to resist. He used all the remaining Qi for this movement, and he couldn''t help but be sad when it failed. He was already frail when he received the attack from the captain, but he still put the sword in front of his belly.


    He had no strength to make the sword absorb part of the impact, so he was thrown as far as possible. He passed out while he was still flying through the forest, breaking the trees with his body.

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