As night fell, the bustling city was illuminated by dazzling lights, with the streets adorned with all sorts of exquisite and beautiful lanterns. People crowded the streets, creating a lively and bustling scene.

This is the capital city tonight, filled with bright lights and prosperity.

At the highest point of the capital city stood a grand mansion, the residence of the vampire royal family.

Iris wandered through the streets, watching the peaceful and prosperous lives of the people, showing a faint smile.

She arrived at a tavern and sat by the window, quietly sipping her drink.

At the table in front of her sat two young boys, one of them with a handsome face wore a troubled expression. He sighed repeatedly and murmured, "Sigh, another exam. If I don't pass this test, I'll be held back."

The boy sitting next to him patted his shoulder, comforting him, "Don't be so downcast. You'll definitely pass this time."

"I hope so. I haven't had a good night's sleep for three days in a row. If I can't make it tomorrow, I'll collapse," the handsome boy lamented, then took a big gulp from his glass.

The boy next to him shook his head and chuckled, "Don't lose heart. Who knows, you might get lucky and pass the exam, avoiding being held back."

The handsome boy sneered, "Don't tease me. There's no such thing as luck when it comes to the tests at Red Moon Academy. It's all about strength, there are no shortcuts. I'm afraid I'm in big trouble this time."

The boy next to him also picked up his glass and took a sip of his drink. His expression, however, was much more relaxed than the handsome boy's. He lazily stretched his body and sighed, "Just being held back, it's not a big deal for me. This level of setback doesn't even register."

The handsome boy glanced at him and clicked his tongue, "Tsk, you're so carefree. But I can't handle it!"

The boy next to him shrugged and grinned, "Then good luck to you."

The handsome boy snorted and fell silent.

At this moment, the handsome boy caught a glimpse of a girl sitting at the neighboring table, and his eyes lit up. He gestured towards the girl and whispered to his companion, "Hey, look, that girl is really beautiful. Huh, why is she sitting alone? She seems to be troubled."

Hearing his companion's words, the boy next to him followed his gaze and saw a tall and slender girl sitting alone near the window.

The girl was wearing a white dress, with long silver-black hair cascading down her back. Her features were perfect, with flawless, fair skin that looked as delicate as a baby's. Her eyes, as clear and bright as autumn water, twinkled with a gentle radiance, making one's heart skip a beat. (In disguise, Iris would naturally dye her hair a different color.)

Although this girl was not adorned with makeup, her natural beauty was still breathtaking, as if a celestial maiden from the heavens had descended to earth, intoxicatingly beautiful.

"Hmm, she's indeed a very beautiful girl," the boy next to him nodded and then said something that made the handsome boy want to vomit blood, "She wouldn't have any interest in someone who is going to be held back. Give up on that idea!"

The handsome boy angrily retorted, "You're the one being held back! Let me tell you, I will definitely pass this assessment!"

The boy rolled his eyes and said, "You're thinking too much. Stop dreaming! Finish this jug of wine and go back to the dormitory to get some rest. You still have to take the test tomorrow. If you pass out from exhaustion, it'll be really embarrassing."

"I..." The handsome boy was about to argue back when he suddenly saw a young man entering the tavern from outside. He quickly whispered, "Teacher Gu is here to catch students. Let's hide!" With that, he grabbed the boy's arm and ran towards the back door, disappearing from the tavern.

The young man named Teacher Gu entered the tavern, casting a sweeping gaze around but didn't find any students from Red Moon Academy. He then walked towards the counter and asked the bartender, "Excuse me, have any students from Red Moon Academy been here?"

The innkeeper recognized the young man and immediately replied, "Master Gu, apart from the two troublemakers from Hongyue Academy, no other students have come. Are you looking for them?"

"I see." Master Gu nodded and then turned to leave the inn.

Once the young man left the inn, Iris couldn't help but smile. School days were truly interesting, always full of unexpected surprises.

"Boss, the bill, please." After paying, Iris left the inn and continued wandering through the night market.

A gust of cold wind blew, tousling her bangs and giving her a slightly disheveled, yet beautiful look.

As the night grew darker, the number of pedestrians on the street decreased, leaving only scattered passersby wandering in the alleys and street corners. Iris strolled through the night market, leisurely and unhurriedly.

"The night is deep, vampire girl, what are you doing wandering on the streets?" Chaos's voice suddenly sounded.

"It's my own country, can't I go out for a stroll?" Iris replied casually. "Before long, we will be heading to the Ruined Land continent to continue our conquest."

"That's something for the future. Right now, the most important thing for you is to rest and recharge." Chaos's voice still carried a hint of laziness. "Children who don't go home at night may attract scarecrows. Do you want to experience that?"

"... " Iris fell silent.

After a moment, she softly spoke, "This joke isn't funny at all."

"It's the truth, a real occurrence. Scarecrows do exist. They will search for your inner fears and bury them deep in your soul," Chaos said with a smile.

"Shut up! I hate these ghost stories. They're not fun at all." Iris coldly interrupted Chaos's words.

"Scarecrows speak the last words of the dead, whether they're true or not, no one knows." Chaos slowly continued.

"They're just scarecrows. Burn them, and you're done." Iris said disdainfully. "You should tell these horror stories to Baixi. She probably buries her whole head under the blanket when she sleeps, not showing any part of her body."

"Hiding in the blanket is a dead end, isn't it? Little Baixi should bravely fight." Chaos said nonchalantly.

Iris rolled her eyes and said, "According to the rules of the martial world, monsters won't harm creatures hiding under the covers."

"Uh..." Chaos hesitated for a moment, seemingly pondering the credibility of that statement.

Gradually, Iris walked out of the imperial city and arrived at the foot of a deserted hill on the outskirts of the city.

It was late at night, with a few stars in the sky and the moon shining brightly, casting a layer of faint silver grey on the quiet forest.

Chaos had been telling Iris stories about scarecrows in her ear, but she paid no attention because she knew that scarecrows were definitely a scam. There's no such thing as scarecrow ghosts in this world.

This guy Chaos just liked to make up things to scare her, but she had long been accustomed to Chaos's pranks.