Late at night, when traffic had dwindled to almost nothing, Ouyang drove a massive refrigerated truck south toward Zero District. With him were Xiang Xingqiu and two burly companions, Third Brother and Fourth Brother.
The night temperature plummeted. In the front seat, Xiang Xingqiu hugged herself, shivering. Thick fog rolled in like winter. Even with high beams on, the road ahead vanished.
"Hang in there. We’ll enter Zero District territory soon."
Noticing her shivers, he tossed his jacket to her and sighed. "You insisted on tagging along."
"I worried about your safety, Brother Ouyang. And I wanted to see Zero District."
"Really? It’s the latter, isn’t it..."
Ouyang glanced coldly at her playful smile, then stared ahead.
One kilometer out, the wide road lay eerily quiet. A crow’s mournful cry pierced the silence.
"First time in such a creepy place..." Xiang Xingqiu squinted nervously. Warehouses lined the road, packed tight, looking sinister.
"Same here." Wolf howls joined the crows. Visibility dropped to zero. She stared fearfully ahead. "Brother Ouyang, let’s dump them here and go back."
"Fine. This place feels too wrong."
Agreeing with the brothers in back, Ouyang braked hard. A loud THUD echoed from the refrigerated compartment. Xiang Xingqiu screamed, startling everyone.
"Scared the hell out of me!" Third Brother snapped, slapping her head.
"Ehehe... sorry. I’ve always been scared of dark and ghosts..."
"Afraid of ghosts, yet you came? If you die, we’ll face your big brother with our heads on the block."
Xiang Xingqiu scratched her head awkwardly, apologizing. She peered fearfully toward the storage compartment. "Did you hear that? Sounded like it came from the back."
As she spoke, another THUD shook the truck. All stayed calm, eyes locked—except Third Brother’s face twisted strangely.
"Run..."
In the dark cab, only his hoarse cry broke the silence. Ouyang’s eyes widened. Third Brother’s face turned deathly pale, eyes dulling. Ouyang looked down—saw an arm covered in red whip marks burst from his chest.
Ouyang remembered: he’d inflicted those marks himself, watched the owner die.
This made no sense. A buzz filled his head, dazing him. He froze.
"Third Brother—!" Xiang Xingqiu’s wail jolted them. They couldn’t stay.
"What the hell is this? I’ll kill it!" Fourth Brother roared. Seeing the arm still twitch on his dead friend, rage consumed him. He had to save the kids. Spotting a warehouse marked "OIL" left, he slammed reverse, swung the truck hard, and crashed into it.
"Jump!"
Fourth Brother grabbed Ouyang and Xiang Xingqiu, yanking them out.
A BANG erupted. The truck exploded into flames. Even the fire couldn’t burn away Zero District’s eerie mist.
"Fourth Brother! You blew up the truck—how do we get back?" Xiang Xingqiu shouted at the inferno.
"Take Xingqiu and go. I’ll hold them off." Ouyang focused on the burning wreck. Nine flame-like figures emerged. His gaze never wavered.
"We leave together. You’re both Brother Long’s treasures."
Fourth Brother and Ouyang drew pistols, firing at the figures’ heads. Bullets did nothing. The flames lunged closer.
Fourth Brother slashed with his thigh knife as one attacked. Severed limbs regenerated instantly. Heart shots failed.
Guns useless. Fire useless. These were monsters.
"To survive, you must kill." Brother Long’s words echoed. Shielding Xiang Xingqiu, Ouyang dodged flames—and spotted a shared bike in the right corner.
"Bike to your right. I’ll distract them. Ride back, tell Brother Long."
"And you?"
Xiang Xingqiu stared at his back, sensing his resolve. She knew pleading wouldn’t work.
"Come back alive."
"I will."
Ouyang fired at four figures, luring them away. He couldn’t spare Fourth Brother a thought.
Calm. Stay calm.
Sweating, Ouyang panted. His pistol held two bullets. His knife, stained with past kills, felt heavy. Three flame figures swayed before him, bodies riddled with holes.
He’d tried drowning, crushing, electrocuting—killed one by impaling it on rebar.
Steady breaths. A calm heartbeat might hide him briefly.
Exhaustion blurred his vision. The buzzing in his head sharpened. He noticed white dots on the monsters: forehead center, 3.4cm below navel, 3.3cm above.
Aiming carefully, he shot the dots—each fell instantly.
Hope flared. Then—empty gun.
The last monster lunged. His legs locked.
Die here? He saw Xiang Xingqiu’s fearful eyes.
No. He’d sworn to live.
Dropping the gun, he gripped the knife with both hands. As the monster struck, he stabbed its brow. A thud—they crashed down. Ouyang closed his eyes, seeking rest.
Worried about Fourth Brother, he heard crisp footsteps.
"Fourth Brother? Water... I’m thirsty..."
No reply. Footsteps stopped beside him. He opened his eyes—a pair of black leather shoes. Alert, he gripped his dagger, turned to crimson eyes.
His body froze. Mind numbed. Darkness swallowed him.
A golden-haired youth in a black suit grinned, fangs glinting. He gazed fondly at the "little rabbit" on the ground.
"Prey hooked."
"Sure Neyin’s on him?" A silver-haired girl with red eyes asked coldly, hugging a teddy bear.
"I saw it. This brat killed those three ghouls. Neyin’s holder sees what others can’t—better proof than any mark."
"But his right shoulder has only a burn scar. No bat symbol."
"What if he hid it?" The youth scratched his fluffy hair, frustrated.
"No wonder we searched a century with no clues—always checking women’s shoulders." He kicked the ghoul near Ouyang. "Never expected a human boy."
"Males can’t bear children. Find a gentle Blood Clan woman for the Bloodkin Prince. She births a girl. That girl marries him, produces a boy heir."
"No! Too messy." The youth stared at the boy. Uncertainty lingered.
"Messy? Ruin the bloodline? Create a worthless hybrid?" He stressed to his partner. "We want pureblood! Pureblood! Reject mongrels!"
"Understood."
"How to confirm Neyin?"
"Get him pregnant."
"Forced pregnancy? He’d suicide. His body’s wrong for it."
The youth grinned wickedly at the "rabbit."
"Same method as before."
"Then..."
Their crimson eyes glowed. In unison:
"Turn him into one of us."
