A Silent Night

"At that point, the young lord visited the Li home himself. But his goodwill was still refused. That's when he gave them a day to change their minds, or misfortune might fall upon them."

Xue Yang didn't need to hear what happened next, as it was apparent. Instead, he wanted to gain more information on those involved.

"Did you see who burned down the house?"

"I didn't get a good look, but I'm sure the same man rewarded me. He had a single arm and eye and short hair."

"What about their daughter? What happened to her?"

"She wasn't here. They're searching for her and will find her in no time."

Xue Yang couldn't listen to this any more, but he had one last question in mind despite being aware of the answer.

"Why betray them? You or anyone else in this village could have helped them escape."

"We'd have to risk our lives for them. Instead, I got rewarded. They were doomed anyway, a stepping stone for the wise and the strong."

"They…"

The man tried to say something else, but at that moment, his heart simply popped, killing him instantly.

Blood trickled out of his mouth as he slumped over lifelessly.

Xue Yang became determined after hearing what he heard, and his belief changed.

He concentrated on his body and circulated his internal energy.

Moving his arm up, he pointed with a finger at the corpse.

A single drop of blood left the finger and gently levitated into the man's mouth.

Having accomplished what he wanted, Xue Yang left the house and went to the next one.

That night, Xue Yang was like the reaper.

Stricken by grief and fueled by anger and resentment, he went from home to home.

Silently and instantly, snuffing out any and all signs of life.

Most passed in their sleep, unaware they had met their end.

Some managed to catch a glimpse of Xue Yang, but even they passed in the next moment.

After each body lost its signs of life, Xue Yang would feed it a drop of his blood before moving on to the next house.

That night, he visited every home in the village without fail until all but one had lost their signs of life.

Walking into the last home, Xue Yang was greeted by an intriguing sight.

Inside on the ground was a tied-up young boy.

From the looks of it, he had passed out while attempting to free himself.

His wrists showed signs of rope burn, and his face and body appeared beaten up.

Xue Yang might have had a singular focus on bloody vengeance, but it didn't mean that his rage blinded him.

He knew this situation was strange and bizarre and decided to find out what happened.

Waking the boy up, Xue Yang used his vampiric charm and questioned him.

"Why were you tied up? Where are your parents?"

Xue Yang knew it was strange for someone to be living alone in a village like this. There was only one possible reason for this.

"So I don't go to avenge my parents. They were killed."

"Who killed your parents and why?"

"The man with one arm and eye. They tried to help the Li's escape. When the city lord's men returned, they found out about it and beat my father as an example."

"B–-But then I couldn't take it anymore and tried to defend him. They wanted to take my mother and one of my hands to spare my life. But my parents refused and were burned alongside the Li family home. The man laughed coldly as he said that he wasn't cruel enough to kill a grieving child, and he let me live. Then he took the Li family away as bait for their daughter…"

'So these scum would go that far to avoid trouble…'

Xue Yang knew that the villagers tied up the boy, most likely planning on deciding what to do next the next day.

Xue Yang felt respect for this boy's parents. They stood up for what they believed in, although acting alone like that was foolish. To Xue Yang, it was an incredible display of bravery and selflessness.

For that, he wouldn't kill the boy and instead offer him a life-changing offer.

He stopped the effects of his vampiric charm, which briefly confused the boy, who was still tied up like a prized hog.

As soon as he saw Xue Yang, he could feel his heart drop to the pits of his stomach as chills ran down his spine.

In the darkness, Xue Yang's glowing red eyes and pale face stood out.

His handsome face made him look like an angel, yet his dark clothing and pale appearance made him appear demonic.

Despite this, the boy tried to speak up and got out a word.

"Who?"

Seeing the scared little thing struggle so much, Xue Yang smiled slightly.

"I am Xue Yang." He started.

"I came here to punish those who directly or indirectly harmed the Li family. As it turns out, those who harmed them also did the same to your family."

Xue Yang extended his hand to the boy, "Take my hand, and I will not only provide you with the means for revenge but also a front seat to a whole new world."

"W-what if I refuse?" The boy asked with a defiant glint in his eyes.

"Then you will join everyone else…" Xue Yang didn't expand on what he said further, but the boy could tell it wasn't anything good.

Given no real choice, the boy had to accept and nodded.

With that visual confirmation, Xue Yang sliced the bindings, setting the boy free.

After that little action, the boy's thoughts of running away or rushing Xue Yang disappeared.

He couldn't see any sharp object in Xue Yang's hands, yet he freed him, slicing the rope cleanly in two without as much a scratch on him.

'He must be a master.' The boy became convinced Xue Yang was a cultivator, as that was the only explanation he could think of.

Xue Yang's following actions frightened him, yet he stayed still.

Xue Yang once again let blood flow out of his fingertip. But this time, it was more than a single drop.

Enough blood to fill a shot glass started to float in the form of a small crimson ball between Xue Yang and the young village boy.

"Now drink this and become a part of a new age."

The boy nodded and opened his mouth as wide as he could.

The blood flowed into his mouth, and he swallowed it, trying not to gag and vomit in the process.

The blood tasted coppery as he'd expected, and he couldn't help but want to throw it up.

As he was about to try and look up, he felt his entire world turn, and then it was nothing but darkness.