Family Head (Arc 3)

As Feng Yongrui was lost in thought, he saw his surroundings start to crack. Like pieces of broken glass, the coral walls and the luminescent pearls seemed like thin ice that was cracking and splitting.

Before Feng Yongrui could even shout, the sound of glass breaking could be heard and Feng Yongrui's surroundings disappeared. Instead of the coral walls and luminescent pearls that he had seen, Feng Yongrui found himself standing in the middle of a dark room.

Feng Yongrui blinked a few times, trying to adjust his eyes to the blinding darkness. He heard a groan behind him and turned around.

"Eh? Isn't that He Yi...?" Feng Yongrui whispered to the System.

Behind him, Feng Yongrui saw He Yi holding a shining pearl, as big as the size of a fist. Thanks to this light, Feng Yongrui was able to see He Yi's Saiga horns and the outline of his figure.

Click. Clack.

Click. Clack.

Feng Yongrui looked to the source of the sound. Out of the darkness, he saw a pair of white, slender legs appear, followed by a pair of delicate feet wearing blood-red stilettos.

From the darkness emerged a woman, wearing a crimson dress that clung to her figure like a second skin. Feng Yongrui looked at her face -- it was flawless, as if a god had descended and shaped her every feature into perfection...

But when the lady smiled, Feng Yongrui felt goosebumps rising on his arm. Why was that smile so ominous? He saw the lady licking her lips, exposing a pair of fangs that glinted ferociously under the dim lighting.

"Vampire," Feng Yongrui instinctively said inside his heart.

Feng Yongrui did not have time to make heads or tails about this situation. He slowly edged backwards as the vampire woman walked closer and closer to He Yi. He Yi knelt on one knee and greeted her respectfully.

"Family Head," He Yi said, bowing towards her.

"You may rise," the lady said, smirking.

He Yi obeyed and rose to his feet. Meanwhile, the lady had pulled out a chair out of thin air and sat down leisurely, crossing one leg over the other.

"So tell me..." the lady drawled, her voice tinkling like merry bells.

"Have you found it?" she asked.

He Yi got down on his knees almost immediately, his hands trembling as he whispered, "Not yet..."

Feng Yongrui gulped as he watched this entire scene. He felt like he was a third wheel stumbling across a big secret that he wasn't supposed to know... Well, this situation reminded him of that time when he was in the Intoxicating Fragrance House, in the first world...

"Useless," Feng Yongrui was broken out of his stupor by the woman's cold voice.

"You've been following me for so many years. How come you still don't know how to do things properly?" she asked.

A shudder ran through He Yi as he looked pleadingly at the woman.

"Family Head... Please. Please give me more time," He Yi stuttered, a desperate look showing on his face.

"More time?" the lady laughed. "Didn't I give you enough time already? I gave you 3 months to prepare everything. We even got rid of Lei Bei, so who else can stand in your way?"

"He Yi, I'm telling you," the lady said, her voice laced with blood lust, "Don't think that just because you helped me once, I will have mercy on you. In my eyes, it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from. As long as you do your job well and keep your mouth shut, I'll give you what you want..."

"But since you failed..." the lady trailed off.

"F-family Head! You can't kill me!" He Yi cried, scrambling on his knees.

"Y-you know that I'm useful, right? I can do anything. Anything! As long as you give me time..." He Yi pleaded, his voice filled with desperation.

Feng Yongrui, who was watching the entire scene, couldn't help feeling uncomfortable. So... does this mean He Yi was working for this Family Head?

Based on the fact that this woman had fangs... could she be the Family Head of the Vampire Clan, Lilith?

Feng Yongrui still remembered that the System had told him about this person before. Lilith, the current head of the Vampire Clan, was known for her ruthless and unyielding nature...

She was also Xu Chao's enemy!

Feng Yongrui gulped again. Why were things getting more and more complicated??

"He Yi, don't you know what I want?" Lilith asked, raising the corner of her lips gently.

"I know... Y-you want the Flame Stone that the Shadow Demons keep..." He Yi stuttered.

"And why do I need the Flame Stone?" Lilith asked once again.

"B-because you want to hurt the both the third prince and fifth princess while putting the blame on the Shadow Demons..." He Yi replied.

"Oh my, you're correct~" Lilith said in a sing song voice.

"I didn't think someone of your caliber would be able to answer these questions correctly~" she teased.

Suddenly, Lilith's face turned dark and she placed a finger under He Yi's chin. Her finger was long and delicate, as if it could break with one snap. However, Feng Yongrui could not see a hint of gentleness at all when she lifted up He Yi's chin.

"When will the third prince and fifth princess fight?" she asked coldly.

"T-tomorrow..." He Yi stammered out his reply.

"Exactly. And where is the Flame Stone?" Lilith asked, raising an eyebrow.

"S-still inside the Shadow Demons' mansion..."

Slap!

Feng Yongrui winced as he heard the crisp sound of Lilith's palm hitting across He Yi's face. When He Yi turned his head, Feng Yongrui could see a red mark on his face, contrasting with his white skin.

A trail of blood trickled out of He Yi's mouth and he swallowed the bitterness inside his heart.

"You know that I've been planning this for so long... How could you fail your mission, huh?" Lilith hissed, her face contorting into an angry sneer.

"If there's no Flame Stone and the third prince and fifth princess are injured because of us, who will take the blame, hm? Do you want the entire Cloud Realm to know that this was our doing?" Lilith shrieked.

He Yi was trembling all over, not daring to run away and yet too scared to look at Lilith's eyes. Even Feng Yongrui, who was a bystander, couldn't help feeling fearful.

As expected of the Vampire Clan's Family Head... As beautiful as a rose, and yet as deadly as poison...

Feng Yongrui felt a strong, murderous aura emanating from Lilith. It was suffocating, and he didn't like it one bit...

Feng Yongrui's breathing quickened when he saw Lilith taking out a black dagger out of thin air. That dagger... was the one that almost killed him--!

"Oh no..." Feng Yongrui groaned. Lilith stepped closer to He Yi, her movements as elegant as ever. She lifted her hands and Feng Yongrui had goosebumps.

"N-no... F-family Head... Have mercy--!" He Yi cried.

Feng Yongrui saw a flash of light and heard the sound of a dagger slicing through the air. When he came back to his senses, Feng Yongrui watched in horror as He Yi's Saiga horns dropped to the ground with a 'plop'.

Lilith had cut of He Yi's horns in one strike!

Feng Yongrui held his breath and pursed his lips. When He Yi realized what had happened to him, he began to scream and wail, frantically looking for his horns. Feng Yongrui saw Lilith lifting up her hands again.

Feng Yongrui did not want to see what would happen next. In any case, he had already gotten a lot of information during this trip... Why did he have to stay here and watch this scene?

Feng Yongrui looked away, ignoring He Yi's pleas and wails, and backed away from Lilith and He Yi. Feng Yongrui did not know for how long he had walked, but He Yi's screams were getting softer and softer.

Feng Yongrui slowly opened his eyes. He was enveloped in darkness and couldn't see his surroundings. He could use his magic to light up the path, but Feng Yongrui did not want Lilith to spot him.

Although the System claimed that the Invisibility Spell could hide him from anyone, including the Heavenly Immortal, Feng Yongrui could not rest assured and he didn't want to take any chances...

Since that was the case, Feng Yongrui could only walk forward aimlessly, unsure of where he was supposed to go.

Suddenly, Feng Yongrui heard a voice next to him.

"Hey."

Feng Yongrui jumped out of fright. What was that?

"Hey," the voice spoke again. "I know you can hear me."

Feng Yongrui looked around but did not see anyone. W-was this some sort of prank? No. A horror movie?

But that voice didn't sound like Lilith! Other than Lilith and He Yi, who else could be here?

***

*Small Theater*

Family Head: You've been following me for so long. How come you still fail to do things properly??

He Yi: You did not pay me enough... W-why don't you give me a salary raise...?

***