Chapter 104: The Book of Blood

Charles turned his head to look out the window. The night was overcast, with dark clouds obscuring the stars and moon, plunging the outside world into deep shadow. The vampire who had been there just moments ago had long since vanished.

Charles carefully shut the window, locked the latch, and drew the curtains. He returned to his desk and sat down, feeling a weariness that matched both the persona he was playing and his true inner state.

"Hmm?"

Just as Charles was about to close his eyes for a moment of rest, he noticed a book sitting on the desk. It was bound in red, covered in blood-like veins, and looked mysterious, perhaps even a bit eerie.

Recalling what Mulan had said, Charles realized this was likely the so-called "Book of Arcane Arts." It was a book for a professional path—not the kind used by mindless blood-zombies that relied solely on continuous feeding and transformation to grow.

*I must show my value and talent, but I cannot appear too eager!*

Mindful of Mulan's repeated warnings, Charles told himself to stay calm. Then, with a heart still brimming with excitement, he reached out and took hold of the book.

As his fingers brushed the cover, he felt a faint warmth and a rhythmic pulsing, as if those veins were not merely decorative but were actually circulating blood. It made Charles feel slightly nauseated, yet he slowly opened the pages. The first page bore the title: *The Book of Blood*.

"Blood is the fluid of life, the source of power. Different bloods are like a variety of fine wines—mellow and fragrant..."

*The Book of Blood* carried a strange, bewitching magic of its own. It began to influence Charles the moment he started reading. What the departed vampire had neglected to tell him was that reading *The Book of Blood* carried a high risk of becoming its slave; only by resisting the book while studying could one extract the nutrients needed for advancement.

Just as Charles’s eyes began to betray a growing, visible craving, his right palm suddenly grew hot. A surge of searing heat rose from his hand and flowed through his body, causing him to shudder. His gaze quickly cleared.

*What a terrifying and evil book! If not for the power of the Dawn, I would have become a puppet!*

Charles clenched his right fist, maintaining a sense of awe toward the book while sharpening his vigilance. He could not count on external forces to save him every time.

However, he soon noticed that his hands, still resting on the book, began to heat up again. The blood-red veins on the cover bulged, transforming into what looked like living vessels, and streams of crimson light connected to his palms.

"Ah!"

Charles reflexively shook his hands, but even as they pulled away, the red light remained, as if invisible vessels still linked him to the book, with rays of light continuously flowing into his palms.

As the red light merged into his body, the searing heat dissolved into his blood, bringing with it a sense of fulfillment. Along with this feeling of strength came a wealth of knowledge from the book...

***

On the train, Mulan leaned against the window, watching the night scenery fly by.

Handel had already disembarked at an earlier station. Because of a few days' delay, he needed to follow the agreed-upon code to find Moore, but that shouldn't pose much of a problem. Mulan was truly concerned about Charles, who had to face an unknown vampire alone.

Still, based on their time together, Mulan trusted Charles. Furthermore, Mulan would help him in other ways—for instance, by influencing the Derja Empire to express, directly or indirectly, its dissatisfaction with the vampire factions, thereby putting pressure on them. As long as Charles didn't do anything reckless to reveal he was a half-vampire, he would remain in a relatively safe position.

Mulan cast a sidelong glance at Farolinch, who was sitting opposite him. The train car was relatively empty, and the two of them occupied a pair of seats facing each other.

The roar of the train and its rhythmic swaying acted like a lullaby. Farolinch, a living corpse with a pulse, seemed drowsy. He suddenly jolted awake, looked around, then hugged his chest and leaned back into the corner to doze off again.

Mulan found Farolinch’s behavior quite interesting and didn't disturb him.

"Sir, please show your tickets."

"Ah, oh, right."

A conductor came by to check tickets. Farolinch woke up fully, sat straight, and fished his ticket from his pocket. Mulan had already placed his ticket on the table, and the conductor picked them both up to inspect them.

"Thank you both. Have a pleasant journey, gentlemen."

The conductor returned the tickets and moved on. Mulan looked at Farolinch and asked with genuine interest, "You sleep like a child. Is it always like this?"

Farolinch offered a forced smile. "Sometimes I think I’m still in the coffin—cold, lonely, dark, endless... So, I often can't sleep soundly. When I wake up, I instinctively look around to see if I’m still inside."

It sounded pitiful. Mulan nodded with a smile. "Then we have at least one more thing in common. I rarely sleep soundly either; I always have nightmares. Look, do I have dark circles under my eyes?"

Farolinch peered closely at Mulan's face and shook his head. "No dark circles at all."

"Is that so? But my sleep quality has always been poor."

Mulan smiled and took the *Book of Dawn* from his coat, placing it on the table. Farolinch’s attention was instantly captured. Although the book looked ordinary now, Farolinch knew how dazzling it could be when the Dawn runes were revealed.

"I see you’re very interested in the *Book of Dawn*. As a 'Resurrected,' do you feel a natural longing for the light?"

"I don't know what kind of group you mean by 'Resurrected,' nor do I know if I count as one of them. But personally, I do yearn for the light. As you said to Baron Charles earlier, those so-called 'nobles of the night' are just pathetic self-deceivers. They think they are more noble in the darkness, but in truth, they have merely lost the day."

Farolinch was somewhat sensitive to sunlight in his current state. While he was faring better than a vampire, direct sunlight did him no favors, yet he still craved it.

In fact, according to Mulan's knowledge, only those who reached the late third stage of the Resurrected path could fully regain the right to walk in the sun. It was the great goal for which practitioners of that path strived. It was no coincidence that Mulan had not chosen the Resurrected path himself.

"Then, is it possible that the professional path of the Resurrected is inherently oriented toward the light? That the yearning for light existed first, leading to the path, rather than the path being researched and practiced first?"

Mulan pondered for a moment, then smiled at Farolinch. "When there's an opportunity, I’ll let you see the Book of Arcane Arts for the Resurrected path. I believe that with your talent, you are definitely cut out for it!"

Although Farolinch’s nervous system hadn't fully recovered, Mulan's words seemed to have a stimulating effect, causing the corner of his mouth to twitch.

Of course he was cut out for it—he was a natural Resurrected who had crawled out of a coffin.

"Alright, no more jokes. Let's return to the *Book of Dawn*. Since you are a Resurrected, it's only natural you’d be drawn to the Dawn symbol. Would you like to have one imprinted?"

Farolinch’s perpetually gloomy face showed surprise; he stared at Mulan with wide eyes. "Me? Can I?"

"Of course. A natural Resurrected is a born apostle of the light. Even when imprisoned in darkness, you strive toward the light. If guided properly, you will certainly not become an evil being. If you are willing to become a member of the Dawn, I would be very happy to accept you."

Farolinch felt a stir of excitement, but he maintained a high degree of restraint.

"Lord Jonster is a brave, righteous, and mysterious knight. Your ideals must be lofty, but I do not wish to become your partner in ignorance. I would prefer you to judge accurately whether I am qualified to be your partner. I think it is not yet time."

Farolinch’s meaning was clear: *I don't truly know you, Mulan Jonster. You are inscrutable, and even if you appear righteous, I don't know what you are really planning.* He was even following Mulan half-compelled. Though drawn to the symbol of the Dawn, he would not make such a decision on impulse.

This response surprised Mulan, but he was also very pleased. Farolinch’s answer made him hold the man in even higher regard.

"Sleep. You won't be returning to a coffin. I will keep watch for you."

Farolinch smiled, folded his arms, leaned back into the corner, and closed his eyes. This time, he fell asleep quickly, though his spirit seemed to possess a certain extensibility.

Vaguely, Farolinch felt as if he were submerged in warm water. Though fast asleep, he could still "see" Mulan and the *Book of Dawn*.

Mulan and the book seemed very, very far away, separated by several mountains, yet they were remarkably clear. The book sat atop a peak, the Dawn symbol burning with the radiance of the sun.

Mulan Jonster looked immense. He sat in the mountain hollow in the same posture he held on the train, his form shrouded in chaotic light, a pair of enormous wings folded behind his back, where light and shadow intertwined.

The man and the book formed a peculiar, "Thinker"-like image, and around them, they seemed surrounded by an infinite darkness.

Farolinch suddenly realized that the "water" he was in was also within the darkness, or rather, it was being eroded by it. He looked behind him; in the hazy shadows, there seemed to be all manner of strange, demonic creatures.

The water grew colder, turning icy. Farolinch could not endure the chill, and he feared the darkness. He struggled, trying to swim toward the distant light, but he could not get close.

Suddenly, the flames on the *Book of Dawn* flared up. The dark clouds in the sky began to dissipate as if dawn had arrived. The earth was once again bathed in light, and the darkness melted away like ice and snow.

Farolinch shuddered and woke from his dream. As usual, he first confirmed he was not in a coffin, then noticed it was already dawn, and the train was slowly decelerating.

"Hah..."

"Did you have a nightmare?"

Mulan was sitting opposite him, reading a book as if he hadn't slept all night. Farolinch shook his head slightly, then looked outside, unfastening the curtain to partially block the morning light as he spoke.

"Not really. Are we arriving?"

"Yes, we are almost there. I can already smell something unusual. At the train station nearby, the scent of various mystical elements is lingering. It seems this auction is far from ordinary. When we arrive, our intelligence officers will surely have an explanation."

"And what is my status? Your follower?"

Mulan smiled, marked his page, and closed the book.

"You are my friend."

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PS: Resuming two chapters a day starting tomorrow. Thanks to book friend "Yin_0001" for another alliance-level tip! Thank you all for your support!