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At this moment, facing Tris’s question, Murphy in the darkness blinked his eyes and answered:

“You guess?”

“You naughty boy, your Matriarch is asking you a serious question.”

Tris was taken aback for a moment.

But the change in their relationship seemed to have returned to its previous intimate and relaxed state because of Murphy’s joke. Tris heaved a sigh of relief inwardly, not knowing what she was tense about.

The Matriarch snorted and beckoned Murphy with her finger.

The two returned to the secret treasury, where they could block out probes and eavesdropping. After Murphy closed the door, Tris sat on a chair and explained to him:

“I’m not coveting the source blood in your hands, Murphy. That thing’s power to grant and break contracts will only take effect once in a vampire’s long life. We’ve both drank it, so its only meaning left for us is instant healing at critical moments.

I asked if you had source blood because it relates to the research I’m currently conducting on your otherworld warriors.”

“Hm?”

Murphy looked at Tris in surprise.

The Matriarch took off her crown and played with it in her hands, then stretched her body lazily back into a “wastrel posture”. She drawled in explanation:

“Actually, the research on them started when I first saw them. After you taught me how to establish good relations with them, by having them constantly run errands, I collected some ‘spirit samples’ from their bodies.

Little Murphy, the technique you use to summon them into our world is essentially no different from the technique you currently use to summon that Astral Wolf.

They enter our world like Astral Realm projections and absorb the stray spirit factors drifting between heaven and earth to persist for a long time. When their spirit projections are destroyed, they need to regenerate, a process that takes three days.

You seem quite skilled at summoning, so perhaps you can pursue developing your power on the spirit plane as well.

But we’ll discuss that later.

What I want to tell you is, since your otherworld warriors are special ‘summons’, they can also be enhanced by some special techniques of summoners.

Although their existence is more complex, my research over this period can confirm that with some subtle medium, their existence in our world can undergo corresponding changes.”

She looked at Murphy and stated her conclusion:

“You told me the key to motivating your warriors and unlocking their potential is through rewards. So I ask you, have you ever thought of bestowing the Night Mother’s power upon them as a reward?”

“This…”

Murphy clenched his fists tightly, saying excitedly:

“I have thought about it! But they can’t become vampires through the Embrace since they don’t have physical blood for it.”

“This is exactly what I want to tell you.”

Tris stood up, moving her limbs that seemed energized from her power’s return, bouncing and jumping around shamelessly unlike a Matriarch’s dignity. She said to Murphy:

“We can weave spirit mediums to make them ‘vampires’ without having to go through the traditional Embrace! Of course, to do this I need very special blood samples, ones that can violently resonate with spirit energy and fuse into it for lasting effect.

I thought of using the Matriarch’s blood of Salrokdar to achieve this, but after realizing you still have plenty of source blood, I found a better experimental medium.”

She walked up to Murphy and extended her hand towards him, saying:

“Give me some, not too much, just enough for repeated experiments. My theoretical framework is ready. After I prepare the ritual, we may need one of your warriors to volunteer as a test subject.

But I must warn you in advance:

This experiment carries some danger.

If their physical projection weaving process is disrupted to the point of failure and cannot be restored, it means you may permanently lose one warrior.”

“I can understand the risk. What I want to clarify is whether our experiment in this world will affect their physical forms in the otherworld?”

Murphy said seriously:

“This point must be assured! I can accept the regret of losing a warrior’s service, but I don’t want these warriors who have contributed to our cause to suffer real harm.”

“Of course it can be assured! How could events in the physical world affect their bodies in another world? Your spirit fundamentals are really too shaky!”

Tris knocked on Murphy’s head and rolled her eyes, saying:

“And I’m the mighty Spirit Sovereign, I have those basic safeguards.”

“Then I can fully cooperate with you.”

Murphy happily opened his Spirit Bag and took out a jar of source blood, handing it to Tris.

But the Matriarch’s eyes were fixated on the gap in Murphy’s Spirit Bag that had not yet closed, the glimmering source blood light inside dazzling her eyes.

After a few seconds, the newly appointed Blood Vulture Matriarch angrily jumped up and down, scolding:

“You rascal Murphy! You emptied out the sacred blood pool, didn’t you? Just your bag alone has no less than thirty jars of source blood. I have enough reason to believe you definitely have even more pure source blood hidden elsewhere!

This is the clan’s sacred treasure! You little brat!

Hand it over!

With it, the Blood Vulture Clan can rapidly grow its members again without risk.”

“No, I refuse. I risked my life to get this. You can’t take it all so greedily.”

Murphy covered his Spirit Bag and kept backing away, saying:

“I asked Palanno about it. He told me the Blood Vulture Clan’s lost sacred blood pool can be retrieved again from the mysterious crimson sacred origin during next year’s ‘Sacred Blood Seal’ ritual. Can’t you just go with them and get some more then?

These in my hands are our private stash!

This is an origin sacred artifact, a real treasure! Who doesn’t want it?”

“You you you you! Are you trying to kill me with anger?”

Seeing Murphy’s firm refusal, the new Matriarch angrily stomped her feet, losing her previously unparalleled grace and dignity. She said with some anger:

“Since the Sacred Blood Pilgrimage, there hasn’t been a single disrespectful vampire bastard like you towards the origin relics in the over a thousand years vampires have existed on the continent, Murphy!

I know you dislike the Blood Vulture Clan’s rules and restrictions, but you must have basic respect for the ancient and sacred principles. If the Elder Lord Payne or other vampire Patriarchs find out you’re hoarding so much source blood, you’d be punished first and questioned later!

We are Blood Vultures!

We must follow the rules.”

“But you’re the Matriarch, I’m the Matriarch’s descendant!”

Murphy countered:

“Don’t our words become the new rules? Before, we were oppressed by the clan rules as outcasts. Now that we’re Patriarchs and Counts, must we still be bound by rules? Wouldn’t everything we’ve done be in vain?”

“You’re still young, you don’t understand. These ancient rules not only bind us, but also protect us.”

Tris sighed.

She no longer brought up demanding the source blood, only shaking her head helplessly as she turned to leave and return to her own “Matriarch’s camp” to rest and consider tonight’s matters.

Watching Tris’s departing back after packing up, Murphy suddenly spoke:

“Um…Tris, about you asking me to calm down and think over our relationship before, I think I may have an answer.”

“Hm? So soon?”

Tris was in a hurry to leave, not just to do her experiments, but also considering avoiding being alone with Murphy during his “cooling off period” to avoid influencing his consideration of this matter.

“I think you should take more time…Mmph.”

The reply she got were fiery lips.

By the time Tris sensed something amiss, Murphy’s arms had already encircled her slender waist, pulling her whole body towards him. Then, under Tris’s widened gaze, this nineteen-year-old young vampire just went for it.

Their lips met.

No answer or words were needed now.

Murphy used actions to show Tris his re-established impression of her after stripping away the Binding Pact’s influence, and his final decision on this relationship.

It was too sudden.

So sudden that even the Blood Vulture Matriarch was momentarily flustered.

This option, not quite fitting a vampire’s gloomy style, did not seem to be among all the scenarios she had imagined.

Her instinct was to push Murphy away.

But her initial struggle soon weakened against his unrestrained ardent intention, and her actions turned gentle, even reciprocating, amid the token resistance.

The accumulated feelings from their year of relying on each other exploded violently in her heart.

In that moment, her mind filled with the bits and pieces of Murphy caring for her, and their occasional intimately teasing banter.

The two complex lives embraced in this gilded splendor, exchanging kisses and answering time’s flow with entwined arms, until Tris’s tongue clumsily followed Murphy’s lead and met his lips, only then did she suddenly snap back to awareness.

Ah!

What was she doing?

Her struggle became intense again, and feeling the change, Murphy gently released her.

He wasn’t some impatient virgin boy. His forty-plus years of life across past and present made him gentle and considerate in such moments.

“That’s my answer.”

Murphy wiped the blood from his lips.

Tris’s kissing experience couldn’t be called clumsy, it was more accurate to say she had none at all. To put it indelicately, he had felt like a little piglet was nibbling his mouth when she got carried away.

No technique at all.

Just feeling.

Under Tris’s conflicted gaze, Murphy brushed his messy long hair aside and said to her:

“I thought that after dissociating from the Binding Pact’s influence, I wouldn’t fall into the infatuation a Blood Descendant has for their elders when charmed by your elegance. But it seems I oversimplified this, after all, feelings don’t make much sense.”

Murphy then recalled what Revnor had told him when they parted, the words buried deepest in this body’s heart, and naturally spoke them:

“Tris, I admit this is somewhat vulgar, but in the over a year I cared for you, my intention was not purely the Binding Pact, nor did it influence my feelings for you. Rather, that mysterious force rationalized a youth’s infatuation and pursuit.

So after its influence was removed, I could finally calmly examine my feelings for you.

Then I found that I hadn’t actually changed at all. Especially the events of the past month have only deepened these feelings. Of course, we haven’t reached the point of proclaiming ‘like’ or ‘love’ yet.

But I cannot deny that I do indeed have profound, special fondness for you distinct from other ladies.

And from your reaction just now,

I’m honored to conclude that you seem to feel the same way about me.”

“It’s not like that!”

Tris covered her flushed cheeks, saying in a pale tone:

“You’re just too young, so you don’t understand how the long-lived treat feelings. You can’t turn an outburst of emotion in such a short time into this aggressive of a relationship like a human.”

“But beneath this vampire exterior, I have a human soul!”

Murphy inwardly lamented with a sigh.

He wanted to explain further.

But Tris took a deep breath to calm herself. She touched the scar on her neck with a hint of somber sadness and said to Murphy:

“And most importantly, you don’t understand me, little Murphy. The Tris you know is just the wastrel who lost her power and had to abandon all ambition and wickedness to become peaceful.

You don’t comprehend the crazed and evil crimson witch monster I was in the first half of my life.

This scar is the painful lesson she left me.

You don’t know…”

Tris looked at Murphy, hesitating before biting her lip and saying:

“I told you before that Salrokdar’s insane plan for Femis was my idea. Perhaps it stemmed from my mad speculation at the time, but Salrokdar pursued it in an even more radical way after learning some mysterious sub-spatial knowledge to make it a reality.

And that was just one of the many mistakes I made in my crazed era.

Murphy, this is what I’m trying to say.

After you truly understand me, you’ll be horrified of me, keep your distance, maybe even hostile towards me.

The crimson witch is incompatible with you.

I could convince myself before that in my weakness, that crazed, wicked woman had been completely buried by me. But now that my power has returned, perhaps that specter will re-emerge too.”

She grasped the braid on her chest, making no attempt to hide the worry in her words.

But Murphy shook his head, stepped forward, and gently yet skillfully undid her braid despite her stiff resistance, letting her long hair down to return to that slovenly wastrel lady look covering her bewitching eyes.

“This looks much better.”

Murphy politely took a step back, looking her over before saying with satisfaction:

“Your past is trouble you need to deal with yourself. I didn’t participate in it and don’t care, as long as you don’t want to destroy the world I think I can accept it. Even if you truly did want to destroy the world, under necessary circumstances I could laugh and hand you the torch to light it.

Justice, evil, light, darkness – these distinctions mean little to me. What I aspire to is a kind of freedom you may not understand. And I can affirm that our understanding of this world differs.

You have your madness, I have mine.

After all, what vampire’s heart doesn’t have some harmless little secrets?

Moreover, we vampires have such long lives, so don’t jump to conclusions so soon. We’re not committing here for eternity, there’s much more after developing feelings for each other.

Miss Tris, please believe me, I’m not so casual about affairs of the heart.

And I think neither are you.”

“What kind of address is that?”

Tris scolded unhappily:

“I’m 432 years older than you! Show some respect, would you?”

“Alright alright, Lady Tris.”

Murphy shrugged, feeling elated to get that off his chest. Just like before, he naturally took Tris’s hand and said:

“Shall we head back together? It’s not my style to let a lady walk the night roads alone. Considering I’m trying to win your favor, perhaps I should behave more gallantly?”

“Cheeky brat.”

Tris rolled her eyes, letting her mood settle.

She rolled her eyeballs and said:

“Carry me on your back!”

“Ah?”

Murphy looked at her in bewilderment, his dazed eyes expressing everything.

I carried you out of the city before because you were nearly dead then. But now you’re a Golden Spirit Sovereign, your wings are three times bigger than mine! So you’re already too lazy to even walk?

“Count of Kadman! Carry your Matriarch lady back to the camp. I’m tired tonight and your rambling frightened me, so I can’t be bothered to walk or fly.

This is the Matriarch’s order!

This Count of Kadman, you don’t want to be severely punished by your superiors for defying the Matriarch’s orders, do you?”

Tris played with her Nocturne scepter as she spoke.

A few minutes later, Murphy left the Blood Vulture Corridor through the secret passage with Tris on his back. If their intimate posture as the new Matriarch and Count of Kadman was seen outside, it would cause quite a stir.

Murphy’s steps were light as he crossed the underground spring and waterfall. In the not-so-quiet night, Lady Tris snuggled comfortably against Murphy’s back before closing her eyes.

It felt like if these peculiar feelings progressed further, they would become quite troublesome. Besides, did this young Murphy even understand what love is?

Could he possibly comprehend it better than her, an almost 500-year-old ancient vampire?

So for now, it was best to maintain this comfortable distance between them, leaving those troublesome matters for later.

This was how she convinced herself as she thought.

As Murphy carried her leaping off the waterfall, gliding in the darkness, Tris secretly touched her lips, which seemed to still retain some warmth from that passionate kiss earlier. Murphy’s gentlemanly hands had also left an equally unsettling warmth on her waist.

It was a warmth more unnerving for a vampire than the scorching sun.

“Tris!”

She said to herself inwardly:

“You really are a coward.”