Chapter 144

Chapter 144

"These bastards, they ran too fast," someone muttered in frustration nearby.

After the initial impulse, the minds of the crowd, previously clouded by sorrow and anger, gradually calmed.

"Not only is their country stronger than ours, but they also have more people with special abilities..."

"What if they retaliate? I have family and friends back home; I can't risk their safety over a moment of anger."

"Yes, indeed."

Everyone sighed silently and heavily in their hearts.

Listening to their murmurs, Shen Wang understood their hesitation.

With so many countries and special ability users gathered, dealing with a few scattered blood clans might not be a problem, but they were in foreign land, the stronghold of the blood clan. Who knew how many clan members there were.

Maybe hundreds, maybe thousands, even possibly tens of thousands… The foreign contestants, unable to communicate, were like scattered sand.

Most importantly, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down.

If one becomes the 'sacrificial chicken' and is killed, weaker countries have no power against the oppression of a powerful nation.

This world ultimately respects the strong, whether it's individuals or nations.

A somber atmosphere enveloped everyone. Devoid of their earlier righteous indignation and fervor, they looked gloomy and were about to leave when they were stopped by a slightly unnatural voice.

"Wait," Shen Wang clumsily controlled the high-tech translator, amplifying his voice, "Are you really planning to just leave like this?"

The others were confused: "What else can we do?"

"If we can't match their individual or national strength, can't we at least avoid them?"

"Leaving now and returning to our countries, as if nothing happened, is already the best outcome."

"As for this absurd competition... in the future, whoever wants to participate can, but we certainly won’t be coming back!"

Shen Wang chuckled, and to everyone's surprise, pulled out a stack of talismans: "Have you considered buying some special products from Huaxia to take back home?"

Recognizing the familiar yellow paper strips, the crowd's eyes lit up.

Everyone present had witnessed the destructive power of these Eastern talismans. They thought such a powerful secret weapon would be closely guarded, never expecting it to be so readily available.

"You're selling these?" A Black contestant rubbed his fingers, very tempted yet hesitant, worried about being tricked, "Aren't these your country's secret treasures?"

Shen Wang, smiling, responded: "Just tell me if you want to buy them or not."

Of course, they wanted to buy.

These talismans, with their strong offensive capabilities and ability to counter ghostly spirits, were compact and easy to carry, ideal for travel, essential for self-defense or surprise attacks...

As the competitors queued up, Bai Qingxing, acting as the team elder, felt obliged to intervene: "Shen Wang, is it really okay to sell these to foreigners…?"

Shen Wang reassured her with a grin: "Elder Bai, it's fine. 'A fool and his money are soon parted.' This is an untapped new market."

"All these are undeveloped fresh targets, ripe for the taking."

The people from Huaxia: "……"

Even in such a situation, thinking of making money, it's hard to decide whether to call him a money-grubber or just audacious.

But Shen Wang's strength was undeniable, and since he was selling his own crafted talismans, no one had a reason to stop him. They could only sigh as they watched him sell the talismans to a group of foreigners.

Only Gu Dongting's expression changed, and he stepped forward to help Shen Wang maintain order.

Bai Qingxing stiffened: "Fellow Daoist Gu…"

Bai Qingxing shook her head helplessly, sighing inwardly: 'Fellow Daoist Gu used to be so prudent and calm. Ever since meeting Shen Wang, he's changed.'

Unaware of Bai Qingxing's thoughts, Shen Wang, with a handful of talismans, enthusiastically addressed the crowd: "I don't accept paper money. You can trade with your country's specialties... If you don't have any, some gold, silver, or jewels will do. I'm not picky…"

The foreign competitors fumbled around, pulling out various strange items from their possessions.

A pure black jade piece, a white long bone, strangely colored herbs, and even someone treasured a dull gray stone…

Soon, Shen Wang had sold all his talismans.

Just as the queue was about to disperse in disappointment, Shen Wang had Chouyin and a few others bring over a table. He then took out a stack of blank talisman papers, a talisman brush, and special talisman ink…

The person in line: "...so it was him who drew this!"

"With just a few simple strokes, he can create a powerful talisman. The heritage of Huaxia is truly impressive."

"No wonder he sells them so casually; these talismans are indecipherable, a unique skill of his alone."

Watching Shen Wang draw a talisman in just a few seconds, everyone was amazed by his speed and the unchanged potency of his work.

To foreigners unfamiliar with talismans, Shen Wang is extremely impressive.

To those from Huaxia who understand talismans, Shen Wang is nothing short of a godlike figure!

Bai Fuchun cautiously approached to watch, gasping in awe: "Wow! Unbelievable!"

He had only one thought in his mind.

How on earth can he draw this?!

Compared to Shen Wang, those so-called great masters of talisman and talisman families are like child's play, not worth mentioning.

Most importantly, Shen Wang's drawings are not only quick but also contain more potent spiritual energy, indicating stronger power in his talismans...

Bai Fuchun watched Shen Wang with reverence, trembling as he complained to his elder: "Gosh, it's a good thing Shen doesn't know alchemy. If he did, with his speed of drawing talismans, I fear my spiritual path would collapse."

Bai Qingxing gave him a stern look: "Stop talking nonsense!"

After scolding him, he turned back to watch Shen Wang, realizing why the higher-ups of the special department paid him so much attention and understanding Shen Wang's arrogance.

With his strength and unparalleled mastery of talisman art, not just in Huaxia, but he could probably walk the world unchallenged.

Becoming his enemy would mean no one could sleep peacefully... Bai Qingxing secretly felt relieved, thankful that although Shen Wang's actions and character were somewhat unreliable, his morals posed no threat to the nation or ordinary people.

After what seemed like ages, when the foreigners had all received their desired talismans, Shen Wang finally took a breather.

He flexed his wrist, channeling spiritual energy within to replenish his nearly depleted inner core and dantian: "Thankfully these are elites from various nations, and not too many. Otherwise, I would be drained dry drawing these."

Bai Fuchun and the others: "...Not too many people?"

Glancing at Shen Wang and then at the hundreds, if not thousands, of people, it was clear their definitions of 'many' and 'few' differed.

Gu Dongting's eyes twinkled with a faint smile. He turned to Shen Wang, "What do you plan to do with these items?"

Since the use of cash was prohibited, they could only exchange for treasures or gold and silver. The collection area was now piled high with a hodgepodge of items.

Shen Wang glanced over and with a wave of his hand, swept them all into his own space.

As everyone watched the pile of items disappear without a trace, their eyes widened in shock, even Gu Dongting was momentarily stunned.

Bai Fuchun's eyes shone brightly: "Brother Shen, what kind of magic is this? Is it the Qiankun in the sleeve or some special space?!"

That's just too cool!

Shen Wang appeared nonchalant: "It's just a space talisman. The space is quite small, can't hold much."

Space talisman! Bai Fuchun's eyes sparkled even brighter: "Brother Shen, do you sell these space talismans?"

At this moment, not just Bai Fuchun, everyone's eyes were shining, all ears perked up in anticipation.

Facing everyone's expectant gazes, Shen Wang touched his nose: "When I return, I might consider making a few more."

"Hooray!"

As they cheered, Shen Wang added: "However, the quantity will be limited, and the price high."

"I know, I know. Such a rare treasure ought to be expensive!"

"With a space talisman, does that mean we won't need to lug around heavy luggage on long trips anymore?"

"Think bigger. In the future, whatever you buy, you won't have to carry it home yourself."

"You're not thinking big enough. The best use clearly is: if you can't make a living with metaphysics, you could deliver parcels without worrying about carrying too many at once..."

"And moving companies, too. But Brother Shen said the space isn't very large, so I wonder if it's suitable for moving..."

Shen Wang listened with a mix of curiosity and amusement, shaking his head in resignation.

Gu Dongting's eyes also showed a hint of relaxation: Being with these lively and youthful juniors, he felt as if he had returned to his younger days, to a time before everything had happened.

The group leisurely made their way back to the Buniel Castle. While the others discussed the day's events, Shen Wang and Gu Dongting went to find Yolanda.

Gu Dongting got straight to the point: "Do you know the whereabouts of the vampire strongholds?"

Yolanda had just received several pills from Gu Dongting that morning. She and a few trusted subordinates each took one and immediately felt their bloodlines boiling and their strength noticeably increasing.

Now, speaking with Gu Dongting, Yolanda's tone was much more respectful: "I know of some vampire strongholds, but I'm not sure about the locations of their core members."

The vampire influence almost covered the entire country, with countless strongholds.

But as the werewolves were oppressed by the vampires, they only knew the lairs of the mid to low-level vampires, not where the high-level ones controlling the vampires resided.

"That's enough," Gu Dongting nodded. "Prepare a map and have Buniel find a hacker to send it to all participants from the competing nations."

Yolanda's eyes lit up: "Are we going to take action against them so soon?"

She thought they would need to remain hidden for a while longer, quietly building up strength. She didn't expect Gu Dongting to be so bold as to plan a move so soon.

"Make sure the hacker Buniel finds keeps themselves hidden, so as not to be discovered by the vampires," Gu Dongting continued, "As for you... you can take advantage of the chaos to attack the vampires. It would be best if you could coordinate with several werewolf families to attack simultaneously."

Yolanda hesitated: "Our werewolf clans are independent and have rarely cooperated..."

Gu Dongting simply tossed her a small jade bottle containing pills: "There are thirty pills here."

Yolanda responded decisively this time: "Okay, Mr. Gu, I'll contact several families!"

"Use twenty pills to win over other families, and keep the remaining ten..." Yolanda made her decision in a flash.

Gu Dongting glanced at her, unconcerned about where the pills ended up. His only concern was whether Yolanda could provide a satisfactory answer.

If it doesn't work out, he wouldn't mind finding a different collaborator.

Leaving Yolanda, Shen Wang couldn't help but tease Gu Dongting, who looked indifferent: "Mr. Gu, I thought you were a straightforward person. I didn't expect you to be so cunning."

Gu Dongting stopped in his tracks and looked at Shen Wang: "What do you mean?"

Shen Wang commented: "Sowing discord, fishing in troubled waters, using others to eliminate your enemies... not simple at all."

Shen Wang sold talismans to foreign competitors because he planned to covertly incite these already suppressed and angry individuals, not expecting Gu Dongting to beat him to it.

The method was the same, sending messages to everyone... Realizing this, Shen Wang's gaze sharpened suddenly.

Gu Dongting, seemingly unaware, just smiled lightly. His demeanor remained cool and calm, but his tone was unexpectedly profound: "I've never been a straightforward person. Perhaps you just don't know me well enough yet."

The two shared a knowing smile, each harboring their own thoughts.

When night deepened and the castle grew quiet, it indeed started to stir.

The werewolves silently transformed and vanished into the darkness, and the Huaxia contestants who had received the map of the vampire strongholds also quietly got up, stealthily leaving their rooms.

As they passed by the rooms of several guard elders and Gu Dongting, the sneaking individuals were extra careful to tread lightly.

They were unaware that Bai Qingxing in one of the rooms hadn't slept at all.

Listening to the mouse-like rustling outside the door, he slowly closed his eyes, his spiritual energy circulating within.

When all sounds had ceased and silence enveloped everything, Bai Qingxing suddenly opened his eyes, leaped out of the window, and followed his unruly young charges.

Beside him, two shadowy figures appeared silently, the other two guard elders.

Meanwhile, Shen Wang and Gu Dongting's room was also mysteriously empty.

Shen Wang was dressed in a dramatic costume of red and green, mysteriously acquired, and his face was hidden behind a comical clown mask.

Beside him stood Little Black Brother, who had agreed to create a major news story with him.

Little Black Brother had swapped his distinctly Huaxia-style black robe for a simple black hoodie and now wore a pointed, elongated smiling mask.

"Which way do you want to go?" Little Black Brother asked Shen Wang.

They stood atop a tall building, from where they could see countless people scattering in the darkness, rushing towards their destinations under the cover of night.

Some sneaked in the shadows of buildings, others moved lightly across rooftops, and some ran on the streets... like a group of diligent ghosts.

Shen Wang shifted his gaze from them, looking in another direction: "Remember the big story I told you about?"

Little Black Brother followed his gaze and smiled: "I remember."

The two exchanged a glance and then simultaneously leaped from the rooftop of the several-story building, their bodies agile and light.

On this seemingly ordinary night, it seemed as if nothing had stirred, yet it appeared that many remarkable events had occurred.

The next day, the sleep-deprived crowd was awakened by a shrill, piercing siren.

The first to rise were the werewolves, their keen hearing making them sensitive to the noise. They yawned and lazily emerged from their rooms, resembling a group of sleepy, large dogs.

Among all the werewolves, Ael was the most alert. His ears perked up, eyes shining with excitement, more thrilled than when he first sensed prey.

Soon after, the members of the Huaxia team also began to wake up, one after another.

Bai Fuchun, with his eyes closed, leaned on Chouyin, letting Chouyin guide him out of the room, half-awake, half-asleep.

Surrounded by adult werewolves too lethargic to pay attention to Ael, he couldn't share his excitement with anyone. Upon seeing Bai Fuchun, a peer of sorts, Ael suddenly stood up, disregarding Chouyin's protective stance, and grabbed Bai Fuchun's arm: "Bai, do you know what I did last night!"

Bai Fuchun, groggy: "Huh? What did you do?"

"I did something really big!" Ael said, growing excited again, "You'll never guess!"

Hm? Bai Fuchun barely opened his eyes to look at Ael: "You didn't go after the vampires, did you?"

Ael fell silent.

Bai Fuchun, still not fully awake and puzzled by the talkative Ael's delay in responding, looked at him curiously: "Hmm?"

Seeing Ael's guilty look, unable to be concealed even by his fluffy wolf face, and his shifting eyes, Bai Fuchun: "Hmm?!"

This snapped Bai Fuchun fully awake.

The shrill siren outside continued, irritating and unsettling. Bai Fuchun couldn't help but ask Ael: "What's going on outside?"

Ael, uncertain whether to respond, looked desperately for help from an adult werewolf nearby.

This werewolf, with auburn hair, who had once battled Chouyin, was also one of Yolanda's trusted subordinates.

Aware of the collaboration between their leader and Gu Dongting, the werewolf, believing these Huaxia people to be Gu's subordinates, didn't hide anything and said, "Heard that dozens of vampire strongholds were hit overnight. Now they're probably going insane."

He spoke with conviction, not showing any signs of guilt.

After all, last night, they had only taken down one core vampire stronghold, and the other cooperating werewolves had only managed a few. Who knew how those dozens had vanished.

It had nothing to do with the werewolves, thought the auburn-haired werewolf maliciously, maybe someone else had a grudge against the vampires.

Hearing the werewolf's words, the still drowsy members of the Huaxia team suddenly became alert.

Bai Fuchun chuckled dryly, "Dozens? That many?"

If they remembered correctly, they had only caused chaos in one stronghold.

Ael excitedly chimed in, "Who knows? Maybe the vampires made too many enemies."

The werewolves and the Huaxia team shared a knowing smile.

Counting the werewolves' efforts, the foreign competitors who bought life-saving talismans, and their own actions... all added up, could it really account for dozens of strongholds?

While they were talking, someone checked their phone and suddenly exclaimed, "Holy cow! Look at the news!"

Bai Fuchun rolled his eyes, "What news? Just the usual attack, gang showdown, or some cult... nothing more."

They knew the vampires wouldn't let this slide easily, but since matters involving special abilities couldn't be disclosed to the public, any news coverage would have to be disguised.

Having heard such excuses time and again, Bai Fuchun, a fellow special ability user, knew them all too well.

Though he anticipated the news content, Bai Fuchun still glanced at his phone, and upon seeing the push notification, he too exclaimed, "Holy cow!"

The top story flooding all the websites wasn't a terror attack or gang warfare, but a theft at the national museum of the country!

Overnight, every single exhibit in the Huaxia section of the museum vanished without a trace!

The world was in shock!

It's known that the Huaxia gallery in the national museum contained hundreds of thousands of items. Losing one or two might be explainable, but the disappearance of the entire collection!

Foreign websites were completely abuzz, with countless netizens voicing their opinions.

"How is this possible? Hundreds of thousands of items, even if they were glass beads, would fill dozens of bags. How could they just vanish so completely?"

"Could it be an inside job?"

"Could an inside job manage to steal hundreds of thousands of items overnight? If they had that skill, why steal from a museum?"

"Right, with so many items, it'd be hard to convert them all into cash. How could it be an inside job..."

"What about the security cameras? Can they release the footage?"

"That's the bizarre part. In the footage, these items just disappeared suddenly! No signs at all, entire walls of items gone in an instant!"

"Could it be the ghosts of Huaxia seeking revenge? That's absurd, even more laughable than the burning of Notre-Dame in Paris."

"What exactly happened..."

"My God, could it be a miracle of Jesus?"

"I think it might be aliens. They must have taken a liking to the mysterious and beautiful treasures of the East and stolen them."

"What comes in a certain way, often goes in the same way."

Not just abroad, even domestic websites were dominated by this explosive news.

"No way, no way, our country's treasures stolen in another country?"

"It was stolen... I was thinking, when our country becomes stronger, we could pressure the museum to return our historical artifacts."

"Return them? You're joking, right? If they did, that museum would be at least half empty."

"Honestly, since we can't get them back anyway, it pains me that they were stolen, but thinking about how that country has become a global joke... Still, it's not worth it, my heart aches so much."

"So infuriating, what nonsense! They took our things and didn't even preserve them properly."

"I burst into tears when I saw the news. Can anyone understand? If those artifacts were still in the museum, we could still see them, but now, they're scattered to the winds, lost forever."

"Why is everyone so down? Can't we think positively, like maybe a righteous person has stolen back our national treasures, and we won't have to go to foreign museums to see them anymore?"

"What are you talking about? How could someone steal dozens of artifacts overnight, including fragile items like porcelain?"

"Yeah, if there really was such a capable hero, why not go burn down the neighboring shrine too?"

"Someone tried to burn it before, but they were caught before they could do it. Such a pity."

"After all, they are our national treasures. I hope they can be found and returned to their homeland."

"I think maybe their royal family is short on cash and sold them off..."

Bai Fuchun and his teammates exchanged looks, then suddenly, as if struck by a thought, they all rushed out.

The werewolves, with question marks over their heads, didn’t pay much attention.

Standing at Shen Wang's door, the group hesitated, unexpectedly nervous about their next move.

Bai Fuchun, biting his lip, took a deep breath and with a grand gesture but gentle force, respectfully and cautiously knocked on the door.

After a few knocks, Shen Wang, wearing slippers, opened the door, startled by the crowd outside: "What's going on? Why are you all here?"

He looked closely and saw a group of players, three guard elders... except for Gu Dongting, all the members of the Huaxia team were there.

Bai Fuchun, too excited to speak, just thrust his phone at Shen Wang: "Brother Shen! Look at this!"

Shen Wang glanced at the news and raised an eyebrow.

Bai Fuchun looked hopeful: "Brother Shen! Was this you?"

Shen Wang smiled faintly: "No."

Then he shut the door with a bang.

The people outside were left feeling disappointed.

Just then, the door opened again, Bai Fuchun was both shocked and delighted, but in the next second, his phone was thrown back into his arms, and his excitement abruptly ceased.

Just before closing the door, Shen Wang lowered his voice and asked, "Is Gu Dongting up yet?"

"I, I don't think so," Bai Fuchun shook his head instinctively. He hadn't seen Brother Gu that day.

The door was closed again with a bang.

Bai Fuchun: "..."

The group had come with excitement but left dejected.

Walking at the back, the few guard elders exchanged glances, then simultaneously bowed their heads, frantically sending messages back home.

Inside the room, Shen Wang walked back to the bed. Little Black Brother, who had stayed over the night, was already awake, his voice hoarse with sleep: "What's up?"

Seeing this, Shen Wang felt a bit amused: "You slept so soundly last night, weren’t you afraid I'd get up and remove your mask?"

Little Black Brother paused, retorting: "You also slept quite peacefully. Did you forget my feelings for you? Weren’t you afraid I'd do something to you in the middle of the night?"

After saying this, Little Black Brother himself was taken aback.

Shen Wang looked down, touched his nose, and awkwardly changed the subject: "What we did yesterday is already in the news."

It was indeed a very, very big story.

Last night, Little Black Brother used high-tech gadgets to disrupt the museum's security, while Shen Wang employed metaphysical methods to neutralize various curses on the antiques.

Ultimately, the two of them collaborated seamlessly to move all the items from the Huaxia gallery into Shen Wang's mustard seed space, not leaving behind even a speck of dust.

Moving so many items in one go wasn't physically exhausting for them, but the repetitive and tedious task was mentally draining.

After returning to the castle, neither had the chance to sort through their spoils before collapsing into sleep.

Shen Wang and Little Black Brother picked up their phones to check various news and public opinions online, then put them down.

Little Black Brother: "Well done."

Shen Wang: "Likewise."

The two exchanged a smile, mirroring each other's cunning and satisfaction.

Footsteps sounded outside again. Little Black Brother's eyes flickered: "I'll leave first."

Without waiting for Shen Wang's response, he climbed out the window and vanished without a trace, as if he had never been there.

Simultaneously, there was a knock at the door.

Shen Wang went to open it and found Yolanda, the werewolf leader, with an expression that was both excited and hesitant, oddly indescribable.

Shen Wang, puzzled: "What's wrong? Didn't last night's operation go well?"

It shouldn't be the case. From what he observed, many participants from other countries were involved in the battle last night. Such a scale should have at least inflicted a significant blow to the vampires, if not taken a chunk out of them.

Yolanda replied, "It went smoothly."

With Yolanda's map, the frustrated competitors from other countries found an outlet for their anger, with most choosing to conceal their identities while attacking these strongholds.

Initially, everyone just wanted to vent their fury, but upon realizing they weren’t alone in this, the scattered individuals gradually converged.

With strength in numbers, the last few groups managed to destroy over thirty vampire strongholds in one go!

For this city, that accounted for nearly all of the vampire strongholds.

Consequently, for the first time, the vampires' control over this country was significantly weakened. Yolanda decisively collaborated with other werewolf leaders to divide these territories.

From then on, as long as they could withstand the vampires’ pressure and attacks, this city would belong to the werewolves... and serve as a major base for future battles against the vampires.

Excited by this turn of events, Yolanda didn't sleep all night.

Hearing this, Shen Wang didn’t judge Yolanda’s actions but simply asked, "Is there anything else?"

Yolanda hesitated for a few seconds, then, considering Shen Wang's position in Gu Dongting’s esteem, answered truthfully, "Our werewolf numbers are too few. I plan to gather all the werewolves in the country here."

"No problem," Shen Wang nodded decisively, understanding that Yolanda was worried about Gu Dongting’s reaction to her initiative or that her increasing power might backfire.

In reality, both Shen Wang and Gu Dongting’s goal was to defeat the vampires.

As for the rest... they weren't overbearing or dominant, intent on meddling in others' internal affairs. It was best to let Yolanda make her own decisions.

Trusting Yolanda’s intelligence, she wouldn't make an enemy out of distant but powerful Huaxia.

Relieved by Shen Wang's response, Yolanda continued, "Last night during our fight with the vampires, we discovered something strange. The energy it emitted was very similar to what you guys emit."

Saying this, she took out something she had prepared earlier and handed it to Shen Wang.

Shen Wang looked at the paper filled with drawings, his brows gradually furrowing.

At that moment, Gu Dongting arrived late, casually asking, "What's happening?"

Yolanda glanced at him and, without any complaint, repeated the story. Gu Dongting, while looking at the paper with Shen Wang, responded, "These matters you can decide on your own."

Excitement and a smile couldn't help but appear in Yolanda's eyes. In this power vacuum left by the vampires, it was enough time to unite the werewolves.

The werewolves had been scattered for centuries under vampire oppression, forgetting they weren't stray dogs scavenging in cities, but werewolves.

This time, she was determined to seize the opportunity to reclaim the freedom that once belonged to the werewolves!

Unaware of Yolanda's inner fervor and fighting spirit, Shen Wang exhaled slowly: "This formation..."

Even though Gu Dongting was not knowledgeable about formations, he could tell, despite some minor differences, that this formation was familiar; he had definitely seen it before.

Shen Wang rubbed his forehead: "How can this kind of formation be found everywhere?"

It was puzzling how, even though the domestic heritage was incomplete, one could still encounter such oddities abroad.

Not to mention the formation and talisman books of the Samui sect, but now in a country across the ocean, how could he still see this familiar formation!

Although modified, with its function and appearance altered, the core essence of the formation remained unchanged.

A nefarious cultivation formation designed to absorb vitality and spiritual energy for its own use.

This formation was once used by Lin Yinyang, who practiced dark arts in the depths of the mountains, on unborn fetuses; by the head of Qingcheng Mountain, a revered sect leader; and even by the Samui sect.

"Aren't formation masters supposed to be a rare specialty? Why are they popping up everywhere?"

Shen Wang asked Yolanda, who was beside him, "Where did you find this thing?"

In Yolanda’s eyes, Shen Wang had always been an accessory to Gu Dongting, powerful yet amiable, usually deferring to Gu Dongting's decisions and seldom expressing his own opinions.

But this time, seeing Shen Wang's stern expression, she felt an unexpected fear and instinctively replied, "We found it at a vampire stronghold. I can take you there if you need."

Shen Wang nodded: "Let's go."

Yolanda didn’t even seek Gu Dongting's consent this time, immediately turning to lead the way.

Gu Dongting trailed behind, watching Shen Wang’s back with a flicker of light in his eyes and a smile.

Reaching the stronghold Yolanda mentioned, Shen Wang examined it thoroughly. Finding nothing amiss and seeing the captives, he realized, "So it's the Japanese."

He thought as much; how could such a bizarre formation have traveled overseas?

The captive was one of the men who followed Abe. Shen Wang crouched down and asked, "Where’s that guy named Abe something?"

Shen Wang expected some resistance or evasion before getting an answer, but the captive promptly replied upon seeing him, "He was seriously injured and has already returned to his country overnight."

Shen Wang was surprised: "That was quick, wasn’t it?"

The captive paused for a few seconds: "His power has greatly diminished now, and he's of no use here."

Stealing glances at Shen Wang, the Japanese man continued, "And with your overwhelming strength, there’s no point in us risking our lives to resist."

Therefore, apart from him, most of the others had already returned to their country.

Shen Wang: "…They escaped quickly, true to their reputation."

Hearing this insult, the captive's face contorted for a few seconds, but he managed to hold back any reaction.

Shen Wang took out the formation diagram: "Whose is this?"

The captive blurted out: "It’s Abe's!"

Shen Wang: "…Where did he get it?"

"It's a family heirloom."

With this straightforward Q&A, the captive was completely open and humble, leaving Shen Wang unsure what to say next.

The only upside was that the captive was loose-lipped, allowing Shen Wang to easily extract the information he wanted.

This formation seemed to be a traditional Abe family formation, effective and powerful. After allying with the vampires, Abe had shared this formation with them, setting up several copies.

This stronghold was one of those where the formation had been implemented.

The reason the captive was left here alone was to serve as a messenger for the vampires, but… it seemed like this 'messenger' didn't want to be left behind.

Shen Wang walked around the courtyard again, this time paying closer attention and indeed spotted faint traces of blood beneath the formation lines.

"Evil cultivation," Shen Wang sighed softly.

He suddenly thought of the rumors about vampires in the area.

The tales of bathing in young girls' blood, drinking their blood to regain youth… In a place devoid of faith and spiritual pillars, he could imagine how tempting the allure of eternal youth might be.

Perhaps it wasn't that vampires became nobles.

But rather, some nobles chose to become vampires.

After thoroughly destroying the formation, Shen Wang informed Gu Dongting of the situation. The two exchanged a glance, a flash of murderous intent evident in their eyes.

Possibly due to the museum theft, the city was under martial law, with countless police conducting searches everywhere, directionless like headless flies.

On their way back, Shen Wang and his group were stopped and questioned several times.

Fortunately, although their special abilities were hidden from the public, the international metaphysical competition was officially recognized by the authorities under some pretext.

From the perspective of ordinary people, Shen Wang and his group were representing Huaxia as competitors.

The police didn’t dare to detain them for long and soon let them go.

Meanwhile, Bai Fuchun and his group were also being questioned, but not by ordinary people – it was the country's metahumans.

"Where were you last night?" The leading blonde vampire looked coldly at Bai Fuchun and the others, as if they were trash, with a tone filled with disdain and contempt.

Bai Qingxing politely replied, "We were sleeping in our rooms."

"Do you have any evidence to prove you were sleeping?" The blonde vampire sneered, "Without evidence, you could have been doing something else."

"Like attacking our country's metahumans, or stealing treasures from the museum."

The blonde vampire’s tone was mocking, scrutinizing the Huaxia team from head to toe, clearly viewing them as the culprits.

Bai Fuchun, mimicking his cold laugh, retorted, "We may not have evidence, but do you?"

The already sour mood of the blonde vampire boiled over: "Human, are you challenging my authority?"

Bai Qingxing, undaunted, countered: "Vampire, are you trying to start a war between two nations?"

Their gazes locked, neither yielding to the other.

The atmosphere was like a tightly drawn bowstring, ready to snap.

At that moment, Shen Wang and Gu Dongting entered the room. Seeing the blonde vampire, Shen Wang's gaze darkened intensely.

Gu Dongting also looked over, pondering: "Elder Bai, what happened?"

Bai Qingxing immediately looked relieved, like he had found his backbone: "Gu Daoist, Shen Daoist."

"They came to investigate last night's attacks on metahumans and the museum theft. But then they started threatening us without any provocation," Bai Qingxing explained, casting a meaningful glance at the vampire, "Does he think we're from a weak country that wouldn't dare to fight back?"

Gu Dongting smiled faintly: "Are you intending to start a conflict with us?"

The vampire's face stiffened, then he casually responded: "Mr. Gu, we have no such intention. We're just following routine to investigate your whereabouts and actions last night."

"I'm sure you can understand the need for my job."

Hearing this, Shen Wang suddenly laughed: "Mr. Blonde, we understand your job, but without evidence, you can’t treat our people like criminals for interrogation. Don’t you always prioritize human rights and freedom? How come these don’t apply to residents from other countries?"

The vampire looked at Shen Wang, suppressing his anger: "Rest assured, without evidence, we won't interrogate you."

"Really? I don't believe it," Shen Wang chuckled again, "How are the other international competitors doing?"

At this, the vampire fell silent.

After a long pause, the blonde vampire, realizing he couldn't gain the upper hand, forced a smile: "Since we didn’t find any issues, I'll take my leave. If any problems arise later, we might need your cooperation."

He left with his subordinates, taking a deep breath as he passed by Gu Dongting, a hint of obsession flashing in his eyes.

Shen Wang's expression darkened further, and even Gu Dongting frowned, their gaze on the blonde vampire like looking at a dead man.

Once they were gone, Bai Qingxing finally relaxed, suggesting directly: "With the current chaos, let's not participate in the competition. We should return to our country."

Shen Wang, surprised: "They're on high alert right now, can we leave?"

Bai Qingxing smiled proudly: "You're underestimating our homeland."

Early in the morning, upon seeing the news, the guard elders immediately sensed something amiss and contacted their superiors back home.

With the pressure from their country, it wouldn't be long before they could return home.

Shen Wang nodded in understanding, realizing that at the end of the day, it’s the support of one’s country that truly gives strength when abroad.

Gu Dongting quickly made a decision: "Buy tickets for our return flight and arrange for someone to meet us back home."

The joint attack on the vampires by all competitors could be seen as significant or minor. Essentially, it was just a conflict between metahumans, similar to how special ability users generally don't interfere in the affairs of ordinary people, and vice versa.

However, the museum theft was too big to be concealed, attracting widespread attention.

Especially the method of stealing hundreds of thousands of antiques under everyone's watchful eyes – it didn't seem like something an ordinary person could accomplish.

While ordinary people speculated about ghosts, gods, aliens, or Jesus, the higher-ups had already identified special ability users as suspects.

Particularly those from Huaxia.

After all, all the stolen antiques originated from Huaxia. Bai Qingxing thought of this and stole a glance at Shen Wang, quickly averting his gaze before being noticed.

The group didn't dwell on it too much. Even if they were stranded here, they wouldn't be harmed, a confidence stemming from their powerful homeland.

So they continued to eat and drink as if nothing had happened.

In the evening, they joined the werewolves for a dinner. The tall and robust werewolves were adept at drinking, creating a lively and joyful atmosphere.

"Bai, is the museum theft really unrelated to you?" Ael asked Bai Fuchun after taking a big gulp of juice, himself also sipping on juice.

Bai Fuchun sighed deeply and said, "We wish we were involved in it."

"After all, those are relics from our ancestors!"

Ael was momentarily stunned, then awkwardly took another sip of his juice, realizing that, in a sense, the ones who committed the theft were his ancestors.

Meanwhile, Shen Wang and Gu Dongting were drinking on the side.

Gu Dongting asked Shen Wang, "Was it that blonde vampire... the one you mentioned?"

The one who coveted Gu Dongting's blood.

Shen Wang nodded, his expression back to its usual calmness, "Yes, it was him."

Gu Dongting wasn't concerned about that vampire. Watching Shen Wang drink glass after glass, his eyes flickered: "Are you still angry?"

"Angry?" Shen Wang raised his glass and moved closer to Gu Dongting, "A bit. You're my good brother. His daring to look at you that way is a desecration."

The two were so close that Gu Dongting could smell the faint scent of alcohol on Shen Wang.

Shen Wang’s gaze was direct, almost intoxicating, as if he was drunk or being coquettish, his eyes so deep they seemed to drown. Gu Dongting’s hand tightened unconsciously, then he raised his glass, clinking it with Shen Wang's: "Don't worry, he'll pay the price."

Shen Wang then smiled, his attractive, peach-blossom eyes shimmering with softness.

This made Gu Dongting certain that Shen Wang might really be drunk.

But was his tolerance for alcohol really that low? Gu Dongting pondered, recalling how a few glasses of wine had once made him drunk, he didn't dwell on it further, and asked in a lighter tone: "You still drinking?"

Shen Wang downed another glass, then another, as if quenching a thirst.

Until at last, he could no longer hold himself up and collapsed into Gu Dongting's arms, breathing deeply, as if he had fallen asleep.

Gu Dongting was upset because someone coveted him? He felt gloomy, as if something was blocking his heart. He sighed.

Without disturbing anyone, Gu Dongting picked up Shen Wang and quietly returned to their room.

As he placed Shen Wang on the bed, Shen Wang suddenly pulled Gu Dongting down with him, burying himself in Gu Dongting's neck, breathing rapidly and heavily.

Gu Dongting's skin tingled with the hot breaths, his own breathing becoming heavier. If he were Xiao Hei at this moment, he might have taken advantage of the situation.

But now, he was Gu Dongting.

After hesitating for a long while, he wondered if he should pretend to be Xiao Hei when he woke up, like last time, or just push Shen Wang away... Finally, Gu Dongting gritted his teeth and pushed Shen Wang off: "You're drunk."

Shen Wang rolled over, arm draped over his eyes, his voice muffled: "I am indeed drunk."

Gu Dongting quickly tidied up Shen Wang, laying him straight on the bed. He didn’t notice Shen Wang's eyelashes quiver as he left.

Only when Gu Dongting's footsteps faded away did Shen Wang open his eyes and sigh.

Today, at such a close distance, he finally smelled that familiar faint fragrance.

Lying with his eyes open for a long time, he knew without thinking that Gu Dongting, or Xiao Hei, had changed clothes and gone to find the blonde vampire.

But he couldn't muster any worry, feeling only frustrated and restless.

"Damn it," Shen Wang cursed softly, "Playing games with me."