Chapter 146: Everyone was perplexed, but they also enjoyed watching the excitement.

Chapter 146: Everyone was perplexed, but they also enjoyed watching the excitement.

"The first theft at the museum might be seen as the officials not expecting theft, but the occurrence of a second, large-scale theft right after… it's like brazenly showing the world how incompetent the museum authorities are."

"This incident has become a resounding slap to the face of this country, turning it into a joke worldwide."

"Previously, only the Chinese exhibit was stolen, and the Chinese team became the prime suspects, almost taken away for investigation. Now that other exhibits are stolen too, the suspicion on the Chinese team has greatly diminished."

After pondering with furrowed brows, Shen Wang thought of the people he rescued last night.

"Every country has been plundered, even in what seems like a peaceful modern society, countless nations are still being looted."

"As citizens of these weaker nations, they are not without hatred or desire to reclaim their historical treasures, but lacking the strength to match powerful enemies, no matter how furious, they must endure."

"If ordinary people still strive to retrieve their country's belongings, why wouldn’t those with special abilities do the same?"

"After thinking it through, Shen Wang showed a faint smile: Regardless of the motives of these ability users, they have thoroughly stirred up this stagnant situation."

"The others continued discussing animatedly, their faces unable to hide their excitement."

"Even the local werewolves joined the discussion, far from being upset, they seemed rather to be enjoying the disaster."

Curious, Shen Wang asked, "Aren't you angry about the thefts in your country's museum?"

The auburn-haired werewolf laughed, "Why should we be angry?"

"Getting to trouble those damned blood clans makes us very happy."

"Exactly! Thousands of years ago, we were the masters of this land, but now it's dominated by those with golden hair and blue eyes. Our auburn hair has even become a symbol of rudeness, impoliteness, and beastly nature..."

"They keep oppressing us natives, making everyone forget that it's they who are the outsiders to this land."

"Now someone is teaching these arrogant humans a lesson, why should we be angry?"

The werewolves chimed in one after another, their expressions devoid of any reluctance.

Hearing this, Bai Fuchun patted El, who was next to her: "I didn't realize werewolves had such a tragic history. It's really terrible."

El laughed heartily: "That's all in the past. We have to live in the present."

And the present is the best opportunity for the rise of the werewolves!

Just thinking about it, El felt a surge of power and boiling blood, almost itching to transform into a werewolf and have a fierce fight.

While they were talking, the castle's owner Bunir came out, followed by several muscular bodyguards and a gaunt, frail figure.

The crowd looked twice before realizing who it was. Before they could recognize him, the person ran over and knelt at El's feet: "El, I truly know I was wrong, please forgive me..."

Only then did everyone realize it was Norris!

So much had happened in these few days; three days seemed to have passed in the blink of an eye, and Norris had already been released from the dungeon.

El was momentarily stunned, then said: "Norris, I don't hate you anymore."

In the face of the rise and fall of the family, his personal grievances seemed so trivial. These past days, he had truly forgotten about Norris. Now, it felt like a lifetime ago.

Norris lifted his head, his face pale as a sheet, wet tear streaks covering his face: "Then why did my brother send me away?"

"The bodyguards lost sight of Norris for a moment, and he dashed out. Bunir, with a dark expression, signaled to the bodyguards: 'Sorry for interrupting your conversation, I'll take him away immediately.'"

"Caught by the bodyguards, Norris struggled and cried non-stop: 'Brother, I know I was wrong, please don't send me back to the countryside, I don’t want to leave here, brother…'"

"His crying was so pitiful that even Bai Fuchun, who knew what he had done, couldn’t help but speak up: 'Bunir, he is still your brother…'"

"Bunir smiled slightly: 'Bai, this is a family matter, and I have made my decision.'"

"Bai Fuchun fell silent."

"Bunir politely bid farewell and quickly left with Norris."

"Someone remarked: 'These nobles really lack familial affection.'"

"Shen Wang, who had been silent, chuckled: 'Sending Norris away at this time is actually the greatest act of kinship for his brother.'"

"In this turbulent time, Bunir hasn’t yet been exposed to the blood clan. If he were, as a commoner, he would be the most vulnerable, including his family."

"Sending Norris away is both a lesson for him to change his behavior and a way to protect him."

"Shen Wang subconsciously looked towards Gu Dongting, but halfway through turning his head, he forcibly restrained himself."

"Gu Dongting, sensing something, looked at Shen Wang, his eyes tinged with confusion."

"Under domestic mediation and pressure from various parties, the World Esoteric Contest finally fizzled out, and the members of the Huaxia team managed to buy plane tickets to return home."

"Before leaving, Shen Wang found Bai Qingxing and told him he had some matters to attend to and would stay abroad a bit longer."

"Hearing this, Bai Qingxing's eyes were complex, his mouth opened and closed several times: 'You…'"

"Shen Wang looked innocent: 'It's my first time abroad, I want to travel around and relax.'"

"Bai Qingxing: '…'"

"Be careful, it's not very peaceful abroad these days," Bai Qingxing said, rubbing her aching forehead.

"Yeah, I know." Shen Wang nodded nonchalantly and then immediately asked, "Is Gu Dongting going back?"

"!!!" Bai Qingxing broke out in a cold sweat at the question, "Of course he's going back! He's the leader of our Huaxia team!"

Surprised by her strong reaction, Shen Wang quickly reassured her: "Okay, okay, I got it. I trust he won't do anything rash and will surely return with you."

Bai Qingxing's sweat flowed even faster because of these words.

Shen Wang's strength was enough for him to go anywhere in the world, even if he encountered massive destructive weapons. Even if he couldn't beat them, he had the means to escape.

And with Gu Dongting...

They could truly walk sideways through the world, in a physical sense.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Bai Qingxing comforted herself in a murmur: "Fellow Daoist Gu is not reckless like Shen Wang, he won't cause trouble... he won't!"

To be safe, Bai Qingxing booked the earliest flight back and left the same night.

The werewolves and Bunir came to see them off. The cultivators said a reluctant farewell to the werewolves, deeply unwilling to part.

Amidst the touching goodbye, only Bai Qingxing was suspicious, keeping a close eye on Gu Dongting, afraid he would disappear in the blink of an eye.

Fortunately, what she feared didn't happen. Gu Dongting, expressionless, cold and calm, passed through security, boarded the plane, and sat quietly in his seat...

Only after the plane landed did Bai Qingxing finally breathe a sigh of relief: she had successfully brought back the entire team!

And Gu Dongting hadn't caused any trouble! Bai Qingxing was so moved she almost cried.

Meanwhile, Shen Wang had left Bunir's castle, holding a map of the blood clan's power structure compiled by Yulanda. The map was covered with dense red dots across the entire country.

He clicked his tongue lightly: "No wonder the werewolves are so suppressed, barely able to lift their heads and forced to rely on menial work."

Having a plan in mind, Shen Wang glanced at his phone, hesitated for a few seconds, and then called Bai Qingxing: "Elder Bai, has Gu Dongting returned to the country?"

Bai Qingxing's cheerful voice came from inside: "You're back, we all made it back safely."

Shen Wang narrowed his eyes, thanked the caller, and then hung up the phone.

Determined to cause some trouble for the vampires, Shen Wang didn't hesitate to choose a nice-looking red sports car from Bunir's garage and drove overnight to another city.

Several vampire strongholds were uprooted that day, shaking the entire city, and even the vampires across the country.

In the evening, Shen Wang planned to continue fighting alone, but as soon as he stepped out of the hotel, he saw a person standing in the neon night.

The familiar black coat, and the familiar evil spirit mask.

Shen Wang paused, feigning ignorance, and walked into a dim alley, taking out black clothes and a mask from his space to put on.

Xiao Heige—or rather, Gu Dongting, as if nothing had happened, leisurely followed behind him, even joking, "Don't our outfits look like a couple's matching set?"

Shen Wang adjusted his mask and the translator on his ear, his tone indifferent: "I don't think so."

Gu Dongting noticed this indifference and was slightly startled.

But under the cover of the mask, he couldn't see Shen Wang's expression, only those deep eyes, like a bottomless cold pool, making it hard to read his emotions.

The two, both wearing masks, faced each other, unable to see each other's faces.

After a while, Gu Dongting let out a dry laugh: "Are you unhappy?"

Shen Wang was almost amused to anger by this man; unable to bear it anymore, he suddenly asked, "Where were you yesterday?"

So it was this that made him angry. Gu Dongting breathed a sigh of relief, even feeling a trace of sweetness: "Are you worried about me?"

Seeing Shen Wang turn to leave in anger, he quickly followed, explaining with a smile, "I was busy yesterday, sorry for not telling you in advance. Next time, I'll definitely let you know beforehand."

Looking into the eyes behind Gu Dongting's mask, Shen Wang couldn't understand how he had failed to notice the anomaly before.

Xiao Heige and Gu Dongting had identical eye shapes, but their gazes were filled with different emotions.

Knowing the truth, Shen Wang could now imagine Gu Dongting casually returning to China with the team, then buying another ticket to come back here.

As for how he knew his location... it was simply because every time he cleared a vampire stronghold, he would inform Yolanda to clean up the aftermath.

Just ask Yolanda, and you'll get his exact location.

Gu Dongting felt Shen Wang's gaze was odd but couldn't pinpoint why, only guessing tentatively, "Don't worry, those vampires can't hurt me."

Numerous thoughts flickered through Shen Wang's mind as he asked, "Why do you hide your identity, even keeping your true face from me?"

Mentioning this, Gu Dongting's expression stiffened: "Sorry, I... I have my reasons..."

I can't tell you, but I also don't want to keep it from you, so I choose to avoid the topic.

Shen Wang understood the unspoken words of Gu Dongting, lowering his gaze and speaking softly, "Let's go."

Both were in a sour mood, and the vampires, thriving on human blood and brainwashing the ordinary, became the perfect outlet for their frustrations.

For a while after, the two acted as if nothing had happened, rampaging through various cities and uprooting vampire strongholds one after another.

The map, once densely marked with red strongholds, began to show some gaps due to their efforts, like spots of light finally shining through dense fog.

Their tacit understanding in action couldn't mask the growing distance between them in daily life.

Gu Dongting distinctly felt that something had happened without his notice, causing the once easing Shen Wang to revert back to his cold and rigid demeanor.

Even colder than when they first met.

What's wrong with Shen Wang? Gu Dongting couldn't quell his growing panic.

In both his past and present life, Shen Wang was the first to stir his heart. Whether as the once great elder brother of the metaphysical world or the revenge-driven villain Gu Dongting, he was equally inexperienced in matters of love.

If one really thinks about it, whether it was Brother Gu or Little Black, it seems it was always Shen Wang who first extended an olive branch of friendship, setting the stage for their ensuing story.

And now, Shen Wang has stingily withdrawn his olive branch.

Shen Wang seemed oblivious to Gu Dongting's gaze, lying on a beach chair, gazing at the distant horizon where the sea meets the sky, the azure waters and blue sky, with no one else around, as if truly on vacation.

This was a private beach owned by a vampire noble.

After breaking the teeth of a reasonably powerful vampire, Shen Wang learned that this vast beach and the villas were his private property, leaving him astonished.

It was also his first realization that even the boundless sea could be someone's private domain.

Shocked, Shen Wang didn't leave. Instead, he lay on the beach chair belonging to that vampire noble, lazily enjoying the sea breeze and sunlight, in utter contentment.

Equally unexpected for Shen Wang was that the one who came to clean up afterwards was the underage werewolf, Ael.

Since Shen Wang and Gu Dongting were both wearing masks, Ael didn't recognize them and was very respectful: "Sir One, Sir Two, your bounty on the dark web has increased again."

"Hmm?" Shen Wang looked up and casually asked, "How much is it now?"

"Fifty million! A full fifty million!" Ael's face reddened with excitement, as if it were something to be proud of.

Fifty million? Shen Wang was startled, and after mentally converting the currency, his eyes widened: "If I sold you, I could live without worries for a lifetime."

He naturally said this to Gu Dongting.

Before Gu Dongting could react, Ael screamed, "Sir One! You can't! You two are the best partners, ones to watch each other's backs!"

Gu Dongting couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, "That's right, I am indeed your most trustworthy partner."

Shen Wang hummed lightly, not saying more, then asked, "How's the werewolf faction doing now?"

At this, Ael became even more excited.

With the help of Shen Wang and Gu Dongting, everyone knew the vampires were in big trouble. Now preoccupied with their own woes, the long-oppressed supernatural beings finally found their chance.

Yolanda contacted all her kin she could, forming a werewolf alliance that gradually nibbled away at the vampire territories. They have now emerged as a formidable force, second only to the vampires.

Besides werewolves, other dwindling supernatural beings like witches and knights started re-emerging, some even forging alliances with the werewolves.

In just a few days, the national landscape of supernatural forces seemed to have shifted quietly.

"However, we still haven't found out who stole the artifacts from the museum," Ael added.

As he said this, he sneakily glanced at Shen Wang and Gu Dongting.

Within the supernatural community, there were two main theories regarding the museum theft.

One was that it was the work of Huaxia people, as the items from Huaxia were stolen first, and at that time, Huaxia supernatural beings were in the country, making them prime suspects.

The second theory was...

The sudden emergence of these two vampire nemeses, Sir One and Sir Two.

The person who stole the museum artifacts left no clues, demonstrating immense power, not something an ordinary supernatural being could achieve. After the museum theft, the mysterious Sir One and Sir Two suddenly appeared, raising suspicions.

In Ael's view, he found these enigmatic gentlemen to be the more likely culprits.

He had interacted with the Huaxia supernatural beings; they were inherently gentle and unlikely to commit such extreme acts, unlike Sir One and Sir Two...

Who acted impulsively and recklessly, making them more likely to do such a thing.

Shen Wang simply ignored Ael's latter comment, waving his hand dismissively.

Ael immediately got up and left, obediently.

Leaving Shen Wang and Gu Dongting to continue sunbathing on the beach.

Gu Dongting turned to glance at Shen Wang, about to speak, when suddenly Shen Wang sat up abruptly.

"They're here!"

After a long wait, they had finally arrived!

With all his words stifled, Gu Dongting took a deep breath and followed Shen Wang’s gaze, turning to look behind them.

Vampire strongholds were scattered across the country; finding their higher-ups amidst these numerous red dots was like finding a needle in a haystack.

Shen Wang and Gu Dongting didn't have the time to search each one individually, but merely removing low-level vampire strongholds risked the higher-ups targeting the werewolves, akin to a crushing defeat.

So the duo had a plan: target strongholds likely belonging to high-ranking vampires, hoping to extract more information about the higher-ups.

If they couldn’t... their unabashed provocation of the vampires was bound to eventually draw out someone important.

Sure enough, after dealing with a relatively powerful high-ranking vampire, those nobles, indifferent to the lives of lower vampires, finally lost their patience.

In the distance, over a dozen vampires with bald, black wings flew towards them, their eyes blood red and claws appearing much harder than those of ordinary vampires.

"These vampires, they're different from the lower ranks," Shen Wang pondered, stroking his chin.

Unaffected by sunlight, with bald black wings... no wonder literature often depicts them as bat-transformed; these wings are just too ugly.

Gu Dongting explained, "To vampires, those lower ranks are no different from the blood servants they feed on, just disposable, their deaths not a concern."

Especially since the class consciousness among vampires is extremely strong, no matter one's status in the real world, even if they're the richest person, as a low-rank vampire, they are utterly insignificant in front of the high nobility.

Could it be two different cultivation methods? Shen Wang grew interested, deciding to examine the so-called 'nobles' physiology more closely later.

But for now, the most important thing was to deal with these aggressively approaching enemies.

Shen Wang signaled to Gu Dongting, "Sixteen big bats in total, eight for me, eight for you."

Gu Dongting nodded: "Alright."

The two exchanged a look, still in perfect sync, and the next second, they both proactively charged forward.

The leading noble sneered, "Foolish humans."