Chapter 19: Rose Earl 19

"Smack! Smack! Smack!"

The old count endured several slaps, even saliva dribbled from the corner of his mouth, yet he did not resist.

"Margaret, get out of here!" The old count twisted his neck, turning his head back, and let out a low, fierce roar.

Back then, the old count had planned to kill Margaret after she gave birth to a boy and drink her blood to become a Blood Emperor. However, Margaret discovered the family's secret and escaped during a visit from her cousin, eventually taking her own life on the journey.

Although the old count ultimately drank Margaret’s blood, since she was already dead, it prevented him from becoming an immortal Blood Emperor.

"Smack!" Margaret slapped him again, screaming, "You've done enough to me; now you want to harm my son!"

"As a member of the bloodline, he must bear the bloodline's mission!" The old count flew into a rage, lunging at Margaret with a claw, but once again, he missed.

After slapping him, Margaret began kicking him, each blow landing solidly on the old count's body.

This was the power of an incomplete contract. Facing the provider of the contract's power, he could only passively endure the beating, unable to fight back.

The three members of Blue Side were stunned, but Xia Qi was the first to react.

"Let's go!"

He led them into Margaret's room, planning to tie ropes to jump out the window.

"There are only 40 minutes left until Eternal Night mode!" said his sister.

Xia Qi gritted his teeth; they had little time left. If they made another wrong move, they might lose their chance to clear this game forever.

"Brother Xia, where will the count go?" his sister wiped sweat from her forehead, "Did he return to his room?"

"No!" Xia Qi frowned, trying to stay calm.

The game could no longer be predicted by conventional logic. Since the count was a living person and had deliberately bid farewell to Xia Qi, it was impossible for him to return to his room...

So, what was the count thinking?

Yesterday, the count urged him to leave quickly, worried about harming him. This morning, when the count bit his wrist, Xia Qi clearly sensed a surge of intense emotion from the count.

The count was filled with despair, a feeling so profound that it was suffocating, even Xia Qi felt a sense of asphyxiation.

Xia Qi clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and said, "He might not want to live anymore."

"Huh?" his sister asked tentatively, "If the boss doesn't want to live, can we clear the game?"

"Not necessarily," the old man replied decisively, "The game won’t end like this. Xia Qi, think carefully—where else could he go?"

"Cemetery..." Xia Qi didn't want to see the count in eternal pain; he thought hard, "Or somewhere that would allow him to rest eternally..."

The old man suddenly looked up, and their eyes met. They both said in unison, "The ancient tomb under the castle!"

The old man had visited the ancient tomb before, and Xia Qi remembered him saying that it held the ancestors of all vampires.

The entrance to the tomb was in the West Hall, while they were currently in the East Hall. The trio hastily tied their ropes.

They landed on the corner tower and sprinted through the corridor that once connected the West Hall. It had been the route to the banquet hall, and seeing the shooting holes on the walls again, Xia Qi knew they were set up to resist the knights of the Holy Order.

The West Hall wasn't far from the East Hall, and they arrived at the dark tomb entrance without delay. The old man pried open the outer iron gate, revealing another stone door sealing the tomb from within.

This stone door was made of massive stones and could only be opened from the inside.

"Luckily, the count didn't close this stone door," the old man sighed in relief.

Just as Xia Qi took a step forward, a familiar voice called out from behind.

"Xia Qi!" Cha Gong, covered in blood, staggered into the West Hall.

He had been swept into the cemetery by Xia Qi's tornado, sustaining injuries all over his body, including a large gash on his head.

His sister turned around without hesitation and shot Cha Gong in the right leg, shouting, "Stay back!"

"Ahh!" Cha Gong didn't expect Blue Side to shoot without warning. He gritted his teeth, leaned against the wall, and stood up, his eyes flashing with malice.

"Xia kid, ignore him." The old man placed his hand on the lever of the tomb door.

Suddenly, Cha Gong looked up, waved his hand, and shouted to Xia Qi, "Xia Qi, this USB drive was on you when you woke up."

Hearing this, Xia Qi abruptly lifted his head.

In Cha Gong's hand was a white USB drive, its tail tied with a familiar red string. Seeing Xia Qi's changed expression, Cha Gong seized the opportunity, "I found it when I dug you out of the sand. Also, I kept the bullet from your leg. Don't you want to know what's on the USB drive?"

Hearing Cha Gong bring up the past, Xia Qi's breathing hitched.

Three years ago, Xia Qi had lost his memory, and it was Cha Gong who rescued him from the desert in Inner Mongolia.

"Throw the USB drive to me." Xia Qi extended his hand, coldly demanding.

"Even though I begged you to be with me, think about how I treated you... Are you really going to be so heartless?" Cha Gong gritted his teeth, enduring the pain in his leg, squeezing out two tears from the corner of his eye.

Xia Qi took a deep breath and continued expressionlessly, "Ever since you cheated on me, it was over. Now give me the USB drive."

At the word "cheated," Cha Gong flew into a rage, veins bulging on his forehead, roaring, "I was the one who begged you, I was the one who was pathetic! But think about yourself—every time I tried to touch you, you'd run away! Where was my dignity as a man?! What do you take me for?!"

Hearing these hurtful words, even Xia Qi, usually so cold, couldn't help but feel anger rising within him.

He deeply regretted not resisting Cha Gong's persistent pleading.

"I cheated because of you! You forced me to!" Cha Gong, eyes red, screamed in anguish.

He genuinely liked Xia Qi's face, but he hardly ever got to touch his fingers. Every rejection left him furious for days.

As soon as Cha Gong finished speaking, Xia Qi lifted his hand expressionlessly and splashed a cup of holy water at the black shadow rushing towards them.

"Roar!!"

A pained roar echoed, and the old count fell to the ground, clutching his face.

"Trying to ambush us again? Can't you act like humans?" Xia Qi pulled out another bottle of holy water, not even looking at the old count rolling on the ground, and splashed the remaining water all over him.

Earlier, Cha Gong had deliberately provoked him to go outside to make it easier for the old count to ambush them. If Xia Qi had actually gone out, he might have been torn to pieces by now.

Hmph, this man, not a single word can be trusted.

Xia Qi grabbed the lever in the old man's hand and pressed it down hard.

"No!!!" Seeing Xia Qi's action, Cha Gong screamed.

Before the stone door fell, Xia Qi looked calmly at Cha Gong and said, "If you don't like it, why didn't you break up with me earlier?"

"Boom!"

With a heavy thud, the massive stone door slammed shut in front of the three members of the Blue Side, completely blocking the annoying Red Side and the old count outside.

Darkness descended once more.

Xia Qi took a deep breath, pulled out a flashlight, and continued walking down the passage.

In the tomb, nearly half the size of a football field, there were neatly arranged twenty or so stone coffins. The old man said, "These vampires have been dead for quite some time; several of them are almost dust."

Their voices echoed continuously in the empty tomb, sounding particularly eerie.

Xia Qi frowned slightly. According to legend, vampires were immortal, but why did the vampires of the count's family die? Could it be that only becoming a Blood Emperor grants immortality?

The three of them held their steak knives, opened each stone coffin to check, but found no trace of the count. His sister, anxious, said, "We only have fifteen minutes until the Eternal Night begins. Did we come to the wrong place?"

They had run out of time.

"No, he's here," Xia Qi said.

He had a feeling that the count was somewhere in the tomb.

While passing a corner, Xia Qi unexpectedly caught a strong, foul smell of blood mixed with mold.

Following the scent, he came to an altar.

He recognized this altar from a painting; the long table in the center was where humans were sacrificed.

As he stepped onto the altar, Xia Qi's heart suddenly began racing.

If he had been caught by the Red Side and the old count, he would be lying on this altar, being sacrificed right now.

Lost in thought, Xia Qi suddenly tripped and fell, and at the same moment, the light from his flashlight flickered.

In that instant, Xia Qi caught a flash of gold on the wall.

"The count is here!" After falling, Xia Qi immediately got up, holding the flashlight.

When he shone the light on the wall, Xia Qi's right hand trembled, and the flashlight cracked as it hit the ground.

The old man and his sister quickly ran over. When they saw the count nailed to the cross on the altar, they both gasped.

Ignoring the darkness, Xia Qi stepped through the sticky blood and rushed to the count's side.

The old man and his sister quickly raised their flashlights.

In the center of the altar, the count was spread-armed and nailed to the cross. His wrists were pierced by steel nails, dripping with blood.

He hung suspended in mid-air, his head slightly bowed, his beautiful golden hair covering his eyes.

Xia Qi cradled his pale face with both hands, feeling his entire body trembling.

"Count?" Xia Qi whispered, his mind blank.

The old man reached out to feel the count's nose: "No breath."

"No, impossible!" Xia Qi exclaimed, his lips trembling. "If he's dead, the game should be over!"

Xia Qi still couldn't believe it—how could the count have committed suicide...

"He might not be dead," the old man suddenly said. "Check his heart."

Xia Qi pursed his lips, his right hand trembling as he placed it on the count's chest, fearing to find nothing.

No, he must still have a heartbeat!

"He still has a heartbeat! He's just in a deep sleep!" Feeling the strong pulse under his hand, Xia Qi almost burst into tears.

The old man and his sister hurriedly worked to pry out the nails.

After removing the count from the cross, he fell forward into Xia Qi's arms.

"We have six minutes left," his sister whispered. "Brother Xia, whatever decision you make, I support you."

The old man looked down at him without saying a word, but Xia Qi understood his meaning.

If they killed the count with a silver steak knife, they could win the game...

Xia Qi tightly gripped the steak knife in his hand, unable to bring himself to do it.

"Not until the very last second will I kill him," he insisted. "I won't give up on him."

After saying this, Xia Qi felt a twinge of pain in his temples. He had a nagging feeling that he had said these words before.

Xia Qi took out the black velvet box and pulled out two red diamond rings.

Xia Qi first helped the Count put on the ring, then slipped the other one onto his own finger. He then said to the Count, "I believe in your sincerity; I accept your heart. Can you please wake up and stop sleeping?"

After he finished speaking, the Count remained with his eyes tightly shut, showing no signs of waking up.

"Wake up, okay?" Xia Qi stared at his face and repeated.

The old man sighed, and Xia Qi's sister couldn't bear to watch any longer.

Xia Qi frowned deeply; he had to save the Count.

He gazed at his strikingly beautiful eyebrows and eyes, took a deep breath, lowered his head, closed his eyes, and leaned toward his lips.

The Count's cold lips were softer than imagined. Xia Qi barely touched them before quickly pulling away.

"Why won't you wake up..." Xia Qi's sister rubbed her eyes, her voice trembling with tears.

Xia Qi was stunned. The kiss of true love didn't work?

Impossible, the method to pass this level was the kiss of true love.

Xia Qi gritted his teeth and leaned down again, placing another kiss on the Count's lips.

"Three minutes..." Xia Qi's sister's voice quivered.

Just as Xia Qi was about to kiss him again, suddenly, the person leaning against his shoulder moved.

"Qi..." The Count murmured his name softly. Xia Qi looked down and met the Count's affectionate gaze.

His eyes were as unfathomable as the ocean and as gentle as the clouds in the sky, vast enough to embrace everything about him.

Xia Qi felt another twinge in his temples, feeling that the Count's gaze was very familiar.

"I heard everything." The Count smiled weakly, his eyes twinkling like stars from the night before. With the hand wearing the ring, he clasped Xia Qi's hand. "Are you willing to form a contract with me?"

"I agree." This time, Xia Qi agreed without hesitation.

The Count's smile widened, and it seemed as if all the roses in the Rose Garden bloomed at that moment.

"But I don't agree." The Count said with a smile.

Before Xia Qi could react, the Count suddenly grabbed his hand holding the knife and thrust it toward his own chest.

"I have the blood of a devil flowing through me... forming a contract with me will only continue to harm you... and even... kill you." The Count's lips trembled, but his face still wore a gentle smile.

Let the sins of my family end with me.

He whispered something and then leaned against Xia Qi's shoulder, slowly closing his eyes.

Though his voice was soft, Xia Qi heard him clearly.

"I love you."

I love you, so I don't want you to follow in my mother's footsteps.

I love you, so I want you to have a better future.

Xia Qi felt his body becoming lighter. He turned to look at his sister and the old man, whose figures were gradually fading.

"No, no..." Xia Qi gripped the Count's hand tightly with his right hand and shouted, "I don't agree!"

"Ding! Congratulations to Blue Side for successfully using the level-clearing item to pass the game!"

[Ding! Congratulations to Blue Side Xia Qi for killing the boss of the 'Rose Count' level. Entering reward settlement...]

The scene began to distort, and images of the Count's youth flashed before Xia Qi's eyes, accompanied by his low murmurings.

"My rose, although I can make you belong to me forever, how could I bear to drag you into endless darkness...

Let my life end in your hands, and my body will no longer be cold.

On the day when the roses bloom,

I will come back to you and dance with you under the sun."

Xia Qi's vision gradually blurred, and he felt a black hole in his back pulling him away.

Without Xia Qi's support, the Count slowly fell, still smiling as he did.

I want you to remember me forever.

The Count's eyes lost focus and color, and finally, his entire body transformed into a red rose, slowly rising upward.

This rose pierced through walls, the castle, and the night sky they once shared, flying all the way to the moon...

After an unknown amount of time, the rose fell into a dark abyss.

At the bottom of the abyss, countless fine white threads wove a massive light web. At the center of the web lay a faint white figure.

The rose slowly descended from above, and the faint figure reached out with its right hand, eagerly catching the falling rose and clutching it in its palm.

"Emotion: Xia Qi's guilt"

"Guilt?!" The figure exclaimed in disbelief, crushing the rose in its hand. However, the emotion collected from the rose was still [Xia Qi's guilt].

Upon confirming the answer, the bright figure flickered, causing the entire light web to tremble. It angrily shouted, "Xia Qi, why do you feel only guilt towards me!!!"

After roaring, the figure emitted a sound akin to crying. After a while, he began to laugh maniacally.

As he laughed crazily, he absorbed the shattered points of light. After a long time, the figure became brighter, and it was vaguely discernible that it was a handsome man.

The figure tore off a large fragment from himself, which instantly transformed into a face identical to his own. Then, the fragment grew a human upper body, arms, and waist. After a while, instead of legs, a blue fish tail covered in splendid scales emerged below his torso.

"This time, I will make you truly fall in love with me."

The figure proudly raised his head and said confidently.

Author's note: Author: You seem to have attracted a psychopath, but fortunately, you only feel guilty towards him.

Xia Qi: Sounds like I didn't lose anything...

Someone: If you don't love me, I won't live! Did you hear that? I won't live! I won't live!... (omitted ten thousand words)

Author: Someone, stop threatening to die. Think positively; you just tricked two true love kisses out of him.

Someone: Oh right, hahaha... hahaha... hahaha... (laughter gradually becoming silly)