“Look into my eyes, Mu Xi.” Luoyuan’s voice seemed to ring directly in Mu Xi’s mind.
“Ye Lan’s blood is sweet — sweeter than honey, and more delicious than anything you have ever drunk. You crave it. You need it.”
Mu Xi’s consciousness began to blur, and Luoyuan’s words invaded her thoughts like a spell.
She felt an inexplicable longing grow within her, overriding all her fear and disgust.
“Sweet…” Mu Xi muttered to herself, her eyes becoming vacant.
Ye Lan watched this scene in despair.
She struggled with all her might, and her chair made a harsh scraping sound against the floor.
“Mu Xi! Wake up! This isn’t you!”
But Mu Xi could no longer hear her.
She slowly leaned over, and the tip of her tongue tentatively touched the bloodstain on the table.
Under Luoyuan’s suggestion, her senses were completely distorted.
The blood really did taste like sweet nectar, making it impossible for her to stop.
“So sweet…” Mu Xi’s voice was filled with intoxication.
She lay on the table, greedily licking every drop of blood as if it were the most precious delicacy in the world.
Luoyuan watched with satisfaction, her fingers gently stroking Mu Xi’s silver hair.
“Good girl.”
Ye Lan closed her eyes, and tears slid down her face silently.
Her voice was low and firm, “I will kill you, Luoyuan. No matter the cost, I will restore Mu Xi’s memory, and then I will kill you with my own hands.”
Luoyuan just smiled contemptuously and leaned down to whisper in Mu Xi’s ear, “Drink more, my dear little sister. From now on, you must drink her blood once every day.”
Mu Xi looked up, her lips stained red with blood and a sickly longing flickering in her eyes.
“Okay, Sister.” Her voice was innocent and obedient, as if everything that had just happened was the most ordinary thing.
Ye Lan’s eyes were fixed on Luoyuan, her pupils seeping with bone-deep hatred.
Mu Xi’s lost appearance was like a needle, piercing her heart inch by inch.
Every heartbeat was accompanied by sharp pain, yet it had to keep beating.
“I will remember every inch of your flesh, Luoyuan.” Ye Lan’s voice was so low it was almost inaudible, yet it contained an undeniable chill.
“Even if my blood runs dry and my soul is torn apart, I will hunt you to the ends of the earth.”
Luoyuan ran a hand through her long golden hair enchantingly, her lips curling into a disdainful arc.
“What a touching vow.”
Her fingertips brushed over Mu Xi’s silver hair as if she were stroking a precious collectible.
“However, dear Ye Lan, you and I are strangers. Why be so hostile? I have heard of your deeds; they are quite impressive.”
Her gaze wandered over Ye Lan like she was admiring an interesting piece of merchandise.
“You should feel lucky to have fallen into my hands. I could have killed you, but letting you be a blood pack for my Princess is already a great mercy.”
Ye Lan stiffened, her hands instinctively gripping the armrests of the chair.
“Princess?” Her voice rose slightly in surprise, “You plan to support Mu Xi to become the new City Lord of Wu City?”
“Nonsense.” Luoyuan raised an eyebrow contemptuously while pulling Mu Xi into her arms, as if showing off her trophy to Ye Lan.
“Otherwise, why would I keep this little waste around? She is a puppet I have carefully selected.”
Luoyuan’s fingers slid across Mu Xi’s pale cheek.
The intimate gesture made Ye Lan’s throat tighten and her stomach churn.
“Don’t think too much from now on; just be a good blood pack,” Luoyuan continued, her tone carrying a sickly pleasure, “I will arrange for people to produce blood for you every day. After all, your blood quality is surprisingly good. With such high energy and nutrient content, I really suspect you weren’t born naturally, but are some kind of Cyborg.”
Ye Lan snorted and looked away.
She did not want Luoyuan to see the panic flashing in her eyes.
‘A Cyborg? What does this woman know?’
Her blood was indeed specially processed, but that was for — no, now was not the time to think about that.
“Mu Xi, dear,” Luoyuan called softly, her voice sickeningly sweet.
“Come with me. You will have lots and lots of blood to drink from now on.”
Mu Xi nodded blankly, her eyes hollow and vacant, with traces of Ye Lan’s blood still on the corners of her mouth.
“Okay, Sister.” Her voice was light, like a thread of gossamer under too much weight.
Watching this, Ye Lan’s chest was filled with a sense of powerlessness.
Once upon a time, the Mu Xi who would smile sweetly at her, the Mu Xi who would whisper coquettishly in her ear, had now become a soulless shell.
Luoyuan took Mu Xi’s hand with satisfaction and walked toward the door.
Ye Lan could only watch, bound to the chair and unable to move, but her heart was roaring.
‘I will definitely save you, Little Xi, I swear.’
“By the way.” Luoyuan stopped at the door and looked back at Ye Lan.
“Don’t even dream of escaping. Everyone here follows my Order. Your value lies only in your blood. Remembering that will help you live a bit longer.”
She led Mu Xi out of the room, and their footsteps echoed in the hallway.
A look of determination burned in Ye Lan’s eyes as she began trying to break free from the ropes.
Even if she rubbed her skin raw, she had to get out.
***
Luoyuan led Mu Xi through the long, narrow corridor.
Mu Xi’s steps were mechanical and stiff, like a controlled doll.
Luoyuan glanced back occasionally to ensure her precious pawn was following closely.
At the end of the hallway was a heavy metal door.
Luoyuan pushed it open, and blinding sunlight instantly flooded in.
Mu Xi instinctively raised a hand to block it, a flash of pain in her eyes.
Outside was a vast, boundless desert.
The yellow sand was like a sea, shimmering with golden light under the scorching sun.
The distant horizon was distorted by heat waves, and the sky was an unnaturally sickly white.
There was no vegetation and no water, only the occasional dust vortex rising from the ground, wandering like a ghost.
This temporary base was built on a dried-up lake bed, surrounded by jagged rocks and weathered hills.
In the distance, several broken buildings lay half-buried in the sand like abandoned ruins of civilization.
The air was thick with the smell of metal and sulfur, as if the entire world were slowly rotting.
“See that, Mu Xi?” Luoyuan pointed toward the distance.
“This is the prelude to the world you will rule in the future. Wu City is just the beginning. The entire land will eventually surrender to you — or more accurately, to me, who will exercise power through you.”
Mu Xi gazed blankly at the scene, her pale lips trembling slightly, “It is… so big…”
Her voice sounded like it came from very far away, “Sister, I am afraid…”
Luoyuan’s expression instantly turned cold.
She grabbed Mu Xi’s chin, forcing her to look straight into her eyes and said, “Listen, Mu Xi. Fear is useless. Remember, you only need to obey. Your fear, your desires, your everything — they are all decided by me.”
Mu Xi’s pupils contracted sharply, and her body shook slightly.
Something seemed to be struggling deep within her consciousness, but it was quickly suppressed again.
“Yes… Sister…” she responded in a low voice, her tone carrying an indescribable emptiness.
Luoyuan released her hand with satisfaction and stroked Mu Xi’s cheek instead.
“Good girl. Now, come with me to meet your future subjects. They will teach you how to become a proper puppet City Lord.”
She pulled Mu Xi toward the center of the base, leaving a trail of uneven footprints that were soon erased by the raging wind and sand.
In this apocalyptic wasteland, evil was quietly growing, and the manipulated threads of Destiny might be more fragile than imagined.
Mu Xi looked into the distance, and a flicker of light flashed in her eyes that Luoyuan had not yet noticed.
“Ye Lan…”
Her lips moved silently before she returned to her vacant expression, following Luoyuan’s footsteps into the unknown abyss.