Hati went to talk to Miya for a while. After she returned to the cave, the cramped space finally fell silent as the three of them settled down to rest.
Lin Shu had already guessed that they were suspicious of her identity. Unlike Hati, Miya was clearly very guarded against her. Even after being shown the key, Lin Shu could still faintly sense that Miya was constantly watching her from the shadows.
‘Unless she sees it with her own eyes, there is no way to verify the key is mine through just a few words. Her concern is probably normal. But after she saw the key, her eyes and actions seemed… off. I should keep my guard up…’
The weather seemed to be turning cold. A chilly wind whistled through the cave entrance, and the warmth from the bonfire significantly diminished. Lin Shu was still wearing thin clothes, and the chill seeped through the fabric, gnawing at her body heat. She curled into a ball, wrapping her arms around herself.
A rustling sound came from behind her. Hati walked over to Lin Shu and sat down.
“You look cold,” Hati said, proactively swinging her tail toward Lin Shu’s hand. “Borrow this for some warmth.”
Lin Shu looked up and met her sparkling eyes. She reached out and touched the furry tail, feeling the warm skin beneath the thick fur.
“Hiss!” Hati shuddered instantly.
Despite the reaction, she did not pull her tail back.
Lin Shu hastily withdrew her hand. “I’m sorry…”
The tail was indeed very warm, though the fur was a bit coarse and prickly.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Go ahead. I don’t mind.”
Lin Shu hesitated for a moment before leaning closer, gently cradling the tail against her chest. Hati’s body heat radiated through the tail.
“Thank you, Hati,” Lin Shu whispered softly. “Aren’t you going to rest?”
“No need. I have plenty of energy. I’ll keep watch for you two. We’re still in the territory of the Demonic Race, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.” Hati sat with her knees pulled up, resting her face on one hand.
Her eyes were clear, and she flashed a bright grin. “Goodnight, Lin Shu.”
***
The night passed. When they checked their supplies the next morning, Hati discovered that they were almost out of provisions for the return journey.
“Let’s look for a nearby town first, otherwise we won’t make it back.”
To hide their tracks, they needed to wear cloaks to conceal their appearances. Hati rummaged through her pack. She paused for a moment, then suddenly untied her own cloak and draped it over Lin Shu’s shoulders.
“Lin Shu, wear my cloak. It will be easier for you to follow us.”
The fabric of the cloak was tattered, likely scarred from Hati’s past battles. It still carried Hati’s warmth and a scent unique to her.
Lin Shu pulled the collar tight. “This way, other members of the Demonic Race shouldn’t be able to smell me…”
Miya had already walked out of the cave. Hati leaned into Lin Shu’s ear and lowered her voice.
“Miya’s aura is strange. Don’t get too far from me.”
Lin Shu nodded silently. It seemed Hati had noticed it as well.
The three of them traveled along a small path at the foot of the mountain, crossing a stretch of wasteland. The sky was a dull gray, and a cold wind wailed as it swept across the open fields. After walking for a while, the shadows of buildings appeared on the distant horizon—it seemed to be a small town.
Just as they were still some distance from the town, dust kicked up from the road ahead as a group of riders galloped toward them.
Hati snorted a puff of air. “The scent of the Blood Clan.”
The sound of hoofbeats drew closer, and the leader at the front shouted loudly, “Get out of the way! Out of the way!!”
It was a group of pale-skinned Blood Clan riders dressed in black and red uniforms, with their family crest embroidered on their chests. Seeing the emblem, Lin Shu felt it looked familiar.
It was the Knox Family. Liya had once mentioned to her that the Knox Family was one of the important allies under the Teppus Family. Much like the Drago Family used to be, the Knox Family relied on the Teppus Family for support.
Several demons walking ahead immediately stepped aside. Lin Shu hurriedly retreated to the side of the road with Hati and Miya, lowering her head. The horses roared past, kicking up clouds of dust from the dirt road and forcing Lin Shu to squint.
They did not stop, heading straight in the opposite direction of the town and vanishing at the end of the road in the blink of an eye.
“Why is there such a large commotion? Did something happen?” Hati wondered aloud.
“As long as they aren’t coming for us, don’t worry about it,” Miya said coldly. “Let’s go.”
Lin Shu glanced back at the departing group, her heart filled with doubt. She had just burned down the Teppus home yesterday; where was this group of people going? Had the Teppus Family called for reinforcements?
When they arrived at the town, Lin Shu discovered it was inhabited by many low-level wraiths. The wraiths drifted through the streets, interspersed with a few demons who possessed physical bodies.
They walked to a shop that looked like a restaurant. This establishment had a specific sales window for external customers. The clerk inside the window was a transparent wraith floating in mid-air.
“Hello, three bags of jerky to go, please.” Hati placed a bag of bone coins on the counter.
“Oh, a member of the Wolf Tribe? That’s rare,” the clerk remarked, extending a transparent finger. “Let me see…”
Its incorporeal fingers passed through the bag, clinking through the bone coins. After counting them one by one, it told Hati to wait a moment.
While they waited, sounds of exclamation and clamor drifted from inside the shop. Lin Shu looked over and saw several wraiths chatting loudly by the window.
“Whoa, that display just now… that was the first time I’ve seen so many vampires mobilized.”
“What’s the situation?”
“I just heard a passing vampire say that the most prominent family in the Capital, the Teppus Family, had their home raided overnight. More than half the manor was burned down.”
“No wonder I saw the eastern sky glowing red that night.”
Hati leaned casually against the counter and winked at Lin Shu, as if proudly saying, ‘The big news they’re talking about was our doing!’
Lin Shu silently pulled her hood lower and continued listening.
“The main thing is, they say the Drago Family was the one who did it.”
Lin Shu’s heart skipped a beat.
“Why the Drago Family? Aren’t they the Teppus Family’s subordinates?”
“They broke ties with the Teppus Family ages ago! How long has it been since you went outside?”
“And besides, the head of the Drago Family personally went to the Teppus manor to provoke them that night.”
‘What?’
Lin Shu was stunned.
‘The Family Head went personally… Was Sefina also at the Teppus estate that night?’
Lin Shu suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder; Hati had placed a hand there. At the same time, out of the corner of her eye, Lin Shu felt Miya’s gaze shifting toward her.
“I’m guessing that since the Teppus Family suffered such a big loss, they are definitely going to retaliate. That squad of Knox vampires we just saw is probably on their way to settle the score with the Drago Family!”
“They just changed their head. Can they hold out?”
“Hard to say…”
Lin Shu struggled to maintain her outward composure, but her heart was already in turmoil. She and Hati were the ones who had dealt with the Teppus incident, so why was the Drago Family being implicated now?
There were no outsiders present at the time. Perhaps Liya wanted to take the opportunity to seek revenge on the Drago Family.
However, they said Sefina was also there that night. Why? Was she there looking for her?