To lure the big fish, Li Qianfan, into biting the bait, the Rhode family risked antagonizing the Dark Web by continuously applying pressure.
Finally.
The Dark Web deployed a crucial pawn, lying dormant in the East Land.
This pawn was Jiao Yin, the primary wife of the Bai family in Tiandong.
(The Rhode family had no idea that Jiao Yin was the third president of the Dark Web, nor that this supposed Bai family matriarch was an imposter. They only believed Jiao Yin to be a significant pawn, or rather, a sacrificial lamb, embedded by the Dark Web in Tiandong.)
It was under Jiao Yin's instigation that Li Qianfan finally decided to march west.
"Heh, he thinks he's just checking in at Blackwater Forest," Green Rhode sneered. "He doesn't know he's walking into a trap."
Jessica nodded. "This time, we absolutely cannot let him escape."
Despite Jessica dreaming of entanglement with Li Qianfan every night, a small life with East Land blood coursing through it was growing within her. He was to be her prince charming for life.
She could even allow Li Qianfan's son to inherit the terrifyingly vast Rhode family.
However, Jessica would never permit Li Qianfan himself to inflict any harm on the Rhode family's interests! After all, he was not the only one with a son. Jessica, who carried and nurtured their son, and would entrust the Rhode family to him, was the closest person to him. Jessica firmly believed this.
Of course, Jessica also knew that this man, considered a wastrel by many, was actually the fearsome "White-Bellied Bird!" But what did that matter? For reasons unknown, Jessica could never bring herself to expose him. Otherwise, Jessica would have long ago presented the evidence and "vindicated" Li Qianfan.
"If we can capture him alive this time, and use him as a bargaining chip to extract the maximum benefits, I must find an opportunity to truly savor him."
At the thought of that heart-pounding sensation, Jessica's knees, hidden beneath the table, involuntarily knocked together. Her heart fluttered. She quickly suppressed her personal thoughts and focused on Mason, the subordinate who was providing the commentary.
Mason continued, "However, Li Qianfan is very cunning."
Li Qianfan's cunning lay in this: while within East Land, he had made a grand show of it, letting the entire world know he was heading to Blackwater Forest. He had also made no secret of the more than fifty experts accompanying him, along with two beautiful women. But before crossing the Longjiang River of Tianlong, he had swiftly dispersed his forces, breaking them into smaller, scattered units.
"To this day, we haven't been able to locate where those forty experts have gone," Mason said worriedly. "I fear he's playing a feint with us."
"Feint?" Green Rhode frowned. "Mason, you mean Li Qianfan is drawing our forces to the east, while those forty experts are flanking around to the west to launch a surprise attack when we're unprepared?"
Mason nodded. "This possibility cannot be ruled out. Personally, I don't believe Li Qianfan will easily take the bait."
Before he finished speaking, a strategist named Ronny interjected, "According to my analysis, if Li Qianfan truly intends to feint, he will definitely linger in Lasi Town for a period of time. This would buy time for his secretly dispatched experts to reach their designated ambush point!"
Ronny's analysis was met with approval from more than a dozen core members present. Even Green Rhode and Jessica exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
Ten minutes later, Green Rhode summarized, "Then we will see if Li Qianfan can indeed linger in Lasi Town. If he does, it will prove he is purely sightseeing to attract our attention and divert our main forces to the east. In that case, our main forces should shift to the west, prepared for a bloody battle with the enemy. Conversely, if he doesn't linger, we must reinforce the eastern front."
"Agreed!" Everyone attending the meeting slowly nodded.
Jessica, however, added, "But regardless of whether Li Qianfan lingers in Lasi Town, we cannot let him leave."
Ronny raised his hand in agreement. "Madam is correct. After all, he is our primary target. However, to make him bite the bait, we will inevitably have to make certain concessions."
Concessions—which amounted to going easy! By using the Dark Web pawns around him to vehemently persuade Li Qianfan to delve deeper, the Rhinos would deliberately ease up, creating the illusion that he couldn't be stopped, allowing him to break through the outer defenses without paying a heavy price. In plain terms, it was luring the enemy deeper!
The night was already deep. Yet, everyone, including Jessica, who was experiencing severe morning sickness, was full of spirit and beaming. This was because they all understood how crucial it was for the entire Rhode family to "legitimately" capture Li Qianfan. Only by capturing Li Qianfan on the Blackwater Forest battlefield could the Dragon Ruins be forced to apply pressure on the East Land, compelling Zhao Tingshan to make the greatest concessions at the negotiating table.
So far, the two sides had clashed three times at the negotiating table. Especially during the third meeting. Just as Zhao Tingshan was about to relent under the pressure from all sides (the calls for the return of sixty-six heroes from East Land were growing louder, secretly orchestrated by the thirteen powerful families), Li Xiao, who was participating in the negotiations, coughed, and Zhao Tingshan immediately changed his tune. This greatly angered Jessica, who was negotiating in person, yet left her helpless.
*Clink!*
A water cup suddenly fell to the ground, interrupting everyone's smooth discourse. Everyone instinctively looked at the person responsible. It was Palad, an important figure from the Rhode family embedded in International Ruixue.
"What's wrong, Palad?" Mason asked, frowning at Palad, who was sitting at the far end. Palad was essentially his subordinate. If not for the need to hear the recent work report from International Ruixue, Palad, given his status, would not have been qualified to participate in such a crucial core meeting of the Rhode family. In fact, Palad had not uttered a single word since taking his seat. Green Rhode and the others had treated this minor figure as invisible. But now, he had accidentally broken a cup.
"I, I'm sorry. Mr. Mason, esteemed Count, esteemed Madam." Realizing his mistake, Palad quickly stood up to apologize. As he looked up, he said with some trepidation, "I think I might have been infected by a vampire."
What? You've been infected by a vampire? If you've been infected, how dare you come to Rhode Castle?! The people present were shocked. Jessica instinctively reached out to protect her abdomen. Green Rhode leaped to his feet and sternly commanded, "Guards!"
The meeting room door opened, and two black-clad bodyguards quickly entered.
"Esteemed Count, please calm your anger." Mason, though also fearful (who wouldn't be scared of being infected by a vampire?), remembered that he had brought Palad to the venue and felt responsible. He had to get to the bottom of this publicly.
"Palad, when were you infected?" After requesting Green Rhode to calm his fury, Mason sternly demanded, "Since you knew you were infected, why didn't you immediately inject yourself with the Luminator?"
Everyone actually knew that vampires were terrifying, but as long as one was promptly injected with the Super Luminator, there was no need to worry. Yes. The Super Luminator was effective immediately! As long as the Super Luminator could be injected, the vampire virus would be killed instantly, and the body would recover. However, only the core members of International Ruixue knew about this special medicine and were eligible to use it. The Luminators on the market were diluted. This was to ensure patients would have to continuously pay for Luminators. Of course, the cost of this Super Luminator was also very high. The production cost alone was at least around one million dollars. Ordinary people simply couldn't afford it. But given Palad's status as a high-ranking official of International Ruixue, he could definitely afford what others couldn't.
"I don't know how it happened, but I was infected. However, I had already injected myself with the Super Luminator this morning." Palad's face was deathly pale, and a faint red glint flickered in his eyes. "After the injection, my body temperature quickly returned to normal. But for some reason, my temperature has risen again now. My head feels foggy, my throat is sore, and I'm having difficulty breathing."
What? Even the Super Luminator didn't work for you? Looking at Palad's eyes, which were now visibly redder, everyone present was greatly alarmed. They all knew how vampires had appeared in this world. Before vampires were unleashed, countless experiments had proven that the Super Luminator was effective immediately. How could it suddenly fail?
"Could it be that the vampires have mutated!?" Ronny exclaimed, a sudden thought striking him.
A deathly silence fell upon the scene. Everyone's heart sank.
The wind—
Was still blowing!
Endlessly blowing!!
This was the only path leading to Blackwater Forest. On a distant slope beside the road, Li Qianfan had been sitting motionless for two hours. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps crunching on accumulated snow could be heard from behind him. Li Qianfan turned his head. In the reflection of the snow, he saw Murong Mingyuan's beautiful face. After a long pause, he looked at this little filly and smiled, "Congratulations."
"It should be me thanking you." Murong Mingyuan walked to his side, sat down next to him, and asked against the wind and snow, "Aren't you cold?"
"I'm alright," Li Qianfan fastened his shirt buttons and pulled his windbreaker tighter.
Murong Mingyuan said with difficulty, "I, I can."
She could what? Li Qianfan was momentarily stunned when Murong Mingyuan raised her hand and tossed aside the black down jacket she had deliberately draped over herself. In the biting cold wind—
A white filly, brimming with wild energy, appeared within Li Qianfan's sight. Her eyes invited him. Her ethereal voice said, "Master, please whip me."
—
The vampires have mutated!