In the same room within the Tremere family's ancient castle, Kude and Hanf engaged in yet another conversation. "My lord, it seems the situation is not looking good. The young man refuses to take responsibility. Doesn't this mean our plan will fail?" Hanf said. Kude, with an air of mystery, replied, "No, no, it won't. Our plan has already succeeded. As long as we face difficulties in the future, we won't need to ask him. He will come to us of his own accord."
Meanwhile, Liu Lei sat at an outdoor café on the streets of Paris, watching the women pass by. To escape Nia's torment, he had taken to running out of the house early every morning. His past habits had been completely changed, and he no longer lingered in bars, knowing that Nia would always find him there. Instead, he discovered the perfect refuge in the cafés by the roadside, where he could watch the women and swiftly flee when Nia appeared.
Liu Lei was enjoying the rare leisure time when Nia's figure appeared in the distance on the street. With a sudden movement, he leapt up, threw some bills on the table, and ran. This time, to his surprise, Nia didn't chase after him. She merely stood there, saying something that Liu Lei couldn't make out. He halted mid-stride, and her voice carried toward him. He only caught a few words—"dark," "blood," and "elf"—but that was enough for him to know exactly what she was doing. Cursing under his breath, he turned and ran back toward her.
"What do you think you're doing? If I hadn't heard you from this distance and come back, you'd be finished!" Liu Lei shouted at her. Nia shot him an indifferent glance but remained silent. Liu Lei pleaded, "Come on, now. This happens all the time. You're not the kind of person who would care so much, so why keep bothering me?" Anger flickered in Nia's eyes, quickly fading as her gaze grew red-rimmed. Softly, she asked Liu Lei, "Do you think I'm just some casual girl in your eyes?" Liu Lei froze, suddenly realizing he had made a grave mistake. Nia, though violent and willful, was far from the kind of girl he had initially thought. He had misunderstood her intentions from the very beginning.
Troubled for days, Liu Lei still couldn't come to a decision. Though he felt that his feelings for Nia went beyond mere friendship, admitting that he liked her seemed too difficult. After all, from a young age, he had always dreamed of marrying a gentle, beautiful lady, while Nia, in contrast, seemed far removed from that ideal.
Tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep, Liu Lei suddenly felt a tremor of energy from the communication jade in his Qiankun pouch. He quickly rose, took out the jade, and channeled his spiritual power into it. A flash of green light appeared, and the figure of Lian Feng materialized above the jade. Liu Lei's heart leapt with joy, but as he saw Lian Feng's sorrowful expression, he couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Has something happened at home?" Lian Feng was silent for a moment, only staring at him. A sense of foreboding gripped Liu Lei's heart, and he urgently asked, "Please, speak!"
Lian Feng finally spoke, his voice heavy with grief. "Liu Lei, I'm sorry..." The world seemed to spin around Liu Lei. It took him a long moment to regain his senses. "Who?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"Your father," Lian Feng replied.
Liu Lei stood frozen for a moment before he turned and ran out of the room. He gathered all his strength and sprinted toward the city, ignoring the late hour. At 3 a.m., he arrived at several Chinese shops, only to find them closed. He smashed the glass doors of a clothing store with his fist and, barely hearing the police sirens, rushed inside. Grabbing incense and paper offerings, he tossed a stack of francs onto the counter and rushed out. He leaped over the street and climbed to the top of a fifty-story building, orienting himself before charging onward.
Two days later, he reached the foot of Mont Blanc, the highest peak in Europe. He shouted, casting aside his vampire and cultivation powers, relying solely on his physical strength to begin the climb. He yelled as he climbed, unrelenting even when he fell from the cliff. His clothes shredded, but his body seemed tireless as he ascended. Hours passed, and finally, he reached the summit, creating a barrier to block the biting wind. He lit incense with his internal fire, the paper struggling to catch flame in the high-altitude oxygen-starved air. Yet, he managed to ignite it with his inner flames, and in the flickering red, yellow, and blue flames, Liu Lei knelt and bowed three times toward the east. Overcome with emotion, he cried aloud in the snow.
When the incense had burned to ash, Liu Lei remained kneeling motionless on the peak. This was his way of paying tribute to his father—his only means of offering solace, as an unfilial son, to his father's spirit. After a long while, he stood up, arms spread wide, and jumped from the peak of Mont Blanc. The immense force of his fall created a crater upon impact, and his body tumbled down the mountain, crashing through rocks and trees, breaking them as he went. His body, soaked in purple blood, was shredded, but his physical strength kept him alive. By the time he reached the base of the mountain, three of his ribs were broken, both legs and arms shattered, and his internal organs ruptured. He lay quietly in a secluded spot, unmoving, until all his injuries healed within a day. He had anticipated this outcome, knowing the pain would ease the suffering in his heart, though he couldn't quite explain why.
Liu Lei lay beneath Mont Blanc for three days, then silently began his return to France. He walked the entire way back, unaffected by the changes in his body or surroundings, as though they were all beyond his perception. When the servant opened the door, Liu Lei stood there, having transformed into something resembling a beggar.
Christopher sighed, handing Liu Lei a jade pendant. "You dropped this in your room," he said. Without a word, Liu Lei took the pendant and placed it into his Qiankun pouch. As Christopher watched, the pendant disappeared from Liu Lei's hand in the blink of an eye. A glimmer of curiosity flickered in Christopher's eyes, but seeing Liu Lei's condition, he sighed once more and instructed the servants to bathe and change Liu Lei before heading upstairs, shaking his head.
Once Liu Lei had freshened up, he turned to find Nia standing at the door. He pretended not to see her, closing the door and collapsing onto the bed.
Another tremor from the jade pendant stirred Liu Lei, but he didn't feel like moving. After a while, another pulse of energy emanated from it. Reluctantly, he rose, took out the jade pendant, and sighed. He activated the spiritual formula, and a flash of green light revealed the weary face of his mother. As soon as she saw him, she spoke, her voice filled with concern, "Lei'er, how are you? I couldn't find you these past few days. Are you alright?" Liu Lei, with a bittersweet smile, whispered, "Mom..." Tears filled his eyes.
"Don't cry, don't cry," his mother said, her own tears falling. "Your father passed peacefully, without suffering. He doesn't blame you. You did the right thing. We all support you... child, don't worry about me, and don't grieve too much for your father. People grow old, and this day comes for all of us. But you—you're still young. Live well. Your father will rest easy, knowing that."
"Mm," Liu Lei replied, tears still in his eyes.
The door opened, and Christopher entered, gently patting Liu Lei on the head. Liu Lei, unable to hold back any longer, collapsed into his arms and wept uncontrollably.