Chapter 32: Duel of Laughter

Bloodblade led three individuals to a mountain outside Shun Cheng. As Emily laid her eyes upon the mountain, memories of Cyberville's magnificent peaks flooded her mind. She recalled Sophia and even the pack of wolves led by Hu Zi. She wondered if the raging fire had consumed their den and if Sophia remained in solitude. Bloodblade caught a glimpse of Emily's wistful expression from the corner of his eye, sensing a tinge of melancholy. It made him question his own judgment. After all, he had followed her, hidden his presence, and determined she was an emotionless being, a threat to humanity. But now, witnessing her display such an expression, he hesitated to strike.

Benjamin tugged at Emily's sleeve, urging her to snap out of her nostalgic reverie. The formidable adversary stood before them, and now was not the time for reminiscing. Olivia's heart, however, was burdened with a different concern. She vividly remembered the parting glance Emily cast towards the raging flames that day.

Aware of the existence of illusions, Olivia knew that Sophia's safety was far from guaranteed. Despite Emily's hopeful assumption that Sophia remained unharmed, Olivia couldn't disclose the truth. She couldn't bear to watch Emily return to Cyberville, walking into a trap.

"Your target is me. Don't trouble these two women!" Benjamin positioned himself between Emily and Olivia, shielding them. Emily chuckled, perplexed by Benjamin's contradictory actions. He had shown indifference when faced with threats from Gullen earlier, but now he was betraying Lessenba and taking a stand.

Bloodblade didn't even spare Benjamin a glance, his gaze piercing through to Emily. His response to Benjamin's words was meant for Emily alone. "I'll deal with this girl first before turning my attention to you. There's no need to rush!"

Benjamin grew irritated. Bloodblade clearly underestimated him, just as he had back when Gullen attempted to sink his fangs into Emily's neck. Benjamin refrained from intervening, knowing her blood was toxic. If Gullen had bitten her, he would have reaped no benefits. But now the circumstances were different. Bloodblade, a hunter with twenty years of experience, possessed lethal skills in every move and strike. Furthermore, he didn't drink blood; he wielded a sword.

"Enough with the pointless talk. With so many people here, it's only fitting to have a proper melee!" Emily pulled Benjamin closer, adopting a somewhat insolent tone. "You don't mind, do you?"

Bloodblade let out a cold snort, waving his hand dismissively. "Come at me together!"

Emily had her dagger strapped to her thigh within easy reach. It was positioned where her hand could swiftly find the weapon in times of danger. Before Bloodblade finished speaking, she drew her dagger and lunged forward. Bloodblade hadn't even blinked, yet his arm was struck by a slash. Before he could react, Olivia and Benjamin joined the fray.

Bloodblade swiftly drew his wooden sword and began to counterattack. However, he found himself surrounded, with only flashes of blades and swordsmanship before his eyes. He could barely defend against the attacks, let alone strike back. In a nimble motion, he leaped into the air and landed behind Emily. As soon as he touched the ground, he thrust his wooden sword towards Emily's heart, only to be blocked by Olivia's silver sword with a resounding clash.

Emily flashed a grateful smile at Olivia and swiftly returned to the fight. She couldn't let this guy get away with attempting to ambush her. Emily exchanged a meaningful glance with Olivia, who understood instantly, and they both engaged Bloodblade in a fierce battle.

Meanwhile, Emily dashed in the opposite direction of Bloodblade. She ran a few steps up along a tree, leaving Bloodblade puzzled about her intentions. Then, with a sudden exertion of force, Emily flipped herself over, using the tree as leverage, and descended with her dagger pointed straight at Bloodblade's head.

With Benjamin and Olivia standing in front of him, Bloodblade crouched down just as Emily's dagger was about to split his head in half. His wooden sword blocked the attacks from all three opponents.

Although Emily's move was flashy, her landing technique still needed practice. She ended up crashing down, using Bloodblade as a cushion. Bloodblade initially intended to quickly rise after blocking the strike, but instead, he found himself sprawled on the ground like a dog rolling in the mud. Benjamin and Olivia couldn't help but burst into laughter.

As Emily sat up, she realized she was still sitting on top of Bloodblade's waist. Sheepishly scratching her head and sticking out her tongue, she said, "I'll practice more when I get home!"

Bloodblade lay on the ground, both amused and frustrated. He no longer had the desire to continue fighting and opted to pretend to be a lifeless corpse.

Emily patted his back and shouted, "Hey! Isn't this a bit too dramatic? Even someone as light as me can crush you?"

Bloodblade turned around, propping his head up with one hand, and Emily slid off his back onto the ground.

"I have to say, sister, can you be a bit more professional when it comes to fighting? I can't bring myself to bully a newbie!" Bloodblade said helplessly.

Emily fiercely elbowed Bloodblade's side. "A defeated general has the audacity to call his opponent a newbie!"

"Where do you see me being defeated?" Bloodblade retorted, glaring at her. As a hunter, he couldn't afford to lose because the price of failure was losing his life. As long as he was alive, he considered it a victory!

"Well, take a look at who's being suppressed now!" Emily casually swung her leg, which was resting on Bloodblade's body. Her face was filled with satisfaction.

A wicked smile curled up at the corner of Bloodblade's mouth. Suddenly, he pressed Emily beneath him and smirked, "So, what do you think?"

Emily felt embarrassed, her face turning crimson. Before she could push him away, Bloodblade swiftly leaped off because Benjamin had snatched Olivia's silver sword and was coming at them.

Bloodblade sneered, "Ignorant fool!" He swung his wooden sword and met Benjamin head-on.

Benjamin's eyes were filled with anger, his blue irises resembling a gathering storm. Each move he made was ruthless. However, he was ultimately different from Bloodblade, who excelled in combat as a vampire. Within just ten moves, Bloodblade managed to suppress Benjamin.

Emily had been sitting on the ground, resting her chin on her hand, watching alongside Olivia. When she saw Bloodblade's wooden sword thrusting towards Benjamin's chest, she leaped into the air and blocked it with her dagger.

"Progress! You lasted ten moves against me!" Bloodblade glanced at Benjamin with a smile that was not quite a smile. Last time, Benjamin almost lost his life within three moves. Bloodblade looked at Emily and wondered, was it this woman who brought him such strength? He had a hunch that if this woman were in danger, his fighting prowess as a vampire could instantly multiply several times over.

However, Benjamin was furious. He wanted to protect Emily, yet she always ended up saving him at critical moments. At the same time, he felt frustrated because he knew he was no match for Bloodblade. How could he become strong enough to protect Emily?

Bloodblade threw those words and quickly disappeared. This Emily was at least not what he had previously understood her to be—a cold-blooded person who wouldn't care about the lives of her companions. After all, she was human, and he had sworn long ago not to kill humans. It seemed he needed to observe her further.

As he ran, his mind was filled with conflicting thoughts. He couldn't quite figure out if this was the most legitimate reason or just an excuse he made for himself. Images of Emily's sorrowful gaze and her mischievous smile kept appearing in his mind. He hadn't experienced such emotions in over two hundred years, and no one had lingered in his thoughts like this.

What on earth... was happening?