Chapter 35: Ambushed

"Emily!" Benjamin shouted, trying to snap her out of it.

Emily momentarily lost focus, her gaze becoming vacant. This gave the enemy an opportunity, and a vampire lunged at her, baring its fangs and claws. Before Emily could react, she was struck on the arm, causing blood to flow profusely.

The sight of Emily's blood stirred up a commotion. She could sense the lurking vampires growing restless in the shadows. However, her wound healed quickly, leaving the surrounding vampires bewildered. They had never witnessed such potent regenerative abilities in a human before.

Emily knew that if she continued fighting unarmed like this, her thirst for blood would eventually drive her to lose control once again. Seizing the surprised pause among the vampires, she swiftly picked up a nearby dagger from the ground. Crouching down, she exerted force with her arm, severing one vampire's leg. The vampire fell to the ground with a cry, and Emily swiftly drove her dagger into its chest. The pitiful creature didn't even have time to utter a sound before turning to ashes.

In the shadows, a pair of eyes stared intently at Emily, pondering over her true nature. What was she? Why did she exhibit bloodlust just moments ago? And how could her wounds heal so quickly? She clearly carried the scent of a human!

The battle came to a swift end. Benjamin didn't kill the leader, but inflicted severe injuries, leaving a chaotic scene with over twenty bodies strewn about. The leader surveyed the lifeless bodies of his comrades, realizing he was the sole survivor. He wasn't inherently afraid of death, but he needed to return to Alexander and deliver a report. Benjamin sparing his life was a clear message, and the leader practically crawled away, disappearing into a nearby tunnel.

"Are there no others coming out?" Emily wondered, puzzled by the vampires lurking in the shadows. Were they merely spectators?

"Let's go," Benjamin said, his weariness evident. The leader had proven to be a formidable adversary, or else Alexander wouldn't have dispatched him.

Emily and Olivia followed Benjamin as they retraced their steps. Upon reaching the surface, they were greeted by Bloodblade, standing stoically in the wind, his expression devoid of emotion, as he gazed at Emily.

"What are you?" Bloodblade asked, opening his mouth to inquire.

"I am a devil!" Emily replied, baring her teeth and making a grimace at him. Then she suddenly remembered the large group that had entered with them, only to be reduced to just over twenty people. "Did you kill those people?"

Bloodblade smiled faintly but remained silent.

"You're just a dog catching mice!" Emily rolled her eyes.

Bloodblade grew irritated, expecting at least a hint of gratitude from Emily.

"It's my duty!" Bloodblade said coldly, his tone displaying a hint of anger.

"Sounds good! Who assigned you this duty?" Emily retorted.

"I..." Bloodblade was momentarily taken aback by Emily's retort, struggling to find words. "I assigned it to myself!"

"Don't make it sound like you've done me a favor then! I won't be grateful!" Emily replied sharply.

Benjamin pulled Emily aside. Given the current situation, their conversation made it seem like Emily and Bloodblade were familiar with each other, almost like they were bantering in a flirtatious manner, which made Benjamin uncomfortable.

"I didn't ask you to be grateful either!" Bloodblade shrugged and quickly ran off after speaking.

"What a strange person!" Emily looked in the direction he disappeared, pursing her lips.

"Let's hurry back. Shuncheng is no longer safe, and we need to leave overnight," Benjamin said with a serious expression.

"Oh no!" Olivia howled to the sky. "We have to leave again! I really liked it here!"

"We have to go. If Lusenba's people can come, it means they have already negotiated with Gaeyi. Otherwise, they would have been killed when they entered Shuncheng. Gaeyi even provided them with a location."

"You mean the tunnel we just came from? It belongs to Gaeyi?" Emily asked curiously.

"Yes," Benjamin nodded. "It's the territory of the Nephilim. They are born ugly, so they have been living underground. These tunnels were probably dug by them."

"I knew it! I smelled over two hundred vampires lurking in the vicinity just now. I thought they were all Lusenba's people," Emily said thoughtfully.

"That's good in a way. At least Gaeyi didn't cooperate with Alexander. But we can't be sure how the situation will change. It's better for us to leave here early," Benjamin said, feeling somewhat frustrated because he didn't sense anything.

The three of them quickly packed their belongings at home, threw them into the trunk, and drove away. They still hadn't found a way to escape the pursuit. After all, they couldn't take down Lusenba completely, and cooperating with the Secret Party was now impossible. The only thing they could do was to continue fleeing.

"Too bad, that girl didn't get to eat," Benjamin sat in the car and glanced back as they were about to leave the city.

"Once she seeks revenge, she probably won't want to live anymore. With so much blood on her hands, even if she survives, it will be a nightmare," Olivia said sympathetically. In reality, the woman wasn't bad. If she hadn't been forced by circumstances, she and her family could have lived happily.

"Ah, forget it. Consider it an act of kindness on my part, letting her go!" Emily waved her hand nonchalantly and began to enjoy the surrounding scenery.

Little did they know that Alexander had another trick waiting for them.

Just as they left Shuncheng's territory, a strong scent of jasmine and a faint hint of poppy permeated the air. At first, Emily didn't pay much attention, thinking it was the Secret Party's people. However, the scent seemed to be constantly present around them, as if following their trail. Her expression grew increasingly serious.

"Stop the car!" Emily shouted.

Olivia slammed on the brakes, and the screeching sound of tires against the ground pierced the night sky. The jarring noise made everyone in the car tense. Benjamin also noticed that something was amiss, while Olivia caught on a little late. But judging by their expressions, she knew the situation wasn't good.

Before they could even figure out what had fallen to the ground, numerous vampires suddenly leaped out from the surrounding jungle on both sides of the road, a large swarm swooping down on them from above. Looking up, it was as if a flock of crows was descending upon them.

The three of them reacted swiftly, jumping out of the car in an instant, wielding their weapons to fight back. But the vampires surged toward them like an overwhelming tide, quickly surrounding them. They didn't care that this was a public road; without a word, they launched their attack. The style was undoubtedly that of the Lusenba clan.

The scent of poppy grew stronger and stronger. Emily saw Alexander standing outside the encirclement, wearing a smile that was more of a smirk as he looked at her.

Emily cursed inwardly, disgusted with Alexander's behavior. He always stood in the safest position, letting a bunch of small fry die in his place!