Chapter 115

Jason, stepped into Pearlwater with purpose etched into his every step. The sprawling coastal city bustled with life, a place where desert traders, sea merchants, and adventurers mingled freely under the azure sky. Jason had traveled far from the relentless sands for over two weeks in the desert to reach this place. Drawn by the promise of return to his family.

His destination was clear—the docks, where the towering masts of ships swayed gently against the harbor's rhythm. Each vessel seemed a portal to distant lands, their sails billowing like wings eager to carry their passengers across the endless blue. Jason's emerald eyes glimmered with determination as he navigated through the cobblestone streets, his desert-weathered cloak trailing behind him.

The air was thick with the scent of salt and brine, mingling with the calls of sailors preparing their ships for departure.

Jason wandered the bustling docks of Pearlwater, the salty sea breeze tousling his snow-white hair as he approached one sailor after another.

"Do you know of a ship that can take me across the ocean?" he asked, his voice steady but edged with determination.

Each inquiry was met with hearty laughter or a dismissive shake of the head.

"Across the ocean? You've got a better chance of sprouting wings!" one burly sailor scoffed, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes.

"Nobody sails that far, lad," another chimed in. "You're dreaming if you think otherwise."

Frustrated but undeterred, Jason continued his search, the endless expanse of the ocean before him and the elusive answer he sought still out of reach.

Jason's jaw tightened as the jeers and dismissive remarks of the dockworkers echoed in his mind. The laughter grated on him, but the faint thirst bubbling in his chest sharpened his focus. If the sailors wouldn't help, perhaps someone less… respectable would.

He turned away from the busy docks, his pale eyes scanning the narrow alleys that threaded through the city like veins. The alleys in a city like this could house those unsavory types.

Jason was a little thirsty for blood. Not by much, but he wouldn't mind a little skirmish with some lowlifes right about now…

'guess I am looking for trouble.'

Jason thought to himself as he entered an alley. His soul sense sweeping through the city looking for any sort of danger, like a hidden old monster guarding a young master or a camouflaged assassin's looking for a quick pay.

His soul sense, unlike his Qi sense, was seamless and not invasive. He could sense people that are much higher than him in body and Spirit Qi cultivation and they wouldn't be the wiser.

Unless they're Soul cultivator as well.

The narrow alley was dimly lit, with the faint glow of lanterns casting uneven shadows on the stone walls. The salty tang of the sea mixed with the dry heat drifting in from the nearby desert, creating a cloying atmosphere.

Jason's boots clicked softly against the cobblestones as he stepped deeper into the passage.

His green eyes, glowing faintly in the dark, scanned the space ahead. A group of thugs lounged near a stack of crates, their murmured conversation ceasing the moment they noticed him.

"Well, well," one of them said, standing and cracking his knuckles. He was a broad-shouldered man with desert-worn skin and a jagged scar across his cheek. "What brings someone like you to our part of town?"

Jason stopped a few paces away, his white hair catching the faint light. He smiled faintly, his fangs glinting just enough to make the closest thug take a cautious step back.

"I'm looking for answers," Jason said smoothly, his voice calm but laced with an edge of authority. "And maybe... a little something to satisfy my hunger."

The leader's expression faltered, but he quickly covered it with bravado. "Answers, huh? You think you can come here and take what you want?"

Jason's smile widened, and in a blink, he closed the distance between them. Before anyone could react, he seized the leader by the collar, lifting him effortlessly off the ground.

"You'll find I don't ask twice," Jason said, his voice a chilling whisper. The thugs froze, their bravado shattered by the unnatural strength on display.

"Fine! Fine!" the leader stammered, his bravado crumbling. "What do you want to know?"

Jason tightened his grip on the thug's collar, his green eyes glowing faintly in the dim alley. "A ship," he said, his voice sharp and commanding. "I need one to take me across the ocean. Which one will get me there?"

The thug, his bravado shattered, stammered, "Th-The Dalyla! It's the only ship making a trip across the sea this year. But... but you can't just walk on. You need a ticket."

Jason raised an eyebrow, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "And how do I get one of those?"

The thug swallowed hard, his eyes darting to his companions, who were too terrified to intervene. "You'll need to find someone named Saber. He... he runs the ticket trade for the Dalyla. But be careful—Saber's not the kind of person you want to mess with."

Jason's grip loosened, and he let the thug drop to the ground. "Neither am I," he said coldly, stepping back.

The vampire turned and began walking away, his coat billowing slightly as the breeze from the sea reached the alley.

"Where do I find Saber?" he called over his shoulder.

The thug coughed and scrambled to sit up. "The Red Lantern District! Saber runs a gambling den there. Look for the sign with the coiled serpent!"

Jason didn't reply. His figure disappeared into the night, his mind already turning to his next move. If Saber had what he needed, Jason would find him—and ensure that getting a ticket on the Dalyla was no longer an issue.

'Since he answered truthfully, I

'll spare him.' Jason thought before a dagger was thrown at him.

As Jason caught the dagger mid-flight, his green eyes burned with a cold, predatory light. The thug who had thrown it froze, his bravado replaced by sheer terror as Jason slowly turned to face him.

"You didn't have to do that," Jason said, his voice low and calm, though it carried the weight of a storm. "But it seems you've made your choice."

In a flash, Jason closed the distance between them, pinning the wiry man against the wall with one hand. His grip was like iron, unyielding.

The thug struggled, gasping for air, but Jason's gaze remained locked on him, his fangs glinting in the faint light.

The hunger surged within him, sharp and insistent. Jason's earlier restraint had evaporated the moment the dagger was thrown. His thirst was undeniable now.

"You'll do," Jason murmured, leaning in as the thug's eyes widened in fear.

The others watched, paralyzed with terror, as Jason bit into the man's neck. The thug let out a choked gasp before falling silent, his body slackening in Jason's grip.

When Jason finally pulled back, his green eyes glowed brighter, and a faint trail of blood glistened on his lips. He released the man, letting him slump to the ground. The thug was alive but barely conscious, his face pale as a sheet.

' Women taste so much better…' Jason thought to himself. Remembering the taste of all those willing women in his life who gladly offered their necks to him.

Jason then turned to the others, his voice sharp and final. "Let this be your reminder: do not test me."

Without another word, he vanished into the night, his thirst sated, his focus now on finding Saber—and the ticket that would take him across the ocean.