Picking Scraps

145 Picking Scraps

I watched the woman's retreating figure and shook my head, having already guessed her identity.

Her ability to instantly see through my perfect Turtle Aura-Suppressing technique revealed her extraordinary power. Her close, trusted relationship with Rose Hightower showed her allegiance.

Anyone who met both of these criteria had to be either a H.A.R.M. general or a gold-bell Vampire Hunter.

I stepped out of the ruined church.

Such a delightful chance to pick up scraps hadn't come my way in a long time since I left Crown Mountain. How could I miss out?

… …

Aisha Patani glanced back, clearly surprised that the young man had decided to follow.

When she passed through Seattle, she spoke briefly with Chloe, reviewed Ethan Atzmon's files about Pinewood County—which covered the black ape's slaying and the county executive's affairs, and read Rose's letter.

Thus, when she saw the familiar black blade, she already knew the young man's identity and name.

Aisha Patani gave a slight nod, withdrew her gaze, and walked towards the back of Mount Strachan unhurriedly.

Having warned him as much as she could, she preferred not to meddle in others' decisions.

… …

I didn't relax my vigilance just because there was an expert in front of me. She made no attempt to hide her aura—I could sense its sharp edge, which left me distinctly uneasy.

To ambush someone this powerful, the vampires would need to be well-prepared. They must have extensive plans in place.

Picking up scraps was one thing, but I didn't want to get myself hunted in reverse in the process.

One thing I was puzzled about was that even I had the Whispering Gale Technique, a teleportation movement method. With her high level of cultivation, why isn't she using even basic movement techniques? Does she intend to walk step by step the entire seven miles?

Suddenly, a sharp whistle pierced my ear.

A black shadow plummeted from the distance and crashed onto the ground right before me.

Pitiful whimpers and whines filled the air in quick succession. Looking down, I saw an enormous tiger, over ten yards long, sprawled at my feet.

A transparent longsword, seemingly made of ice, was stuck in the tiger's abdomen, freezing even its blood. Its entire body was covered in frost, and its eyes were filled with sheer terror.

It looked like it wanted to beg for mercy and also wanted to escape, but under that longsword, its limbs struggled slowly, and even its sharp claws trembled.

Bewildered, it couldn't comprehend how it had been struck and transported here instantly, despite hiding at such a great distance.

"My Lady... Lady Patani... It has nothing to do with me! It has nothing to do with me! It's all Moonfeather's plot!!"

Aisha Patani seemed to have not heard it. She glanced at me and said softly, "I'm not a Vampire Hunter. Don't let it go to waste."

… …

Lady Patani?

The powerful vampiric aura from the creature at my feet washed over me. Though I kept my expression unchanged, turmoil churned in my heart.

If I wasn't mistaken, this tiger was exactly the target I'd been seeking on this trip, though I certainly hadn't expected to encounter it like this.

Understanding that the woman had left the tiger alive for me to collect merits, I swung my blade without hesitation, severing the Mountain Lord's head. A wisp of heart's blood entered the silver bell, then I cut open its belly and extracted the core.

[Slain a fully crystallized tiger vampire, total lifespan 5,836 years, remaining lifespan 1,287 years, absorption complete]

As I bent down to extract the crystal core, Aisha Patani stood quietly beside me. A flicker of remembrance appeared in her eyes, as if trying to make up for some past regret.

Only after I stored the tiger core in the silver bell did her expression return to normal. With a gentle wave of her hand, the longsword in the tiger vampire's abdomen transformed into a silver needle and pierced into her palm.

"Let's go." Aisha Patani continued her unhurried pace for the next six miles, walking as casually as if she were taking an afternoon stroll. Though she clearly wasn't using any movement techniques, we were somehow progressing at an incredible speed.

Fifteen minutes later, the same scene unfolded.

Once again, the chilling cold descended as another figure plummeted from the sky. This time, instead of a tiger vampire, it was a purple marten.

Before it could even utter a word, the ceremonial blade cleanly severed its neck.

[Slain a fully crystallized purple marten, total lifespan 5,643 years, remaining lifespan 1,426 years, absorption complete]

Wiping my hands on its smooth fur, I felt strangely moved. Now I understood why those two old Templars had been so shocked earlier—I should have encountered this generous benefactor much sooner.

Even without the ability to absorb lifespan through the panel, one could still exchange a vampire's heart blood for substantial rewards from the Vampire Hunters.

When the third creature plummeted from the sky, I didn't even let it touch the ground. In one fluid motion, I slashed with my blade mid-air, and while absorbing its lifespan, my hand darted into the vampire's body to wrench out the crystal core and secure it in the silver bell.

[Slain a fully crystallized golden eagle, total lifespan 5,927 years, remaining lifespan 1,250 years, absorption complete]

[Remaining Absorbed Lifespan: 5,392 years]

This time, Aisha Patani moved on without waiting. Her gaze fixed on the distant hinterland.

The golden eagle vampire met its end right before the Moonfeather's eyes. Despite its desperate attempt to flee and hide behind Moonfeather, the sword still found its mark.

… …

Moonfeather, in the form of a sage-like man in white feathered clothes, hovered in mid-air. His figure was elegant, and the majestic white wings on his back made him appear like an angel floating in the sky.

However, at this moment, his crystalline eyes were blazed with frustration and rage. A deep roar thundered through the valley—his words crude and jarring against his elegant appearance. "I told you, I haven't been to Crown Mountain! Why won't you believe me? You've chased me from Vancouver to Sacramento, then all the way to Surrey!"

"The general of Sacramento wanted to kill me, and I had no choice but to deal with him. Besides that, when have I ever provoked you?"

"Why in heaven's name would I provoke General Grant without reason?!"

His booming voice, like a great bell, made the valley tremble. The heartfelt grievance in his words was unmistakable.

… …

I gazed at the old sage with steely resolve, my blade yearning for combat.

I barely restrained myself from stepping forward to challenge his lies.

Aisha Patani remained silent, steadily advancing toward Moonfeather. With each step she took, the old man retreated—his demeanor betraying none of the imposing manner expected of a harmonizing vampire lord.

Once the woman in black entered the hinterland, the fear vanished from the old man's face. With a relieved sigh, he said, "I never wanted to be your enemy, but your aggression left me no choice but to seek allies."

As his voice faded, the slopes on both sides of the hinterland shuddered. Stone walls cracked and boulders cascaded down with a thunderous rumble. Half the mountain crumbled away.

After a moment, a colossal stone throne emerged from the rubble.

An enormous figure, eighty feet tall, remained in human form rather than his true shape. He reclined against the throne's back, a ring-pommeled greatsword in one hand while the other propped up his chin.

Two massive, curved horns jutted skyward. His bull's head was ferocious and terrifying, with eyes that gazed down at the woman below as if she were but an ant.

He roared, "Aisha Patani, come and pay respect to your king."