Not a Drop Left!

"Rose Sister, why did you come all the way here yourself?" Yi Bai asked, trembling, forcing a smile as he spoke.

Oh no, he had originally planned to delay things a bit longer, gathering 200 milliliters of blood to "mail" to her. But now… hmm, is 200 milliliters really going to be enough?! He was panicking, desperately so.

Seeing the "salivating" gaze in Jiang Ling's eyes, Yi Bai wished he could just dig a hole and hide, wishing no one would find him.

"Yi Bai, my little brother, I've come with a small gift for you!" The Rose Countess smiled slyly as she pushed an enormous gift box toward him with a loud bang.

The moment his bloodline as a vampire fully awakened, Yi Bai immediately sensed the "big thing" inside the box.

"Sister, you brought Jack's corpse?" Yi Bai's face flickered with surprise and a hint of gratitude. He could feel Rose Countess's regard for him. When he awakened, she had rushed over without a second thought, even giving him her own blood to aid the process.

So, he had a deep sense of respect for this Rose Sister.

"Yes," Rose Countess replied, her voice laced with mischief, her tongue lightly caressing her crimson lips. "In exchange for this gift, I suppose the balance on our transaction should be settled, right?"

Yi Bai's face twitched. Of course, the most expensive things in the world were always the ones given for free!

Though he silently cursed in his heart, Yi Bai had to force a smile and cautiously ask, "What if… we add another hundred milliliters?"

"Hmm?" Rose Countess narrowed her beautiful eyes, "Yi Bai, this is a complete Red Ghost-level corpse, a rare and precious material. Shouldn't you show some gratitude?"

Yi Bai felt as if his heart had dropped into his stomach. He thought to himself, Oh no… I'm really in deep trouble now!

But, as always, circumstances were more powerful than willpower. This gift that was literally being delivered to his doorstep—how could he refuse?

"Two hundred milliliters… no, another two hundred milliliters… That's really the absolute maximum! Not a single drop more!" Yi Bai's face was filled with anguish, looking as if he were about to be drained dry.

Lina, standing to one side, couldn't bear to watch and turned her head away. She would have liked to help Yi Bai, but alas, as a creature without blood, she couldn't stand up to the Rose Countess, let alone defend him.

As long as Rose Countess didn't intend to seriously harm Yi Bai, there was little she could do. Fortunately, the Countess seemed to value him highly and wouldn't truly endanger his life.

Time passed quietly. After Yi Bai continually bargained and complained, he finally agreed to a deal with the Rose Countess for 450 milliliters of blood.

Yes… a live transaction.

Director Quells personally conducted the blood draw, expertly extracting the blood before handing it to Rose Countess. Meanwhile, Jiang Ling was fidgeting impatiently, her eyes glued to Yi Bai, her sharp fangs nearly visible as she glared at him.

Yi Bai couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. Even though he knew the Countess was holding Jiang Ling back, he couldn't escape the uneasy feeling that the little zombie was watching him, planning something sinister.

The Rose Countess, with a firm grip on Jiang Ling, prevented any unforeseen situations.

The vampiric healing abilities were extraordinary, and Yi Bai's blood draw wound healed almost instantly. Once the unique scent of his blood faded from the air, Jiang Ling gradually calmed down, her mischievous eyes darting around as if deep in thought.

Yi Bai shivered slightly. He knew that being the target of Jiang Ling's gaze meant trouble. Hastily, he changed the subject: "Director Quells, with two Red Ghost-level corpses as material, could we create a Red Ghost-level puppet?"

Director Quells fell silent for a moment, then looked at Yi Bai with a strange expression. "Young man, do you really think Red Ghosts are as common as cabbages?"

He sighed. "The only reason Jack was able to create Red Ghost-level puppets was because of his unique talent, and even then, he had to use his soul fragments to control them. Losing a puppet caused him some personal loss."

"As for creating a semi-Red Ghost-level puppet, that's already the highest grade we can craft. Anything higher..." Quells paused, a touch of longing in his expression.

"Making higher-level puppets might not be impossible, but the problem is... it's not worth it."

"Not worth it?" Yi Bai raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Yes, Red Ghosts are fundamentally different from ordinary wandering spirits or lesser ghosts. At this level, these creatures have undergone a substantial transformation." Quells sighed again. "It's not that I don't want to help you; in fact, I'd love to push the limits of my craft and create a puppet worthy of its status."

"But the issue is... without suitable materials to serve as a power core for controlling a Red Ghost-level puppet, the only possible alternative is to find something like Ralph, the stitched-up monster's heart."

"But you have to understand—those heart cores are so rare that their value surpasses that of an ordinary Red Ghost. Using one for a puppet would be a waste."

"Therefore, semi-Red Ghost-level puppets are the highest I can manage."

Quells sighed again. If it were possible, he would've loved to create a puppet that would astonish everyone. But the materials simply weren't available.

"Wait!" Jiang Ling, who had been quiet for a moment, suddenly spoke up.

Everyone turned to her—Quells' eyes sparkled with interest, Lina looked curious, and Rose Countess furrowed her brow. Yi Bai, on the other hand, involuntarily shuddered and muttered, "Actually, I think a semi-Red Ghost puppet would be more than enough. We don't really need to go all out..."

"Are you kidding? You're someone the Rose Sister values highly! Your safety is the most important thing! How could a mere semi-Red Ghost puppet protect you?" Jiang Ling's adorable face was serious, her words filled with determination.

However, the more she acted this way, the more Yi Bai's heart raced with dread. His instincts screamed at him that the little zombie had no good intentions!