We Are Vampires, Not Blood Pumps!

"Speak plainly, no need for all the twists and turns. Don't forget, we've made an agreement!"

Countess Rose quickly saw through Jiang Ling's subtle intentions. However, when it came to Yi Bai's safety, she couldn't help but feel some concern.

Yes, Yi Bai had only just entered the Third Hospital and had already caused quite a stir. First, there was the vengeful spirit He Yi, then the Red-clad Jack. Most importantly, Yi Bai had consumed a drop of blood from a creature of unspeakable power—something that could possibly entangle him in unimaginable consequences.

Countess Rose had her worries, not just about the potential loss of a food source, but also the possibility of losing Yi Bai, a promising new member of their vampire clan.

Even though she could clearly see Jiang Ling's ulterior motives, Rose still exercised patience and didn't immediately order her to be dragged away.

Cough cough! Seeing the helpless look on Countess Rose's face, Jiang Ling couldn't help but smile smugly and cleared her throat.

"Yi Bai, little brother, surely you haven't forgotten? I still have the body of a blood-clad vengeful spirit zombie in my hands."

As soon as those words left her lips, Quells' mechanical electronic eyes flared with a brilliant light. A blood-clad vengeful spirit-level material—a rare and invaluable find! For someone like him, who reveled in modification, it was an irresistible temptation.

But then, the spark quickly died down.

The situation at the Third Hospital still hadn't been fully resolved, and their lack of funds left him unable to act. Poverty kept him silent.

On the other hand, Yi Bai, hearing about the blood-clad vengeful spirit's corpse, couldn't help but feel a pang of desire. Yet, he had just gone from a windfall to being penniless, and his pockets were barely jingling with a few thousand ghost coins. How could he possibly afford such a precious material? A single arm of that level cost two hundred thousand ghost coins, let alone the entire corpse.

As he pondered further, it became clear to him—Jiang Ling knew he was broke. So why would she bring up such a rare item? What was her aim?

There was only one plausible explanation: blood. His blood.

Yi Bai's face grew darker as he mulled over the situation. He had just been drained of 450 milliliters of blood, and his legs were starting to tremble from the loss.

The Red-clad Vengeful Spirit's corpse = 450 milliliters of blood.

The blood-clad vengeful spirit material = ??

Yi Bai wasn't sure if he even wanted to find out, but the opportunity to obtain a Red-clad Vengeful Spirit-level puppet was far too tempting to pass up.

Conflicted! So conflicted!

Yi Bai stood there, agonizing over what to do, unsure of how to even begin speaking.

"Well... if it's to be used as an energy source, it would need the heart of a blood-clad vengeful spirit zombie, right?"

Lina, who had been quiet up until now, suddenly spoke up.

Quells nodded instinctively. "Correct. The heart of a blood-clad vengeful spirit zombie is perfect for powering a Red-clad Vengeful Spirit puppet."

"Then... Miss Jiang Ling, how much would the heart cost?" Lina asked nervously.

Yi Bai: !!!

Jiang Ling: ???

Countess Rose cast a thoughtful glance at Lina, a strange unease creeping into her heart.

As for Quells, his glass-encased brain seemed to be boiling with confusion. His own hospital's nurse turned out to be a hidden Red-clad Vengeful Spirit, and now Lina, who seemed to be strong, mysterious, and possibly very wealthy, was willing to help Yi Bai buy such an invaluable material?

This jealousy was unlike anything Quells had felt before. It was as though he'd eaten a thousand lemons, and it left him feeling sour to the core.

"Not for sale!"

Jiang Ling, without hesitation, rejected Lina's inquiry.

Then—Bang!

Countess Rose, irritated, gave her mischievous friend a swift knock on the head. Her fingers tingled from the impact.

Ugh... A thousand-year-old zombie with a thick skull—headstrong!

"Why say it if you're not going to sell it? Are you just playing with us?" Countess Rose muttered, rubbing her hand with a grimace.

Jiang Ling wasn't fazed by the knock. With a sly smile on her face, she countered, "Not selling, but we can trade instead! I'm generous. Seeing how close you and Yi Bai are, I'm willing to accept installments!"

It was a classic bait-and-switch—so obvious! After all that talk, she just wanted his blood. And installments? That sounded like regular blood draws!

Yi Bai felt a wave of frustration well up inside him, but his body, surprisingly, betrayed him. "Miss Jiang Ling, how do you propose we trade?"

"Hehehe..." Jiang Ling's eyes sparkled with delight as she let out a triumphant chuckle. "Blood-clad vengeful spirit-level materials, especially the heart, are extremely rare. I'm sure everyone knows how valuable they are."

After a moment of feigned contemplation, Jiang Ling put on a magnanimous expression. "How about... 100 milliliters of fresh blood a day, for a year? Pretty cheap, huh?"

Yi Bai: ╯｀□′)╯~ ╧╧

Even a typical adult's blood donation was usually limited to 400 milliliters at most. But Jiang Ling was demanding four times that amount every single day... for a year?!

He was a vampire, not a blood pump, for heaven's sake!

Bang!

"Ow! Ow ow ow!" Jiang Ling rubbed her head, grinning through the pain.

Countess Rose, her hand still glowing with blood power, felt a headache coming on from her friend's antics.

"What the hell—" Jiang Ling gave her a pouting look, pretending to be hurt. "Don't you think 100 milliliters a day is too much? You know what they say: 'ask for the sky, settle for the earth.' If you're not satisfied with the price, we can always negotiate!"

Well, clever as she was, Jiang Ling didn't expect Yi Bai to agree to such an absurd deal. She knew the risks of draining a vampire like him continuously would hinder his growth.

But business was all about negotiation, and more importantly, Jiang Ling wanted to get the upper hand over Countess Rose.

Just imagine: she'd be sipping Yi Bai's fresh blood every day, parading it in front of Rose as she watched helplessly, her fangs clenched in frustration. It would be so sweet.