Into The Sea

It seemed the car was truly beyond repair.

Ji Lingyue sighed regretfully, hopping out of the vehicle with a limp. The sun-scorched ground was covered in shapeless ashes, which scattered with the breeze.

Not far away, the slender vampire stood bored under the canopy of a building, her voluminous curls cascading down her back. Perhaps because the sun was too intense, she had finally ditched her usual light dresses for a more practical outfit—a button-up shirt, jeans, and a pair of brown leather boots.

Even in such plain clothes, Lan Wu still looked like she belonged on a runway. Ji Lingyue had to admit—she was easy on the eyes.

Especially the collar around her neck made her look even better.

She walked back, carrying her bag, and casually complimented, “You actually look kinda nice like this.”

Lan Wu blinked, completely forgetting she had decided to ignore Ji Lingyue for the next three hours. She immediately puffed up, folding her arms smugly. “Of course I do. I look good in everything.”

How easy she is to please, Ji Lingyue mused, rolling her eyes. “Show-off.”

“Huh? What does that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’re very stylish.”

“Really?” Lan Wu watched her walk away, quickly opening the umbrella and jogging to catch up. “Are we walking all the way to your house? Aren’t there any other cars?”

“Where would we find a car? Even if we did, we wouldn’t have the keys. I’m not one of those movie characters who can hotwire a car with two wires…”

Just then, a rumbling sound echoed from the end of the street. A motorcycle suddenly swerved around the corner, carrying two heavily armed individuals. They raised their guns, aiming at them.

Lan Wu reacted instantly, pulling Ji Lingyue into her arms, shielding her from the bullets.

Bang!

“Ugh!” The vampire stumbled, wincing in pain. “I just changed clothes!”

Ji Lingyue pulled her into a nearby shop. “Where did it hit you?”

Lan Wu groaned, “My left shoulder.”

Ji Lingyue hurriedly pulled down Lan Wu’s collar to check. The bullet was already being pushed out by her muscles, and within seconds, even the blackened bullet hole had healed, leaving no trace.

The vampire’s incredible regenerative abilities never ceased to amaze her.

Relieved, Ji Lingyue reassured her, “It’s fine. It wasn’t silver.”

Meanwhile, the motorcycle screeched to a halt outside the shop. The two attackers jumped off and stormed in, guns drawn. “Hey! If you don’t want to die, hand over your ba…”

Before he could finish, he froze, his voice rising to a shrill pitch. “V-v-vampire!”

Ji Lingyue adjusted Lan Wu’s collar and turned to face them with a smirk. “Alright, go ahead.”

After a pause, she added, “But don’t drink their blood.”

Lan Wu huffed. “As if I’m that desperate.”

A burst of chaotic thuds and shouts later, the two armed men lay crumpled on the floor like discarded rags. Ji Lingyue stepped forward and removed their helmets. Lan Wu leaned over curiously, only for Ji Lingyue to plop one onto her head.

But the moment it touched her head, Lan Wu let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Ji Lingyue was startled. “What’s wrong?”

“It smells like sweat!” Lan Wu cried, struggling to yank it off.

Ji Lingyue quickly took the helmet off. “Sorry, sorry.”

Lan Wu shook her head in disgust, turning away. “I need to take another shower.”

While she went to clean up, Ji Lingyue crouched down and searched the unconscious men’s pockets, finding a lighter, a flashlight, and other small items. She then found some rope and tied them up securely. After finishing, she fiddled with the helmet in her hand, looking out at the bright sunshine, and had an idea.

“You’re trying to put it on me again?”

The freshly showered vampire was less than cooperative. When Ji Lingyue approached with the helmet, Lan Wu tiptoed backward, avoiding her.

Ji Lingyue couldn’t reach her, so she explained, “I washed it and left it in the sun to dry. It doesn’t smell anymore.”

Lan Wu was skeptical. “Really?”

“Really. Why would I lie about something like that?”

“…Fine. But why do I have to wear it?”

Ji Lingyue patiently explained, “Because we’re going to ride a motorcycle. Unlike a car, there’s no roof to protect you from the sun. The helmet will keep you safe. So, do you want to wear it or not?”

Lan Wu pondered for a moment before finally lowering her head. Ji Lingyue sighed in relief, then helped her put on the gloves, muttering, “Don’t move around too much once we’re on the bike. If it gets too sunny, just say so and we’ll stop.”

Lan Wu nodded, uncomfortably shaking her head. Now fully covered, she looked a bit clumsy. Ji Lingyue chuckled, tapping the helmet. “Alright, let’s go.”

Lan Wu turned and slowly followed her. “You can ride a motorcycle, drive a car, and even stab people. Is there anything you can’t do?”

“I don’t strut around like a show-off.”

Lan Wu blinked. “What does that even mean?”

“It means you’re pretty.”

“Don’t patronize me,” she grumbled, climbing onto the back of the motorcycle. She was about to press the matter when the girl suddenly twisted the throttle, shooting forward. Lan Wu shrieked in terror and grabbed Ji Lingyue’s waist. “Slow down! SLOW DOWN!”

Ji Lingyue said cheerfully, “Just hold on tight.”

With the wind whipping through their hair, the two sped down the road, quickly becoming a small speck in the distance.

***

Some time later, another car pulled up to the gas station.

A tall woman stepped out of the driver’s seat, holding a compass-like device. She put on sunglasses and walked over to the wrecked car, frowning. “No one’s inside.”

She opened the trunk and expertly pulled off the tracking device attached to the bottom of the seat. “They stopped here last night. They probably haven’t gone far. Search the area.”

“Got it,” Yu Shanye replied, grabbing her crossbow and heading towards the supermarket. Danqing and Danbai ran off to search the other shops. Soon, Danbai shouted, “Teacher! Over here!”

Ye Qingjun, who had been examining the twisted car door, quickly walked over. The shop looked like it had been through a disaster, with shattered glass covering the floor. In the back, two men lay bound and gagged.

Danqing had just pulled the tape off one of the men’s mouths when he screamed, “Vampire!”

Danbai frowned. “Vampire? Where?”

“A vampire! A vampire attacked us, knocked us out, and… and stole our things!”

“Knocked you out but didn’t drink your blood?” Ye Qingjun raised an eyebrow. “A vampire with self-restraint?”

The two men nodded repeatedly, their faces full of resentment. “She had a human accomplice! They were working together!”

Danqing quickly asked, “Was she a pale, skinny human girl, about this tall?”

“Yes, yes! That’s her!”

Danqing said with certainty, “Then she’s definitely bad!”

Ye Qingjun shook her head. “It’s broad daylight. How did she attack you? Looks like this used to be a craft store. What were you two even doing in here?”

The two men exchanged glances, stammering. At that moment, Yu Shanye ran back, looking distressed. “Teacher, you need to see this. Over there, there are…” She bit her lip, her face pale. “A lot of bodies.”

Soon, the group stood before the blood-stained cold storage room. The stench of decay hit them like a wall, and flies buzzed around the entrance. Danqing took one look and ran outside, retching. The two men, now freed, exclaimed, “It was her! It had to be her!”

Yu Shanye frowned. “These bodies look like they’ve been here for days. They only arrived here yesterday. How could she have done this?”

“Who else could have done it? She’s the only vampire around here! With this heat, the bodies could’ve decomposed overnight!”

Ye Qingjun clicked her tongue and closed the door. “Enough arguing. A vampire that eats humans must be dealt with. We need to find them quickly. Better to kill the wrong one than let the real threat go.”

“What about Sister Changge? Aren’t we still looking for her?”

Hearing this, Ye Qingjun’s headache intensified. She bit her lip and sighed helplessly. “At this point, we’ll have to rely on Ah Jin to save Changge.”