Fang Leng sat majestically upon his dark throne, his panther Ji Woo lounging faithfully by his side. Their voices carried low in the shadowed hall, filled with the weight of wicked intent.
"I truly underestimated my nephew," Fang Leng muttered with a cruel chuckle. "Not only did he protect his wife, he slaughtered every soldier I sent."
"Perhaps it is only because you are not yet ready for him," Ji Woo replied smoothly, her voice a purr in the silence. "By the time you are, the world will hold no place for him—or for any humans. We will fill this earth with our offspring, with creatures born of our will, who will bow only to us."
Her words pleased him so greatly that he turned his head and regarded her with something close to affection. For a while, they spoke of conquest and the new world they would forge together. But then, in the midst of his satisfaction, Fang Leng suddenly stiffened. He lowered his head, one hand pressing hard against his chest as if to hold back some unseen agony.
Ji Woo's eyes narrowed. "Is something wrong?" she asked.
He only nodded, his jaw clenched tight.
She rose swiftly and stretched out her hand, weaving a quick spell to measure the energy coursing within him. Her eyes widened in alarm. "Wait… I can feel it. This body you've possessed—it's trying to break free."
"I'll fetch the Xuanming Tea," she said quickly, naming the rare herb that sharpened a possessor's grip over a host body. "It should help." Without another word, she swept from the hall.
Fang Leng remained clutching his chest, his breath rough, until a voice echoed inside his mind—clear, furious, and defiant.
This body is mine! Not yours. You cannot claim it and expect peace!
Fang Leng's lips curled into a slow, amused smirk. Then came the sound of his dark laughter, rolling through the chamber.
"Ah… Hei Xiezhi. Isn't that what they call you?" he murmured. "For you to break through the veil and speak to me like this… impressive. I did not expect you to have such potential. Strong enough, even, to wrestle me for control."
Do you think me a fool? the voice spat. If not for me, you would still be rotting in that pit. You would never have dared to seize my body. I should have killed you the moment I had the chance, you wretched parasite.
"Kill me?" Fang Leng chuckled darkly, his voice dropping to a thunderous growl. "Do you mistake me for some fragile mortal? I am no human. I am a vampire. With a flick of my hand, I could crush you."
He leaned back, his smirk widening. "But why fight? We both crave the same thing—the downfall of this world, to see it kneel before us. Only I can make that ambition real, if we work together."
I will never work with you, Hei Xiezhi snarled from within.
At that moment, Ji Woo returned, carrying a small cup filled with a steaming, blackish brew of Xuanming Tea. She pressed it into Fang Leng's hand, and he drank it without hesitation. Slowly, the rebellious voice inside him faded into silence.
A deep groan escaped him, then turned into a satisfied smirk. "This body has potential indeed," he murmured. "I never imagined a human could harbor such power. I thought they were nothing but weak, foolish creatures."
"If Hei Xiezhi accepts your will," Ji Woo said with a sly smile, "then his strength will become yours entirely. With his body at your command, fulfilling your ambitions will be… far more entertaining."
Fang Leng's gaze darkened with pleasure. He seized her chin, tilting her face up, and traced her lips lightly with his finger.
"You are truly a devil, Ji Woo," he said softly. "I am proud of you."
Then he released her roughly, turned away, and lifted the goblet of blood at his side, drinking deeply. At the moment, four soldiers marched in, dragging a struggling man between them. They dropped to one knee before Fang Leng and Ji Woo, their empty eyes glowing faintly with the haze of a spell. The man panted, terror written across his face.
"We have brought the man," one soldier said, voice hollow.
Fang Leng leaned forward on his throne, his stare like a blade piercing through the captive. The silence was heavy, suffocating. Ji Woo rose slowly. She studied the man's face as though peeling back his soul.
Then, with a faint shake of her head, she returned to her seat. Her lips curled in disdain.
"That not the him."
The air grew colder. The captive trembled.The man Ji Woo sought was no vampire, no witch, no soldier of rank—he was nothing more than a farmer from a small village. His hands were rough from the soil, his life tied to the earth. Yet, he was not like other men.
Whispers spoke of his strength, the strength of ten men bound into one. He was said to be fearless, a man who looked death in the eye without flinching. More than that, he had accomplished the impossible—he had slain more than one of Ji Woo's own creations.
That single act was enough to ignite her curiosity.
Where fang Leng saw a peasant, Ji Woo saw a weapon. Why waste such raw power when it could be forged into something greater? If she turned him, his will and strength would surpass any of her soldiers. He could become the perfect warhound, a general to lead her armies when the world burned.
Her lips curved into a cruel smile.
Yes. With him at her side, she would not simply rule in shadows—she would turn the world upside down.
With the rise of her hand, one by one, the soldiers turned their blades upon themselves. Steel pierced flesh, their bodies collapsing in a heap upon the cold stone floor. The last soldier, trembling but obedient, drove his weapon into his own chest without hesitation.
Silence followed.
"Not a single soldier was permitted to fail her command."
Her crimson eyes gleamed in satisfaction as the copper scent of blood filled the throne room. Slowly, a laugh—low and merciless—rose from her lips, echoing against the high walls like the hiss of a serpent.
It was the laugh of a queen who feared nothing, a mistress of death who would raze the world until it bent to her will.