After lunch, Leng Yue turned to Tian Yu with a calm but serious look.
"There's someone we need to find," he said.
Tian Yu raised a brow. "Someone?"
Leng Yue nodded. "A man. He's tied to my visions… and also connected to the maid, Mei. And Ji woo is desperately looking for the man too. They need his strength. I think their goal is turn him to a vampire and use him. We need to act fast before they find him."
Tian Yu frowned, listening carefully as Leng Yue explained. He told him what had happened in the past, and that the man they sought was the one blessed with the strength of ten. Finally, Leng Yue concluded, "We set out by nightfall. Meet me at the palace then."
After the conversation, Leng Yue and Mei bid Yuyan and Tian Yu farewell before stepping into their carriage and departing.
Once Yuyan and Tian Yu returned inside and settled in their chamber, Tian Yu recounted what Leng Yue had told him—about the prophecy, about Mei's father, and abour their plan to find him.
Yuyan's eyes widened in shock. "Wait… Mei's father?" She stared at him, paused, and then asked, "Tian Yu… do you think something is going on between Leng Yue and Mei?"
He hesitated, then replied carefully, "I don't really know… but they seem… suspicious."
Yuyan leaned closer, studying his face. "Do you think Leng Yue likes her? I mean—do you think he could fall in love with a maid?"
Instead of answering, Tian Yu smirked and pulled her into his arms. "Were you really jealous today… when the maids called me 'hot'?"
Yuyan rolled her eyes, feigning indifference. "What is there to be jealous of?"
He cupped his face dramatically, pretending to sulk. "So cruel…"
She giggled at his expression, but her smile faded into something softer. "Tian Yu, promise me you'll take care of Leng Yue when you set out. The world is not what it used to be. And… also take care of yourself. I don't want you to get hurt."
Her words made him freeze. For a brief moment, he saw Mei Lian's face and softness reflected in hers. She was indeed his Mei Lian. Then he smiled gently.
"Don't worry. I'll try not to get hurt." He kissed her forehead before pulling her into a warm embrace.
---
As night approached, Leng Yue strode along the palace corridor. There, he spotted Mei standing outside his chambers, as if she had been waiting.
He walked up to her. She quickly straightened and bowed. "Your Highness, I was—"
"You should stay in your chambers at night," he cut her off, his tone unusually cold.
Mei blinked, startled. "I only wanted to—"
"I'll be out tonight. Stay inside," he said firmly, turning to leave.
Her voice dropped low. "Did… I do something wrong?"
Leng Yue halted, exhaling slowly. After a pause, he turned back, stepped toward her, and suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Take care of yourself, Mei," he murmured, then let go and walked away, leaving her stunned.
She stood frozen for a moment, whispering to herself, "Why is he acting so strange?" before returning quietly to her chambers.
Meanwhile, Leng Yue made his way down a secluded path beyond the palace, toward the place he had told Tian Yu to meet him.
---
Back in their room, Tian Yu reached for the sword resting against the wall.
Yuyan emerged from the bath, her damp hair clinging to her night robe. She caught sight of him strapping on his blade. "Are you heading out now?" she asked softly.
"Yes," he replied, stepping toward her. "Please take care of yourself—and don't leave this room." He wrapped her in one last hug before vanishing into the night.
Tian Yu appeared at the meeting spot, where Leng Yue already stood waiting with two horses.
"You're late," Leng Yue remarked.
"Late? Are you serious?" Tian Yu scoffed.
"Of course," Leng Yue smirked. "Come on—hop on." He mounted his horse with ease.
Rolling his eyes, Tian Yu climbed onto his own, and together they rode off into the dark of night.
They rode for a long while, the sound of hooves thundering against the dirt road. From time to time, they spurred their horses faster, competing with each other in bursts of speed, laughter and challenge mingling in the wind.
Eventually, the lively forest trail gave way to a desolate stretch of land. The air grew colder, and silence pressed heavily around them. The trees here were withered, their branches bare and crooked like skeletal fingers. Moss clung to broken stones, and the faint ruins of old structures peeked through overgrown weeds. It was a place abandoned by time—where once life might have thrived, but now only the whispers of the past remained.
They slowed their horses, dismounting before a lonely, weather-worn cottage that stood stubbornly amidst the decay. Its wooden beams sagged, and its roof bore the scars of storms long endured.
"He's here," Leng Yue said quietly after scanning the surroundings.
Tian Yu gave a small nod. Together, they moved toward the door.
But before they could knock, a sudden sound cut through the silence—a heavy shuffle, followed by a roar. An unfamiliar figure lunged from the shadows.
The man was tattered, his tangled hair falling wild about his shoulders, his face unshaven, eyes sharp with suspicion. His clothes were nothing but rags, and the stench of dust and sweat clung to him. Without a word, he struck.
Tian Yu reacted instantly, shoving Leng Yue aside and meeting the man's fist with his own arm. The impact sent a jarring shock through him—this strength was no ordinary man's.
"I think he's the one," Tian Yu muttered under his breath.
The man's blows rained down in relentless fury, forcing both Leng Yue and Tian Yu to block and parry.
"You have to calm down!" Leng Yue raised his voice, dodging a heavy strike. "We know who you are!"
The man didn't falter, his fists were like hammers.
Leng Yue's eyes narrowed. "The prophecy—the one of dark forces seeking you—it has begun and you need to let us help you."
The words landed like a thunderclap. The man froze mid-strike, his chest heaving as he stared at Leng Yue in disbelief.
"Who… who are you?" he demanded, his voice hoarse.
Leng Yue straightened, his tone steady and regal. "I am Leng Yue, Crown Prince of Lianhua. And I am also the Devine Seer." Slowly, he lowered his weapon.
The man's tense shoulders eased. His breathing steadied, though his eyes still searched their faces warily.
"The prophecy… how did you know about it. Are you the seer?" he asked at last, his voice quieter now.
"Yes," Leng Yue replied firmly. "Dark forces are already hunting you and I needed to find you."
The man swallowed, then turned to Tian Yu. Tian Yu's calm, unreadable gaze unsettled him. He lowered his head.
"My father told me I was blessed with the strength of ten men," the man said. "He warned me that one day, once I came of age, dark forces would seek me out. He was a wise man—he knew much of prophecies and magic. I never really take his warning serious. But all these years, danger comes anywhere I am. So I had to move out of sight. I lost my home, my family. "
Leng Yue inclined his head in respect. "I have heard of your father. Truly, he was a great man."
The man finally extended a hand. "My name is Wu Zhen," he said, clasping Leng Yue's forearm before glancing at Tian Yu. "And who is he?"
Leng Yue opened his mouth to answer, but Tian Yu suddenly cut him off, his sharp voice slicing through the stillness.
"Something is off." His ears twitched, his focus narrowing. For a moment he stood still, listening—then in a blur of movement, he flung himself toward Leng Yue, his blade flashing.
Clang! The arrow that would have pierced Leng Yue shattered against his weapon.
"They've found him," Tian Yu said coldly.
Almost instantly, the air filled with shrieks and roars. Dark shapes suddenly appeared. From the shadows poured a horde of Fang Leng's vampire soldiers, their eyes glowing, their snarls echoing across the wasteland.
The three men stood back-to-back, their weapons ready.
"No matter what," Leng Yue's voice rang clear above the chaos, "we return alive. All of us."
And with that, the battle erupted.