Vol. 23 [Living Inside the Shell]

A torrential downpour struck the entire United Kingdom.

It came so suddenly and so violently, as if something was about to happen.

People felt uneasy, anxious, and expectant at the same time.

The damp and cold air exacerbated the elderly man's rheumatic and bone pain.

The harshness of cold, rainy weather further harms a child's growth and development.

Only mold and viruses like this awful weather.

Only vampires are happy to see unchanging weather, perfect for peddling cheap medicines and selling Blessed Holy Blood.

From the porch of the Windsor Hotel on the banks of the Thames River, a young doorman stands before the gate, staring incredulously at the clouds in the sky.

Like the colossal serpents of ancient Norse mythology, they writhed in the clouds, their enormous snouts opening to create wide, wind-blown eddies.

The flames emitted when a Sparrow missile explodes are its eyes.

The river flooded the hotel's platform, soaked the carpets, and washed over the lobby's beams and pillars, practically cleaning everything.

Following the fish swimming in the surging stream, it traveled south to Chaderton Fort, hundreds of kilometers away, and arrived at the lighthouse of this famous historical site.

Looking into the underground sewers, at the end of the narrow and long road, one can vaguely glimpse the elevator hall beneath the secret passage.

Jiang Xueming and Xiao Qi had run out of ammunition, switched to enemy weapons, and, carrying two MP5 submachine guns, rushed towards Zero Platform to catch up with Mary Stuart.

--We must exterminate them completely, and never let any evil creature escape.

When they burst into the dressing room in the secret passage, the second young lady of the Rose Sect was trapped in a large silver cage, screaming hysterically.

"Help! Help me! Someone please save me! Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! I've become a saint!"

The room was very spacious. The moment Xue Ming and Xiao Qi entered the room, they saw the dressing table next to the vanity mirror.

The mannequin, originally intended for showcasing outfits, was crudely transformed into a silver birdcage.

One of them looked exactly like Mary Stuart.

This woman, dressed in mink fur, was the Holy Mother whom Jiang Xueming longed for day and night.

Just as Xiao Qi was about to raise his gun and fire, Xue Ming immediately pulled back the bolt of the MP5, ejected a bullet from the muzzle, and told Xiao Qi not to make any rash moves.

Conventional ammunition is unlikely to be effective against vampires.

Moreover, Jiang Xueming recognized at a glance that this was not the Blessed Mother they were looking for.

"Although they look very similar, they are not the same person."

Xue Ming explained to Xiao Qi.

"Their spiritual pressure is completely different."

Xiao Qi was about to fire her gun when she added, "Having received the grace of the Holy Mother, I must also suffer the pain of broken bones in her place!"

Xue Ming didn't say anything, but glared fiercely at Xiao Qi.

Xiao Qi immediately became honest. "I was just kidding, but the atmosphere was right."

The two approached the silver birdcage and immediately heard Mary Stuart's message playing from the phonograph.

"Jiang Xueming, I'm keeping this gift for you."

The old hag spoke in an arrogant and contemptuous tone, using words that conveyed timidity and caution.

"You did a great job, you did a wonderful job. Perhaps all the vampires in the United Kingdom will be reduced to ashes because of this rainstorm and the scorching sun after the rain, but I will not die. I haven't lived enough yet."

Upon hearing her elder sister Mary's voice, Maggie's body began to tremble, as if her fear of the Virgin Mary had been etched into her soul.

Through the phonograph, Our Lady of Mary and Xue Ming discuss terms, wanting to talk about business.

"I don't know who you are, but based on the information I've gathered, and the things you've done—"

"--Six months ago, you were a slovenly cook selling beef offal."

Xue Ming pouted and complained to Xiao Qi, "I'm very clean."

Xiao Qi and Xue Ming rubbed their heads and faces together. "This is a petty-bourgeois stereotype; being poor equals being dirty."

Mary continued.

"But heroes come from all walks of life, and I admire you."

"But I think there's been a small misunderstanding between us."

"It's something that can be counted on two fingers, a very small matter—a pyroxene, a ring."

His tone suddenly rose, becoming extremely angry.

"As for sending you across half the globe to my lair! Using over six hundred silver bullets, twenty-five kilograms of C4, over twelve hundred knives! Using your clubs! To slaughter all my children!?"

"I saw it clearly in the surveillance footage! When you were splashing holy water and Balason, you were like a firefighter at full blast. I just can't understand how you did it."

"The six fountain pens in my study are Edward artifacts! I love them dearly! And you used them to stab thirteen VIPs in the head! With my damn collection! To kill my men!"

"Do you even know, Jiang Xueming! You're killing people! These are advanced beings with intelligence and emotions! Only they can be considered human! Aren't all the other ordinary people just useless pieces of trash without Inspiration? Can't you do the math? Raising an ordinary child is just a mouthful of rice cereal, a mouthful of milk, a few pancakes, and a few vegetables!"

"But how much money would it cost to raise these precious vampires?"

"They were beautiful, strong, and eternally youthful! They could have been historians, artists, geologists, astronauts, politicians, and great leaders!"

"Their immortality allows humanity, such a lowly life form, to be elevated once again. They are perfect opinion leaders, spiritual totems!"

"Knowledge is the ladder of humanity, and books should not be the only carriers of knowledge. The Blessed Holy Blood can transform these people into living historical libraries, and their superior knowledge and great character will lead people to a bright and smooth path."

"But you've destroyed all of that! Jiang Xueming! Originally, starting from London, United Kingdom, we could have spread this sacred bloodline all over the world!"

"But why? Why were you so foolish, so heartless?"

"Just because I took a ring from your partner's hand? That piece of junk is produced by the ton every day in every heavy industrial factory in the world; it's worthless!"

"Corundum is a man-made material that can be found everywhere, just like I said! It's used in the tools for producing steel. Are these two things really that important? To you, to Ling Weng, they're not particularly valuable, are they?"

"Is the ring the main point, Jiang Xueming? Think it through."

"Your despicable and incompetent companion is a seductive slut sent by the Abyssal Railway, meant to bewitch your heart, to gnaw at your flesh and blood, to weaken your spirit and essence. If you don't turn back, you'll even lose your radiant soul!"

"I'm so anxious! Xue Ming! I'm really so anxious!"

"I believe that my entire life, these four hundred and eighty-three years of loneliness and waiting, was for the purpose of meeting you. The ring I snatched from that little bitch beside you is the means by which our spirits and souls connect."

"It should belong to me! It definitely belongs to me!"

"I have always waited for you with such anticipation and unwavering loyalty, like a young girl in the throes of first love."

"But you're brandishing a knife! Holding a gun! You're willing to fight me to the death! To oppose me, all for this worthless ring! For that vicious black cat! For that lowly little girl beside you?"

"Ha! Hahahaha! Hahahahaha!"

"You underestimate me too much. I am a monster who has lived for four hundred and eighty-three years."

"I will gradually break down your heart, Jiang Xueming."

"The people struggling and cursing in the cage, or crying innocently, are my substitutes. When I attend meetings that are unclear and ambiguous, I usually have these scapegoats attend in my place."

"This is a gift for you. Just shake the cage gently, and this weak and powerless substitute will die right before your eyes, allowing you to vent your anger."

"You can simply turn on your phone, record this scene, and upload it to the internet. That way, all the vampires of the Rose Sect will lose their will to fight, and the dozen or so factions in London will start vying for this sacred place, Chaderton Fort —they will die in the sunlight."

"Doesn't that sound tempting? You'll become a great hero, a treasure in the eyes of the black cat, a legendary general who can hold off ten thousand men, and you'll enter the Twelve Elders Council of the Abyssal Railway, with a bright future ahead."

"Your stone is corundum, and coincidentally, the Nameless One is lacking someone to make a decision."

"All of this is a gift from me; you must be grateful."

"I won't make any unreasonable demands, Xue Ming."

"I won't make any outrageous demands on your private life, your family, or your partner."

"You can sleep with whomever you want, and kiss whomever you want."

"But one thing you must remember when you receive this favor is that I, Mary Stuart, helped you—without me, you wouldn't have achieved such success."

"I think this is a very good deal. I don't know what you think."

"To be precise, I don't know you at all, but according to my investigation, ever since you rose to prominence, you've been chasing money and status. Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone to the Skull and Bones 'Skull and Bones Society den with Joe, and you wouldn't have been in contact with the Hand of Omnipotence —Little Finger turned you into a woman. They're helping you, aren't they?"

"You must have made a deal with them. Thinking about it, you actually had dealings with these Madness Butterfly Sect members behind Black Cat's back—so you won't refuse my invitation, right?"

"Xue Ming, it doesn't matter who you do business with. I believe the reason I've survived so many years in this treacherous and ugly human society is because of my business acumen."

"If we join forces through force, through blood ties and marriage, through power and leverage, using this asset, this business plan, and the Inspiration intuition and soul force of vampires, it's not impossible for us to work for the Black Cat, is it?"

"Ming De is more ancient than you think, and it's far more cunning. Compared to fragile humans, we're better suited to VIP work—at that time, it will inevitably consider adding humans to its menu, using flesh and blood as fuel. We're just a new train for it to explore the underground world. It's just an industrial upgrade, right?"

"Inferior products should be eliminated; the strong prey on the weak, and only the fittest survive—this is the truth of nature."

"What's in front of you is just a very, very simple math problem, isn't it?"

"If you consider flesh and blood as assets, I think it's worth far more than that shameless, bastard woman next to you!"

"I can already foresee your end! Time flies, youth fades, and in just fifty years, you'll become a pair of old, decrepit reptiles—finally buried in coffins, or perhaps cremated, turning into ashes. No one will remember your souls, leaving behind nothing of value."

"But what about me? While your bodies reek of old age and develop age spots, I remain youthful and beautiful—while your memories fade and your eyesight declines, I remain ambitious, lurking in the shadows, watching you. While you can only sleep five hours a day, frequently wake up at night, limping and fumbling in the dark to turn on the light, running to the toilet and urinating on your ankles, like babbling infants, I can kill your fragile bodies with just a flick of my finger."

"You can't catch me—I'm back on Zero Platform."

"In the deep, dark underworld, you can't catch me at all. No one can catch a shadow! The vampires are the darkest shadow in your hearts!"

"If you dare refuse this favor, Jiang Xueming..."

"I will remember the hatred for these more than six hundred blood relatives, and I will avenge them with my blood."

"No matter how powerful you are, you are no match for time. Even someone as immortal as Joe will one day lose his memory and strength. But we—with the Blessed Holy Blood and the loving care of White Lady, and with our human essence constantly renewing our bodies and brains, we will always remain at our peak."

"Whenever you show weakness or frailty, when you are fast asleep, when you are in pain, when you are vulnerable, when you are dreaming—your Gate of Death, and we, who do not need sleep, will come to demand this blood debt."

"But, Xue Ming..."

"My dearest love, if you agree to my request, kick over that birdcage and let my substitute die in my place, like my foolish third sister Masha, turning to ashes in the disinfectant silver and sunlight."

"If you agree to my proposal, take this crown of victory, go to the station to collect your reward, and marry me in name only, and use cloning technology to retrieve eggs for surrogacy to produce one or two children, we will reap eternal sweetness."

"If these conditions aren't tempting enough, you can have a few kids with that slut next to you, and I'll be their godmother."

"Bang--"

Xue Ming snatched the gun from Xiao Qi's hand, dual-wielded it, fired, emptied the magazine, and smashed the phonograph to pieces.

Xiao Qi asked in confusion, "You can't stand it anymore? I was planning to enjoy it a little longer!"

Xue Ming: "I could tolerate the first part, and barely listen to it—but I can't stand the second part."

Xiao Qi: "Why?"

Xue Ming: "She actually wants our child? And she's even planning to be the godmother? Is she a lifetime member of Taobao? Did Fish Leong give her the courage?"

Xiao Qi: "How about we try having one first?"

Xue Ming: "When will you give birth? Next month? Are you trying to conceive? I don't smoke and I exercise regularly."

Xiao Qi: "No, no, no, I was just kidding."

Xue Ming rolled her eyes. "That's why I really have a hard time understanding you talkative people. You talk so much it's maddening, your adjectives are exaggerated and flamboyant, but you often miss the point."

Xiao Qi muttered, "The little bourgeoisie really likes opera."

Xue Ming clapped. "Brilliant--Bravo!"

The phonograph has been dealt with.

Xue Ming, prioritizing efficiency, went directly to Maggie's second sister.

"Give me the ring!"

She was holding one gun in one hand and another in the other, showing no intention of reaching out to take anything. Her attitude and manners were extremely poor.

To be honest, Xue Ming was furious. Staying there listening to Mary ramble on about pyramid schemes was already a huge waste of time, but then Mary went through the whole roadshow, from the business model and corporate culture to the pain points of Abyssal Railway. In the end, she even threatened the investors, saying that they would suffer the consequences if they invested.

At this moment, Maggie felt very uncertain.

She had already taken off the ring, intending to use it as her talisman.

Should we trust these people? Trust these vicious hunters who kill vampires as quickly as they harvest leeks?

If she hands over the ring, her historical mission will be complete, and it will likely be time for Maggie Stuart's execution.

We must never easily hand over the Steel Heart.

Jiang Xueming immediately said, "Every minute you're slow, Mary Stuart runs for another minute. Every minute she runs for another minute, I'll fire another bullet into your head."

Maggie was on the verge of tears.

"I can't believe you, Jiang Xueming!"

Jiang Xueming continued, "I won't use silver bullets; you'll suffer a fate worse than death."

Maggie immediately said, "No, no! You swear! You swear to God! If I give you the Steel Heart, you won't kill me!"

Jiang Xueming: "A vow spoken is meaningless. You want me to perform this strange ceremony? It's useless!"

Maggie wanted to kneel, but the narrow cage prevented her from doing so.

She pointed to the cameras in the dressing room, which were filming the events unfolding at that moment from eight different angles. This was another gift Mary Stuart left for Jiang Xueming.

"There are cameras here! As long as you keep your word! Spare my life, and my double survives, I'll still be useful to Sister Mary! She'll definitely give you extra compensation!"

Maggie's expression changed, turning fierce. She gritted her teeth, roared angrily, and made a vicious threat.

"But you killed me! You'll absolutely offend Robert Tang Ning! I look exactly like his beloved! This video will be handed over to that Tang Ning by Sister Mary! Seeing his beloved die twice, twice!!! He'll never escape the shadow of this pain for the rest of his life!"

Xiao Qi asked in confusion, "Who is Robert Tang Ning?"

Xue Ming took a moment to reply, "Your memory is that bad?"

Xiao Qi chuckled, "It's nothing, I was just saying something witty to liven things up, I'll remember it!"

"Okay, I swear on these eight cameras—"

Jiang Xueming spoke slowly and deliberately, very seriously.

"--I, Jiang Xueming, will never harm you, as long as you hand over the Steel Heart to me."

Maggie then added, "Not only will you not hurt me, you'll also protect me!"

Xiao Qi: "You're pushing your luck!"

Maggie snapped, "Shut up! Who do you think you are!"

Jiang Xueming continued, "I will still protect you."

Maggie quickly replied, "Yes, yes, yes! Yes, yes! You'll protect me too. Otherwise, I'd destroy your brilliance right now! It's fragile! Like a diamond, it'll shatter if you drop it too hard!"

Jiang Xueming: "I will never hurt you, and I will protect you. I will never let you be harmed by anyone else, or may I be struck by lightning and have my soul destroyed!"

Maggie nodded vigorously, extended her sharp fingernails, and pulled a colorless diatomite from the flesh of her chest. She then took out a steel ring from her calf. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Jiang Xueming: "Are there any other conditions?"

Maggie put the ring and the sapphire back together.

"Other conditions? Other conditions?! Yes! There are other conditions! I want to marry you."

Jiang Xueming: "These conditions are outrageous."

Bai Qingqing: "Really? Seriously? In front of me? I'm watching! Can you guys turn off the lights?!"

Maggie immediately shoved the ring into her mouth, wrapping her long, nimble red tongue around the metal ring, her words barely audible, "You have to agree! Otherwise, I'll eat it!"

Jiang Xueming: "I don't understand."

Bai Qingqing: "I don't understand either."

Maggie wept, as if she had suffered endless injustice. "Why am I just a substitute! Why are all the men I get secondhand goods that my eldest sister has already played with! Some are even cold corpses!? Why can't I be the Blessed Mother? Just because I'm a clone? Why? Jiang Xueming? Why—"

"--Why do you possess such immense power? Is it because your parents gave you such a strong body? Your teachers taught you how to fight? Are you an even more formidable carnivore? We kill and eat people! We eat the flesh of apex predators! We drink the blood of apex predators! Did you secretly eat vampires to gain god-like fighting power? I want to know... I want to be by your side, I believe you can protect me. Now I've finally managed to catch you red-handed! You care about this stone, don't you? I want you to obey! I'm going to take control of your reins!"

Jiang Xueming replied without hesitation, "Sure, whatever you say, just give it to me."

Xiao Qi: "Are you serious?"

Jiang Xueming: "The cameras are rolling! I'm serious!"

Xiao Qi: "Is it really true?"

Maggie: "Really? Really?"

Jiang Xueming: "Why don't you give me the ring first, and then you and my blind date play rock-paper-scissors to decide who's the older and who's the younger?"

Overwhelmed by a frenzied sense of happiness, Maggie's pupils dilated, and without thinking, she thrust the Steel Heart outwards, as if in a marriage proposal.

The instant Xue Ming tossed aside the two guns and took the ring—

--She suddenly kicked away the silver cage; she was a heartless and ruthless woman.

Xiao Qi followed up with a kick, and the cage spun and rolled away like a rocket.

All that could be heard was Maggie, the caged bird of evil, screaming pitifully, as intense flames burst forth from her body, gradually turning into a lump of flesh and blood amidst the brilliant glow.

"Tang Ning, save me! Tang Ning!"

Jiang Xueming put the ring back on Xiao Qi's finger.

Seventh Brother's contemptuous, arrogant, and overbearing smile as a Soul Hall elder left Mingjie at a loss, unable to distinguish who the villain was.

A resentful groan escaped Maggie Stuart's throat; even on the verge of death, she wanted to take someone down with her, to inflict some psychological trauma on Tang Ning, and to cause Jiang Xueming more trouble in terms of friendship and relationships.

"Robert, Robert, Robert!"

Jiang Xueming picked up his gun and fired thirty rounds at the cage, then changed the magazine and fired another thirty rounds.

"He will grow up, his wings will become harder than your fleshy membranes, he is the feather and sword on the SAS insignia, he is United Kingdom, perhaps he will forge an iron shell for his heart because of the death of his lover, but he will not live in the shell forever, there will always be cracks, because the Great Rift of All Things says - that is where the light gets in."

Xiao Qi then fired thirty rounds, changed the magazine, and fired another thirty rounds.

The bullet shattered the cage, embedding shards of silver deep into the vampire monster's body.

We are destined to be apart in this life! See you in the next!

After cooking Maggie--

The two rushed into the elevator hall and headed towards Zero Platform.

"Mr. Jiang Xueming!"

"Um."

"Did you just make an outrageous vow in front of everyone, and now you're going to be struck by lightning?"

"What does my oath [JoeStar] have to do with Jiang Xueming, who lives an honest and law-abiding life? Struck by lightning? I ask you, where was God when these vampire demons were harming people? Would He unleash His divine power and send down Nulei? He wouldn't. Did we rely on God to kill so many enemies along the way?"

"Hahahaha! Hahahaha! You big liar! You want me to lie to you too! Hahahaha!"

"Bai Ziqing, remember this: the more beautiful a woman is, the more likely she is to deceive you."