One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Chapter 172 Vampires?

"Chen Duo, wait for me here, don't wander off," Nie Lingfeng whispered to Chen Duo, then got up and followed him.

Chen Duo nodded, holding her lemonade and sipping it slowly, but her eyes remained fixed on the direction Nie Lingfeng had left in.

Nie Lingfeng followed the man in the trench coat out of the bar through the back door. The back door led to a narrow alleyway cluttered with junk, with no streetlights, only the faint glow of the neon lights at the distant street corner.

The man in the trench coat walked very fast, his feet barely touching the ground, as if he were floating. Nie Lingfeng followed at a leisurely pace, always maintaining a distance of about ten meters.

After passing through the alley, I came to another, relatively wide street. This place was more remote, almost deserted, with only one 24-hour convenience store still lit up.

The man in the trench coat stopped in front of the convenience store, turned around, and looked at Nie Lingfeng.

Beneath the hood, those blood-red eyes stood out starkly in the darkness.

"Why are you following me?" he asked, his voice hoarse, with a strange, metallic quality.

"Curious." Nie Lingfeng stopped and looked at him. "I heard things haven't been safe around here lately. There's something that specifically targets women working the night shift... Let me see if it's you."

The man in the trench coat was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed, a cold laugh: "So what if I am? So what if I am not? You want to be a hero?"

"I don't want to." Nie Lingfeng shook his head. "I'm just... a kind person passing by. I happened to take on a job."

"A lackey of the company?" A hint of disdain flashed in the man's eyes. "No wonder you smelled so disgusting."

"Say what you want," Nie Lingfeng shrugged indifferently. "Are you coming with me yourself, or am I 'inviting' you away?"

"You think you can take me?" The man in the trench coat sneered, his figure blurring as he suddenly vanished from the spot!

So fast!

Nie Lingfeng's pupils contracted, and he turned to the side almost simultaneously!

"Whoosh!"

A cold, claw-like gust of wind grazed his cheek, leaving three deep scratch marks on the wall.

The man in the trench coat appeared behind him, his right hand forming a claw with a ghostly blue light at the fingertips, and he reached for Nie Lingfeng's back again!

"Not bad speed," Nie Lingfeng commented, without dodging or evading, he threw a backhand punch!

"Bang!"

Fists and claws collided, producing a muffled thud! The man in the trench coat was forced back three steps, a flicker of horror in his eyes. Nie Lingfeng, however, remained completely still.

"Your strength is a bit lacking," Nie Lingfeng commented, shaking his hand.

"Who...who are you?!" The man in the trench coat stared intently at him, his bloodshot eyes finally revealing wariness.

"I told you, you were just a kind passerby." Nie Lingfeng took a step forward and reappeared in front of the other person, striking him in the chest with a palm!

This palm strike, though seemingly light and airy, caused the air to distort and emit a piercing shriek wherever it passed!

The man in the trench coat's expression changed drastically. He tried to dodge, but the palm strike locked him in place, rendering him immobile! He was about to be struck—

"stop!"

A clear, anxious female voice suddenly rang out!

Immediately afterwards, a figure rushed out of the convenience store and stood in front of the man in the trench coat!

It was a girl. She looked to be in her early twenties, wearing a convenience store uniform, with her hair in a ponytail, a round face, and big eyes. At that moment, she was looking at Nie Lingfeng in fear, her arms outstretched like a mother hen protecting her chicks.

"No...don't hurt him!" Her voice trembled, but it was firm.

Nie Lingfeng stopped his palm an inch in front of the girl, the wind from his palm making her bangs fly wildly.

"You know him?" Nie Lingfeng raised an eyebrow.

"He...he's my boyfriend!" the girl bit her lip. "He...he's not a bad person! He's just...just sick!"

"Sick?" Nie Lingfeng looked at the man in the trench coat behind her.

The man in the trench coat had his head down, his face hidden by the hood, making his expression impossible to see. But the "qi" emanating from him was very unstable, sometimes violent, sometimes weak, as if he were struggling.

"Yes! He's sick!" The girl nodded vigorously, her eyes reddening. "He has a very strange illness; he's sensitive to light and needs... he needs regular blood transfusions. But he's never harmed anyone! Those things... he didn't do those things!"

Nie Lingfeng remained silent.

He could sense that the girl wasn't lying. Her "qi" was faint and pure; she was just an ordinary convenience store clerk with some spiritual awareness. As for the man in the trench coat behind her, although his "qi" was cold, it didn't smell of blood—at least, he hadn't killed anyone recently.

"What happened to those victims, with the teeth marks on their necks and excessive blood loss?" Nie Lingfeng asked.

"It was...it was him." The girl lowered her head, her voice even softer. "But he only...only took a little blood to keep them alive. He always controlled himself perfectly, never killing anyone, and he even used his abilities to blur their memories...He really didn't do it on purpose! He just...just wanted to live..."

In the end, she cried, tears streaming down her face.

The man in the trench coat shuddered, slowly raising his head. His hood slipped down, revealing a pale but handsome face. He looked at the girl with a complex expression, reaching out to touch her shoulder before pulling his hand back.

"Xiaoya...don't say anymore..." His voice was hoarse. "I did...hurt someone. I deserve to be punished."

"No! I won't allow it!" The girl named Xiaoya turned around and hugged him. "What will I do if you get arrested? You promised to stay with me for life!"

The man in the trench coat stood stiffly, his hand hovering in mid-air, before finally gently landing on the girl's back.

Nie Lingfeng looked at this scene and felt a bit...headache.

This plot seems to be heading towards a melodramatic romance drama.

His task was to investigate a "vampire" and handle the situation accordingly. Now the "vampire" has been found, and he's a "romantic" one at that. To avoid harming his girlfriend, he's only taking a small amount of human blood and trying to avoid leaving any aftereffects.

What... should we do?

Arrest them directly and hand them over to the company? Judging from their desperate farewell, it seems a bit heartless.

Let him go? What about the mission then? And who can guarantee he won't go out of control later?

Nie Lingfeng rubbed his temples and looked at the man in the trench coat: "What's your name? What's going on? Explain yourself. Otherwise... I'll have to handle this strictly by law."

The man in the trench coat was silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "My name is Lin Ye. I... am not a vampire. At least, not entirely."

He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts: "Three years ago, I was studying abroad and joined an... underground club. They were researching some... forbidden things. I accidentally got injected with a drug that mixed 'Cain's blood' and some kind of Eastern 'corpse poison.' And then, I became like this—afraid of light, needing to regularly drink human blood, possessing superhuman speed and strength, but... also losing my mind, becoming bloodthirsty and violent."

"Cain's blood?" Nie Lingfeng frowned. "The origin of Western vampire legends?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Lin Ye smiled bitterly. "That kind of drug was very confusing, and its ingredients were unknown. I fled back to China and hid in S City, relying on stealing blood bags, or... finding lone people at night to take a little blood to survive. Until... I met Xiaoya."

He looked at the girl in his arms, his eyes softening. "She works the night shift at a convenience store. Once, I lost control and almost hurt her. But she... wasn't afraid. Instead, she took care of me and covered for me. Later... we got together. She's my... only reason for living."

"So, you were the one who carried out those attacks?" Nie Lingfeng asked.

"Yes." Lin Ye nodded. "But I swear, I only take blood, I've never killed anyone. After each blood draw, I use my 'Blood Charm' ability to blur their memories, making them think they just had a nightmare. Moreover, I only choose young women who look healthy and have abundant blood, and I keep the amount of blood I take within a safe range."

Nie Lingfeng carefully examined Lin Ye's body with his senses. Indeed, there was a cold and violent power within him, but it was suppressed by another gentle and vibrant power—it should be the pure spiritual energy from Xiao Ya, subtly influencing him.

Moreover, Lin Ye did not possess any resentment stemming from "human death." This indicates that he had indeed not killed anyone.

"How long has this been going on?" Nie Lingfeng asked.

"Three years," Lin Ye said. "It was very difficult at first; I would lose control almost every month. But after meeting Xiao Ya, it got much better. Her 'Qi' is very special; it can soothe the violence within me. In the last six months, I have been able to barely control myself, only taking blood and not harming anyone."

Nie Lingfeng seemed to be deep in thought. It seemed that this Lin Ye was a "mutant vampire" who had been influenced by love (or rather, Xiao Ya's special spiritual energy) and was trying to move closer to being "human".

In this situation, killing him would be a waste. But keeping him would create a potential problem.

"Mr. Nie." A deep voice came from the side.

Nie Lingfeng turned his head and saw a man wearing a black leather jacket, sunglasses, and carrying a silver case, who had appeared at the alley entrance at some point. It was "Night Owl".

"I have a general understanding of the situation." Night Owl walked over, nodded to Nie Lingfeng, and then looked at Lin Ye. "Lin Ye, male, 28 years old, returned from studying abroad three years ago, unemployed. Suspected of participating in illegal human experiments overseas, his body has mutated, exhibiting some vampire characteristics. In the past year, he has been involved in twelve nighttime attacks, but no one has died. Assessment: Danger level B, controllable."

He paused, then added, "The company's proposed course of action against you is—regulation. You'll wear a specially made 'blood-suppressing ring,' report to the local branch regularly for checkups and psychological evaluations. Simultaneously, you'll need to cooperate with the company in investigating the cause of the mutation in your body, and… the origin of 'Cain's Blood.' If you agree, you can be exempt from punishment, but your movements will be restricted. If you disagree…"

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Lin Ye remained silent.

Xiaoya looked at him nervously and gripped his hand tightly.

After a long silence, Lin Ye slowly nodded: "I agree."

He looked at Xiaoya and smiled, "That's fine too. At least... I can live openly and honestly, and stay by your side."

Xiaoya cried and nodded vigorously.

Night Owl took a black, bracelet-like object from the silver box and handed it to Lin Ye: "Wear this. It will suppress your thirst for blood and monitor your physical condition and location. Don't try to take it off; the consequences will be severe."

Lin Ye took it and put it on. The bracelet automatically retracted, fitting snugly against his wrist, and then emitted a faint blue light.

"Mission accomplished," Night Owl said to Nie Lingfeng. "The branch office will handle the follow-up matters. Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Nie."

"It's no trouble at all." Nie Lingfeng waved his hand. "By the way, have you found out the source of that 'Cain's Blood'?"

"We have some clues, but it's not certain yet," Night Owl said in a low voice. "It might be related to... the Shining Star Society."

Nie Lingfeng's eyes narrowed.

Yaoxingshe, Qutong.

Sure enough, after going around in circles, we came right back to where we started.

"Okay, I understand." He nodded. "I'll leave this to you. I'll be going now."

"Yes."

Nie Lingfeng turned and walked towards the convenience store. Chen Duo was still sitting at the counter, sipping her lemonade. When she saw him return, her eyes lit up.

"Is it resolved?" she asked softly.

"Okay, it's resolved." Nie Lingfeng ruffled her hair. "Let's go back to sleep. I'll take you to Disneyland tomorrow."

"Disney?" Chen Duo tilted her head.

"It's a really fun place," Nie Lingfeng laughed. "There's a roller coaster, a carousel, a castle, and... Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck."

Chen Duo seemed to understand, but when she heard "fun," she nodded.

The two left the bar and walked back to their hotel.

The rain has stopped, and a corner of the night sky is visible, with a few stars twinkling through the gaps in the clouds.

"Nie Lingfeng," Chen Duo suddenly spoke, "Will Lin Ye... and Xiao Ya be happy?"

Nie Lingfeng thought for a moment and smiled: "Probably. As long as we don't give up on each other, we can always find a way to survive."

"Mmm." Chen Duo nodded and squeezed his hand.

The two walked side by side, disappearing into the night of S City.

Behind them, at the entrance of the convenience store, Lin Ye and Xiao Ya stood embracing, watching their departing figures.

"Xiaoya," Lin Ye said softly, "I'm sorry for making you worry."

"Silly boy." Xiaoya buried her face in his chest. "From now on, we'll face everything together."

"it is good."