The Vampire Count's Eternal Love

Dusk settled in, a cool breeze dislodging the last yellow leaf. The weather turned chilly, few roaming the streets besides small-time merchants out on business.

Emily, an orphan since childhood, grew up introverted and quiet. Her silence belied an active mind, especially concerning her greatest fear: death. An inexplicable dread of mortality haunted her, seemingly etched into her very soul. She tirelessly sought "immortality", researching Eastern alchemy to Western vampires and wizards. Her meager sales rep salary was constantly drained by her quest.

A month ago, everything changed. Stumbling out of a bar in the wee hours, head fuzzy from alcohol, she met him—the man granting her eternal life. The old Count used five drops of blood for Emily's Embrace, a number she despised as ill-omen. Still, Emily was thrilled. A vampire's power stemmed from blood, and five drops suggested she'd be stronger than most. Newly Embraced, Emily crashed in her dorm, waking at nightfall the next day.

For vampires, night brings peak alertness. Freshly immortal, Emily felt fantastic. She even planned to get back at her awful sales manager. On her first night, Emily danced before the mirror, alternating between bat form and flashing new fangs. She stroked her elongated face, murmuring: "Beautiful. So cool. How can I be this gorgeous? This badass? Ladies are in for some trouble now."

Vaulting over the hospital wall, Emily fluttered through a second-floor window as a bat. Resuming human form, she narcissistically caressed her cheek before approaching the blood storage room. Picking the lock, she grinned at the satisfying click. If the old Count knew a noble vampire was stooping to such behavior, he'd likely leap from his coffin to purge the bloodline.

Emily stuffed blood bags into her coat and gorged herself. Just as she basked in post-feast contentment, a silver-haired priest materialized behind her. He wore a feathered crown and blue robes, hovering a foot off the ground.

"Is this how all vampires replenish themselves?" the old priest inquired, puzzled.

"Of course! We're vampires, aren't we? How else would we avoid malnutrition? Can't have us wasting away in coffins. No sir, not fond of that coffin smell," Emily replied offhandedly. It took a moment for the strangeness to register. Since becoming a vampire, few could approach within ten meters unnoticed. Yet that voice came from less than two meters behind her.

Emily slowly turned, gaping at the smiling priest stroking his goatee. "Y-y-you... Who are you? Help!" She leapt up and sprinted toward the window at superhuman speed.

THUD! Poor Emily bounced off the glass and tumbled to the floor in a daze.

The silver-haired priest burst out laughing. "If I let you break through my barrier technique, wouldn't that make centuries of cultivation a waste? Best behave yourself, young one." His eyes narrowed. "Curious. You seem to recognize what I am?"

Emily stood up, rolling her eyes irritably. "With that getup, I'd have to be blind not to know what you do." Imagining the rigid, self-righteous nature of such Taoists, Emily suddenly rushed to the priest's side, clutching his robes and wailing dramatically. "Heaven values all life! I have an eighty-year-old mother to care for, two children to raise, and a husband waiting for me at home. Please, in your great mercy, spare me! I swear I'll never steal blood bags again." Mentally, she added, "I'll just buy them instead."

The eternally youthful old priest squinted, stroking his goatee. "You're an interesting one, quite the imagination. When did I say anything about killing you? I actually have a favor to ask."

"You've got to be kidding me! Wasting my tears like that!" Emily released the priest's robes and stood up, scowling. "Nearly scared me to death. Fine, what's this 'favor'? If it's something I can't possibly do, I'll be more than happy to oblige." Emily thought to herself, "Even if I could do it, I'd say I couldn't. No worries there."

"I want to take you as my disciple!" The priest's words nearly made Emily choke on the blood she'd just consumed.

"Why me? I'm a vampire! You want a vampire to cultivate Taoism, eat vegetarian, and abstain from meat? That's practically a death sentence. No way, absolutely not. If you want an apprentice, find someone else."

Recalling his senior's instructions before leaving the mountain, the old priest grew frantic. He grabbed Emily, speaking urgently. "Now, now, young lady, let's be reasonable. It's just a bit of meat, right? Our Starry Ward sect isn't like the others. We're quite liberal with—" Realizing his misstep, the priest slapped himself twice. "That's not what I meant. I'm saying if you want to drink, drink. If you want meat, eat meat. No one will stop you." The priest reasoned to himself that with so few people on the mountain, all busy cultivating and pursuing the Dao, who would have time to police a little vampire?

"Really?" Emily asked skeptically.

"As true as pure gold," the priest affirmed, more certain than he'd ever been.

Emily's face lit up. She patted the priest's shoulder. "Now that's more like it! I dig you, old timer. I thought you were going to smite me in the name of heaven or something."

"What does 'I dig you' mean?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just means I approve of you," Emily explained nervously, knowing the priest might actually consider smiting her if he knew the phrase's true meaning.

Emily glanced at the messy blood storage room, then addressed the priest who still gripped her arm, apparently afraid she'd bolt. "This isn't really the place to chat. Why don't we go to my dorm?"

The priest nodded, and suddenly Emily felt herself soaring through the air, a pressure on her chest. Opening her eyes, she found herself thousands of meters above ground. From this vantage point, Jiangnan looked truly beautiful—a silent night imbued with tranquility, like a sleeping, otherworldly gentleman.

After a brief moment of awe, Emily began shrieking. "Ahhh! Thrilling, but are you trying to scare me to death?" Emily pondered just how terrifyingly powerful this old priest must be. She hadn't even had time to react before finding herself high in the sky. After some quick analysis, Emily concluded: "This guy's definitely a monster. Can't mess with him. But from how he's been acting, he doesn't seem to grasp modern slang. If he really pisses me off, I can always curse him out in modern lingo. A little secret satisfaction."

The priest stood atop a flying sword wreathed in silver light, rocketing forward at incredible speed. Emily noticed the white clouds rushing past and felt a sense of dread. "What the hell, old man! This is kidnapping! You can't do this! Where are you taking me? I'm too young for this, and I'm a virgin! You can't just imprison me like this." Emily's mind raced, thinking of these old Taoists who spent centuries without descending their mountains. Her stomach churned. While wine might improve with age, if it goes bad, no one wants it anymore. "Waaah, I still have my eighty-year-old mother to support! My two children need money for school!"

The old priest threw back his head and let out a long, sky-shaking laugh. "Haha, little lady, no need to try and fool this old man. I'm not so senile yet. What virgin has children? But you're quite the character. Once we've paid respects to the ancestral master and you've offered me a drink, you'll officially be my disciple." Inwardly, the priest was elated. His senior had told him to come down and find a disciple, hadn't he? Well, he'd barely started looking and already found one. And such a special one at that—quick-witted, glib-tongued, and most importantly, shameless and cunning enough to be sent to recruit more disciples in the future. A brilliant plan indeed.

Pleased with himself, the priest unconsciously increased his speed. Emily clung tightly to his robes, screaming continuously. Even as a vampire, she'd never experienced such velocity. The priest gazed at Emily with fond indulgence, suddenly recalling his own experience seven hundred years ago. Hadn't he reacted just the same, howling in terror? He wondered how his own master was faring in the celestial realm now.

Christmas Eve in New York City. The metropolis glowed dreamily, enchantingly. Celebration filled the air, an atmosphere Emily relished. Years as a vampire had made him paler, taller, more graceful. His striking features and devastating smile made him the city's elite heartbreaker. Most lethal was his air of refined nobility, amplifying his effect on women.

Emily swayed with the crowd, laughing wildly. A golden-haired Adonis danced provocatively beside him. Emily met his advances, pulling him close and breathing against his cheek. "Trying to seduce me, handsome?" he purred.

"You bet!" The blonde beamed. "Been watching you. Every night this month, Melancholy Bar, 7 PM sharp. Those eyes? You're not happy. I see that devil-may-care attitude but can't hide the sadness. And no partner. Tell me, handsome - aren't you ravenous?"

Emily licked his lips uneasily. "Yes, rather... hungry." Unspoken: "Not for you, darling. Though that pale neck looks tempting for a quick bite."