Vampire Kiss

Long, long ago, on a dark and dim night—

Inside a small house, a solitary lamp flickered.

At the age of twelve, she knelt on the floor, her legs numb. A mix of fear and worry painted her lovely face, staring blankly at a pair of embroidered shoes on the ground in front of her. Those shoes were embroidered with butterflies in flight, a birthday gift she sewed herself for her mother.

A woman in her thirties sat coldly on a chair, glaring at her kneeling daughter. The mother and daughter had been at this standoff for half an hour. The daughter remained silent with her head bowed, but her mother was losing patience.

"Do you truly refuse?" The young girl trembled but remained silent.

"The lives of 256 people in Wu Family Town are at stake. Are you willing to let their deaths go unanswered?" She tightened her grip, her palm moistening again. "Even if he wasn't involved in those incidents, do you think he won't commit such atrocities in the future? These monsters sustain themselves on human and animal blood, endangering the town. He shares the same blood and has no fear of daylight. If we spare him, how many innocents will fall victim to his hands in the future? Have you considered that?"

"But... his mother is human, half of him is human! Maybe he wouldn't—"

"Different blood, different nature! Our Ji Family has been fighting demons for generations, eliminating evil for the world. As the leader of our female hunters, I must fulfill my duty. If you won't guide us, I'll lead the attack. Even if it means setting fire to the mountain, he must die!" Seeing her daughter in tears, she softened her tone. "With your guidance, we'll lay an ambush quietly, striking without his awareness. It will be a merciful end for him."

Death is death. What mercy is there?

Tears streamed down the girl's face as she watched her mother take out a silver talisman and bend down to take her stiffened arm, prying open her clenched fingers and placing the talisman in her hand.

It was late at night, the mountain wind howled, and the moon shone brightly.

Dressed in thick garments, carrying a bundle, she tucked the talisman into her bosom and left the mountain stronghold where the Ji clan resided. Her mother led 160 women, all clad in black and fully armed, following from a distance.

160 people, even those who were still learning the arts, came along. Her mother was truly determined to put an end to him.

She acted quickly, abandoning the main path and diving into the forest. Her mother's group was unaware of the cave where he hid. In the woods, she dashed around randomly, hoping to shake off their pursuit.

She ran frantically, naïvely hoping to delay the moment, to give him a chance to escape.

The dense forest was pitch black, and she stumbled and fell. Her clothes were torn by branches. Finally, unable to hear the footsteps behind her, she emerged from the forest, oriented herself, and dashed toward the place only she and he knew.

In the distance, she spotted him.

He sat at the mouth of a cave, gazing at the bright moon in the sky. His clothing was worn, with torn sections revealing fair skin under the moonlight, emitting a faint halo, like a piece of white jade hidden in tattered cloth.

Hearing a noise, he alertly turned his head, his bright green eyes gleaming with hostility. Upon recognizing her, his fierce demeanor immediately softened, revealing a genuine smile. He rose and supported her as she gasped for breath.

"I thought you wouldn't come tonight." At fifteen, he had a handsome appearance and a soft tone, unlike those from the Central Lands. His bright pupils reflected the moonlight, alluring and enchanting, yet tender when looking at her.

"I... had some delays." She composed herself, listened to the surroundings, only hearing the rustling of trees—her tribe must have lost her.

She opened her bundle and pulled out a black cotton robe and a pair of black cloth boots. "These are for you."

He had never owned clothes of his own, always picking up discarded garments. She had long wanted to make new clothes for him, and this was the first time, and probably the last.

"Did you make these yourself?" His surprise was evident as he accepted the soft new clothes.

She nodded, watching him turn away and take off his tattered clothes, revealing smooth, slender back muscles.

Six months ago, when she met him, he was being pursued by sorcerers and was on the brink of death. Now, his wounds had healed. As a half-demon, he healed faster than normal humans, without leaving any scars.

His mother was human, but his father was one of those called "vampires," undead creatures that roamed day and night, feeding on the blood of humans and animals. His jade eyes and fair skin came from that lineage.

People didn't see him as one of their kind; they feared his unusual appearance. Everywhere he went, he was seen as a monster, despite being able to eat and survive without blood. Sorcerers still shouted "avenging the heavens" when they saw him, wanting to kill him on sight.

His parents had long passed away, and for more than a decade, he had been hiding everywhere, nearly killed by sorcerers several times. Despite the vast world, there was no place for him.

She gazed at the flawless, snowy skin on his back. Beneath this flawless body, how many invisible scars and bitterness did she not see?

As he put on the new clothes and boots, fitting snugly with broad shoulders and narrow sleeves, his already handsome appearance was enhanced by the dignified black robe, like a jade tree in the wind.

He excitedly turned around a few times, seeing her staring blankly at him. His beautiful eyes were slightly red as he chuckled, "Wearing black like this, am I not like those thieves who climb walls in the stories you told me? They wear black clothes, sneaking into people's houses at night, unseen by anyone."

"Indeed," she smiled faintly. "Dressed in black, you walk in the darkness, unseen by anyone, thus no one can bully you."

He paused, understanding her intentions. Suddenly, he clasped her small, warm hand, his eyes brimming with warmth.

"Xiao Wan, Xiao Wan," he whispered, his voice filled with profound affection. "Because of you, I believe there is true joy and happiness in this world."

His face lit up with contented joy, but she felt a pang of sadness.

"I have something for you too." He retrieved a bracelet made of vines strung with wooden beads and round stones, ingeniously crafted from materials found in the mountains.

He fastened the bracelet around her slender wrist, bashfully saying, "I have no money to buy a bracelet, so I had to gather some small stones and twigs to make this. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out very well."

"It's beautifully made," she said, smiling as she touched the simple bracelet. "I like it."

He blushed shyly, a faint redness appearing in his snowy eyelids. Wanting to say something, he stumbled on his words. Unable to articulate his feelings, he simply gazed at her delicate face and grinned foolishly. "You... liking it is enough."

His jade-colored eyes were overly eager, struggling to express himself. At twelve, she seemed to understand yet not entirely, her rosy cheeks growing slightly warmer.

"Xiao Wan, I sneaked near the nearby village last night and overheard some uncles chatting."

Seeing her frown, he chuckled. "I was very careful; no one saw me. I listened to them talking about people overseas, their skin as fair as mine, with some having green eyes and others blue. Some didn't even have black hair like me; they had red or blonde hair. If I went there, surely no one would mistake me for a monster. Do you think such a place truly exists in this world?"

She nodded, "My mother mentioned that people in some overseas countries look different from us."

"Does such a place really exist?" His eyes shone brightly with excitement. "Someday, I will go there! There, I can walk the streets without anyone pointing fingers or trying to kill me! I can live peacefully there, right?"

Fool, everyone wishes to see you dead, not because of your eye or skin color. She sighed inwardly, unable to shatter his beautiful dream, gazing at the dim forest surroundings. Her mother's group was probably about to catch up.

"Well, you better go now, to the overseas you mentioned," she gently withdrew her hand from his. "Emil, we can't see each other anymore."

"Why?" he exclaimed, bewildered and uneasy. "Are you chasing me away? Are you angry with me? Angry because I eavesdropped on those uncles?"

"No," she shook her head. "My mother... she's become suspicious of your presence here. I'm afraid she'll search the mountain and catch you."

"But I'm just hiding here; I'm not causing any trouble!" he pleaded urgently. "In the past, those sorcerers left me no choice, I had to hurt people to survive. I didn't mean to! After you saved me, I haven't harmed anyone. If no one harms me, I won't harm anyone! Why can't I stay?"

He knew the Ji family bore the responsibility of slaying demons, but he merely wanted to live, didn't want to harm anyone. Couldn't her kind heart understand his tiny hope? Could her mother?

Seeing her silent all along, he smiled bitterly, his eyes gathering a faint reddish mist. "So, you really want me to go..."

He didn't drink human blood; he lived on foraged wild fruits. He knew his appearance frightened people, so he kept away from them. He could cry, laugh, feel pain, and hatred. Like the characters in the stories she told, he secretly admired a girl. What about him wasn't human?

Why couldn't they accept him? Why?

Seeing his distressed and anguished expression, she softened, taking his hand, and said softly, "I'm not driving you away, but my mother has grown suspicious. It's too dangerous for you to stay. Listen to me, find a different hiding place. Once some time has passed, my mother will forget about this, and then you can return."

"Can I come back?" he asked half in belief.

"Of course," she smiled. "I still need to make more clothes for you. I've also collected many new stories. When you return, I'll tell them to you. You love hearing stories, don't you?"

Seeing her gentle smile, his heart slowly settled. After staring at her for a while, he suddenly embraced her.

"Emil?" She was surprised, her body just beginning to develop into a young woman, pressed against his thin chest. Her cheeks blushed deeply.

"He fervently said, 'You're the first who treated me as a human, the only one who has been kind to me. I don't know how to repay you. If you need something, even if it costs me my life, I'll accomplish it for you. I'll never harm you. I'm willing to protect you with my life, I...'" The last few words got stuck in his throat; he couldn't utter those four words. How could he say them?

She belonged to the Ji family, likely to become a female envoy in the future, while he was a creature, half human and half demon, without parents. She was heaven, and he was earth; he never dared to entertain improper thoughts, he just... how he wished he were an ordinary person.

The Ji clan followed a matrilineal system; women could freely choose their husbands, travel outside for livelihoods, while men managed household chores. If she chose him, he could cook, clean, and tend to a small house every day, waiting for her to return. He was willing to live like this for a lifetime.

He didn't aspire to great achievements like the men in her stories, who always sought grandeur. He only wanted her, and that brought him contentment.

"Xiao Wan..." He greedily savored the fragrance in her hair, his azure eyes half-closed, quietly crafting a dream that would never come true.

"What 'cost me my life'? Don't talk nonsense." She had never been this intimate with anyone; her face blushed even more deeply as she quietly encircled his slender waist. "In short, you should leave quickly, stay away for a while. As long as you stay alive, we can meet again..."

She suddenly felt a burst of heat on her arm. Something slipped out from her sleeve. Peering intently, it turned out to be a silver talisman her mother had given her, floating and falling to the ground.

She hurried to pick it up, but the talisman suddenly emitted a dazzling light, transforming into a silver serpentine curse that darted towards him, entwining his neck and instantly embedding into his flesh.

"Ah..." Clutching his neck, he stumbled and fell to his knees, the intense pain stifling his voice. He could only stare at her with a pair of incredulous azure eyes.

At the same time, there arose the clanging of numerous weapons, torches were lit, and over a hundred female figures emerged from the woods. Some bent bows with arrows, others brandished swords and knives made of pure silver, gleaming brightly and surrounding the young man and woman.

"Well done, Wan'er." The female envoy held a silver sword, stepping forward slowly. "You pretended to engage with this monster, giving us the opportunity to set up our formation. This time, you've made a great contribution."

A great contribution? He was in so much pain he couldn't catch his breath, yet he could still clearly hear the envoy's words. He looked at the girl who was trying to shield him in front of him with disbelief.

"Mother!" Protecting him behind her, she pleaded, "Spare him! He promised not to harm anyone anymore because of me. Or, let him leave here immediately, never to return. Please spare him!"

"Are you still saying such things? Since you've led us here, don't you understand the reason your mother spoke to you?" The envoy's tone was stern. "Come here. Since he's been entangled by the curse snake, he's destined to die. Don't let him go mad before death and take you hostage, making it more troublesome for me. Come quickly!"

"Is she the one who led them here? Is it her?" He was unwilling to believe it, but how could he not? He hid here, and besides her, no one else knew. The Ji family's women had gathered in such numbers, clearly prearranged; if it wasn't her who led them, then who else? Especially since she had hidden a silver talisman, a trap prepared to deal with him!

How many severe injuries had he endured, yet none had pierced his heart like this time.

A crimson mist surged in his eyes; gritting his teeth, he suddenly seized her by the neck, pulling her back and pressing her beneath him.

The women gasped in unison, advancing two steps, their sword tips and arrowheads aimed at him. At a single command from the female envoy, they would end his life on the spot.

Seemingly oblivious, he tightened his grip around her delicate neck, locking onto her terrified and frantic gaze.

Her face was streaked with tears as she cried, "I'm sorry, Emil..."

Sorry? Sorry for what?

Sorry for betraying him? Sorry for pleading for her life? Sorry for ultimately seeing him as a monster?

His eyes glinted with resentment and desolation, filled with pain and despair. The crimson mist in his eyes formed tears of blood that dripped onto his snowy cheeks, staining her delicate eyelids with vibrant hues.

"Because of you, I thought... I could finally live as a person... to live with you." His voice was hoarse, tinged with sorrow. "Originally, was all of this just my delusion? Humans and demons, destined to follow different paths..."

He slowly raised his palm, hoarse-voiced. "If you seek a different path, I'll grant it to you." Suddenly, he struck her left shoulder heavily.

Her shoulder bone shattered, spilling a mouthful of blood. She heard her mother angrily rebuke, "Monster!"

The female envoy thrust her silver sword at him; he dodged to the side, avoiding two strikes, but the third plunged into his chest. He lifted his right palm, thrusting it into the envoy's heart.

"Don't..." She screamed, her left shoulder in excruciating pain, coughing up another mouthful of blood. With tear-filled eyes, she watched her mother fall, crying out, "Mother! Mother!"

The women rushed forward; he pulled out the sword from his chest and charged into the crowd, blades slashing at him. Seemingly unaffected, he tore apart each body with bare hands.

The sounds of wails echoed as the moonlight turned crimson.

Her face went pale, tears streaming down as she watched him, like a tiger amidst sheep, killing her aunt, her cousin married for only three days, her twin sisters from the neighboring family, and the people she lived with day and night.

"No! No! No..." She cried sorrowfully, unable to call back the boy driven by rage. Each fallen relative tore her heart to pieces...

The last woman also fell, and all returned to silence.

He stood quietly amidst the bodies, after a while turning to face her. The new robe she had made for him lay in tatters, revealing his fair body riddled with wounds, blood covering him entirely. However, the wounds swiftly closed, leaving behind beautiful crimson scars.

She could no longer shed tears, staring blankly with her clear, shining black eyes, devoid of fear or anger, utterly empty.

His countenance was as lifeless as death, devoid of joy or anger. He gazed at her vacantly, touching the snake-like curse around his neck. He tore it off, ripping through his skin, blood gushing forth and instantly healing.

"Vampires fear silver, but I am half human. If I'm not struck in a vital area, I can't die. The snake kills vampires, but it can't deal with someone with impure blood like me." He chuckled lightly, murmuring to himself in sorrow, "In the end, I was saved by the bloodline that everyone despises. Didn't I tell you all this? How come you didn't convey it to them, leading them to their deaths for nothing?"

She made no response, staring blankly at his handsome face splattered with blood, seemingly not recognizing him.

He gazed at her foolishly; he had drawn this chasm of hatred himself. From now on, she would only harbor hatred towards him, seeking vengeance even at the ends of the earth.

He, too, held a grudge against her. Despite this hatred, he still was...

"I struck you; it hurts, doesn't it?" Suddenly, he removed his robe, kicked off his cloth boots, leaving only a tattered pair of trousers, covered in shocking red marks. He leaned down to look at her. "Look at me, my wounds have closed. Do you think I don't feel pain? Of course, I do. I have blood and flesh. I suffer and bleed from injuries. Just because I am not human, does my pain not matter? Just because I am not human, you won't even give me a chance to live? What about the Ji family that saves the world? Even if I'm half human, you all abandon me!"

"He laughed wildly, gradually exuding an enchanting aura. 'I spare your life, waiting for you to come and kill me. You see, I won't die so easily. You all want me dead, but I refuse to die! I'll wait for you to come and kill me. Next time we meet, it's either you killing me or I taking your life!'

Seeing her silent all along, he approached her, anger evident in his voice. 'Speak! Why won't you speak? You loved to talk so much, narrating numerous stories. Why are you silent now?'

At his words, she finally reacted. Her gaze slowly shifted towards him, staring at him for a while. Her eyelashes trembled lightly, tears streaming down.

Her eyes were filled with profound sorrow, silently asking him—why? Why?

His cruelty instantly crumbled.

"Don't cry," he murmured hoarsely, attempting to wipe her tears. As he raised his hand, he saw it covered in blood.

Gritting his teeth, he stared at her sorrowful tear-filled eyes. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he leaned in and kissed her blood-stained, soft lips.

"I like you..." a whispered confession, carried away by the night breeze.

He gazed deeply at her for the last time, then stood up, departing without looking back. His fair skin, marred with numerous wounds, disappeared into the night.

She silently wept.

It wasn't until dawn when a woodcutter passed by that this battlefield was discovered. Among over a hundred bodies lay a girl barely alive.

The Ji family had fought vampires several times, but this battle was the most brutal, recorded in the clan's history as the 'Night Battle at Xiaotian Slope.' It resulted in the loss of a hundred and sixty-one clan members, including the death of the female envoy. Most of the clan's practitioners were either dead or severely wounded, dealing a significant blow to the Ji family.

Some lost beloved mothers and wives, others sisters and daughters. When their relatives questioned her about what had happened, she confessed, enduring their reproach.

By rights, due to the disaster caused by her, the female envoy should have punished her. However, with the envoy's demise in this battle, and her becoming the only remaining practitioner in the clan, she was appointed to take over the role. The position of the female envoy demanded the suppression of demons and monsters and couldn't be filled by an ordinary person without powers. She was the culprit and the sole heir.

After deliberation among the elders, they believed the clan couldn't afford to be without a leader. Furthermore, since her mother died because of him, they believed she wouldn't show him any mercy upon their next encounter. Hence, they decided to appoint her as the successor to the female envoy, letting her atone for her mistakes.

Under the disapproving gazes of the clan, at the age of twelve, she bore the responsibility from that year, including the revival of the clan and the indelible enmity with him.

Under her leadership, within a mere decade, the Ji family flourished once more. She traded with subterranean races, obtaining remorse stones to create a silver wristband, enhancing her spiritual power, transforming it into a tangible artifact. She also forged a pure silver dagger embedded with runes specifically to deal with vampires.

In those ten years, wielding these two powerful tools, she killed thirty-two vampires, countless other demons and monsters surrendered. The vampire race feared only sunlight, intense fire, and silver. Despite their formidable magical abilities, ruling the night, at the mere mention of her name, they all fled.

In those ten years, she encountered him three times, even once thrusting the silver sword into his chest, yet three times, he managed to escape.

Given her prowess, there was no reason she couldn't kill him. Moreover, he was the mortal enemy of the Ji family. Why, then, in three encounters, did she fail to take his life?"

"The people harbored suspicions, yet none dared to inquire. Just as they refrained from questioning why she, who never wore any jewelry, adorned her left hand with a silver wristband while the right bore a crude bracelet made of wooden beads and small stones.

She was the most outstanding female envoy in history, pioneering countless new spells. She earned the respect of her people, instilling fear in monsters.

She was the pillar, supporting the Ji family. She was the candle, burning herself out to illuminate the entire clan with her brilliance. Her limited life was exhausted prematurely. At the age of twenty-two, she succumbed to a severe illness, drained of all her strength.

On the night of her passing, the winds howled, the rain poured as if the spirits from all directions wept for her.

Before her death, she personally instructed her funeral—a simple white robe without any burial items. She wished to depart lightly, accompanied only by that rudimentary bracelet and the four words imprinted on her heart.

The people honored her, erecting a monument in her memory. Thus, though deceased, she remained alive, becoming the protective deity of the Ji family, continuing to safeguard her people.

On the third day after her burial, he came to see her.

Avoiding her people, he stealthily found his way to her grave on a rainy night.

He was no longer the frail young man of yesteryears; he had grown into a noble and towering man, draped in a black robe, with sapphire eyes, alabaster skin, exuding an otherworldly aura, akin to a true vampire.

Seeing the tombstone, he froze, as if he had come hoping for an erroneous message, but it turned out to be true.

He caressed her name on the stone, a cold smile forming on his lips, 'So, you're truly dead. The illustrious female envoy of the Ji family, but this is all you amounted to? I said you wanted me dead, but I refused to die. Now, it seems I've won, right? I've won, I'm still alive, living alone...'

He suddenly erupted in rage, striking the tombstone with his palm.

'How dare you die! How dare you leave this world without taking my life first! Don't you hate me enough? You should hate me, wish to tear me limb from limb, chase me to the ends of the earth! Love binds life and death, can't hatred do the same? Why don't you hate me? Why don't you hate me? You had three chances, why couldn't you kill me? Did you deliberately let me live, wanting me to regret? Do you think I'd regret it, feel anguish? Do you think I'd live in guilt for a woman who fled in cowardice?'

He yelled until his voice grew hoarse, then collapsed in front of the grave, murmuring, 'Why don't you hate me? Why don't you hate me...'

He couldn't see her, but she saw his tear, vivid as blood, fall onto the tombstone, diluted by the rain.

Subsequently, he often visited late at night. He no longer spoke, sitting silently by the tombstone the entire night, immediately looking around at any rustle.

Initially, she didn't understand, but later she realized he was waiting for her soul to return, hoping for a final meeting with her.

She never responded to his waiting.

In life, she was the female envoy; in death, she became the guardian deity of the Ji family. Over a hundred clansmen died because of her. By sparing him, she overstepped the boundaries of a female envoy, harboring personal feelings. How could she meet him again?

One night, the clanspeople discovered him and besieged him. The newly appointed female envoy couldn't stop him. He injured three people, broke free from the encirclement, and thereafter vanished.

Days, months, years passed, she waited and waited, but he never returned.

She thought he was dead but learned accidentally from the clanspeople's discussions that he was still alive.

Vampires and human-born children mostly have short lifespans, yet he was an exception, living for decades, even centuries, defying death. Neither humans nor vampire clans accepted him. The female envoy or practitioners couldn't capture him. He wandered alone in the human world.

She couldn't leave the land she guarded, only imagining where he might be. Where was he? Had he gone overseas as he wished? What was he thinking? Did he still enjoy listening to stories? Did he... understand her intention of not meeting him?

She disappointed her mother and clansmen, intending to make amends by guarding them in life and death, but she had to disappoint him.

However, by letting down her clansmen, wasn't she also letting him down?

The clansmen still had her, but who did he have?

Realizing this, her forcibly suppressed heart completely shattered.

She felt deep guilt towards her clansmen, pity and guilt towards him. She remembered the fierce and distrustful look he wore when they first met, her careful attention to his wounds, and how he gradually accepted her once he knew she harbored no ill will.

The first time she brought pastries for him, he couldn't bear to eat such exquisite food. He foolishly preserved the pastries and when she returned two days later, they had spoiled.

He had never played games, so she made a paper kite for him. He cherished it for several days and never let it fly even once.

Illiterate, she narrated stories to him, and he accepted them as truths, believing that was how the world was. He never trusted.

"He always distrusted everyone, yet for her, he had unwavering trust, to the extent that once, when she deliberately teased him, tricking him into believing that by weaving a net from 108 types of vines and placing it in a river reflecting starlight, he could borrow stars from the sky. That night, he genuinely roamed the mountains searching for vines, longing to borrow a star for her, his dearest admirer of the stars.

He always smiled at her with gentle eyes, a tender smile tinged with attachment and a hint of self-consciousness. He gazed at her with reverence, as if she too were an unattainable star.

At that time, she was still young and naive, unaware of his gaze. When she finally understood, it was already too late.

Everyone labeled him as a demon, but even as a demon, he had a heart yearning for warmth. His loneliness and emotions were just like those of an ordinary person.

As time passed, in the endless years, she fervently hoped. It was always him waiting for her, but now she waited for him. Only now did she realize how agonizing and unbearable waiting could be.

Why doesn't he come? She has so much to say to him—about her remorse, about never viewing him as a demon, about the numerous untold stories she has yet to share, about the songs she learned to teach him, about how she would willingly accompany him overseas, not as a member of the Ji family, but to escape far away with him, to a place only for the two of them...

Why doesn't he come? She wants to tell him that she loves his gentle smile when he looks at her. She always, always remembers those four words. As long as he comes, she has quietly answered countless times in her heart, just waiting to tell him...

In the long years, she yearns, gazing endlessly, waiting without end...

——————

The passage describes the street "Thick Pine Road," a hidden urban alleyway formed by two rows of light-colored cottages. The alleyway, paved with gray and white cobblestones, boasts lush trees and numerous distinctive specialty shops. During th