Even though the vampire army deliberately slowed their pace, they eventually arrived.
The vampire army, vast and mighty, surrounded the entire imperial capital. Just looking down from the city walls brought a powerful sense of dread and pressure.
Yuan Wen Yue also ascended the city walls. As a citizen of the empire, she had an obligation to protect this city.
Xing Yuan returned to the vampire army without a sound. The three clan leaders immediately greeted her upon seeing her. "My King, shall we attack directly now?"
"No rush!" Xing Yuan's voice was calm, devoid of much emotion. "Besides, don't you want to know how we were born?"
The three clan leaders exchanged glances. Were there secrets to be revealed? Was this something they should hear?
They didn't wait long before Wen Bai Xin appeared. He stood on the imperial capital's watchtower, looking at the vampire army. Holding a megaphone, he shouted down:
"Do you vampires intend to tear up the alliance first? I am the Emperor of the Empire, and I wish to speak with your Vampire King!"
The vampires quickly cleared a path, revealing Xing Yuan, who was heavily concealed. Xing Yuan still couldn't accept the possibility of this world turning against her sister, so she chose this method to hide her face.
"What do you wish to discuss with this sovereign?" Xing Yuan's somewhat hoarse voice clearly reached everyone's ears.
This alone made everyone increase their vigilance towards her once more.
"Does the vampire race truly intend to go to war, disregarding the alliance?" the High Priest asked.
"Heh, how laughable! It was you who broke the alliance first, yet you want to blame everything on us vampires. We cannot bear this burden," Xing Yuan sneered, speaking without politeness.
"I have not come here today to incite a war between our races, but to fulfill my father's dying wish! If you hand over the individuals on this list, I will not trouble you today." Xing Yuan produced a list and casually summoned a small bat to deliver it to Wen Bai Xin.
The three clan leaders were surprised but did not openly object.
Xing Yuan was not lying about this matter. It had indeed been the Vampire Ancestor's long-held wish, but he was ambushed before he could act. Since she had inherited this karma, she naturally had to help them fulfill it.
Wen Bai Xin took the list and looked down at it. The more he read, the uglier his expression became. He then threw the list away and roared, "You are going too far!"
"Does Your Majesty truly not know who these people on the list are? Trading their blood for the safety of an entire city's populace, this sovereign believes it to be a most profitable bargain!" Xing Yuan was not surprised by Wen Bai Xin's reaction. If he had readily agreed, she would have been suspicious.
The High Priest snatched the list and began to read. He had the same reaction as Wen Bai Xin, tossing the list aside and turning to glare at Xing Yuan, who was clad in a black robe.
Yuan Wen Yue picked up the list. Almost all the names on it belonged to noble families that had been established for over a thousand years. If they were truly handed over, the empire would likely be left without anyone of consequence. The Vampire King's terms were truly harsh!
The vampires on the other side watched their reactions and breathed a sigh of relief. If they had simply retreated, they would have been truly unwilling.
"Your Majesty might consider this further. After all, it is precisely because I value the alliance that I have not acted directly. How many chances of victory do you think you have? Moreover, they were the ones who erred first. My seeking retribution should not be considered excessive, right!" Xing Yuan said with confidence.
Xing Yuan was certain that Wen Bai Xin would agree to her terms. Based on her understanding during this period, he could be considered a decent emperor, and making choices among these individuals was not difficult for an emperor.
Wen Bai Xin descended the watchtower with a grim expression and convened an emergency meeting, summoning all those with status in the empire, including Yuan Wen Yue.
"Your Majesty, you cannot agree to her demands! What integrity can vampires possess? Furthermore, we are all loyal ministers who grew up with you. How will you face the citizens of the empire in the future if you hand us over?" an old minister threatened covertly.
"Your Majesty, this minister believes we can agree to the Vampire King's terms! As long as they sign a blood oath alliance, they will naturally honor their promise. This can at least maintain a thousand years of peace for the empire!" a newly appointed noble offered his opinion.
"So, it's not you who will die! It's easy to talk when you're not in my shoes!" Elder Fu mocked. He was also on the list. His ancestors' mistakes were causing suffering for the descendants.
"Your Majesty!" Elder Fu suddenly knelt on the ground. "This old minister is willing to atone for the sins of my ancestors. However, the others in my clan are innocent. If an entire clan is to be buried with their ancestors who died many years ago! This old minister is unwilling!"
"Elder Fu, what are you doing? Get up quickly! I am well aware of this. So many years have passed, and I never expected the vampires to still hold onto this matter. However, it is understandable. This current Vampire King is from that era!" Wen Bai Xin was also troubled. He was truly in a dilemma.
Yuan Wen Yue, listening to the ambiguous words of those around her, couldn't help but curiously nudge the noble man beside her with her shoulder. "Do you know what they are talking about?"
"You don't know?" The noble man looked at Yuan Wen Yue with surprise, then whispered, "This matter... I've heard some rumors, I don't know if they're true!"
"Exactly! Legend has it that a thousand years ago, many families in the empire, in their pursuit of the secret art of eternal life, conducted human experiments! To maintain secrecy back then, they captured people outside the imperial capital."
"Once, in a small border town, they found a strange tribe. It is said that they were the precursors to vampires. Their skin was so pale it was almost transparent, and they would turn into smoke if they stood in the sun for too long."
"And!" The noble man leaned closer. "Those families took those people away for experiments and discovered a secret. They found that as long as they didn't expose themselves to the sun, their molecules would break down extremely slowly. Normally, humans would break down all their body's molecules within a hundred years, but they could last for a thousand years."
"From then on, all the people of that tribe became experimental subjects. In the end, only a handful escaped from the laboratories and gradually evolved into the vampires of today. It is said that vampires did not originally drink blood; they were transformed by their experiments."
In fact, the so-called Vampire Ancestor was merely the most complete and powerful being evolved from these individuals. The resentment of their deceased kin communicated with the Heavenly Dao, and thus the Heavenly Dao bestowed upon them blessings, leading to the current strict bloodline hierarchy.
After hearing the cause and effect of the matter, Yuan Wen Yue was unsure of which side to stand on. It was understandable. However, this thousand-year-old hatred was bound to be resolved sooner or later.