552 Chapter 552: Double Battle (1/2)

Huh…that was weird. You would expect some sort of underground tunnel or escape path in the basement, but nothing the characters from a shoujo manhua did made any sort of sense. Human or vampire, their every action and decision had been utterly illogical. Like…allying with the murderers of your parents to take revenge on a sect that asked them to sacrifice themselves to save others instead of taking revenge on the murderers themselves? Or snapping a photograph of someone's hand, missing out her face entirely, and blackmailing her with it? Or how about leaving out vital information such as a beggar visiting the schools right before they were destroyed, only to reveal it after the heroine had met him?

I was getting a headache just thinking about it. I would be so glad when this entire parody arc was over. I honestly didn't want to deal with any more of their nonsense.

”As expected, you came.”

Xu Wu Cheng was waiting in the dungeon, along with a poor girl sprawled by his side. Dressed in a tattered and torn white one-piece dress and looking filthy and bruised, a dazed Nan Gong Ji Yan lay by his side. A metallic collar had been snapped around her neck, and chains of metal served as a leash, extending from the collar to Xu Wu Cheng's hands. He pulled it slightly, causing poor Ji Yan to jolt up with a cry.

”When I heard that our base was invaded, I knew there could only be one person responsible for it.” Xu Wu Cheng clenched his fists tightly, rattling the chains and causing Ji Yan to choke. ”I admit, this whole thing is my mistake…my fault. I should never have allowed you to follow me all the way back to our base. I had…let my guard down and underestimated you.”

”What else is new?” I scoffed, pushing my glasses up. Xu Wu Cheng's lips curled.

”I will make it right. I will take responsibility for my blunder and kill you with my own two hands!”

”I won't let you hurt Richard!” Rossetti snapped, stepping out to stand in front of me, as if she was trying to shield me. ”You'll have to step over my dead body first!”

”As much as I appreciate you standing up for me…” I gently pulled her back, not willing to put her in harm's way. ”I would prefer you don't get hurt or my sake. I know injuries in battle are inevitable, but I would like to minimize them as much as possible.”

”We won't get injured if we defeat this guy first!” Rossetti swung one of her chakrams, unleashing a single fire spell at our enemy.

Wow…the contrast between us couldn't be starker. The bastard didn't hesitate to use Ji Yan as a human shield at all. She was curling into a fetal position, coughing and convulsing from the pain while smoke billowed from her reddened body.

”You…!” Rossetti shouted, outraged. Xu Wu Cheng cocked his head at her and sneered.

”What? You're the one who attacked her. It was your spell that hit her, not mine. Don't blame me for her injuries.”

”This guy is really an asshole.” I shook my head, disgusted. Then I was reminded of something. ”Speaking of injuries, you seem to have healed pretty fast. Even though you were so heavily injured before, you were running low on mana, you seemed to have found a way to restart your regeneration spells. Let me guess, you sucked the blood of the hostages?”

Xu Wu Cheng's face darkened. ”You still have the audacity to mention that to my face, shameless scum. Because of you, I was forced to drink the blood of another three students, as well as some of Ji Yan's. Otherwise I wouldn't have recovered in time to face you.”

”Me? Audacious?” I burst out laughing. ”You were the one who sucked their blood, not me. Don't blame me for their deaths.”

”Shut up!” Xu Wu Cheng roared. He yanked on the chain, causing Ji Yan to squeal in pain as she was pulled to her feet. ”You will die here today! I guarantee it! Blood Hydra!”

The bloody serpents streaked out toward us, but both Rossetti and I cut them down with our chakrams and swords, fire and ice swirling majestically around us. None of the snakes could get past us.

”A flawless display of teamwork, as always…” Xu Wu Cheng gritted his teeth and shoved Ji Yan forward. ”Makes me jealous. If only my partner wasn't so useless…!”

”I think most of it is down to you abusing her,” I pointed out dryly. ”After the way you treated her, how can you expect her to trust you?”

”Trust me?” Xu Wu Cheng laughed scornfully. ”Why should I care about her trust? She just needs to obey me!”

”And that's why you'll always find her useless,” I muttered, but Xu Wu Cheng didn't care. He slapped the still staggering Ji Yan.

”Fight with me!” he ordered.

”I…I…”

Xu Wu Cheng's eyes flashed and she whimpered, shielding herself. Her eyes had turned blank and her mind hollow.

”You know the consequences if you disobey.”

”Please…” Ji Yan pleaded pitifully, covering her head. ”Please don't rape me…I swear, I'll do whatever you ask. Just don't rape me…don't hit me…I'll obey you! So anything but that! Don't rape me again! Please!”

”Rape?” Rossetti repeated, horrified. ”What did you do to you, you scum?!”

”I only treated this whore as she deserved,” Xu Wu Cheng sneered. ”I punished her whenever appropriate…whenever she failed to divulge information regarding the secrets of the Nan Gong clan. If her blood wasn't so special, I wouldn't bother allowing such a useless woman to live.”

”You didn't just suck her blood…” I accused, my voice low. Xu Wu Cheng snorted.

”Sucking her blood was just the beginning. She's my slave. It's her duty to serve me…not just in providing me blood, but also in many sort of ways.” He leered at her lecherously before glaring at me. ”You have a woman yourself. Don't be such a hypocrite.”

”Uh, I think you misunderstand my relationship with Rossetti.”

”Disgusting…he's the worst,” Rossetti growled, glaring at Xu Wu Cheng. ”I can't forgive him!”

”Hey, hey…if you put it like that, I'm not the only one, you know?” Xu Wu Cheng chuckled. ”I gave Ji Yan to my subordinates as well. After all, I need to let them enjoy themselves once in a while. Ji Yan was perfect for satisfying their urges.”