Fei Qi’s expression suddenly changed, but he swiftly restrained himself and left the stage. “Lord Xi Yin.”
The other Princes’ expressions were also very strange, but they still stood out and respectfully saluted him as one. “Lord Xi Yin.”
When the other vampires saw the Princes’ behaviour and their form of address, they quickly remembered this person and their expressions all changed. They all bowed in salutation, their attitudes respectful and careful. “Lord Xi Yin.”
Ai Wei was completely stupefied. She didn’t know what had happened.
‘Is this man...a vampire too?’“And here I thought you guys didn’t recognise me anymore.” A slight smile filled with wickedness and contempt appeared on Xi Yin’s face.
“We wouldn’t dare.” Fei Qi lowered his head even further, his thoughts filled with various iterations of ‘Why is he here?!’
And most importantly, he was together with Mi Nai.
‘No wonder Ke Er handed his authority over so easily! So he was waiting for me here! With Lord Xi Yin present, even the new Queen would have to lower her head, let alone me!’
He was the oldest generation vampire alive, as well as the strongest. Who would dare to give him trouble?
Over on the vampire hunters’ side, other than the few who were in the know, the rest were just as stupefied as Ai Wei.
‘Who’s that man? He’s so powerful that just stepping forward can get all the vampires to salute???’The faint hint of a smile could be seen on Xi Yin’s face. “Bring the crown over.”
Fei Qi, “!!!”
‘Just what does Lord Xi Yin want the crown for?!’
“Lord Xi Yin—”
Xi Yin interrupted Fei Qi, “Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Fei Qi froze to the spot for a moment before gritting his teeth, turning around, and presenting the crown to Xi Yin.
His slender, pale fingers picked the crown up and, amidst the surprised, doubtful eyes of the crowd, placed it on Shi Sheng’s head. “Here’s my present.”
He was willing to give her the throne on a silver platter.
Shi Sheng, “...”
‘But I don’t want it! You’re all I want!’
Fei Qi and the other Princes were shocked into a daze. The title had switched hands? Just like that?
“Lord Xi Yin... Queen Ai Wei is appointed by the prophecy. Your conduct will doom our kind.” Fei Qi hardened his scalp and spoke.
“En.” Xi Yin’s attention was on helping Shi Sheng to put the crown on properly as he gave a half-hearted reply. He didn’t care about whether or not the vampires lived or died—he just wanted her to be happy.
“Very pretty.” Xi Yin smiled and complimented her.
Shi Sheng took a mirror out from somewhere and began examining herself with it under the watchful eyes of everyone present.
‘What pretty? I look like an idiot! Forget it... Even if he gave me a dog tail, I’d still have to wear it.’
The hall fell into a strange silence. This had been an unforeseen development.
“What? Need me to teach you how to greet your new monarch?” Xi Yin’s eyes narrowed as he broke the silence with a dangerous tone.
Fei Qi broke out in cold sweat. If he’d held the tiniest sliver of hope before, then now there was only fear.
He looked at Shi Sheng and, in the end, unwillingly got down on one knee to salute her. This was the highest-ranking etiquette that was only used when a new monarch was crowned.
“All hail Her Majesty, Queen Mi Nai.”
The surrounding people hurriedly knelt. “All hail Her Majesty, Queen Mi Nai.”
“All hail Her Majesty, Queen Mi Nai—”
“Since you guys were so unfriendly before, you can remain kneeling.”
‘I’m(bbb) not that magnanimous a person.’
She then turned to speak to Ke Er and company, “Godfather, you guys can get up.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Ke Er sighed inwardly. He hadn’t had the slightest inkling that Xi Yin would do this. Had he known, why on earth would he have given in to Fei Qi?
Xi Yin held much more influence than any prophecy.
Fei Qi could only harbour resentment in his heart as he remained still, not daring to move a muscle.
He’d already planned everything—they were at the last step. Yet at this moment, Xi Yin, who shouldn’t have been here, appeared.
And he pushed Mi Nai onto the throne.
Second Uncle Ai, who was in the crowd of vampire hunters, also had a dark expression on. ‘We were so close! Just one step away, yet such a thing occurred!’
Only now did Ai Wei react and look towards her Second Uncle.
‘Is this man so powerful that he can get all the vampires to acknowledge Mi Nai with one declaration?’
Shi Sheng had no intention of actually ruling as Queen, so she merely got them to kneel to get back at them for before.
‘Screw keeping professional and personal interests separate! That’s all a bunch of baloney! Avenging grudges is the way to go!’
No matter how infuriated Fei Qi was, he still had to kneel. But his gaze at Shi Sheng wasn’t very nice to say the least.
“What’re you looking at?” Shi Sheng drew her sword and levelled it at Fei Qi. “How ‘bout we discuss the matter of you being a traitor?”
Fei Qi grit his teeth as he looked at the coldly gleaming blade in front of him, but still bore with it in the end. “Your Majesty, what will it take for you to believe me?”
“Why should I believe you?” Shi Sheng felt like laughing. “You’re nobody to me, so how’s it any of my business?”
‘Then is it any of your business whether or not I’m a traitor?!’
Of course, Fei Qi didn’t dare to voice his thoughts—Xi Yin was still standing there. And from the looks of it, even if she wanted to kill him, Xi Yin wouldn’t stop her.
Even if he couldn’t afford to offend her, he could still hide from her, couldn’t he?
As a result, Shi Sheng somehow became the Vampire Queen. Shi Sheng didn’t even give Ai Wei a proper look from beginning to end. It was as if she had been forgotten by everyone.
Ai Wei felt like she’d been slapped tens of times—her face was burning and smarting from the insult. This whole time, she had just been a joke.
......
In Fei Qi’s castle.
Second Uncle Ai had a furious expression. “Fei Qi, you never told me Xi Yin had woken up!”
Fei Qi’s expression wasn’t good. “I didn’t know either.”
“He’s one of your kind; how could you not know when he woke up?!” Second Uncle Ai got more agitated the more he spoke.
“Xi Yin rarely returns to the territories, and no one knows where he hibernates, so how was I supposed to know?!” Fei Qi felt rage bubble up. “Ai Qiang, watch your tone!”
He was still a Prince. Even if they were now co-operating, that didn’t mean Ai Qiang could take that tone with him.
The atmosphere between the two was a bit tense. Ai Wei was seated to the side, her face pale, her head lowered, and her thoughts unknown.
Ai Qiang probably knew he had been too agitated, for he fell silent for a bit and slowly calmed down. “Now what?”
“What else? What can we do?” Fei Qi laughed grimly, “With Xi Yin here, do you think I’d still dare to make a move?”
He’d witnessed that man’s strength with his own eyes. Wouldn’t provoking him simply be begging to die?
“Then we’re going to abandon the plan just like this?” Ai Qiang’s complexion turned an unsightly white.
Fei Qi fell silent before he suddenly seemed to have thought of something. “Didn’t you say that one went missing?”
Ai Qiang didn’t know why Fei Qi had suddenly changed the topic, but he suppressed his anger and replied, “That was what I heard, but I’m not sure.”
He wasn’t one of the core members of the vampire hunter circle, so there was no way he would be notified of something of such importance. He had merely overheard the people beside Du Jue discussing a tomb in the northern outskirts, which was highly likely to be the burial ground of that one.
“If that one’s gone missing, it proves someone’s planning on making a move. Perhaps we still have a chance.” A calculative look appeared in Fei Qi’s eyes.
He moved in to whisper into Ai Qiang’s ear. The latter narrowed his eyes and looked in Ai Wei’s direction.
“This is the only way. Think it over carefully.” Fei Qi patted Ai Qiang’s shoulder and left the room, leaving it to the other two.
