Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Pain of Parting

Chapter Thirty-Nine: "The Pain of Parting"

Wu Nianfang had already received intelligence about the chaos at the Midnight Mary Bar in the Outlands. She led dozens of officers out of the station by car, but halfway there, she received a call from Xia Zheng.

"What? You caused all that trouble?" Wu Nianfang was shocked. She had never imagined that the young man she had overlooked would dare to barge directly into Midnight Mary, confront the vampire forces behind the bar, and even deal them a heavy blow.

After a round of questioning, she learned that Xia Zheng had captured a genuine female vampire of A-rank strength. Instantly, she broke away from her team and drove toward Xia Zheng's location, while the others continued on to Midnight Mary.

At the quiet intersection near the residential buildings, it was already past three in the morning. The street was silent, with only the occasional passing cat.

Gradually, a beam of headlights pierced the darkness, followed by the sound of a car approaching. A cat, which had just jumped from the wall to the ground, issued a warning cry but realized it was futile and quickly fled.

The car stopped and the engine cut out.

Wu Nianfang, still in civilian clothes, wore her badge on her left chest, gun in hand, and stepped out of the vehicle. She dared not let her guard down, unsure of Xia Zheng's true intentions.

She reached the appointed street, but found no one. Had she been played by the young man?

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a sound tore through the air above her. Wu Nianfang instantly flicked off the safety, raised her gun, and shouted, "Who’s there?"

"It's me!" Xia Zheng's voice rang out as he dropped from the rooftop, landing lightly before her.

It was indeed the young man. Wu Nianfang breathed a slight sigh of relief, lowered her gun, switched on the safety, and asked, "Where's the vampire woman?"

Xia Zheng glanced at her, understanding her caution toward him now. Though somewhat annoyed, he could also empathize.

"Inspector Wu, let’s not rush to see the vampire. I have a question: I possess ample evidence that Midnight Mary harbors a vampire faction, and that they conduct mysterious rituals, slaughtering humans for sacrifice. How will you handle the vampire forces at Hyde Castle? Will the innocent victims ever find peace?" Xia Zheng pressed, his gaze fixed on her.

Wu Nianfang frowned. His question was hard to answer. Though she was an inspector, she lacked the authority to launch a citywide purge.

"I can promise you, for now, to clear out Midnight Mary. As for those innocent victims, the police will document their experience and publish it across platforms to warn the public," Wu Nianfang replied, sounding almost formulaic.

Xia Zheng shook his head. "Before coming, I considered all this. Asking you to promise anything is unreasonable. But what I saw at Hyde Castle shocked me. If even Hyde Castle is like this, how horrifying must the entire Federation be? Inspector Wu, can you tell me honestly—how deeply have the vampire factions infiltrated the Federation?"

"This…" Wu Nianfang hesitated, unable to speak. Xia Zheng, though an esper who had exposed Midnight Mary and possibly captured a vampire, was still, at the end of the day, an ordinary person.

"If you don't wish to say more, I won't force you. The vampire woman is in the alley ahead, unconscious. She’ll remain so for only an hour; you’d better secure her quickly. Otherwise, with her strength, no esper below A-rank can restrain her," Xia Zheng said, leaping onto the wall, then bounding to the rooftop, looking down from above.

Wu Nianfang regarded the young man before her, for the first time seeing him as an equal.

"Xia Zheng, the Federation has its bitter reasons. As individuals, we’re sometimes forced to act against our conscience. You’re still young; in time, you’ll understand," Wu Nianfang tried to explain.

Xia Zheng waved her off, his eyes filled with unspeakable disappointment. At first, he believed the conflict between humans and vampires was mortal enmity. Yet gradually, he discovered a peculiar interdependence. What secret truly binds humans and vampires? His heart was full of confusion.

After Xia Zheng disappeared, Wu Nianfang hurried to the alley ahead, flashlight in hand. As expected, she found a beautiful woman, tightly bound, her skin unnaturally pale, features exquisitely refined, her aura both noble and eerie—distinctly unusual.

"This… is a vampire?" Wu Nianfang approached Mirabelle, unconsciously raising her gun to the woman's forehead.

Ten seconds passed. Wu Nianfang sighed, holstered her weapon, then hefted Mirabelle into her car and drove back to the station, simultaneously requesting activation of the highest-level temporary interrogation room.

On the rooftop above, Xia Zheng and Shen Hua watched the police car drive away, neither speaking for a moment.

"Zheng, you've done well enough. The Federation has its own considerations. There’s an explicit agreement between humanity and the vampires—it’s impossible to destroy them outright," Shen Hua placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Xia Zheng nodded, but his spirits were low. He had thought that gathering enough evidence would be enough to wipe out vampire factions like Midnight Mary. But it was not so simple.

They returned to the hotel. Xia Zheng entered his room in disappointment and lay on the bed, needing to reflect on his path ahead. His original ambitions were battered—like a fresh graduate suffering the blows of reality, there were always moments of confusion.

In the middle of the night, he suddenly felt someone embrace him from behind, warm and gentle. Unable to resist, Xia Zheng turned around.

"You really are a fool…" she comforted him, holding him tight.

Xia Zheng, too, craved an embrace. He hugged her back, asking, "Did you ever feel as lost as I do now?"

"I… Of course I did. Everyone does. One person’s power isn’t enough to change the world—or perhaps, it can’t change it at all." She held Xia Zheng close, warming him with her own body, as if recalling something, lost in memories.

Xia Zheng looked up and saw her deep in thought, and at that moment, she seemed so beautiful. Impulsively, he moved toward her. She hesitated for a moment, but in the end, did not resist…

The next morning, Xia Zheng woke alone—Shen Hua was gone. Perplexed, he spotted a note pressed under a notebook nearby.

Zheng:

I may no longer be able to be your mentor. What happened last night was not your fault, but I need time to reflect on our relationship. When I’ve sorted things out, I will find you. Please don’t look for me. Take care of yourself. Do not worry.

Hua

After reading the note, Xia Zheng hurriedly dressed and rushed out, knocking on Shen Hua’s door. But soon, an unfamiliar woman opened it and angrily demanded, "Who are you? Why are you knocking on my door?"

"Sorry… Sorry, I must have got the wrong room." Xia Zheng retreated in disappointment. On the other side of his bed, he found one of Shen Hua's long hairs. His mind was flooded with memories of their passionate night together. Tears of guilt streamed down his face—he had taken advantage of his mentor, exploited her weakness and kindness, possessed her body. Yet she blamed him not, only departed. Xia Zheng slapped himself hard…

After checking out, Xia Zheng bought one of the top three local newspapers, hoping to find news about Midnight Mary. But disappointingly, there was none. Despite the havoc he and Shen Hua had wreaked, the incident was a trivial matter, not even worthy of a report.

"To think all that effort was wasted. My target should be Evernight City, not these scattered vampire factions." Xia Zheng pulled himself together, determined to mature—not to see himself as a child, but to stand tall as a true man.

"Mentor, we will meet again." Xia Zheng stepped out of the hotel, looked up at the sky, as if he saw Shen Hua's smiling face.

At the Hyde Castle high-speed rail station, in a small compartment bound for a southern city of the Federation, Shen Hua, dressed in a white turtleneck sweater, leaned by the window, her phone playing a slideshow of photos from the past few months with Xia Zheng—snapshots, photo booth stickers, group photos, all kinds. Staring at each picture, at the young man within, tears unconsciously fell.

"I think… I have already forgotten you… Because…" Shen Hua laughed through her tears, suppressing sobs with her hand. She, always seen as carefree and brash, possessed a tenderness and sensitivity hidden from others—shown only when alone, or before the man she loved.

The train slowly pulled out, leaving Hyde Castle behind, taking with it her fond memories of the city.

"Farewell, Zheng!" Shen Hua opened the window, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds outside, as if she saw Xia Zheng’s slightly childish face. Then, in the next moment, she recalled the passion and intimacy of that night, blushing with a shy smile.

Xia Zheng made his way to the Hunter Store to turn in his tasks—one was a missing person notice, the other an investigation, both uploaded and ready for reward.

The truth investigation earned him a hundred thousand bonds, along with experience and reputation. According to the Alliance’s dynamic tracking, one or two more E-level missions would promote him to D-level, since C-level missions offered generous experience.

Moreover, the Alliance awarded him a credit card—not the high-limit white card Shen Hua had, but a green one, with a twenty thousand limit.

At the Hunter Store, Xia Zheng met other colleagues, including a three-person team he got along with. They invited him to join briefly, to complete some D- and C-level missions together.

The team could take group missions, mostly located northward, not far from the Nalan family. Xia Zheng calculated the time; after finishing these tasks, he could visit as promised.

The team consisted of three: Tu Xingxing, a male around twenty-five, skilled with firearms—dual pistols for close combat, rifle and sniper for distance. He was an elemental esper, highly attuned to earth, specializing in earth techniques.

The second was Lina, a woman responsible for logistics and support, around twenty-three or twenty-four. She was an enhancement esper, rare in the medical field, highly attuned to plants.

The third was Kevin, a muscular strongman wielding a heavy alloy staff weighing about a hundred pounds. As an enhancement esper, his strength was immense, matching his weapon.

Learning that Xia Zheng was a telekinetic, the trio warmly welcomed him—telekinetics were exceedingly rare among espers.

Tu Xingxing served as captain, driving a camper van. Xia Zheng climbed aboard, bidding farewell to Hyde Castle and heading north.