After bidding farewell to Sister Devlin, Xia De prepared to return home with Mia.
On the way into the mountain, he was unlucky enough to encounter an Evil Spirit again, but Sicar Mountain was not foggy at dusk, so this time it should really be bad luck:
"Silver Moon Slash!"
An arc of light stretched between his clasped hands, cutting the Evil Spirit, which seemed to possess spatial power and could drift anywhere, into two halves.
"The Evil Spirits of Sicar Mountain aren't very strong; compared to the merfolk in Coldwater Port who can quickly regenerate in water, Evil Spirits are really easy to deal with."
At least for now, that's the case.
After returning to Saint Delan Square, he first had dinner with Dorothy at a restaurant on Silver Cross Avenue.
After dinner, Dorothy and Leia swapped, and Leia checked Xia De's learning and story-copying progress.
Seeing that he was making rapid progress and had a basic understanding of the oldest known version of "sleeping princess" and the modern common version of the story, Leia, just as she had Xia De learn "Kiss of the Tree" before, took Xia De to the south of the city to watch an opera adapted from this famous fairy tale.
Tobesk had been calm recently, and this night's outing did not encounter any unexpected Ring術士 or relics.
After the opera, Leia and Dorothy swapped back, and Dorothy, needing to prepare for her promotion ceremony tomorrow night, did not go to Xia De's house again but returned to Feather Pen Street after bidding him farewell.
After Xia De returned home, he set his alarm and went to bed early; it was a rather peaceful day.
Before the first ray of sunlight rose from below the horizon on Sunday morning, an abrupt metallic alarm clock rang out in the bedroom, a rare occurrence.
But it only rang once; Mia, who was not yet fully awake and therefore extremely impatient, immediately stood up from beside the pillow and, with a fierce lunge, knocked the alarm clock from the bedside table onto the floor.
The alarm clock stopped ringing, but Xia De was already awake.
He quickly changed his clothes, went to the basement to retrieve the three types of blood he had prepared, and packed them in a suitcase to take with him.
Returning upstairs, after bidding farewell to the cat, who was very confused about what he was doing so early, Xia De, holding the fifth epoch 3014 key already covered in cracks, stepped into the white mist door from his bedroom doorway.
"May the World Tree bless me in time."
"Meow!"
Mia, still half-asleep, let out a cry as a response to Xia De's departure, with no intention of getting up now.
【Outsider, you have stepped into the "Time Corridor".】
【Message from the Old God "Father of Infinite Trees":】
【fifth epoch 3014 Spring, East Continent, Night Manor.】
【Event: God of Vampires' Wine Party.】
【Duration: Thirty minutes (3/3).】
【You have gained additional information.】
【The figure of the Father of Infinite Trees continues to watch you.】
【The trial given to you by the Old God of Time will continue.】
【Attend the wine party of "Vampire Duke Loyaer" with mortals until the party ends.】
【The Father of Infinite Trees will grant you rewards: Miracle - Silent Moonlight, a piece of true information - Elf.】
Xia De yawned in the white mist and took a step forward into Night Manor.
Turning to look out the window on one side of the corridor, in the eerie night, the manor courtyard still seemed completely frozen, not changing in the slightest.
But Xia De would not think this was a safe place; Hope Town, Thousand Tree Forest, and Terror Castle had all proven their respective eeriness.
Night Manor looked fine, but it might just be the most dangerous place.
He walked forward along the corridor, turning left at the corner into a narrow stone passage.
His peripheral vision caught the terrifying oil paintings hanging on the wall, and behind the two doors near the end, the double doors opened automatically.
After Xia De left for the second time, the people at the table continued their game with the God during the break, but this time it shouldn't have been cards, as Xia De didn't see anyone gathering cards.
Now the table was filled with various gold and silver utensils, and the light from the red candles on the blood-red candlesticks illuminated the abundant food arranged on the long table.
Roasted chicken, fish soup, champagne in ice buckets—all the food was so vibrant, and the enticing aroma of the food even diluted the smell of blood in this wine party hall, which was full of blood-red colors.
Each person's porcelain plate had some yellow beans on it, and as Xia De walked in from the doorway, four people were busy throwing those beans out of their dinner plates.
Xia De had heard of wine party games involving counting or guessing beans, but he didn't know which one they had just been playing.
"God, I'm here again."
He bowed slightly at the doorway.
"Look, our unexpected guest is here again."
The God said with a smile, making a welcoming gesture.
The large doors closed behind Xia De, and he walked in step by step.
As he walked, an invisible wind seemed to leave wounds on his body, and from those cracks, golden light trailed behind him like faint afterglow.
As Xia De took his seat and nodded to the smiling armored old man, the scrutinizing middle-aged witch, and the somewhat shy twin sisters, the God of Vampires, cloaked in a blood-red mantle, took a deep breath:
"I don't smell blood brew on you, which means you haven't used that power."
"No, I used it to brew some fruit wine; your taste is truly excellent."
"No need for flattery, but you're right, my taste in wine has always been excellent.
If you haven't used it now, then I'm very curious to see how long you can resist the temptation before succumbing to the desire in your heart."
The Saint said softly, then motioned for Xia De to present the blood he had brought this time.
"Remember to supervise me, so I don't use the power of blood brew casually."
Xia De whispered to himself, and after receiving a confirmed answer, he placed the suitcase on the table and began to pull out bottles:
"First, the blood of an unfortunate person struck by lightning.
The ordinary person corresponding to this blood was struck by lightning once every year during his lifetime, causing all his family and friends to die.
After his death, his grave was struck by lightning with increasing frequency, until the cemetery where he was buried became a forbidden land of perpetual thunderstorms, completely inaccessible."
Xia De placed the bottle he had obtained from Old John on the table:
"I'm very curious, God, please tell me, who did he offend?"
"That's simple."
The God of Vampires gave the answer:
"This style of action is clearly that of the God of Storms and Thunder, the 【raging storm】.
Oh, although this blood, repeatedly struck by lightning, may not be very delicious, I think it would be quite interesting as an appetizer."
Xia De had heard of the Evil God 【raging storm】; this great one was included in the three original beliefs of Coldwater Port.
"The second type of blood, the blood of the Third Epoch Evil Spirit Demon - Devourer Sakato."
This time, he took out the blood bottle he had obtained from the Witch; after much thought, Xia De still brought this blood.
"I once saw this Evil Spirit Demon in the distant past; it was quite interesting."
The Saint commented simply.
"Finally, the blood of magma creatures.
This blood contains the blood of all extraordinary creatures from an entire magma community, and after proper blending, it maintains a perfectly suitable temperature."
The God beckoned, and the three bottles of blood automatically floated before him.
The silver bottle provided by Sister Devlin opened automatically, and the God sniffed:
"So that's it, it really is an entire magma community... Among the six types of blood you brought, this can be said to be the most valuable."
Xia De frowned suspiciously; after all, no matter how he looked at it, this mixed blood wasn't the most valuable:
"Could it be that Sister Devlin's blood blending technique is very good?"
With a snap of his fingers, the three types of blood Xia De had brought to the second wine party also appeared on the table in front of the Saint.
Abyssal-Eyed Dragon Squid, Rhine Demon, Priest Augustus, Demon, Mortal Struck by Lightning, Magma Community—six bottles of different shapes were arranged in two rows.
"Unexpected guest, you are even more excellent than I imagined.
I think the third round of the wine party can officially begin."
With the Saint's declaration, this hall, which seemed prepared for giants, vibrated again.
The walls, which had already turned blood-red, gradually became covered with deeper, blood vessel-like patterns.
The slender fangs hanging from the crystal chandelier were replaced one by one by grinning red metal skulls, and the abundant food on the table was stained with a layer of blood.
The candlelight between the gold and silver plates, along with the crystal chandelier and the oil lamps on the walls, shifted to a dim red.
On the blood-red tapestry behind the Saint, the holy emblem belonging to the God of Vampires formally took shape.
The pattern seemed to be skillfully embroidered onto the tapestry, yet it also seemed to float in front of it.
The wine party became increasingly eerie and strange, and the mental pressure on the people at the table grew heavier.
"Excuse me, for the third round of the wine party, how many times will each of us drink with you?"
Xia De asked cautiously.
"No, no, no, if it's just drinking together, wouldn't that be a bit too boring?
Since the wine party has reached its end, let's play an interesting game."
The Saint said with a smile, then looked at Xia De and stated the rules for this time:
"There are five of you, plus me, making a total of six tasters, and there happen to be six bottles of blood here."
Blood mist diffused, covering the entire long table.
The eerie blood mist was confined solely to the tabletop, but beneath the blood mist, something terrifying seemed to be wriggling.
It quickly dissipated, and after the blood mist cleared, the six bottles of blood in front of the Saint had vanished.
Instead, many identical dark glass wine bottles appeared in the gaps between the abundant dishes.
The wine bottles had no labels or any markings on their surface, and all were sealed with cork stoppers.
The God spread his arms, as if inviting the mortals to enjoy the last moments of this wine party:
"Since there are six types of blood, each of you will taste one.
Now, the blood brought by the unexpected guest is hidden among these thirty containers on the table, and what you need to do is select them.
This is the final segment of this wine party; when all living people have chosen their wine, then the wine party will end."
PS: Updated 1.2W in the afternoon, there's still 3K in the afternoon, a total of 1W extra update today.
Extra updates completed, Happy New Year everyone!
