Chapter 50
Three days had passed since Li Xinjun’s awakening. During those days, she hadn’t touched a drop of blood, only consuming ordinary food and water alongside Song Ling. Song Ling, caught up in the joy of their reunion, had completely forgotten that Li Xinjun was now a jiangshi.
They lived a peaceful and carefree life, but Li Xinjun was still a jiangshi. If not for the large amount of blood Mark had fed her, she wouldn’t have been able to survive this long without consuming fresh blood.
Mark had offered her blood every day, but she had steadfastly refused. Worried that she would lose control and become a mindless, bloodthirsty monster, he took advantage of a moment when she was alone and dragged her to the ice cellar in the kitchen. He retrieved a bowl of preserved blood, intending to force her to drink it, but Li Xinjun swatted it away.
The blood splattered across the floor, staining the ice-cold stone a gruesome red. The metallic scent of blood filled the air, triggering Li Xinjun’s suppressed hunger. Her eyes turned a pale green, her fangs elongated, and she felt an overwhelming urge to lap up the blood from the floor.
“Look at you! You’re starving! And you still refuse to feed! Do you want to become a mindless beast, attacking anyone in sight?!”
Mark’s harsh words snapped Li Xinjun out of her trance. She looked at herself, her body contorted in a grotesque pose, and a wave of disgust washed over her. She punched the floor in frustration and stormed out of the ice cellar. She bumped into Song Ling, who, seeing her distress, rushed over to her.
“Jun’er, what’s wrong? Why are you so upset?”
Li Xinjun, seeing Song Ling, quickly masked her emotions. She didn’t want Song Ling to worry, so she made up an excuse. Song Ling, unsuspecting, simply comforted her, trying to cheer her up.
Mark didn’t follow them. He shook his head, knowing that Li Xinjun was determined to deny her nature. He sighed. He had been the same way once. Who could readily accept the reality of becoming a monster?
“She’ll give in eventually. I’ll just have to keep a close eye on her and make sure she doesn’t harm anyone,” he thought to himself.
That night, Li Xinjun lay in bed, holding Song Ling close. Song Ling was fast asleep, but Li Xinjun couldn’t sleep. She kept replaying the scene in the ice cellar, her own monstrous reflection staring back at her. She couldn’t accept it.
She didn’t know how much longer she could resist. The hunger pangs had started two days ago, but she had been suppressing them with sheer willpower.
She frowned, looking at Song Ling’s sleeping face. She leaned closer, her gaze lingering on her beloved. She reached out and gently caressed Song Ling’s cheek, her hand trailing down to her neck. She could feel the pulse throbbing beneath her fingers. She leaned in closer, drawn by an irresistible force.
Her eyes turned a pale green, and she could smell the alluring scent of fresh blood emanating from Song Ling’s pulse. She opened her mouth, her fangs extended, and she moved towards Song Ling’s neck.
Song Ling, as if sensing something, stirred in her sleep, brushing her hand against her neck. The movement startled Li Xinjun.
Realizing what she was about to do, Li Xinjun shook her head violently, jumped out of bed, and ran out of the room. She raced down to the kitchen, flung open the ice cellar door, and grabbed the bowls of fresh blood, gulping them down one after another, her thirst insatiable. She didn’t stop until she had drained every bowl in the cellar.
She was covered in blood, her eyes glowing green, her fangs bared, her appearance monstrous. She looked like a wild beast, not a human.
The blood temporarily satiated her hunger, allowing her to regain control of her thoughts. She looked at her blood-soaked hands and clothes and finally accepted the reality of her transformation. She had become a blood-drinking monster.
She stumbled towards a cabinet, knocking over the food inside, and found a copper plate. She held it up, her reflection staring back at her, a horrifying image. She roared in anguish, the sound echoing through the castle, and then threw the plate aside, collapsing to her knees, her head in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.
“It will be alright once you get used to it. I know it’s difficult to accept. I understand how you feel. But just remember that you did this for the person you love. That makes it all worthwhile.
Think about it. You haven’t harmed anyone, have you? You only drank the blood of the dead. You didn’t kill them. And now, you have great power. You can use it to help those in need. Doesn’t that make you feel better?”
Li Xinjun looked up and saw Mark standing in the doorway, his expression sympathetic.
“You don’t understand! I almost bit Sister Ling! I almost killed her! How can I accept this?!”
“Sigh… That’s because you haven’t fed in days. If you had listened to me and drank the blood I offered you, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“No, you don’t understand! No matter how hard I try, I can’t control the urge to bite! That was Sister Ling! The person I love most! How could I be so monstrous?!”
“You know that Song Ling is waiting for you to turn her into a jiangshi. She’s only holding back because you keep resisting.
Since you’ve both decided to live as jiangshi, why don’t you just bite her? I’m sure she’d be happy.”
“Look at me! Look what I’ve become! You want me to turn the person I love into a monster like me? Do you think that’s right?!”
“I told you, this is because you refused to feed. If you drink blood regularly, this won’t happen.”
Song Ling, awakened by Li Xinjun’s roar, followed the sound to the ice cellar. She saw Li Xinjun kneeling on the floor, covered in blood, and rushed over, worried.
“Jun’er? What’s wrong? Let me see.”
“Stay away! Don’t look at me!”
“Jun’er, what’s going on? Why are you covered in blood?”
“Go away! I don’t want you to see me like this! Don’t come any closer! Please, I beg you!”
Song Ling froze, unsure what to do. She slowly crouched down, reaching out to touch Li Xinjun, but Mark grabbed her arm, pulling her back. Song Ling looked at him, confused. Mark shook his head, urging her to leave.
Song Ling wanted to stay and comfort Li Xinjun, but Mark pulled her out of the ice cellar, his grip firm. He didn’t stop until they reached the living room. He turned to her and said,
“She’s agitated right now. Give her some space to calm down. Don’t go near her.”
“What happened to Jun’er? Why is she covered in blood?”
“She’s fine. She was just hungry.”
“Hungry? But she already ate dinner.”
“Miss Song, do you remember that your beloved is a jiangshi now? Food can’t satisfy her hunger. Only blood can. Understand?”
Mark’s words were sharp, his frustration evident. Song Ling suddenly remembered. They had been so caught up in their reunion, enjoying their peaceful life, that they had forgotten about Li Xinjun’s transformation. She cursed her carelessness. How could she have forgotten such a crucial detail? Guilt and regret washed over her.
“So, she went to the ice cellar to drink blood? But why was she making so much noise?”
“Because she’s been refusing to drink blood. And just now, she almost lost control and bit you. She can’t accept what she’s become. She’s angry. And the prolonged hunger triggered her primal instincts. She transformed. She probably doesn’t want you to see her like that.”
“She’s so foolish! I wouldn’t care what she looked like! And I wanted her to bite me! Why is she so stubborn? No, I have to go talk to her!”
“Let her be for now. Talk to her when she’s calmed down. She’s too agitated now. She won’t listen to anything you say.”
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