Chapter 73 The Annihilation of the Hunting Clan

After returning to Guangdong, the two hurried to the hunting clan's base. To avoid being discovered, Du Bin parked the car nearly two kilometers away, and they proceeded on foot. Du Bin, having trained here before, was somewhat familiar with the woods outside the village, so they approached slowly through the dense forest. From a distance, they saw the village gates tightly shut and the people inside on high alert. He had learned from Ye Tang about the village’s history: they were descendants of hunters, though few studied supernatural abilities.

He guessed that YOYO, busy searching for Ye Tang with other ability users, wouldn’t have time to return here, while the whereabouts of Hu Guozheng and the others remained uncertain. With most ability users gone, the remaining apprentices were roughly on par with Du Bin, but he had the advantage of firsthand experience in deadly combat, giving him superior practical skills.

Du Bin focused his power into his hand, then unleashed a bolt of lightning at a nearby tree. With a loud crack, the tree split in two. The shock alerted the village guards, who sent out more than ten people to investigate. Finding nothing unusual except the broken tree, they returned along the same path, and the two seized the chance to blend into the group.

Once inside, the pair quickly slipped into a narrow alley. Li Ning, surprised, said, “I thought they’d catch us.”

“Relax. I lived here for a year—I know them well,” Du Bin replied with pride.

Li Ning drew her twin pistols, ready for action. “Where do we look for information about them?”

“I’ll ask around first,” Du Bin signaled her to stay calm, and she put her guns away, disappointed.

Du Bin knew Li Ning’s injuries hadn’t healed; she was only holding on thanks to an injection of anesthetic. To gather information before it wore off, he had to find Brother Xiao Ming. Despite the crowds, Du Bin deliberately chose quieter alleys. Li Ning was amazed; all the buildings looked nearly identical, and she admitted she’d be lost without Du Bin’s guidance.

“These are all old houses from the Republican era—how do you tell them apart?”

“They’re divided into east, south, west, and north. Xiao Ming lives in the south, so I deliberately entered through the south gate. To find him, just remember the sequence. They’ve marked every intersection with signs—locals know them, outsiders don’t, which makes it feel like a maze.”

With Du Bin explaining the road signs, Li Ning remained only half-aware, but before long they reached Xiao Ming’s home. He was inside, and the two quickly entered and shut the door behind them, startling Xiao Ming. Only when he saw it was Du Bin did he relax.

“Oh, it’s you! You scared me.”

Du Bin sat beside him. “Brother Xiao Ming, I want to know if anyone’s returned these days, or if anyone’s been caught.”

“Ever since the leader took the ability users out to hunt for Xiao Tang, they haven’t come back—let alone brought anyone back,” Xiao Ming said, seeing Du Bin’s skepticism, and patted his chest. “I have no reason to lie. Xiao Tang’s been my friend since childhood—I have no reason to hide anything from you.”

Du Bin believed him. Since YOYO hadn’t returned, where could Hu Guozheng and the others be? He truly had no clue.

After saying goodbye to Xiao Ming, the two didn’t leave by the same route. Du Bin led her to a nearby river, and they slipped into the water to exit the village.

“If this route exists, why didn’t we enter from the west along the river?” Li Ning asked.

“You think I wouldn’t want to? But that side is guarded by their bred crocodiles. This river is their escape route,” Du Bin explained.

Li Ning murmured an “oh” and said nothing more. The immersion aggravated her injury, and though she made no sound, Du Bin saw the pain in her face. He carried her to prevent her wounds from worsening.

Not long after they left, five mysterious figures appeared outside the village, all wrapped in long robes. The central figure made a gesture, and the other four began to move. His expression was furious, and from beneath his black robe, two glowing red lights shone.

Just as Du Bin placed Li Ning in the car, a deafening explosion echoed across the sky, followed by roaring winds. Du Bin felt the blast came from behind—where the hunting clan’s village lay. Turning, he was stunned: from a distance, the entire village was engulfed in flames.

He immediately drove toward the village. When he arrived, he saw nothing but a sea of fire, collapsed houses, and corpses scattered everywhere. In a split second, the place had become a wasteland. Du Bin stood there, dumbfounded.

Meanwhile, in a brightly lit house, Nakajima Le’er was flipping channels with a remote, watching TV. Hu Guozheng lounged on the sofa playing games, and Aunt Lan sat by the bed, tending to Ye Tang, who slept deeply. Thanks to Aunt Lan’s timely sealing of Ye Tang’s remaining power, she lost her vampire abilities and became human again, depriving YOYO and her group of any supernatural trace to follow. Now, they scoured the world searching.

After Nakajima Le’er rescued Ye Tang, the group escaped during the chase by ability users, losing contact with the Special Investigation Group in the chaos. Ye Lan and Hu Guozheng had no choice but to follow Nakajima Le’er and hide Ye Tang on Okinawa.

After a long while, Ye Tang slowly opened her eyes. At first, her vision was blurry, then gradually cleared; her once-blood-red pupils returned to black. She looked around the unfamiliar room in confusion.

“Aunt Lan, where are we? Is the death tournament over?” Ye Tang’s memory was still rooted in the arena, and Aunt Lan had no intention of telling her what happened while she was unconscious.

She looked around, but didn’t see Du Bin, and her mood dropped. Hu Guozheng came in and, seeing her disappointment, could only sigh, uncertain whether to tell her about Du Bin.

“Where are we?” Ye Tang asked.

“We’re on Okinawa. This is where we’ll live now,” Hu Guozheng replied.

“We’re not going back to Guangdong?”

“No. That place no longer belongs to us.”

Ye Tang fell silent. She understood she’d lost to YOYO, who was now the hunting clan’s leader. Aunt Lan didn’t want to return and obey Wu Qiwei, who manipulated everything from behind, and Ye Tang had no reason to object, so she quietly agreed.

Le’er, full of joy, discussed girlish topics with Ye Tang. Hu Guozheng and Aunt Lan stepped outside the apartment. He lit a cigarette and said, “Aunt Lan, are you really not going to tell her?”

“Imagine living twenty years, then suddenly learning you’re a vampire. And she killed so many of her own kind herself,” Aunt Lan replied.

“I understand. You’re afraid she won’t accept it. But someday, she’ll find out.”

“We’ll deal with that when the time comes,” Aunt Lan said, leaving with worry in her eyes. Hu Guozheng walked to a nearby beach, gazing at the endless sea. He took out his phone and called Sasha to let her know he was safe.

He had kept it off to avoid surveillance, but now, after the call ended, he thought of Du Bin. As he was about to dial, he hesitated.