Murder Scene

The sudden turn of events instantly silenced the once-bustling banquet hall.

Upon hearing the warning from the elderly Vampire Clan member and witnessing the entire castle sealed off by magical barriers, most of the human guests grew visibly displeased, murmuring discontentedly among themselves.

They never expected to be dragged into such a situation—a duke of the empire, the head of the Abraham family, had died at a banquet hosted by his own family. Moreover, the news of his demise came right after he had left, making it almost as if he had died right before their eyes...

But what angered them even more was the Abraham family treating them as suspects and sealing off the scene.

In such a circle, many of the guests' guards—and even the guests themselves—were formidable individuals. They stood up, warily eyeing the Vampire Clan members.

A greater chaos was on the verge of erupting.

Meanwhile, Count Philip and Count George, who were on good terms with the Abraham family and held the highest status among the attendees, remained relatively composed. They signaled their companions to stay calm and avoid rash actions.

As for the younger Vampire Clan members, most wore expressions of indignation—or at least feigned it—since Duke Victor was their father and patriarch.

Luo Wei took note of every faction's reaction in the hall before turning to Evelyn.

"Teacher..."

Her eyes flickered slightly, her shocked expression lingering for a long moment.

Finally, she shook her head in disbelief. "This can't be true."

She clenched Luo Wei's wrist tightly—her grip was surprisingly strong.

"Let's go. I refuse to believe he's dead."

The three of them pushed through the chaotic crowd and immediately headed toward the room where the duke had died.

It was a small parlor on the second floor of the castle. By the time they arrived, the room was already crowded with people inside and out. Due to Evelyn's status as the eldest daughter, the elder Vampire Clan members did not stop them from entering.

Inside the room, Luo Wei saw the duke's corpse.

He sat upright in an antique armchair at the center of the parlor, his eyes slightly closed. A horrific penetrating wound marred his chest—right where the blood core should be. His entire body, the armchair behind him, and even the bookshelf further back had been pierced by some kind of weapon. The faint scent of blood lingered in the air.

Luo Wei carefully examined the murder scene. It wasn’t a locked room—the parlor had multiple windows and three doors, though only the one they had entered through was open.

His gaze then shifted to the people present. Only those closest to the duke had been allowed into the room. Their expressions were grief-stricken, but the most visibly distraught was the duchess, who was quietly sobbing.

"My fate is so cruel..."

"I spent years as this man's mistress, finally married into the family, and barely had a chance to enjoy a good life. Now I’m left a young widow..."

"Wahhh... What will become of the three of us now..."

Mike immediately frowned in disapproval. "Mother, how can you say such things?"

Seeing that her own son offered no comfort, the duchess cried even harder.

"You foolish boy, if you were even slightly more capable, I wouldn’t have to say this, wahhh..."

Emily quietly approached and wrapped her arms around her mother’s waist.

The duchess hugged her tightly and wailed, "A daughter is so much better. My son is so naive he wouldn’t even realize if someone sold him out, yet he still wants to fight for the succession..."

Mike stood frozen in place, looking both helpless and embarrassed.

Laney and Lairs exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with faint mockery.

Amidst the collective grief, Evelyn stepped forward with an impassive expression.

"I need to examine the body."

"Wait!" Laney immediately blocked her path, feigning confusion as she stared at Evelyn. "You’ve already left the family, haven’t you? How did you even get in here?"

"Father’s body is crucial evidence for catching the murderer," Lairs said sternly. "The elders are currently investigating the cause of death. What if you disturb the evidence?"

"Since when do you two have any authority over me?" Evelyn sneered and strode straight toward her father’s body.

Luo Wei followed closely behind.

Lairs glared at them in displeasure before turning to the family elders, but they paid no attention, engrossed in hushed, grave discussions.

Evelyn finally reached the corpse. Her gaze was complicated as she studied her father’s face.

He sat there with his eyes slightly closed, motionless—just as he often did, as if he had merely dozed off from exhaustion after work.

Evelyn touched the fatal wound on his chest, her pale fingers stained with crimson blood.

The blood core—the most vital organ of a Vampire Clan member, pulsating with terrifying vitality—had been completely obliterated.

Even a Vampire Clan body, capable of slowly regenerating from most injuries, showed no trace of life now. The corpse was cold, the blood had coagulated, and all organ functions had ceased.

After thorough examination, Evelyn silently looked at Luo Wei.

"Confirmed dead."

Luo Wei nodded. Evelyn let out an almost imperceptible sigh.

No matter how much she refused to believe it, the truth was undeniable. Even as a fellow Vampire Clan member, she could find no signs of life—he was truly gone.

The two slowly stood up, and Luo Wei steadied Evelyn.

"I’m fine, Xiao Wei. You can let go..."

Luo Wei didn’t release his hold.

Evelyn leaned against his shoulder and murmured, "It’s not that I’m heartbroken. After all, his feelings for my mother and me were nothing but lies. I just... never thought someone like him could die so easily..."

"Do you still resent him?" Luo Wei asked.

"Maybe not anymore..." Evelyn said wistfully. "What’s the point now? With him gone, I have no reason to return to this family. But before that..."

She pulled away from Luo Wei’s embrace, pushing down the tangled emotions in her heart.

When she looked at her family again, her eyes had regained their initial calm.

"How touching..." Laney had been watching their every move, a mocking smile curling her lips.

Evelyn ignored her, dismissing it as envy. Her emerald-green gaze shifted directly to the family elders.

"What kind of power could kill a Vampire Clan duke in an instant, right in front of him?"

"Judging by Father’s posture, he was completely defenseless when he died. Who was he meeting during his brief absence?"

The elders’ murmurs quieted for a moment before an elderly Vampire Clan woman answered.

"It was the divine spell 'Judgment.'"

Evelyn’s eyes widened in shock. "A divine spell?"

Luo Wei immediately recalled the missing members of the Church. He returned to the duke’s body, searching for traces of the spell’s usage.

The core of his blood nucleus had been destroyed with remarkable precision—shattered wouldn’t quite describe it, as it was nearly melted away, surrounded by faint scorch marks, though the external wound appeared far less severe.

Divine magic not only heals the body and mind but also acts as a bane to "impure" creatures of unnatural origin. It was for this very reason that the Church had repeatedly razed the City of Cain, reducing the Vampire Clan to a pack of fugitives.