The Puzzle: Miss Witch Joins the Discussion

"You mean... the elders in my family?" Evelyn glanced in their direction, instinctively lowering her voice.

At that moment, several vampire elders had already clashed with the human guests. No one wanted to entrust their safety to them, especially since this was a sealed-off ancient vampire castle—their territory.

"Brother, are you suggesting that the vampire elders are the ones who killed the Duke?" Helena asked in surprise.

Luo Wei shrugged. "I'm just covering all possible suspects. At least for me, the elders are just as suspicious as the Church."

Evelyn nodded silently. "From the beginning until now, they’ve been the ones controlling the banquet. After all, with Father dead, they can say whatever they want. It’s entirely possible they’re the ones crying thief..."

But then, a trace of doubt flickered in her eyes. "But why would the elders do this? Could it be... they want their descendants to become the heir?"

Luo Wei suddenly asked, "What was the Duke’s relationship with the elders like?"

"Well..." Evelyn pondered. "Actually, the elders usually lie in their coffins or sleep in the dungeons. They rarely come out and are very mysterious. I hardly ever saw them interacting with Father."

"However..." She frowned as if remembering something. "Once, when I was a child—about two hundred years ago..."

"You probably already know, but I was particularly mischievous back then, so I often sneaked into forbidden areas of the vampire clan. That’s when I discovered... the elders weren’t always sleeping like I thought. I saw them gathered in a vast hall, as if holding some kind of secret meeting..."

"A family council?" Luo Wei asked.

Evelyn shook her head. "No. The elders in the forbidden area don’t involve themselves in politics. They have no interest in the Wignar Empire."

"So, the supposedly reclusive and indifferent vampire elders..." Luo Wei summarized for her, "are actually the opposite—they’re quite enthusiastic about gathering in secret."

Evelyn nodded. "The last time, they caught me. In the dim underground, dozens of eerie eyes turned toward me at once. It nearly scared me to death. Luckily, my father came to take me away that time. He was furious—I’d never seen him so terrifying before..."

"That means he cared about you," Luo Wei said with a smile. "He was afraid you’d encounter danger in the forbidden area."

Evelyn sighed softly. "Perhaps."

But from Evelyn’s childhood recollection, Luo Wei sensed something intriguing.

The head of the family believed his own elders were dangerous...

From her description, it wasn’t about madness or rebellion—the danger came from something else entirely...

Luo Wei also recalled the Duke’s warning to him and Evelyn when they first arrived at Thornflower Castle.

"The elders patrol at night. Don’t go out after dark."

Luo Wei suddenly asked another question. "Do the vampire elders not take the Duke seriously?"

This thought came from the tone of that old vampire that day.

Evelyn considered it. "Maybe. After all, they’ve lived so long—some are Father’s older brothers, some are uncles, even grandfathers..."

"Such high seniority?" Luo Wei was startled. "Doesn’t that mean most of them are at the level of vampire princes?"

Evelyn nodded. "So not just Father, but even the former patriarch, General Abraham, would be considered a junior to them. However, those old folks were much more polite to the former patriarch..."

Luo Wei knew the reason. If not for General Abraham, who followed Emperor Antius, the vampire clan would have continued to decline.

General Abraham was actually the second son of the original patriarch, not the intended heir. If he hadn’t built such a vast legacy in Wignar, Abraham’s main family wouldn’t have benefited, moving from the ruined City of Cain to the northern territories to become part of the empire—now the most successful vampire clan.

"Ah..." Luo Wei nodded slowly. "So there’s also tension between the main family and the branch."

After all, those elders were the genuine old-bloodline vampires who had migrated from the vampire capital, the City of Cain—the "True Blood Banner" faction...

As they spoke, the atmosphere in the banquet hall grew even more chaotic. Even staunch allies like Philip and George couldn’t stay seated, never expecting the vampire elders to go this far.

"Luo Wei." Evelyn looked worriedly at the scene. "Since the elders are highly suspicious, shouldn’t we..."

"Not yet, Teacher." Luo Wei handed Evelyn a sweet pastry, holding it to her lips. "Let’s enjoy the show first. See what they’re really up to."

"Eh? Where did you find this? Weren’t you worried about poison earlier?"

Evelyn never doubted food from Luo Wei, so she stuffed her cheeks full, a bit of white cream lingering at the corner of her lips.

"Mmm... it’s really good..."

Luo Wei then handed Helena a piece as well. After being fed, Helena wore a contented, blissful expression.

Answering Evelyn’s curiosity, Luo Wei rummaged through his pockets while explaining.

"These are all stored in my magic pouch. Surprisingly, it keeps them fresh."

"Wow! I even have ice-cold beer here. Oh, Teacher, want to try some fruit-flavored champagne? It’s not strong."

Evelyn massaged her temples. "Let’s not... it’s a bit inappropriate for this occasion..."

Helena’s little head leaned in. "Brother, I want to try the champagne."

The banquet hall descended into further chaos and noise, while Luo Wei and the two girls hid in a corner, eating and drinking.

It wasn’t out of disrespect for the Duke—they’d need their strength for the upcoming brawl. Surely, the Duke wouldn’t mind.

Then again, even if he did, he couldn’t exactly voice it now.

And just then...

Luo Wei’s ring flickered, and a fragmented voice suddenly emerged.

"Luo Wei... you..."

"Are you..."

Luo Wei tapped the ring, and the witch’s voice finally became clearer.

"Luo Wei, why has Thornflower Castle suddenly activated a large-scale magic barrier? Are you alright? Are you in danger?"

Tilis’s tone was laced with concern.

"I’m fine," Luo Wei said between bites. "They’re fighting. The three of us are just eating."

"Huh?" The witch seemed momentarily confused.

Luo Wei explained the events of the banquet to Tilis, and she finally let out a sound of understanding.

"So that’s what’s happening. I knew this vampire banquet felt off. Good thing I gave you that ring in advance."

Mentioning the ring made Luo Wei think. If she’d been monitoring him all along, she wouldn’t have needed to ask these questions. Yet she knew about the magic barrier around Thornflower Castle.

"Tilis, are you nearby?" Luo Wei asked.

"I’m not," Tilis denied immediately.

"Really?" Luo Wei’s expression turned skeptical.

"Of course," Tilis replied with a soft laugh. "I wouldn’t monitor your every move like Ophelia. I’m currently at the Magic Hermitage."

"Oh..." Luo Wei glanced out the window—the snow was falling even heavier now.

"Due to the magical barrier, my communication might cut off at any moment, so let’s keep this brief..."

Tilis joined the discussion about the mysterious events unfolding in the ancient castle.

"From what we’ve seen, the secret envoy, the sealed vampire banquet, and the Duke’s death—it’s likely all part of a scheme, though the ultimate goal remains unclear..."

"Your situation is dangerous. Wait for me—I’ll be there soon..."

Luo Wei studied the eerie blue magical barrier outside the floor-to-ceiling window. "Based on my knowledge of magic, this must be a ninth-circle grand spell formation—a strategic-level defensive enchantment."

"No worries," Tilis said. "I’ll just tear a hole through it and slip in."

"But the elder vampires in our family..." Evelyn hesitated. "They’re all ancient monsters at the Prince level, and there are so many of them..."

"No worries," Tilis replied, her tone still light and airy.

"We’ll just wipe them all out."

Evelyn: "......."

Luo Wei silently mused—was this the concept of overwhelming force? Under the sheer weight of absolute power, no scheme or trick could withstand a single terrifying "Soul Surge" from the witch.

This... was the beauty of raw strength!

As the magical interference intensified, Tilis’s signal grew weaker. After a brief exchange, the communication finally cut off.

Evelyn looked at Luo Wei with a complicated expression. "As formidable as Miss Tilis is, I can’t shake the feeling..."

She warily glanced out the window and raised her head—the weather seemed to be taking a strange turn.

"...that we might not last until her reinforcements arrive."

Meanwhile, at the foot of the towering snow-capped mountains, Tilis mirrored the same action.

She lifted her gaze to the sky, her deep violet eyes narrowing slightly.

"Strange..."

"Is tonight... a full moon?"