The Vampire's Lair

"No need, it's a small matter. I can handle it myself," Chen Shuo said.

He didn't want Su Xiyan to risk herself, as the situation at that place was still unknown. Bringing Su Xiyan along might not be a good idea.

"What do you mean 'no need'? I'm your senior, and I know more about school matters than you do. If you can't solve it, I might be able to help," Su Xiyan replied.

She had no intention of letting Chen Shuo go alone. Although she didn't know what had happened, her sixth sense told her that what Chen Shuo was about to do was far from simple.

"But..."

"Come on, let's not waste time. Instead of delaying here, we might as well deal with it quickly and come back sooner."

Just as Chen Shuo was about to argue further, Su Xiyan cut him off.

Xu Mei agreed with Su Xiyan and immediately nodded in agreement, "That's right. Xiyan has already said so much, just let her accompany you. No refusing."

With his mother speaking like this, what else could Chen Shuo do?

At this point, he could only agree reluctantly. Otherwise, if they continued talking, something that shouldn't have been noticed might be revealed.

That would be difficult to explain later.

As they walked out the door, Su Xiyan grabbed Chen Shuo's arm, "Tell me, were you planning to sneak off and do something behind my back again?"

Faced with Su Xiyan's questioning, Chen Shuo felt somewhat embarrassed, "No, it's just some small matter. I thought I could handle it myself, so..."

"Don't give me that. You really think I didn't notice earlier? You went to talk to Mei, didn't you? Did she tell you something?"

Su Xiyan was quite perceptive, hitting the nail on the head.

Seeing that he couldn't hide it from Su Xiyan, Chen Shuo had no choice but to tell her the truth.

"What? How could this be happening?"

Upon learning that the vampire's lair was right beneath their Monster Hunters' Guild, Su Xiyan was shocked beyond belief.

Even knowing that she had been marked, she wasn't as stunned by that as by this revelation.

"Aren't you worried about what's happening to you at all?" Chen Shuo asked with a long sigh, facing Su Xiyan's astonishment.

In contrast, Su Xiyan seemed extremely relaxed and natural, "What's there to worry about? Haven't I always been a thorn in the vampires' side? But look at me now, I'm still fine, aren't I?"

Faced with Su Xiyan's naive attitude, Chen Shuo didn't know what to say.

Previous encounters had been with scattered forces. Even though they had caused some crises for Su Xiyan, they were easily resolved.

But this time was different. Beings more powerful than the Demon King Xiao Mingchen would be targeting Su Xiyan.

Moreover, the enemy was hidden. Chen Shuo didn't even know their strength distribution.

If they were just Semi-Legendary Ghost Saint level vampires, Chen Shuo wouldn't be concerned. But what if they were Demon Saints?

And what if there was more than one Demon Saint?

How would he deal with that?

His power alone was limited. Faced with unknown dangers, he had to consider all the risks.

"Come on, we've solved everything before, and I believe we can do it again. Besides, if we can't avoid it, why don't we face it head-on?" Su Xiyan said. "And don't forget, I have you. With you by my side, I feel safe."

It was this last sentence from Su Xiyan that warmed Chen Shuo's heart.

"With you, I feel safe." These words from Su Xiyan were enough for Chen Shuo.

If Su Xiyan could face unknown dangers so positively, he shouldn't be worrying needlessly. Instead, he should be paving the way forward for Su Xiyan.

"I understand. Let's get going then," Chen Shuo nodded firmly. At that moment, he regained his confidence.

Because he had never been fighting alone. There were always people supporting him.

They drove to the vicinity of the Monster Hunters' Guild. Due to it being nighttime, the Guild had closed early.

Under the cover of night, even the bustling streets had reached their moment of tranquility.

Looking at the building housing the Monster Hunters' Guild, Su Xiyan was filled with emotion, "I never imagined that the vampire lair we've been searching for all these years would be right here."

"Let's go. Stay behind me, and if anything happens, protect yourself first, okay?" Chen Shuo reminded her. Although the vampires in Su City had been mostly eliminated, who knew if there were hidden dangers lurking?

So Chen Shuo had to remain vigilant at all times. In response to Chen Shuo's caution, Su Xiyan just smiled and pouted, "Hey, aren't you underestimating me a bit? I'm not the same as before. I'm Platinum Tier 3 now, you know?"

Reminded by Su Xiyan, Chen Shuo realized this point.

He had forgotten and still thought of Su Xiyan as weak.

But now she was a capable monster hunter in her own right. Even if she couldn't match a Demon Saint, she could at least escape if she encountered a Demon King.

"Yes, yes, I know. But still, be careful. I just have a feeling of unease," Chen Shuo said, his tone becoming more serious. He wasn't joking; he had sensed something before they came.

It wasn't strong at first, which was why he initially refused when Su Xiyan wanted to come along.

It was only because he couldn't dissuade Su Xiyan that he ended up bringing her.

As they got closer to the area, the feeling grew stronger. The sense of crisis was unprecedented.

Chen Shuo was at the level of a Demon Saint himself. What kind of being could make him feel such danger?

Chen Shuo didn't know how to tell Su Xiyan. He knew her temperament well.

It would be easier if she didn't know about the danger. Once she understood the level of danger, Su Xiyan would certainly not let him risk himself alone.

Either way, it was a dilemma...

Seeing Chen Shuo become serious, Su Xiyan also became more attentive, "Alright, I understand. I'll be careful. Let's not waste time, or we'll have trouble explaining why we're back so late."

Reminded by Su Xiyan, Chen Shuo led her towards the interior.

According to Mei's instructions, they needed to go through a corner of the underground parking area. Near the wall, there was a fire hydrant. They had to remove all the firefighting equipment from the hydrant to find the secret door.

After pressing the secret door, they would find the passage leading to the vampire lair.

Following these instructions, Chen Shuo searched, and finally, after their tireless efforts, they found the fire hydrant in a corner that Mei had mentioned.

After removing the firefighting equipment, Chen Shuo saw a blood-red handprint.

"Phew, we finally found it," Chen Shuo sighed deeply.

Su Xiyan, looking at the blood-red handprint, curiously asked, "To activate this thing, we don't just press it with our hand, do we?"

No sooner had she spoken than Su Xiyan was about to reach out and press it.

"Be careful!" Chen Shuo exclaimed.