"A failure? How could it fail?"
The members of House Victor immediately began whispering among themselves as they watched the vampire, newly brought in from another clan, crumble into ash under the sunlight—even after consuming the Blood of the Corvina.
This was the fifth experiment, and the result was clear: the so-called Blood of the Corvina seemed to be effective only for the vampires of House Victor. For vampires from other clans, its effects were far less pronounced. And as for walking in the sun... that was out of the question.
For Zhou Yi, this conclusion meant the Blood of the Corvina was far less useful than he had hoped. Similarly, its utility for Serana would likely be extremely limited. He knew all too well that Serana had absolutely no connection to House Victor, so relying on the blood to grant her immunity to sunlight was a non-starter.
The Blood of the Corvina had lost its value to him, at least for his specific purposes. But for Emilia and Selina, it remained an object of immense significance. In their eyes, its potential far exceeded this single, failed application.
Seeing the longing in their eyes, Zhou Yi bestowed the final drops of the Blood of the Corvina upon Selina and Emilia. He then rested his chin on his hand and calmly commanded,
"Emilia, you are now responsible for supervising that man. No vampire dares approach him without permission. If they do, kill them immediately. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Emilia replied without hesitation. This was exactly what she had hoped for.
A gift freely given could never reflect its true value. And a reward that didn't demonstrate its worth, no matter how generous, could never secure true loyalty. If the source of the Blood of the Corvina wasn't controlled, it would only sow dissent within House Victor. It would only make things worse.
But when Zhou Yi placed the control of this gift in her hands, everything changed. She would make it the clan's secret treasure. No one would obtain such a blessing without absolute loyalty and contribution. She would use it to rebuild a new order.
And the kind of power she would wield as the keeper of this treasure was easy to imagine.
Emilia began to secretly rejoice at her future authority. Meanwhile, Selina quietly stepped into the light. For her, being able to walk in the sun was clearly far more important.
Seeing Selina still wearing a look of disbelief, almost completely dazed as she stepped out of the sunlight and back behind Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi smiled. He suddenly pulled her close and drew her into his arms.
This sudden move instantly startled Selina and snapped her back to her senses. Being pulled into his embrace in front of so many people, her heart nearly leaped out of her chest. With her naturally thin skin, she immediately began to struggle. But no matter how she fought, she couldn't break free from Zhou Yi's hold.
In the end, she could only resign herself to her fate.
Seeing that Selina had stopped resisting, Zhou Yi immediately smiled and kissed her on the cheek. Then, he turned to Emilia, whose eyes were practically spitting fire, and asked, "Emilia, has the Council arrived?"
Zhou Yi's blatant favoritism toward Selina filled Emilia with jealousy. It also caused a green glint of envy to ignite in the eyes of every female vampire present. To be so favored by their Monarch was an unparalleled honor, yet Selina seemed to act as if it were no big deal. Because of this, they practically wished they could tear Selina down and take her place.
Though Emilia wasn't consumed by jealousy to the point of madness, a thousand different kinds of envy still churned within her. But she knew exactly what she could strive for and what she shouldn't even dream of touching.
So she masterfully concealed her inner resentment, merely lowering her head as she bowed to Zhou Yi.
"My Majesty, the Grand Speaker of the Dark Council has arrived in London. They await your summons at any moment!"
"They're quite sensible, aren't they? Fine, let them come. I'll wait for them here," Zhou Yi commanded with a wave of his hand.
With his order given, Emilia withdrew with a composed smile. She would personally relay this command to the Council, using it as an opportunity to assert her own status. To seize greater power, she had to break free from the cage of her family. Confronting the Council was her first step. Only by making them remember her as King Ming's subject could she truly establish a foothold in their world.
As a woman who fought relentlessly for power, Emilia was undeniably impressive. Her plans were meticulous, and her efficiency unparalleled. Before long, Zhou Yi saw her lead a group of sour-faced men into the room.
Zhou Yi knew without a doubt that Emilia had given the Council representatives a piece of her mind. He was also certain they had now marked her as a woman not to be trifled with.
Yet, no matter how grim their expressions or how fierce their inner rage, none of them showed the slightest intention of acting out. Their leader, an elderly woman, was especially composed, her face as still as a stagnant pond. Only when her gaze fell upon Zhou Yi did her expression shift violently.
It was a complex look—a mixture of shock, fear, anxiety, and resolve. If Zhou Yi hadn't been absolutely sure this was the first time he'd ever seen her, he would have thought they shared some convoluted and dramatic history.
But the old woman quickly masked her emotions. Without waiting for an introduction, she walked directly to Zhou Yi and prostrated herself at his feet, her body pressed to the ground. Then, raising her hands in a gesture of worship, she spoke.
"It is my honor to gaze upon your radiance, Supreme One who walks the mortal realm. I am the attendant of the Queen of the Red Sea, the guardian of the Goddess of the Night, and the priestess of the Daughter of the Earth. On behalf of my mistress, Queen Lilith, I offer Your Majesty my most reverent greetings."
As the old woman spoke, a faint, divine radiance began to emanate from her body. This was not her own power, but a gift from the being behind her. Zhou Yi drew this wisp of divinity into his palm, and it swiftly conveyed a message.
It was the divine signature of the entity's true identity. Gods would imprint their essence upon such fragments of divinity to verify one another's presence and confirm their identities. This sliver of power served to fully reveal its master's identity to Zhou Yi, making him understand exactly who he was facing.
It had to be said—this was an entity of immense stature.
Lilith, the Queen of the Sea of Life and Blood, a deity worshipped by the ancient Sumerians and Babylonians. She was the goddess who held dominion over the night, the earth, fertility, secrets, and desire.
She was also Beriti, the Assyrian goddess, and Baalat, the demon spoken of by the Canaanites. She was the progenitor of vampires, the Queen of Witches worshipped by hags. She was a demon, the incarnation of Lust among the Seven Deadly Sins. One of the rulers of Hell, Satan's lover, and the Queen of Demons.
A god's identity was the source of their power. Each of Lilith's titles represented a different power, a different authority. They also represented her history and her past—the nearly great glory she had once known.
Compared to her, Zhou Yi's identity was like a blank sheet of paper.
Yet Zhou Yi was not discouraged. He did not believe his power was any weaker than that of these ancient gods. Besides, his own legend had only just begun.
At this thought, he chuckled and withdrew the divine essence he had been drawing from Lilith. He then addressed her servant.
"Speak. Tell me why Lilith sent you to visit me."
For a mortal to speak a god's name directly was an act of great irreverence, a sin of blasphemy. But gods themselves had no need to concern themselves with such things. Compared to the vampires around them, who trembled in fear at the mere mention of Lilith's name, Zhou Yi's composure was the greatest anomaly of all.
He patted Selina's somewhat stiff body in his arms, then fixed his gaze upon the old woman below with eyes that burned like fire.
Meeting Zhou Yi's gaze, the old woman felt a sudden, dizzying sensation. For a fleeting moment, she saw a colossal giant wreathed in golden divine fire, his face contorted with wild fury, looking down upon her from the endless clouds. The sheer scale of his infinite greatness compared to her own utter insignificance struck her with the force of a tidal wave, sending tremors through her very soul.
She could only lower herself even further, pressing her body almost parallel to the ground in a gesture of profound respect to the one far greater than herself.
"Greatest Majesty," she began, her voice trembling. "Her Majesty Lilith has entrusted me to convey a request to you. But before that, I must ask: could you please dismiss these mortals? We must ensure that the secrets of the gods do not leak into the mortal realm."
"Emilia!" Zhou Yi commanded.
At his word, Emilia immediately led everyone out of the hall with a respectful bow.
Selina tried to stand, but Zhou Yi's arm wrapped around her, gently forcing her back into his embrace.
"Speak, servant of Lilith. There are no outsiders left."
The old woman was stunned by Zhou Yi's blatant favoritism toward Selina. Daring not to defy him, she kept her head bowed low and spoke.
"Yes, Great One. Her Majesty Lilith entrusted me to convey her presence to you. She awaits your arrival in the Land of Sealing. Whether you come to release her or destroy her, she welcomes you."
"The Land of Sealing, release, destroy?" Recalling the words this servant of Lilith had just spoken, Zhou Yi narrowed his eyes and smiled mockingly.
"So, Her Majesty Queen Lilith has been sealed! Speak, tell me everything. I'm starting to find this story interesting."
Hearing this, the old woman clenched her hands. Zhou Yi's words were tantamount to asking her to uncover the humiliating history of her deity, and she wanted to refuse. But neither Zhou Yi's will nor Lilith's command would allow her to decline. Thus, she could only calm her emotions and slowly began to speak.
"Her Majesty the Queen's sealing stemmed from her defeat in a fierce battle against His God. More than two thousand years ago, Her Majesty fell out with Lord Jehovah and fought him across the deserts and seas. Her Majesty was no match for Lord Jehovah's power, was defeated by him, and fell into the mortal realm."
"Jehovah used his power to seal the Queen, imprisoning her and the Hell she ruled beneath the earth, amidst the mountains. Only a single wellspring was left, allowing the Queen to observe the changes in the world."
"Her Majesty the Queen refused to be imprisoned by the seal indefinitely. She tore open her own heart, channeling the full power of her Hell to send the Holy Blood within it through the seal and into the mortal realm. She had hoped to use this Holy Blood to break the seal and return to the world of the living. But Jehovah's Angel Legion discovered her attempt."
"The Archangels sealed the Holy Blood, condemning it to drift through the mortal world. This, in turn, severed the Queen's hope of return. As her power waned, she could only fall into a deep slumber. Until six hundred years ago, when a witch discovered the place where Queen Lilith was sealed."
At this point, the old woman rose to her feet. She looked at Zhou Yi with a gaze full of pleading.
"Great Majesty, I am that witch. Here, I beg you to help Her Majesty Lilith break the seal and return to freedom. I am willing to offer my submission as a witch in exchange, only asking that you lend your aid."
(To be continued ~^~)
PS: Lilith's identity is difficult to verify. She appears in Babylonian and Sumerian culture, Assyrian mythology, Hebrew mythology, and the Bible. So, for the sake of the plot, I will just go with my own interpretation, adopting some elements and discarding others. As for the Catholic-style monotheism and all that—to hell with it.
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(End of Chapter)