The moon hung high above, its pale light draping New York City in a restless glow. Even at this hour, the streets pulsed with life—neon flickers, distant laughter, the hum of a city that never truly slept.
Along one such street, Gu Xing walked alone. It had been several days since the failed mission at Midland Circle.
In the aftermath, the group had gone their separate ways, each tending to their own matters. Danny and Colleen had returned to the martial arts hall, resuming their training of students. Business, at the very least, seemed to be thriving.
As for Gu Xing, his purpose tonight was far simpler. He had spent hours wandering through Chinatown, gathering ingredients.
That's right—ingredients.
After obtaining Thousand Herb and Knowledge, Gu Xing had committed the entire book to memory. It was an ancient text, brimming with the principles of Chinese medicine. Even he had been surprised to discover detailed formulas hidden within its pages.
Days of study had followed. And tonight, at last, he intended to test those formulas for himself.
Yet despite scouring all of Chinatown, one crucial ingredient had eluded him. Only after venturing into a nearby neighborhood had he finally managed to acquire it.
"I can't believe it took me the whole day to find these ingredients," Gu Xing muttered, glancing at the plastic bag in his hand, filled with herbs and assorted materials.
He had gone out at around two in the afternoon—and now it was already eight at night.
"What luck."
He flicked a pebble with the tip of his shoe. It arced through the air before plopping into a nearby canal, sending faint ripples across the dark surface.
Without a car, even simple errands became tedious and time-consuming.
"Soon…" Gu Xing murmured, his gaze drifting toward a passing vehicle, its headlights slicing through the night.
Then—his eyes narrowed slightly.
Behind the car, a figure came into view: a black man clad in a long trench coat, wearing dark shades.
"Shades? At night?"
Seriously?
Gu Xing's brows furrowed. 'That guy… he's following someone.'
He shifted his gaze forward and spotted the target—a pale, white man walking leisurely, eyes fixed on his phone, utterly unaware of the presence trailing him.
Yet to Gu Xing's senses, something felt off. A faint, dangerous aura clung to the man like a shadow.
He was about to turn away and continue on his path when a thought struck him like lightning.
"Wait… is that Blade?"
A long black trench coat. Dark shades in the evening. And stalking a pale man who exuded the unmistakable presence of something inhuman.
Gu Xing's eyes sharpened.
Without hesitation, he changed direction—his footsteps light, his presence concealed—as he followed silently behind them both.
Both figures slipped into a shadowed alleyway. Gu Xing halted across the street, his presence blending seamlessly into the night.
With a steady breath, he guided his chi into his ears.
Voices drifted faintly through the distance.
"Good evening, sir."
A door creaked open—then came the abrupt, choked sound of a bodyguard dying.
"Uwak—!"
Gu Xing's eyes narrowed. He redirected his chi, channeling it into his vision. The dim alleyway brightened instantly, as though bathed in daylight, every detail laid bare before him.
He saw it clearly.
The man in the trench coat—Blade—drew a sword from beneath his coat in one smooth motion, the blade flashing coldly in the night. In the next instant, it cut through the bodyguard with ruthless precision.
The corpse did not fall. Instead, it crumbled into dust.
Blade paused.
Slowly, he turned his head, his gaze sweeping toward the opposite side of the street. All he saw were passing cars, wandering pedestrians—nothing out of place.
A moment later, he stepped through the door and disappeared inside.
"Sharp senses," Gu Xing murmured.
Yet by then, he was already gone from sight, having slipped into a nearby shop. Calm and unhurried, he browsed the goods as if nothing had happened at all.
Gu Xing slipped out of the store and crossed the street, his steps unhurried as he followed them inside.
Within, a long staircase stretched downward, swallowed by shadows. As he descended, his enhanced hearing picked up faint sounds drifting from below—music, laughter, the indistinct murmur of a gathering.
"They sure know how to have fun… unaware of their doom," he murmured.
Step by step, he moved deeper underground.
His gaze swept the surroundings and halted at two faint piles of dust near a door—the very place where the noise was coming from.
Then, the atmosphere shifted.
Screams erupted from within.
"It's him!"
"Kill him!"
Thud!
Gu Xing paused, his thoughts stirring. He had no real reason to be here—this was nothing more than curiosity leading him astray.
But… that was Blade. One of the most formidable—and undeniably coolest—figures in this world.
His contemplation was cut short.
The door burst open.
An Asian man with protruding fangs rushed out, his face twisted in ferocity. "Get out of the way!" he roared, lunging forward, elongated nails slashing through the air.
Gu Xing remained calm.
He extended his hand and caught the creature by the head with effortless precision, halting the attack mid-motion.
Before the man could react, Gu Xing's palm ignited with a radiant orange glow.
"Argh—!"
A piercing scream echoed as the body disintegrated into drifting ash.
"…"
Silence returned. He unexpectedly didn't feel anything killing these creatures.
Gu Xing lowered his hand slightly, watching the fading glow of chi upon his palm.
"The power of the sun…" he murmured.
Gu Xing was mildly surprised—but at the same time, it was only to be expected. These creatures feared the sun, and his chi carried the very essence of it.
"I'm a walking sun," he chuckled softly, amused by the thought, before stepping forward.
He entered just in time to see Blade's sword flash through the air, cutting down a fleeing vampire and turning her into drifting dust.
Blade's movements stilled. In the next instant, his blade was already pointed at Gu Xing.
"A friend," Gu Xing said calmly, raising his hands in surrender. His gaze swept across the ruined party hall, where ash still lingered in the air like a gray mist.
Blade studied him for a moment. Sensing something in Gu Xing's aura, he slowly lowered his weapon and sheathed it.
"Who are you?" he asked.
Gu Xing met his gaze.
"A fellow enemy of these creatures."
Blade watched him in silence for a brief second—then gave a small nod and turned, heading deeper into the hall.
Gu Xing exhaled quietly. I guess vampire hunters aren't that rare.
He followed behind.
With a flick, Blade turned on the lights. The scene that emerged caused Gu Xing's expression to darken—humans, hundreds of them, bound and hanging from the ceiling like livestock awaiting slaughter.
His brows furrowed.
"Help me untie them," Blade said, already moving as he pulled a lever, lowering the captives toward the ground.
After a while, they managed to free the victims. The police were called to handle the scene and escort the rescued people back to their homes.
Gu Xing and Blade emerged from another part of the building, an exit they had found along the way.
"Thanks," Blade said, extending a hand. "You can call me Blade."
Gu Xing smiled and shook it firmly.
"I should be thanking you."
He paused, then added, "You're doing good work. You can call me Gu. If you ever need help hunting vampires, you can find me in Chinatown."
"I'll keep that in mind." Blade kept it brief, giving a short nod before turning away. His figure soon disappeared deeper into the alley, swallowed by the shadows.
Gu Xing watched for a moment, then looked back to the door they had come through.
"Great so vampires are also in this universe." He muttered.
He picked up his plastic bag, the faint scent of herbs drifting out, and quietly made his way home.