Chapter Eight: Cleaven

Deep in the night, the wind howled, and the sky was cloaked in thick, dark clouds.

In the suburbs of London, near a concealed sewer entrance, several black cars pulled up abruptly.

"Why did you summon me? You had better have a good reason!"

Lucian, who had been waiting there for some time, watched the cars stop before him. He pulled open the rear door, climbed in, and stared at the white man with curly black hair sitting inside.

"That is exactly what I should be asking you. Your recent actions have been far too frequent. If this continues, you will soon attract the attention of the Elders. By then, even if I wanted to cover for you, I would be powerless to do so."

The white man glanced at Lucian, his face grave as he continued, "You had best restrain yourselves, or don't expect me to cooperate with you any longer."

"Kraven, you must understand that you only attained your current status because of me. Without me, you are nothing but an insignificant nobody. Remember this: I can make you, and I can just as easily break you. You are in no position to negotiate with me."

Lucian gripped the white man’s throat, his eyes flashing with a wild, primal ferocity, like a beast ready to strike at any moment.

"Fuck you! You bastard! For all these years, I have covered your tracks countless times. Without me, you would have been wiped out by Viktor long ago."

"I am not joking this time. You have caused too much of a stir. With Katherine and the Death Dealers interfering, the human leadership has taken notice and has even begun to pressure our Vampire Council. Elder Amelia called yesterday; she has already departed for London. This is the era of Amelia’s rule, and her arrival will spell total disaster for your Lycan kind."

"Humans are beginning to rise. Even with the power of our vampire race, we can no longer ignore their voice. You have truly gone too far this time."

Though he felt a twinge of fear toward Lucian, the white man knew he could not back down now. Ever since he chose to align himself with Lucian, they were like grasshoppers tied to the same string; if Lucian were annihilated, his own fate would likely be no better.

"Is that so? Amelia is coming? That is wonderful news. I was just wondering how I might gather the main forces of your vampire race all in one place."

Upon hearing this, Lucian felt no trouble at all. Instead, his eyes brightened, and he laughed with excitement.

"Are you insane? Do you not understand the purpose of Amelia's arrival? Or do you truly believe that with the current strength of your Lycans, you have the qualifications to challenge the vampires?"

Seeing Lucian’s indifferent expression, the white man became frantic.

"My dear cousin, if this were the past, I would indeed fear the power of the vampires. But the situation is entirely different now. We Lycans are protected by the great God of Bloodline Sorcerers. The mere vampire race no longer commands our dread."

Patting the white man on the shoulder, Lucian said with absolute confidence.

"Fuck you! You really have lost your mind, believing in such a thing as a god in this world. I would rather believe in the existence of God than in some bullshit deity."

Watching Lucian’s confident demeanor, the white man pulled at his hair, shouting in frustration.

"I can tolerate your disrespect toward me, but you shall not question the great God of Bloodline Sorcerers. If you dare to blaspheme against His Greatness again, I will tear your head off as penance!"

"You're insane!"

Looking at the eerie light glowing in Lucian’s eyes, the white man couldn't help but shudder. A chill rose from within him; given his knowledge of Lucian, he did not doubt for a second that he would do exactly that.

"Enough. Now, come with me to pay your respects to the great God of Bloodline Sorcerers. He needs to know the distribution of your vampire forces and your internal intelligence!"

With that, Lucian opened the car door, a strange smile playing on his lips as he spoke to the white man.

"I suppose I shall go and witness this so-called god for myself!"

The white man stepped out of the car. Looking at Lucian’s unwavering confidence, his own expression was a mix of suspicion and fear. Finally, he gritted his teeth, followed behind him, and descended into the sewer.

"Halt!"

At the entrance to the atrium, two burly werewolves blocked the white man and his party, then turned their gaze toward Lucian.

"My apologies, but His Greatness, the God of Bloodline Sorcerers, only summons you. They must remain here!"

Lucian pointed to the attendants behind the white man and spoke.

"Click..." The white man pulled a pistol from his coat, chambered a round, and told his men, "Wait here. I will be back shortly."

"Hmph..." Lucian ignored the white man’s actions, gave a cold laugh, and led him into the atrium.

...

"I pay my respects to the great God of Bloodline Sorcerers!"

In the center of the atrium, a massive altar had been erected. Seeing Li Yang sitting in meditation upon it, Lucian knelt and prostrated himself. He tugged at the white man and hissed, "Kneel!"

"Is this your so-called god?"

Gazing at the figure in black and white robes on the altar, a flash of doubt crossed the white man's eyes. He could not comprehend how this youth, who seemed so unremarkable to him, could be worshiped as a god by Lucian.

"Rise!"

At that moment, Li Yang slowly opened his eyes. Two ancient, blue-purple lightning runes flashed within them and vanished. The white man felt as if he had been struck by lightning; his entire body went limp, and he collapsed to the ground.

That single glance had been like facing the wrath of the heavens. His muscles spasmed involuntarily, his heart began to contract violently, and his entire body was left in a state of numbness.

"So, you are Lucian’s cousin, Kraven!"

Looking down at the man collapsed on the floor, Li Yang spoke slowly.

"Answering Your Greatness, I am indeed Kraven!"

Feeling that piercing, substantive gaze, the white man dared not hesitate for a moment. If he had doubted Lucian’s words before, he now had no room for skepticism. Though it was but a single glance, he had seen a giant god seated in the center of a sea of thunder, grasping the lightning itself. Facing him was like facing the majesty of the heavens; he could not muster even the slightest desire to resist.

Only now did he truly realize that what Lucian said might be true. Compared to the greatness of the being before him, the Vampire Elders were nothing more than a joke.

"How interesting. A vampire who is actually the cousin of a werewolf."

Li Yang, naturally, was unaware that the two innate lightning runes he had just displayed had caused the vampire to imagine a whole series of follow-up scenarios; had he known, he would have laughed himself to death.

Those innate lightning runes were inherited from the Primal Thunder God born in the Thunder Marsh, the first ancestor of the Purple Heaven Thunder Path. They were the core technique of the "Total Outline of the Doutian Chaos Divine Thunder" and possessed immense power. They were, quite literally, the origin of all thunder in the world, and thunder was the ultimate representation of heaven’s authority. A mere vampire, or even an immortal, would be shaken by them—provided, of course, they did not know that Li Yang was merely putting on a show.

"Uh... our parents were both laborers in Viktor’s castle!"

Seeing the smile on Li Yang’s face, the white man forced himself to swallow his embarrassment and spoke.

"I hear you are the current power behind the vampire race?"

Li Yang found their relationship amusing, but he had no interest in the details. He shifted the conversation and asked.

"Your Greatness is too kind. I am merely a puppet chosen by Viktor to manage his forces while he sleeps. Our vampire race is divided into three main factions."

"The first is the Death Dealers and the Night Cavaliers, led by Viktor, one of the three Elders. The second is the ancient nobility led by Elder Amelia. The third is the Vampire Alliance, composed of several smaller families."

"Among them, Viktor is the most powerful and the most ambitious of the three Elders. To prevent his subordinates from being undermined by Amelia and the other nobles while he is in his slumber, he chose me to act in his stead and command the Night Cavaliers!"

Hearing Li Yang’s inquiry, Kraven spilled the secrets of the vampire factions without hesitation. He was a small-minded opportunist, ambitious but limited in ability. He had only reached his current status by staging a play with Lucian to win Viktor’s trust. Now, facing a being as great as Li Yang, he sold out the vampires without a second thought.

"Oh... your race has three Elders, does it not? Does the other Elder not have his own faction?"

Li Yang was satisfied with Kraven’s answer. Such an opportunist might be annoying, but if used correctly, he could be an extremely effective lackey. As long as he established an image of invincibility in Kraven’s mind, the man would not only be afraid to betray him but would do his utmost to complete any mission assigned to him. As a leader, while loyal subordinates were important, such unprincipled individuals were also indispensable—provided one had the means to control them, and Li Yang never lacked such methods.

"Answering Your Greatness, we do indeed have three Elders, but Elder Marcus has always been a loner and has no retainers. Meanwhile, Amelia and the other nobles have always followed Viktor’s lead. Consequently, Marcus has been excluded and has had almost no opportunity to intervene in the core of vampire power."

"Hahaha... how interesting. Wary, yet fearful. It seems Marcus, the progenitor of vampires, has had a very stifling existence!"

Li Yang could not help but smile. Having clarified the distribution of the vampire forces, it would be much easier to bring them under his control. For now, the only difficult one would be Viktor. That man was ambitious, resourceful, and never willing to bow to others. Over his long life, he had likely been corrupted by the desire for power, becoming increasingly intolerant of any interference—otherwise, he would never have planted Kraven as a nail in his own structure.

For such a person, Li Yang believed in killing without hesitation. Amelia, by contrast, would be easy to handle. As for Marcus, Li Yang already had plans; he would be a crucial pawn to lure out Alexander Corvinus, and he could not afford to lose him. From the original story, it was clear that Alexander Corvinus could not let go of his two sons, having spent centuries cleaning up after them. As long as his two sons were in his grasp, Li Yang did not believe that old fox could escape his reach.