The old butler Stanley arranged a guest room for him. After all, this was the estate of an elder, and even an ordinary guest room was decorated magnificently: gilded ceiling frescoes, tall wooden window frames, and a bronze fireplace with a log blazing inside, driving away the winter chill. In fact, this room was a luxury for him—he couldn’t move anyway, so such a fine room was a waste. Every night at nine o’clock sharp, Old Butler would come to the room, lift him from the bed, and place him by the large window. The clear moonlight would pour in, shining on his body. Moonlight was the very source of energy for all creatures of darkness, just as sunlight was for humans. Bathing in the moonlight was greatly beneficial for his recovery.

Spencer Wick sat in a building belonging to a renowned medical institution, fiddling with his black iron short spear. Behind him was a glass-paneled door, with a sign above it reading “Laboratory.” Inside were three scientists and four of his subordinates. Everything was ready. Spencer Wick waited quietly. At that moment, someone burst in from the building’s entrance, strode up to Spencer Wick, bowed, placed his right hand on his chest, and extended his left hand: “My lord, I have it!” Spencer Wick nodded. “No problems?” The subordinate hesitated. “You know, this isn’t by the book. By intervening like this, we could only subdue the morgue guards, but we couldn’t kill them. When the time comes, Baker might have a hard time explaining!” “The lord already said, at any cost!” Spencer Wick glanced at the door behind him. “Take it in!”

The three scientists nervously took the small box from the man’s hand. Opening it, they found two glass slides clamped together, with a tiny speck of black substance between them. The barrel of a gun nudged them from behind, and the three hurriedly began their work!

Greenland rushed in, flustered. “My lord, bad news! Peter Yates’s men have torn down John Bennett’s lair!” Baker smiled unhurriedly. “That reckless fellow! Now, when that Asian comes back, won’t he tear him apart? Where is he now?” “He’s hiding with Patrick.” Greenland was very well-informed. Baker thought for a moment. “This isn’t good. Although John Bennett is very likely the culprit, every enemy he gains is an extra ally for us. But for the whole Camarilla, this is a disaster. Without the Camarilla, we have nothing to rely on!” Baker shook his head helplessly. “The new ones can’t be trusted, and the old ones are under suspicion…” Greenland quietly reminded, “Aren’t Spencer Wick and the others just lacking a comparison sample? This is perfect…” Baker nodded slightly.

Spencer Wick received a phone call. He nodded a few times, then turned to look at the laboratory behind him, gave a few instructions to a subordinate, and hurried out. In just over ten minutes, he was already standing in the ruins of John Bennett’s boathouse. He searched carefully, convinced he would find what he wanted. Sure enough, hard work pays off. Half an hour later, he pried up a floorboard and retrieved a black hair from a crevice. Spencer Wick smiled with satisfaction, took out a phone book from his coat, and carefully placed the hair inside.

Chief Justice knew nothing of all this. She had stayed in the secret place the whole time, never coming out. Even without eating or drinking, she would not die. She was constantly searching for clues. The conflicts among her three carnivore subordinates were now beyond her attention, or perhaps she understood the root cause of the discord and wanted to solve the problem at its source.

On the last row of bookshelves, a few ancient sheepskin scrolls were scattered. If there were no clues on these now-dim scrolls, then all her efforts would truly be in vain. Chief Justice picked up a bundle of scrolls tied with hemp rope. The rope had been soaked in some animal’s blood, and after so many years, it had turned black. Chief Justice knew that this rope was actually a powerful magical lock. She carefully followed the method passed down by the previous Chief Justice to untie it. The unlocking process was intricate and complex—not only did the incantation have to be correct, but the gestures had to match the words perfectly. The slightest mistake would turn the entire secret place into a death trap! These unlocking methods were passed down orally by generations of Chief Justice, and even the elders did not know them completely.

Chapter 008

The sheepskin scroll was opened. Chief Justice slowly unrolled it, revealing a series of rough sketches. These were the absolute secrets of the blood clan, recording almost all their mysteries, including the origin of the blood clan, the mysterious millennial holy war, and the reasons for the third generation’s betrayal, among others.

The first scroll yielded nothing. He opened another. Each scroll’s magical lock required a different method to open. The seemingly messy arrangement of the scrolls actually hid a secret—if they were placed incorrectly, future generations would be unable to view them. So throughout the process, Chief Justice was always extremely careful, not daring to make a single mistake!

The second scroll…

The third scroll…

The fourth scroll…