Leaving Yaoguang Mountain with Barbara, thirteen Tier 5 warriors were already waiting at the mountain pass. Two ostrich-like beasts from the family served as mounts, with Barbara and Dick on one, while the other thirteen warriors rode the second. The hierarchy was clear.
Along the way, Dick asked Barbara some questions about vampires. It turned out that Barbara had indeed fought against vampires, not on the continent, but on an island during a mission for the Yaoguang family.
Barbara’s combat experience was impressive; as a Tier 5 warrior, she had slain a Tier 6 vampire. Fortunately, it seemed that vampire strength wasn’t as formidable as expected. Yet, Dick remained cautious—there could be special and more powerful variants of vampires. After all, Barbara had only encountered one, and one battle could hardly represent them all, could it?
The Smith family wasn’t far from Seven Stars Fortress. Upon arrival, Harvey’s father, Marken, the head of the family, personally welcomed them, accompanied by several elders. The welcoming banquet was lavish, a clear sign of respect for the powerful from Seven Stars Fortress.
Dick didn’t take the lead; Barbara was in charge. She handled the occasion with the calm grace of a seasoned expert, speaking little but exuding authority. Cultivators from Seven Stars Fortress were naturally a cut above the rest, and their reserved nature was a given.
Even Harvey's father, Marken, was noticeably more restrained when speaking with Dick. Though Harvey was Dick’s friend, that didn’t give Marken the liberty to be presumptuous. A seasoned businessman, Marken understood the importance of tact and humility—no great merchant could survive without mastering these virtues.
As the patriarch, Marken represented the Smith family. After the banquet, the Smith family members left, and the thirteen warriors from Yaoguang were settled. Only Marken remained.
“Uncle, this is a serious matter. I’m merely a Tier 4 warrior from Seven Stars Fortress. Surely, you understand why I was sent here. Harvey is my friend, and you’ve helped me before. Whatever the Smith family is facing, I hope to be of assistance, even if it’s internal strife. You can trust me,” Dick said, breaking the silence.
“Dick, your presence here is a blessing,” Marken replied, his tone slightly more open due to their friendship. “Since you’re Harvey’s friend, I won’t hold anything back. This vampire incident has cost our family four Tier 4 warriors, three Tier 5 warriors, and even a Tier 6 warrior.”
The Smith family, a wealthy merchant clan, commanded more mid-tier warriors than some barons in York’s territory. No one ever said that merchant families lacked martial traditions. With such vast business ventures, it was unthinkable for the family to not have the martial strength to protect its interests.
When Harvey had returned home some time ago, he was guarded by two Tier 4 warriors.
“So, it was vampires? How did you determine this from the bodies?” Dick asked directly. “I have two suspicions. First, I suspect the warriors from the Albert branch of our family. I have my reasons. Our two branches have been vying for the patriarch’s position for over a century, and it's always been my line holding the title.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!
“However, in my generation, our branch has been in decline, and the Albert branch sees their chance. Fortunately, my son has magical talent. He’s already a Tier 3 mage. If Harvey advances to Tier 4, the Albert branch’s hopes will be dashed.
“When Harvey last returned home and left for the capital, he was ambushed at night. His two Tier 4 bodyguards were killed. If I hadn’t painstakingly acquired a Tier 3 spirit beast to protect him, Harvey wouldn’t have survived.”
No wonder Marken suspected the Alberts. After all, would vampires specifically target someone? Harvey was the future hope of Marken’s line.
This old Marken certainly had his ways, managing to acquire even a Tier 3 spirit beast.
“Uncle, since Harvey experienced the battle firsthand, are you certain it was a vampire?” Dick asked.
“Based on Harvey’s description, I’d say it’s about eighty percent certain.”
“Then, Uncle, my sister Barbara has fought vampires before. Could you describe the encounter in detail again?”
“My son Harvey described it very clearly—the vampire had two black wings, and its face was gaunt and sharp.”
Barbara listened intently, especially to the combat details.
“It sounds about eighty percent similar,” Barbara said. “But without seeing it firsthand, it’s hard to be certain. Descriptions can only go so far; real combat experience is irreplaceable.”
Vampire wings were more for gliding than true flight, never far from the ground, and they were faster than humans on foot. According to Barbara, their wings were as crucial in combat as legs, aiding in agility. If vampires used their wings as efficiently as four-legged creatures, ordinary warriors wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Uncle, tell me about your second suspicion,” Dick prompted.
“My second suspicion is our family’s competitor, the Miller family. Their business rivals ours closely, and the biggest point of contention between us is a small magic ore mine the kingdom has entrusted to the Smith family for development and management.”
The magic ore mine was under the kingdom’s jurisdiction, but since it was small and difficult to mine, the Kingdom of Yan didn’t pay much attention to it. Essentially, the Smith family managed the mine, paying a regular tribute of magic ore. Even so, it was still a considerable source of income for them.
Through Marken, Dick learned many important details about the current situation—valuable information for their mission.
As for whether Marken had colluded with vampires, Dick wasn’t ready to suspect him just yet. Solving the problem required a step-by-step approach, starting with investigating Marken’s rivals. If that proved fruitless, Dick wouldn’t hesitate to turn his attention to Marken’s branch.
For now, the cooperation with Marken would continue, with the goal of finding the vampire.
Dick made his intentions clear as the conversation ended, and Marken understood—if his branch couldn’t help Dick find the vampire, Dick would turn his investigation on them. Marken had many enemies, and Dick and Barbara had no shortage of potential allies.
Even though the Smith family had lost many mid-tier warriors, Marken’s branch, as the ruling line, still had considerable resources and power. After all, being the patriarch wasn’t just for show.
Why investigate personal connections? It was simple: vampires had appeared within human society, and their true whereabouts remained undiscovered. The greatest suspicion fell on those who might have concealed the vampires’ tracks for personal gain.
Several signs of vampire activity had emerged across the Kingdom of Yan. Given the scale of this, no single family could control it. The most likely explanation was that in each place where vampires appeared, someone had allied with a larger organization to further their own interests.
The Kingdom of Yan had faced similar events before. Decades ago, a group known as the “Dark Blade” emerged, whose warriors practiced a special and formidable martial art, allowing them to advance quickly and break through bottlenecks. Many individuals, as well as disaffected members of noble families, had pledged themselves to this group.