With so many warriors around, did the vampire think it could escape? The warriors of Seven Star Fort swiftly surrounded it. As the vampire tried to flee at low altitude, it was intercepted by three Seven Star warriors who had formed a tight blockade.

Barbara shot out like a rocket from where she sat—finally, the vampire had shown itself.

The three warriors of Seven Star Fort managed to hold the vampire off for barely two seconds, but that was enough. Barbara arrived and swiftly made her move.

The Smith family’s warriors were no longer of any use. As the head of the family, Markon still had some authority and knew what needed to be done. He quickly gathered all the Smith family warriors present and began taking a head count.

Apart from the slain Smith family warrior, everyone else was accounted for.

Well, there it was—the proof. The Smith family had no more excuses, and Dick no longer paid the seventh elder any attention.

Barbara was as formidable as ever. In less than three minutes, and with the help of the three Seven Star warriors, she managed to slay the vampire in one fell swoop.

Dick hurried over, carefully inspecting the corpse. It was his first time seeing a vampire. This time there was no doubt—Barbara was absolutely certain. It was, indeed, a vampire. Unlike the rock-like body of a Magimetal Beast, this vampire was made of flesh and blood.

Dick followed Barbara as she examined the vampire’s lair. What a sight—its hideout was buried more than ten meters underground. The lair itself wasn’t large, but it reeked, clearly not a temporary shelter. This vampire had been here for quite some time.

Dick was puzzled. There were no other exits, and the only way out was blocked by the sturdy platform above. How had the vampire managed to leave for its hunts?

After all, vampires are not like Magimetal Beasts—they lack the ability to pass through earth and stone.

If this vampire had such powers, it wouldn’t have been trapped inside and forced to break out so violently.

Having surveyed the vampire’s lair, Dick returned to the surface with Barbara. All of the Smith family’s practitioners had gathered in the seventh elder’s courtyard, including many of the other elders.

Dick, like a dog, went from person to person, sniffing them one by one.

The scene was eerily silent. Dick had already brought down the seventh elder’s household, and his arrogance was unshaken. Representing the mighty Seven Star Fort, his accusation alone was enough. Even if it was slander, so what? Who would dare oppose him?

Worst of all, Dick had actually found a vampire in the seventh elder’s domain. At that moment, all the warriors and elders of the Smith family were left in awe of him.

"Alright, everyone, follow me. No one is to leave on their own," Dick finally commanded.

No one questioned why. No one wanted to stand out and risk being accused of conspiring with vampires.

The group, in full force, followed Dick as he led them forward. Even Barbara didn’t ask why. Having witnessed Dick’s seemingly miraculous discovery of the vampire, she was now fully convinced of his abilities. With the vampire’s corpse as evidence, even if Dick caused a bigger ruckus, it would still be justifiable. Barbara was no longer concerned.

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Markon, as head of the family, remained quiet as well. The discovery of a traitor colluding with vampires was already devastating. Worse yet, the seventh elder was one of Markon’s strongest supporters within the family.

Although his son had risen in prominence, family support was still critical at this point. In such a vast family, the head couldn't rule alone—many significant decisions required the backing of the elders. The seventh elder had been Markon’s most influential ally, a key to maintaining his position as head of the family.

But now that the seventh elder had fallen, the consequences were dire. His rival, Albert’s faction, now had the perfect opportunity to capitalize on this event, rallying more elders to their side. There was even a significant risk of being ousted from his position ahead of time. Though his son Harvey was promising, it would still take many years before he could advance to a fourth-level mage.

If Markon were to lose his position as head, Harvey would lose much of the family's resources for his cultivation. And mages, above all, depend heavily on resources to progress.

As the group marched through the Smith family’s estate, no one asked Dick where they were headed.

Finally, Dick stopped in his tracks.

"Go inside!" he ordered.

The crowd followed him into a rather grand mansion. The steward and servants at the entrance made no attempt to stop them.

“Kant!” Dick called out. All eyes in the courtyard—warriors and elders alike—turned toward a man standing at the front, a fifth-level warrior. In the Smith family, reaching the fifth level was quite an accomplishment.

"Why?" Kant, the middle-aged man, asked as he stared at Dick.

"Why not? You look suspicious. Isn’t that reason enough? Let’s dig through your mansion. Maybe there’s a vampire hideout beneath it as well," Dick said, his words sharp and provocative. Just based on suspicion, he wanted to tear up the man’s property? "Markon, rally your family’s junior warriors and start digging. Search every inch."

"Agreed!" Markon felt an inexplicable surge of excitement within him.

Who was this Kant? The son of his rival, Albert. And now, it seemed that Dick suspected Kant of being involved with vampires as well. They had to dig—there was no choice. If Markon could seize this opportunity to take down Albert’s faction, then even with the seventh elder’s downfall, his position as head of the family would remain secure.

With a wave of his hand, Markon ordered a large number of the Smith family’s junior warriors to start digging again.

“Dick!” A group of men entered the courtyard.

“Guo Huai! You’ve finally arrived. I was running short on manpower,” Dick greeted the leader excitedly.

“Isn’t Barbara enough? Dick, you’re certainly cautious. Luckily, Mentor Meng Qing favored you enough to approve your request. My mission just ended, and I’ve been sent here to assist,” Guo Huai said. Although he had a good relationship with Dick, he still needed a formal assignment from the family mentor to intervene.

The reason why there were only twelve warriors left from the original group of Seven Star Fort fighters led by Dick and Barbara was that Dick had sent one back to request reinforcements.

Given the vast size of the Smith family and the number of practitioners they had, the fact that the family had only dispatched thirteen warriors to assist seemed absurd to Dick. With the complex dynamics of the Smith family, even Markon’s faction couldn’t be fully trusted. Dick could only rely on his own people. The more, the better.

“Brother Guo Huai, you’ve arrived at the perfect time. There’s more than one vampire lurking in this cursed place…” Dick and Guo Huai discussed the situation briefly. Since Barbara remained aloof and silent, Guo Huai’s group of ten fourth-level warriors from the family were distributed into groups of three for the search.

Barbara maintained her cold and distant demeanor, allowing Dick to continue issuing orders.

“Brother Guo Huai, don’t stray too far. If you’re not by my side, I won’t feel secure.” Guo Huai had intended to help with the positioning of the warriors, but Dick held him back.

Guo Huai glanced at Barbara, who was standing silently not far from Dick. “Dick, be honest—what’s the deal here? Is there an opponent even Barbara can’t handle?”

Guo Huai knew Barbara well. Though both were fifth-level bloodline warriors, Barbara’s combat prowess surpassed his own.

“I’m just speculating, but it’s not impossible,” Dick replied.

“You don’t mean… a seventh-level warrior?” Guo Huai’s pupils dilated as he stared at Dick in shock. He wasn’t a fool—Barbara could easily take on an ordinary sixth-level warrior.

“Brother Guo Huai, that’s a strong possibility,” Dick said gravely.

“Damn it, Dick! A seventh-level warrior? That’s something neither Barbara nor I can handle!” Guo Huai was visibly anxious. A seventh-level warrior wasn’t just a step above—there was an enormous gap between the sixth and seventh levels, a divide that couldn’t easily be crossed.