After resting for a good while, Ziya and Bai Li were already sitting on pins and needles.
Their hearts and minds were filled with worry for Bai Ning’s safety, and their anxiety was palpable.
“Ziya, Bai Ning… she won’t really be in trouble, will she?”
Bai Li asked worriedly.
“S-She shouldn’t be. I don’t think Sister Long Jiu would go so far as to kill her, no matter how angry she is…”
Ziya’s voice lacked any confidence as she recalled Long Jiu’s terrifying appearance when she revealed her true form.
She peeked at Bai Li, only to see the girl squatting on the ground with a troubled expression, drawing circles in the dirt.
Bai Li looked pitiful as she worried about her own situation.
‘Sister Bai Ning, please be okay…’
‘If Sister Long Jiu is truly ruthless, then I’ll be the only one left to take care of Father Lord!’
Just as Ziya was steeling her resolve, a weak but familiar voice echoed from the cave entrance.
“Whew, I finally found you… why are you being so silly, hiding in this forest?”
Bai Li and Ziya looked up in surprise.
Their joy was quickly tempered by grief.
They were happy that the newcomer was indeed Bai Ning, but saddened to see her covered in wounds and looking absolutely wretched.
“Wah! Sister Bai Ning! You’re bleeding so much! Are you okay?”
Ziya rushed forward in a panic and began to shake Bai Ning vigorously.
“Silly girl, stop shaking me… if you keep going… I really won’t be able to hold on…”
Bai Ning felt her blood surge and her vision go dark from the shaking.
She collapsed weakly to the ground.
“Waaaah! I didn’t mean it, Sister Bai Ning! Please don’t think I did this because I want Father Lord all to myself!”
Ziya let go in a panic, stammering out her defense.
Both Bai Li and Bai Ning were speechless, their faces dark with exasperation.
“Cough, cough. Bai Ning, your injuries are severe. Come over here and let me heal you.”
Bai Li gave a light cough to break the tension.
She was about to cast Auxiliary Magic when a realization hit her.
She hadn’t learned how to use Demon Race Mana yet!
‘Crap, this is bad. Bai Ning isn’t going to die because of me, is she?’
“F-Father, I know you can’t use Auxiliary Magic… *cough!*”
Bai Ning lay on the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Her injuries were so severe that even a Vampire’s Peerless self-healing ability had completely failed.
Her face was pale, though Vampires were naturally pale to begin with.
“Bai Ning!”
“Long Jiu… how could she be so cruel! Was our ten years of sisterly bond just a joke to her!”
“No, Father… Sister Long Jiu showed mercy. She didn’t kill me…”
Bai Ning struggled to prop herself up, her breath as weak as a flickering candle.
“Father, let me have a sip of blood? If you don’t want me to die…”
“Don’t say such stupid things! If drinking blood could heal you, you should have said so earlier! Come here!”
Bai Li hurriedly pulled Bai Ning into an embrace, exposing her smooth, delicate neck without hesitation.
“Um… Sister Bai Ning, my blood works too! You can drink mine!”
Ziya whispered timidly from the side.
“Scram…”
Bai Ning’s voice was airy, but it carried an unquestionable authority.
She licked the lustrous neck before her, her throat bobbing, then leaned down and bit.
“Mmh…”
This was the first time Bai Li had been bitten by a Vampire.
The strange sensation caused a soft moan to escape her lips, and her cheeks flushed a light red.
Watching this scene, Ziya turned her face away in embarrassment, her heart a messy swirl of jealousy.
‘Damn it, I want to get close to Father Lord’s neck too… Why am I not a Vampire?’
Despite being a Succubus, a race that should naturally be well-versed in such matters, Ziya was a girl of the Demon Race who had been raised by Lü Erlu.
Her mind was as pure as a blank sheet of paper—silly and naive—without a single trace of her race’s seductive traits.
“Ah…”
Bai Ning let go with a satisfied sigh, faint traces of blood lingering at the corner of her mouth.
Her wounds were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye, and her complexion instantly regained its color.
She was practically back to full health.
She turned to Ziya with a hint of anger in her eyes, though her tone softened.
“Ziya! First off, you didn’t follow the plan. Forget not flying out from the other side and insisting on the main gate, but why didn’t you fly straight back to your own palace or my territory? Why did you have to stay in the forest to play some wilderness survival game?”
“Um… about that, I actually got lost in there and couldn’t find another exit. The situation was urgent, so I had to use the main gate… And, Sister, look at my wings.”
Ziya turned around dejectedly, revealing the small fleshy wings on her back.
They were drooping listlessly, a clear sign that her physical strength was completely exhausted.
“I was carrying Bai Li while flying at full speed. My stamina is just too weak. I was afraid I’d cramp up and fall if I kept flying, so I had to hide in the forest first… I’m sorry, Sister Bai Ning…”
She hung her head, filled with guilt.
“Forget it. We’ve reunited in the end, so I won’t hold it against you.”
Bai Ning waved her hand to dismiss the matter before turning to Bai Li with a cheerful tone.
“Father, let’s go home.”
“Home? What home?”
Bai Li’s face slumped with helplessness.
“Look at me. You two need to find a way to change me back before we talk about going back.”
Ziya and Bai Ning looked at each other, seeing the same difficulty in each other’s eyes.
They were momentarily speechless.
“Er… Father Lord, actually, there’s one more thing we wanted to ask you…”
Ziya stammered for a long while before nudging Bai Ning.
“Sister Bai Ning, you should say it.”
“Sigh, fine. I’ll say it.”
Bai Ning sighed and looked at Bai Li with a deadpan expression.
“Father, take your pick. Do you want to be my daughter, or Ziya’s daughter? Don’t worry, we will definitely take full responsibility for you!”