Blood

The rain intensified.

A small stream gathered and flowed along the road, winding through streets and alleys, washing every nook and cranny of the city.

Weijiu leaned against the living room table alone, staring at the unfamiliar window and everything about this strange city shrouded in the misty rain.

“This place… is the true reality,” Weijiu murmured to herself. Last night, she had learned things from Xu Feng that completely overturned her understanding of the world.

She was a character from a dream world, and everything she was experiencing now was the world’s original form.

Weijiu felt lost and afraid. Going home had become a massive problem, not to mention her amnesia; she couldn’t remember many important things, not even the fact that she had performed a blood exchange with Xu Feng.

There are only two ways for the Kindred to increase their numbers: one is natural reproduction, and the other is blood fusion. The latter is considered an extreme act; if the racial difference between those exchanging blood is too great, it can trigger a violent rejection, leading to the death of both parties.

As she listened to Xu Feng’s story that night, Weijiu suddenly felt an immense sense of lingering fear. The risk she had taken that day was no less than the risk Xu Feng took to save her from the fire.

“Big Brother… why were you willing to save me? I am… the source of disaster and the terrifying star of ill omen the villagers spoke of,” Weijiu spoke to herself, her hands clutching the clothes at her chest.

Click, click.

The sound of a key turning came from the door, and then Xu Feng walked in carrying a large bag of things.

“Whew! I’m freezing! Weijiu, help me with these!”

“Ah, I’m coming!”

Weijiu tucked away her complicated emotions, pumped her fist as if to rally her spirits, and ran to Xu Feng’s side, taking two white bags and placing them on the table.

“Alright, finally finished shopping. Breakfast is on your left, in that steaming bag,” Xu Feng pointed to the white bag that was still radiating heat. Weijiu carefully peeled back the opening of the bag and peeked inside.

Inside were two transparent round plastic containers and two pairs of chopsticks. Within the containers sat some noodle-like strands and several irregular, pale-red cubes.

“Is this… food?” Weijiu blinked, her expression one of surprise.

“Of course. Sit down and watch; I’ll teach you how to eat it.”

Xu Feng pulled out a container, and the moment she popped the lid, a rich, savory aroma flooded Weijiu’s nose.

“Smells good…” Weijiu suddenly swallowed her saliva, her eyes fixed on Xu Feng’s next move.

“Then you pour in these seasonings. Since it’s your first time, I specifically asked for no cilantro—after all, this is your first time trying Duck Blood Vermicelli Soup.” Xu Feng introduced the dish while stirring.

“Duck Blood Vermicelli… are those cubes the blood?” Weijiu desperately wanted to taste one of those cubes now.

“Yeah. Want to eat it while it’s hot?”

Seeing how much Weijiu was craving it, Xu Feng immediately picked up a piece of duck blood with her chopsticks. Supporting the dripping broth with her hand underneath, she brought it to Weijiu’s mouth.

“Aah-mn.”

The moment Weijiu ate the duck blood, it seemed to give a little bounce, releasing its salty savor and invigorating her tongue.

“Delicious!” Weijiu happily cupped her cheeks, her whole being seemingly enveloped in a tiny aura of joy.

“Glad you like it. This bowl is yours.”

Xu Feng pushed the bowl toward Weijiu and opened her own. Just as she was about to mix hers, she noticed Weijiu was struggling with the chopsticks.

Weijiu stared at the two wooden sticks, poking and stabbing at the bowl with both hands, unable to pick up a single thing.

“Oh, you don’t know how to use these.”

Xu Feng admitted she had miscalculated; she should have asked for a pair of forks.

Weijiu looked helplessly at the chopsticks she couldn’t use, then turned her pleading gaze toward Xu Feng.

“Alright, alright, I’ll feed you, okay?”

Xu Feng covered her own container, picked up the chopsticks again, twirled a bundle of vermicelli, and blew on it before delivering it to Weijiu’s mouth.

“Mm-mm!” Weijiu couldn’t help but make chewing sounds; after all, this was a brand-new experience.

Watching Weijiu enjoy it so much, Xu Feng instinctively rested her face in her hand, feeling a sense of peace and happiness in her heart.

A phrase suddenly came to mind.

The child I’m feeding?

How strange. Is this so-called natural maternal instinct?

Xu Feng didn’t feel much inner resistance anymore; she was gradually accepting everything brought about by the changes in her body.

After breakfast was over, Xu Feng and Weijiu sat face-to-face, beginning to attempt the magic Weijiu had mentioned.

“Like this: keep your left hand perpendicular to your arm, grasp your left wrist with your right hand pointing downward, and then mobilize the mana within your body.”

“Wait a second? Mobilize mana?” Xu Feng had been mimicking Weijiu’s movements perfectly until then, but this step stumped her.

“Yes, mobilize mana. Uh, it’s like… the feeling of lighting a fire inside your body and making your blood feel like it’s boiling.” Weijiu opened her hands, gesturing wildly in the air, but Xu Feng clearly couldn’t grasp the trick.

“How do I light the fire?” Xu Feng asked.

“Eh? Um…” Weijiu scratched her cheek. Mobilizing mana was a natural instinct she was born with, but Xu Feng was a “made” Kindred; her blood lacked that inherent instinct.

“Then let’s skip the learning for now. How long can you maintain a magic effect on me?” Xu Feng pivoted to a different solution.

“With full effort, about an hour. Interfering with someone else’s mana flow usually doesn’t last very long.”

“What if I rely entirely on myself?” Xu Feng pressed.

“On your own, if your mana is sufficient, you can do it anytime, anywhere, and it can last a very long time. I saw Mother once maintain the appearance of a merchant for several days straight.”

“Sigh, then I really do have to learn how to mobilize mana.”

Xu Feng didn’t want to suddenly transform in front of people she knew. Imagine it: a perfectly fine young man disappears and is suddenly replaced by a little white-haired girl. The thought of being interrogated by others was terrifying.

Weijiu bit her lip, trying to think of a way for Xu Feng. She looked at the leftover bowls on the table, where some duck blood residue remained at the bottom.

“Oh! I’ve got it! You just need to bite me!” Weijiu eagerly rolled up her sleeve, revealing her snowy-white arm and presenting it to Xu Feng.

“Bite you? What’s the logic there?” Xu Feng felt a sudden surge of curiosity.

“Within the lineage of our Kindred, there is a survival instinct passed down. When the blood of a clansman enters your mouth, it forcibly triggers a primal desire for survival. It increases strength and speed, and it can also mobilize mana. Mother said that’s how Grandmother helped her activate her mana back then. We can try it!”

Looking at Weijiu’s confident expression and that clean, white arm, Xu Feng instinctively licked her teeth.

“Are you afraid of pain?”

“It’s… alright. Please don’t worry, I won’t make a sound. But… only a little sip, okay?” Weijiu’s face suddenly flushed red with a shy bashfulness that left her unable to say another word.

Xu Feng looked at the fair arm. To reclaim her former self, she had to bite!

Silver teeth pierced the snow-white skin, and a tiny bit of crimson seeped out, flowing up along the teeth.

Xu Feng felt a sense of euphoria—a joy originating from her very marrow was surging higher as she consumed the blood.

On the other side, Weijiu’s face was so red it felt like it might explode. She had never had her blood drunk by anyone else; attempting it for the first time, it was such a subtle, forbidden sensation!