Chapter 88: Declaration of War

Early in the morning at Baiyun Airport, a plane touched down on the runway, and passengers began to disembark one after another. Among them, several people stood out conspicuously; their attire was unmistakable. A portly man wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses and dressed in beachwear seemed surrounded by countless bubbles glistening in the sunlight, an ostentatious ensemble so outrageous it was hard to look at directly. The two people beside him were utterly composed, unfazed by the spectacle.

After leaving the airport, Ye Lan dialed Ye Tang’s number, but it remained switched off, which worried her. Comforted by Le’er, she tried not to dwell on it, and the three boarded their pre-booked ride, heading home.

“Do you think our captain is planning to issue a wanted notice at the radio station?” asked Li Jianwen, a member of the HT team. Several teammates glanced at a notebook screen, which displayed the broadcast studio, where a poised female host was introducing herself.

“Probably. Since last night’s pursuit of the vampire was exposed and spread online, maybe the government wants the captain to pass it off as a prank during the broadcast to mislead the public.”

Li Ning, seated in the back, wasn’t interested in their conversation; her gaze drifted out the window. She couldn’t understand why Du Bin would rather become a fugitive for her sake, nor what crisis he had spoken of—it haunted her thoughts.

“Good morning, viewers. I’m your host, Han Han.” Han Han recited the usual opening formalities before getting to the point: “I’m sure everyone is curious about the video uploaded online last night. The incident began at Huangpu Hospital, where a female monster appeared: she had wings on her back and long, sharp canine teeth. According to eyewitness accounts, she killed the attending doctor and drank his blood. Surrounded by police, she and another accomplice flew into the night and vanished. For this astonishing discovery, we have specially invited Li Ping, captain of the special investigation team responsible for this operation. Let’s welcome him!”

Han Han rose and gently applauded the man beside her, Li Ping, who waved at the camera. “Hello everyone, I’m Li Ping.”

Ye Lan and her companions, just entering the bustling downtown district, waited at a traffic light. Le’er inadvertently caught sight of a giant screen atop a commercial building broadcasting the live show, its headline clearly mentioning flying monsters. Instantly reminded of Ye Tang, she grabbed her phone to search for the live stream link. Ye Lan and Hu Guozheng, seeing the video, broke out in cold sweat.

“Isn’t that our old classmate Du? How did he suddenly become the enemy?” Hu Guozheng said incredulously, recalling how Du had helped them many times, and now he was personally leading the hunt for Xiao Tang.

“This is trouble. The media has exposed that Sister Xiao Tang is a vampire. Now she’s not just the enemy of the hunting families—everyone in the world will be after her.”

Ye Lan nodded. The unease she had felt since leaving the airport had finally materialized. “We must find her first and hide her, or things will get very complicated.”

“In the Huangpu Hospital video, I believe everyone wants to know about the girl with the wings. In this age of advanced science, all kinds of strange things can happen. Since the video was released, its daily views have surpassed any in the last decade, and the numbers keep climbing. Many viewers are captivated, though some believe it’s a fabricated video, much like the old UFO incidents. Given these questions, I’d like to invite Captain Li, the mastermind behind the operation, to answer what millions of viewers are waiting for.” Han Han gestured, and the camera switched to Li Ping, who smiled faintly.

“Well, this question—obviously, it’s just a rumor. As for the footage, everyone has seen it, but it did affect local public security. I sincerely apologize for what happened at Huangpu Hospital,” Li Ping spoke with meticulous care, weighing every word.

“Why is he deliberately concealing the truth?” Hu Guozheng wondered aloud.

“If this got out, it would cause public panic,” Le’er replied, turning her head.

As they discussed, Hu Guozheng caught sight of the computer screen and recoiled in terror. “Oh my god, a ghost woman!”

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“Why are you screaming like a banshee?” Le’er snapped irritably. Hu Guozheng, trembling, pointed at the screen. Ye Lan followed his gaze.

Han Han, the host, was shrouded in electricity, her hair wild and floating, her eyes rimmed in black eyeliner as she stared menacingly at those present. The camera captured her strange movements.

“The earth will soon be reborn. Listen closely: this city will soon welcome a new ruler.” The words came from the host’s mouth, but the voice was not hers. Li Ping stood up, staring at her with a bizarre expression.

“What a terrifying voice!” Li Ning, watching the video elsewhere, shuddered uncontrollably.

“What on earth is she talking about—a new ruler descending?” The group, dizzy with confusion, had no idea what to make of it.

“Descending? What are you talking about?”

“Don’t believe me? Then soon you’ll see for yourselves—the coming of death.” As she finished, a surge of electricity coursed through Han Han’s body, and she collapsed to the ground, lifeless. Li Ping and several staff rushed forward, confirming her death.

Everyone was gripped by terror and chaos. Li Ping quickly slipped out from backstage. His phone rang as he reached the parking lot, and he answered while driving.

Meanwhile, the sky began to change. Darkness crept in until the entire city of Guangzhou was wrapped in thick fog, sunlight unable to penetrate.

Pan stood atop the Moshing Tower, surveying the transformation below, remote control in hand. Soon, swarms of bats appeared, among them dozens of vampires, all descending into Moshing Tower.

Yasuo approached, half-kneeling. “My king, preparations are complete. The whole of Guangzhou is shrouded in smog—no one can enter, and no one can leave.”

“Well done. With ten million soldiers, expanding across the continent will be a trivial matter. But starting so quickly isn’t much fun. Before this base is fully established, plenty of self-proclaimed heroes will show up. Go—scatter across the city and keep them occupied.”

“Yes, sir.” The group dispersed.

“Come now, let’s see what you’re capable of—how much you’ve truly inherited,” Pan said, anticipation shining in his eyes.

Flocks of bats hovered in the sky, attacking helicopters. Armed police fired upward, triggering a series of airborne explosions. The bats struck fearlessly, diving down to tear at the crowds.

Helicopters locked onto targets and unleashed rounds; missiles were exhausted. The military district, alerted, dispatched several J-11 fighters, but the jets couldn’t penetrate the smog, forced to circle above.

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The battle erupted at any moment. Lower-level vampires took the opportunity to hunt, turning Guangzhou into a city drenched in blood and terror. Numerous news crews filmed the scene, but the powerful magnetic field within the smog disrupted signals, rendering electronics nearly useless.

One helicopter crashed into a building and exploded; others lost wings corroded by bat saliva and plunged from the sky. Faced with these sudden disasters, the newly reorganized HT team, lacking experience, fell into chaos. With no other option, Li Ping led his people toward Tianhe District to evacuate.

“Damn, these monsters have gone insane.”

“Hurry, take it down—cover with the machine gun!”

The armed police defending the alleyways were beset by a cacophony of screams, gunfire, explosions, and shouted commands. Ji Jianfeng, serving as chief commander of the police, directed the battle from behind the lines.

“Damn those bats, they’re so hard to fight—especially that monster, its body tougher than bulletproof vests,” Ji Jianfeng slammed the table, furious as he watched the returned footage. The latest frontline report showed a winged monster causing havoc everywhere.

Liu Zhimin agreed, “If this keeps up, we’ll face total annihilation. We must retreat.”

“Damn it.” Not wishing to sacrifice his men needlessly, Ji Jianfeng reluctantly ordered a temporary withdrawal.

Meanwhile, Qin Ling, taken away from danger early that morning by Zeng Yilong, remained blissfully unaware, vacationing on the beach at Zhuhai Seaside Park. Even if news reached them, Zeng Yilong would keep it from her.

The battle lasted the entire morning, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides. Bat saliva rained down, corroding the armor of vehicles, which exploded on their own. Fires spread everywhere, with firefighters rushing to contain them.

“Hurry, medics—there are wounded here!” Doctors scrambled to treat the injured. Many victims went berserk, attacking others, plunging the emergency center into chaos.

“So this is humanity’s army. For centuries, they’ve relied on weapons—yet what use are they? Still so fragile,” Pan sneered. Yasuo stood behind him, watching the humans—those who had exterminated his kin now wore faces twisted by terror, replacing their once smug smiles. He felt a strange sense of satisfaction.