"Lorraine, tell me, what makes ordinary people feel that life is peaceful and serene?" Yun Zhe sat at the table, looked at Lorraine, and asked, resting his chin on his hand.

"What? What do you mean by 'peaceful and quiet life'?" Lorraine looked at Yun Zhe with a puzzled expression. And what did this have to do with the vampires around the village? Lorraine stared blankly into Yun Zhe's eyes behind the candle, completely bewildered. Then he quickly thought of a possibility and hurriedly said, "Yun Zhe, why don't you go and rest? You've been working the night shift for two days in a row, and you look a bit tired."

"It's nothing, I'm perfectly fine. I even slept all afternoon, don't worry." Yun Zhe switched his hand to his cheek, but his eyes were full of worry.

Two days passed peacefully, except that soldiers and villagers spotted some figures moving at high speed in the woods.

These discoveries naturally caused a stir, but since no one was harmed, Yun Zhe and the village chief worked together and finally managed to calm everyone down temporarily with their words.

Tonight, Yun Zhe again volunteered to keep watch with Lorraine. In everyone's eyes, Yun Zhe hadn't had much rest for two days straight because of the vampire situation. Although the soldiers usually seemed carefree, seeing Yun Zhe's condition these past two days touched them deeply.

Tonight, Yunzhe moved a table to the entrance of the stable, and the two of them blocked the entrance on either side, keeping watch by candlelight while chatting. That's how the conversation just now happened.

Lorraine glanced outside. The moonlight was beautiful, and the sky was cloudless. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves. If it weren't for the vampire issue, a night spent talking by candlelight would have been perfect.

Just as the two were gazing at the night view, lost in thought, a sudden thud of fighting erupted from Hamelin's house. Soon, the lights in Hamelin's house came on, as did the lights in the village's hut. Several soldiers crawled out of their beds and rushed to the stable door, looking towards the houses now lit up.

Yun Zhe glanced at the four or five soldiers who had just arrived, and then at Gao, who had just rushed out behind them. He nodded. "Wake everyone up and guard the stables. Gao, Lorraine, and the four of you, grab your weapons and come with me to take a look."

Just as Yun Zhe and his group finished preparing, the fighting from Hamelin's side stopped. Two dark figures emerged from Hamelin's house and disappeared into the nearby woods. Immediately afterward, everyone saw Hamelin, covered in blood, stagger out of the house. She noticed Yun Zhe and the others and cried out almost in tears, "They... they've taken Akdina!"

The crowd rushed forward. Yun Zhe looked at Hamelin lying at the door. She had a wound on her arm that hadn't healed, and her body was covered in blood.

"Gao, take two men and go call Ellie here. Remember, don't go alone."

Gao nodded and left. Just then, a heart-wrenching scream came from inside the house. The sound was extremely loud and filled with terror.

Yun Zhe rushed into the house and saw the scene he least wanted to see.

A soldier lay on the ground, staring in horror at the scene before him, unable to do anything but utter "Ah, ah, ah" sounds. To his utter speechlessness, Debini was lying on the neck of another soldier, greedily sucking his blood.

Yun Zhe tossed the terrified soldier outside, his longsword flashing, and a hand swung high into the air, the ring on the finger gleaming silver in the candlelight. The loss of a hand completely enraged Debenny; he charged at Yun Zhe, only to be violently punched away, crashing into the opposite wall. Before Debenny could get up, Yun Zhe kicked the severed hand out the door, then slammed the door shut with a bang and bolted it.

"Lorraine, have someone block the door."

Lorraine also caught a glimpse of the scene inside the room. He looked at Yun Zhe, "It's not inside..."

“Yes, but he was bitten by a vampire. He didn’t die; instead, he became a vampire himself…” When Yun Zhe said this, his eyes did not look at Lorraine, but instead fell on Hamelin, who had come up behind him.

This is both an explanation and a warning.

Hamelin froze on the spot. She suddenly realized what was happening, staring intently at Yun Zhe, her eyes filled with murderous intent.

Yun Zhe glared back, which suddenly reminded Hamelin of the difference in their strength.

Hamelin tried to divert attention, but it was too late.

"I know you're upset, but this is the only way. Don't be angry, don't be sad. Find a room and calm down. Ellie and I will come to see you later."

Hamelin's gaze suddenly glazed over. She nodded blankly, her eyes empty, and quietly returned to her bedroom.

The others were still in shock and noticed Hamelin's unusual behavior, but they all assumed it was because Hamelin was stunned by the sudden and tragic situation and didn't think much of it.

Their only target at that moment was the house from which the roaring sound was coming. They gathered all sorts of planks and strips of wood from around the house and nailed the windows and doors shut, making sure they were completely sealed.

The screams inside the house continued, and the walls, windows, and doors were repeatedly slammed against with deafening bangs. Everyone turned pale and trembled with fear, constantly watching the doors and windows. If any dust fell or anything became loose, they would grab a plank and hammer it in forcefully.

Lorraine was in charge of the command. Although he was usually calm, he couldn't help but breathe heavily and was covered in sweat at this moment.

Ellie rushed over and saw Yun Zhe standing in front of Hamelin's bedroom door, arms crossed, eyes darting around, seemingly troubled by something.

“Debbini got bitten and turned into a vampire,” Yun Zhe said in a low voice when he saw Ellie.

Ellie paused for a moment, then nodded. She glanced at Hamelin, who was sitting upright on the bed in the bedroom. "What about her?"

Yun Zhe also glanced back. "I'm still thinking. The key thing is they stole that elf-absorbing... girl."

Ellie covered her mouth in surprise and whispered, "Why is that? Is it just because she's pretty?"

Yun Zhe glanced at Ellie and nodded thoughtfully.

Just then, a soldier rushed in, carrying a crossbow bolt.

"Sir, sir, someone just shot a crossbow bolt at the house. There was a note attached to the bolt."

Yun Zhe unfolded the note; the black and red ink on it was still wet. He held the note far away and took a deep breath.

The note contained very simple statements.

"Trade me your sword, you wretch!"