Mograine, a vampire who had lived for centuries, didn't need to sleep during the day, yet he still lay in bed, eyes closed, brow furrowed, expression grave. Ever since arriving in this cold, damp underground castle, the old injuries on his head and face had recurred, causing both pain and itching, further exacerbating his already sensitive and irritable mood.
The story of the scar on Mograine's face dates back to more than sixty years ago. Mograine was a dwarf, so he was more keen on finding ways to increase his strength than the other three vampire knights.
He knew that in the northeastern forests of China, there was a rare and miraculous herb. The saponins in it could greatly increase the excitability of a vampire's nervous system, significantly increasing their endurance and attack power in a short period of time. This herb had to be taken fresh to be effective against vampires, but Britain was so far away from China that he could only sigh in despair.
In the early 1930s, Mograine captured a Russian and originally planned to feed him to his pet dog as food, but he learned a secret from the Russian - there were a large number of ginsengs in the primeval forests bordering China and Russia. Among them, there was a ginseng king that had been growing for nearly a thousand years. If Mograine ate it, he could sublimate his bloodline, awaken the ancestral power, and even become more powerful than Dracula.
When the Russians were young, they served in an army near the border between China and Russia, and they often raided and plundered nearby Chinese villages. Once, they forced an old herbalist to lead the way deep into the forests of the Xing'an Mountains, hunting animals for their fur and reaping a rich harvest.
However, when they reached the foot of a small, steamed bun-shaped hill, they lost their way and continued to circle in circles, unable to escape the confines of the mountain. The herbalists claimed the mountain spirit was angry, blaming them for disturbing its peace and tranquility and intending to trap them to death. However, they were mocked and scolded by Russian soldiers, who accused them of spreading rumors and misleading the public. Strangely, the foot of the mountain lacked complex terrain, with only sparse, low-lying shrubs. Although they could see a path ahead, they couldn't reach it, and their compass and other instruments were malfunctioning.
A group of soldiers were trapped at the foot of a mountain for five or six days, facing imminent desperation for food and water. Unbelievable, the Russian soldiers knelt and kowtowed at the foot of the mountain, following the herbalist's instructions. Miraculously, after their kowtow, they found their way back to their base. The Russian soldiers fled back to their base, never again daring to venture into the Chinese forests, convinced that the mountain god was angry.
The Russian was fascinated by the mountain spirit and sought out a herbalist, from whom he learned numerous legends about it. It turned out the mountain spirit was a nearly thousand-year-old ginseng plant that liked to transform into a child. Local herbalists often saw the mountain spirit at play when they ventured into the mountains. Some speculated that eating this ginseng would instantly grant immortality.
The Russians had originally planned to take advantage of the war in China to recruit more helpers, purchase some advanced equipment, and then go to Mantou Mountain to obtain the Ginseng King. However, they were captured by Mograine. To save their lives, they had to reveal the secret. Mograine was moved by this and led the Russians across the ocean to China.
At that time, China was invaded by Japan, ravaged by war and suffering widespread misery. Mograine and his companions easily entered Chinese territory. Journeying north, they reached Heilongjiang Province, where they passed by a small village called Wujiacun. Nestled at the northern foot of the Greater Khingan Range, it was close to Russia's Trans-Baikal region. Because of its remote location, while life in the village was poor, it had remained untouched by the war, a rare haven.
Mograine took up residence in the village, but that same night they were attacked by the very villagers who had appeared so kind and welcoming during the day and had offered to host them. Mograine's hunting dogs were attacked by a pack of weasels and rats, quickly gnawed to the bone. The Russians were also killed by the villagers, along with Mograine's servants and men. Mograine had his face split open from left to right by a wrinkled, gray-haired Chinese woman with a large Guandao sword. Fortunately, the damage to his brain was spared, saving his life.
Mograine was terrified and fled to Transbaikal with his head covered. He spent half a year in Russia recuperating from his injuries before returning to Britain, with an ugly scar left on his face forever.
That horrific experience was deeply etched in Mograine's mind, leaving him terrified at the mere thought of the Chinese, and he dared not leave the British base. Even with the Terminator project, it was only after Kurtaz's repeated assurances and reassurances that he brought Susan and the others to Hong Kong Island to help. He had long since warned that the Chinese were not to be trifled with, and sure enough, the Terminator project went awry, not as smoothly as Seriek and Kurtaz had planned, leaving him irritated and anxious for the past few days.
Mograine was thinking about his next plan, whether to leave Hong Kong Island and return to Britain. Susan, who was lying on the edge of the bed, suddenly raised her head, sniffed the air, let out a low growl in her throat, and suddenly stood up and ran out the door.
"Susan darling—come back!"
Mograine sat up, frowning and staring at the direction where the Rottweiler disappeared, wondering: Susan grew up eating blood and is extremely sensitive to the taste of blood. Now it doesn't even listen to its owner. Has something happened?
Mograine jumped off the bed with his short legs, cursing Kurtaz. If he hadn't sucked all the servants dry as rations, there would be no need for him to go and check the situation in person.
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