Chapter 22: A Congenital Condition and a Shocking Revelation

Having just taken a step forward, Qi Lin halted at Ailin’s furious roar, retreating awkwardly to maintain a safe distance from the pair.

Observing Ailin and Nia, whose emotions seemed utterly disarrayed, Qi Lin pursed his lips.

After a moment’s deliberation, Qi Lin bowed deeply to them. “I’m truly sorry! It was never my intention to harm either of you.”

As Qi Lin remained bowed, Ailin and Nia exchanged bewildered glances. ‘What exactly is happening here?’

“…I don’t know if you’re aware that some races are afflicted with congenital illnesses.” Observing their distinctly different expressions, Qi Lin conceived a more diplomatic approach.

“Congenital illness?” Ailin questioned, a furrow appearing between his brows as he cast his mind back to the racial knowledge imparted by his elders in his youth. He spoke with a hint of hesitation.

Qi Lin nodded gravely. “Precisely, a congenital affliction. My race is one burdened by such a condition, and my transformation earlier was simply a manifestation of this illness.”

In this, he spoke no lie. It was, indeed, a congenital condition; what else could a primal urge for blood from the moment of birth be, even if the Bloodline Queen’s kind did not perceive it as an ailment?

Upon hearing Qi Lin’s words, both Nia and Ailin lapsed into profound contemplation. It wasn’t a matter of belief, but rather that they had never encountered such a predicament and were at a loss as to how to proceed.

After a significant period of reflection, Nia was the first to voice her conviction. “Yes, I believe you!”

She found it difficult to reconcile the image of a villain with the one who had saved her from the War Fiends’ relentless assault.

Had Qi Lin truly been malevolent, he would have eliminated both her and Ailin already, rather than patiently awaiting their awakening to offer an explanation for his transformation.

“Alright, for now… I suppose I’ll trust you.” Witnessing Nia’s declaration, Ailin fixed his gaze on Qi Lin for a prolonged moment before finally exhaling a sigh and speaking slowly.

Naturally, he would not allow his vigilance concerning Qi Lin to waver. After all, there was no shortage of races that would don disguises merely to toy with others, only to shed their pretense once the opportune moment arrived.

While he couldn’t ascertain if Qi Lin belonged to such a cunning race, maintaining a healthy degree of suspicion was always a prudent course of action.

Observing the two who had, for the moment, accepted his explanation for his bewildering transformation, Qi Lin felt a wave of relief wash over him.

“If it’s truly a congenital illness, do you have any idea when it might flare up again?” Ailin suddenly inquired, his gaze fixed intently on Qi Lin.

The moment Ailin posed the question, Qi Lin paused for a brief thought before answering with earnestness. “After my demonic energy is completely depleted, my congenital illness will manifest. Should I fail to consume blood to restore my bodily functions, I will succumb entirely to my primal instincts.”

“…Understood.” Ailin nodded, then began to hobble unsteadily towards the tent.

Having sustained injuries from Qi Lin, he needed to recover swiftly. Otherwise, his weakened body would be utterly useless if War Fiends were to suddenly emerge.

As Ailin retreated into the distance, Nia’s eyes drifted to meet Qi Lin’s.

“Please forgive me, I genuinely did not intend to cause you harm.” Meeting Nia’s steady gaze, Qi Lin reiterated his apology.

“Hmm…” Nia remained silent for a considerable duration before finally speaking. “I’m going to check on Ailin. Would you… care to join me?”

Qi Lin hesitated for a moment, then pursed his lips and subtly shook his head. ‘It would be best for us to cool down separately in this particular situation.’

As Nia walked away, Qi Lin slowly made her way to the stream and squatted by its edge.

With her knees drawn up and her chin resting upon them, Qi Lin gazed silently at the water’s surface.

Observing her reflection in the tranquil water, Qi Lin’s brow furrowed.

‘Am I… perhaps a little too delicate now? And why has my hair grown so long, nearly obscuring my neck and reaching my shoulders… What exactly is happening to me?’

Qi Lin froze, a sudden suspicion regarding their current gender beginning to bloom in their mind.

‘If I don’t revert to male attire and somehow return to my original world, wouldn’t everyone undoubtedly mistake me for a girl? Furthermore, why do I have this distinct feeling that even in men’s clothing, I would still be perceived as female?’

‘Could it be that as my Bloodline transformation progresses, I’ll fully become a girl? After all, what kind of vampire manifests such overtly feminine traits?’

A terrifying possibility flashing through their mind, Qi Lin abruptly rose to their feet.

As a gentle breeze wafted past, it lifted their skirt, and Qi Lin felt a sudden chill in their lower region.

Clamping their thighs together, Qi Lin sensed an undeniable peculiarity within themselves…

Clenching their fists, Qi Lin’s cheeks flushed faintly as a thought struck them. “That can’t be true, can it? To further Bloodline transformation into some sort of vampire princess… how could that possibly happen?”

Swallowing hard once more, and having steeled their resolve internally, Qi Lin decided to seek reassurance by slowly extending their right hand and nervously reaching downwards.

“???” Clapping a hand over the sensitive region below, a thunderbolt of realization struck Qi Lin’s mind.

‘Who am I? Where am I? What has become of me? Where are my… parts? Is this some sort of cruel jest? A farce?’

Engulfed by an avalanche of questions, Qi Lin stared agape into the distance. It was he—no, she—yes, she had, in essence, lost her most cherished ‘brother’…

‘She doesn’t even have a girlfriend yet… Suddenly, life feels utterly devoid of meaning!’ Stunned into a daze, Qi Lin found herself on the brink of tears, yet none would fall.

Sporting a face far more wretched than any cry, Qi Lin longed to weep, yet for some inexplicable reason, the tears simply wouldn’t come, as if an unseen force actively suppressed her sorrow.

“Why did this happen? How did I turn into a girl?” Scratching her head in utter bewilderment, Qi Lin couldn’t comprehend it. How could becoming a vampire also alter her gender?

Ruffling her hair into disarray, Qi Lin sighed deeply, her gaze directed towards the heavens.

With matters having reached this point, what choice did she have? She could only accept it for the time being. However… she absolutely had to find that Armored Figure. Having been transformed like this, she needed to beat him senseless to truly vent her frustration. While she knew the true culprit was not him, but the Black-Robed Figure, that figure had long since dissolved into dust…

Clenching her fists tightly, Qi Lin pondered for a moment, conceding that she likely couldn’t defeat the Armored Figure. With a sigh, she relaxed her grip and turned her gaze towards the tent.

Blessed with exceptional eyesight, Qi Lin effortlessly spotted Ailin drinking from a medicine bottle, while beside him, Nia sat on the ground, hugging her knees and lost in a daze.

Quite distinctly, after Ailin imbibed from the medicine bottle, a faint greenish glow began to flicker around his entire being.

‘That must be the medicinal concoction of this world,’ Qi Lin surmised.

Patting her cheeks, Qi Lin began to walk towards the tent. ‘It’s been quite some time; they… well, they must have calmed down by now, surely?’

As she made her way towards the tent, Qi Lin, her heart thrumming with a touch of apprehension, pursed her lips.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, Ailin glanced in their direction. Upon recognizing Qi Lin, he offered a silent nod before closing his eyes once more, focusing on guiding the medicine’s restorative power to heal his wounds.

“May… may I sit here?” Qi Lin murmured softly, having approached Nia’s side.

Nia lifted her head, her eyes widening slightly upon recognizing Qi Lin. After a brief pause, she nodded, granting permission.

With Nia’s affirmative nod, the tension in Qi Lin’s chest began to subside. ‘Good, judging by this, they must have set aside their misgivings. At least, I hope so.’

Biting her lip, Qi Lin settled down beside Nia.

“Qi Lin…”

“Hmm? What is it?” Hearing Nia’s voice beside her, Qi Lin turned her gaze.

“Didn’t you… mention you were searching for someone? I just spoke with Ailin, and he assured me he would assist you.”

At this, Qi Lin’s eyes brightened considerably. “Truly? That’s excellent news!”

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