Chapter 77: How Do Asexuals Have Children?

“Mother, do you mean… the castle will be managed by me and Noah together?”

Yelan nodded.

“But this management style is unprecedented. I thought, to address the internal conflicts I mentioned, you’d plan to train more successors like Noah, with exceptional combat strength, to share the burden of managing the vampire clan.”

Yelan chuckled softly, speaking calmly.

“Huangwei, you must understand, raising someone like Noah is no easy task. In her batch, twenty vampires were turned, all carefully selected elites after years of scrutiny.

But only Noah survived all my trials. She’s a combat genius, destined to be the strongest vampire. Yet, as they say, God is fair. When it grants you one gift, it takes another.

God gave Noah unparalleled combat talent but not the strategic mind or leadership skills a ruler needs. That’s why she needs someone calm, with rich management experience, by her side.

And that person is you, Huangwei.”

“Mother…”

“I believe in you, in both of you. The future of our clan rests in your hands.”

For Huangwei, accepting Yelan’s words wasn’t difficult.

But she’d never been ambitious.

Decades ago, when Yelan appointed her as the castle’s temporary manager, she treated it as a job to be done diligently, nothing more.

She hadn’t considered anything beyond that.

So, she wasn’t sure if she could truly become a competent “strategist” in the future.

Every decision she’d make would impact Noah, even the entire vampire clan.

Who could predict what the old guard would become in a century?

Who could know what the world would look like in three hundred years?

Would Noah still be the same Noah?

And Luoyao, Dr. Luo Qiange’s perfect creation—could she even live to see three hundred years?

Would the thousand-year feud between the Blood Hunt Church and the vampires end in peace or escalate into bloodier days?

Everything was uncertain, shrouded in the unknown.

But since Yelan had made this decision, whether Huangwei’s humility was genuine or not, she could no longer refuse.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and quickly accepted the reality.

Then she asked another question that weighed on her mind.

“Mother, I’ll take what you’ve said seriously and do my best. But I have one more question. Everything you’ve done these past days, including this major decision just now, feels very urgent. Is… a crisis coming?”

Yelan was always a deeply calculating person, never making decisions in haste like this.

Her rush to reassert her authority gave Huangwei reason to believe something was pressuring her, forcing her to act swiftly.

At Huangwei’s question, Yelan smiled faintly.

“You’re truly sharp, Huangwei. Yes, a trouble—a big one—is coming.”

Huangwei sat up straighter, asking solemnly, “Is the Blood Hunt Church planning something new?”

Yelan shook her head. “No… it’s another force.”

“Another force? Are there others joining the fight between the vampires and the Church?”

For centuries, only two sides had clashed in the shadows: the vampires and the Church.

Human military forces once tried to intervene but were forced to withdraw for an awkward reason.

Conventional weapons couldn’t deal lethal blows to vampires.

And large-scale weapons risked civilian and urban collateral damage.

With both paths blocked, only the Blood Hunt Church, fighting vampires for over a millennium, had the means to oppose them.

Yet now Yelan was saying a new force was entering the fray?

“Are they… siding with the Church?” Huangwei asked.

“Neither side.”

Yelan explained, “Their organization is called ‘Tianji.’ Its members are a chaotic mix—humans, vampires, war profiteers, black-market capitalists, and more. It was formed quietly a few years ago. I only learned of it recently.”

“An organization of humans and vampires together? That’s… hard to believe.”

Yelan spread her hands. “When interests align, even intelligent beings can ally with a stray dog, can’t they?”

“What could Tianji’s goal be?”

“I don’t have detailed information yet. All I know is that many weaker vampires have gone missing in recent years, and Tianji is behind it.

So, in the coming time, I’ll investigate them thoroughly until I uncover what they’re planning.”

This was why Yelan was so urgent.

When facing an entirely unknown enemy, caution was always the wisest choice.

In a conflict with multiple factions, the battlefield could shift in an instant.

Yelan wouldn’t waste a single second.

Uncovering Tianji’s true nature was the key to navigating the upcoming three-way struggle.

“Understood, Mother. If you need my help, you can call on me anytime.”

“Mm. It’s not that urgent yet. For now, study this book carefully.”

As she spoke, Yelan placed a dictionary-thick book on the table and slid it to Huangwei.

The book was hand-bound, its cover blank.

The title page bore only two elegant, flowing characters: Yelan.

“This is a draft I wrote recently, recording my insights and experiences managing the castle’s vampires over the past year. It’s the only copy in the world, so study it well, Huangwei.”

Huangwei’s fingertips brushed the draft’s cover. After a moment, she smiled.

She was relieved her mother hadn’t become the “dictator” others described.

Yelan was still protecting her progeny and the clan in her own way.

This draft wasn’t just a record of her experiences and knowledge.

It symbolized Yelan’s trust in Huangwei.

She truly didn’t want the vampire clan to decline.

Huangwei carefully tucked the book away, saying earnestly, “I’ll study it diligently, Mother.”

“Mm. You’ve never made me worry about your studies.”

Huangwei blinked, then teased with a smile, “Before you turned me, I was a proper lady from a wealthy family. Studying was important.”

Yelan’s lips curved upward. “What’s that, little Huangwei? Are you saying I ruined your chance to be a refined heiress by turning you? My mistake, boo-hoo.”

“Oh, come on, don’t mimic Lin Daiyu with that foxy face. It’s creepy.”

Yelan waved her hand. “Any other questions?”

Huangwei thought for a moment, then said, “There is one, but it’s not a big deal. No matter. Ask away. I have time tonight.”

“Alright. You said Dr. Luo Qiange was asexual. So how… did she conceive Luoyao?”