Chapter 111: A New Leader

"Lord Blood-Butcher, are you awake?" Blood-Butcher, his face deathly pale and drained of all color, stirred from his unconscious state to see Le-Tian-Pai looking at him with concern.

"Little Le, it’s you. How are the others?" More than himself, Blood-Butcher was concerned for his comrades. He was already a man with one foot in the grave, his own fate of little consequence, but the others were young—they were the future of the Blood Hunter Guild, and they were far more important than he.

"I am sorry, Lord Blood-Butcher." Hearing the question, Le-Tian-Pai lowered his head in shame, his eyes clouded with gloom.

"They... are they all dead?" Seeing the expression on Le-Tian-Pai’s face, Blood-Butcher already knew the outcome. He should have known it would come to this. So, they were all gone. There were few elites left in the Blood Hunter Guild; this loss would likely bring the entire organization to the brink of collapse.

"I am sorry, Lord Blood-Butcher. It is my incompetence; I could not save them." Le-Tian-Pai said, consumed by guilt. Watching his companions die one by one before his eyes while he could do nothing but survive—a wretched remnant—was a feeling that nearly drove him to madness. If not for the need to care for the gravely wounded Blood-Butcher, he likely would have ended his own life to escape the inner torment.

"Little Le, this is not your fault. This is the fate of a Blood Hunter—a destiny from which there is no escape." Blood-Butcher looked up at the sky with vacant eyes, his expression unreadable, caught between sorrow and remorse. "I led them out, yet I could not bring them back. This is my failure," he sighed softly.

"No, Lord Blood-Butcher, you did nothing wrong. As Blood Hunters, it is our honor to die for the glory of the Guild. Not a single one of them would resent you." Seeing the look on the older man's face, Le-Tian-Pai spoke with firm conviction. "Lord Blood-Butcher, you must take care of yourself. The Guild faces an unprecedented crisis, and we rely on you to lead us forward. You cannot give up."

"Lead everyone forward?" Blood-Butcher laughed self-deprecatingly at Le-Tian-Pai’s words. "Ever since the old man Wu-Yan passed away, the Guild has been hemorrhaging people. Watching my members die one by one, watching the Guild wither away under my command—I have often wondered, am I truly fit to lead?" He looked at Le-Tian-Pai, his eyes filled with irrepressible self-reproach. "This time, it was my decision that led to the near-total annihilation of our elites. I have failed them."

"Your decisions were not wrong, Lord Blood-Butcher. To uphold the creed of the Blood Hunter Guild, to fight the vampires to the death—this is what every one of us aspires to. To fulfill our mission, any sacrifice is worth it. Please, continue to lead us in guarding the glory of the Blood Hunters and the dignity of humanity." Le-Tian-Pai gazed at him firmly.

"Little Le, I am tired. I no longer have the strength to lead, and it is time for me to step down and let a worthy successor take my place." Blood-Butcher smiled at him. "You are one of the few remaining A-rank Blood Hunters. I wish to entrust the Guild to you."

"Lord Blood-Butcher, how can I? I lack the strength to lead the Guild, and besides, I am a sinner. If not for me, Xing-Yu would never have walked this path. I have failed the Guild." Tears of regret welled in Le-Tian-Pai’s eyes, staining the front of his clothes.

"That is not your fault. It is fate—fate is a cruel jester. How can a mere mortal contend with destiny?" Blood-Butcher said calmly. "Little Le, perhaps we were wrong from the very beginning. Breaking ties with the Blood Clan, attacking their princess—ever since then, the Guild has been in decline. We were truly wrong." His voice was heavy with infinite regret. "So, Little Le, do as you originally intended. I remember you were always the one advocating for peaceful coexistence. If our path was wrong, then let us change it. Even if we are wrong again, it is better than continuing down a path of error, is it not?"

"Lord Blood-Butcher?" Le-Tian-Pai stared in shock at the leader of the Blood Hunters.

"What? Is it hard to believe? Did you think I was just an old die-hard who would never bow to the Blood Clan?" Blood-Butcher smiled with a sense of relief. "In truth, I knew from the start that we were wrong. Humanity and the Blood Clan coexisted in peace for a millennium. Such long-standing comfort made us forget the gap between us, made us forget the power of the Blood Clan, and made us forget how humanity survived in the first place. We became too arrogant, and that is why we strayed so far down this crooked path. It is not too late to wake up, is it? So, Little Le, the future depends on you. You were not killed by them; perhaps that is fate’s own choice. You are now our only bridge to the Blood Clan, which is why I entrust the Guild to you. Do not disappoint me. Lead the Guild to survive. This is my—no, an old man’s—plea. Can you not promise me this?"

"Lord Blood-Butcher!" Seeing the usually indomitable leader show such vulnerability—like an ordinary old man—Le-Tian-Pai was utterly stunned. Then, under the expectant gaze of the older man, he spoke with solemn gravity: "Lord Blood-Butcher, rest assured. No matter the cost, no matter the infamy I may bear, I will ensure the Blood Hunter Guild survives. I will not let it perish under my watch. This is my promise to you!"

"Then I can rest easy. Thank you, Little Le. Now I can depart in peace." Blood-Butcher smiled, struggling to push himself up to a standing position.

"Lord Blood-Butcher?" Le-Tian-Pai asked, startled by his movement.

"The Guild was my only remaining concern. Now that I have entrusted it to the most suitable person, I have nothing left to hold onto." Blood-Butcher looked toward the horizon, where the sky would soon brighten. "In that case, I shall atone for my sins. Didn't that vampire named Xing-Yu say it? All of this was caused by the Vampire King, Bai-Ye. Before I die, this old man wants to make one final stand." He sighed with emotion. "When Wu-Yan and I were young, we were filled with high aspirations, dreaming of killing a Blood Prince. Thinking of it now, it seems laughable. But killing the Vampire King? That might still be possible, right? I want to be reckless one last time before I die! This is the last thing I can do for the Guild, my atonement for the fallen. So, do not stop me."

"Lord Blood-Butcher!" Watching his expression of liberation, Le-Tian-Pai felt a bottomless sorrow. This old man had already given too much for the Guild and for humanity, bearing too much pain, yet even at the end of his life, his only thought was his duty as a Blood Hunter.

"That is enough, Little Le. The Guild is yours now, and with you at the helm, I am at ease. If possible, please collect my remains and bury me beside that old fool, Wu-Yan. We were partners for a lifetime; I cannot let that old man be too lonely in the afterlife." Blood-Butcher said, then leaned against the wall and walked weakly into the darkness of the alley.

Le-Tian-Pai watched his retreating figure in silence. He knew that this was likely the last time he would see the venerable old man. Blood-Butcher had left with the resolve to die; this was, in all likelihood, a final farewell.

Only when the figure vanished into the dark did Le-Tian-Pai lower his gaze, wiping the tears from his face. He spoke to the direction where Blood-Butcher had disappeared: "Lord Blood-Butcher, rest assured. I will never fail your expectations. I will lead everyone to survive. Furthermore, we will never forget the glory of the Blood Hunters. One day, we will drive the vampires out of the human world completely." With that, he glanced at the rising morning sun. Now, it was humanity's time.

The new leader of the Blood Hunter Guild strode toward the headquarters. From this day on, the Guild would enter a new era. All grudges with the Blood Clan would be cast aside. Regardless of the infamy or the lack of understanding from others, he would guide the Guild through this crisis. *Vampires, the blood debt you owe—one day, I will collect it all.* Le-Tian-Pai swore in his heart.

From that day on, the Blood Clan noticed that the presence of Blood Hunters had vanished from their sight. No more would they hear the cries of hunters out for vengeance. The Blood Clan was puzzled—had the Guild been destroyed? Inside the Guild, countless hunters wept in grief, cursing their new leader as a coward. Yet, the order remained absolute: abandon all grudges against the Blood Clan. The only enemy was the vampire. Disobedience would result in expulsion.

Many were confused, many cursed, but the new leader offered no explanation, enforcing the order with an iron hand. With nowhere else to vent their anger, the hunters’ fury turned toward the vampires. After the decline of the Guild, the vampires, who had been feeding with abandon, were struck by a force like never before—and this was only the beginning.

Rumors spread through the dark world of a lone hunter who targeted humans, vampires, and even a few of the Blood Clan themselves. Countless vampires had met their end at his hands. For a time, the vampires went into hiding once more, returning to the life of constant flight they had known in the beginning.