Logically, it shouldn't be the case, as they had no idea they would be coming to his door.
If they were truly here, it would have been when Ning Beichen went on a killing spree inside.
"Something's not right!"
"It's really not right!"
Judging from Ning Beichen's experience, these Emblem disciples were clearly trying to avoid him, unwilling to engage in a frontal confrontation, or perhaps waiting for an opportunity.
If that was the case, it meant there had to be other passages within the textile factory.
As expected, not long after, Ning Beichen found a hidden underground passage in one of the factory rooms.
The passage was hidden beneath a large textile machine and required a mechanism to open. If Ning Beichen hadn't used his spiritual power to sense it, he wouldn't have discovered it.
When Ning Beichen activated the mechanism, the disguised textile machine let out a creaking sound. He saw the old wheels on both sides begin to turn, then move apart from the center, revealing a passage leading underground, complete with automatic lights.
Ning Beichen descended into the passage.
He found that the passage went tens of meters deep underground, and it appeared to have been there for a very long time, not built in the last few decades. It might have existed for several hundred years.
Ning Beichen walked along the passage. After about a few thousand meters, he emerged from a sewer pipe by a riverbank into a desolate suburban area.
As soon as Ning Beichen stepped out of the underground pipe, he sensed someone spying on him.
However, Ning Beichen pretended not to notice and casually walked outwards.
Immediately, he heard a whistling sound, and a dark shadow shot towards him from above, like a large bird.
Before the shadow even reached Ning Beichen, he smelled a faint scent of blood in the air.
Therefore, Ning Beichen didn't need to overthink it; he knew the attacker must be a vampire.
The vampire attacked from above, confident in its speed, believing Ning Beichen wouldn't be able to react to its surprise attack.
But it was wrong. Ning Beichen had sensed it the moment he emerged from the passage. This was merely a ploy to lure him out.
The vampire was incredibly fast, akin to lightning. It instantly appeared above Ning Beichen, its palm reaching out towards his head.
It didn't want to kill Ning Beichen immediately, as the Blood Key was crucial to them, and it was still in his possession. Therefore, its attack was aimed more at injuring Ning Beichen and capturing him alive.
"I've been waiting for you!"
Facing the vampire's sneak attack, Ning Beichen bared his teeth and smiled, his arm coiling upwards like a python towards the vampire.
Before the vampire could strike Ning Beichen, its arm was caught. It was greatly startled and immediately struggled with all its might.
However, its opponent was Ning Beichen, not some nobody. How could it possibly break free?
A terrifying force surged, and the vampire that had attacked Ning Beichen felt a sense of weightlessness as it was yanked down from the air and slammed heavily onto the ground.
Fortunately, vampires had exceptionally resilient bodies; otherwise, that slam would have torn Ning Beichen into pieces.
But even with its resilient body, the impact made the vampire grimace in pain.
Just as Ning Beichen was about to deliver a finishing blow, the vampire's body suddenly dispersed into a swarm of bats.
"Interesting."
Ning Beichen was not discouraged; instead, he felt a surge of excitement.
Strictly speaking, this was his first true encounter with a vampire. The previous Countess hadn't even had a chance to use her vampire abilities before Ning Beichen had taken her down.
The vampire transformed into a swarm of bats and disappeared, but Ning Beichen sensed it was still nearby, not having fled. He immediately expanded his senses to search for the vampire's whereabouts.
However, at that moment, a large number of bats suddenly charged towards Ning Beichen.
"You're asking for it!"
Ning Beichen let out a cold snort and unleashed a punch at the swarm of bats.
With a thunderous roar, a ten-meter-long whirlwind erupted, instantly blowing the bats away.
However, these bats were merely a diversion. The real attack was hidden within the swarm.
The vampire that had disappeared earlier reappeared from within the swarm of bats, using their attack to obscure Ning Beichen's vision while it attacked from the shadows.
"Die!"
The vampire suddenly appeared, its fingers like knives, slashing down fiercely at Ning Beichen.
However, all schemes and tricks seemed ludicrous in the face of absolute power.
With a bang!
A fist landed on the vampire's chest, sending it flying upwards into the air.
You like flying, don't you?
Today, I'll let you fly to your heart's content!
The vampire fell, only to be sent flying up again...
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A cruel smile spread across Ning Beichen's face as he didn't let the vampire hit the ground.
He pummeled the vampire, which screamed in agony, blood spraying from its body. By the time it finally landed, it was already lifeless.
"Trash!"
Ning Beichen spat as he looked at the lifeless vampire.
He hadn't originally intended to kill it, but he hadn't expected the creature to be so fragile, dying after only a few blows.
And this was with him holding back his strength. If he had gone all out, Ning Beichen could have completed its ascension ritual with a single punch.
Looking at the deceased vampire, Ning Beichen couldn't be bothered to pay it any further attention. He lingered in the vicinity for a while, but no other enemies appeared. Ning Beichen left with a sense of helplessness.
It seemed his goal of luring them out had failed; they weren't interested in playing his game.
There was nothing Ning Beichen could do, as these matters were beyond his control.
However, Ning Beichen knew that with the Blood Key in his possession, the Emblem disciples and the blood race would not give up. They would definitely return.
Not long after, Ning Beichen left the area but soon received a call from James.
James anxiously told Ning Beichen on the phone that his wife and child were missing. Shortly after, the Emblem disciples delivered a note to him.
The note stated that he should exchange the Blood Key for his wife and children at a specific location, or else they would await the grim reaper for his family.
Ning Beichen soon met James.
In a short period, James had become significantly gaunt. Upon seeing Ning Beichen, he looked like a drowning man desperately seeking rescue.
"Don't worry, their objective is the Blood Key. Your family isn't their target. Since they want to play this game, I'll accompany you and have some fun with them."
Ning Beichen comforted James while his eyes filled with killing intent.