Rebirth of the Vampire's Iceberg Hunter - Chapter 3

Third Aunt led Chuanmei by the hand to the public restroom.

“Go on in. I’ll wait for you outside.”

Chuanmei glanced at Third Aunt before entering the women’s restroom without looking back. She smiled brightly, knowing Third Aunt’s puzzled expression without even turning around.

But Chuanmei was overthinking things. Third Aunt hadn’t even noticed which restroom Chuanmei entered, as she was busy sending a text message:

“Got a top-tier catch. Wait for me.”

Just as she sent the message, Chuanmei emerged from the restroom.

Third Aunt gazed at the exquisitely featured boy standing before her.

Wait… something’s off. Why did he just come out of the women’s restroom?

Did Chuanmei go into the wrong restroom? How did he end up in the women’s restroom? Third Aunt had a vague suspicion, as she’d encountered similar situations before.

Chuanmei smiled shyly. “Mommy always said girls shouldn’t go into the men’s restroom…”

Third Aunt was stunned. Another girl? Only then did she realize Chuanmei’s features were indeed too delicate. She’d initially thought he was just exceptionally handsome, but it turned out she was a girl after all. But what use is a girl to me?

Seeing that Third Aunt’s face had darkened considerably, Chuanmei worried she might change her mind. Yet she didn’t regret revealing her true gender. She was a girl, plain and simple. Even with her short hair, she was still a girl, and she had no interest in playing the part of a boy.

“Third Aunt, what’s wrong?” Chuanmei asked weakly, her pale face making her look utterly pitiful.

Third Aunt glared at Chuanmei’s innocent expression, her anger boiling over. She had wanted to cherish this child, only to discover she was a money-draining girl! No matter how beautiful she was, her gender couldn’t be changed!

Then she reconsidered. Fine, I’ll take her back anyway. We’re short on girls for cleaning the courtyard. Girls are easier to care for than boys. They don’t eat much. Suppressing her irritation, she said, “It’s nothing, Chuanmei. Let’s go home.”

She turned and walked ahead without taking Chuanmei’s hand.

Chuanmei watched Third Aunt’s retreating figure, pursed her lips, and muttered, “People are so fickle.” Then she hurried to catch up.

Chuanmei followed Third Aunt at a steady pace until they stopped in front of a building.

Looking up, Chuanmei saw the large characters: “Blessed Haven.” She pursed her lips, thinking the name was utterly cliché.

“Come on, let’s go in!” Third Aunt tugged at Chuanmei, who was staring blankly at the sign.

Third Aunt unlocked the iron gate with her key.

Even before stepping inside, Chuanmei sensed a dangerous aura. She couldn’t help but wonder: With my current abilities, what kind of formidable presence could make me feel threatened? Chuanmei wasn’t arrogant, but she genuinely had reason to look down on everything. Whether it was the Vampire Clan or the great families of Vampire Hunters. As a vampire, she was the most powerful Pureblood; as a Vampire Hunter, she wielded the Chuan Clan’s most potent Spellcraft. Her thoughts immediately turned to that person, but she quickly dismissed the idea. How could it be him? He’s the darling of the heavens—what would he be doing here?! Yet, apart from that person’s Pureblood aura, who else could make her feel this sense of danger?

But when Chuanmei was led into the courtyard, she was stunned.

She saw someone or rather, someone she thought it impossible to see here now: Gong Nan.

Though Gong Nan didn’t look up and her appearance was vastly different from when Chuanmei had last seen her, when she was a woman so powerful that Chuanmei had to make way for her. She now wore a gray short-sleeved shirt and faded jeans, pulling a dirt-colored broom and sweeping the ground with her head lowered. While her appearance had changed dramatically, her aura was incomparable to what it once was. In Chuanmei’s memory, how could there ever be a time when the proud Gong Nan would lower her head like this? Yet Chuanmei recognized her instantly. It was almost a visceral feeling; even in her current state of destitution, Chuanmei could sense a deep-seated wariness rising from the depths of her blood. Every cell in her body seemed to scream in warning, urging her to be on guard.

In Chuanmei’s heart, Gong Nan’s very existence served as a constant reminder of her own failed life.

If Chuanmei’s life were a tragic tale of blood and tears, it began with her birthright: the most precious Pureblood of the Chuan Clan. Yet, because she was female, the clan’s ancestral belief cursed women with Pureblood to be demons destined to die before thirty. Whenever such a child appeared, the Chuan Clan would abandon her outright. They also possessed a secret technique to transfer this Pureblood, which doubled cultivation efficiency, to a male relative of the same lineage. It was said that the last Pureblood woman in the Chuan Clan had appeared over fifty years ago.

This was why Chuanmei had been imprisoned in that iron box for over a decade. The Chuan Clan wanted her blood to improve the bloodline of their heir; Chuanmei’s younger brother.

As for Gong Nan, in Chuanmei’s understanding, her life was a success story. Gong Nan also possessed the Gong Clan’s Pureblood, which differed from the Chuan Clan’s. Unlike Chuanmei’s tragic fate of forced blood donation, Gong Nan had been revered as a treasure since childhood. At fourteen, she single-handedly killed a Vampire Elder, earning her legendary status in the Vampire Hunter World.

Beyond that, Chuanmei knew only that Gong Nan was like a vampire-slaying machine. Every vampire who crossed paths with her met their end. Of course, this didn’t include Chuanmei herself. Because of the pureblood lineage flowing through her veins, her vampire identity remained hidden unless she deliberately exposed it. Ironically, the Chuan Clan, whom she had loathed in her previous life, now provided her with an excellent protective shield. Yet Chuanmei had never directly confronted Gong Nan.

Though she didn’t know why the prodigy Gong Nan was here, Chuanmei couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of the girl with a bruised face and swollen nose. The contrast between this battered figure and the domineering Vampire Hunter Queen from her past life was simply too absurd.

Well, she actually did laugh. But because she hadn’t laughed so heartily in ages, her facial muscles were stiff, making her laughter sound somewhat unnatural.

Gong Nan, who had been sweeping the floor, looked up when someone entered and saw Chuanmei’s distinctly eerie smile. Her eyes darkened, and she gripped the broom tightly. A tiger fallen into the plains is mocked by dogs!

“Nangong, come here,” Third Aunt said, settling into a chair. Chuanmei stood beside her.

Gong Nan paused, then silently walked over.

“Nan Gong, her name is Chuanmei,” Third Aunt said, gesturing toward Chuanmei. “From now on, she’s under your care. Take her around to familiarize her with the place. Oh, and she’ll be sharing your room. Explain the rules to her thoroughly! If anything goes wrong, you know the consequences!” Third Aunt’s voice dripped with menace as she delivered the last two sentences. Gong Nan’s expression remained unchanged, while Chuanmei forced her frail body to tremble, making her look even more pitiful. Yet neither of the two women present felt any pity. One smirked at Chuanmei’s act, knowing this place had no need for the bold and meticulous. The other’s eyes filled with contempt.

Chuanmei was undeniably a skilled actress. But she also knew her plan had failed. Third Aunt wasn’t a typical human trafficker, so she couldn’t use her to find an ordinary family. If Gong Nan hadn’t been here, (a prodigy inexplicably trapped in this orphanage) Chuanmei might have left immediately. But Gong Nan’s presence piqued her curiosity, so she decided to stay.

Gong Nan merely nodded, saying nothing, but Chuanmei could feel the killing intent radiating from her growing stronger. Combined with the injuries on her face, Chuanmei didn’t need to imagine that Gong Nan’s days here must be miserable.

Though Chuanmei couldn’t understand why someone with Gong Nan’s talent and abilities would be bullied by ordinary people, she could deduce that Gong Nan’s current abilities must be even weaker than those of ordinary people. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to endure such treatment! After all, Gong Nan was a pampered young lady, and Vampire Hunters possessed a unique sense of pride. In their minds, Hunters were superior beings to ordinary humans, so how could they possibly tolerate being humiliated by them? Especially a Hunter of this age, anyone with even a shred of self-defense capability would never allow themselves to be bullied like this. While a Hunter’s dignity was inviolable, that dignity rested on the premise of being a strong individual. The Vampire Hunter World was small, and its education was highly specialized, prioritizing human life above all else.

“Let’s go,” Gong Nan said impatiently, snapping Chuanmei out of her reverie.

Chuanmei snapped out of her daze. Gong Nan’s face was dark with displeasure, but Chuanmei didn’t mind. Instead, she grinned at Gong Nan. It wasn’t that Chuanmei was trying to curry favor; she simply loved the sensation of stretching her facial muscles upward. It made her feel good, and her mood seemed to lift. Perhaps because she had never smiled in her previous life, combined with the security her newfound strength provided in this one, Chuanmei felt she had nothing to worry about and naturally wanted to laugh.

Unfortunately, Gong Nan didn’t share Chuanmei’s perspective. All she saw in Chuanmei’s strange smile was contempt and mockery—a clear provocation for a child her age. Gong Nan clenched her fists, mentally adding another mark against Chuanmei.

“That building is the classroom,” Gong Nan explained as they walked. “The one we were in earlier is the office building. The dormitories are over there. We’re on the third floor.” She continued, “After seven o’clock, you can’t leave your room, and you definitely can’t wander around the courtyard.”

Chuanmei wasn’t really listening to Gong Nan. She was preoccupied with her own troubles. Why, of all the random places she could have chosen to settle down, did she have to end up not only encountering the renowned Vampire Hunter protagonist from her past life but also sensing the presence of a group of low-level vampires? How could she be so unlucky? All she wanted was to live a simple, ordinary life. Was that really too much to ask?

Turning to look at Gong Nan, whose eyes burned with intense hatred, Chuanmei felt a headache coming on. Though the hatred wasn’t directed at her personally, she couldn’t help but wonder what would happen once Gong Nan became the pride of the Vampire Hunter World. What would become of someone like her, who had witnessed Gong Nan’s most vulnerable moments? The thought alone made her head ache. She was bound to clash with Gong Nan sooner or later.

Chuanmei never considered eliminating Gong Nan right then and there, even though she could have done so in an instant. Whether in her past life or this one, she had no desire to casually end another’s life. It wasn’t out of any particular kindness; she simply found it too troublesome. Ending a life carried heavy karmic consequences, and she wanted to avoid such complications.

“Oh, I understand. Gong Nan.”

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