Chapter 129: Infinite Cannon Fodder (19)

Except for Qiao Qian, who disliked going out and interacting with others, and Arnold, who had been locked up as a suspect, everyone in the castle was present.

The scene now resembled that of early morning yesterday, save for one key difference: The person who had been arrested yesterday was today considered a suspect, and he faced the collective hostility of those gathered.

Miya didn’t care whom he killed, but being falsely accused of murder and attempting to separate him from Tong Ling was more than he could bear.

However, Miya couldn’t focus on finding the scoundrel framing him at this moment; his eyes were fixed unwaveringly on Tong Ling, his heart pounding with unprecedented anxiety.

“I’m fine,” Tong Ling said, glancing at Miya. “He hasn’t harmed me.”

Relieved, Miya began to smile, only to hear Tong Ling continue:

“But Chu Yue died here, so no matter what, you’re still the most suspicious person, Miya.”

“You’ve fully recovered from your injuries just a day after they occurred, and you tried to drink my blood… Your self-control is truly abysmal…”

Miya’s expression darkened considerably. He wanted to explain that it wasn’t due to a lack of self-control but rather because her allure was simply too strong for him. However, before he could say anything, Tong Ling pinched his palm.

“We don’t have the authority to execute suspects,” she said. “Just like yesterday, we’ll isolate Miya separately until the rain stops, then contact the police…”

Tong Ling didn’t finish her sentence when Mu Bai interrupted, “He’s a vampire. What can human authorities possibly do with such a monster?”

Zhuang Wu softly asked, “Can ordinary ropes really bind a vampire? If he escapes and attacks people again at night, what will happen then?”

“If I wanted you all dead,” Miya snapped angrily, “it would’ve happened by now…”

His hand was squeezed once more as he saw Tong Ling glance sideways and shoot him a glare. Although she hadn’t spoken up for him directly, Miya somehow sensed her intentions through her familiar gesture.

She didn’t doubt him because of that corpse; instead, she was trying to protect him in her own way.

Sure enough, Miya heard Tong Ling speak up: “Miya, hand over your room key. From now until the rain stops, you’re not allowed to leave your room. Can you do that?”

Miya stared straight at the woman before him. Her eyes held no fear for him; instead, they issued a clear warning—he’d better behave.

Where did she get such courage? It was as if she were utterly confident he would obediently follow her orders.

“I’ll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t go out.” Tong Ling looked towards Mu Bai and the others. “Or perhaps you have better ideas? Are you going to execute him yourselves?”

Mu Bai had indeed hoped the NPCs would come to blows. With Lingling here, she could easily order Bai Bei and Medius to kill Miya. But Lingling didn’t do it. Was she simply too afraid to “murder” someone, or did she actually care about Miya?

If they could execute Miya, they would’ve done it long ago. But taking action now would expose their capabilities in front of the NPCs. Moreover, without Lingling’s help, they might fail to kill Miya, which would only make things worse.

“As long as he stops killing, I won’t oppose Lingling’s opinion,” Zhuang Wu amended his stance. “I believe Lingling can keep him in check.”

Yuan Ju nodded from the side. “Agreed.”

As for Medius and Bai Bei, they never contradicted Tong Ling.

“Then it’s settled.” Tong Ling withdrew her hand from Miya’s palm and held out her own. “Hand over the key.”

The corners of Miya’s mouth twitched slightly as he leaned closer to Tong Ling. “If you could stay here and watch me, I guarantee I won’t take a single step outside this room.”

Medius suddenly spoke up: “It would be better to just kill him.”

This vampire was far too irritating.

“I seem to have heard a dead fish speak,” Miya said provocatively, raising an eyebrow at Medius. “Lingling, did you hear that too?”

“Shut it,” Tong Ling urged impatiently. “The key.”

Miya fell silent for two seconds. He knew well that this door wouldn’t stop him; the so-called key was merely an excuse for Tong Ling.

She likely didn’t want him to come to blows with these people before him. Since that was her wish… he might as well grant it.

Miya handed over his keys. “Do you need me tied up?”

“What would be the point?” Tong Ling asked.

A smug smile played on Miya’s lips. “None.”

“Then let’s skip it.” Tong Ling turned to the others in the room. “Could everyone please step out for a moment? I have a few words to share with Miya alone.”

Medius, who had been about to protest, silently slipped out of the door under Tong Ling’s steady gaze. Mu Bai made sure to remove Chu Yue’s body before leaving, while Bai Bei cast one more worried glance at Tong Ling before exiting. And just like that, thanks to her careful planning, the drama surrounding the arrest of the murder suspect came to an unceremonious end.

As soon as they were gone, Miya moved in close. He wrapped his arms around Tong Ling’s slender waist and rested his head against her shoulder, practically melting into her as he said, “You believed in me all along, didn’t you? Why did you lock me up if you knew I wasn’t the killer?”

“What good does it do if only I believe in you?” Tong Ling replied irritably. “Listen to yourself! You’ve got such a short fuse, always throwing ‘kill’ this or ‘murder’ that around. Besides, your true identity has been exposed too—everyone knows you’re a vampire now…”

“It’s a vampire,” Miya insisted once again.

“Fine, fine, it’s a vampire,” Tong Ling continued. “Now think about this: Someone who knows your identity is killing people and framing you for their crimes. You don’t even know when they’re slipping bodies into your room—doesn’t that person scare you?”

“What do I have to fear? It just means I wasn’t paying attention.” Miya’s eyes were tinged with red; having been so thoroughly outwitted, he was itching to retaliate without restraint. “No matter who it is, if they dare pull a trick like this, I won’t let them off!”

“You really think you can take on everyone here by yourself?” Tong Ling scoffed softly. “Don’t forget, dealing with Medius alone is already quite a challenge for you.”

Miya bristled at her words, wishing he could bite her—a good scare might prevent her from constantly irritating him.

“In any case, trying to prove your innocence won’t work if you start causing trouble here. The moment you raise a hand against anyone, everyone will want you dead. That person who’s framing you might be hoping for exactly that—to make you a target for all.” After delivering these final remarks, Tong Ling pushed Miya aside. “For now, stay put—it’s for your own good.”

Unable to best Tong Ling in argument, Miya could only watch helplessly as she strode out of the room. The key clicked, locking the door behind her. As he listened to Tong Ling’s footsteps fading into the distance, Miya collapsed onto the bed, its sheets still suffused with the lingering scent of womanhood. Only then did his savage irritation begin to subside.

“That dark, despicable scum… I hope I never find him…” Miya pounded the bed in fury before burying himself beneath the covers once more. “To disturb me at a time like this—how utterly monstrous.”

He had barely possessed Lingling for any length of time; it was far too little!

By now, Tong Ling had already donned another face—one she presented to the rest of the castle’s inhabitants.

She threw herself into Bai Bei’s arms, body trembling slightly. “A-Bai, I misjudged him. I never imagined he’d be so terrifying—as if he’d drain every drop of blood from a person…”

Bai Bei looked down, gently patting his girlfriend’s back as he asked softly, “If you’re afraid of him, why did you stay just now? I thought… perhaps he had bewitched you, making you believe some of that nonsense.”

The other players, closely following the situation’s development, all raised their eyes to see what NPC Lingling would say. After all, Lingling presented almost two completely different attitudes when facing Miya versus them.

“How could you think that!” Tong Ling exclaimed, her face full of surprise. “How could you possibly believe such a thing!”

Tong Ling’s tears fell like raindrops. “That’s a vampire we’re talking about! Even if we had more people here, none of us could handle him. If we accidentally provoke him, he’ll kill us—he definitely will…”

“Miya…he has some kind of feelings for me,” Tong Ling mumbled. “I thought I’d try to calm him down first so you guys could leave safely. A-Bai, look at yourself—you’re just an ordinary person. How could someone like you hope to deal with him? I don’t want anything happening to you.”

Bai Bei unconsciously tightened his arms around her, a smile finally breaking out on his face. “So you were worried about me after all…”

“Nonsense!” Tong Ling lightly smacked Bai Bei’s icy chest. “With how useless you are, only I’m allowed to bully you—no one else.”

Bai Bei lowered his head and whispered earnestly into his girlfriend’s ear, “Mm-hmm, I reserve the right to be bullied by you alone.” He lifted his hand to gently wipe away her tears, the love in his eyes deepening further. “Don’t force yourself to stay near him anymore. Just avoid him from now on.”

Tong Ling pursed her lips. “I’m not scared of him!”

Bai Bei chuckled softly in agreement. “Right, my Lingling would never be afraid of a vampire.”

The players were speechless.

They hadn’t expected to witness such a sappy romance scene. Was NPC Lingling’s earlier attitude towards Miya just a forced veneer of composure? They couldn’t doubt Lingling; seeing her tender moment with Bai Bei somehow sent shivers down their spines.

“Is what she said true?” Mu Bai couldn’t help but ask.

“Who knows?” Zhuang Wu gazed at Chu Yue’s corpse and sighed heavily. “Whether it’s true or false doesn’t matter. The fact is, she controlled Miya and even made Bai Bei believe she was protecting him.”

“The NPCs’ feelings for her run deep; they’ve never harmed her from start to finish…”

Mu Bai sighed emotionally. “To pull off this level of deception as the Sea King… it’s truly remarkable.”

Yuan Ju’s gaze drifted involuntarily towards the woman cradled in Bai Bei’s arms. An idea began to take shape in his mind. He thought, I know how we can avoid the dangers of nightfall now.

Medius remained unusually quiet. He hadn’t forgotten that Tong Ling ignored him because he wasn’t obedient enough. This time, despite feeling deeply uneasy about Tong Ling being so close to others, he held back and didn’t act on his impulses.

Tong Ling didn’t forget about Medius either. Once Bai Bei left to reheat her dishes, she turned to him and said, “Medius, go get some rest; your wounds haven’t fully healed yet…”

“Lingling, do you think I’m not good enough for you?” The depth of Medius’s gaze gradually darkened as he lowered his head and sniffed at Tong Ling’s scent. “There’s someone else’s smell on you now.”

The mark Medius had left on Tong Ling had faded away, making him want to reassert his claim over this female.

How could Tong Ling miss what Medius was thinking? Unfortunately, she was someone who always sought novelty and had no interest in getting involved with this monster at the moment.

“Medius, I’m tired,” Tong Ling changed the subject. “Two people have died in the castle already, and I don’t know if I’ll be next…”

“You won’t be.” Though Medius undoubtedly possessed a strong possessive instinct towards his mate, seeing Tong Ling’s fearful expression, his protective instincts took precedence. “With me here, I will…”

“But you’re still injured.” Tong Ling gently pressed her hand against the indentation on Medius’s chest. “Medius, how can I trust that you can protect me when you’re like this?”