Chapter Forty-Four: The Phantom of Vengeance

The days as Monkey King’s junior were not without their challenges. Henry certainly didn’t wish for such a formidable opponent; now that they were allies, he was eager to oblige any request. So, it was settled that Liu Yunfei would accompany them to the Leaning Tower of Pisa that very night, where Harry would transform back into a human. Gao Renhou, kindly and generous, questioned all the awakened vampires in their castle; though usually full of complaints, now that the chance to return to humanity was upon them, they all hesitated, unwilling to let go.

Since they would return to Florence that night, Liu Yunfei was content to stay put, calling Owari to inform him not to wander off, as there was nothing urgent. He decided to enjoy sightseeing in this famed Nordic city.

“Why must we go to the Leaning Tower of Pisa?” Liu Yunfei asked.

“Because it’s the point where this comet’s return aligns most directly with the moon. It only happens once every three hundred years—I don’t want to wait another three centuries,” little Harry replied, his face brimming with anticipation at the thought of becoming human again.

“Once you turn back, don’t follow Rudolf anymore. Come live at our castle; we’ll arrange a school for you, let you grow up like a normal child, and later find you a beautiful wife. How does that sound?” Gao Renhou had grown fond of the boy; age had brought out his affection for children, and vampires only had descendants, never offspring.

Seeing Rudolf’s reluctance, Liu Yunfei stepped forward and patted his shoulder. “It’s alright, you can visit him often, or even stay at the castle. We rent out sanctuary beds now; if you ever tire of life, just come and sleep for a few decades. Ask the Duke about the rates.” Liu Yunfei hadn’t even taken office yet, but was already promoting the beds.

“I’m not unwilling now; I’m just thinking, decades from now, when Harry grows old and passes away, how heartbroken I’ll be,” Rudolf began to cry.

Perhaps it was because every vampire here had endured the pain of losing loved ones; even Gao Renhou showed signs of sorrow. Liu Yunfei patted Henry. “Take me to change clothes, will you? I’ve dried off, but I’m still dirty.”

Aurora Castle had plenty of clothes, but all were black. After searching for a long time, Liu Yunfei settled for a black shirt, black jeans, and a thick belt—rather sexy, actually. He followed Henry on a tour of Aurora Castle; its scale was impressive. Luckily, there were small electric cars inside. The climate in Stockholm was pleasant, even the hottest summer days were cool, though winter must be bitterly cold.

“Brother Liu Yunfei, where did you take my brothers? Now that we’re all on the same side, please give them back—they're my kin,” Henry said, finally voicing his concern now that Liu Yunfei seemed in good spirits.

“Oh, I completely forgot,” Liu Yunfei smacked his head, realizing his memory had improved, but his forgetfulness remained. Right in front of Henry, he called the old prince, asking him to inform the Riyadh palace guard not to cause trouble for them. Liu Yunfei would plead with the old king when he returned, and then release them.

Liu Yunfei spent a leisurely day wandering Aurora Castle. As night fell, Harry urged him to go to Pisa. “Hold on, don’t rush, it's still early—the moon hasn’t risen yet. You vampires don’t need dinner, but I do,” Liu Yunfei complained, realizing no one had invited him to eat all day. Vampires really had it easy; three meals a day weren’t necessary, saving time and money.

Before leaving, Liu Yunfei made sure to extort Gao Renhou for a barrel of six-hundred-year-old red wine. With several bats hanging from his body, and wary of Henry’s tricks, he brought Henry along too. In an instant, everyone stood atop the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The night sky was clear; a full moon hung high, illuminating everything almost as bright as day. Spirits were high, for Harry was about to fulfill a three-hundred-year-old wish, awaiting the sacred moment. Liu Yunfei produced the superb red wine from his jade slip, ready for the ensuing celebration.

There was still time, so Liu Yunfei chatted with Henry. “Grandpa Gao must be over a thousand years old, but his youngest son is only six hundred, and you, his grandson, are only five hundred. How does that work?” Gao Renhou’s youngest was the old winemaker.

“Brother, you don’t know. After we become vampires, we’re not supposed to be able to have children, but vampire killers are different; just as we’re not afraid of sunlight. Grandpa married six hundred years ago and had a son, and my father had me later. But among vampire killers, only Grandpa and my father can have children,” Henry explained.

“Oh, that explains the age discrepancy,” Liu Yunfei was enlightened, though he wondered how Grandpa Gao had a son who looked Chinese, while Henry, with a quarter of Chinese blood, showed no sign of it.

“It’s coming!” Harry, who had been gazing at the sky, cried out.

Everyone looked up. In the northwest, a shining comet dragged its long tail across the heavens, moving swiftly toward the moon’s center. Harry raised his hands, repeating a mysterious incantation.

But just then, the once-clear night began to blur. Liu Yunfei rubbed his eyes. “Have I not slept for days? Everything’s blurry.” Yet the sky grew ever more obscured, as if a thickening veil of black gauze shrouded the moon, soon hiding even its light.

“No, no, no! How can this happen?” Harry cried out in despair.

Liu Yunfei saw dense black mist rising from the cemetery beneath the tower, swiftly ascending to the sky. He flipped down to the graveyard, where he glimpsed the silhouettes of young men and women, like wavering ghosts, occasionally transforming parts of themselves into black mist that floated upward.

“Why are you doing this? Who are you?” Liu Yunfei rushed forward, waving his arms to disperse the climbing black mist. But the ghosts and the mist seemed to exist in a different realm, utterly unaffected by his efforts.

“We are the ghosts of vampires he killed. We gather here to prevent his success—ha ha ha!” the spirits laughed.

“He has repented, he’s changed. If not, more innocent people will die,” Liu Yunfei tried to reason.

“We don’t care about that. We only feel hate! Those killed by vampires can neither ascend to heaven nor descend to hell, never finding peace. We are condemned to wander this world forever. Vampires are tragic, but we are worse! We don’t even have bodies!”

Liu Yunfei was momentarily speechless. Was this truly retribution, karma? The ghosts Harry had slain were not interfering without reason; victims seeking vengeance had returned, but what should he do? Help Harry? How could he?

Several shadows flew to Liu Yunfei’s side. Harry plunged into the mist, darting through it, his child’s sharp voice crying and pleading, “Stop! Stop! Please, stop!” Liu Yunfei and the other vampires stood helpless, watching in silence as Harry looked up—just as the comet was about to align with the moon, the black mist completely shrouded the sky, blocking out every trace of light.