The Moon Court didn't sleep.
It prowled.
From the highest spires to the deepest crypt halls, vampires whispered through dim corridors, their senses flickering with hunger and ambition. The arrival of the Moon-Blood Priest — rarest of rare — had destabilized the delicate balance of power overnight.
Yu Zhen stood within the Moon Chapel sanctuary, watching moonlight filter through the silver-glass ceiling. Protective sigils glowed faintly around the chamber, pulsing in time with his heartbeat.
[PROTECTIVE WARDS: ACTIVE]
[USER STATUS: CONCEALED]
[MEMORY FRAGMENT 3 — STABILITY: 15%]
Yet safety was illusion.
He could feel it — every blood noble in the court fixating on his existence.
Across the palace, Lian Xuan stood in the council chamber facing the gathered clan lords.
Blood Elder Varreth sneered openly.
"You bond with the priest without the court's blessing, my lord. You endanger us."
Another noble hissed, fangs flashing:
"His blood could elevate our entire lineage. You keep him secret out of greed."
The atmosphere thickened as rival auras flared.
Lian Xuan didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Golden eyes swept the assembly — a slow, predatory scan that made even the eldest immortals shift uneasily beneath his gaze.
"You forget your place," he said.
The room stilled.
"The Moon Priest is under my protection."
Varreth's lip curled. "Blood that belongs to the court can't be possessed by a single—"
In the blink of an eye, Lian Xuan crossed the chamber and seized the elder by the throat, lifting him effortlessly off the floor.
"That priest," Lian Xuan whispered dangerously close to Varreth's ear,
"belongs to me."
With a violent flick of his wrist, he cast the noble aside. Blood splattered across marble as the vampire slammed into a pillar.
No one moved.
No one dared speak.
The message was unmistakably clear.
Deepening the Blood-Bond
That night, Lian Xuan went personally to the Moon Chapel.
Yu Zhen turned as the great door opened silently.
He felt the instant shift in the air — the Alpha-soul dominance threaded through vampiric power.
"You shouldn't be here alone," Lian Xuan said.
Yu Zhen smiled faintly. "But you came anyway."
Always.
The sigils dimmed as Lian Xuan stepped inside and approached him.[SOUL THREAD: ACTIVE]
[BLOOD-LINK STRENGTHENING]
[MEMORY FRAGMENT 3 — INTEGRATION 23%]
He studied Yu Zhen closely, as though memorizing every detail — the way moonlight kissed his silver hair, the rhythm of his breathing.
"You don't fear them," Lian Xuan observed.
"I don't," Yu Zhen answered.
"Because I know you'll protect me."
Lian Xuan's jaw tightened.
That trust — so absolute — ignited a fierce surge in his chest.
"You shouldn't rely on instinct alone," he said quietly.
"Danger still exists."
But then he stepped in closer.
And softened.
"Even so…"
His gloved thumb brushed the back of Yu Zhen's hand — a bare, careful touch.
"…I will never allow it to reach you."
Yu Zhen's pulse fluttered at the closeness.
[RESONANCE SURGE DETECTED]
[BOND STRENGTH INCREASING]
The Second Attempt
Even under Lian Xuan's protection, the court moved fast.
The attack came not with blades, but poison.
During evening prayers at the Moon Altar, a chalice was placed upon the marble pedestal — spiked with blood venom potent enough to kill even a Moon Priest.
Yu Zhen felt the danger an instant before the System shrieked:[CRITICAL ALERT — POISON DETECTED]
[EVASION PROTOCOL ACTIVE]
He hesitated just enough for Lian Xuan — who had been looming silently behind him — to react.
The Alpha seized the chalice mid-fall.
Liquid sizzled violently against his skin.
Lian Xuan showed no pain.
Only rage.
Golden vampiric energy ripped through the Chapel, shattering pillars and sending lesser priests fleeing.
"This court doesn't listen," he growled — eyes flashing molten gold.
The Blood Oath
That night, Lian Xuan summoned the Moon Court to the Ritual Arena.
A thousand vampires gathered under a blood-red moon as he pulled Yu Zhen forward to stand beside him.
Gasps echoed.
"What is he doing?"
"Does he dare swear blood-oath in open court?"
Lian Xuan drew a blade — ceremonial, ancient — and sliced his palm.
Blood steamed as it hit the air.
He offered his hand toward Yu Zhen.
"Take it."
Yu Zhen stepped forward without hesitation.
Their hands clasped.
Blood met silver skin.
The soul-thread flared blindingly bright.
[BLOOD OATH SEQUENCE INITIATED]
[SOUL THREAD: MANIFESTATION]
[MEMORY FRAGMENT 3 — AWAKENING SURGE]
The Vampire Lord's voice rang out:
"Let this court witness:
The Moon Priest stands under my eternal protection.
Any vampire who harms him… answers to me."
Thunder rolled over the arena as blood sigils carved themselves into the stone.
The oath is embedded in reality itself.
Yu Zhen felt memories slam into his mind —
• Lian Xuan shielding him beneath collapsing heavens.
• Swearing vows of protection before divine judges.
• Dying in each other's arms more than once.
His breath caught.
"Xuan…"
Lian Xuan turned sharply.
"You remember."
Yu Zhen nodded weakly. "More than before."
The Vampire Lord stepped close — close enough for no space between them.
"You'll remember everything," he said.
Then, quietly:
"And so will I."
[MEMORY FRAGMENT 3 — 57% COMPLETE]
[AFFINITY LEVEL: 100%]
[BOND STRENGTH: EXTREME]
[FRAGMENT 3 — 57% COMPLETE]
[BLOOD OATH ESTABLISHED]
[DANGER REMAINS: HIGH]