The one who initially told us the solution to breaking the Blood Curse was Lin Junzhao. This is also why Pei Yan was silent upon hearing Little Vlad's account. After a confrontation with Lin Junzhao, followed by a heated debate, the truth was revealed. Even Lin Junzhao's understanding of the Blood Race, a mysterious group in the Magic Realm, was limited, and the solution to the Blood Curse was obtained from K.

After kicking a chair into pieces, Gu Shenghui and Ye Ruozai closed in. Gu Shenghui was the first to whisper, "What's going on? I remember the one who initially told us the solution to break the Blood Curse was..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone present understood whom he referred to. Pei Yan shook his head and smiled bitterly, "We've all been tricked. This Blood Curse is a secret not to be shared, yet she..." Pei Yan pointed at his own body and continued, "She only knew half of it. After being explained by K, the top figure in the Magic Realm, she believed it and told us,"

"No wonder you said a triple play." Upon hearing this, Mei Simiao immediately understood what was going on and sneered, "Whether we win or lose in a real fight, both sides suffer losses. The investigation hall is depleted, and you get rid of a potential unruly subordinate. The main thing is, if Ye Jiumu is truly dead, it further sows discord between us and Lin Junzhao. What a cunning plan."

"But if he's calculated that far, why would he still hand over Little Vlad? Isn't he afraid of being exposed?" Ye Ruozai, unaware of the negotiations inside the six main realms, was puzzled and spoke.

"He was forced. He once tried hard to seize back Little Vlad, but later, due to the pressure of the situation, he chose to compromise. Initially, I thought it was for face and the relationship between master and disciple, but I hadn't expected there were more connections here." Pei Yan explained and briefly narrated the situation on the spot.

After listening to Pei Yan's explanation, Mei Simiao contemplated for a moment and said, "Since he handed over the person to you, he definitely anticipated the possibility of exposure. It is probable that the Vlad Clan has become a pawn to be sacrificed. Things might change for worse! We must proceed cautiously in the upcoming operations."

"Yes, you're right! Especially if Jiumu cannot simply rely on eradicating Vlad to break the Blood Curse, then we need to be careful about our actions and plans going forward." The complex nature of the issue created a headache for Pei Yan.

"We take it one step at a time. Do you think using this boy's life in exchange for the breaking of Jiumu's Blood Curse is possible?" Gu Shenghui suggested after pondering.

The room fell silent. Everyone hung their heads without speaking. Ye Ruozai secretly harbored this intention since his younger brother was the only one to truly exist in the world with his own consciousness. He could look after their parents after Ye Jiumu becomes Lin Junzhao's vessel. He certainly wanted to save his brother's life, but this matter involved the entire investigation hall's action, so he was cautious in his statements.

"It's not impossible." After thinking for a moment, Pei Yan nodded and said, "To them, Ye Jiumu is just an insignificant existence, while Little Vlad is crucial to the Vlad Clan, whether through blood ties or her current strength. If handled well, this exchange could succeed, but regarding revenge, let's save Jiumu's life before we talk about it."

"Yes, we need to plan carefully. If we fail, there will be a heavy price to pay." Mei Simiao circled the room two more times before she continued, "Next, we proceed as planned with interrogations, but during the process we should be prepared to sow discord appropriately, creating disharmony between Vlad Clan and K. Weakening their footing in the Magic Realm and severing ties with the Blood Race will make them easier to isolate and compromise on our terms during negotiations."

Taking a quick glance at the still stunned Little Vlad, Mei Simiao continued, "Secondly, from now on, we must conceal our intentions to eliminate the Vlad Clan. When interrogating, subtly hint at the possibility of alliance, but do not be too obvious to avoid arousing suspicion. We need them to believe we have grudges, yet not at the point of complete obliteration. If they pay enough, it can be settled, thereby preventing the Vlad Clan from making any desperate retaliations or mutual annihilation with Jiumu."

Finally, he concluded, "If we achieve these two points, under immense pressure, the chance of Vlad Clan agreeing to negotiate will significantly increase. We must handle the degree well, hiding our true intentions and leading them into our trap."

"Then let's put on a good show together with him." Pei Yan concluded with several men in the room showing knowing smiles.

The discussion concluded, Pei Yan casually dragged a chair to sit back in front of Little Vlad, unperturbed by the possibility of her overhearing their plan. They were mixing Mandarin with various dialects, impossible for a blood race from the magic realm to understand. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Seeing Little Vlad in a dazed state, Pei Yan was in no hurry to continue the interrogation. He first removed a cigar from its box, lit a match, and slowly stirred the flame. As he did, he teased nonchalantly, "Still haven't recovered from the shock? Or do you not believe my words?"

Little Vlad remained silent, still looking dazed. Pei Yan positioned the lit cigar in his mouth and then took out a box of cigarettes. He pulled out one and waved it in front of Little Vlad with a smile, "Fancy a smoke? Your teacher K smoked, you know. The first time I saw him, he had a pipe in his mouth. Incidentally, it was at that time that with his assistance we sealed Ye Jiumu's body and were told that killing the caster would break the Blood Curse's secret."

At these words, Little Vlad finally showed a reaction, lifting his head to stare at the cigarette in Pei Yan's hand. She then struggled to crawl forward, prompting Pei Yan to toss the cigarette into her hand. As she mimicked his actions, holding it in her mouth, Pei Yan personally lit it for her.

"Cough! Cough! Cough!" Little Vlad, clearly unaccustomed to smoking, inhaled deeply on her first try, leading to a bout of violent coughing. With furrowed brows, she resisted the urge to throw away the cigarette, and attempted a second puff. As her actions grew more familiar, her expression started to ease, until she slumped against the wall, watching Pei Yan with resignation, "How do I know you're not lying to me?"

"In your current state, do you think I need to deceive you?" Pei Yan uttered, leaning back in his chair while exhaling a cloud of smoke. He curled his lips sarcastically, "Deep down, you've already believed me, haven't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't be looking so lost. Now that you know the truth, what are your thoughts?"