Chapter 3136: High Human
Even before Lady Yeon, others had given him similar looks, all predatory in their own way.
That gaze of hunger, whether for his body, his talent, or his strength, was not unfamiliar. And every time it ended poorly.
His instincts screamed.
Lin Mu took a careful step back. "Hang on," he said awkwardly, raising a hand between them.
But Cattaleya did not stop.
She stepped forward, closing the gap with an unsettling calm. She leaned closer, close enough that Lin Mu could feel her breath as she sniffed him.
Lin Mu stiffened. Embarrassment warred with caution.
Then came the words that made his heart drop.
"Lin Mu," she said softly, her fangs glinting, "your blood smells... nice."
The shift in his emotions was instant.
The awkwardness burned away, replaced by cold vigilance. Alarm bells screamed in his head. His muscles tensed, Vitality and Immortal qi subtly surging beneath his skin in preparation.
"...What do you mean by that?" Lin Mu asked, his tone sharper now.
Cattaleya leaned back slightly, almost playfully, as if savoring his reaction. "I suppose I should explain. A little background, perhaps."
Her expression softened, though her smile never quite faded. "You know I am from the Duskthorn clan, yes?"
Lin Mu gave a curt nod. That much was obvious, her very surname announced it.
"Our clan is a bit... different," she continued, twirling the liquor pot in her hand. "We have a unique bloodline. Not one like other clans that assimilate beast bloodlines. Not one tied to elemental affinities or Dao roots."
Lin Mu tilted his head slightly. He had heard hints of this before but not in detail.
Cattaleya’s voice dropped, her tone carrying the weight of a secret. "Our clan pursues strength through blood. Not the blood of beasts. But the blood of humans."
Lin Mu’s brows furrowed deeply. "Human bloodline?"
"Yes." She nodded, eyes glinting in the moonlight. "We gather the blood of talented humans, and we assimilate it into ourselves. Every generation, we add more. Every century, we seek out stronger individuals. And over thousands of years, our bloodline has grown... refined."
Lin Mu felt his stomach twist. "So you’re saying... your clan absorbs the bloodlines of others?"
"Correct." Her voice held no shame, only pride. "We do not settle for beasts. We seek the finest of humanity. Only those who stand above the masses are worthy to be added. Every drop of blood we take carries the will and legacy of those individuals forward, strengthening us."
Her gaze sharpened, her voice lowering almost to a purr. "And you, Lin Mu—you are perfect."
Lin Mu’s fists clenched at his side. The words were flattering on the surface, but they dripped with threat. To be called perfect by a woman whose eyes gleamed with hunger... it was not a compliment.
It was a declaration of desire. A warning of intent.
"What kind of bloodline do you claim to have, then?" Lin Mu asked, his tone cool, guarded.
Cattaleya’s smile widened again. She set down her liquor pot and spread her hands as if unveiling a grand truth.
"We don’t call it just a human bloodline. That would be too small a name for what we carry." Her eyes glowed faintly, her fangs catching the starlight. "We call it the High Human Bloodline."
Lin Mu’s heart gave a slow, heavy thud.
Her next words came like a proclamation.
"We," she said, pride ringing in every syllable, "are High Humans."
Hearing her declaration, Lin Mu narrowed his eyes, feigning a casual smirk though his mind was racing a mile a minute.
"So what now?" he asked with a light laugh, though his tone carried an edge. "You’re not planning to sink your fangs into me and drink my blood right here, are you?"
The joke was meant to sound careless, but in truth it was a stalling tactic.
His mind was whirling through possibilities: whether she was dangerous, whether he would need to fight, and if so, how quickly he could end it without drawing the entire city lord’s manor into chaos.
To his surprise, Cattaleya burst out laughing.
"Hah! Please, Lin Mu." She shook her head, her laughter deep and throaty. "We’re not savages. I’m not going to pin you down and sip on your blood like some parasite. Don’t lump me with those kinds of creatures."
Her laughter faded into a grin, sharp but not hostile. "No. I called you here to ask for it."
Lin Mu blinked. "Ask... for my blood?"
"Exactly." She tilted her head. "Our clan doesn’t just steal blood from people or kill them for it. That’s not our way." Then her voice lowered, almost too soft, yet the words struck heavy in the quiet garden. "...At least not anymore."
Lin Mu’s lips pressed into a thin line. The addition did little to ease his suspicions.
Cattaleya seemed to notice his silence and folded her arms beneath her chest, watching him with calculating patience. "You’ll need more than words to be convinced, hm? Very well."
She stepped closer again, her amber eyes glimmering with a strange mix of earnestness and mischief. "I won’t take it for free, Lin Mu. It will be a transaction. In exchange for your blood, I’ll work for you. Do what you want. Whether you need someone killed, a treasure retrieved, or even an entire kingdom eradicated, I can make it happen."
Her tone was matter-of-fact, as though she were listing daily chores instead of apocalyptic deeds.
"We’ve done it all before," she continued with a shrug. "My clan has wandered more lands than most cultivators can imagine. Always searching for stronger bloodlines to pursue."
Then her voice dropped again, carrying a weight that made Lin Mu pause. "Besides, my clan isn’t merely rooted in the Immortal World. We have ties to the Celestial Realm. Which means I can offer you resources, knowledge, and opportunities that far surpass what you’ve seen here."
Lin Mu raised a brow at that, his wariness tinged with curiosity.
For most cultivators, such a claim would be unthinkable, but to him?
To him it was little more than a ripple on a vast ocean.
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