14. To Feed or Not To Feed? (4)
Jiu Yin stood over the fallen woman, his clawed hand raised and ready to end her life the same way he had ended the two men. The hunger had been satisfied enough that his mind was clearer now. The searing heat in his skull had faded, and the crazed whispers had quieted to a distant murmur. For the first time in days, his thoughts felt sharp and deliberate again.
He paused.
Now that he had a proper look at her, he realized she was not much older than himself or his sister. She looked to be in her early twenties. Long black hair spilled across the dusty floor around her head like spilled ink. Her body was thin and pale, almost fragile in appearance, with very little curve to her frame. Even in the dim light, the red of her lipstick stood out sharply against her skin. Her golden-yellow eyes, now wide with fear, stared up at him.
She had called herself part of something called the Unbound Path. That name alone suggested she might have access to information and connections that could prove useful. Killing her here would be easy, but it would also be wasteful.
Jiu Yin slowly lowered his hand and stood up straight. His voice came out low and calm.
“Give me a reason to spare you then.”
The woman coughed hard, her body trembling as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. She winced in pain but forced herself to meet his gaze.
“My name is Yan Qing,” she said hoarsely. “I can be very useful. I have information on many things in this city. I can help protect things for you… and more. I… I also have a hidden stash of cultivation resources I can give you.”
Jiu Yin studied her for a moment. “I don’t think I can trust you, Yan Qing. How do I know you won’t just gather more of your people the moment I release you and come for revenge?”
Yan Qing paled visibly. She bit her lower lip, clearly struggling to find an answer. After a few seconds, she spoke again.
“I can tell you where my base is.”
Jiu Yin let out a short, cold laugh. “You can just change locations the moment I leave.”
She had no immediate response. Her golden eyes darted slightly as she tried to think of something else.
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Jiu Yin watched her quietly. His mind turned over possible solutions. Killing her would be clean, but wasteful. Letting her go was too risky. There had to be another way.
Then it came to him.
A Blood Thrall.
It was something any Sanguinari could create in theory. It was one step below giving someone the full mark that would turn them. A Blood Thrall would become addicted to blood — specifically his blood. They would need to regularly drink a small amount from him in order to stop themselves from going mad and turning into little more than a beast. It was an effective way to keep control over someone. And since he was the only Sanguinari in this world as far as he knew, it was a safe method.
He looked down at her again.
“I have one solution,” he said. “You have two choices. Either I kill you here and now… or you bind yourself to me.”
Yan Qing stared at him. “Bind myself? What does that mean exactly?”
Jiu Yin’s expression remained calm. “It is a type of binding technique. It will tie you to me in a way that prevents you from acting against me. Nothing too extreme. You will simply be unable to betray me or bring others against me. In exchange, I will spare your life.”
He was lying, of course. The truth was far more binding than he was letting on. But he saw no reason to tell her the full extent of what being a Blood Thrall would mean. She had tried to rob and possibly kill him. Her survival was secondary to his own.
Yan Qing hesitated for a few seconds, clearly uneasy, but eventually nodded.
“…Alright. What do I need to do?”
Jiu Yin smiled faintly. “It is a cultivation technique I happen to know. It requires only two things.”
“Name it,” she said warily.
“First… a kiss.”
He slowly bit down on his own lower lip until it broke. A thin line of blood welled up and coated his lips in dark crimson.
Yan Qing trembled. For a moment she looked uncertain, almost afraid, but she closed her eyes and stayed still as he leaned in.
Her lips were soft and slightly cool. They trembled faintly against his as he pressed their mouths together. He could feel the unsteady rhythm of her breathing and the way her body remained tense beneath him. He kept the kiss firm, holding her in place as he let some of his blood pass into her mouth. After several long seconds, he finally pulled back.
“Swallow that blood,” he said quietly as he crouched near her.
She hesitated for only a moment before nodding and swallowing.
“What do we need to do next?” she asked, her voice small.
Jiu Yin’s crimson eyes met hers.
“Well,” he said calmly, “your heart needs to stop.”
Her eyes widened in shock. “Huh—”
Before she could finish, his hand shot out and seized her by the throat. With a sharp, precise motion, he snapped her neck.
The sound was quiet but final.
Yan Qing’s body went limp in his grasp.