After Taken as a Prisoner of War, the Vampire Queen Turned Me Into a Vampire and Made Me Her Daughter-Chapter 254: The Suburban Hotel

With midsummer approaching, Silk Shuttle City was overwhelmed with visitors. When the trio finally emerged from the nameless, half-ruined tower, the sky was already ablaze with the color of the setting sun. By then, every hotel had a ‘No Vacancy’ sign posted on their door, directing travelers to find lodging elsewhere.

As time went on, a gloom settled over the city. Thick, black clouds gathered overhead as low rumbles of thunder resounded in the distance, signaling an approaching storm.

Despite combing through the entire northern district of the city, they were unable to find a single vacant room.

Their next plan had been to try the southern district for lodging, but the churning, overcast sky made that journey too risky. Left with no other choice, they opted for the closer option, hiring a carriage to head to the northern outskirts in hopes of finding lodging there.

“I bet it’ll be clear skies tomorrow.”Ji Bai said as he stepped out of the carriage into the suburbs. He looked up at the dark clouds that were thick with impending rain, while thoughtfully stroking his chin, “Don’t you agree?”

“I don’t know about clear skies, but if someone hadn’t insisted on visiting that run-down tower, we’d be sitting in a nice, dry hotel room in town, watching people get soaked in the streets right now.” Lin’s words carried a hint of reproach, a rare burst of expression for someone as tight-lipped as her.

Ji Bai silently shot a glance at Gordon next to him. “Hear that? She’s talking about you.”

“You may lack other skills, Buckethead, but your ability to pass the buck is unmatched! Haven’t you been going on and on about how you’d been to every nook and cranny of Silk Shuttle City, claiming you knew it like the back of your hand? You were the one who forcefully insisted we came here first!” Displeased by Ji Bai’s attempt to shift the blame to him, Gordon immediately objected.

“Oh come on now. Weren’t you the one constantly talking about this place the whole way here, desperate to see it? I had moved everything around just to bring you here but all you do is complain. Talk about ungratefulness.” Ji Bai said, shaking his head.

“Don’t try to change the subject!”

“Enough, you two. If you want to get drenched in the rain, be my guest. Just don’t drag me into it.” Lin massaged her temples, feeling a headache coming on.

Her words were still lingering in the air when a deafening crack of thunder tore through the inky black clouds, momentarily illuminating the sea of trees in the area.

“Let’s go. Our first order of business is to find lodging for the night.” Ji Bai said, putting aside the urge to bicker with Gordon. He was always methodical and efficient when it came to serious matters.

Amidst the low rolling thunder, the trio entered the forest.

Dark clouds swallowed what little light remained with each passing moment, gradually reducing their vision.

“Any idea how much longer it’ll take before we’re out of here?” Gordon extended his hand, letting a few drops of rain land on his outstretched palm.

A gale swept through the leaves on the ground like an invisible hand, flinging them into the air; The storm was quickly approaching.

Ji Bai stopped in his tracks and said three words that mirrored the profound, cyclical philosophy of the universe: “I don’t know.”

“Excuse me? Aren’t you the self-proclaimed resident expert of Silk Shuttle City? You’ve lived here for decades and still haven’t figured out this whole place yet?”

“Have you never been to the suburbs before?” Lin asked, flipping open a simple atlas of Silk Shuttle City she had somehow managed to snag without anyone noticing.

“Yeah, I did. When I was younger, I used to sneak my sister out to play in the amusement park here. For some reason, they ended up demolishing and rebuilding the whole area.”

“So, you’re telling me you don’t actually know this place? Why did you drag us in a wild goose chase all day then?” Gordon said, speechless.

“Well, you never asked.” Ji Bai shrugged, as if to express that he was innocent.

“You’re truly something else…”

“Stop arguing. At least Cockroach has been here before, unlike us, a couple of newcomers wandering around aimlessly. Besides…” Lin pointed, “I think I see a hotel up there.”

Following her gaze, they saw a dilapidated apartment building standing somewhere before them in the gloomy forest, like a sentinel keeping watch in the twilight. The building’s dim lights stood out in the darkness, but instead of offering comfort, they only added a strange and unsettling aura to this place. As a clap of thunder boomed in the sky, its weathered and faded walls were momentarily bathed in a pale light.

“Who would’ve thought we’d stumbled into an inn here? Talk about a stroke of luck,” Gordon said, pulling out a lollipop and popping it into his mouth. “Still, this old place seems like it has seen better days – kind of gives me the creeps.”

“You think this is creepy? You haven’t seen anything yet,” Ji Bai said, shaking his head, “You should check out a high-ranking vampire’s mansion. Now that’s an age-old house of horrors. Until you get used to it, you would find your spine tingling all day long, like someone’s breathing on your neck.”

“As if you’ve lived in one before.” Gordon scoffed and licked his lollipop, certain that Ji Bai was just talking out of his hat.

“Well, it’s not like we have any other options now. Let’s hope there’s a room available in this place – Otherwise, it’s the ground and stars tonight.” Ji Bai said, taking the lead and making his way to the building.

Lightning occasionally flashed across the rainy, pitch-black sky, momentarily bathing their surroundings in a ghostly white glare.

The howling wind whipped the rain into an almost invisible blur — The storm had arrived, right on schedule.

The dilapidated walls of the building had long since lost most of their original color. One of its old-fashioned door lights was broken, while the other cast a feeble glow, illuminating a small patch of steps leading to the door.

“Clank-clank.”

“Excuse me, is anyone there?” Lin called out politely as she lightly rattled the door knocker a few times.

“…” The only change was the wind and rain growing louder in the wake of her words.

“Excuse me, is anyone inside?” Clearing her throat, Lin called out once more.

“…” Once again, there was no answer.

“Is there really no one inside?” Lin muttered, slightly knitting her brows.

“The lights are on, so someone has to be in there right?” Gordon said, stepping forward. “Your voice is too soft to be heard over this storm. Here, let me give it a shot.”

“Bam, bam, bam!” He began to hammer the door with his fists — A stark contrast to Lin’s gentle and courteous taps moments before.

“…” But there was still no response. Whoever inside seemed to be deliberately ignoring them.

Following a beat of awkward silence, a vein bulged on his head, forming an angular shape straight out of a manga.

“Bam, bam, bam!!”

“Hey innkeeper, open up! You have some paying customers here! Don’t tell me you’re going to turn away easy money at your door??”

“Seriously, open this damn door already! You’ve got the guts to run an inn but not the guts to face your guests?”

“Clank.” The old wooden door swung open with a heavy sigh.

Leaning against the door, Gordon was caught with his guard down, sending him stumbling and nearly tripping to the ground.

“What a racket. Are you the one causing all this commotion outside?” A raspy, aged voice cut through the sound of the storm.

Its tone was filled with suppressed emotion, like the low growl of a ferocious beast.

Just then, a bolt of lightning tore across the sky, casting a ghastly white light upon a hunched figure leaning on a walking stick inside.

“Apologies for the disturbance, sir. We’re travelers headed to Silk Shuttle City that happened to pass by your fine establishment this evening. We were hoping we could stay for the night,” Lin said politely, taking the lead.

“Staying here tonight, you say?” The elderly man narrowed his eyes. The black hat perched on his head looked strangely out of place with his brightly colored clothes, as if he wore it for a specific reason in mind.

His gaze swept over Lin’s silver hair and red eyes, and his tone softened slightly. “This isn’t an inn, and I don’t take in guests. You’ll have to look elsewhere.”

“It’s pouring out there, and we’ve got nowhere else to go. Can’t you bend the rules just this once, sir? There are plenty of rooms in this place, and letting us stay for one night isn’t going to hurt you one bit. Besides, we’re not asking to stay for free – we’ll pay.” Gordon said, trying to reason with the elderly man.

“No means no! You can save your breath — I’m not going to change my mind no matter what!” The elderly man, now clearly impatient, grabbed the door and began to close it. As he did, his gaze unexpectedly fell on the silent man, who was wearing a metallic helmet.

“…You’re a knight?” He stopped and asked in a deep, serious tone.

“Not anymore.”

“…If I were to refuse you lodging, are you going to force your way into my home?”

“I wouldn’t dare, sir. If you don’t want us here, we’ll leave right away. My apologies for the intrusion.” Ji Bai placed a hand on Gordon’s shoulder and took a small step back.

“…Come in.” The old man said these words after a long silence, then turned and walked back inside.

“What are you waiting for?! Hurry up and close the door! If you’re not coming in, then get lost!” His harsh voice made the trio outside flinch. They quickly stepped inside, pulling the door shut behind them.

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The drastic shift in his demeanor after learning Ji Bai was a knight was hard for anyone to miss.

“That old man’s temper is hotter than a fire in the hearth. ” Gordon muttered under his breath.

“It’s not good to gossip behind someone’s back,” Ji Bai said, patting his shoulder and gesturing toward the elderly man, who had turned to face them.

“Let me introduce myself: my name is Bohlmann. I suppose you could call me the owner of this old apartment building. You’re welcome to stay as long as you follow the rules here. If you can’t do that, feel free to head back outside and enjoy the rain.” Bohlmann’s tone was calm, though his gaze settled on Gordon for reasons unknown.

“Yeah, yeah. Do I look like a rule breaker?” Gordon muttered with a lollipop in his mouth, arms crossed in resignation.

“Keep yourselves in check; it’s better for us all. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Bohlmann extended his hand. “And by the way, lodging is 50 iron coins per night.”

“This is highway robbery! Even a three-star hotel would be cheaper than this!”

The old man quietly shifted his gaze to Gordon.

“If you don’t like it, you can leave right away…”

“Tch…” Gordon pursed his lips and chose to give in.

After settling their payment, a set of keys was handed to Ji Bai.

“These are the keys to all the rooms on the first floor. Pick whichever one you’d like.”

“Just the first floor? From what I can see, this building has three floors, right?”

“Why do you have so many questions, kid? My answer’s still the same — stay if you want, or leave.” Bohlmann gave a cold harrumph before turning to walk away.

“And one more thing, the second or third floor are off-limits, got it? If I catch you breaking the rules, you’ll be thrown out immediately, no matter how much money you offer!”

Only when his footsteps had faded into the distance did the trio slowly come back to their senses, glancing at each other in silence.

“Why aren’t we allowed on the second and third floor?” Gordon furrowed his brows, finding the old man’s rule rather strange.

When they arrived, he was fairly certain that the rooms on those floors had their light on. Yet it was eerily quiet — something that would not make sense if people were actually staying there. Given that an inn this remote was unlikely to be occupied, what was the real reason why those floors were off limits to them?

“Let’s not overthink things that don’t concern us. Just stick to the rules and get through the night; We’ll worry about the rest later. Curiosity can sometimes be a dangerous thing, you know.” Ji Bai casually remarked, a hint of playfulness in his tone.

“But don’t say I didn’t warn you. The reason the redevelopment in the northern suburbs has been stalled for so long is apparently due to some strange supernatural occurrences — hauntings, or so they say.”

“Clatter.” He had barely finished speaking when the sound of something hitting the floor echoed through the room.

The two of them turned around…

…only to find Lin standing there with her usual poker face, and the keyring lying at her feet.