Another village had been razed to the ground by William, the Progenitor of Werewolves — nothing left but smoking ruins.
The moment Chen Mo issued his orders, the Knight Corps moved out. Andrew, Victor, and the others led their men to track the faint traces William left behind, sweeping the nearby area. Amelia, meanwhile, commanded her knights to burn the corpses of the civilians William had bitten.
"Split into two teams! Get the oil on them — burn every corpse before they transform!"
If those bodies weren't dealt with in time, they would soon all turn into werewolves.
Marcus urged his horse forward until he reached Chen Mo.
"We can't harm him!"
Seeing Chen Mo's cold demeanor, Marcus feared he would kill William outright.
"I promised you, didn't I? But William must be contained."
"I will not allow this nightmare to happen again!"
Chen Mo's voice was cold and absolute.
Marcus said nothing more. He was about to lead his own knights to join the search when Chen Mo stopped him.
"Marcus! Stay by my side."
Chen Mo didn't believe for a second that Marcus would obediently follow orders.
Marcus didn't dare disobey. Frustrated, he stayed put and watched Amelia's knights go door to door, dragging out corpses, drenching them in oil, and setting them ablaze.
The village wasn't large — fewer than a hundred people lived here. With over a hundred knights under Amelia, they quickly cleared most of it. Every corpse found was burned to ash.
But as time passed, the remaining bodies began to twitch… then contort… then transform into hulking, snarling werewolves.
They barely caused trouble. Newly turned werewolves were no match for seasoned vampire knights. At best, they made the cleanup slightly more troublesome — but none escaped being cut down and burned.
Just then, a knight from the search party sprinted back.
"We found him!"
Chen Mo's eyes sharpened. He cast a cold glance at the burning ruins around him.
"Move!"
He yanked the reins and charged after the knight toward the place William had been found.
Marcus, worry etched across his face, followed closely.
They arrived at a forest near the village. Dozens of knights had surrounded a massive white-furred werewolf — larger, stronger, and far more terrifying than any they had encountered before. William roared and thrashed, but the armored vampire knights held their formation tightly.
And they had come prepared — with special chained bolts designed specifically for capturing werewolves.
These bolts, fired from powerful crossbows, would latch onto a werewolf, the arrowhead snapping open inside its flesh. The knights only needed to pull the chains to restrain their target from a safe distance.
Now, several such bolts were already embedded in William's body. Chains stretched taut between knights and nearby trees, pinning him in place.
Marcus saw the scene, leapt off his horse, and rushed forward.
"No! Don't hurt him!"
His voice cracked with desperation, but the knights ignored him, pulling harder on the chains.
William howled in agony, struggling wildly.
Marcus snapped.
"Stop! You'll kill him!"
He shoved a knight aside and drew his sword, glaring at the others.
A knight instantly raised his crossbow toward Marcus. The knight Marcus had pushed away unsheathed his own blade, eyes cold and murderous.
Victor, who was leading the operation, shot Marcus a warning look before swinging his sword.
"Pull harder!"
Two knights kept Marcus at swordpoint. With Victor's threat hanging over him, Marcus didn't dare act again — he could only watch helplessly.
At Victor's command, the knights tightened the chains. One knight raised his crossbow, aiming at William's leg.
Marcus' heart pounded.
The bolt fired — a streak of metal and chain — piercing straight through William's ankle. The arrowhead snapped open, locking in place.
Two knights hauled the chain together, dragging the massive werewolf to the ground.
"William…"
Marcus whispered in anguish. That enormous white werewolf — that mindless monster — was his twin brother. William, the werewolf progenitor.
"Marcus."
Chen Mo approached, face hard as steel.
Marcus turned to him, fury burning in his eyes.
"You shouldn't be hurting him! We had an agreement! He belongs with me!"
"Or you'll pay for breaking your word!"
At the threat, a murderous glint flashed through Chen Mo's eyes.
"Then you should prepare for your own fate."
"Your compassion for this beast is beyond foolish."
"Your brother has completely lost control."
"This will be done my way."
Marcus trembled. He feared — truly feared — that Chen Mo would kill William here and now.
"You know what happens if either of us dies," Marcus said through clenched teeth.
If Marcus or William died, all their descendants would die with them.
Chen Mo knew Marcus had lied about that, but even if it had been true, he would never allow anyone to threaten him.
"If you dare speak his name again, you've already chosen his end."
Chen Mo's voice dropped to a lethal whisper.
Around them, dozens of vampire knights raised their crossbows — all aimed at Marcus.
The tension was suffocating. Even if Marcus unleashed his hidden power, he couldn't survive a volley like that.
Pinned between drawn weapons, Marcus lowered his head in defeat.
"…Master. What are your orders?"
"Lock him away. Forever. As far from you as possible."
…
Chen Mo led the Knight Corps back to Blackstone Castle.
Now that they had captured the source of the werewolf plague — William — Chen Mo intended to have a prison built specifically for him. The best craftsmen in the territory were all inside the secret workshop.
He hadn't visited in a while, so he decided to go personally.
The workshop had been moved along with the Knight Corps into the sprawling Blackstone Castle. Chen Mo had allocated an entire block for the craftsmen and their families — it looked more like a small town inside the castle walls.
Although the territory had grown many times larger, the workshop itself hadn't expanded much. The craftsman count had risen from several dozen to fewer than a hundred. Counting their families, only about three hundred people lived here.
Chen Mo mostly produced luxury items and specialized equipment. The quantities were low — he didn't need a massive workforce.
Passing through the gate guarded by fifty knights, Chen Mo rode into the workshop district.
The new district was far more spacious than the old manor workshop. Living quarters and work areas were clearly separated. Kids ran along the streets, laughing and playing.
As Chen Mo observed the lively scene, a tiny girl — all chubby cheeks and bright laughter — darted into the road while playing with her friends.
Right into the path of Chen Mo's massive warhorse.
The black stallion was tall, muscular, and powerful enough to cripple a werewolf with a single kick. To a child her size… one step could be fatal.
One of her playmates noticed and cried out in panic:
"Selena! Get back!"