Chapter 3

Lan Zhan had already been traveling the world for 10 years, staying here and there for a few days, weeks or months, acquiring new medical knowledge and moving on again until he finally arrived back in his home country. The village he lived in no longer exists. It had burned down many years before. The only thing that reminded him that there was once a village there, were the remains of the marketplace.

As Lan Zhan stood in the remains of the marketplace, he only remembered the crimes the Inquisitor and his soldiers committed against the villagers there. Yet the marketplace was once colorful and always bustling. There were stalls everywhere. People traded. The village elders sat together, drank tea, talked and made sure that the children did not get into mischief. A time when he was still Lan Wangji and a human being.

His once beautiful and new house was also a victim of the flames. Only the cherry trees were still standing there and blooming. Since Lan Zhan had loved it there from the beginning and could not imagine a more beautiful place for a house, he began to build a house there again. After all, he still owned the property.

As a former notary, it was easy for him to change the documents to his new name. He simply registered himself as one of the heirs of Lan Wangji. With the money he had saved on his travels and what he had earned as a physician, he hired some craftsmen to build his house for him. And while the craftsmen built his house, he visited his old mentor Wen Rouhan.

Throughout the years, Lan Zhan had remained in contact with his mentor. He often wrote to him and told him about his experiences and impressions he had gathered. And yet, when he saw him again, he had much to tell Wen Rouhan. Only after Lan Zhan told him about his travels over the past few years did Wen Rouhan ask him, "So you've given up your revenge plan and don't want to kill the Inquisitor anymore?"

"Rather hell freezes over than that I give up my plans for revenge. The problem is, since then, the Inquisitor has disappeared. During my travels, I also looked for him. But I couldn't find him. And no one knows him. No one in the Vatican knows him either." Lan Zhan replied.

"Well, you told me yourself that he confessed to you that he was not a real inquisitor and was only pretending to be one. So no one in the Vatican can know him either."

"I know. But I was hoping the Vatican would have found out about him and what he did, and had maybe some information about him."

"Even if. It's been more than 150 years since then. If the Vatican really got any information back then, the files on it are gathering dust in the Vatican archives. Do you really think anyone at the Vatican would bother to dig up a case that's over 150 years old? They don't know anything about his immortality. So I guess they don't care now."

"I know you're right. But I still had to try. I even made a request to be allowed to search the archives for possible documents. But the request was denied."

"Sure, they don't want any of their secrets to get out, after all."

"What kind of secrets?"

"The existence of vampires, for example?"

"How would they know of our existence? You just said yourself that they didn't know that the Inquisitor wasn't human."

"Because they know everything. Besides, I know that they even have their own elite units. Fighter monks and nuns who fight against evil. And there are a small number of trained hunters. So-called vampire hunters."

"How do you know?"

"Because we've already encountered a vampire hunter ourselves. He just needed a little persuasion to tell us where he came from and who trained him."

"By persuasion, you mean torture, right?"

"Yeah sure. He killed four of my men in just one night."

"Ah, yes. And did he also tell you how he found them?"

"Unfortunately, these 4 men of mine made the mistake of killing a few humans and drinking their blood and were observed doing so. Word spread quickly and so the vampire hunter found out about it. And thanks to a really good description of my men, it was easy for the vampire hunter to find them."

"Since when do you hunt and kill people? Didn't you always insist on drinking only the blood of volunteers?"

"That is still the case. We don't know why they killed the people. We didn't have a chance to ask them anymore. However, they were still young. Just 2 years old. So as vampires, they were still babies. And you yourself know how long it takes to control the thirst for blood." 

"I remember it very well. But normally you never let young vampires go off on their own. What happened?"

"They snuck out. I know in the past that would never have happened to me. But in the last few years, I've been very reclusive and let my sons take the lead. When this happened, I wasn't there. I spent the night with a woman I spend the night with from time to time. Because I'm not a human being anymore, but certain cravings have stayed with me."

"Cravings?"

"Well, you know. Sex."

"Um..."

"What's the matter? Don't you like talking about it?"

"It's not like that."

"What then?"

"Well, those cravings. I've never had them."

"Excuse me? You were a healthy 23 year old man when you became a vampire. How could you not have felt any desire for sex?"

"I don't know. I've never been interested in these things."

"I can't relate to that. Wangji... I mean Lan Zhan, you're almost 200 years old and you've never been intimate with a woman?"

"No, I never was."

"Mhhh, very strange. Never mind. Back to the subject of Inquisitor. What are you going to do to find him? And do you think you're ready to go up against him?"

"Honestly, I'm just hoping to be ready. Right now, I'm not looking for him. I haven't given up my plan to kill him, though. But for now, I want to rest for a few years."

"Okay. But you shouldn't just rest. You should travel our beautiful country and see what all has changed in the last few years. And who knows, maybe you can do some good deeds."

"Why would I do that?"

"Well, I know you have a heart for children. And it  happens that children have been sold in illegal trafficking markets since a few years now."

"Really? What are they doing with the kids?"

"What do you think? The cute kids they sell as sex slaves to brothels and foreigners. The ugly ones they sell as domestic help and farm labor."

"And where can I find a market like that?"

"I'll give you some addresses. But then what are you going to do with the rescued children?"

"I'm taking them to safety."

"Need money to buy them?"

"No. I'll just kill the slavers!"

"All right. Then let me give you something for that."

"And what?"

"A beautiful Damascus sword I bought on my last trip to the Orient." Wen Rouhan stood up and took a sword out of a chest. He handed it to Lan Zhan. The latter gently stroked the shiny sharp blade of the sword and thanked his mentor. "And now my student, show me if you can handle the sword as well."

Lan Zhan nodded and got ready for a training match against Wen Rouhan. They trained for over two hours and in the end Wen Rouhan was very pleased with Lan Zhan. Afterwards, Lan Zhan got a few addresses of these illegal human trafficking markets and went on his way again.

The construction work on his house had progressed well and would soon be completed. Since he could not live there yet, he spent a week in a small forest hut, where he also used the time to train with his new sword. It fit well in his hand and was easy to wield. Which made the training easier for him.

But before he set out to check out these illegal markets, he was back at his house. He discussed a few additional details with the site manager and then set off on the back of his horse to the first illegal market. He didn't yet know what was in store for him. But he already suspected it.

After three days he reached the first illegal market. But he had to wait two more days, until the next market day. He spent the waiting time in an inn, where he lived in a tiny dusty room for a bit of change and was given a disgusting smelling indefinable gray mass to eat.

As a vampire, Lan Zhan does not need food like humans. He only needs blood. But when he stayed somewhere where there were humans, he ate like everyone else. He wanted to prevent anyone from noticing him, just because he was never seen eating. His appearance truly attracted enough attention.

Lan Zhan is taller than most people in his country. In addition, he is truly handsome, can read, write, calculate and express himself very polite. In addition, he still pays great attention to his appearance. His clothes and hair must always be perfect, as in his childhood. He would never dare to step outside the door if his clothes were not accurately fitted, clean and ironed. Likewise, he would never go out uncomed.

So when Lan Zhan goes somewhere, everyone immediately notices him. What he is aware of. And therefore he tries to behave as human as possible. Because even if he would dress like most of the others and would remain to maintain his hair, he would still be taller than the most and handsome.

From Wen Rouhan, he knows what could happen if people find out who or what he really is. Because Wen Rouhan had to experience it himself several times.

The day before market day, Lan Zhan overheard a conversation between two men while having lunch at the inn. They are lumberjacks and were talking about a traffickers' camp near the town. One of them wanted to report it to the city's law enforcers. But the other reminded him that it would be nonsensical because the law enforcers are bribable and even bid on the slaves themselves.

Lan Zhan cleared his throat to get the attention of the two men. "Where exactly do they have their camp?" He asked without mincing words.

"About two kilometers east of here in a clearing in the woods." One of the two replied.

"Is the camp big?"

"Not really. Is it?" The man asked the other.

"No. I guess that's because they only have kids with them this time. But not as many as usual either. I've heard that most slavers now prefer the bigger cities. More buyers for the slaves." Explained the other man.

"I see. Do you also happen to know what condition the children are in? Or what their average age is?"

"A lot of them looked sick. But that's no wonder. They're lightly dressed and it's always very cold outside now at night. And as for the age of the children. Well, from toddlers to teenagers, there's mostly everything." Said the first man.

"So I saw three cages. In one there were 4 children between the ages of about 2 and 6. In the second cage there were 3 children who are between the ages of 7 and 12. And in the third cage there were 5 kids who are between the ages of 13 and 15. That's how they always did it." Explained the second man.

"You seem to have been looking very closely." Replied Lan Zhan.

"I hope you're not going to accuse me of being interested in children. I only saw it so clearly because I was hiding by the cages. If the slavers had seen us, they would have killed us." Said the second.

"Is there any way to approach the camp unseen?" Lan Zhan wanted to know.

"Now that they've set everything up and are standing guard? No, I don't think so. The only possibility might be at night, when they are full, drunk and tired." Explained the first man.

"Why do you want to know all this anyway?" Asked the second man.

"Just because. I'm just interested."

"Yeah right. And then you go there that night, free the kids, and tomorrow the slavers take the town apart looking for the kids and the person who freed the kids!" Replied the first man.

"Do I look like I would do something like that?"

"Rather not. You look like a noble lord and not like someone who could fight with something other than words." Said the second man.

"Exactly. I would never do anything to put myself in danger." Lied Lan Zhan. 

"If you want to help the kids, buy them at the market tomorrow. You look like you can afford to buy them all." Said the first man laughing.

"How rich do you think he is? If he had as much money as you suspect, would he really be living in this shabby inn?" The second man wanted to know.

"What if he's only staying here because he couldn't get a room at a decent inn? You know yourself what it's like when the slavers come. Then every inn is full."

"You're right. But for noble gentlemen like him, they would gladly make a room free."

"Now don't argue. How about I buy you a good wine? As a thank you for your information. And as a small bribe, so you don't tell anyone what I asked you about." Lan Zhan suggested.

"We never say no to good wine." Both men replied at the same time. Lan Zhan ordered a jug of the most expensive wine and left the two men alone again.

Lan Zhan retired to his room and prepared for the evening. He would go to the camp that very night and scout it out. And maybe he could take care of one or two slave traders right then!