The elders exchanged looks as if they were seeing what the other was going to respond. Many then shook their heads. Even the Karaken family elder responded with a big no. "Not that we know of." He said with a sigh.

He looked sincere enough, but Damon could tell that the old vampire was clearly hiding some things. Not just him, but everyone was. He clenched his fists tightly as he was not exactly in a position to push this any further. Now was not the time to start another fight. There was nothing more for him to do here.

Damon swallowed his anger and bowed a little again. "Then please excuse me. I have some things I need to attend to before I can further address some issues with the esteemed families."

The Karakan elder gave a slow nod. "Of course," he said evenly. "You've had a long campaign, young lord. See to your matters. We will remain in the city for a few days to oversee the transition and secure our foothold."

Damon could feel their gazes following him as he turned and made his way out of the hall. Dozens of crimson eyes were studying every step he took. Some curious. Some respectful. But most calculating. He could almost taste their thoughts, but they didn't see the trembling fury beneath his calm expression, the blood aura simmering just under his skin.

Damon did not return immediately to Kate's room. He waited outside the throne room for a few minutes when a familiar face walked over to him. Hinata had an awkward expression on her face, and Damon knew exactly why she was wearing such a look.

"You have a deal for me, I presume?" Damon asked with an indifferent face.

Hinata nodded with a bitter smile. "I am sorry. I… I am helpless in this matter. If I could, I would have already-"

Damon stopped her. "You don't have to explain. I understand very well. Nothing is free in this world. So what is the deal?"

Hinata sighed. "My family is willing to share a soul-mending healing elixir recipe with you, but…" She hesitated.

"Go on." Damon nodded.

"They want to know what exactly you did back in that demon city. They want to know how you defeated the demon lord's successor without even crossing into C rank."

Damon sneered inwardly. He had already expected this. In fact, he was counting on this.

Even though he had tried his best to remain calm and not sound desperate, these old vampires had decades and perhaps centuries of experience. He did not expect them to be fooled by his acting so easily. They were bound to see through him and his need for a soul healing potion.

It was only a matter of time before the bargaining started, and now they have stated their price for it.

"Listen, Blood God. This is your private secret. I suggest that you don't concede so easily. If you wait a few days, maybe I can-"

Damon once again interrupted her. "It's fine. I will agree to it. I will tell you all about that day, but first, can I have the elixir recipe? It's not that I don't trust you. It's just that I do not have time on my side right now."

"Are you sure? It's only a recipe. You can always…" She started, but she quickly stopped as she saw the serious look on Damon's face. "I… Here… They had actually authorised me to hand over five of these potion bottles in addition to the recipe in case you tried to haggle. You can have it." She also handed the alchemical recipe along with it. "This is the correct one. It's not a fake. You can trust me."

Damon nodded gratefully. He had no doubt about the authenticity of the recipe. The vampires were always on the lookout for alchemists, and if he managed to make potions out of this recipe, then they would approach that alchemist and try to poach them to their side. It was only a win-win for them.

As for the extra potions, he could tell that Hinata had a role to play in that. "Thank you. I will not forget this. You have helped me more than you know. I will always owe you one."

Damon truly meant what he said. He also did not plan to renege on his deal. He would tell them everything they wanted to know because he had a reason to do so. For his main plan in the crimson mountains to work, he needed the main families to start fighting with each other, and this seemed to be a good enough starting point as any.

"I will tell you everything about the demon city secrets." Damon started explaining.

Hinata nodded and then listened carefully.

"The thing is… every demon city, or at least some of their cities, has a secret hidden within them. It's a weapon, failsafe mechanism to ensure that the city absolutely doesn't fall into the wrong hands, but at the same time, it is also a double-edged sword."

"What kind of weapon?"

"It's a magic skill crystal, one that contains a powerful demonic soul. When the crystal is broken, the demonic soul is released, and without proper preparations, it is bound to take control of the strongest vessel in the vicinity. I just took a gamble that the demon lord's heir would be that vessel. And after that, you know what happened."

Hinata's eyes widened. "A demonic soul crystal…" she whispered. Her fingers twitched at her side, betraying the excitement that even she couldn't hide. "This is huge. With this, we can unleash chaos into a demon city before we begin our assault. This would reduce our efforts by half! This is… a huge advantage. You have truly been generous to us. The soul recipe we have given you is nothing when compared to this."

Damon did not say anything, but Hinata nodded with determination. "Thank you. This is not the end of this. I will inform my family elders. I will make sure they compensate you properly. Trust me. You will not regret sharing this information with us. You can count on me."

***

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