Chen Mo had no intention of killing Marcus, progenitor of the vampires.
Though Marcus had ambitions of ruling humanity, the truth was that his goal had already been fulfilled—
the entire European continent now lay under Chen Mo's rule, administered by vampire nobles under his command.
Of course, Chen Mo's mortal subjects knew nothing of vampires.
To them, Chen Mo was their king, their god, and the powerful knights were divine servants blessed with miraculous strength.
The more strength the Temple Knights displayed, the deeper the people's faith in Chen Mo grew.
Over the years, Marcus had accomplished much under Chen Mo.
Not only did he help transform Chen Mo's core forces—the knights and craftsmen—into immortal beings with strong bodies, he also conquered vast territories on Chen Mo's behalf.
Especially after Chen Mo discovered Alexander Corvinus's trail in western Europe, he summoned Andrew, Amelia, and Viktor to assist in the hunt for the elusive ancient immortal.
During this period, Chen Mo was heavily occupied in the west, leading large forces in a prolonged pursuit.
The remaining territories in the east were nearly all conquered by Marcus.
These contributions were written plainly for all to see.
Thus, Chen Mo had no intention of stripping his merits simply because Marcus had been a villain in the movies.
As long as Marcus did not betray him, Marcus would always remain a duke of the empire—one of the four Elders of the vampire race.
He had earned it.
And Chen Mo believed Marcus would never dare betray him.
The newly appointed imperial dukes soon shed their armor to focus on rebuilding the empire.
Centuries of war and lycan slaughter had left Europe devastated; the land desperately needed peace and restoration.
The Temple Knights were granted noble titles and lands according to merit.
With war finally over, they no longer rode out on campaigns—
their tasks now included guarding Blackstone Castle, securing the capital, eliminating bandits, and maintaining internal stability.
This was temporary.
Once the new imperial garrisons were fully established and deployed across the land, they would assume the responsibility of local security.
The Temple Knights would remain in Blackstone Castle as the empire's supreme fighting force, rarely deployed.
The newly minted nobles were forbidden from raising private armies.
Depending on rank, they were allowed only small retinues of a dozen to a hundred guards.
Their territories, like all imperial lands, were defended by troops dispatched and commanded by the imperial military.
Nobles retained governance and tax rights, but were stripped of all military power—
eliminating any possibility of rebellion.
Though the current knights were unwaveringly loyal, future generations could not be guaranteed.
Chen Mo planned ahead and perfected the noble land system accordingly.
While Andrew, Marcus, and the others were drowning in the complexities of national reconstruction, Chen Mo and Alexander Corvinus quietly descended into the dungeon where the first werewolf, William, was imprisoned.
After passing through a long, dark corridor, they reached a massive steel man-shaped cage embedded in the wall.
Chen Mo placed his torch on a wall bracket.
Under Alexander's gaze, he retrieved from his spatial ring two intricately crafted disk-shaped keys—one large, one small—and fitted them into the recess on the cage.
The keys aligned perfectly.
As Chen Mo turned them, gears ground and chains clattered—the layers of mechanical locks disengaging one after another.
The enormous iron sphere slowly opened.
Under their watch, a towering white-furred werewolf leapt out with a furious roar, jaws wide, charging straight toward them.
Neither of them panicked.
Chen Mo glanced at Alexander, then stepped forward—
his hands shooting out to seize William's wrists.
With one outward twist, he locked the beast's arms, immobilizing him.
A swift sweep of his leg sent William crashing to his knees.
With a surge of force, Chen Mo pressed the werewolf to the ground.
The mighty progenitor of the lycans, feared for centuries, was pinned effortlessly—
reduced to enraged, helpless roaring.
Still controlling William's arms, Chen Mo looked at Alexander.
"Begin."
Alexander Corvinus frowned heavily at the raging beast that had once been his son.
He stepped forward, drew a dagger from his belt, sliced open his wrist, and held it over William's gaping maw.
Bright red blood dripped into William's mouth.
Under their watch, the frenzied werewolf slowly quieted.
Alexander pulled his hand back, quickly bandaged the wound, and focused intently on his son.
Seeing William no longer struggling, Chen Mo released his grip.
There was enough Perfect Blood in William now.
The rest depended on fate.
If William could not regain reason, Chen Mo would not let him live.
Death would be mercy—keeping him alive would be a danger.
Alexander knew this.
He held no resentment.
William had caused countless massacres; even a summary execution would be a justified punishment.
Chen Mo had given him a chance.
That was enough.
Under their expectant gaze, changes began.
William's massive form shrank.
His protruding wolf muzzle slowly receded.
His long white fur thinned and vanished.
Before long, a tall, pale young man remarkably similar to Marcus knelt before them.
For the first time, emotion flickered across Alexander's ancient, stoic face—
joy, relief, disbelief.
His son had returned to human form.
There was hope.
Chen Mo watched with interest, curious to see what William would become—
Would he resemble Lucian from the films?
A hybrid who retained reason even in wolf form?
Finally, William slowly rose to his feet.
He lifted his head.
His eyes—once filled with madness—now held only confusion and innocence.
Like a newborn child.
"Ah… uh?"
Meaningless syllables escaped his lips.
His gaze was blank, pure.
Chen Mo glanced at Alexander.
The ancient immortal looked stunned for a moment, then quietly accepted reality.
The Perfect Blood had removed the beast within William, restoring consciousness—
but centuries as a mindless animal had erased all memory.
His mind was a blank slate.
He was alive, but his past self no longer existed.
Yet compared to the worst outcome, this was a blessing.
His son could live.
That was enough.
Chen Mo said nothing further and left William in Alexander's care.
From that day forward, little Selene gained a "younger brother"—
a towering man who required her constant guidance.
As the only child in the household, Selene was thrilled.
She clung to William every day, teaching him words, playing with him, doting on him like a proud big sister—
much to Chen Mo's amusement.
William adored Selene as well.
The pair became a unique sight in the castle.
…
After the empire was founded, Chen Mo implemented policies to restore the nation and develop民生.
Many civilian technologies from his workshop were spread across the empire through the Royal Chamber of Commerce.
New farming tools, water wheels, and advanced agricultural methods greatly increased crop yields.
Combined with Chen Mo's tax reduction policies, ordinary life improved rapidly—
food was plentiful, hunger vanished, and peace returned.
With no war, no famine, and no lycan terror, society blossomed.
People lived in stability and comfort, and the economy flourished.
Factories of all kinds sprang up nationwide—
textile mills, clothing workshops, soap factories, cement plants, brickworks, steel mills, glassworks, sugar refineries, salt fields…
Like spring shoots after rain, they spread across every city.
Women, elders, and spare laborers all found work.
Endless supplies of daily goods entered the market, filled homes, raised living standards, and transformed ways of life.
A great social revolution had begun.