# Chapter 454: Lingling's Secret

"Tsk, tsk, tsk — I didn't think you'd actually pull it off. All those Hunter Masters I sent out couldn't find so much as a hair from a Vampire, and here you are, youngster, showing real ability. You've given me an entirely new impression of you!" The moment Huo Tuo laid eyes on the Blood Fangs Mo Fan had brought, his eyes lit up.

Vampires were extraordinarily rare creatures. If Huo Tuo hadn't happened to cross paths with one — and if that brazen Vampire hadn't tried to feast on two sisters in one night — Mo Fan figured he could have searched to the ends of the earth without finding a single one.

No wonder Huo Tuo was willing to pay such a hefty crafting fee in exchange for two fresh Blood Fangs.

Mo Fan had no idea what Huo Tuo needed Vampire Blood Fangs for. All he cared about was when his Enchanted Gear would be finished, so he could challenge the players ranked around the top thirty.

A top-thirty ranking would earn him a full three days of cultivation time in the Three-Step Tower. Given that Mo Fan possessed Four Elements, pushing into the tower's third floor would double his cultivation speed compared to an ordinary Intermediate-Level Mage. His Lightning Element was on the cusp of its third tier — he'd spent a long time in Meditation building his foundation, and he needed these three days in the tower to break through in one decisive push.

"So when exactly can you hand over my Armor Enchanted Gear? I'm counting on it to climb the rankings," Mo Fan said, studying the crafty old man.

The old rascal had been a brick wall when there was nothing in it for him, but the moment the Blood Fangs were in his hands, he became warm and genial.

"Say no more, say no more. Before the next Challenge Week, I'll have your Armor Enchanted Gear ready without fail," Huo Tuo said with a smile.

With that promise, Mo Fan left feeling reassured.

He wasn't in any rush to sell the Vampire's Spirit Essence. Zhao Manyan's family ran a well-regarded trading house in Magic City, and Zhao Manyan was more than happy to help move a treasure like that. But thinking of the expression on Lingling's face when she'd seen that soul, Mo Fan felt it was worth holding onto it a little longer — he needed to understand what was so particular about that dark crimson glow it had given off.

For the past several days, Mo Fan had been unable to reach Lingling. He had no idea what she was looking for, but she'd thrown herself completely into whatever strange matter had gripped her attention.

Seizing the quiet, Mo Fan made his way to the Azure Sky Hunting Firm, intending to find Old Bao and get some answers. But the moment he stepped through the door of the old shop, he found a woman seated inside — her figure impossibly curved, wrapped in a form-fitting leather jacket, her expression cold as winter frost. A natural authority resided in her striking, beautiful face.

"Senior Sister Leng Qing — I didn't expect to see you back," Mo Fan said, surprised.

After Hangzhou, he hadn't seen Leng Qing once. Handling the fallout from a Councillor's massive corruption scandal must have kept her consumed for months; as Deputy Chief Adjudicator, she was naturally buried in work.

Leng Qing looked at him, a faint smile touching the corners of her lips. She evidently had a favorable impression of Mo Fan.

"Just came back to look around. Unfortunate timing — no one's in." Her gaze drifted slowly around the old-fashioned shop — equal parts coffeehouse and tearoom — as though every object on display, every hanging ornament, every soft sound the place made was saturated with her memories.

"Strange — where is everyone? Even Old Bao's not here," Mo Fan muttered with mild exasperation.

"Something on your mind? You look like you have something to sort out," Leng Qing said offhandedly.

Mo Fan looked at her, and it suddenly occurred to him that this beautiful, formidable woman standing before him was Lingling's blood sister. Whatever she knew couldn't be any less than what Old Bao knew.

He went ahead and recounted the whole affair — hunting the Vampire with Lingling — making sure to emphasize the sinister dark-crimson light that had radiated from Nie Dong's soul.

Leng Qing stared at him with visible surprise, something flickering unmistakably in her eyes. "Are you certain — the soul you captured actually had a dark crimson glow?"

Mo Fan nodded. From the look on her face alone, it was clear something important lay buried within this.

He pressed her for more.

Truthfully, with Lingling being so young, the image of that near-obsessive expression she'd worn left him genuinely worried for her.

"Lingling told me it was connected to her previous partner — and didn't that partner already die?" Mo Fan ventured carefully.

Leng Qing gave a faint, bitter smile, a trace of grief settling across her face.

Seeing her fall silent, Mo Fan lowered his voice. "Is there something you find hard to talk about?"

After a long moment, Leng Qing finally spoke. "It isn't really a secret. It's just that the previous partner you're referring to… was someone very special to us. Because he was our father."

Mo Fan's mouth fell open.

He'd assumed Lingling's previous partner was someone she'd been close to — it simply hadn't crossed his mind that it would be her own father.

"Lingling showed exceptional talent from a very young age and had a deep fascination with hunting. Father brought her along on bounty missions that carried no real danger, teaching her every step of the way how to become an outstanding hunter. She was at his side from the time she was small — and to her, he was more than just a father. He was her teacher, her friend, and her partner. This room used to ring with their laughter. After every mission, Lingling would come running through here bursting with excitement, flashing those little canine teeth of hers as she happily told everyone what had happened. The two of them had an almost telepathic understanding — even on high-difficulty bounties, Lingling could supply her seasoned hunter father with remarkably valuable leads…" Leng Qing's voice grew soft and distant as she spoke.

Though she had offered only fragments, Mo Fan could already picture it clearly — a patient, gentle hunter father moving through the world alongside his sharp, spirited little daughter.

Back then, Lingling must have been a lively little sprite, darting around this bustling Azure Sky Hunting Firm.

By the time Mo Fan met her, she was already a Hunter Master. From a small girl who knew nothing at all, to a skilled Hunter-mage who could face ferocious Demon-Beasts without so much as a flicker of expression — her father must have taught her an enormous amount through that journey, and given her an abundance of loving companionship along the way.

Thinking back, whenever Lingling mentioned her days as a hunter, the most she ever said was that her previous partner had died. Perhaps, somewhere in that young heart of hers, she had never truly accepted the reality of her father's death.

"So what does a soul carrying that dark crimson taint have to do with your father's passing?" Mo Fan asked.

"That may be our only clue to finding the truth. When our father died and his soul manifested, it looked as though it had been cursed — it appeared in exactly the dark bloodied color you described," Leng Qing said.

"Every soul I've ever seen has been a pale green or pale blue — I've genuinely never come across a dark crimson one before. So this must be some distinctive kind of death mark," Mo Fan reasoned.

Leng Qing gave a slow, heavy nod.