Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

"Tsk tsk tsk, I didn't expect you would actually get the fangs for me. The Hunter Masters I've hired before couldn't even find a vampire's hair. You have some real skills, I'll give you that, very impressive!" Huo Tuo's eyes flickered when he saw the fangs Mo Fan was handing to him.

Creatures like the vampires were quite rare. If Huo Tuo had not happened to stumble onto one who was bold enough to target a pair of twin sisters in a short period of time, Mo Fan would not have been able to find him even after searching the depths of the skies.

No wonder Huo Tuo was willing to trade for two vampire's fangs instead of the usual expensive fares he charged.

Mo Fan had no clue why Huo Tuo needed a vampire's fangs. He was only concerned about when he could get his hands on the new equipment, so he could challenge the students ranked in the top thirty.

Being placed in the top thirty would allow him to cultivate in the Three Step Tower for three days and three nights. Since Mo Fan had four Elements now, his rate of cultivation would be double that of an ordinary Intermediate Magician on the third-floor of the Three Step Tower. He urgently needed to improve his Lightning Element to level three, and he had spent a great deal of time meditating to prepare himself. All he needed now was a breakthrough with the help of the Three Step Tower.

"So when can you give me my armor? I'm hoping to climb the ranking with it," Mo Fan said to the vampiric old man.

The old man was extremely stubborn when no personal interest was involved, but when he received the fangs, he immediately wore a benevolent and kind countenance.

"Patience, young man. I'll deliver the armor you've been dreaming of into your hands by the next challenge week," said Huo Tuo with a smile.

Mo Fan was finally at ease after the old man had given his promise.

Mo Fan was not in a rush to sell the vampire's Soul Essence. The truth was, Zhao Manyan's family owned a rather reliable marketplace in the city. Zhao Manyan was more than willing to help him sell the treasure, yet Mo Fan thought it was necessary to hold onto the Soul Essence for a while longer after he recalled Lingling's reaction, and he learned what was special about the dark red color of the soul.

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Mo Fan could not reach Lingling for a few days, nor did he know what the girl was desperately looking for. His thoughts were totally preoccupied by the strange incident.

Mo Fan paid a visit to the Clearsky Hunter Agency, as he wanted to ask Old Bao for more details. To his surprise, he saw a woman with outstanding curves in a sexy, leather outfit and an attractive, dignified look seated inside, emanating a cold aura.

"Senior Sister Leng Qing, it's a surprise to see you here," Mo Fan greeted Leng Qing in astonishment.

They had not met since the incident at Hangzhou. It went without saying that the incident involving a corrupted Councilman had resulted in lots of work cleaning the mess up. Leng Qing, who was a Vice Elder of the Magic Court, had a lot on her plate.

Leng Qing glanced at Mo Fan and smiled faintly. It seemed she had a fairly good impression of Mo Fan.

"Just paying a visit, but I guess I'm out of luck, since no one is here," Leng Qing scanned the old building, which was a mix of a coffee shop and a teahouse, as if each of the things placed and hung, and the sounds they made, were loaded with a lot of memories for her.

"Strange, where did everyone go? Even Old Bao isn't here," Mo Fan wondered helplessly.

"What is it? It looks like something is bothering you?" Leng Qing asked casually.

Mo Fan glanced at Leng Qing, and remembered that this attractive, powerful Vice Elder of the Magic Court was Lingling's sister. Surely, she would know more than Old Bao.

Mo Fan quickly told her how he and Lingling had hunted the vampire down, and emphasized the strange red light that Nie Dong's soul was emitting.

Leng Qing gave Mo Fan a surprised look with glittering eyes, before asking, "Are you sure that the soul has a dark red glow?"

Mo Fan nodded. He could tell that there was something extremely important about it from Leng Qing's reaction, so he pursued the matter further.

The truth was, Lingling was still very young. He could not help but worry when he recalled the slightly twisted expression on her face.

"Lingling told me it has something to do with her previous partner. Didn't her partner die?" Mo Fan probed.

Leng Qing let out a hollow laugh, with a hint of sorrow on her face.

When Leng Qing did not answer his question, Mo Fan asked softly, "Is it something we shouldn't be discussing?"

Leng Qing spoke after a moment of silence, "It's not any secret, it's just that the partner you mentioned… he's someone special to us, as he was our late father."

Mo Fan jaw dropped in bewilderment.

He could tell that the person was extremely important to Lingling, yet he never thought the person was actually her father!

"Lingling has been extremely talented since a very young age. She has a great interest in the art of hunting, so my father brought her alone when he was carrying out the non-dangerous quests, and taught her what it takes to be a great Hunter. Lingling has been following him around since a very young age, so he was not only a father, but a teacher, a friend, and most importantly, a partner. This place used to be full of their laughter, and every time they were on a quest, Leng Qing would run around happily, telling everyone about it with her little canine teeth poking out from her grin. The father and daughter made a good team, and even on some difficult quests, Lingling was able to provide some useful clues to her experienced father..." Leng Qing explained in a gloomy voice.

Although Leng Qing had only vaguely described the relationship between Lingling and her father, Mo Fan immediately pictured the gentle scene of a patient Hunter teaching his smart, energetic little princess.

Lingling was surely an active little elf back in the days, dancing elegantly in the lively Clearsky Hunter Agency.

When Mo Fan first met her, she was already a Hunter Master. She had grown from an innocent little girl to an outstanding, fearless Hunter, and it went without saying that her father had taught her a great deal, and looked after her with tender love and care.

Lingling had only mentioned about her previous partner vaguely, at most. Maybe in her little heart, she had never accepted the fact that her father had passed away!

"So what does the dark red soul to do with your father's death?" asked Mo Fan.

"It's most likely the only clue we have regarding the truth, as our father's soul was also dark red when he passed away, as if he was placed under a curse," said Leng Qing.

"I've only seen green and blue souls before. It's true that I've never seen a dark red one before, which means it must be some special kind of death mark?" inferred Mo Fan.

Leng Qing nodded heavily.