Chapter 6: Is This Your Entire Inheritance?

“Here. Take it.”

Lin Cheng tossed a simple, ancient-looking ring to Lin Luo.

“This is your entire inheritance?”

Lin Luo accepted the ring with a bright, amused smile.

But as she examined its contents more carefully, her expression darkened visibly.

The ring was filled entirely with her own belongings.

That old man Lin Cheng—he was really trying to throw her out of the house!

“You old bastard—!”

“Hey!”

With an exaggerated twist of his aging waist, Lin Cheng dodged the stone Lin Luo hurled at him.

Acting dramatically, he turned to Claire, who had been watching the commotion with interest.

“Control your daughter, would you? Look at how rude she is!”

“I am NOT her daughter!”

Lin Luo snapped.

But before she could say more, Claire gave her a solid slap.

“Ughhh…”

Holding her head, Lin Luo sulked off to the side and quietly rolled away, no longer interrupting their conversation.

Ever since she met this annoying woman, she felt like her whole generational standing had taken a hit.

She used to call herself on equal footing with Lin Cheng—even if that was self-appointed.

But then Claire had to come along… Fine, she brought it on herself.

She just had to stab her.

Now, not only was she suddenly this woman’s daughter, but Claire kept calling Lin Cheng “Senior” like some junior fangirl.

Lin Luo’s seniority had plummeted to the depths of the abyss.

She wasn’t even allowed to eavesdrop on their conversation anymore!

“…Forget it. I’ll just sneak away now.”

Her large, round eyes darted around, and she quickly came up with a plan.

She was already nearing the rank of a Tier 4 Mage.

Once she reached it, she’d have enough magic power to sustain transformation spells—no risk of being exposed.

There was no way she was going to the Blood Domain.

Over her dead body!

She still hadn’t gotten payback for being turned into a tiny vampire girl!

“Claire, you just wait and see!”

Casting one last grudge-filled glance at the two chatting merrily, the not-yet-one-year-old blood clan loli vanished from sight.

***

“I just hope she won’t be treated unfairly when she reaches the Blood Domain. If she is… then the Blood Domain has no reason to exist anymore.”

Lin Cheng’s voice was calm as he spoke to Claire, but the pressure he radiated was immense—so much so that even Claire felt her knees go weak.

His eyes were deep and bottomless, like black holes that could suck the mind into darkness with a single glance.

That was how Claire instinctively perceived it.

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt such oppressive force—not even from her own mother.

Tier Eight?

No… perhaps even Tier Nine…

“Senior Lin, I assure you—nothing like that will ever happen.”

Claire answered solemnly.

The current Queen of the Blood Clan—her younger sister—was constantly ranting about wanting to abdicate.

She was desperate for a successor to show up and take the throne off her hands so she could chase after some legendary Tier Eight archmage.

But it’s not like Tier Eight mages were easy to find.

With Lin Luo showing up, her sister would be overjoyed, not displeased.

Lin Cheng stared at Claire for a moment, his gaze sharp, before finally giving a small nod in approval.

In an instant, the suffocating aura around Claire disappeared.

Only then did she realize her back was soaked in sweat.

“Your daughter ran off,” Lin Cheng said, his tone reverting to the usual gentle and kindly one, as if the terrifying pressure just now had never existed.

“Don’t worry, Senior. She’ll arrive in the Blood Domain safely…”

***

A black-haired little girl dashed through the forest, glancing over her shoulder every few steps as if terrified that that woman might be chasing her.

The girl was, of course, Lin Luo in disguise.

While she couldn’t manage a full-body transformation spell just yet, changing her hair and eyes was within her abilities.

Otherwise, silver hair and crimson eyes would scream “vampire” to anyone.

If she had the strength, she wouldn’t care.

But she didn’t—so for now, she planned to hide out in a nearby small city called Cangwu.

During her time as a bounty hunter, she’d bought a house there with her savings—a secret even Lin Cheng didn’t know.

It was finally coming in handy.

“Damn Claire! Trying to play mom with me? I’m old enough to be your—”

“Mother of god!”

Lin Luo suddenly screeched to a halt—but tripped over her own feet and flew straight into a woman’s arms.

It really was the mother.

Claire caught her gently.

“You’re that excited to see me?”

“Let me go!”

Excited, my foot!

Lin Luo wriggled furiously in her grasp but couldn’t escape, her face squished against the scent of Claire’s facial cleanser.

After a while—perhaps because she’d had her fun—Claire finally let her go.

Lin Luo sat in silence, head down in deep thought for a long moment before lifting her gaze to Claire, eyes fixed with surprising intensity.

“Can I not go to the Blood Domain?”

“Nope~”

Claire replied cheerfully, shaking her head.

“You’re the little princess of the blood clan now. It’s dangerous out here.”

“Do you even believe the words coming out of your own mouth?”

Lin Luo immediately snapped.

“You know how strong I am!”

“Still a no~”

Claire refused again.

If she didn’t bring Lin Luo back with her, the Queen’s throne would fall to her, and she had no intention of taking it.

Of course she trusted Lin Luo’s strength—and the deep, mysterious secret buried within her.

If not for that, Claire would’ve put an end to the blood embrace process long ago.

Seeing that Claire still wouldn’t budge, Lin Luo bit her lip, as though making some grand decision.

Claire braced herself, assuming Lin Luo was about to pull some new stunt—but instead, the girl raised her teary eyes and looked at her sweetly.

“Mommy dearest~”