"What's going on?" Old Bao asked.
Leng Qing and Lingling also looked over curiously.
"While investigating some matters in the ancient city, I discovered that Salan has a backup location outside of the magic city. It's likely a safehouse to facilitate her escape. To be honest, the fact that she was able to cause such chaos in the ancient city and still leave unscathed is directly related to your Judgment Court," Mo Fan said, looking at Leng Qing.
Leng Qing had no way to refute his words.
She was aware of this, though she had no authority to intervene as a deputy presiding judge in just one region. Even though she knew about it, she could only pretend not to.
Old Bao also remained silent. As someone who had once served as a Divine Judge in the Holy Court, he understood all too well how terrifying political intrigue could be.
Sigh…
Old Bao let out a long sigh, a sigh not only of his own helplessness but also for the world.
"Where is this place?" Leng Qing asked.
"On Chongming Island. She has another hideout there," Mo Fan replied.
With the National Training Program starting soon, Mo Fan wasn't planning to return. After all, the top-performing national team in the training program would have the opportunity to go to the continental-level magic association for advanced studies.
Although he wasn't entirely sure how good it would be, as a continental-level association, it was bound to be beneficial. Such opportunities to increase one's strength were rare.
Even without him, the Judgment Court would still have the opportunity to capture the Black Vatican. The world would keep spinning regardless. But there was a bounty for the Black Vatican!
After returning from the ancient city, Mo Fan had gained a lot but was now penniless.
So, before setting off, he planned to make a quick buck!
Suddenly, Mo Fan realized that maybe the Black Vatican wasn't so detestable after all—they were basically walking rewards for him.
"Do you know the exact location?" Leng Qing asked again.
"How much are the bounties for the members of the Black Vatican?" Mo Fan asked in response.
Leng Qing, slightly exasperated, still replied, "A gray-robed follower is worth 500,000; a black-robed priest, 9 million; and a blue-clothed deacon, 120 million. Whether they are dead or alive, their identities must be confirmed, or there must be conclusive evidence."
"Alright, then. This bounty is worth taking. Lingling, interested?" Mo Fan asked after hearing the reward amounts.
Lingling, who had previously been in a bad mood, immediately lit up with a smile and eagerly agreed, "Yes, yes!"
Seeing her younger sister so easily coaxed, Leng Qing was left speechless.
Old Bao: "I'm used to it by now…"
"You're not seriously planning for the two of you to go find these people on your own, are you?" Leng Qing asked.
"Your people can follow behind me. Once I've taken down the blue-clothed deacon, you can come in and capture the rest," Mo Fan said.
"You know who the blue-clothed deacon is?" Leng Qing asked.
"I've seen her photo. Finding her shouldn't be difficult," Mo Fan responded.
"And you…"
Mo Fan understood what Leng Qing meant but, in reality, he had never seen the woman in person. The reason he needed Lingling was to rely on her tech skills to track the person down using her name.
As for figuring out who the target was, that would require some on-site investigation.
"That's why I said you could wait until I've captured her, then follow me to close the net," Mo Fan explained.
"Alright, I'll lead a team and follow behind you," Leng Qing had no choice but to agree.
"…"
After Leng Qing left to gather her team, Mo Fan turned to Lingling and said, "Now it's time to show your skills."
"You don't even know what she looks like, you just know her name?" Lingling asked, looking at Mo Fan with a knowing expression.
"Uh… how did you know?" Mo Fan was taken aback.
"Hmph, if you knew what she looked like, you'd probably have gone off to deal with her yourself by now," Lingling pouted.
(⊙o⊙)…
Mo Fan fell silent. That wasn't exactly untrue. If he could have easily taken care of the target, he'd probably have done it alone and then cashed in the blue deacon's bounty. Bringing Lingling along was a bit of a hassle.
But in the current situation, it was clear—there was no way he could do this without her.
"Give me the name," Lingling said, pouting.
"Girl, being too smart might make it hard for you to get married," Mo Fan teased.
"Who cares about marriage when 'demon hunting' is way more fun," Lingling replied nonchalantly.
"…"
Mo Fan gave her the name "Fang Shaoli," and Lingling began searching for information about this woman on Chongming Island.
A thorough search revealed that there were dozens of women named Fang Shaoli on Chongming Island.
Mo Fan already had a target in mind, but still, he brought Lingling to Chongming Island to narrow down the list. They planned to investigate those who worked in places with a large number of people.
After about three days of searching on Chongming Island, with Lingling's observations and investigations, they ruled out several suspects.
Eventually, they arrived at a place called "Zhenming Town."
Two-thirds of Zhenming Town was pastureland, mainly for raising cattle, horses, and sheep. As they walked, they could see cattle grazing on the low grass, embodying a pastoral scene, even though it was right at the mouth of the Yangtze River.
However, this place turned out to be a private high-end club, and without an invitation, they couldn't enter.
But Mo Fan had already confirmed this was the right place!
He informed the others of his plan to sneak in and investigate.
Once inside the estate, Mo Fan quickly encountered a dark beast demon.
As soon as he spotted the demon, he notified Lingling, confirming that they had indeed found the right place.
Lingling had wanted to call Mo Fan back to discuss a plan, but unfortunately, Mo Fan cut off his communicator and sneaked deeper into the estate on his own.
Lingling was nearly fuming!
With such a smart strategist like her on his team, Mo Fan still chose to act so recklessly—it was infuriating!
But with Mo Fan's communicator off, she had no choice but to contact Leng Qing and her team for backup.
Mo Fan's Shadow Element powers had significantly improved in the Dark Abyss, greatly enhancing his ability to conceal himself. Even high-level mages would have trouble detecting him, let alone the mid-level mages patrolling the estate.
It was easy for him to search the estate undetected.
Inside the private estate, in the grand hall of an orange manor:
The blue-clothed deacon, Fang Shaoli, sat in a blood-red chair, her long, slender legs crossed. Her high heels, over ten centimeters tall, seemed sharp enough to pierce the glossy floor beneath her.
At her feet knelt a row of gray-clothed priests.
Behind these gray-clothed priests stood four or five rows of black-clothed followers. All members of the Black Vatican had to wear their designated robes to distinguish rank and identity, making it easier to command and recognize individuals.
Fang Shaoli placed a finger against her purple-red lips. A sapphire blue robe draped over her body, and it seemed that she wore nothing underneath. Her enticing figure was vaguely visible beneath the robe.
"The teacher said I should keep a low profile for now, so you'd better not cause any trouble. Otherwise…" Fang Shaoli didn't finish her sentence, but everyone in front of her trembled in fear as they quickly agreed.
(End of Chapter)