Ling gently patted Baiying’s back and said softly, “Let’s go find Baixi, then we’ll leave this place.”

“Mmh.” Baiying nodded obediently.

Holding Baiying in her arms, Ling slipped through the forest. Before long, she spotted Baixi sleeping against a big tree. She set Baiying down, then tiptoed over to Baixi and crouched in front of her.

“Time to go home.” Ling stroked Baixi’s head and spoke in a low voice.

Baixi’s eyes snapped open. She rubbed her scarlet pupils, looked at the person in front of her, and couldn’t help widening her eyes. Because of the summoner bond, she knew this was Ling, but she still asked, “Who are you?”

“Heh.” Ling let out a soft laugh. “I’m your mother.” She pinched Baixi’s nose and said gently.

Realization flashed across Baixi’s face. She scrambled up from the ground and threw herself into Ling’s arms.

Ling caught her naturally, and the two of them hugged each other tightly.

“Mother, you’ve changed so much. If not for the summoner link, I wouldn’t have recognized you.” Baixi rubbed against Ling’s chest, then lifted her little face to look up at her.

Seeing her sister cling to their mother so much, Baiying hurried over too, hugging Ling’s legs and rubbing her little face against Ling’s skirt.

Ling’s face was wreathed in a faint smile. She reached out with her right arm and drew Baiying into her embrace as well. “You’re both my children. This time, I won’t leave a single one of you behind.”

Baiying and Baixi exchanged a look and both broke into smiles.

Just then, a silver‑haired, red‑eyed girl was woken by their voices. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and walked toward the three of them.

“What happened to Sister Baixi?” The silver‑haired girl looked at Ling in confusion, her gaze full of wariness.

Silver hair, red eyes? A vampire royal. This little girl was basically a miniature Lilia.

The moment Ling saw the silver‑haired girl, a wave of familiarity rose in her chest, though she couldn’t quite name what she was feeling.

Iria found herself under the gaze of Ling’s gold‑and‑crimson eyes and felt an inexplicable fear. She involuntarily took a few steps back.

“What’s your name?” Ling stared at the silver‑haired girl and asked slowly.

“I…I’m Iria.” A formless pressure descended on her, making it hard to breathe.

“Are you Lilia’s daughter?” Ling pressed, her expression turning serious.

“N…no.” Iria trembled all over and lowered her head, not daring to meet Ling’s eyes. She knew her mother Lilia had become a wanted criminal and was currently missing. To survive, she had to sever every tie with her mother—at least, that was what Baixi had taught her.

Ling released her two daughters, walked up to the silver‑haired girl, and used a finger to gently lift her chin. She looked her over carefully and said, slow and clear, “Just to stay alive, you won’t even admit your own mother? You really think that’s okay?”

Her voice was neither loud nor soft, but Iria’s head still drooped lower, her heart pounding wildly, guilt gnawing at her.

Ling’s eyes were icy cold, like a blade, making Iria’s heart tremble.

Baixi wanted to help Iria, but with her head lowered, she couldn’t see any of Iria’s silent pleas.

“I…I…d‑don’t…don’t know any Lilia… I only know…my name is Iria, and that Sister Baixi raised me.” Iria mustered all her courage, lifted her head, and met Ling’s sharp gaze. Her voice was shaking.

“Iria? Heh…” Ling let out a light chuckle. “You look a lot like Lilia. As a remnant of the former dynasty, how about I hand you over to His Majesty? I’d probably get a fat reward and a noble title. Then His Majesty will proclaim your capture to the whole world. Tell me, will that missing mother of yours risk her life to save you?”

Her tone grew colder.

“We set up an ambush. She walks right into the trap. Then we publicly behead the two of you, mother and daughter. How does that sound?”

Iria shivered at Ling’s words and looked helplessly at Baixi.

Baixi hurriedly stepped forward, shielding Iria behind her. She looked at Ling and said, “Mother, don’t scare Auntie. Auntie’s still little, she doesn’t understand any of this.”

Baiying tugged on the hem of Ling’s dress and piped in with her milky voice, “Mother, Auntie’s my best friend. Please don’t give her to anyone.”

Ling shoved Baixi hard, knocking her to the ground. Her gaze went frigid as she snapped, “Baiying hasn’t been through it, so she doesn’t know—that’s understandable. But you? Have you already forgotten those days we were wanted? Or was Lilia so good to you that all that back‑and‑forth wiped it from your mind?”

“I haven’t forgotten… but Iria’s just a child…” Baixi kept her head lowered, her voice trailing off.

“A child, so what? You really don’t know how badly I was framed?” Ling’s tone was utterly cold.

“I…I’m sorry, Mother. I spoke out of turn.” Baixi bit her lip, head still bowed, tears welling in her eyes.

“Star Gate, open.” Ling let out a cold snort and swept her arm. A white door appeared in front of Baixi, covered with intricate, arcane patterns that shimmered with silver light.

“Go back to the Consciousness Space and reflect on yourself. If you ever do anything to betray me again, I will never forgive you.” Ling’s voice was icy, brooking no argument.

“Yes.” Baixi nodded at once, then stepped into the Star Gate.

The moment she entered, a magic circle flared under her feet. With a click, it rose and reshaped to match her height, forming a cage that locked her inside. The cell was so cramped Baixi could only stay on all fours, pressed to the floor, unable to move an inch.

Ling had sent Baixi to reflect, not to enjoy herself, so of course she’d use summoner magic to punish her.

“Since you don’t know any better, I’ll let it slide this time. But if you dare keep begging for her, I don’t mind tossing you into a cage in the Consciousness Space too.” Ling turned her gaze on Baiying, a chill seeping out from her eyes.

Baiying shuddered under that look. She didn’t dare raise her head to meet Ling’s gaze and could only stand silently to the side.

Ling then shifted her eyes to Iria. “For the sake of my future, Iria, you’ll just have to sacrifice yourself a little.”

Iria’s mind was racing. If this girl caught her, she wouldn’t just die—she’d drag her mother down with her.

She spun around, trying to run, but Ling grabbed her by the neck with one hand and lifted her clean off the ground.

“A three‑year‑old thinks she can run from me?” Ling gave a cold little laugh and yanked her arm, smashing Iria’s body hard into the ground.

There was a sickening thud as Iria’s forehead struck a rock. Blood immediately streamed down her face.

“Ah!” Iria shrieked, the pain unbearable.

“Children are children. Never think about consequences.” Ling sneered and hauled her back up from the ground.

“Sob… A‑as long as you don’t hand me over, you can do whatever you want to me.” Iria wailed, scared out of her wits.

“Tell me, do you want to live or not?” Ling asked coldly.

Ignoring the blood running down her forehead, Iria nodded desperately. “As long as you don’t give me to His Majesty, I’ll do anything.”

“Whether you live or not depends on you, not me.”

With that, Ling tossed a dagger and a roll of bandages to her. “Your face is almost identical to Lilia’s. If you ruin it yourself, you can avoid the risk of your identity being exposed. Otherwise, everyone will know you’re a remnant of the former dynasty.”

Iria stared at the dagger, then at the bandages. Hesitation flickered in her eyes, but in the end she still took them. She shut her eyes and slashed her own face.

“Ah!” A blood‑curdling scream tore from her throat as the dagger carved deep into her cheek. Blood sprayed out in an instant.

“Not enough. Keep going.” Ling’s voice was icy.

Iria picked up the dagger again and, using every ounce of strength she had, ripped open the other half of her face.

“Ah! Ah! Ah…!” Her heart‑rending screams kept echoing.

Her whole face was soon covered in hundreds of cuts, the once pale, tender skin now a bloody mess—horrific to look at.

Baiying couldn’t bear to watch anymore. She raised her small hands to cover her eyes.

“That’s enough. Wrap your face yourself. As for the dagger, consider it a keepsake from our first meeting.” Ling said flatly.

Iria’s hands trembled as she wound the bandages around her face. Blood had drenched every inch of her skin, turning her features into something terrifying and monstrous.

“Remember this: if you want to live, you can sacrifice anything. Trading a face for a life is a bargain.” Ling looked at Iria coldly, a faint hint of expectation in her eyes.

Iria didn’t dare speak. She only nodded heavily.

“‘Iria’ is such a tasteless name. From now on, you’re Ling. You’ll call yourself Ling Xi. You and I will call each other sisters. If you run into anyone who knows you, you act like you’ve never met. Got it?” Ling’s tone was stern and left no room for refusal.

“Yes, my lady sister.” Ling nodded.

Next, Ling dyed Ling’s hair. Pure white hair drew too much suspicion.

A short while later, Ling’s hair looked almost the same as Ling’s. Only like this could Ling Xi better pass as Ling Xi’s younger sister—though the two of them were blood sisters to begin with.

Ling needed to enter the imperial palace to gather intel, and if Ling wanted to live, she had to stay close. With Cecilia’s bloodline, she’d recover completely in two or three months. (Young vampires didn’t have strong regeneration.)