129: Chapter 129 The Incomplete Puzzle
Even though he had just climbed out of a two-meter-deep pit, the Holy Light on his body kept him as spotless as if he were untouched by dust.
On the deathly silent street, only the cold wind swirled the black ashes left behind by the Vampire Brides, drifting away in spirals.
"You..." Anna swallowed hard.
"Qin Ming!" A petite figure in black and red dashed out from the dilapidated tavern.
Mavis completely ignored the wary Van Helsing nearby and lunged straight toward Qin Ming, revealing two sharp little fangs.
"How was it? Dracula's castle—did you see him!?"
Qin Ming raised his hand and ruffled Mavis's black hair.
"Almost."
Qin Ming turned his head, his gaze passing over Anna and landing directly on the cold man wearing a wide-brimmed fedora.
Van Helsing was scrutinizing him as well.
The hunter's instinct was screaming in alarm.
This seemingly gentle Eastern youth contained a terrifying energy that made the depths of his soul tremble.
That feeling was both unfamiliar and damnably familiar.
"Let's talk somewhere else."
Qin Ming retracted the Holy Light behind him and suggested casually, "Standing here being watched like a monkey isn't a great experience."
The townspeople who had dared to throw stones just moments ago were already kneeling in the mud, frantically crossing themselves and babbling incoherently about the "descent of the Holy Lord."
Half an hour later.
The grand hall of the ancient mansion where the Valerious Family had lived for generations.
A few torches were stuck into the cold stone walls, their dim yellow light barely illuminating the massive and empty space.
At the end of the hall was a giant mural covering an entire wall.
The painting depicted snow-covered mountains and a black castle made of skulls and spires hidden in the clouds.
Van Helsing stood before the mural, his fingers gently tracing the rough canvas.
He turned around and looked at Qin Ming, who was sitting on a tattered velvet sofa.
The young monk, Carl, was staring intently at the faint golden halo behind Qin Ming's head with the fanatical gaze of someone looking at a peerless treasure.
If Van Helsing hadn't stopped him, he might have already lunged forward to lick the soles of Qin Ming's shoes.
"So..."
Van Helsing pulled at the collar of his trench coat, his voice raspy and low.
"This wall is the only entrance to Dracula's Ice and Snow Castle."
He pointed his finger at everyone present in turn.
"Anna is the last bloodline guarding this land."
"This little Vampire is the daughter of that old man from Hotel Transylvania."
Finally, Van Helsing's finger stopped in Qin Ming's direction.
"And you are the Son of God recorded in the Vatican's archives, an existence that even the Pope only dares to pray to in his dreams."
The corner of Van Helsing's mouth quirked into a joyless arc.
"This is quite a crazy monster-hunting squad."
Qin Ming adjusted himself into a comfortable sitting position and casually picked up a silver goblet from the table to toy with.
"Let me correct one thing. My initial goal wasn't Dracula. I was mainly satisfying my curiosity to see what the legendary unkillable Count Dracula actually looks like."
Carl finally couldn't hold back anymore. Holding his large tool bag, he squeezed forward two steps.
"Lord Holy Son!" Carl's voice trembled with excitement. "You... you've already seen Dracula? With the divine power you just displayed, why didn't you just... finish off that demon?"
The air in the hall went silent instantly.
Anna and her brother Velkan, who had just recovered, also turned their gazes toward Qin Ming at the same time.
This was the question they cared about most.
The Valerious Family had hunted Dracula for four hundred years, sacrificing countless lives. If this Son of God before them could directly obliterate Dracula, then all curses would end.
Facing four pairs of expectant eyes.
Qin Ming put down the wine cup and spoke without a hint of guilt.
"He can't be killed."
He sighed, his tone carrying just the right amount of regret and gravity.
"This land of Transylvania has been eroded by darkness for centuries."
"In that Ice and Snow Castle, Dracula is almost integrated with the source of darkness."
"There, he has an absolute home-field advantage. Even if my Holy Light can destroy his physical body..."
Qin Ming interlaced his fingers and rested his chin on them.
"To kill him completely, power alone is not enough."
"There must be a blade capable of severing the root of his curse."
These words were seamless, and even Carl, coming from the Holy See, nodded in deep conviction.
"Exactly! The archives state that high-level dark creatures are invincible in their own lairs!"
Carl excitedly rummaged through the parchment in his bag.
Only Mavis sat beside Qin Ming, swinging her thin little legs, looking at him suspiciously.
But the clever girl chose to keep her mouth shut.
Van Helsing listened quietly to Qin Ming's account.
He turned his head again to look at the grim black castle on the wall.
For some reason.
When he heard that Dracula was invincible in the castle, a sharp sting suddenly flashed deep within Van Helsing's mind.
A fragmented image crashed into his vision without warning.
A ruined church.
A collapsed cross.
A greatsword wreathed in roaring flames piercing through a knight in medieval heavy armor.
And the hand holding the sword...
Was an arm wrapped in pure white wings, emitting a blinding light.
"I will deal with him."
Van Helsing suddenly spoke.
His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried an unquestionable coldness and determination.
Even he himself was stunned.
This groundless confidence and killing intent were not emotions an amnesiac hunter should have.
It was as if this was an instinct carved into the depths of his soul.
A satisfied glimmer flickered in the depths of Qin Ming's eyes.
The catalyst was working.
The hatred of that old geezer Dracula was indeed the best key to awakening Gabriel's divinity.
Anna walked to Van Helsing's side and looked up at the mural.
The firelight reflected off her resolute profile.
"No matter the cost."
Anna gripped the hilt of the scimitar at her waist, her knuckles turning white from the force.
"The souls of the Valerious Family must no longer be trapped in Purgatory. This four-hundred-year curse must be completely broken in my generation!"
Velkan, clutching his still-aching chest, stepped out from the shadows.
Having been heavily wounded by Verona in one hit earlier, he realized how insignificant his power was.
"I'll go to the cellar to get some food."
Velkan gritted his teeth. "To break into that Ice and Snow Castle, we need sufficient strength. Monk Carl, come help me get the wine."
Monk Carl gave Qin Ming a reluctant look before following.
Only Qin Ming, Mavis, Van Helsing, and Anna remained in the hall.
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