Chapter 15: Rest Assured, I Don’t Intend to Kill You
Qin Chu held the Dark Witch Sayeni’s power and judgment in high regard. If she sensed this woman bore a witch’s bearing, it was likely accurate.
He had underestimated her – her talent was truly exceptional.
Smiling faintly, Qin Chu swirled the crimson liquid, watching the rippling surface as if deeply intrigued by this blood-colored beverage, portraying an air of effortless mystery.
The tranquil night silence lingered in the tavern, the barmaid’s expression seeming slightly off-kilter.
Until Qin Chu’s voice pierced the oppressive quiet, “Your heart is unsettled.”
Catherine, if that was her name, had been scrutinizing him intently, as if trying to see through his very being.
Though bearing a witch’s aspect, she ultimately lacked the patience to match Qin Chu, especially after he so brazenly exposed her greatest secret. Unable to endure further, she asked, “Sir, why do you mistake me for Candice?”
“Could there be another woman named Candice in this world who resembles me?”
Her bewildered gaze betrayed her desire to unveil this enigmatic stranger, yet perceiving nothing remarkable save his passable looks.
Despite the mage robes hinting at magic, she only detected faint fluctuations – his strength seemed negligible, the word “expert” utterly inapplicable. She could likely dispatch him with a finger.
Too weak – Candice wondered if she had imagined his bearing.
Should she strike pre-emptively? The impulse flared before she reined it in.
If he were truly so feeble, how could he muster the audacity to utter those words to her face without fearing death? A weakling could never uncover her greatest secret.
Mysterious, uncanny!
Recklessly assailing such an enigma seemed unwise.
Supposedly, some transcendent experts intentionally subdued their auras, appearing ordinary to the untrained eye.
Could this cryptic figure be such an existence?
Her apprehension mounted as she pondered his unfathomable purpose in seeking her out. Did he intend heroic demon-slaying?
A flicker of fear crept into her scanning gaze, already contemplating escape routes but realizing this man could likely thwart any attempt before it began.
He had pre-emptively cut off her retreat.
Qin Chu continued swirling the wine untouched, his silence only heightening Candice’s oppression until each passing second felt like endless needles pricking her skin.
Her scalp felt fit to burst when he finally set down the glass, chuckling lightly in a composed, elegant tone.
“Rest assured, I don’t intend to kill you.”
Whew…was this the bearing of a true expert?
Candice exhaled in relief. Since this mysterious youth vowed no harm, she believed it – such personages never spoke lightly, honoring their word as a matter of face.
In his eyes, she was likely an insignificant gnat, her life or death holding no meaning beyond his whims.
But just who or what was this youth?
Among humanity’s paramount experts – the Pope Augustus, Matriarch Monique, Emperor Wozwoz, the Thirteen Sages and Brave Squad – none matched his image.
No, perhaps her frame of reference was too narrow.
Supposedly certain elite cultivators greatly extended their lifespans, even regressing to youthful prime. Could this youth be such an abnormality?
Candice inhaled deeply, her lovely features settling into an impeccable smile though a tinge of trepidation tinged her tone, unmasking her lingering dread.
“Sir, you seem well-acquainted with…Candice?”
Qin Chu didn’t rush answering, pausing briefly before replying, “Candice, your father was the Earth Mother Church’s vice-captain of the Gaia Knights while your mother was the Demon Queen of the Succubi…”
“How to put it…though a formidable knight, he faltered like any man and committed the universal error.”
“Ten months later, an infant girl was abandoned on the vice-captain’s doorstep. Sensing their blood connection, he named her Candice…”
“But possessing demonic heritage, this half-breed daughter filled him with dread over potential scandal jeopardizing his career should the truth emerge…”
“Growing unnaturally fast, she exhibited prodigious magical talent from childhood alongside an innate, immense allure that only heightened the father’s fears. When Candice turned four, he abandoned her to the beast-infested wilderness, leaving her to fend for herself or perish.”
Candice’s pupils contracted sharply – how did this man know such details as if witnessing them himself?
Her body trembled uncontrollably, terror of this seemingly all-knowing existence mounting.
Yet she felt immense relief resisting any initial hostile impulse, surely dooming her against such unfathomable might.
“The man expected wild beasts to swiftly devour her. But Candice’s demonic heritage instilled primal fear in them. Through sheer willpower, survival instincts and her own formidable talents, she eked out a harsh existence in that jungle until adulthood.”
“As a half-breed, the exceptional Candice possessed a human form alongside demons’ power. Upon maturing, she ventured into monster territories hoping to find acceptance among her kin. Though spared outright slaughter due to her partial demon blood, ridicule and abuse could not be avoided…until her mother appeared.”
“The Succubus Queen offered a proposition – if Candice rendered the demons sufficient service, she would be embraced as a succubus princess, ensuring other demons’ acceptance.”
“Candice agreed, sent to infiltrate the Owell imperial city as a spy providing military intelligence thanks to her human guise.”
“But the longer she dwelled among humans, the more she forgot her demonic roots, enjoying that life until eventually withholding information, content living as an ordinary human.”
Qin Chu smiled disarmingly. “Have I erred?”
Candice’s lips quivered, her purple eyes completely unfocused, apprehension, terror and shock warring within.
The notion of being observed across over two decades chilled her to the bone.
Taking a deep breath, she forced a strained smile. “A convoluted tale, but what does Candice’s business have to do with me, Catherine?”
“I’ve no interest in Candice’s affairs. Is there anything else you require, sir?”
Fingers steepled under his chin, Qin Chu’s eyes glinted. “A proposition.”
“Do you have a map?”
After a momentary hesitation, Candice ultimately retrieved a map of the Celestial Continent from below the counter.
“And a quill, please.”
Sighing, she handed Qin Chu a feather quill.
Grasping it, he traced a meandering line across the map’s surface.
“Tomorrow at dawn, a member of the Brave Squad will traverse this route toward the imperial city, expected to arrive in half a month.”
