Su Mu had just steadied herself against the wall when the Pig Face Mask suddenly collapsed at her feet.
Warm blood flowed from his neck, soaking the soil beneath her feet.
The sudden turn of events gave Su Mu a fright, nearly causing her to lose her grip on the corner of the wall.
“Miss, it seems you do need me by your side after all. If I hadn’t happened to pass by, you might have fallen victim to his schemes. If you’d ended up in his hands, it would’ve been far worse than being in mine.”
Su Mu’s face turned deathly pale as the Fox Mask appeared before her once more.
Of course, it wasn’t the Fox Mask that terrified her.
What frightened her was the still-warm corpse at her feet and the lingering fear in her heart.
Su Mu quietly shifted her feet, putting some distance between herself and the corpse that still held some residual warmth.
Only after moving a full half-meter away to what she deemed a safe distance did Su Mu finally breathe a sigh of relief. She looked gratefully at the Fox Mask in front of her.
“Thank you. I thought you were following me earlier just to trick me again. Sorry.”
Her favorable impression of the Fox Mask, who had just saved her life, skyrocketed.
“So, do you still want to shake me off now, Miss?”
Under the mask, Chen Qing stared at Su Mu, carefully observing her reaction.
However, Su Mu’s response was somewhat unexpected.
The way this Traitorous Shizun dodged the corpse was just as timid and cautious as she appeared in Chen Qing’s presence.
If she had also been reborn, there’d be no need for her to put on such a weak front in front of a stranger.
Chen Qing felt a bit conflicted. It wasn’t her fault for being suspicious—the sword Su Mu had thrust into her heart in their previous life had killed off her former naivety.
But since she couldn’t detect anything unusual about Su Mu for now, Chen Qing wasn’t in a hurry.
After all, she possessed the strength of a Grandmaster. Even if Su Mu was plotting against her in secret, Chen Qing’s vigilance would ensure she couldn’t succeed.
She could even use her current Fox Mask persona to probe whether Su Mu had been reborn like her.
“No, I don’t want to anymore.”
After witnessing how the lively surface of the Black Market concealed countless hidden dangers, Su Mu had already cursed the System and its eighteen generations of ancestors in her mind.
Hadn’t it said the Black Market had strict rules and no one would attack her? So what was with the corpse lying on the ground?
No matter how aggressively Su Mu attacked it, the System was completely immune with just one move: playing dead.
If she could drag the System out and give it a beating, Su Mu would have jumped at the chance for an no-holds-barred brawl right then and there.
The System, silently playing dead, hadn’t expected Su Mu to be targeted so soon after arriving at the Black Market.
Fortunately, as it had anticipated, the Villain trailing behind her wouldn’t let anyone intercept and kill her.
But after this lesson, tricking the Host into heading to dangerous places for missions would be impossible from now on.
It seemed it’d have to find other ways to induce the Host into completing tasks.
After silently cursing out the System in her heart, Su Mu looked awkwardly at the Fox Mask before her.
Her current situation was precarious. That unscrupulous System had lured her into the treacherous Black Market, and with her weak strength…
If she continued wandering alone, searching for the important supporting character the System had mentioned, she might get taken out by the next Pig Face Mask at any moment.
And getting killed outright would be the better outcome. If she were captured and tortured slowly, that would truly be a fate worse than death.
This Fox Mask had effortlessly taken down the Pig Face Mask who was tracking her, so her strength must be impressive. If Su Mu could find a way to get her to protect her…
Seeing the fearful yet probing look in Su Mu’s eyes, Chen Qing immediately guessed what little schemes were brewing in her mind.
Though Chen Qing also wanted to stick by Su Mu’s side to see what plans she had for coming to this Black Market and what her true intentions were…
She definitely couldn’t agree too readily, or it would seem suspicious and she’d miss the chance to tease her a bit.
“The Black Market is so dangerous. How about I stick with you and properly protect your safety?”
With that, Chen Qing took Su Mu’s slender white hand and held it in her own.
Her palm, with its distinct knuckles, felt soft to the touch—very comfortable.
Seeing the Fox Mask brazenly taking advantage of her, Su Mu felt a bit uncomfortable and tried to pull her hand free from that grasp.
But as soon as she moved, Chen Qing gripped it tightly.
She even shot a threatening glance at the corpse on the ground.
Seeing the somewhat fierce gaze beneath the mask, Su Mu could only abandon the idea of pulling her hand away.
After all, she had just saved her life—holding hands wasn’t too much.
Besides, if holding hands ensured her safety in this chaotic Black Market, she wouldn’t be at a loss.
However, holding hands with another woman behind Chen Qing’s back gave Su Mu a strange sense of guilt, as if she were doing something to betray her.
But that detestable Villain Chen Qing not only bullied her every day but was also always so fierce toward her.
Their relationship was just that of captor and captive—no need to feel guilty.
Now, she needed this Fox Mask’s protection and couldn’t afford to anger her, so she’d cooperate a bit.
Worried that resisting might upset the Fox Mask, Su Mu decided to play along.
It was just holding hands—no piece of flesh lost.
But seeing Su Mu cooperate so readily made Chen Qing unhappy instead.
She felt a green glow above her head, radiating vibrant, healthy light.
This Traitorous Shizun had no idea that the Fox Mask was her in disguise—which meant that if the Fox Mask weren’t her…
Then today, some strange bad woman might have ended up holding her little hand.
And this Traitorous Shizun had only put up a token resistance before complying.
If in the future, when she wasn’t around, this Traitorous Shizun met other bad women, wouldn’t she get swept away in an instant?
The more she thought about it, the more depressed Chen Qing became, and without realizing it, she gripped Su Mu’s hand a bit harder.
Her hand pinched painfully, Su Mu quickly said in a wronged tone, “Y-You’re gripping so hard for what!”
A faint mist veiled Su Mu’s beautiful eyes, like morning dew on tender leaves, stirring an irresistible urge to cherish her.
Seeing Su Mu’s eyes reddening slightly, Chen Qing released her tight grip.
“I was lost in thought just now. Wherever you’re going, I can take you there. I guarantee your safety.”
A hint of displeasure laced Chen Qing’s cold tone.
Chen Qing’s sudden shift in attitude left Su Mu a bit dazed.
This person was too moody—one moment seeming perfectly cheerful, the next her words carrying a chill.
This unpredictable temperament inexplicably reminded Su Mu of that equally detestable Chen Qing.
However, seeing the Fox Mask already walking ahead without her, Su Mu glanced at the still-warm corpse beside her, hesitated, and then hurried to catch up.
In a foul mood, Chen Qing didn’t chat much with Su Mu on the rest of the way. Seeing her so quiet, Su Mu was actually quite pleased.
