The more she ignored her, the better. After all, if she ignored her, she would have fewer things to deal with.
She just needed to focus on finding that important supporting character the System had mentioned.
Following the System’s previous hint, Su Mu and Chen Qing finally arrived at the Iron Ox Beef Noodle Shop the System had mentioned.
Looking at the rundown noodle shop in front of her, Su Mu hesitated a bit.
This noodle shop, just from the outside, gave people absolutely no desire to enter.
If this noodle shop were located outside, with this decor, the owner wouldn’t last half a year before going bankrupt.
But looking at the somewhat crooked sign hanging above the door, it was indeed the place the System had mentioned.
Chen Qing looked at the rundown noodle shop in front of her, also feeling a bit puzzled.
The Traitorous Shizun had gone to such lengths to come to the Black Market just for this noodle shop.
Could there be some secret inside this noodle shop?
Su Mu felt unsure in her heart and tried calling the pretending-to-be-dead System again.
“Come out quick. I want to ask about the mission. I won’t curse you anymore.”
【Don’t worry, Host. The mission target is inside. Just go in confidently.】
Only after hearing Su Mu say she wouldn’t curse it anymore did the System dare to pop up and remind her.
Hearing the dog System’s voice, Su Mu’s teeth itched with anger.
If not for fearing it was still playing dead, she would definitely show it the attacking power of someone who had frequented forums for years.
With the System’s confirmation, Su Mu finally stepped toward the noodle shop.
While walking, she explained to the Fox Mask behind her.
“I’m here to find someone. Don’t worry. Though it looks rundown outside, it must be better inside.”
Su Mu was kindly making excuses for the noodle shop when she pushed open the door. The wooden door creaked and fell to the ground, kicking up thick dust from the floor.
Looking at the cobweb-covered noodle shop, a big question mark rose in Su Mu’s little head.
Was this really livable?
As Su Mu stepped through the door, a fat and robust big rat appeared right in front of her.
This rat wasn’t afraid of people at all. It curiously stared at Su Mu while holding a white lump in its paws.
Su Mu stared closely for a moment before realizing it was clutching a lump of lard.
The rat holding it had its face gleaming with oil.
“Squeak squeak squeak!”
The fat rat swallowed the lard in one gulp and leisurely scampered toward the noodle shop’s kitchen.
Rats stealing lard meant someone should live here. While Su Mu puzzled over this and took a few more steps forward, a Scooping Net suddenly rose from under her feet.
The sudden turn of events caught Su Mu off guard, and she became a captive in the Scooping Net.
Chen Qing had already spotted the hidden trap when she stepped into the noodle shop.
However, Su Mu’s cooperative attitude toward that strange bad woman earlier had left her feeling inexplicably annoyed.
So she didn’t warn Su Mu and simply watched her walk into the trap.
Seeing the prey caught in the net, several raggedly dressed people rushed out from the noodle shop’s kitchen.
They held Luoyang Shovels that looked very sharp from the side. The strong earthy smell on them reached Su Mu even as she dangled above.
“Boss, we caught this thief who seduced Old Pig.”
Each of them wore a mask resembling a domestic animal on their faces.
There were chicken masks, sheep masks, and dog masks. Combined with the earlier Pig Face Mask, Su Mu realized these people were associates of the one who had tried to rob and kill her.
The Fox Mask who was with her had just taken out that Pig Face Mask to protect her.
If she fell into these people’s hands now, how miserable her fate would be was all too imaginable.
Su Mu worriedly looked down at the Fox Mask. This person wasn’t that hateful Villain Chen Qing. With seven or eight people opposite her, she didn’t know if she could handle them.
Under the mask, Chen Qing coldly eyed her opponents.
From the earthy smell on them, she knew they were Grave Robbers teetering on the edge of the gray area—commonly known as Tomb Raiders.
But she hadn’t expected them to use a rundown noodle shop as cover for tomb raiding in the Black Market.
Even more unexpected, the person the Traitorous Shizun was looking for turned out to be a group of Tomb Raiders.
Tomb Raiders danced on the edge of a knife year-round and were especially sensitive to dangerous auras.
Stared at coldly by Chen Qing, these Tomb Raiders all felt uneasy.
Especially the leading Sheep Face Mask; under Chen Qing’s icy gaze, cold sweat beaded on his back.
“You two killed our companion right after arriving at the Black Market. I’m afraid that’s against the rules.”
Though the Sheep Face Mask mentioned Su Mu, his eyes were locked dead on Chen Qing in front of him.
Clearly, in his view, the real threat was this Fox Mask.
To him, Su Mu posed less danger than a newly weaned kitten.
But Chen Qing had no interest in debating rules with them. She unleashed a burst of Internal Energy.
The Scooping Net trapping Su Mu shattered instantly.
Su Mu plummeted straight down from the air. Seeing the ground rushing closer, she fearfully squeezed her eyes shut.
But what met her wasn’t cold, hard ground, but Chen Qing’s warm embrace.
“Phew, th-thank you!”
After keeping her eyes tightly shut for a moment, Su Mu tentatively opened them.
Realizing she hadn’t hit the ground, gratitude welled up inside her—until Chen Qing jabbed her acupoint with a finger, sending her into a deep sleep.
After confirming Su Mu was asleep in her arms, Chen Qing looked up at the Tomb Raiders in front of her.
She really hadn’t expected that tagging along with this Traitorous Shizun would lead her to run into acquaintances from her previous life.
This really was her good Shizun.
With that thought, Chen Qing couldn’t help but tighten her arms around Su Mu a fraction more.
The next day, early in the morning, Su Mu lazily opened her eyes from the bed in the Inn.
The post-waking laziness made her clamp the blanket over her with her slender, pale legs, just like hugging a body pillow before transmigrating to this world.
But she hadn’t lazed in bed for long before she suddenly widened her eyes and sat up.
Looking at the familiar room, Su Mu was dumbfounded.
Hadn’t she snuck off to the Black Market last night? When had she returned to this room?
She remembered being caught in a trap by a group of people wearing animal masks, and the Fox Mask had somehow saved her.
She had been in her arms, and everything after that was a blank in Su Mu’s mind.
Before Su Mu’s glitching brain could recover, Chen Qing opened the door.
Chen Qing’s scarlet eyes held a trace of amusement as she looked at Su Mu, who had just woken up and was full of confusion.
Seeing Chen Qing, a hint of panic added itself to Su Mu’s glitching brain.
She didn’t know if this hateful Villain had discovered her sneaking out.
And how exactly had she gotten back to this Inn? The Fox Mask shouldn’t know where she lived.
Su Mu’s little head was filled with countless doubts.
But facing Chen Qing, Su Mu did her best to stay calm, pretending to be annoyed at being disturbed right after waking.
Watching Su Mu’s utterly clumsy acting, the amusement in Chen Qing’s eyes deepened.
“Didn’t you go to bed early last night? Why are you up so late today?”
Chen Qing’s cold words carried a hint of impatience.
However, that impatience and chill in her tone actually eased Su Mu’s worries a little.
Chen Qing had always been icy toward her. If Chen Qing suddenly acted gentle, Su Mu would fear some scheme was afoot.
Her normal attitude now instead reassured Su Mu that Chen Qing hadn’t discovered her sneaking out.
But Chen Qing’s next words sent her heart straight to her throat again.
