Chapter 35: A Deceiver’s Resolve

Mo Qiu’s head spun in a dizzy haze.

The air, thick with grimy dust, made her throat feel as though it would ignite with every breath.

Fortunately, no large boulders had struck her directly.

When she finally opened her eyes again, she felt as if she had just crawled out of a sand dune, her body caked in mud and grit.

Wiping her soiled face, Mo Qiu’s gaze immediately sought out Bai Chen.

Yet, amidst the endless rubble, there was no sign of that fool.

‘That guy pushed me out at the last possible second; doesn’t he fear death?’

As Bai Chen’s lifeless face flashed through her mind, Mo Qiu’s heart plummeted.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in her body, she braced herself against the broken walls and crumbling ruins, forcing herself to rise.

Even if only for the sake of this grand deception, she would not allow Bai Chen to die here.

“Hey.”

A palpable hostility emanated from behind her.

Just as Mo Qiu began to turn, Saluk’s fist connected with her, sending her crashing into a wall.

Her internal organs felt as if they had been shattered.

Yet, more than the searing pain, she was struck by Saluk’s unexpected return.

‘Why have I come back?’

Saluk burst into laughter.

“Surprised, aren’t you? Because I’ve uncovered your secret.”

Saluk was no mindless idiot; Mo Qiu’s sudden appearance to stop him had immediately sparked his suspicion.

He hadn’t truly left, but had instead concealed himself nearby to observe.

What he witnessed was utterly unexpected.

“You competed with me for a target, so why did you let that human go?”

Saluk’s steps were heavy and deliberate, each footfall echoing like a drumbeat in Mo Qiu’s heart.

“To retreat was one thing, but to then return in a different guise? Your relationship with him must be quite good.”

Mo Qiu wiped the mixture of blood and dirt from the corner of her mouth with her arm.

Her eyes, devoid of any glint, met his gaze unflinchingly.

Seeing her remain silent, Saluk sneered.

“Just as I suspected, you’re nothing but a fence-sitter.”

She had joined the Imperial organization, held the identity of a monster, yet her heart still leaned towards the humans.

Being ambushed had indeed infuriated Saluk, but discovering Mo Qiu’s weakness made it all worthwhile.

Moreover, Mo Qiu’s actions provided explanations for several perplexing questions he’d had.

“You’re the one who orchestrated Zhou Wanchen, aren’t you?”

After speaking, Saluk scrutinized her, but the girl maintained the same expression throughout.

Her lifeless eyes revealed not a flicker of emotion.

“Hmph, how dull.”

Saluk had hoped to see Mo Qiu’s face contort in panic, but she had become like a doll, utterly devoid of interest.

Saluk bared his sharp claws, his crimson eyes narrowing as a cruel smile stretched across his lips.

‘I wonder if you’ll remain so calm when my claws slowly tear your skin, piece by piece.’

The mere thought of that delicate face twisting and contorting in agony sent a rush of bloodthirsty exhilaration surging through Saluk’s veins.

‘Not fighting back, are you?’

Saluk could no longer contain himself.

He raised his claws high, and just as they were about to descend—

“Get—out of my way!”

With a fierce shout, a powerful force struck Saluk’s back, eliciting a cry of distress from him and sending him sprawling away from Mo Qiu.

A gust of wind gently lifted Mo Qiu’s hair.

Reflected in her eyes, dull as tarnished gems, was an equally disheveled figure.

Bai Chen stood before her, plunging a spear forged of lightning into the ground to steady himself.

“Are you alright, Mo Qiu?”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine, not by a long shot.”

Bai Chen’s lips twitched, knowing full well that Mo Qiu was a fool who didn’t know how to take care of herself.

Though her clothes were dirty and her once fair face was now smudged with grime, she genuinely appeared to be unharmed.

“If you can still move, go quickly. I’ll cover your retreat.”

“You…”

Mo Qiu didn’t move, her gaze fixed intently on Bai Chen’s back.

‘What kind of joke is this? You’ll cover my retreat?’

Glancing at the still energetic Saluk, Mo Qiu felt that the current Bai Chen could be knocked out with a single punch.

It would be far better for her to cover his retreat while Bai Chen escaped.

This was the optimal plan, yet Mo Qiu could not expose her identity to Bai Chen.

Even if she were to reveal herself, it would have to wait until the very end of the deception, after she had secured her escape route.

“Go!”

Bai Chen roared, pulled his spear from the ground, and charged towards Saluk.

Mo Qiu bit her lower lip slightly, as if struck by a sudden realization, then turned and fled without a backward glance.

****

“Neither of you will escape.”

Once Bai Chen was close enough, Saluk raised his hand and hurled a pitch-black fireball.

Unlike before, Bai Chen’s condition was now significantly worse; neither his speed nor his imposing aura could compare to earlier.

Saluk fully expected to incinerate Bai Chen into charred remnants.

However, Bai Chen seemed to have anticipated Saluk’s move, reacting preemptively.

The lightning spear in his hand suddenly softened, transforming into a long rope.

As Saluk’s fist neared him, Bai Chen leaned back, executing a sliding tackle beneath the punch and looping the rope around Saluk’s fist.

The rope automatically tightened, binding Saluk’s wrist securely.

The paralyzing sensation of the electric current caused Saluk’s entire arm to briefly stiffen.

Seizing this opportunity, Bai Chen accelerated, darting between Saluk’s legs and then yanking the rope.

Before Saluk could react, the sudden force yanked him down, sending him tumbling through the air in a comical fashion before he crashed to the ground.

A smile played on Bai Chen’s lips as he swung the rope, wrapping it around Saluk’s body multiple times.

‘I don’t know how long I can hold him off, but at least this buys some time for him to escape with Zhou Wanchen and Su Wanghai.’

‘The only lingering concern is that Mo Qiu might come running back.’

‘Please, don’t come back.’

Just as Bai Chen silently prayed, the rope in his hand suddenly snapped taut.

A colossal force, before he could even release his grip, sent him flying.

Saluk’s fist smashed directly into his body.

Bai Chen flew through the air like a broken puppet, his consciousness disconnecting from his brain.

“Flashy tricks are no match for my fists,” Saluk scoffed, tearing away the rope and stomping it to pieces.

Gazing at the unconscious Bai Chen, Saluk clicked his tongue.

He had even deliberately held back.

‘What a shame; I had wanted to share the news about Libelle with him.’

Saluk approached Bai Chen, a smirk playing on his lips, eagerly anticipating the human’s expression when he learned that the girl he had protected had long since joined the monster faction.

Just as Saluk extended his hand, everything in his vision blurred once more, and his body stiffened.

‘It’s happening again…!’

Saluk grabbed a massive boulder, throwing it before his body completely succumbed to the paralysis.

The girl standing atop the ruins saw this and did not dodge, allowing the boulder to smash her body into fragments, scattering like shattered mirrors.

Saluk, now returned to normal, did not relax.

Instead, he scanned his surroundings with heightened vigilance, then abruptly spun around.

“Got you!”

Mo Qiu, attempting to approach Bai Chen, was seized by Saluk’s large hand, lifted, and then slammed violently onto the ground.

The excruciating pain nearly plunged Mo Qiu’s vision into darkness.

Even after Saluk released her, she lay sprawled on the ground, resembling a toy about to fall apart.

“Did you truly believe the same trick would work on me a second time?”

‘This guy is such a nuisance…’

Mo Qiu slowly propped herself up, every fiber of her being screaming in protest, and the starlight in her eyes dimmed further.

Having managed to stand with great difficulty, she immediately collapsed back onto the ground, her legs utterly refusing to support her.

‘Move, just move! Why now, of all times?’

Mo Qiu had believed her body to be resilient enough, yet Saluk’s single blow had brought her to the brink of collapse.

‘If I can’t move, I’ll die. Bai Chen will die. And this meticulously planned deception will end right here.’

“Libelle, do you want to live?”

Mo Qiu lifted her head, her pale cheeks streaked with strands of dark blue hair, giving her a fragile, broken appearance.

“I can offer you a chance to pledge loyalty to the Imperial organization. Prove your sincerity to me.”

Saluk pointed to the unconscious Bai Chen on the other side.

“Kill him, and become my servant.”

“You… said what?” Mo Qiu’s gaze was somewhat vacant.

“Let’s be clear: you don’t have a third option.”

Saluk stomped his foot with force, nearly unbalancing her.

“Either pledge loyalty, or die.”

When faced with desperation, if there was even a glimmer of hope for survival, Mo Qiu would never give up, no matter how base the means.

‘Face, dignity? Can they be eaten for sustenance?’

The reason the deceiver could roam freely was not just her own abilities, but also her unscrupulous will to survive.

Even if she had planned to expose the deception to Bai Chen, Mo Qiu would still find a way to survive at his hands.

As long as they never met again, hatred naturally couldn’t threaten her life.

But now, a greater danger loomed before Mo Qiu.

Either lose her hard-won second life, or abandon the deception and Bai Chen, and live.

‘My life is my own. This deception might end, but I can still deceive others.’

It should have been a choice without hesitation, yet Mo Qiu delayed in giving her answer.

‘I want to live, so I must pledge loyalty.’

Her bloodless lips trembled, unable to utter a sound.

Her throat felt choked, producing only stifled moans.

Haunting her mind was Bai Chen’s dazzlingly bright smile.

“Still hesitating?”

Saluk frowned.

“Is there anything more important than your own life? I truly don’t understand. He’s just a lowly human. I could kill countless more like him with a flick of my wrist, and no one would care if I tossed their bodies into the sewers.”

“…” Mo Qiu slowly lifted her head, peering at him through the gaps in her dark blue hair.

“You’re all a bunch of frogs in a well!”

Mo Qiu’s shoulders rose and fell with increasing prominence.

She even bit her lips until they bled, creating a scattering of small red flowers on the ground.

“You are the frog in the well, Saluk.”

Under the monster’s astonished gaze, she swayed and stood up.

“I’ve made countless efforts: lying, fawning, even inflicting wounds upon myself.”

Mo Qiu’s gaze sharpened, becoming as piercing as unsheathed swords.

“And now, how can I allow a nobody like you to ruin my plans?”

“A nobody…”

Mo Qiu swept her disheveled hair back from her face.

“Bai Chen, I *will* save him!”