Chapter 20: The Executive’s Arrival and a Masked Persona

According to Mo Qiu’s diligent investigation, Bai Chen’s parents, both official members of the Demon Hunter Guild, tragically perished during a mission accident when he was merely fifteen years old.

Fifteen marks a particularly vibrant yet deeply sensitive period in one’s life.

Despite enduring such a catastrophe at such a pivotal age, Bai Chen, as Mo Qiu observed, remained remarkably cheerful.

Not only was he cheerful, but he radiated like a veritable sun, embodying every trait of a ‘现充’ (TL Note: ‘Xiàn chōng’ is a Chinese slang term referring to someone who lives a fulfilling life, often implying they have a rich social life, hobbies, and romantic relationships, contrasting with online-focused individuals.) Mo Qiu could possibly conceive.

How had he managed to escape the profound shadow of such trauma?

Mo Qiu had pondered this question on countless occasions, yet finding no discernible clues, she had temporarily set it aside.

Within the confines of the room, its windows tightly shut and light severely dimmed, the young girl lay upon her bed, utterly exhausted.

On her snow-white neck, the prominent, bruised veins gradually receded to their normal state.

“Could Bai Chen merely be putting on a brave facade?”

‘Just like me, cloaked behind a mask of pretense, he might be employing extraordinary measures to project an image of cheerfulness.’

‘Does he also hum softly in the solitude of an empty room, his thoughts lingering on me?’

‘No, my mind feels decidedly sluggish.’

‘After every peak of pleasure, my thoughts invariably veer into bizarre tangents, utterly beyond my control.’

The young girl pushed herself upright, sweeping the stray strands of hair from her cheeks behind her ears.

Having tidied the waterproof pad, she peeled off her sweat-drenched top and slipped into another set of comfortable loungewear.

It was the weekend, and the absence of Bai Chen left her with a peculiar sense of unease, as if the reins she held so tightly had suddenly slipped from her grasp.

Mo Qiu picked up the pleasure wand in her hand, her eyes, which had recently shimmered with peach-shaped hearts, now fixated on its humming operation.

“It seems undeniably necessary to have him visit my home.”

No sooner had the words escaped her lips than Mo Qiu, as if sensing an unseen presence, cast her gaze heavenward.

The space directly above her fractured like a shattered mirror, crumbling with a crisp, resonant disintegration, giving birth to a gaping black chasm.

“Mo Qiu, the time for the meeting has arrived.”

A bizarre creature, half-emerging from the chasm, abruptly seized the young girl by her collar, yanking her into the abyssal darkness.

Subsequently, the fractured shards reassembled themselves, and the shattered space reverted to its former normalcy; everything, save for the vanished Mo Qiu, appeared to have been nothing more than a fleeting illusion.

Despite having been pulled skyward, Mo Qiu found herself plummeting once she was drawn into the dark void.

The violent currents of wind made it arduous for her to keep her eyes open, yet she still managed to don the disguise mask she had snatched before her departure.

The mask’s edges adhered perfectly to the young girl’s skin, melding seamlessly with her cheeks.

Her long, deep blue hair was swept aloft by the wind currents, and from beneath her elaborate black gown, exquisite black legs, pulsating with nebulae, extended.

Mo Qiu’s eyes fluttered open, her previously dull and listless gaze now gleaming with the brilliance of nightfall’s stars.

With the emotional shackles in her heart finally unbound, she cast her gaze downward, a playful smile gracing her lips.

Continuing such a freefall would inevitably flatten her into a mere pulp, yet as she neared the ground, all the wind currents abruptly shifted, gently cradling her body and easing her descent.

As her posterior settled onto a comfortable chair, Mo Qiu stretched luxuriantly, then directed her gaze toward the Demon Envoy seated at the grand round table.

“What an exceptionally peculiar experience.

Are these meetings always convened with such abruptness?”

“Not necessarily.

Should you arrive in advance, you would be spared the need for the express transport.”

“Next time, do remember to provide me with prior notice, Aiqi,” Mo Qiu said, forming a pistol gesture with her left hand and winking adorably.

“I truly wish to avoid the sensation of my hair being disheveled again.”

‘With the disguise, my hair appears even more voluminous than before, making it an utter nuisance to re-style once the wind has ravaged it.’

Mo Qiu, while meticulously running her fingers through her hair, simultaneously surveyed her surroundings.

Within the cavernous, pitch-black palace, only a massive round table and a scattering of chairs were arranged.

The seats were far from fully occupied; every individual present was an active member of the Imperial Organization operating within this very city.

At the grand round table, the small black goat cleared its throat twice, its voice echoing through the vast space:

“Now that everyone is assembled, let us commence without further delay.”

Aiqi, the Demon Envoy, served as the messenger for higher-level commands and was also in charge of this meeting.

Though seemingly humble, its position was actually superior to all other demons present.

“First, let us observe a moment of solemn silence for our departed comrades.

In the past month, three more of our colleagues were brutally slain by the Demon Hunter Guild.”

Aiqi’s voice was high-pitched and impassioned.

“However, the Imperial Organization will never forget their contributions, and His Majesty the Emperor shall bestow upon them their due grace.”

Mo Qiu glanced at the empty seat beside her, pondering the significant events of the past month.

Aside from one battle that made headlines due to erupting on a public road, the remaining two demons had been eradicated without her knowledge.

Having lost those three, Mo Qiu meticulously observed the remaining few, smiling and waving at them if their gazes met.

‘You are all merely stepping stones to help Bai Chen become a hero.’

“Are there no new orders from above?” one of the demons inquired.

“None for now.”

“Then why were we summoned?” The other party was clearly impatient.

“Don’t rush.”

Aiqi offered a gentle smile, if a goat could indeed smile.

“Next month, an executive will be arriving here.”

‘An executive?’

At the sound of that word, everyone’s spirits instantly lifted.

‘An executive is actually coming?’

Mo Qiu was intimately familiar with the structure of the Imperial Organization: below the supreme Emperor were the Imperial Executives, all formidable and loyal lackeys.

One level below them were the Demon Envoys, responsible for managing each region.

And at the lowest tier were the basic members, the position Mo Qiu currently held.

‘An executive is actually coming…?’

The sudden news completely disrupted her previously organized thoughts.

She had assumed the destruction of Fengling City was linked to the Mysterious Person, but now an Imperial Organization executive was about to appear.

In her previous life, she had more than once seen news reports of a city being obliterated by a single demon.

Only later did she learn that those terrifying entities were all executives of the Imperial Organization.

And now, they were coming to Fengling City.

‘Bai Chen’s strength is still far too weak; he couldn’t possibly contend with them, even if I were to join him…’

‘Me, fighting an executive? Seriously?’

As if hearing Mo Qiu’s soft murmur, Aiqi turned to look at her.

“Speaking of which, Mo Qiu, you haven’t met any executives yet, have you?

This is a great opportunity.”

“Ahaha, indeed.” Mo Qiu hid her clenched fists behind her back, a benevolent smile gracing her face.

“To think I’d get to meet such an important figure now—I’ve truly caught a good break.”

‘Now that my senses are heightened, lying no longer comes so naturally.’

‘I feel as though everyone’s gaze is fixed on me, piercing through my lies, as if watching a clown perform.’

Her intuition, a premonition of danger, warned Mo Qiu that she had to do something.

Maintaining her unwavering smile, she asked, “I’m curious which executive will be arriving.

Could you tell us in advance?”

“No, I can’t.

They’ve instructed us to maintain an air of mystery,” Aiqi replied, shaking its head.

“You can try to guess, though there’s no prize for it.”

‘Guess? Guess my ass.’

‘Mo Qiu only knows there are several executives in the Imperial Organization, without even knowing the exact number.

Am I supposed to guess the old yellow dog outside my door?’

“I see, what a pity.” The young girl feigned regret.

“By the way, Aiqi, from now on, please call me Libelle.

I prefer that name.”

“Alright.”

“Since an executive is coming, they must be carrying a very important mission, right?”

Mo Qiu continued.

“Then we’ll have to perform exceptionally well.

Who knows, if they put in a good word for us with the Emperor when they return, I might even be a Demon Envoy by tomorrow.”

“Hmph!

How naive your thoughts are.”

A familiar and aggressively charged voice drifted from the other side.

Mo Qiu turned her head and saw an old acquaintance.

It was the lion-faced demon, the perpetrator of the serial murders—Saluk.

He crossed his explosively muscular arms, propped his feet on the table, and leaned back in his chair.

In response to Mo Qiu’s smile, he offered nothing but utter disdain.

“Don’t think that just because you’ve joined the Imperial Organization, you can stand as our equal, human.”

“We’ve met before, big brother.

You’re very strong, and your physique is quite handsome…”

“Stop trying to curry favor with me!”

Saluk slammed the table forcefully, almost rising from his seat.

“What I despise most are your human beings’ hypocritical faces—cowardly in external battles, yet skilled in internal strife; a truly despicable species.”

The sheer aggression of his words left even Mo Qiu momentarily speechless.

“So what if you meet an executive?

Do you think you’ll rise swiftly through the ranks?

Ptui!

You disgusting creature, neither human nor demon.”

“Alright, alright, Saluk, calm down,” Aiqi quickly flew in front of him to mediate.

“I know you and Libelle have a bit of a grudge, but this is a meeting.

Don’t go too far.”

Saluk did indeed cease his aggressive behavior, snorting coldly as he settled back into his chair, crossing his legs.

Aiqi then approached Mo Qiu.

“So much time has passed; you should have calmed down by now.

It was just an accidental injury, after all.”

Several days had passed since Saluk attacked Mo Qiu, and the other demons were only now hearing about it for the first time, all wearing expressions of eager anticipation for the drama.

Mo Qiu, far from being angry, smiled even more brilliantly.

“It’s alright, I stopped holding a grudge ages ago.

Besides, I’m sure Big Brother Saluk is someone who handles things cleverly and never makes mistakes.

If I were his superior, I’d have been laughing with joy long ago for having such an obedient and useful subordinate.”

No one else found anything amiss with these words, but when they reached Saluk’s ears, the muscles in his arms suddenly swelled, and the murderous intent in his eyes surged rapidly.

After meeting Aiqi’s gaze, he calmed down once more, though he continued to stare intently at Mo Qiu.

‘To think the Demon Envoy still possesses some authority.’

Recalling Aiqi’s demeanor in front of her, Mo Qiu truly couldn’t imagine its position being higher than her own.

‘As for Saluk…’

Noticing his gaze, which clearly wished to crush her, the young girl narrowed her star-like eyes, raised her palm, and responded with a friendly wave.