“This should… be fine, right?”
Su Yun looked at her own completely refreshed self in the bathroom mirror and tilted her little head slightly.
Those orange-yellow eyes, after being washed by tears and blood, appeared even clearer and more radiant, like two pure pieces of amber, reflecting a delicate and unfamiliar figure.
In order to present herself with a striking new look, she’d mustered up her courage and asked a witch who seemed approachable for help.
That witch merely glanced at her and happily agreed, asking for just a head-pat in exchange before flicking away the water droplets.
The robe on her body was still nothing more than a rough, plain white garment.
Even the wide collar and sleeves didn’t fit her well at all.
But right now, Su Yun felt that didn’t matter in the slightest.
This face, this figure, were more than enough.
That old saying about people relying on clothes and horses relying on saddles has a premise.
And that premise is not having a body so close to the Creator’s own preference—nearly perfect.
Looking at herself now—
Her skin was so fair it seemed translucent, her features exquisitely delicate like a doll.
She thought, even if she wore a gaudy red-and-green floral cotton jacket, she would probably still give off a unique, irresistible charm.
…Probably.
Alright, time to strike!
She took a deep breath and secretly cheered herself on. The goal was to win Mo Qingqing over as quickly as possible—not to make her fall in love, but at least to raise her favorability enough so she wouldn’t so easily throw Su Yun into life-threatening situations again.
But… how exactly should she go about it?
Countless “walkthrough” scenes from games in her previous life flashed through her mind.
Yet she felt that being too deliberate would just be… gross.
That kind of forced flattery and fawning would make even her own skin crawl.
Besides, would people in this world—especially a witch like Mo Qingqing—really like someone so fake?
That kind of transparent pretense would probably only backfire.
What to do…
She used to be a total straight guy—let alone romance, even taking the initiative to chat with girls felt troublesome.
Now she was supposed to win a woman’s favor? That was way beyond her skillset. She had no clue where to start.
It sounded simple at first, but actually carrying it out, she didn’t even know what step to take first.
“Sigh…” Staring at her reflection, that face which still carried a hint of childishness now filled with worry and confusion, Su Yun couldn’t help letting out a soft sigh.
Take it one step at a time, I can’t just do nothing. Let’s… give it a try.
Su Yun took another deep breath, a trace of resolve flashing in her eyes.
With slightly nervous steps, she walked out of the wooden cabin.
Mo Qingqing was still in the same spot.
But now, there were a lot more people around her.
There were witches, and there were sorcerers.
They clustered around Mo Qingqing in small groups, pointing and whispering at the corpse of that Supra-rank Knight on the ground.
“……”
Step one of the plan… already stuck.
Why are there so many people?
Would it be too awkward to approach looking like this?
Should she wait a bit longer?
Su Yun hesitated.
She wanted to go back inside and wait a while before coming out again.
However, her appearance was simply too eye-catching.
That long, pink-and-blue hair was impossible to miss even under the gloomy daylight, and her spotless white robe clashed completely with the battered surroundings, instantly drawing all attention to her.
“That’s her! I saw her with my own eyes, she beat the Knight Captain to death barehanded!” an eagle-eyed sorcerer pointed excitedly at Su Yun.
“Yes, it’s her! She was covered in blood back then so I couldn’t see her face, but that pink and blue combination is unmistakable!” another witch chimed in, sounding as if she’d spotted some legendary creature.
“Eh?!” Su Yun jumped in shock. She thought she’d mentally prepared herself, but hadn’t expected such an overwhelming start.
She stared blankly at the cluster of witches and sorcerers, all crowding around the slightly exasperated Mo Qingqing, surging toward her like an irresistible wave.
Her furry fox ears instantly flattened against her head, betraying her embarrassment and anxiety.
Her small, delicate hands instinctively clasped together at her chest, fingers intertwined, the very picture of being at a complete loss.
“How did you do it? That was a Supra-rank Knight!”
“Mo Qingqing says you’re a commoner? Where are you from? What hidden fighting race do you belong to?”
“Are you actually the secret lovechild of a witch and a sorcerer? Otherwise, how could you be this strong?!”
“Qingqing, she’s so cute, can I touch her ears?…”
Su Yun was instantly surrounded, most of them mid- or low-ranked witches and sorcerers, eyes burning with unprecedented curiosity, like explorers discovering a new continent.
A flood of questions crashed down on her, mixed with amazement, speculation, and open scrutiny.
Su Yun felt a surge of panic. Instinctively, she glanced around, searching for any harbor of escape. In the end, her gaze landed on the only person who could offer her a shred of security—Mo Qingqing at the center of the crowd.
Almost on reflex, she squeezed through and hid her petite body behind Mo Qingqing’s broad black robe, exposing just half of her furry little head.
Her wide eyes brimmed with confusion and helplessness.
“That’s enough, that’s enough, everyone calm down.” Mo Qingqing’s voice held a touch of impatience, but was also laced with undeniable authority.
She raised her hand and waved it lightly. An invisible force pushed back the over-curious witches and sorcerers, clearing some space for Su Yun to breathe.
“If you have questions, save them for later. Weren’t we supposed to be observing the combat styles of high and Supra-rank fighters?”
Though a little annoyed, Mo Qingqing held back her temper.
After all, they were all peers.
Her gaze swept over the group and finally rested on Su Yun, with a trace of probing difficult to detect.
A Supra-rank powerhouse—especially one known for close-quarters combat, like the Knight Captain—had been killed barehanded by a beginner who could barely control mana, a low-level being. This was simply inconceivable, almost overturning their entire understanding of power.
What’s more, Su Yun had beaten the captain at the one thing his knight order prided themselves on—close combat—using the most primal, savage method imaginable. That made it even harder to fathom. Even though the captain’s mana was depleted and he was running on fumes, his battle-hardened experience and Supra-rank physique should still have been there. Even with just a sliver of strength left, he should’ve been able to take out ten low-ranked sorcerers with ease.
Yet Su Yun had overpowered him head-on.
That wild, precise combat instinct she unleashed in desperation—no matter how you looked at it, it didn’t match Mo Qingqing’s description of her as a clueless “commoner.”
Everyone was convinced Mo Qingqing was hiding something.
But in truth, Su Yun really had clawed her way up step by step.
She’d been drifting with her family since she was very young.
Starving people, looters who’d tried to snatch her mother and sister, wild beasts…
Step by step, from scraping through victories, to fighting so fiercely even wolves cowered and predators fled at her scent.
If it hadn’t been for that last time, forced to face two three-meter-tall bamboo-brown bear cubs at once, having no choice but to sacrifice a leg and half an arm just to block fatal blows and barely kill them—
She might never have made it out alive.
The fact that she’d survived this long, survived to the very end…
It wasn’t just because of caution!