“Buzzzz…”
The vibration at her neck didn’t hurt, but that tingling, subtle yet maddening sensation crawled under her skin…
That Horned Demon Bastard, never-ending, huh?
Does it have to be right now?!
Couldn’t it wait until she got home…
Su Nian gritted her teeth, almost biting her lip to the point of bleeding.
In her mind, she cursed Chu Tian thoroughly, wishing she could punch his face into a bloody mess and stomp on it several times to vent.
But reason whispered to her… Stay calm!
This is not the time!
Offending the Horned Demon Bastard would bring nothing but trouble.
Thinking back on the consequences of her previous impulsiveness…
Damn it, she had to endure!
For now, she needed to act “obedient” and “well-behaved,” just survive this period.
Once she summoned all three of her Void Beasts… and earned another one or two million Humiliation Value from the Horned Demon Bastard, she’d probably have gained enough of his trust to trick him into unlocking the Collar.
That would be the real moment of reckoning!
While thinking this, Su Nian struggled to maintain her “pure” expression.
As she treated the townsfolk, she had to manage her expression carefully.
If she showed any signs of embarrassment, she wouldn’t be able to explain it away.
At this moment, Su Nian felt like sitting on pins and needles; every second was torture.
But she was certain of one thing: she absolutely could not let them discover that she was wearing that humiliating Collar!
She had lost to the Horned Demon Bastard many times already; there was no more room for defeat.
But at least… elsewhere, she could keep some face.
“Saintess, are you alright?”
An old man who had just been healed approached Su Nian shakily, his face full of concern.
His weathered face was deeply lined, but those wrinkles were etched with gratitude toward Su Nian.
Su Nian dared not speak, only shaking her head desperately.
She feared that if she opened her mouth, her voice would betray her—soft, ashamed, and weak.
That would be far too embarrassing.
Suppressing the shame and anger in her heart, she forced a “gentle” smile.
While adjusting her breathing to calm her body, she hastened the light magic at her fingertips.
The holy radiance flickered like tiny sprites, eagerly flowing into the patients’ bodies to purge the toxins caused by the plague magic.
She needed to finish healing these people quickly and leave…
Here, her secret could be discovered at any moment by these townsfolk.
Better to be with that bastard in a room.
Although she would still be bullied, at least… no one else would see her disgrace.
“Saintess, you are truly magnificent!”
“You’re an angel sent by the Goddess of Light to save us!”
“Saintess, please take good care of your health!”
The surrounding townsfolk crowded around her, speaking words of thanks in a jumble.
Their simple faces shone with the joy of survival.
Hearing so many calls of “Saintess” only made Su Nian feel utterly ashamed, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the earth.
She was no Saintess…
In front of the Horned Demon Bastard, she was nothing but a little slave forced to wear a Collar and call him “Master.”
She had to pretend she had been conquered by him—obedient, submissive, enduring his abuse to satisfy his perverse whims.
“Ding dong, Humiliation Value +18,632.”
“Ding dong, Annoyance Value +18,632.”
Su Nian accelerated her healing, the holy white light dancing on her fingertips.
One patient after another was healed, regaining hope.
But the Collar’s continuous vibration was becoming unbearable…
She even started to miss that soft bed back at Shadowmoon Manor—the velvet-covered bed scented faintly with lavender.
At least there, she didn’t have to worry about anyone discovering her secret or feel this overwhelming shame every moment…
Right now, she just wanted to return quickly to that bastard’s side.
At least then, she wouldn’t have to hide in the shadows, constantly on edge.
Chu Tian watched Su Nian with great interest.
He observed everything clearly.
He saw her compassionate expression as she healed the townsfolk and witnessed their fervent worship for her, completely unaware that the girl secretly held all the power.
Chu Tian was proud, reveling in the feeling of controlling everything.
However, not all of Chu Tian’s thoughts were without concern.
The girl was acting “obedient,” healing him without demanding gold or silver, and even voluntarily handing over spoils.
She might have ulterior motives, just like when she seized control of the finances last time—possibly executing some plan of resistance against him.
But that was fine.
If she truly had surrendered as she claimed, that would be best.
If it was all a lie, he wouldn’t mind spending some time and using some “special” methods to make her truly become what she said, obediently submitting to him.
Su Nian struggled to endure the unsettling sensation from the Collar around her neck, which made her restless.
‘Just finish quickly…’ She prayed silently, scanning the square.
Thankfully, there were only a few townsfolk left who needed treatment… it should be over soon—the damned “Saintess act.”
At that moment, a commotion suddenly arose from within the crowd.
“Ah!”
“What’s happening?”
“Run! They… they’re not human!”
“Help! Help!”
Screams, footsteps, and cries intertwined, like the apocalypse had descended.
Startled, Su Nian stopped her treatment and whipped her head around.
Several recently brought patients opened their eyes.
Their skin had turned a strange, bluish-gray, like decaying corpses.
Their once-cloudy eyes were now blood-red, flickering with a bloodthirsty gleam.
Their nails grew sharp and long, like beasts’ claws.
“Roar…”
“Huff huff…”
Low, hoarse growls came from deep within their throats—nothing human.
“Th-These… are Undead Creatures?”
Su Nian recognized their true nature at a glance, her pupils contracting sharply and her heart plummeting.
‘Undead Creatures! Impossible!’
Hadn’t that Necromancer been killed by her own hands?
‘Could it be… that Horned Demon Bastard was behind this?’
The absurd thought flashed through her mind but was quickly dismissed.
She had seen with her own eyes the Terrifying Knight and the Horned Demon Bastard locked in mortal combat.
There was no way… that Terrifying Knight was also an “accomplice” of the Horned Demon Bastard, right?
Besides, although the Horned Demon Bastard liked to bully her, he had no reason to scare her with Undead Creatures.
Could the Necromancer have other accomplices?
Like the villainous organizations in otherworldly novels—one after another, endless?
***
At the same time, outside Bai Shui Town.
A Knight Battalion was rushing toward the town.
Their banner fluttered in the wind, embroidered with a lifelike lion-lyre symbolizing the Morsen Family’s dignity and honor.
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