Magic Feather Fantasy.
Lounge.
“Nian nian, you’re here!” Amy’s eyes lit up the moment she saw Su Nian, and she trotted over, “Come quick, look at my huge progress in magic!”
Lise beside her also looked at Su Nian with considerable excitement.
Looking at Amy, who was almost always full of energy, and the clever, sensible Lise, Su Nian’s mood improved quite a bit.
Much better than when she was with her Horned Demon Master!
At least here, she was still that highly respected mentor and idol.
“Amy, your control over Light Magic has indeed improved a lot,” Su Nian commented seriously.
“But you need to pay attention to the even distribution of magic power when casting; that will make the power more stable.”
“Wow! Nian nian, you’re amazing, you spotted the problem right away!”
Amy clapped her hands excitedly.
“Lise’s Fire Magic is also very good,” Su Nian turned to the other girl.
“Your talent is high; just keep it up.”
Lise’s cheeks flushed slightly, “Thank you for your guidance, Miss Su Nian.”
After guiding them for a while, Su Nian casually brought up, “By the way, I haven’t seen Captain Chu Tian around much lately. Where did he go?”
She asked extremely naturally, but inside she was incredibly tense.
“Captain Chu Tian?” Amy tilted her head, thinking.
“Oh, Commander Matthew said he took a long leave. It seems like there was some urgent family matter. He’s been gone for a long time.”
“Long leave?” Su Nian’s heart gave a little jump.
“How long?”
“I remember it started around the time Miss Su Nian went back to her hometown. He took leave then. It’s been over two months, I think,” Lise added from the side.
“Right, right! When Miss Su Nian left Academy City, Captain Chu Tian disappeared too,” Amy nodded.
“Hmm, although Captain Chu Tian often takes leave, he’s never been gone this long before.”
Lise’s words made Su Nian pause slightly, ‘Over two months ago…’
After that, she had even gone to the Su Family’s secret realm and encountered an attack by two Demon Generals…
It just so happened that was when she and that Horned Demon Bastard went to Hidden Dragon Town, met her parents, and lived like a couple.
And during that time, the Horned Demon had interacted with her using the identity “Chu Tian.”
Then came the two-month period of amnesia.
And it just so happened that during that time…
The guard captain of Magic Feather Fantasy, “Chu Tian,” also seemed to have vanished by agreement.
Plus… the Horned Demon Master’s alias for himself was also “Chu Tian.”
Could there really be such a coincidence in the world?
Su Nian’s pupils contracted slightly.
A terrifying speculation surfaced in her heart.
‘No way…’
She forced herself to stay calm and continued asking, “Then, what kind of person is Captain Chu Tian usually? Do you know much about him?”
“Captain Chu Tian is a good person,” Amy thought about it and said, “He doesn’t talk much, but he’s very responsible and very strong. Once when we had trouble, he handled several troublemakers all by himself.”
“He’s a bit mysterious,” Lise added, “After work, we never know where he goes. He never joins gatherings or anything. If you ask where he lives, he’s always evasive.”
“And also,” Amy leaned in to continue, “I heard from Commander Matthew that Captain Chu Tian seems to be from out of town, but it’s not clear exactly where. And he’s very strong, but he never shows off; he always just works quietly.”
“Oh right, there’s also a strange habit—he always seemed very concerned about Miss Su Nian!” Amy suddenly remembered something.
“Captain Chu Tian…”
Combining all these habits of “Captain Chu Tian,” plus the fact that he and the Horned Demon had never appeared at the same time, and how naturally the Horned Demon accepted being called Chu Tian during his amnesia, along with those details of unusual attention towards her…
Su Nian suddenly thought of a possibility.
In an instant.
That Horned Demon Bastard had been mixed up in Magic Feather Fantasy from the very beginning, becoming the guard captain!
That guy had been lurking around her, observing her every move!
No wonder he knew her schedule inside out.
No wonder he could easily find her residence…
No wonder he always appeared at the most opportune moments.
No wonder he was so familiar with the internal workings of Magic Feather Fantasy!
So that’s it, that’s it!
Su Nian felt her entire worldview was about to collapse.
How long had that Horned Demon Bastard been lurking by her side?
When did he start targeting her?
Su Nian found an excuse and left the training room early, her steps somewhat unsteady as she returned to Shadowmoon Manor.
She needed more evidence.
Soon Su Nian arrived at the assistant maids’ office.
Inside the maids’ workspace, nine maids of Shadowmoon Manor were organizing documents.
They saw Su Nian and bowed respectfully.
Su Nian exchanged a few pleasantries with them, then asked seemingly casually, “Speaking of which, are you familiar with Guard Captain Chu Tian, who was transferred from Magic Feather Fantasy to our manor?”
“Of course we’re familiar. Captain Chu Tian is a very good person. He doesn’t talk much usually, but he’s reliable. It’s just… he doesn’t seem to be at the manor often,” an older maid thought and replied.
“Oh?” Su Nian probed without changing her expression, “Does he go out often?”
“Yes, Miss Su Nian,” a younger maid chimed in eagerly, “Captain Chu Tian often receives secret missions from Sir Mo Yuan and is gone for several days at a time.”
“He’s probably responsible for Sir Mo Yuan’s guard duties.”
“Over the past two months, though, we haven’t seen him. Maybe he’s on a secret mission for Sir Mo Yuan.”
Su Nian’s heart beat faster and faster.
She forced herself to stay calm and continued asking, “Then, have you ever seen Captain Chu Tian and Sir Mo Yuan appear at the same time?”
The maids looked at each other and shook their heads.
“No, we haven’t,” the older maid said, “Captain Chu Tian usually only appears at the manor when Sir Mo Yuan isn’t here.”
“I did hear Captain Chu Tian’s voice outside Sir Mo Yuan’s study once,” a young maid said.
“But when I went in, there was only one person. Maybe they were using magic communication.”
Su Nian felt the world spin.
She grabbed the doorframe to steady herself.
“Miss Su Nian, what’s wrong? You look very pale,” the maids asked with concern.
“It’s… it’s nothing. Maybe I’m a bit tired. I’ll head back now.” Su Nian waved her hand, her voice dry.
She practically fled from the assistant maids’ office.
On the way back to her room, Su Nian’s mind was a tangled mess.
‘How could this be?’
She had always thought Chu Tian and the Horned Demon were two different people.
Captain Chu Tian was someone she could use, someone she could win over, while the Horned Demon was her sworn enemy whom she had to defeat, to take revenge upon.
But now, these two identities overlapped.
Su Nian thought carefully.
Back in Flash Town, that big boy she thought was a pure, gullible lamb, whom she tricked for food, drinks, and Humiliation Value…
If Chu Tian and that Horned Demon Bastard were the same person…
During her time in Academy City, she had even used Chu Tian’s affection for her, wanting to ally with him against Shadowmoon Manor…
She had been utterly foolish.
Before, she had prided herself on being clever.
Now it seemed like it was all a joke.
Su Nian pushed open her door and collapsed onto the edge of the bed, burying her head in her hands.
The master of Shadowmoon Manor…
Remembering how she had confidently vowed in front of Chu Tian to deal with the master of Shadowmoon Manor…
How ridiculous!
Oh heavens, her performance back then must have seemed especially laughable in that bastard’s eyes.
The more Su Nian thought about it, the more ashamed she felt.
She wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
No wonder that Horned Demon Bastard always looked so confident.
No wonder he knew her every move inside out.
From the very beginning, she had been under his control.
“What on earth have I been doing…” Su Nian let out a groan of despair.
‘Wait a minute. If that’s the case, then the Horned Demon… Well, that big villain, is he actually a member of the Demon Race, or is he human?’
He played the role of the guard captain of Magic Feather Fantasy, was also the mysterious master of Shadowmoon Manor, and was also the Horned Demon who made her tremble with fear.
‘What was his purpose in doing all this?’
This speculation felt somewhat outrageous.
Perhaps, she needed more decisive evidence.
‘Confront him directly?’
No, he would definitely deny it and then punish her “wild imagination” in an even more humiliating way.
She had to find absolutely objective evidence.
Su Nian paced anxiously in her room, her gaze sweeping over every corner.
Finally, her eyes fixed on the void, on the pale blue system screen only she could see.
The System… the System recorded all her tasks since her transmigration, down to the smallest detail.
Su Nian flipped through her task log.
‘That’s right, the System! The System wouldn’t lie!’
She flipped back page by page, from the recent Saintess Tower, to the defeat at Blackstone Gorge… Finally, deep in the task log, she found the task bar she had almost forgotten.
A Daily Quest from long ago that she had somewhat forgotten.
[Daily Quest: Say Goodnight to Guard Captain “Chu Tian.”]
[Quest Reward: Humiliation Value 5000.]
This quest was one she received early on, when she was deliberately getting close to that seemingly easy-to-fool young man, Chu Tian.
Later.
Because she had a Master… who gave her tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of Humiliation Value at the drop of a hat…
She had shelved this Daily Quest.
Thinking about it carefully.
She had never actually said goodnight to her “Horned Demon Master.”
After all, that guy was so energetic; by the time she fell asleep, she was always completely exhausted…
That is to say.
If the Horned Demon Master and Chu Tian really were the same person…
Then just by tentatively saying goodnight to the Horned Demon Master…
It would show… Quest Complete!
Su Nian’s heart pounded wildly, her fingers trembling on the system interface.
This method was simply perfect!
System quests were absolutely objective; they wouldn’t change based on anyone’s will.
If Chu Tian and the Horned Demon Master really were the same person, then this quest would complete the moment she said goodnight to the Horned Demon Master.
If not, the quest wouldn’t react at all.
But… she still needed to think about how to say it naturally.
She couldn’t just suddenly run up to that bastard and say “goodnight” out of the blue, could she?