Chapter 20: That Is—Swearing Allegiance to Him

  "Sorry, I got a little carried away. Everyone has their own obsessions and things they want to accomplish."

  "What about you? You must have something too."

  Su Qing spoke with a hint of guilt.

  Shenyue remained silent, her eyes slightly lowered, clearly harboring some hidden thoughts.

  "The person you’re looking for—I might know their whereabouts."

  Su Qing spoke casually.

  Shenyue's gaze froze, clearly not expecting such an answer.

  She suddenly turned her head, looking at Su Qing with an intensity she had never shown before.

  Moments ago, she was cold and indifferent, but in an instant, she became burning with passion.

  It was evident just how much she cared about this information.

  "Trust isn’t built overnight. I know you have doubts."

  "But I can help you find your long-lost sister. So, can you trust me?"

  Su Qing's tone was calm.

  There were no extra words, but his demeanor and expression conveyed his confidence.

  Shenyue stared blankly at Su Qing, as if in a daze.

  In reality, she was waiting for more information.

  "I know your sister’s defining traits. She has a plum blossom birthmark on her neck."

  "Not only that, but she also carries an ancestral trait, possessing an exceptionally strong shadow affinity."

  "I can tell you with certainty—she is still alive. Don’t give up."

  The moment his words fell, Shenyue felt like her mind had exploded.

  She had told her purpose to the Empress, so it wasn’t impossible for Su Qing to know.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  But now, he had revealed a secret only she was aware of!

  As someone from the Shadow lineage, she was among the top assassins of the current era.

  Logically, with such talent, she could go anywhere in the world. There was no need to serve anyone.

  Yet, the reason she stayed by the Empress’s side was solely to find her long-lost sister!

  Her only blood relative!

  But for so many years, her sister had completely disappeared, leaving no trace.

  Even when the Empress used every possible resource to search, she remained unfound.

  By now, Shenyue had started to fear that her sister no longer existed.

  Yet today, someone had told her secrets only she knew—telling her that her sister was alive.

  This news ignited a newfound hope.

  Su Qing had a faint smile on his face.

  He knew she couldn’t resist this temptation.

  "What do you want? No matter what it is, I will do it!"

  Shenyue spoke with a look of complete seriousness and determination.

  She had already adjusted her mindset—she was desperate for more information.

  "I don’t need anything else. All I want is for you to trust me, understand me, and support me!"

  "No matter what I do, you must stand by my side. That is my only request!"

  Su Qing gazed into her unwavering eyes and spoke firmly.

  This was his true recruitment of her.

  "I... need a deadline. I need more information about my sister."

  Shenyue hesitated before speaking.

  "Within a week, I will give you the informations. How about that?"

  Su Qing proposed an even more enticing offer.

  A flash of excitement flickered in Shenyue’s eyes.

  She didn’t hesitate any longer. She knelt on one knee, officially swearing her allegiance.

  "Master, if you find my sister, my life is yours!"

  The voice of the assassin carried an unshakable resolve.

  "The first step to loyalty is honesty, yet you’re not being honest with me at all."

  Su Qing's voice held a deeper meaning.

  Shenyue’s eyes showed confusion.

  She had nothing to hide—what did he mean by dishonesty?

  Under her puzzled gaze, Su Qing suddenly reached out and pulled down her mask.

  What greeted his eyes was a pale, yet breathtakingly beautiful face.

  Her delicate features seemed as if they could fit in the palm of a hand, but her skin was unnaturally pale.

  Her entire face was flawless, except for the faint color of her lips.

  Clearly, this paleness was due to a long absence from sunlight.

  There was a certain sickly quality to it, giving her an air of fragility.

  Just by looking at her face, one would never associate her with being a deadly assassin.

  Yet, the mask concealed more than just her harmless appearance—it also hid…

  Her true personality.

  Those once-reliable eyes were now filled with sheer panic.

  Like a child alone at home, suddenly hearing a burglar trying to pick the lock.

  Fear of exposure—!

  These three words perfectly described Shenyue’s reaction.

  The cold and aloof persona crumbled instantly, replaced by a helplessly shy demeanor.

  Her hands trembled as they frantically tried to cover her face, desperate to find something to hide behind.

  Her tightly wrapped figure in the black bodysuit quivered slightly, her fear clearly genuine.

  "Why do you always wear a mask? You’re actually very beautiful."

  Su Qing’s lips curled into a playful smile.

  "N-No… D-Don’t do this!"

  Shenyue, terrified, clutched her face, her speech faltering in panic.

  She was the very embodiment of social anxiety.

  Su Qing was taken aback by her entirely unguarded reaction—it was truly eye-opening.

  In the game, he had known this was part of her character.

  But experiencing it firsthand made the contrast feel even more extreme.

  If he hadn’t seen it for himself, he would never have believed such an absurd thing.

  If someone else had merely described it to him, he wouldn’t have believed a person like this existed.

  Within moments, Shenyue looked like she was on the verge of tears.

  Since she was now on his side, Su Qing decided not to push too far.

  He gently pulled her mask back up.

  Like activating a limiter, Shenyue instantly returned to her former icy demeanor.

  "Master, please don’t tease—m-me!"

  Her voice, initially calm, quivered uncontrollably toward the end.

  Before she could finish speaking, her mask was pulled down again.

  From a cold and proud warrior to a helplessly shy girl, the transformation happened instantly, without delay.

  "Is this even possible?"

  Su Qing, witnessing this drastic shift, felt a sense of mischievous delight.

  Though he shouldn’t tease her too much…

  It was simply too fun!

  Who could resist playing around?

  He lifted her mask once more, covering her face again.

  "N-No…"

  "Don’t…"

  "Master, y-you…"

  After going back and forth several times, Su Qing thoroughly enjoyed himself.

  Finally, under the assassin’s deathly glare, he reluctantly stopped.

  He had a feeling he was going to have a lot of fun in the future.