Chapter 128 – This Is Just… Damn

“Why is this woman staring at me like that?”

Seeing Xu Qianqian not only failing to drink the alchemical potion to heal her injuries but instead staring fixedly at him, Su Ming remained silent on the surface, though inwardly he felt inexplicably unsettled.

However, Su Ming didn’t voice his thoughts.

He didn’t intend to reveal his identity in front of Xu Qianqian, lest he expose some of his secrets.

Thus, Su Ming planned to simply turn and leave, then observe her covertly later.

Yet before Su Ming could turn away, Xu Qianqian suddenly spoke.

“You’re Su Ming, aren’t you?”

Her resolute tone froze Su Ming in place, his heart trembling violently as he nearly coughed in shock.

“…What are you talking about?”

Su Ming was panicking internally but had to maintain a cold facade.

But Xu Qianqian continued staring intently at him.

“Don’t deny it,” Xu Qianqian said calmly. “I told you before—you might fool others, but you can’t fool me.”

Hearing this, Su Ming’s lips twitched involuntarily.

Damn! How could I have forgotten?

This woman was essentially a vampire who had always claimed to have a special reaction to his blood, feeling drawn to him since long ago. That was why she had recognized him immediately after their conflict that night when she was severely injured.

Now, even after his Bloodline had changed, was it still the same?

“You’ve hidden yourself quite deeply,” Xu Qianqian said with a complex look in her eyes. “I thought you were just concealing your strength, but I never imagined you were hiding your profession.”

At this point, Xu Qianqian was utterly astonished.

“A Dual Professional is even rarer than a Seven-Star Professional. There are only a handful of such exceptionally rare individuals in the entire world. How could you hide something this significant?”

Xu Qianqian couldn’t conceal the complexity and amazement in her tone.

This made Su Ming realize that continuing to hide his identity was no longer possible.

Reluctantly, Su Ming pulled down his hood, removed his mask, and revealed his true face.

“If I told you I only recently became a Dual Professional, would you believe me?”

Su Ming spoke while spreading his hands.

“I believe you,” Xu Qianqian nodded without hesitation, stunning Su Ming as she added, “I can still tell that the scent of your blood has changed.”

Truly a vampire woman.

“Even though my Bloodline has changed, you can still distinguish the scent of my blood this clearly?”

Su Ming’s expression turned somewhat annoyed.

“It seems so.”

Xu Qianqian nodded indifferently, though inwardly she was pondering.

Although the scent of Su Ming’s blood had changed, its attraction to her didn’t seem to have weakened at all—it might have even grown stronger.

Originally, when she came to Huaming District this time, the allure of Su Ming’s blood had inexplicably intensified significantly. Now it had grown even stronger, with a greater magnitude than before, making Xu Qianqian feel an inexplicable, restless itch.

To Xu Qianqian, Su Ming had become like opium, causing her to feel dazed even in her severely injured state.

No, perhaps it was precisely because she was severely injured that she felt this unbearable craving.Just like that night, her craving for Su Ming’s blood was laid bare on the surface in her critically injured state. She was already struggling to restrain her impulses.

If not for the current circumstances, Xu Qianqian felt she might truly be unable to resist pouncing directly onto Su Ming.

Thinking this, Xu Qianqian hastily drank the alchemical potion in her hand, allowing its effects to heal her.

Simultaneously, she didn’t forget to question Su Ming.

“Why did you come?” Xu Qianqian spoke in a low voice.

“No reason.” Su Ming looked down at Xu Qianqian slumped before him, observing her rare vulnerable appearance before curling his lips. “Just returning the favor from last time.”

“Last time’s favor?” Xu Qianqian furrowed her brows, appearing confused.

“You couldn’t have forgotten, could you?” Su Ming was genuinely astonished. “Last time at Warehouse Street, you saved my life from that Underground Mercenary Group leader.”

He had been deeply moved countless times by how Xu Qianqian had disregarded her own safety to save him back then.

But judging by this woman’s expression, she seemed to have forgotten?

That’s ridiculous.

In fact, Xu Qianqian had indeed forgotten.

There was no helping it.

“You mean that time at Warehouse Street?” Xu Qianqian lifted her gaze, her expressive eyes fixed on Su Ming. “Wasn’t it someone else who saved you then?”

Yes, this was what Xu Qianqian believed.

She had indeed thrown herself forward without regard for her own safety to save Su Ming.

However, the one who ultimately saved Su Ming at that time – and even saved Xu Qianqian herself – wasn’t her, but that Phantom Demon Cub.

If not for that Phantom Demon Cub, the most Xu Qianqian could have done was become Su Ming’s human shield, blocking Yi Junchuan’s dying strike for him.

It was precisely because of this thinking that Xu Qianqian had completely forgotten about her selfless attempt to save Su Ming.

After all, she hadn’t actually succeeded in saving him.

But Su Ming didn’t see it that way.

“From the moment you chose to use your body as my shield, who ultimately saved me became irrelevant.”

Su Ming sighed.

If he could ignore Xu Qianqian’s selfless action just because she wasn’t the one who ultimately saved him, then he wouldn’t have been spending these days like some “damsel in distress” saved by a hero, constantly overthinking things.

If he weren’t a man and Xu Qianqian a woman – if their roles were completely reversed – he might even be considering repaying her with his hand in marriage by now.

This was just… damn.

“Cough cough…”

At that moment, Su Ming suddenly coughed several times, his face paling as he instinctively clutched his chest.

“You’re injured?”

Xu Qianqian’s expression shifted slightly, and she couldn’t help standing up.

“It’s nothing, just a minor injury.” Su Ming waved dismissively, yet continued: “The famous ‘Qilin Blade’ is indeed not to be trifled with. Even with my current strength, facing such a renowned Upper-Rank Professional, avoiding injury was completely impossible.”

Gao Xu’s Blade Art was truly formidable. Although Su Ming had relied on the power of his [Silver Arm] to overcome technique with brute force and block his attacks, once Gao Xu underwent Demonization, he truly couldn’t hold him off any longer.After undergoing Demonization, Gao Xu unleashed an assault that Su Ming had no power to resist—he was even blasted into the ground. How could he possibly remain unharmed?

Especially during that final downward slash, although Su Ming countered with one-tenth of the power of his 【Silver Arm】, severely injuring the demonized Gao Xu without a doubt, Su Ming had ultimately faced the 『Qilin Blade』’s saber bare-handed. The fact that his right hand wasn’t severed was only due to his mutation—how could he possibly emerge completely unscathed?

Ultimately, Su Ming was still somewhat outmatched against an Upper-Rank Professional like Gao Xu. If not for the overpowering strength of the 【Silver Arm】, which could turn the tables at critical moments, Su Ming would have stood no chance against the demonized Gao Xu.

Of course, throughout the battle with Gao Xu, Su Ming never used his Spirit Art. Had he employed it, the outcome might have been different.

After all, Su Ming’s strength as a Sorcerer was genuinely at the Upper-Rank Professional level. Even if he couldn’t quite measure up to a seasoned Upper-Rank Professional like Gao Xu, the combined power of being a Dual Professional would have been enough to bridge the gap.

However, if he had used his Spirit Art, his identity as a Dual Professional would have been exposed. The Xu Family might have investigated him based on that, which would have been troublesome.

After all, he was often close to Xu Qianqian, and his Mutation Trait was quite noticeable. If someone examined his right hand, he could be exposed in an instant.

Considering this, Su Ming deliberately concealed his identity as a Dual Professional, ensuring that even if the Xu Family had suspicions, they wouldn’t link them to him, who appeared to be only a Sorcerer.

As for whether they might suspect the surface-level Su Ming of being a Dual Professional without any evidence, Su Ming believed the possibility was slim.

Dual Professionals were so rare and uncommon—finding even a few in the entire world was difficult. Why would anyone arbitrarily suspect that such an individual had appeared in one of the coastal Four Base Cities?

Among the Four Base Cities, there was only one Seven-Star Professional, and Dual Professionals were even rarer than Seven-Star Professionals.

Therefore, as long as he didn’t openly display the powers of both a Hunter and a Sorcerer, no one would generally suspect Su Ming of being a Dual Professional.

Of course, the consequence of not going all out was that Su Ming sustained some injuries.

If not for having become a Hunter, with his astonishing physical prowess, the injuries would have been much harder to handle with his previous Physique.

Xu Qianqian had already approached and was supporting Su Ming.

“Let’s go, we’re returning to the camp.”

Xu Qianqian seemed intent on taking Su Ming back.

“No.” Su Ming quickly shook his head and said, “Don’t forget, you’re not entirely out of danger yet. Who knows if Gao Xu and Xu Yanyan are still looking for us?”

This Defense Line had long been infiltrated by Gao Xu and Xu Yanyan. If they returned to the camp so openly, there was no telling how they might be framed.

If there were someone in the camp who could uphold justice for them, Xu Qianqian wouldn’t have remained silent all along, bearing the Xu Family’s schemes on her own.

Even that Commander Duan—hadn’t Gao Xu always been by his side?

It was quite possible that the two had some underhanded dealings in secret.Otherwise, Gao Xu and Xu Yanyan wouldn’t have been able to disengage so easily during this critical moment of advancing the Defense Line to come here and ambush Xu Qianqian.

Su Ming believed that at this time, aside from the people by his side, no one else here could be trusted.

Under such circumstances, if he and Xu Qianqian were to return to the camp together, there was a high possibility that their identities would be exposed—that was hard to say for sure.

“What should we do now?”

Xu Qianqian seemed at a loss.

“Let’s find a place to hide first and recover from our injuries,” Su Ming said without hesitation. “As long as we regain our full strength, even if Gao Xu comes again, I can find a way to hold him off.”

Hearing this, Xu Qianqian thought for a moment and finally nodded in agreement.

The two of them then left the area and ventured deep into the Mountain Forest.

(End of Chapter)