Chapter 5: The Reptilian Betrothal of the Mind-Reading Snake Woman and the Face-Swapping Lizard

She was, perhaps, the most beautiful woman Li En had ever seen.

Tall, with a waist as slender as a snake, her melon-seed face bore soul-stirring emerald eyes; her cold cheeks possessed the delicacy of a doll. Well, her lower half was a serpent's tail—she was a true femme fatale.

She wore a backless scale gown, each serpent scale upon it shimmering with a living luster; though the ornamentation suggested she had just stepped down from a ball, it was clearly a formidable enchanted armor.

The black crystal necklace at her chest glowed with arcane light; beautiful and expensive as it was, it was also undoubtedly a great treasure.

Yet the desert rose tattoo extending from her waist to her chest added a touch of feminine softness and charm from the desert.

Too beautiful; she was undoubtedly a treasure, or perhaps a calamity.

She was Miss Shaliman, the Pearl of Radiance.

"In a sense, I should count as your distant relative." Different racial branches indeed made them quite distant.

Considering that in this world, the offspring of mixed-blood orcish branches inherited the form of the parent's more dominant side, this was quite normal in this world.

The Viscount Sudar family of the kingdom was indeed a cadet branch of the Count Sudar of the desert realm, and the source of this overly long betrothal contract. It was said that this marriage was established with the hope of improving the increasingly fragile bloodline of the Sudar branch, tracing it back to something more dominant.

One could say that, in a sense, some exiled unlucky soul was sent over as a son-in-law for breeding.

But now, with the unexpected revival of the Viscount's house, the situation had changed somewhat.

Her figure, fully ripened like a juicy fruit on a peach tree, contrasted sharply with the innocent face of a young maiden as she spoke with a soft, hypnotic echo.

Her lowered snake-hair, and the "little snakes" upon it unwilling to look at people, revealed a mind that was far from calm, even somewhat ashamed.

She was gathering her courage to face her fate, to face the shackles that had bound her for so many years.

"Are you here to break the engagement? Very well, let us break it now."

And the moment Li En spoke, the scene froze completely.

The three stood frozen there; Talia, the onlooker, gaped in disbelief that anyone could be so decisive.

This was Miss Shaliman, the most beautiful pearl in Silverglow City, one of the wealthiest women.

Even if you had never seen her before, she is right in front of you now; are you blind? Are you even a man?

"No, I was shallow. How could he be an ordinary man motivated by lust..."

But the next moment, remembering that this was a Saint who still upheld ancient vows in the modern world, she realized her own shallowness.

"This gentleman had long since made up his mind. As a degenerate race, he was unwilling to become a burden to his fiancée. And as an ascetic who had cultivated the ancient vows for half a lifetime, how could beauty and wealth sway him?"

A new logical chain had formed; the policewoman looked at the man with eyes full of admiration.

Years of law enforcement experience had allowed her to perceive the sincerity and truth in Li En's words; a relaxed smile graced his face, even carrying a sense of relief.

It seemed that the snake-woman's wealth and beauty held no meaning for the real him; he was eagerly anticipating the moment of breaking the engagement.

He certainly was anticipating it.

"Having already taken someone else's identity, to then deceive another's fiancée would truly be excessive."

Even if the other party had not actively sought to break the engagement, Li En had intended to ignore it; now that she had come to his door voluntarily, he naturally felt much more at ease.

"Very well, let us consider the engagement as if it never existed; after all, I am no longer a member of the Sudar family. By the way, thank you for your help; otherwise, I might still be waiting in the detention center for a long time."

The man showed not a trace of anger at being insulted, but rather sincere gratitude.

This, in turn, left the snake-woman Miss Shaliman utterly bewildered.

Her snake-hair bristled; a snake-head that had been too ashamed to show itself lowered, its tiny eyes filled with disbelief as they stared at him.

After a long silence, the woman came to her senses and, forcing herself, recited the pre-memorized script for breaking the engagement.

"I have no personal objection to you; it is just that we have never met, yet we were arranged a lifelong pact. Is that not somewhat too abrupt?"

The more she spoke, the smoother it became; the first half was truly her thought, while the latter half was subtle.

"I have a suggestion. We are still young; could we spend some time together to see if we are compatible, to see if this contract will still be necessary in three years?"

Hmm, three years and another three years, three years after three years; the gap in status and position would grow wider and wider, dragging on until it simply vanished.

By then, offering some money and some help with work, treating it as a favor, would be considered repayment.

"No need, just cancel it directly. I have matters to attend to; I shall take my leave first."

Saying this, Li En turned to leave.

Miss Shaliman was stunned; she had expected the man to be like a piece of sticky candy, yet at this moment he displayed remarkable nonchalance.

But suddenly, an inexplicable fear struck her chest; as a mind-reader, she vaguely sensed lies and pretense.

Could there be some conspiracy? Was this a case of casting a long line to catch a big fish, or...?

This was not mere nervous sensitivity; she had experienced too much betrayal and deception, and possessed special abilities in this regard.

Perhaps this was another conspiracy targeting her, or perhaps her "fiancé" had been bought by her political enemies; perhaps this was his way of deceiving her.

Thus, she bit her silver teeth lightly and grasped the crystal pendant with her right hand.

"Soul-Heart... do not hurt me..."

The supernatural power of the Soul-Heart was activated under the amplification of the treasure; a faint silver light covered her eyes, and her already enchanting voice became filled with a magnetic, hypnotic tone.

"Please wait a moment. Do you have some urgent matter? Could it be that I am so hideous that you have no desire even to chat with me?"

"... No, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I do have something urgent; I am in a hurry to strike down evil."

His words carried a smile, light and humorous.

This was undoubtedly the great truth as well; Li En's time was quite limited. He needed to raise the satisfaction of the Heroic Soul as quickly as possible and try to leave behind as much supernatural power as he could.

Facing Li En's reply, a voice simultaneously echoed in Miss Shaliman's heart; it was his true inner thought.

【You are beautiful, but it has nothing to do with me. I am in a hurry to strike down evil.】 Li En's deep voice spoke his most sincere inner thoughts.

Now, the snake-woman froze completely; the supernatural probing of his inner truth and his joking words matched exactly.

Was this man truly consistent inside and out?

However, her unique supernatural ability could still ask two more questions; she could not waste them.

She gritted her teeth and continued to ask.

"You seem very urgent; do you need my help? You should know that my family still has some influence in this city."

"It's indeed urgent—I'm rushing to do good deeds and strike down evil. Your influence means nothing to me; to be honest, before coming to this city, I knew nothing of you or your family. No matter how powerful you are, you can't help me."

Yet within his thoughts, a flicker of annoyance arose.

【Don't waste my time. I didn't even know you or your family before. No matter how strong you are, it's irrelevant to me. I must seize every minute to strike down evil—go play somewhere else, girl.】

This deep-seated disdain unsettled Miss Shaliman, yet strangely calmed her.

Could this truly not be another conspiracy aimed at her?

After gaining this power, this was the first time she had met someone so utterly consistent inside and out.

It seemed that, in his mind, striking down evil mattered far more than the wealth and beauty she represented?

"It seems your condition is poor. Do you have no interest in women?"

This guess was mildly offensive—barely short of pointing and asking, "Are you gay?" But it seemed she could find no other possibility.

"Hmph, maybe." The man grew annoyed and stopped speaking.

For the first time, his words and thoughts diverged—proving Miss Shaliman's soul-sensing ability was active.

【I'm not gay. Of course I like beautiful women.】

Beneath his scornful expression lay unwavering resolve.

【But in half a month, I'll lose this power entirely. My time is limited.】

【Beautiful women are fine—but right now, they only distract me from drawing my blade and punishing evil faster!】

In half a month, he'd lose all power—and instead of seizing wealth, he wanted to strike down evil? What kind of strange thing is this! Is this even a human?!

Miss Shaliman felt her worldview shatter, yet looking at this man who was "inwardly and outwardly aligned," she felt strangely at ease.

"Does he truly need me? Or intend to use me?"

She wanted to say something—but before that iron will, words seemed meaningless.

Watching the man prepare to turn and leave, the Pearl of Huicheng—rumored to despise male contact—reached out and grabbed his arm, handing him a sealed letter.

This had originally been her backup plan for severing ties: "Take the money and leave my daughter."

Now, it was an uneasy gift, born from glimpsing his pure heart.

"You have no residence or money here, do you? Even striking down evil requires shelter and supplies—take this house for now."

"How could I possibly accept this?"

After a brief protest, Li En happily took off. Deceiving someone's life was one thing—but refusing a rich widow's free house? That would be stupid!

He realized this might be the "take the money and run" tactic—and if so, do it again, please!

He was short on startup capital now; he could always repay her later when he had money.

After he left, Talia Sdal, the third party, spoke in stunned disbelief.

"He just… left?!" This was Miss Shaliman Sdal, the city's most brilliant pearl—and Li En just tossed her aside like trash?!

"Yes. He doesn't care." Watching Li En's unhesitating back vanish into the distance, Miss Shaliman felt dazed.

The thought that the chains binding her for years had vanished so lightly—that her nightmare meant nothing to him—made her expression grow increasingly complex.

"Li En Sdal." This time, she fully memorized the "righteous knight" obsessed with punishing evil.

Perhaps she could try trusting him.

And Li En, hurrying away, was truly in a rush—to punish evil and raise his synchronization rate!

【If synchronization rate and satisfaction reach a certain threshold, the Heroic Soul may be pleased and grant a Soul Technique or Soul Trait.】

This was the greatest possible reward he could obtain within half a month—perhaps even the origin of a hero's strength.

Soul Techniques originate from the heart—the most unique and essential part of the self.

On the path of transcendence, Soul Techniques and physical abilities complement each other; when body and professional skills reach a certain level, the soul's inherent traits manifest.

When fused with the body and professional skills, they form a trait or talent often unique to the individual.

Soul Techniques are the concentrated essence of a transcendental's abilities and personality—not necessarily the strongest, but absolutely unique, infinitely evolvable, and the perfect foundational ability for you.

Li En did not yet know he had just been struck by the very Soul Technique he craved.

【Soul. Don't Hurt Me (Silver): Inquire into the target's inner thoughts regarding their perception of you (Shaliman), and receive their sincere answer.】

【Note 1: Target must be someone with thoughts concerning you; the more they focus on you, the stronger the effect.】

【Note 2: The target must respond verbally or through action to yield the true answer from within.】

This was why Miss Shaliman had dressed in full regalia—she needed Li En to truly look at her and respond to her inquiry to activate this ability.

The origin of this ability was the "Soul Seer's" "Perceive Malice," but under her Soul's enhancement, it achieved this hidden mind-reading effect.

Thanks to this ability, Miss Shaliman, known as the "Mind-Reading Witch" in commerce, had risen smoothly to become a magnate and secured her own safety net.

Yet awakening a Soul Technique often means inner turmoil and awakening—and is not always a blessing.

【Shaliman: Why do all of you deceive me? If you had simply told me the truth from the start—whether about inheritance or family heirlooms—I would have gladly relinquished them. If I had a choice, I would abandon wealth and honor, and return to those days when I had family and friends.】

Now, what drove Li En to action with full vigor was also the Heroic Soul Su'er's Soul Technique.

【Soul. Wall-Breaker (Gold): Your will is your hammer. This transcendent ability, infused with your will and rage, can partially ignore the target's defenses.】

【Can unseen evil be treated as if it doesn't exist? Can crimes behind walls be ignored by covering your ears?!】

【No—never. "The Foolish Justice"'s final words on its last day.】

This simple description was terrifyingly powerful—in that era, it was called "Unstoppable Justice."

Ordinary Oath Knights detecting evil never reached the point of directly ignoring defenses and seeing red across the board.

Most transcendent abilities depend on the target's resistance; this kind of ability that peeks straight through the target's undergarments usually has low success rates—especially when protective items are involved.

But under Su'er's hands, even the noble Young Master's personal protections and magical artifacts were meaningless.

Li En vaguely sensed that even while swinging his blade, he could still use this ability—otherwise, his weak physical stats couldn't possibly explain how one slash cleaved armor and severed heads, and another struck children down effortlessly.

【Su'er: Unstoppable Justice? No—I'm just a coward, a coward. I only want to break down that wall—the wall that blocked me countless times in my dreams. Mother, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.】

——

Time rewound slightly; this was something Li En did not know a few hours before meeting his fiancée.

He also did not know that his sudden incident actually vaguely involved the internal struggles of this city.

Radiant City was a new city that rose after the Great Calamity; for certain reasons, it was somewhat famous for its various supernatural material industries.

It was also because of the rise of these emerging industries in recent years that, during the current turbulent period, the old royal nobility and the new asset nobility within the kingdom naturally developed an underwater opposition.

Simply put, accompanied by changes in productivity, the new nobles beat the old nobles soundly, fully fighting for the right to speak and industry shares. In this chaotic era of royal turmoil, the new nobles who held actual power were on the rise, showing a trend of strutting arrogantly in Radiant City.

However, today, Baron Labore, a new noble within the new noble faction, found his originally good mood turned extremely terrible by a sudden message.

His son was dead! (Three times)

"Dying so dishonorably!" Death was one thing, but the cause of death was so humiliating, so damaging to Labore's face; this was the root of the Baron's rage.

Just yesterday in the dock district, his third child, that lack-of-discipline brat, was discovered to be the serial killer of the slums!

As a result, he was caught red-handed by an interfering wild Paladin and beheaded on the spot!

How bold! That was the weaving Labore! How could he be dishonorably executed by a commoner?

The deliberately feigned calm was shattered; his trembling compound eyes carried hatred.

If it were usual, his cub would have died like this, and the killer should already be on the way. But at this moment, he could not vent his anger.

"Hearing the bad news about your Young Master is truly heartbreaking."

The woman sitting at the table, Viscount Sudar from the old nobility, actually came over to "condole" on her own initiative.

On the table lay a land deed, a property in the commercial district; it was a "condolence money," or one could say "compensation."

Some things did not need to be said directly; after the Viscountess entered the living room, she only chatted about trivial gossip.

In a few words, she expressed sympathy and sorrow for the "victim." Was this a condolence? No.

"The one who committed the crime is also a Sudar. I will protect this person. It depends on whether you accept a settlement and compensation, or go to all-out war."

This was the subtext beneath the noble-style friendly condolence, the hint from the sweet-smiling viper beauty before him.

Shaliman Sudar, Viscountess, the legendary political and commercial genius.

She was very young, but due to several excessively successful high-stakes gambles, she devoured several bankrupt noble families to successfully rise to power; not only did she revive her family, but she also hooked up with the royal conservative faction of the city lord. Behind her back, the old nobles scornfully called her a poison-tongued witch and a glory-less traitor.

After all, the outsider Sudar should originally have been a member of the new nobility.

At this moment, facing the opposing faction, she smiled like a flower as always, yet her words grasped Labore's weak point.

"By the way, the Princess may visit soon. At that time, I should be the one to receive her. She is very interested in your weaving factory. I wonder if you would be interested in inviting her for a tour? She has actually always been somewhat interested in strange news and gruesome cases; perhaps you could collect some interesting anecdotes to tell her during the reception." It seemed that this friendly invitation also carried a different flavor.

Your son's death was, after all, extremely dishonorable; it could even be seen as a stain on your Labore. You wouldn't want to make a big deal of it and have the Royal Family find out, would you?

Finally, Baron Labore sighed; it seemed he could not avenge his son in the short term.

The industrial plans in his hands were still in development and were not suitable for receiving too much attention from above.

"Thank you for your concern. Inviting the Princess is unnecessary; why stain her eyes and ears..." When he accepted this condolence money, his face was as stiff as stone, and his compound eyes held unhidden rage.

The witch opposite him laughed purely; her pure smile suited her age, a girl who should still be in the academy.

A few hours later, that long-sleeved, skilled Viscount Sudar, having resolved the "fiancé" threat, stood in the police station's reception hall. At that time, she found it hard to force a smile.

At that time, she looked at the man before her with a complex expression; the man who was originally supposed to promise her a lifetime, yet caused trouble upon their first meeting.

She originally had many contingency plans and assumptions to deal with a leech, a lout, a thug, or a coward, but she never expected to meet a true classical knight, a strange fellow who preferred punishing evil and eliminating injustice over beauty and money.

"Someone like this should not lie to me, should not hurt me..." The mind-reading witch, facing the straightforward lizard knight, inexplicably felt a bit reassured.

Uh, here is the 5,500-character big chapter.

This time, for the readers' reading experience, I will not force chapter divisions by word count; sometimes there will be a bit more or less, prioritizing telling the story clearly.

Uh, the reading order of this chapter has been adjusted somewhat; it does not affect the content.

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(End of this chapter)