Chapter 27: Witch Man’er’s Provocation
When Su Mu first saw Man’er, her initial reaction was anxiety. She feared Man’er would expose her little tricks and was worried that Man’er might be a truly skilled witch.
But as Man’er’s live streams continued, those seemingly impressive and mysterious tricks quickly revealed their nature to Su Mu, who was an experienced magician.
Man’er was also a fake witch.
A fake witch attempting to deceive the world with magic tricks.
When Su Mu streamed, she tried to use subtle magic tricks to avoid detection by other magicians. However, Man’er, perhaps emboldened by Shanshan’s situation, used a wide array of conspicuous tricks in just one live stream. The effects were impressive but also easily recognized as magic.
Thus, Su Mu remained calm.
If Man’er continued down this path, her downfall was inevitable.
Even in the unlikely event that Man’er wasn’t exposed, it would still benefit Su Mu. She could gradually fade out of the public eye while Man’er attracted all the attention.
“Man’er’s excessive behavior will be dealt with by Shanshan. You don’t need to worry,” Su Mu said.
Feng Sa frowned in disagreement. “If Man’er isn’t lying, then she’s a senior, and Shanshan can’t say much. But Shanshan isn’t one to tolerate things! She even told someone from the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation to get lost! If Shanshan is forced to endure Man’er, it would be too humiliating for her!”
“But you can’t do anything to help her,” Su Mu replied calmly.
“…” Feng Sa was frustrated because Sansan was right.
He pondered over the situation, thinking it was suspicious that Man’er appeared just when Shanshan wasn’t streaming. It seemed premeditated.
Cunning! Too cunning!
Feng Sa couldn’t stand the idea of Shanshan being wronged and kept thinking of solutions.
As Su Mu was taking notes, Feng Sa’s eyes suddenly lit up. “I’ve got it! I can ask Lord Black Kite for help! He is also a very powerful…”
Wizard.
Remembering the young man’s request for confidentiality, Feng Sa didn’t say the last part aloud.
Su Mu’s pen wavered. “…Black Kite?”
“Yes!” Feng Sa’s confidence grew. “Lord Black Kite also said that as a reward for keeping his secret, he would help me.”
But…
The boy suddenly became dejected again. How could he find Black Kite?
Feng Sa, unaware that both Black Kite and Shanshan were right beside him, spent the entire morning in frustration. When he said goodbye to Su Mu in the afternoon and returned to school, he still wore a thoughtful frown.
Su Mu silently watched his retreating figure.
Feng Sa was indeed a peculiar person.
Having received the promise of help from a witch, he didn’t want to use it for himself but rather for Shanshan.
Shanshan didn’t even know Feng Sa.
“…Better to focus on exams first,” Su Mu thought, not dwelling on it further.
However, Su Mu had no idea that while she didn’t want to engage with Man’er, Man’er would only become more outrageous.
The night before the herbalism exam, Su Mu randomly clicked on Man’er’s live stream and saw the black-haired witch making bold and arrogant statements:
“Shanshan is nothing! Look how many days have passed, and she hasn’t dared to say a word!”
“Let me tell you, Shanshan’s tricks, haha…”
“Healing potions? Don’t even mention those useless things! I’m telling you, even if I insulted Shanshan’s ancestors for eighteen generations, she wouldn’t dare say a word back to me!”
“Why? Hahaha! Of course, because I know all her little tricks… Hahaha!”
As Man’er continued her rant, Su Mu’s eyes grew colder.
Did this Man’er know what she was saying?
Insulting Shanshan was one thing, but from the looks of it, she intended to expose Shanshan as a fraud using magic tricks?
What gave her such confidence?
Su Mu couldn’t figure this out for now, but if Man’er revealed that “Shanshan used magic tricks,” it would cause enormous trouble for her!
“Idiot!” Su Mu muttered angrily, feeling her rage rising from deep within.
Exposing Shanshan as a fraud—how would that benefit Man’er at all?
Sure, exposing Shanshan could elevate her further, but if Shanshan was exposed for using magic tricks, would Man’er be far behind?
How could she not see this?
On her phone, Man’er continued performing her exaggerated magic tricks with a condescending attitude: “Shanshan isn’t even fit to carry my shoes. What’s wrong with insulting her? That person is probably so ugly she can’t show her face! Just trying to scam money with live streams!”
“I don’t show my face because I don’t want you to disturb my normal life, but Shanshan covers her entire head. If she isn’t ugly, what is she? If she were really skilled, couldn’t she just make a potion to change her face for the live stream?”
“Shanshan, I bet you’re watching this live stream too, aren’t you? What do you say? Dare to come online for a chat? You little, useless, trash?”
“…”
Man’er’s attitude was incredibly arrogant, showing no fear of being proven wrong. Her high-handed behavior seemed justified by the nature of witches, attracting even more fans.
For a while, the live stream was flooded with comments like “Man’er is amazing,” “I love her arrogant and sharp tongue,” and more.
Some even dared to disparage Shanshan:
[Compared to Man’er, Shanshan really doesn’t measure up.]
[The Bureau of Paranormal Investigation hasn’t questioned Man’er. Maybe they’ve already confirmed her identity? Unlike Shanshan, who’s still under suspicion.]
[So, Man’er is indeed Shanshan’s senior! Love it!]
[Suddenly, Shanshan seems like a fraud… She doesn’t have magic as spectacular as Man’er’s.]
Seeing these comments, Man’er’s smile grew even more smug under her half-mask.
Outside the live stream, Su Mu wasn’t angered by the viewers’ comments. In fact, it didn’t matter who they preferred. What mattered was that they couldn’t think Shanshan was fake.
In the darkness of her room, Su Mu watched the rest of Man’er’s live stream with a cold expression.
Man’er looked down on Shanshan, yet throughout the entire stream, she couldn’t stop mentioning her.
The screen illuminated Su Mu’s face, her eyes cold as ice, and a faintly terrifying aura emanating from her.
Unbeknownst to her, Su Mu’s dealings with magic had influenced her temperament. When she was angry, the dark, oppressive aura from the magical world was so intimidating that it could quell any thoughts of resistance.
Su Mu realized she couldn’t let Man’er continue unchecked. Who knew what Man’er might say in her next live stream?
However, figuring out how to deal with Man’er was a significant problem.
Firstly, interacting with Man’er online as Shanshan wouldn’t work. Man’er wouldn’t listen and might even share their chat publicly.
Secondly, Man’er’s boldness suggested she was confident Shanshan was a fake witch and wasn’t afraid of retaliation. But Man’er wasn’t a true witch either. Why wasn’t the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation intervening?
Lastly, finding Man’er in real life for a confrontation was impossible. The world was too vast, and Su Mu had no way to locate her.
Su Mu turned off her phone, her eyes plunging into darkness.
Her loose black hair fell over her face, obscuring her expression.
