Su Mo stole another glance at Fei Yan’s expression.

’What’s going on? He was just blushing, and now he has this cold, unapproachable look?’

’Villains are so moody and hard to read! Only an idiot would choose a villain for a Beast Husband.’

The hand hanging by Fei Yan’s side clenched again. He much preferred his wife when she was drunk; at least she didn’t make him feel so stifled.

Taking a deep breath, he quickly composed himself, walked over to the bed, and handed her the dress he had bought yesterday.

"Your clothes are dirty. You should change before we go out to eat."

"Thank you."

Fei Yan took the hint and left, closing the door on his way out.

When Su Mo came out wearing the light green dress, he was standing at the door with his hands clasped behind his back, lost in thought.

Hearing the movement, Fei Yan turned and took the dirty dress from her hand. "Let’s go."

As they left Bai He Pavilion, Su Mo couldn’t help but glance back at the entrance.

She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but she had the distinct feeling that someone was watching her.

’Did the original owner of this body have enemies?’

Su Mo shook her head. ’That’s probably impossible. In the original novel, I was just cannon fodder who appeared for maybe five Chapters, not part of the main plot at all.’

’Besides, judging by the current plot, it’s unlikely to be Fei Yan’s enemies either, since none of them have gone dark side yet.’

’And I haven’t had any interaction with the heroine. I must be overthinking things.’

Inside Bai He Pavilion, a Beastman was half-hidden behind a door. His dark pupils glinted coldly, fixed on the slender back retreating into the distance. The fresh scars on his face made his gaze all the more sinister.

The Beastman attendant beside him bowed his head respectfully. "Sect Leader, everything is ready."

The man raised a single eyebrow, his expression grim. "Good. Proceed as planned."

Fei Yan took her to a small restaurant on the next street over.

A Beastman waiter came out to greet them enthusiastically. "What can I get for you two? Please, have a seat and take your time looking."

Su Mo preferred something light in the morning, and even though it wasn’t early anymore, this was still her first meal of the day.

So she just ordered a bowl of what looked like multigrain porridge and a plate of small side dishes.

Fei Yan added an order of flatbread to her meal.

After they finished eating and paid, the two of them left the restaurant.

Fei Yan asked Su Mo, "Do you want to head back, or keep looking around?"

Su Mo’s eyes crinkled into a smile. "Let’s take the scenic route back!"

Fei Yan nodded and led her down another street.

This street wasn’t as bustling as the one from yesterday, but it was still busy.

Many Beastmen and Females were selling their wares on both sides of the street.

There weren’t a lot of goods, but what was there seemed rarer than the items on the street from yesterday.

Some of the medicinal herbs were rarely seen on the market, as was some of the prey.

Transactions were handled either with currency or by bartering for items of equal value.

However, the prices were two to three times higher than Su Mo had expected.

Noticing Su Mo’s puzzled expression, Fei Yan explained, "This is the black market. The goods traded here are usually scarce and hard to come by, so the prices are steeper. It’s a place where sellers wait for the right buyer, and buyers wait for the right seller."

Su Mo nodded to show she understood.

’So the prices are set by market demand.’

In the black market, she saw a hairpin in a style very similar to the one Yue Ying wore in his hair.

However, the design of the head and the inlaid gemstone were slightly different from his.

Someone nearby asked for the price, and Su Mo happened to overhear.

Her eyes widened in shock.

’That fox’s hairpin is pretty expensive. For an idle, good-for-nothing fox, he sure is willing to splurge...’

’No, wait, I think he has a hidden identity, too. What was it again?’

Su Mo couldn’t recall it at the moment. She had read that part too quickly, just skimming over some of the details.

Suddenly, someone approached to greet Fei Yan. "High Priest, out for a stroll today?"

Fei Yan smiled, and the person continued, "I haven’t seen Lord Yue Ying around. I just acquired two nice items and was hoping to ask for his help in moving them!"

"He should be here in a couple of days." Fei Yan smiled and exchanged a few more words with the man.

Then, meeting Su Mo’s curious gaze, he explained, "Yue Ying is in charge of the black market in this area."

Su Mo paused for a moment, then nodded with dawning comprehension.

’The black market is also a key source of intel for Mo Xiao and the other villains later in the story. The heroine becomes very wary of this network, too.’

After they finished exploring the black market, Fei Yan bought some snacks, and the two of them started heading back to the village.

Su Mo wanted to walk on the way back to enjoy the scenery, and Fei Yan indulged her.

While passing through a small wood, she spotted some medicinal herbs.

So she crouched down to dig some up, and Fei Yan helped her.

Just as Su Mo had gathered enough and was about to stand, a figure suddenly appeared before her!

The masked man held a long saber and, in a flash, brought the sharp blade swinging down toward her head!

Su Mo’s eyes flew wide, a flash of terror passing through them.

’You’re kidding me, someone actually wants to kill me?!’

"Wife!"

Fei Yan cried out, his heart burning with anxiety, but he was currently tied up with other attackers and couldn’t break away.

In the nick of time, Su Mo whipped a silver needle from her waist and sent it flying into the man’s left eye!

With a THUD, the man collapsed.

She couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Thank goodness she had taken some self-defense weapons from her system before leaving yesterday.

Seeing that she had dealt with her attacker, Fei Yan breathed a sigh of relief.

He frowned and told her, "You go on ahead! I’ll find you in a moment!"

"Okay!"

Su Mo watched his sharp, fierce movements and figured he didn’t need her help.

’With my pathetic skills, I’d be no help anyway. Better to... make a run for it!’

After running a few steps, Su Mo turned back and shouted, "Fei Yan!"

She then pulled a pouch from her waist, tossed it to him, and said, "Finish this quickly!"

Having thrown it, she turned and ran for her life.

Fei Yan leaped to catch it. The moment he felt the pouch’s contents, he knew what it was.

The leader of the masked men in black tried to break away and pursue Su Mo, but Fei Yan’s blade blocked his path.

Their skills were evenly matched, and for a time, neither could gain the upper hand.

Fei Yan was worried for Su Mo’s safety, as he couldn’t be sure if more dangers awaited her up ahead.

He had to finish this fight and find her as quickly as possible.

Fei Yan took the powder from the pouch, held his breath, and threw it into the air.

Soon, the men opposing him all collapsed.

The masked Beastman leader also began to stumble, and Fei Yan raised his saber to strike him down.

The man staggered backward before quickly fleeing the scene.

Fei Yan dispatched the ones on the ground and decided against giving chase.

He transformed and raced after Su Mo.

Su Mo had run until she was completely out of breath and was now crouched down, trying to rest.

When she looked up, she saw a person standing before her.

Fei Yan pulled her up from the ground and asked urgently, "Are you okay?"

Su Mo shook her head and asked between gasps, "Is it... dealt with?"

Fei Yan frowned. "One got away."

"Huh?"

Su Mo asked, confused, "Who on earth were they?"

’He actually managed to resist my super knockout powder. He must be a tough one!’

Fei Yan’s brow furrowed. He had felt it, too.

The man was injured, yet he could still fight him to a standstill. His Level was likely higher than Fei Yan’s own.

Without his wife’s knockout powder, he feared the fight would have dragged on even longer.

"Let’s head back first. We’ll talk there."

Fei Yan transformed, scooped Su Mo onto his back, and leaped into the air, flying away from that place.