Chapter 9: 第六章 无处可逃

The sudden burst of light was instantly blocked by the wooden door, leaving only the heavy scent of dust lingering in the air.

Just as she stabilized her footing, a continuous, intermittent buzzing sound drifted from behind her. Turning around, her petite frame froze instantly. The enclosed room was cold and dry; in the two corners of the space lay piles of withered, yellow straw mats. Approximately twenty young boys were huddled together on the mats, shivering violently, looking as if they might die or survive all at once. Their hollow, large eyes were filled with helplessness and confusion, and their cracked lips let out intermittent, fearful whimpers.

Chou Sheng had already walked to a corner and sat down, his eyes scanning the surroundings. He was starkly different from the panicked children, appearing as if he were merely out for a stroll. She attempted to approach to comfort the pitiful children, but as soon as she drew near, they recoiled as if facing a great enemy, huddling even tighter with heightened vigilance toward the sudden intruder.

Chou Sheng raised an eyebrow with a mocking smile. Seeing this, she did not get angry; instead, her stubborn eyes burned with a fierce fire as she began to cautiously survey the room. The only iron-barred window was set extremely high. Pale snowflakes drifted in from time to time, dusting her furrowed brows. She had already observed through the gaps that the perimeter was heavily guarded, every guard being a steady, seasoned fighter. It seemed that escaping was nothing more than a pipe dream, and the single high window was simply impractical.

The children, huddled in clumps, were utterly bewildered, not understanding why this disheveled boy had been standing under the snowy window for so long.

A sigh drifted over. She shook her head and sat back down beside Chou Sheng. Seeing his indifferent expression, she said resentfully, "You certainly are leisurely. Look at those poor children; they are about to face a miserable life. Do you have a way to save us?"

His features remained unmoved, but his cruel voice lingered in the frozen room, "In this era of war and chaos, everyone's fate is fraught with hardship. You had better look out for yourself."

A day later, the tightly sealed heavy doors finally creaked open amidst a biting, freezing wind. The dim interior was instantly flooded with light. The drowsy children snapped into tension instantly, their sleepiness vanishing as they huddled together like lightning, as if that were the only way to feel a shred of security.

"Sir, please come in. We have some fine stock this time; I guarantee you will be satisfied." A fawning voice accompanied hurried footsteps into the room.

The man leading the way wore a bright emerald fur robe and appeared to be about forty years old. He grinned with flattering words, his yellowed teeth contrasting sharply with the emerald green—a sight that was truly an eyesore. His object of flattery was the two men in black fur who followed closely behind. They exuded an aura of command and extraordinary presence. Unmelted snowflakes occasionally drifted down from their black velvet hats, and their brows carried the air of frost and wind, looking travel-worn as if they had ridden hard to get here.

Zhen Yue quietly observed these two patrons. Looking back, she saw that Chou Sheng's eyes were glowing with a blue light due to excitement, his entire body coiled like a beast waiting for its moment. A bloodthirsty, faint smile played on his handsome lips. She shuddered, asking uneasily, "Do you know who they are?"

Without moving his eyes, Chou Sheng whispered word by word into her ear, "I will advise you one last time: you'd better not be bought by them!"

That single, simple sentence caused the unease in her heart to expand instantly.

"You little rascals, get over here and let this Lord take a look." The yellow-toothed man's shouting instantly put her on high alert.

In an instant, all the children were whipped into three rows by burly men. The children trembled like sieves, lowering their eyes and not daring to look up at the black-clad men approaching. Some of the more timid boys began to let out whimpers.

"What are you crying for! You useless things! This is a great opportunity for you to live a life without want. Shut up, all of you, or I'll throw you out to feed the dogs!" The yellow-toothed man barked irritably, glancing sideways to steal a look at the lead man's expression, fearing that these crying "goods" would displease him.

"Boss Yuan, these are the 'fine goods' you spoke of!" the black-clad man said sternly.

Boss Yuan's body shook, and his waist bent even lower. Wiping sweat, he said, "Mr. Teng, with the war between Shu and Ying, the number of children dying in the chaos is countless. These are all good specimens..." A cold glint shot toward him, and Boss Yuan swallowed his words mid-sentence, forcing them back down.

Teng Jian said to the attendant behind him, "Feng Ying, inspect the goods."

As soon as the words fell, a flash of sword light leaped like lightning. The sharp blade sliced through the freezing air, and the deafening sound of the sword's qi struck the eardrums, hitting the trembling hearts with a heavy, blunt force. In an instant, the small space was filled with the trembling wails and screams of the children.

It all happened in a flash. With the force of thunder, Feng Ying drew his sword and slashed across the throats of the three rows of boys. The tip of the blade left striking bloody gashes on each child's throat. Faced with this sudden threat to their lives, the shivering children clutched their wounds and fled in all directions; the most cowardly had already fainted on the ground.

Only two thin figures in the center of the floor remained standing. Blood dripped steadily down their somewhat unwashed necks. One boy's brow did not even twitch; only his tightly clenched fists betrayed his trembling heart. The other child was disheveled and pale, his dark pupils forcefully suppressing all fear.

*Is this a joke?! Weren't they inspecting the goods? Why are they using weapons?!* Zhen Yue's breathing had momentarily stopped from fright, her body drenched in cold sweat, her mind a complete blank. It wasn't until the scattered screams reached her that she gradually regained her senses. The swordplay was too fast, leaving no room to breathe. Her first instinct had been to run, but her legs had not yet recovered from a day and a night of climbing. In the blink of an eye, she calmed down. Having traveled to this world, she had already experienced life and death; she was no longer as panicked as she had been when she first woke up.

Her first sensation was the wound on her neck. It shouldn't be serious—just a bit deep, but not fatal. She glanced sideways at Chou Sheng, only to meet his eyes, which were as dark as black stones. His normally placid eyes were instantly stained with overwhelming disbelief; he likely hadn't expected a boy as timid as a mouse to remain undaunted in the face of death.

She gave a helpless smile, thinking to herself, *It's not that I'm not afraid, I'm just a bit slow to react.*

On the other side, Boss Yuan was already fuming. He narrowed his eyes, scanning the fleeing children, and shouted, "Drag all these useless things away to feed the dogs!" As soon as he spoke, four or five burly men rushed in and swiftly dragged the terrified children away. The crying vanished instantly, and a pervasive chill immediately enveloped the silent room.

"Mr. Teng, this old servant truly put in a lot of effort. I didn't expect these brats to be so fragile. Tomorrow, I will fetch some better stock." He was sweating profusely.

"Do you think our Master has the leisure to run to your place every day? The goods you've delivered these past few years have been getting worse and worse. If the Workshop Master holds you accountable, a tiny place like your Sanya Residence won't be able to bear the consequences!" Feng Ying said as he sheathed his sword.

*Thud!* Boss Yuan fell heavily to his knees, his fine emerald robe becoming covered in dust. He trembled and said, "I beg the gentleman to show mercy and speak well of us to the Workshop Master. How could our small Sanya Residence withstand a single stomp from that Lord? We truly did our best with this year's goods, but these two boys are indeed fine stock." As he finished, he pointed to the two figures standing motionless in the center of the floor.