Hearing their conversation, Xyliana suddenly realized they were the group she had met that day.
For some reason, she suddenly thought of those tea-colored eyes, that clear gaze... her head began to ache again.
Hiss...
"Why have I been getting headaches so often lately? Could it be from walking in the mountains all afternoon?
Looks like I'll need some fruit tea and a bit of rest when I get back." Xyliana thought to herself.
She reached up and rubbed her temples, and the pain eased.
Maybe she had just settled down, carrying secrets on her back, with this troublesome face, and the man who had tried to catch her that day...
She didn't even know what would happen to her, so how could she possibly worry about others?
She pushed down that vague sadness, shook her head, packed up her food, and started walking home.
Late at night.
In an alley on Willow Street.
"...Ugh... mm..."
A hoarse sound came from inside a small house.
A man sat slumped on the floor, biting hard on his lips. His scarred hands reached in the dark to grip the bend of his leg, then suddenly pulled hard.
Crack!
A sharp sound echoed out.
It broke the silence of the deep night.
That man had just reconnected his broken legs all by himself.
In the darkness, he bit down on a piece of torn cloth ripped from his own clothes, his eyes slightly red.
The veins bulging on his neck showed the pain he had just endured.
Sweat covered his forehead and soaked his dry, straw-like hair.
After resting a moment, the man struggled to stand up from the floor.
He picked up a porcelain bowl by his side and, gritting through the pain, walked to the door and smashed the bowl on the ground to make noise.
Clang!
The sharp sound spread from the house, waking the guards outside.
"Who's there?"
The two guards who had been sleeping outside were startled awake.
"It sounded like it came from the room.
Should we check? That mute inside is someone the higher-ups told us to watch closely," one of them whispered.
"Fine, open the door and take a look, just in case something really happened.
I want to see what that mute is doing, making such a racket.
Interrupting my sleep like this, I'll beat him half to death."
The older guard cursed. He had traveled a long way, and now he had to do this miserable night shift too.
The key slowly turned in the iron lock, and the metal chains rattled with a scratching sound...
The chain came off...
Creak...
The old door creaked loudly as it opened, breaking the silence of the night.
Suddenly, a white puff burst out in front of them.
A handful of powder hit them straight in the face.
Before they could react, both guards collapsed to the ground.
The man slowly stepped out of the house, crouched down, and reached his hands over the two bodies...
Found it.
A faint smile flickered in his tea-colored eyes.
Then, limping and wincing in pain, he made his way to the door of a nearby room and carefully opened it...
In the night, a group of raggedly dressed people darted through the alleyways of Willow Street, moving quickly along the narrow lanes.
Suddenly, flames flared up behind them.
"Damn it, the slaves have escaped. Someone, chase them."
"This way. Hurry."
The sounds behind them grew louder, and panic rose in their hearts.
The one leading them was the same man from earlier.
He gestured for silence and used his eyes to calm the others, continuing to lead the way.
The group understood and quickly closed their mouths, following quietly behind him.
They didn't know how long they had been fleeing before they reached an open and empty area. The moonlight was dim and hazy, casting a silvery glow across the lake.
After checking the surroundings to make sure it was safe, the man signaled everyone to stop. He took out a talisman from inside his robe.
Since he couldn't speak, the man wrote on the ground:
"I have a long-distance teleportation talisman. Its power is limited and can only transport eleven people.
In a moment, I will activate it to send you to the southern border. You must quickly find the local authorities."
Then he used his foot to erase the writing on the ground.
"Zafil, what about you?" someone nearby asked anxiously.
"Yeah, Zafil, what about you? I'm not leaving.
Zafil, you saved my life, so take them and go."
"That's right, I'm not leaving either. I'll stay."
"No, I'm staying!"
Voices filled with panic came from the group one after another.
Hearing their words, the man's heart was warmed.
He bit his finger and waved his hand, forming a spell with his fingers, leaving no room for argument.
The talisman flew into the air, releasing golden light that covered the group.
His bleeding finger pressed onto the talisman.
In an instant, the light became stronger.
A golden array appeared beneath their feet, and the complex patterns slowly became visible... the light grew more dazzling.
"Zafil!"
"Zafil!"
Their urgent voices echoed from within the formation and gradually faded in the golden glow.
The man let out a breath as he watched them disappear.
Then footsteps came from behind. The guards were closing in.
He made a quick decision, jumped into the river, and swam forward with all his strength.
"Damn it, we lost them!"
"Nothing here either!"
The guards' noisy voices rang out at the alley entrance, shattering the quiet night.
"What do we do now?"
Someone in the group asked.
"Retreat. We can't make a scene. Report to Lord Ziruv at once."
The leading guard gave the order.
Soon, the group quickly withdrew and vanished into the darkness.
In the quiet night, at the deserted alley entrance, only the hoarse cries of crows from the trees on both sides echoed faintly.
Liujie Moonlight Pavilion.
Inside a private room.
Ziruv leaned back on the couch with his eyes half-closed, enjoying the company of a "beauty," feeling utterly pleased.
"My lord, come on, open your mouth, ah~"
A sweet and flirtatious voice rang out, so fake it made one's skin crawl.
The face was delicate, skin pale and smooth, truly a charming and stunning young man.
Hearing the voice, Ziruv's lips curled into a grin.
He narrowed his eyes at the beauty and pulled him into his arms.
"Good boy, I'll spoil you properly later."
Then he opened his mouth and bit into the fruit in the beauty's hand, licking the soft pale fingertips as well.
The two continued to flirt, the mood growing intimate and seductive.
Suddenly, a guard's voice called from outside the door:
"My lord, I have something important to report!"
The voice inside the room was suggestive and breathy.
The guard hesitated, hearing what was going on inside, but had no choice and forced himself to speak again:
"My lord!
I have something important to report!"
On the couch, Ziruv's mood was ruined by the interruption. He scowled and snapped harshly:
"Get in here!
If this turns out to be something trivial, I'll make you regret disturbing me!"