Ruo Yu ran more than ever in her life during the last few days, she kept running away and every time she thought that this really was the end - but the end never came.
Rio Yu fully understood that she had to escape from Xue Yan, and she knew that this was impossible. The streets in Liu Mu were tangled, difficult, and dangerous. Any step in the wrong direction could mean the end of her life. Indeed, when she finally stopped to look around, she was still in the same place - the black market, but perhaps in a very bad and dangerous place.
Ruo came to this place with intentions, and her intentions were probably met with disaster.
She tried to steady her breathing, but her heart was pounding wildly. She was in the same place, yet now she was trapped.
They emerged from the shadows—men with savage faces. Their gazes weren't just filled with greed; it was as if they had been waiting for her all along.
"A little girl, all alone? In a place like this?" one of them said in a rough voice.
"Isn't it strange when prey walks straight into the trap?" another one laughed.
When she looked closely it looked like she had entered the part of the black market that sold girls.
Ruo Yu didn't respond. Her eyes analyzed the surroundings, searching for any possible escape. But everything was against her.
She was now deep in a place where people were killed just for entertainment. Worse yet, she had no clear plan.
One of the men smirked as he stepped closer. "No need to struggle. Sometimes, it's better to surrender early."
Surrender?
That word did not exist in her vocabulary.
When one of them reached for his weapon, it became clear that the end had come. But what wasn't clear was the hand that moved with deadly precision.
In a flash, Ruo Yu's fingers were already gripping the dagger—the very dagger no one had noticed, the one she had stolen in a moment unseen by anyone, as if she had always been a step ahead without anyone realizing.
And before the man could react, the blade had already sliced into his throat.
Silence filled the air.
Blood erupted violently, and for a moment, the world seemed frozen as the man fell to his knees, his hands reaching for his torn neck before collapsing entirely.
This wasn't an escape.
This wasn't even self-defense.
It was a lethal, brutal, decisive strike.
The men's expressions shifted from greed to pure fear.
While in Ruo Yu's eyes there was a strange calm, as if she didn't care, the blood covered her face, and the clothes - Ruo just noticed that her clothes were different from the mermaid clothes she was wearing.
But they weren't the only ones who had witnessed it.
At that exact moment—just as Ruo Yu bent slightly, ready to move again—a hand caught her by the waist.
A strong grip. Unyielding.
She was pulled back swiftly, and before she could process what had happened, her back collided with a warm, solid body.
Xue Yan.
She didn't need to look. She knew immediately who it was.
The scent of blood filled the air, but another scent was closer—his.
That strange blend of danger and allure.
His eyes met hers for the briefest of moments, yet it felt as if time had stopped.
Then, just as quickly as he had appeared, he let her go.
He stepped forward with a slow, deliberate ease, as if nothing had happened. But the air around him was deadly.
"Don't run," he said calmly.
But she wasn't stupid.
Before he could even finish speaking, she was already gone.
She ran, because she didn't need to hear any more.
She knew he would find her again.
But he shouldn't find her now.
Xue Yan stood still for a moment, watching her disappear into the chaos of the streets.
Then, he chuckled.
"A naughty little kitten," he whispered, amusement flickering in his dark eyes.
But the laughter faded as he turned his gaze back to the men. His expression shifted—no more amusement, no more patience.
With terrifying ease, he moved.
The first man barely had time to raise his weapon before Xue Yan's fist smashed into his face, sending him crashing into the wall.
Another tried to run—too slow. Xue Yan grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off the ground. The man's hands clawed desperately at his grip, but it was useless.
With a sharp twist, the sickening sound of bones snapping filled the air.
The rest barely had time to react before he was upon them, his movements precise, brutal, and effortless—breaking, cutting, crushing.
By the time he stopped, the alley was silent.
The bodies lay scattered, lifeless.
Xue Yan exhaled, rolling his shoulders as if nothing had happened. Then, without even glancing back, he walked away—because the real hunt had just begun.
________________________________________
Ruo Yu returned to the slave street, after despairing of finding a place for herself in such a place, when she entered the street, something seemed different, but she stood watching life here, the children were running, laughing and happy, while when she looked into the eyes of the adults, they looked like hanging corpses, they looked like dolls that had no choice but to fake a smile,
an old woman passed by, Ruo Yu examined her, the old woman was unable to move, yet she carried a basket full of clothes, heading towards a chair, so Ruo Yu quickly walked towards her and lightly took the heavy basket, despite her looking small she did not suffer from a problem after carrying the basket, the old woman with slow reaction spoke, "Thank you dear, but you can put it down"
"Don't you have anything else to do?"
the old woman wondered, "Hmm what?", " you go and I will wash these things."
Ruo Yu put the basket down, the old woman grabbed Rio Yu's hands, "You are a beautiful girl, are you okay?" Ruo Yu was surprised but replied, "I am fine, why wouldn't I be fine?"
The old woman spoke in a caring tone, as if she was trying not to hurt Ruo Yu, "Wasn't you dragged by a wicked man a few days ago? I wanted to help you but what can an old woman like me do for your life… Forgive me, although you are young, your kindness has overcome an old woman like me."
Ruo looked at her with sympathetic eyes, "It's okay, Grandma. I'm fine."
"If you don't mind, can I ask how you got back?"
Ruo Yu looked up at the sky, "You could say that a man saved me."
"That's good. That's good."
Ruo Yu looked at the old woman again, and said hesitantly as if she feared her words, "Where did the pregnant woman go? I don't see her around?"
The old woman sighed, "She said she didn't want to give birth to a girl in a world like this… and then… well, she went to a beautiful place."
Ruo Yu eyes, said everything in her heart, before her tongue, the old woman put her hands on Ruo Yu's face making her wake up, "You must be blaming your parents, because they gave birth to you, but excuse them." Then she left, not understanding the harm she had caused.
Ruo Yu sat on the ground, cleaning the clothes in the basket, "I have to do something, if I do anything, I won't think about tomorrow or yesterday."
With each passing day, Rio Yu was sinking deeper into tragedy and decisions.