Late at night.
Mist swirled as urgent footsteps rustled through the grass.
About a dozen young girls in pink clothing fled aimlessly across the open field. Their hair was disheveled, sweat-dampened strands clinging to their cheeks, and their skirts were tattered from thorny branches.
A frail girl lagged, gasping for air. Her breath formed misty clouds that mingled with the thick fog. Her eyes were filled with fear and despair.
Another girl ran back to grab her hand. “Hurry, An Jiu! They’ll catch up!”
“A-Shun…” the girl called An Jiu panted, tears streaming uncontrollably. “I can’t… go on. You should leave me.”
A-Shun pressed her lips together and pulled An Jiu along forcefully.
An Jiu was at her limit. Her legs were already weak, and the sudden tug caused her to stumble and fall. She no longer had the strength to get up.
“There’s a house! A house!” came excited shouts from ahead.
The other girls were no longer visible, only their joyful cries could be heard.
A-Shun struggled to pull An Jiu up. “Did you hear? There’s a house ahead. Just hold on a bit longer.”
An Jiu’s tears flowed freely as her body went limp, unable to take another step.
A-Shun saw flickering lights in the dense fog behind them, realizing their pursuers were closing in. Gritting her teeth, she hoisted An Jiu onto her back and ran forward with all her might.
They had been brought here by traffickers from Yangzhou, who had deceived them with promises of serving in wealthy households. Instead, they were being sold to the Xingxiang House!
Xingxiang House was the most famous brothel in Bianjing, so renowned that even these young girls from distant Yangzhou had heard of it.
Someone had instigated their collective escape, but they hadn’t planned what to do afterward.
A-Shun had been sold to a local brothel in Yangzhou at age five and raised there for seven years. She started with menial kitchen work, but as the madam noticed her growing beauty, she was groomed as a courtesan. This experience gave her more knowledge and strength than the other girls.
No respectable household would take a maid bought from a brothel. A-Shun had seen this transfer as an opportunity to escape from the start, but she needed a backup plan. An Jiu, despite her young age, was strikingly beautiful. The madam would surely value her highly. If A-Shun could win An Jiu’s favor, even if they were caught, An Jiu might be able to plead for leniency on her behalf.
Seeing a thatched hut, A-Shun mustered her strength to rush inside. She set An Jiu down and exhaled deeply.
In the dim light, A-Shun saw the other girls sprawled about. She asked, “Is there no one here?”
One girl replied, “No, it seems to be a hunter’s shelter.”
Should they wait here to be caught?
A-Shun glanced down at An Jiu, who lay like a puddle of mud, her gaze flickering.
She turned and noticed a bow and arrows hanging on the wall near the door. She took them down, saying, “I’ll go check if anyone’s following us.”
An Jiu lay on the ground, her heaving chest gradually steadying, but her gaze becoming increasingly unfocused.
“Ah—”
A distant, piercing scream was abruptly cut off. A-Shun’s outstretched foot retreated.
The girls huddled together like frightened animals, their faces filled with terror.
The despair, agony, and fear in that scream were palpable, reeking of death.
A-Shun’s face paled. After a moment of silence, she dashed out, followed by the other girls scrambling to flee.
In the fog, over a dozen dark figures silently surrounded the courtyard.
“Who is Mei Jiu?” asked a black-clad man standing before the dilapidated door.
These men exuded a murderous aura, clearly not guards from the Xingxiang House. A-Shun frantically slipped back inside.
“Hand over Mei Jiu, and your lives will be spared,” the cold, rough voice spoke again.
One of the bolder girls whispered hesitantly, “Mei Jiu… could they mean An Jiu?”
An Jiu – no one knew her surname.
The men outside grew impatient. Through the misty air, the lead figure slightly lowered his chin. A black-clad man to his right leaped into the courtyard like a hawk.
He darted into the hut, his blade gleaming. He threatened the remaining girls, “If you don’t want to die, get out!”
Though he pointed in only one direction, everyone felt the threat to their lives. The girls’ minds went blank, only able to wail.
The man unhesitatingly struck down the girl nearest to him. Finally, someone broke, frantically running out. Others followed in a daze.
As the hut emptied, A-Shun, holding the bow and arrows, became conspicuous. She tightened her grip, then bit her lip and tossed aside her only weapon before fleeing.
The swordsman noticed a girl still lying on the floor, eyes wide open with dilated pupils, her chest no longer moving. Out of habit, he bent to check her pulse.
His fingers touched her delicate skin, like cool silk.
She was indeed dead.
He strode out.
Outside, in the pitch-black night, the group of girls huddled together, shivering and whimpering.
“Who is Mei Jiu!” the lead black-clad man demanded.
No one answered.
A-Shun’s face was pale as she bit her lip hard.
The nearest black-clad man easily killed one girl with his sword.