Chapter 2
"Leave the person here."
The sky cleared after the snowfall, a cloudless azure stretching overhead as the dry, cold wind whipped the distant tavern banner into a frantic flutter.
Xiao Li half-crouched, elbows resting casually on his knees. The leather bracer fastened at his sleeve was worn halfway through, yet his smile remained genial as he inquired in a conversational tone, "The forty taels you owe the gambling house, Master Chen—it's been six months. When do you plan to repay?"
Cold sweat dripped from the slave trader's forehead. He forced a grimace uglier than tears and stammered, "Second Brother Xiao, please... please don't mock me. How could I dare claim to be a 'master' before you? You're the real master here! I'll definitely repay the debt to the gambling house—I wouldn't have the gall to default on Boss Han's accounts here in Yongcheng even if you gave me the courage of a god!"
Xiao Li let out a soft, derisive chuckle. Picking up the whip the slave trader had dropped, he curved the lash and tapped it against the man's sharp, weasel-like face, his tone deceptively mild. "No gall? Then why have you been hiding from my men these past weeks?"
A burly man nearby spoke up, "Second Brother, this bastard's slippery as an eel. Let's break one of his legs first—teach him a lesson!"
Terrified, the slave trader begged frantically, "No, no! Brother Xiao! Master Xiao! I'll repay! I left Yongcheng these past two weeks to find business! I finally managed to acquire a few girls, thinking I could sell them for a good price and settle my debt with the gambling house. But who knew that bitch would play tricks—faking plague with hives! She scared off the madam at the Drunken Red Chamber, who refused to buy any more girls from me. I was fooled too, afraid the girls were diseased and would become worthless in my hands, so I sold them all at a discount! I didn't even recoup my initial investment!"
He pointed at Wen Yu, weeping and blaming all his misfortunes on her.
Wen Yu had just recovered from the searing pain in her back when the slave trader's accusation made her heart clench.
These men were clearly trouble. If they couldn't recover the money from the slave trader and learned she wasn't infected with plague, what if they decided to wait until her hives faded and sell her to the brothels?
An idea sparked in Wen Yu's mind. She collapsed weakly to the ground, coughing and gasping for breath. Against the glaring red whip mark on her back, she seemed to be hanging on by a thread. She deliberately turned her cheek, riddled with red rashes, toward the men.
Her act successfully startled one of the debt collectors, who hissed in disgust, "Hasn't this one almost been beaten to death? Her face is swollen like a hornet's nest—one look and I'd puke up yesterday's dinner!"
Hearing this, Xiao Li's gaze swept over the prostrate woman again, lingering for two breaths on her frail back and the stark whip mark.
The slave trader hurriedly explained, "Hives will heal with rest! I only struck her once—she won't die..."
Mid-sentence, the glossy tip of the whip pressed against his chin again. The slave trader's shifty eyes darted around, catching only the sharp line of Xiao Li's jaw and his growing impatience. "Chen Lai Zi, are you expecting me to cover your losses from your failed business?"
Terrified, the slave trader denied immediately, "No, no... It's just that I really don't have the funds right now..."Xiao Li pressed the whip in his hand forward another fraction, sinking the flesh of the human trafficker’s jaw inward. His dark lashes lowered, half-veiling his eyes as he drawled lazily, "No money to pay your debt? Fine. A hand and a foot will do as collateral."
With that, he stretched a hand toward his companions behind him, as if asking for a blade.
The human trafficker was on the verge of wetting himself. When others threatened to chop off limbs over debts, it might be a bluff—but this living King of Hell meant every word!
Trembling, he pulled out a money pouch from his robe, sobbing with snot and tears streaming down his face. "Second Brother Xiao, Master Xiao! This is truly all I have. Please, give me a few more days! I have elders above and children below to care for at home!"
Xiao Li weighed the pouch in his hand before tossing it to the companion behind him. Watching the trafficker’s tear-streaked, pitiful face, he said, "Alright, I’ll give you two days. If I don’t see the silver by then—"
His whip lashed out in a swift motion. The trafficker screamed as a bloody mark immediately swelled on his face.
Xiao Li dropped the whip and stood up, looking down at the man from his height. "You know my rules."
Clutching his bleeding nose and mouth, the trafficker curled over in pain and stammered, "I know, I know… I’ll repay the money in two days…"
The pedestrians at this corner of the market had long since fled before the debt collectors arrived.
The whip marks on Wen Yu’s back throbbed fiercely, and with her hands bound to the cart by the trafficker, she could only shrink into the corner, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.
Now, as the young man stood and walked toward her with his group, she half-closed her eyes, feigning weakness, and avoided looking at them.
But as the young man passed by—perhaps too close—the hem of his robe, lifted by the cold wind, brushed lightly against her frostbitten, blue-tinged fingers.
She had been frozen for so long that, in that moment, the fabric felt surprisingly warm.
Only after the group had gone far did the human trafficker groan and struggle to his feet. His fur coat was smeared with mud from the ground, his felt hat had fallen off, revealing a bald, scabby head. A gust of cold wind made him shiver violently.
Wen Yu’s tightly bound hands were buried in the slush, pressing against a broken piece of brick. Beneath her disheveled hair, her dark eyes watched the trafficker with the calm of someone prepared to risk everything.
—She had only one chance to strike.
The trafficker, his face swollen like a pig’s head, was desperately trying to stop his nosebleed. Xiao Li’s whip had come down at an angle, nearly breaking his nose bridge.
He tore a strip of cloth, attempting to stuff it into his nostrils, but even the slightest touch to his nose wings made him gasp in pain.
Finally managing to plug his nose, the trafficker spat viciously in the direction Xiao Li and his men had left. The movement tugged at his facial muscles, sending sharp pain through him again. Tears welled in his eyes as he cursed under his breath, "Son of a whore…"
Turning and spotting Wen Yu, he was in too much pain to bother with her further. He only snarled roughly, "Get back in the cart, now!"
Having learned that Wen Yu’s "pestilence" was a lie, he naturally had no intention of letting her go.
Wen Yu pushed herself up from the ground with effort but didn’t rise immediately. Silently, she watched the trafficker. As he turned to pick up the whip he had dropped, she lifted the half-brick with both hands and smashed it with all her strength against his head.But she was too weak. After being struck by her, the human trafficker let out a wretched cry but didn't collapse immediately. Staggering forward a few steps, he wiped the blood from his head and felt as if the sky had fallen. He stared incredulously at Wen Yu, whose hands were still tightly bound, unsure whether it was shock or rage that made his hand tremble as he pointed the whip at her: "You little bitch, I'll beat you to death!"
He made as if to lash the whip at Wen Yu, but in her desperation, she threw the remaining half of the brick at him and then turned to run toward the oxcart's shaft, attempting to untie the rope fastened there.
The human trafficker dodged the half-brick she threw and, brandishing the empty whip, chased after her, intent on continuing the beating. Just then, a lazy voice called out from the street corner: "Hey."
At the sound of that voice, the human trafficker's expression changed instantly. He forced a fawning smile and turned to see Xiao Li leaning against the wall at the street corner, arms crossed, having watched the scene for who knows how long.
Fearing that Xiao Li might have overheard his earlier curses, the trafficker smiled as obsequiously as he could, though cold sweat still broke out on his forehead: "What further instructions does Second Brother Xiao have?"
Xiao Li tossed back the empty pouch the trafficker had given him earlier and turned to leave, saying, "I don't take anything but silver when collecting debts."
The pouch still had a slightly worn tassel attached, with a protective charm tucked inside—a charm his mother had obtained for him at the temple the previous year.
Thoroughly frightened by Xiao Li, the human trafficker lost all desire to vent his anger on Wen Yu. He examined the pouch over and over, unable to comprehend why Xiao Li had specifically turned back to return it to him.
Wen Yu had braced herself for an unavoidable beating. Seeing that the trafficker wasn't targeting her, she relaxed slightly, her tense nerves easing as she crouched by the oxcart. Under the cover of her disheveled hair, she lifted her eyes to glance in the direction where the young man had walked away.
—
That same day, in his effort to resell Wen Yu, the human trafficker dragged her to several of his counterparts. No matter how eloquently he praised her, as soon as the others saw the red rash covering her face, they either politely declined or offered brutally low prices.
Eager to gather silver, the trafficker refused to sell Wen Yu cheaply. Eventually, he drove the oxcart through a series of twists and turns into a residential alley. After knocking on a door, a gaunt man emerged. Upon seeing the trafficker's condition, the man couldn't help but remark, "Hey, Chen Lai Zi, what happened to your face?"
Chen Lai Zi sighed dejectedly, "Don't even ask, old friend. You've got to help me out this time…"
After briefly explaining the situation, he pointed at Wen Yu in the oxcart: "This girl is truly a top-tier beauty. If you buy her and sell her to the brothel district later, you're guaranteed to make a profit!"
When the gaunt man looked over, Wen Yu repeated her earlier tactic, revealing her face covered in a rash that was truly a sight to behold.
The man immediately hesitated, unwilling to take Chen Lai Zi's word alone and pay for Wen Yu. Not wanting to refuse outright and damage their rapport, he said, "You're being foolish. Even if her face heals and you sell her to the Drunken Red Chamber, at most she'll fetch ten taels. How is that enough to cover your gambling debt? Why not do a favor and give this girl to that Xiao fellow? Ask him for more time, so you can find another deal to raise the silver."
Chen Lai Zi looked utterly defeated: "You've seen what she looks like now. It'll probably take a while for her to recover. How dare I send her to that fiend Xiao?"The gaunt man suggested, "Xiao Li came to the agency just two days ago, wanting to buy a maid for his elderly mother, but he didn't find one to his liking. Why not say she's being sent to serve his mother? Even if that fierce god initially refuses to spare you, just lay low for a while. Once he sees this delicate beauty later, how could he still be angry?"
Chen Lai Zi, enlightened by this advice, broke into a smile. "Brother, you're truly clever. I thank you."
That afternoon, after confirming Xiao Li wasn't home, Chen Lai Zi took Wen Yu to his doorstep.
Wen Yu had endured hunger and cold all day, bearing whip wounds and a rash from the wind. By the time they were on the road, she had developed a high fever and was drifting in and out of consciousness.
Dragged forcibly from the ox cart by Chen Lai Zi, she saw him knock on a door. An elderly woman with silver strands in her hair answered, dressed in a faded old coat. Despite the fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, it was clear she had been a beauty in her youth. However, she seemed to be in poor health, coughing several times just while opening the door. She eyed Chen Lai Zi warily and asked, "Who are you looking for?"
Chen Lai Zi plastered on a smile. "Madam, is this the home of Xiao Li, Second Brother Xiao?"
Xiao Huiniang's gaze swept over Wen Yu, who stood behind Chen Lai Zi with bound hands and a frail figure. Hesitantly, she replied, "Yes... but my son isn't home right now. If you need him, come back later."
Chen Lai Zi hurriedly said, "No need, no need. As long as this is Second Brother Xiao's home, that's fine. I'm here to deliver a maid for you."
He pushed Wen Yu forward. "Hurry up and greet the madam!"
Stumbling from the push, Wen Yu's disheveled hair parted, revealing eyes reddened by the harsh wind.
Her eyes held immense exhaustion, even a numbness from her injuries and illness, yet deep within them, something else seemed to burn like a fierce flame, sustaining her. Despite her frailty, she stood straight-backed.
Xiao Huiniang, having seen many people in her earlier years, recognized an indescribable nobility in this disheveled woman with a single glance.
Sensing the complexity of the situation, she turned to Chen Lai Zi. "Who are you? Why are you giving me a maid?"
Chen Lai Zi quickly explained, "I'm Chen Liu, just scraping by at the agency. I've often been looked after by Second Brother Xiao. I heard he went to pick a maid for you recently but didn't find one he liked. Coincidentally, I have this girl here. She's come down with a rash and can't be sold right away, so I thought I'd bring her to you as a gesture of respect."
Upon learning he was a human trafficker, Xiao Huiniang's expression turned cold. "I can take care of myself just fine. I don't need a maid. Take her back."
As she moved to close the door, Chen Lai Zi quickly held it open. "Madam, madam, I truly mean well. This girl is fiercely stubborn—she ruined her own face to avoid being sold to the brothels. I'm in a hurry to leave for Pu County on business, and my companions are waiting for me at the city gate. If you won't take her, I'll have no choice but to sell her at a discount to the brothels."
Hearing that the girl had gone so far as to disfigure herself to avoid being sold into a brothel, Xiao Huiniang felt a stir of pity. After several moments of hesitation, she finally relented. "In that case, leave her here."Chen Lai Zi was instantly overjoyed. He pulled an envelope from his bosom and handed it to Xiao Huiniang, saying, "Inside is the deed of sale for this girl. Please pass it to Second Brother Xiao."
Xiao Huiniang took it and agreed, then turned sideways to make half the path clear. Coughing, she said, "The weather is bitterly cold. Come in and have a cup of hot tea."
But Chen Lai Zi was in a hurry to flee—how could he dare stay any longer? He hastily replied, "Thank you, ma'am, but I'll skip the tea. I'll visit you and Second Brother Xiao another time!"
With that, he jogged out of the alley.
Xiao Huiniang watched him go until he was far away, then turned to Wen Yu. Her expression softened as she said, "Good child, don't be afraid. From now on, this is your home. Come inside with me."
She reached out to take Wen Yu's hand, but Wen Yu, who had been enduring the severe chill and high fever until now, had reached her limit. Her entire body collapsed to the ground.
Author's Note:
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