Chapter 4: The Romantic Twist in the Shadows (11)
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Not many people know the fear and despair of walking on solid ground while feeling like one’s heart has sunk into a tranquil, icy pond, with no hope of ever surfacing again.
Little Shiyuan, despite being somewhat neglected at home, at least had the title of Martial Arts Alliance Leader’s son, meaning he had enough to eat, wear, and use, and he never had to worry about survival.
But this time, Little Shiyuan truly felt the essence of utter abandonment.
He was being shoved roughly by the gang members, stumbling forward, no longer holding any hope for the impact of the shout he had bravely mustered moments ago.
Even his distant wish of catching a glimpse of “the woman in red” in the crowd had slowly faded with time.
Without the halo of being the Martial Arts Alliance Leader’s son, he felt utterly insignificant.
“Just go with the Giant Wave Gang to a place where no one knows me and finish this miserable life,” he thought, his heart sinking deeper, feeling as if there was no chance of recovery.
…
“Stop!”
A crisp voice rang out from behind the dwindling crowd.
People were taken aback and turned to look.
Who else could it be but “the woman in red”? But who was she talking to? Could it be…
“What are you doing, brazenly snatching a young boy in broad daylight?”
Whoaa, whoaa!
Everyone had thought that under the terror of the Giant Wave Gang’s reputation, even “the woman in red” would choose to turn a blind eye to the boy’s cries, acting as if nothing had happened.
After all, the Giant Wave Gang had a huge advantage on the water, and many merchants relied on their protection.
So openly confronting the massive entity behind them seemed unwise, especially since the boy had no real connections—why stick one’s neck out for a stranger?
But reality slapped them hard in the face.
“The woman in red” seemed oblivious to the identities of the Giant Wave Gang, her face like ice, her red garments fluttering, acting like a vibrant banner blocking their path.
The gang leader awkwardly chuckled, “Miss, I think you might not have clearly heard our identities.”
She had just battled the Lingnan Sword Demon, and they had seen it all. If they could, they didn’t want to clash with her. After all, they had no direct stakes in this, so why make life difficult for each other?
“The Giant Wave Gang, huh? I’m not deaf,” she replied coldly.
The gang leader’s expression grew serious, “We, the Giant Wave Gang, span two rivers and a riverbank, possess nearly a hundred ships, and over a thousand members. Once we’re on the water, everyone knows our name. I advise you, unless you plan on never setting foot in the water again, then…”
“You’re talking too much.”
Her indifferent gaze swept over Little Shiyuan, who was surrounded by the gang members.
His mouth was tightly covered to prevent any more inappropriate shouting, but in that moment, his eyes locked onto hers.
This encounter undoubtedly sparked a glimmer of hope in Little Shiyuan, like a drowning person grasping desperately onto a strand of grass.
“Since you claim this person is a new member of your gang, then tell me, what’s his family name, what’s his name, where does he live? If you can answer just one of those, I’ll turn around and leave without bothering you further.”
The gang leader was… speechless.
Where on earth was he supposed to know what that kid’s name was?
Initially, the Giant Wave Gang approached the stronghold hoping for a lucky break; after all, the stronghold had plenty of soldiers, and they were not fools—there’s no way they would throw themselves against a wall of stone.
Their plan was to follow behind a large gang and pick up the scraps. Who would have thought they would intercept a young boy who had just left the stronghold?
But then, this kid went and called himself Young Master Shiyuan.
That’s just hilarious! Anyone with half a brain would know the kid was lying.
Soon enough, they had the brilliant idea of selling him to a brothel, and as for his name… was that really important?
“His name is Little Sanzi; he’s a local.”
The gang leader quickly made something up.
The onlookers could see through the gang leader’s intentions. Oh, so you want to ask him for his name and background? Well, here’s a little tidbit for you.
Consider this a final chance; if you’re smart, just admit it and we’ll walk our separate ways, acting like this never happened. But if you…
“Kid, is your name Little Sanzi?”
One of the gang members gave Little Shiyuan a hard knock on the head, trying to get him to confess in front of everyone.
After finally getting a chance to speak, and seeing “the woman in red’s” gaze on him, an unprecedented courage surged within him.
Deep down, he realized that if he missed this opportunity, he might never escape this cage.
“No, my name isn’t Little Sanzi. I… I’m called Ah Yuan, and I’m not from here…”
“Watch your mouth! Do you have any sense at all?”
Once again, Little Shiyuan’s head took a beating, his mouth sealed tight.
It turned out this little guy just wouldn’t learn; once he was out of the crowd, they’d have to beat him half to d*ath to make him understand that some things just shouldn’t be blurted out—speak, and you’ll bear the price.
“This kid’s a bit off his rocker, haha, thinks he’s a child of a wealthy family, but really, he’s just a kid everyone loves, hahahaha.”
The gang leader seemed to be addressing Lin Nan while also emphasizing the legitimacy of their actions to the crowd.
Seeing the tears of despair welling in Little Shiyuan’s eyes, Lin Nan knew the groundwork had been laid.
At this moment, she felt like a master rhythmician, timing her moves perfectly.
Just when the drowning person thought they had lost their last grip and was sliding hopelessly into the depths, she appeared at just the right moment, acting as their anchor to turn the tide.
“Boom!”
Without warning, a delicate hand slapped the gang leader’s face.
Stunned, he tried to struggle, but that hand unleashed unimaginable strength.
With a powerful push, his face was thrust backward, his whole body swinging forward, and then his head met the ground with a loud crash.
The gang leader’s head tilted, bl**d trickling from his mouth as he… met his end.
【From Villager A’s Cold Value +8】
【From Villager B’s Cold Value +7】
【From Villager C’s Cold Value +9】
…
【From the River Sand Gang x*x*x’s Cold Value +99】
【From the Kongtong Sect x*x*x’s Cold Value +89】
…
【From Lingnan Sword Demon’s Cold Value +123】
【From Mu Zhi’s Cold Value +118】
…
【You now have a total of 12,034 Cold Value points.】
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Not just the remaining members of the Giant Wave Gang; the entire atmosphere froze as if it were midnight in the middle of the day, drowned in a complete silence.
No one expected “the woman in red” would k*ll someone over a trivial matter.
Remember, even the remnants of the Demon Sect, the Lingnan Sword Demon, had been spared by her; who would have thought she would take out the Giant Wave Gang leader on the spot?
Meanwhile, Little Shiyuan paused his crying from shock.
His heart was a whirlpool of emotions—who would have predicted that “the woman in red” would go to this length for him?
