After pocketing her wages, Bai Xi returned to the "safe haven" she had found for herself in the General Mansion. The dim streets were cold and desolate, with only a few pedestrians walking with their heads down, hurrying to get home.
Led by some inexplicable urge, Bai Xi went to check the nearby alley corner. There was nothing there but rotting garbage that reeked.
She smiled in relief. The beggar must have left!
Bai Xi didn't know what she was expecting. Perhaps she hoped the beggar would survive, or perhaps she was just looking for a sliver of hope—a hope she deeply yearned for from the bottom of her heart.
Suddenly, she dodged into the shadows under the eaves.
In the distance, a figure sprinting for his life was heading her way. It was a handsome young man, his face pale with absolute terror. Glancing over his shoulder, his fear visibly deepened, and he forced his legs to pump even faster.
A moment later, several piercing, shrill voices rang out.
