"You can't run away!"
The shout came from behind her, mixed with the heavy rustle of grass and snapping twigs.
Mei Yan's lungs burned as she gasped for air, her legs numb from the strain. She had been in the mountains since before sunrise, searching for herbs and magical plants to sell.
Her parents were commoners — her father a carpenter, her mother a tailor — but she wanted more. She dreamed of learning magic and traveling the world. To fund that dream, she'd been taking the riskier path for a month now: scouring dangerous mountains for rare finds and escaping close calls more than once.
By now, she had saved up quite a bit of silver—enough to enroll in the city's local academy.
She was always lucky.
Today, luck had turned into danger.
She'd found a glowing flower in a rock crevice — beautiful, faintly pulsing with magical light. Even without knowing its name, she knew it was valuable. But the moment she picked it, trouble came chasing.
Inhale… exhale…
Her breathing echoed in the quiet forest. She pushed herself to run faster, not daring to slow down to fight back—it would only waste time. The ground here was dangerous: covered in leaves that could hide holes, sharp roots, or even sudden drop-offs. One wrong step could mean a fall into a crater.
"Damn bitch! Get back here!"
The tall man chasing her gritted his teeth in frustration. He was getting left behind.
"This **** runs so fast!" he cursed. His body was covered in scratches from thorn bushes, and an arrow had even pierced the hidden plate of armor under his shirt. It was only a shallow wound, but it stung enough to fuel his anger.
Just as he considered giving up—knowing he was getting too deep into the forest—Mei Yan suddenly let out a scream.
"Ahhh!"
Thud! Roll!
Her scream was followed by the sound of something tumbling down.
"What was that? Did she run into a beast?"
He stopped, scanning for danger. In this part of the forest, even veteran magicians could fall prey to monsters.Against one of those, he wouldn't even be enough to fill the gap between their teeth. Hearing nothing, he approached.
"A… cave?"
Peering down, he saw a deep hollow beneath the twisted roots of an old tree. Loose dirt and a snapped root told the story — she'd tripped and rolled straight into it.
The hollow was dark, shadows swallowing whatever was inside. He couldn't see her, but he didn't need to.
A grin spread across his face. "Hah… heaven must really love me today."
Images from a tattered picture book flashed in his mind — a helpless beauty, trapped in a cave, with no way past the man blocking the entrance. The darkness inside only made the thought better. She could be cowering, hugging her knees, her clothes torn from the fall. Maybe she was on her back, breathing hard, the glow of that flower lighting her face just enough for him to see the fear in her eyes.
Just the thought of it made his blood run hot.
"Hehe… you'll bear my child right here," he murmured, licking his lips. "First I'll give you my seed, then I'll feed you and water you… and when you've got nowhere to go, you'll have no choice but to give in to me."
A disgusting chuckle echoed in the hollow.
Then—
Another laugh answered him from behind.
"You… you actually dare to say that out loud? Hahaha… what a funny guy."
He spun, rage twisting his face. Damn brat!
If anyone found out what he was about to do, there'd be knights hunting him before the day was over. And the boy in front of him didn't look like a villager — his clothes, though simple, were made from expensive fabric.
"I hate noble kids the most," he spat.
Zhang Wei stood with blood smeared from his forehead to his brow, eyes calm and cold.
"What are you looking at, pig?" he said flatly. "Thanks for making me laugh. As a reward, I'll give you a painless death."
"Huh?! Is this kid sick in the head?"
But whether crazy or not, Zhang Wei's words wouldn't change what was about to happen.
"Bad luck, little devil," the man growled, gripping his weapon. "You saw something you shouldn't have."
Slash!
Zhang Wei lunged, sword flashing toward his neck.
The man jerked back just in time, eyes widening. "Whoa! You're actually skilled!"
Not even a second passed before another strike came.
"Boy, you're too young for this!" he sneered, dodging by inches and throwing a punch with his free arm. "Battles between adults aren't as simple as you think!"
"Really?"
Swipe!
A cold flash cut through the air.
"W-what?!"
The man stumbled back, clutching his broken arm, screaming in shock.
"Why did you underestimate me?" Zhang Wei frowned. The man was clearly experienced — dodging sword strikes with ease — but his arrogance had made him careless. Who punches in a sword fight?
"Whatever. It's a pity… we could have had a good match. But I'll keep my promise."
Veins bulged in Zhang Wei's legs as he gripped his sword.
"Nine Steps Lotus — Great Escape!" he called out for fun, then brought the blade down.
"Cutting the Heaven!"
The man's eyes went red with humiliation. "Damn brat! How dare you—"
Arg!
His words ended as the sword moved faster than his thoughts, slicing clean through his throat.
Puff!
His head flew, and Zhang Wei sheathed his sword in one smooth motion.