Chapter 28: Too Sensitive
“Alright, I’ll watch him. You go find help!” Lu Yunxi nodded, firmly pinning down the man beside her who was already tensing up to make a move.
Since she was arguably the most capable fighter in the village, it was only fitting that she stood guard over the prisoner. However, this watch ended up lasting for more than half a month. Finally, after much effort, the villagers managed to invite a police officer from the town to handle the case.
The lead officer arrived with his head held high and his hands clasped behind his back. When he saw the village chief and several others attempting to follow him into the woodshed, he raised a hand to halt them. “I’ll handle the interrogation alone. The rest of you wait outside!”
The village chief hesitated. “But… Officer, this man is extremely dangerous. I’m worried he might try to harm you.” He didn’t say the rest out loud: if an official was injured on their watch, the village would never hear the end of it.
The officer glared at him, his voice sharp. “What?! Are you suggesting my skills are inferior to yours? That a man in literal chains could somehow best me?”
“Of course not, sir! You are a man of great power; naturally, no one here could compare to you,” the village chief replied with a placating smile. “We’re simply worried that a man with nothing left to lose might do something desperate.”
Lu Yunxi stood hidden in the crowd, keeping a low profile, but a subtle feeling nagged at her. This officer felt entirely different from the village chief and the other locals.
With a final, annoyed huff, the officer flicked his sleeves and stepped into the shed alone. His subordinates blocked the villagers at the yard entrance, and even with Yunxi’s sharp hearing, she couldn’t make out a single word being said inside.
After half an hour, the officer finally emerged. He looked radiant, as if he had just stumbled upon something wonderful.
“I have the situation under control,” the officer told the village chief with a nod. “I’m taking the prisoner with me. You don’t need to worry about him anymore!”
He waved a hand, and two of his subordinates went inside to haul the man out. The villagers gathered at the entrance of the village, watching the officer’s carriage disappear into the distance. A collective sigh of relief swept through the crowd.
“Thank goodness! We can finally breathe again.”
“I haven’t slept a wink lately, jumping at every little noise.”
The village chief turned to Yunxi. “Xiaoxi, the murderer is in the hands of the law now. You can go out and explore the world without a heavy heart. Be safe on the road!”
After a moment of hesitation, Lu Yunxi slowly nodded. Yet, as she watched the carriage shrink into a tiny black speck on the horizon, an inexplicable unease clawed at her.
Am I just being too sensitive?
That night passed without a single dream.
Lu Yunxi prepared a fresh batch of travel rations and packed her bag. This time, she was truly ready to set out. But before she could even step through her front door, a chaotic racket erupted from next door—the sound of wood splintering, followed by the terrified screams of the villagers and the crashing of furniture.
She let out a helpless sigh. Is this ever going to end? It seemed like every time she tried to leave, disaster struck. She made a mental note to check the almanac for an auspicious date next time.
Dropping her pack, she rushed toward the commotion. But as she drew closer, the scene before her made her heart sink.
Chi Yan—the man who had been taken away by the police only yesterday—was back. He was sneering, one arm locked around a villager named Zhuzi, while the other held a jagged dagger tight against the boy’s throat.
“Let him go!” several men in the front shouted, though they didn’t dare step closer for fear the maniac’s hand would slip.
Zhuzi’s mother collapsed into tears. “Please, hero, let the boy go! Take me instead! I’ll take his place!”
“Hahaha!” Chi Yan laughed, his eyes glinting with raw cruelty. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone in this village off the hook. Soon enough, you can all join him in the afterlife!”
As the words left his mouth, his blade hand moved in a flash.
The sequence felt like it took ages to describe, but it happened in a heartbeat. Yunxi was still too far away. By the time she reached the center of the crowd, she was already one step too late.
She stared, pupils shrinking, as Zhuzi slumped to the ground. Chi Yan stood over him, laughing wildly as he looked for his next target. Yunxi stood frozen, her mind a blank slate of shock.
“Ah—!”
A familiar scream shattered her stupor.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she saw Daya, eyes wide with shock, slowly crumpling to the earth. The entire world froze. The sounds of the struggle, the shouting, and the clashing of blades all faded into a dull hum.
She stood there, a bone-deep chill spreading from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. It was so cold. Why was it so cold?
She approached Daya’s body one trembling step at a time. Her fingertips were shaking uncontrollably.
“Daya? Daya! This isn’t funny… Stop joking! Get up, right now!”
But the girl on the ground remained still, her eyes closed, her face a silent, bloodless mask.
Yunxi knelt there for what felt like an eternity. Then, a roar ripped from her throat—a sound so raw and heart-wrenching that the brawling crowd stopped in their tracks to look at her.
In the next second, a sharp arrow whistled through the air, aimed straight at Chi Yan’s heart.
Chi Yan’s eyes sharpened. He tried to dodge, but he found himself trapped; the projectile seemed to track him, making evasion impossible. He was stunned. How is this possible? I’m an interplanetary A-level fugitive!
Yunxi was beyond thought. It felt as if she had entered a vacuum where only she and Chi Yan existed. She loosed arrow after arrow in rapid succession. Chi Yan’s body was riddled with wounds, and the mounting blood loss began to cloud his vision.
He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stay conscious. Damn it. She’s too good at range.
Tightening his grip on his dagger, he lunged forward to close the distance. Yunxi drew the blade from her waist just as quickly, meeting his strike head-on.
“Hmph! I knew it,” Chi Yan spat, his arrogance returning as they traded blows. “The only reason you beat me before was because I was distracted. In a real fight, a girl like you is no match for me!”
He glanced toward the wounded villagers nearby. “Tell your friends to line up and prepare to die. Once I’m done with this woman, it’s their turn!”
The mention of the villagers brought Daya’s face back to Yunxi’s mind. Her fragile calm shattered, and her eyes flooded with bloodshot rage.
“You deserve to die!” Her voice was a hoarse, ghostly rasp.
She moved with a speed that left her image a mere blur. There was a sickening rip of fabric and flesh.
Chi Yan looked down in shock at the massive wound across his chest, his eyes wide with disbelief. “This… how…”
He collapsed to the ground, the life draining out of him. As he grew still, tears finally began to track down Yunxi’s face.
“Daya, don’t be afraid. I’ve avenged you…”
She closed her eyes, trying to soothe the storm of grief inside her. After a long while, the crushing weight in her chest began to lift. But the moment she opened her eyes, she was met with a sight that left her utterly speechless.
