Chapter 7: Night Fades, Dawn Breaks

The night deepened, and beneath the faint moonlight, those patches of pale yellow campfire stood out starkly against the surrounding gloom. Perched atop a treetop, Ning Xiu leaned against the trunk, using the dense branches as cover, granting him a clear view of the scene below. Seven men sat around the fire, and not far from them, a woman lay unconscious on the cold snow, her body tightly bound.

They were still a fair distance from Pine Wind Ridge; it seemed they intended to rest here for the night. Ning Xiu did not act immediately. Like a seasoned hunter, he waited patiently in the shadows for the perfect moment to strike.

Time passed, though how long he could not say. Eventually, apart from the two bandits on watch, the other five settled down to sleep. Seeing this, Ning Xiu’s lips curled into a slight smile. He was just about to make his move when he noticed the two sentries slowly approaching his position.

“Have they discovered me?”

The thought flashed through Ning Xiu’s mind, and his brows furrowed. He shrank further into the shadows, watching the advancing bandits with cold detachment. His right hand gripped the hilt of his blade at his waist.

Five meters. Three meters...

Tension coursed through Ning Xiu. As he prepared to act, the two bandits halted, and their next actions made him pause. They stopped beneath his tree, unfastened their trousers, and soon the sound of urination filled the quiet night.

“Damn it, I don’t know what’s wrong with the boss lately. Every girl we capture is treated like a precious treasure—can’t even touch them,” one grumbled as he relieved himself. “These days, all of us are about to go crazy.”

“Ain’t that the truth? With the city on high alert, I haven’t been to a brothel in months. That girl we caught tonight is so delicate—I almost couldn’t hold back.”

“You must have a death wish. It’s one thing to think about it, but if you actually did it, you wouldn’t live to see another day. Wasn’t Sanzi’s fate enough of a lesson? He was the boss’s adopted son, and even he was killed. The boss did that as a warning to all of us.”

“Forget it. Who knows what kind of job the boss has taken on this time? At least it’ll all be over soon. We’re just little guys here—what can we do? Let’s go back…”

Once they had finished, the bearded bandit on the left turned to leave. Suddenly, a dark shadow swept past, followed by a flash of cold steel. He froze, unable to react, as a sharp pain blossomed in his throat.

Clutching at his neck, hot blood seeped through his fingers, cascading down in streams. He tried to speak, but no sound would come.

In his final moments, he saw his companion already lying in a pool of blood, and above him, a cold, emotionless face.

Ning Xiu raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence until the light faded from the man's eyes. Only then did he gently release his grip.

Without a sound, he dragged both bodies into a nearby thicket, tightened his coat, and began to move silently toward the campfire.

To traverse the snow without making a sound was beyond Ning Xiu’s current abilities. Fortunately, these bandits were not vigilant—they never imagined anyone would dare attack them.

The night was eerily silent, broken only by the rise and fall of snores.

Ning Xiu gazed at the detestable faces illuminated by the fire, his eyes sharp and shadowed. He crept up to the nearest bandit, and, without a hint of hesitation or mercy, struck with his blade.

The keen edge sliced through the air, cutting cleanly through the man’s throat—skin, windpipe, artery all severed in an instant. Dark blood gushed forth, a lively stream pooling on the snow.

One blow, silent and lethal.

Ning Xiu repeated the process, swiftly dispatching two more. But just as he moved to strike the third, a sudden piercing scream rang out behind him.

The Wu family girl, who had been unconscious, had awakened. Terrified by the sight of blood all around, she let out a shriek.

The two remaining bandits jolted awake, leaping to their feet and drawing their weapons. Still groggy, they instinctively took up a defensive stance.

Ning Xiu, however, did not pause. Planting his right foot on the ground, he surged forward, gripping his blade tightly in both hands, and thrust with all his strength.

The move, practiced tens of thousands of times, found its mark. The blade plunged straight into the chest of one bandit.

“Who are you?” the last bandit finally regained his senses, bellowing as he swung his weapon at Ning Xiu.

Ning Xiu sidestepped easily, evading the desperate blow, withdrew his blade, and with a swift motion, slashed his opponent’s throat.

The bloody steel gleamed with a sinister light as it traced a crimson arc.

The night wind blew softly. All around was silent once more.

Gazing at the bodies sprawled across the ground, Ning Xiu panted heavily. He glanced at his now-bent blade, then tossed it aside.

To kill seven men in a row—this was Ning Xiu’s first taste of taking lives.

The mental strain was heavier than the physical. Fortunately, the sight of blood did not disturb him—there was no nausea, no discomfort.

He turned to the young girl. In this world, a girl of thirteen or fourteen was already of marriageable age, but to Ning Xiu, she was still just a child.

“It’s over now,” he said softly, kneeling to untie her bonds. “You’re the Wu family’s little sister, aren’t you? I came to rescue you.”

The girl looked up, still fearful. Her eyes lingered on the corpses, but gradually, a steely determination replaced her terror.

“Thank you for saving my life,” she said, attempting to rise and bow. But her legs, numb from long restraint, gave way. Had Ning Xiu not caught her, she would have fallen.

“Thank you, sir,” she said again, gratitude evident in her eyes.

Ning Xiu looked at her, recalling the rows of corpses outside the Wu family estate. In a low voice, he asked, “What will you do now?”

“My parents and kin were all killed by these bandits. I am the only one left. You not only saved me, but avenged them for me,” she replied, her eyes reddening. She bit her lip, then continued, “If you do not mind, from now on my life is yours to command.”

Ning Xiu looked down at her, silent for a moment before replying, “Very well.”

Night yielded to dawn, and the first rays of sunlight bathed them in a gentle, golden glow. Standing amidst the blood-stained snow, Ning Xiu seemed cloaked in a crimson mantle.

Yet Wu Wan’er found that this shade of red was, to her, especially warm.