Flames! It was the last thing she remembered after she wake up. Where was she? She didn't know and she didn't care. Her family, her beloved family was murdered. It was not an accident; it was like a mission.
The worst part of it was the fact, she didn't know who and why. She had to run and run for more of the night and now she didn't know where she was. It mustn't be too far from the clan but what if it was a mission ordered by the clan? Wouldn't she be died as soon as she steps once again here? Anyway, what is the point of living now.
Just when she begun to accept her fate as a soon be dead person, she noticed a strange noise behind her. Her heart made one jump and unexpectedly she rolled to right and avoid the fierce tiger which pounced at her. She was bewildered. She didn't think she keep a sherd of will of living in her but it was a fact. She didn't have much time to think about it. The tiger was already right in front of her.
She wasn't afraid but didn't have any will to fight. She didn't have any mean to fight back anyway. Strangely more time passed but nothing happened. As she looks at the tiger, she discovers that he was trying to hear something. An ominous feeling rose in her heart, she was feeling uneasy as if a force was pressed against her and prevent her from moving, even breathing was hard. The tiger was surely facing the same pressure. Suddenly, a shadow emerges from the wood, and with a lightning speed it arrives next to the tiger before cutting his neck.
Everything felt so unreal. Before, she assessed the situation, she was drenched by the tiger blood that overflown from his severed neck. She blinked twice before she fainted. The mysterious shadow didn't expect to find a little girl with is prey. He was quite hesitant but finally it brought her and the tiger's corpse with him.
He arrives in front of an almost collapsed wooden house stopped at the door, dropped the corpse and the girl and return in the forest. Sometime after his departure, Luo Xing woke up, she couldn't understand the situation she was in. she didn't really care about what will happen to her but after all she was just a little girl. She didn't even reach ten and she was lost in a not friendly like forest in the dark with the corpse of a tiger next to her. She was clearly terrified; she was on the edge of crying. Suddenly, some leaf twitch and as the same time she turns her crying eyes to the forest. In front of her a large black shadow appear. Her shriek resonates through the entire forest but before her tear part with her eye a large hand grabbed her mouth.
"is your crazy little girl?
– houmwmwm,
– if you don't yell, I will let you off. Nod if you understand
– ...
– great"
the strange old man let go her mouth and as expect she didn't mutter a single sound. The strange old man was quite pleased by that and start again the conversation: "What is your name little girl?
– you don't have a family name?
– I don't know
– I don't think so but I not that important. Do you have a place to go?
– Not really
– great! In fact, I have some issue with the cleanness of my house if you help me, I can let you live with me
– thank you elder
– just call me Xu
– yes, elder Xu."
Just like that a strange pair was formed. When Luo Xing entered in the house, she discovered a desolate like place. Dirt! There was so much that just walk in will create cloud of dust. If it was smelly? She had already smell out some strange odour floating that seems to come from here and she think she was prepared but she just breath once before she rushes out to puke. She rushes out because she needs to breath pure or more precisely not too much contaminated air. In fact, puke out or in wouldn't change anything with just these two points it will be more easily to destroy and burn this house and built a another one than cleaning it. Just as she was thinking that, a raging flame started out of nowhere. Fortunately, before she has time to process what happened elder Xu said: "don't worried little girl, I am not some kind of sadist man that will make you clean some uncleanable shit. But you do will have to clean some shit. I mean poop, you know because I am a human after all and I... do that kind of.... thing.... like normal human?! May be...
– don't worry elder Xu! I... I understand. Because I am a human also. But you are somehow weird
– hey that is not nice to say that!
– May be but you are a weird. It is a fact.
– hey
– don't take offense it is great to be different
– yeah, I suppose
– anyway, elder Xu, will you build another house here?
– Hmmm.... Nhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa... yep
– I will help you then.
– That is sweet but nope. I have a better place for you to clean so... just follow me
– okay elder Xu
– just call me Xu "
Luo Ming follow the old man through the entire forest to a more elaborate house. Near that house there was a beautiful lake full of strange and deadly fish. Hopefully she didn't have to go there to have water because there was a well near also. It didn't have any strange odour this time but an impressive ply of dust as if no one enter here for years. She wasn't scare by such an easy issue but was clear she do have at least one or two day of hard before this house could become fit to live in. all the prep were done relatively fast and in less than five minute she know what she should and would do in the next few days. But before she had the time to express her opinion and conclusion about her workload the strange old man said:" Ok Ming, you may be able to do it so, I will leave you here with the necessary food and will be back in one week at worst
– ha...heu... ok elder Xu
– stop call me elder, I'm not that old!
– Ok saviour Xu
– just call me Xu it will be enough
– how I can be so disrespectful?
– Ok do as you wish
– thank you, saviour Xu,"
Without any more word, the stage man left just as skilfully he appear before.
Luo Ming was regretful. Regretful she can't cultivate like other, regretful she will never be able to see her family again and even more regretful she can avenge their death. If only she was not that useless may be... maybe she will not have lost her family, her friends, her clan. Maybe she would have been a great figure in her clan and in the world maybe she would have been able to find happiness. Unfortunately, all of this were just supposition and would never become true even if she works harder than anyone else because she was a zero-grade trash. One kind of useless human being that can even survive more than eighty years. Anyway, her live won't be long anyway. Maybe it is the only good part of her tragedy.
Right now, she didn't have the time to reflect on her terrible destiny she has to work at least with that she won't be homeless. Even if she was mature for her age, she was just six years old and so she was naïve, too much naïve. Being homeless was way better than her situation. That old man was not some kind of gentle hermit that live in the forest to communicate with the nature but a celebrity among the lawless. The more infamous rapist of the continent. More than one sect searches him through the continent and not just one-star sect even a three star want him dead. Sadly, he was as strong as vicious and even more cunning. Tracking him was just like search one golden fish in vast sea without being wet; impossible. Their only chance was when he found a prey and start his favourite activity. In action he was as attentive as a rock. Moreover, he was a clever fox with a discerning eye. He had already seen through the future beauty, he just shelters. She was from a clan; he was sure of that. She has been chasing because a conspiration or something like that. She was too polite and fearless to be from the mortal world but way too young to have gone on an adventure. He has gone not to find some food or clothes but to find a new toy. The poor little girl won't satisfy him, not now in any case. He needs a sweet woman with tender flesh to release his pent-up frustration and sadly he has a lot of frustration to release. Anyway, Luo Ming didn't know that and it wasn't the only issue she would have to deal with. Contrary to what she thinks she was far, really far from her clan. That night she unexpectedly uses a strange power that save her but also bring her five hundred thousand miles away of her clan. That night the attackers just saw red streak pierce through the sky without able to do anything to stop it. It wasn't because there were too weak or slow but because it was way too fast.
In the beginning everything was simple and may be a little too good between saviour Xu et Luo Ming. She succeeds to clean the house in just two days and the old man return three day after. They live together during several month without any misshaped. Saviour Xu was gentle and help Luo Ming with her task. Luo Ming wasn't happy but she wasn't sad neither. She never explains her situation to saviour Xu and he never ask. They have some kind of tacit agreement to not talk about their past. The old man just hunted during that time and teach her how to make simple trap. Luo Ming was a fast learner so he didn't have to explain thing precisely and she will understand. He didn't know but she had already learned quite a lot of his trap and method to track or camouflaged by herself.
Little by little they built a relationship close to kinship. He has nothing but her and she have nothing but him. If only they could have been forever like that...
Unfortunately, after a long time without released his pent-up frustration the old man went away one more time. Luo Ming was alone in that not friendly forest but she wasn't scared. Before it was an unknown world but now this very same forest was her garden. She was surprising strong for a talentless person and with the help of her trap and her art of concealment, she was the hunter and not the prey. She didn't dare to prey tiger or furious beast but little and tasty beast like bunny was her must to do. Lately, she found traces of human that was still fresh. She didn't pay too much attention to it but mark it in case if something happens.
The old man Xu was gone in a town near the forest. As usual with is art of concealment he passed through the gate without difficulty. The town was somehow archaic and normally nobody worthily will be passed here. Just outlaw or slave merchant travel by it. Nevertheless, it was after all a town of the Red Cloud Empire, it has to assure is security so the riverain can live in peace. Nobody dislike the emperor exactly because of is moto: the empire has to assure the citizen loyalty but traitor will be burnt in hell. The citizen generally lives in peaceful and calm environment but if unfortunately, they betrayed the empire nothing but hell and pain await them. There was some case were a noble betrayed the empire by let in a spy. All is family, not just is direct family but all, was executed by the empire. They took everyone, his child, his own family, his cousin but also his family-in-law. The noble himself was tortured during five long years without stop. They spend countless resources on him just to keep him alive all this time. He didn't have the right to faint or died. He has to suffer for his sin. Everyone knows the stances of the empire and of course the old man also. Because of it he never interacts with people who have connection with the empire and normally he will take extreme precaution to assure his victim wouldn't have a too fierce backer. He fails only once in his live and that lead him to live in a forest. He didn't know but that day one of the princess run away from her guard during a boring town visit. As always, he was quite cautious, searching a girl without too expensive clothes and not too good manners. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, he bumped into a beautiful young girl with self-made clothes and without any trace of elegance. He didn't know about the brutish princess that shame the empire because he lives in that damn forest since more than 10 years. The last time he went in a big city, she was just a child and nobody talk about her except to mention her exceptional vitality and beauty. But now he was stalking her while planning her abduction. She didn't think someone would dare to do anything to her therefore she was carefree and just enjoy her little time alone. Old man Xu was an expert in concealment and assassination. He creates a commotion near a little stall just to keep busy the scare guard of the town. He directly poisoned a pedestrian who fell in the stall. The unlucky stall owner made everything possible to save his customer but just succeed to bring a crowd around him. The princess was flooded by the mob and before she asks for help a large hand grab her and save her. It was quite unusual to see such a crowd here and guard has yet to appear. But he didn't pay it any mind, he has already secured his target and now was the perfect moment to disappear. What he didn't know was that the guard who was searching the princess lock the town and all the traveller could just enter and not leave. With so many people here with nothing to do a unique case of poisoning near a sushi stall was an attraction they didn't want to miss. The owner stall will certainly give away sushi to assure the quality of his product. And not everyone will dare eating it. After all it isn't as if someone go all the way here just to poison some unknown dude. The only person who may have a chance to be targeted by assassin should be the princess but she was nowhere to be seen and nobody was foolish enough to try something against her even if her nickname was the shame of the empire. Sadly, elder Xu didn't know anything about that and just go away with her. Strangely she wasn't trying anything, it was as if she expects it. Elder Xu didn't think too much. His golden stick was ready to use and he already have his sparring partner. Him urge was so great he didn't even want to leave the town. He threw her in a dark and ominous alley, let free his little pet and begging. Her self-made clothe was torn in shred exposing her perfect skin. The princess didn't have the time to scream when a large hand closes her mouth. She just felt pain down there before some fluid flow slowly on her leg.
There wasn't that much fluid but she was completely broken. She started crying as they usually do, would have said elder Xu. As she was feeling that thing pushing his way into her again and again, she crumbles more and more. How? How can something like that happen to ME? Her mind was completely drowned by those question. Elder Xu, he, was in heaven. A virgin! She was a virgin! That was too good to be true. That feeling, that tightness. How good it is! It didn't take it long before he came but he didn't really want to stop but he has to. He released her and she collapsed. She was sobbing like a new born baby but elder Xu didn't pity her at all. He took a piece of cloth on the floor and gagged her. He took on his shoulder like a big bag of flour and then something felt. That was something that completely destroy is little heaven. The little token that felt was the empire token.