Bathing in the gentle currents of the peaceful river, Shu Wa'er excitedly tried to catch fish in the water, unaware of the imminent danger.
Suddenly, a chilling presence overshadowed her peaceful moment.
A group of bandits silently emerged from the forest, their menacing figures casting a dark shadow.
They looked at the girl bathing in the river and grinned wickedly.
"Well, well, what do we have here? An unsuspecting little girl bathing alone!" One of the bandits, with yellow teeth and an ugly nose, cackled hoarsely.
"Let's capture her and have a taste before passing her to the others." The yellow teeth bandit salivated as he observed Shu Wa'er's immature body.
He gestured to his fellow friends, and they silently entered the river, blending with the waves.
As they closed in on Shu Wa'er, suddenly, a huge stone was thrown into the river, causing everyone to startle.
Shu Wa'er turned her head to see Mei Xing, her grandmother, standing at the shore with an anxious expression.
"Run, child! Get out of there!"
The yellow teeth man cursed and stood up, holding his bleeding forehead. "This bitch!" He pointed his crude dagger at Meng Li and croaked with anger, "Kill this bitch for me!"
Shu Wa'er's eyes widened with horror as she saw Meng Li being surrounded by the bandits. Although she wanted to help, her own situation looked equally dire.
The yellow teeth bandit walked toward Shu Wa'er with a lecherous smile, blood trailing down from his head. He gestured his mates at both sides to hold her down.
"I'll go first, then you guys can follow." He licked his chapped lips and eagerly took off his pants, directly revealing his 3inch penis.
Panic surged Shu Wa'er's veins as the man came closer.
She desperately shook her head and body, trying to escape from the clutches of the bandits. "Noo! Dadd!!"
The yellow teeth bandit scoffed as he heard her cries. "So you like that kind of play, huh? Don't worry, this master will satisfy you."
Saying so, he reached to ripped off her wet garments. His little brother was already excited, standing up high, hidden by his big tummy.
Shu Wa'er felt goosebumps crawling onto her skin. When she realized that she was going to be raped by his ugly person, she felt nauseous.
At that moment, her ears caught the sound of a swift arrow cutting through the air.
Her eyes abruptly slammed shut as warm liquid splashed on her face.
Slowly opening her eyes, she saw the yellow teeth man and his friends in the river, an arrow through their chest, they laid there, lifeless.
Shu Wa'er shivered, her body trembling with fear and shock.
Her eyes widened as she saw the lifeless bodies of the bandits, their presence now nothing more than a haunting memory.
She looked at her father, who was anxiously dragging her out of the river, but the words he spoke were muffled and distant. She knew he was calling her name, but her mind was still reeling from the traumatic events.
"Yu'er! Yu'er! Jiang Ying Yue!" Song Xian shouted, his voice filled with desperation and fear.
Shu Wa'er snapped out of her daze and blankly looked around, her gaze catching a glimpse of a bloody female body on the ground in the distance.
Her heart sank, and she wanted to identify the body, but her father turned her head away, shielding her from the sight.
"Don't look," he said firmly.
She looked at her father, his usual calm and strong demeanor replaced by trembling and reddened eyes.
As she opened her mouth to speak, the angry roars of the bandits across the river interrupted them, reminding them of the danger that still lingered.
Song Xian quickly hid his daughter behind him, his voice urgent. "Run, Yu'er! Take your mother and run into the village!"
"B-but... Dad—" Shu Wa'er stuttered, her voice filled with worry and hesitation.
"Run!" her father commanded, his tone firm and resolute as he shot down a bandit with his arrow.
Shu Wa'er realized that she couldn't be of any help to her father in that moment. With a heavy heart, she turned and sprinted towards their home, a mix of fear and desperation etched on her face.
She burst through the front door, gasping for breath. But before she could call out for her mother, her eyes widened with horror as she found her mother, Meng Li, cornered by a group of bandits.
Panic surged through her as she blurted out, "Mother!"
The bandits in the house instantly turned their gaze towards her, frightening the soul out of her body.
Among them, one man stood out with his striking appearance and commanding aura.
He sat on her plush couch, surrounded by his men. His tall frame completely occupied her seat.
Leaning back, he positioned himself at the left arm of the couch, the soft fabric embracing him as he settled in. With an air of ease, he supported his head with his left hand, his knuckles pressed against the side of his face, revealing a strong jawline.
His eyes, partially hidden beneath a mop of unruly dark hair, were fixed on her. It was clear that he was the leader of the bandits.
"I see that today is a beautiful day, for the almighty has sent me not one but two beautiful blessings," he remarked with a tone filled with dark intentions.
Though Shu Wa'er was shorter and skinnier than her peers, she possessed a unique allure that seemed to attract the attention of dangerous men.
His eyes held hers, and she could sense his sinister desires and the urge to devour her alive right there and then.
Loud alarms rang in Shu Wa'er's head.
This man was dangerous!
She looked at her mother, her eyes locked onto her in mixture of fear, love, and determination.
Without warning, her mother suddenly stabbed the man beside her with a kitchen knife, startling everyone in the room.
Taking advantage of the momentary chaos, she launched herself at another bandit, desperately yelling at her daughter, "Yu'er, run!"
Shu Wa'er rapidly shook her head, refusing to leave her mother alone in this dangerous situation. Her dad had asked her to escape together!
Seeing her foolish reaction, the man on the couch chuckled in a deep voice, sending shivers down her spine.
He gestured to one of his men, "bring her here, to me."
Shu Wa'er clenched her hands, desperate to help her mother as well as save herself.
However, before the man's orders could be carried out, Meng Li made a daring move.
With unexpected ferocity, she launched herself at the man on the couch, catching everyone off guard.
Shu Wa'er stood frozen, her heart pounding in her chest as she watched her mother face off against the dangerous man.
She desperately wanted to assist, but her mother's voice pierced through the chaos.
"Run Yu'er! Please, run! RUN!."
"Mother..." Tears streamed down Shu Wa'er's face as she heard her mother's plea.
She couldn't bear the thought of losing her. But she also couldn't deny the truth of her mother's words—if she died here, she would be gone forever.
With a heavy heart, Shu Wa'er hesitated for a moment before reluctantly turning and fleeing from the scene, tears blurring her vision.
She could hear her mother's painful scream, "don't look back! run-"
As she disappeared into the distance, Meng Li fell to her knees, the kitchen knife embedded deep in her back.
The man on the couch stood up, pulling the knife from her back and twirling it around his fingers.
"Tsk, I expected much more," he muttered. He glanced in the direction where Shu Wa'er had escaped and commanded his men, "Go, catch that little rabbit and bring her to me."
He paused, a wicked smile forming on his lips. "Intact."
When Song Xian arrived at his house, his eyes widened with horror as he saw his wife's lifeless body.
"NO! Meng Li!" Song Xian roared in anger and despair.
He lunged at the man standing beside his wife's corpse, his eyes bloodshot with rage.
However, the exhaustion and injuries from the fight outside took a toll on him, weakening his strength.
The bandit leader leisurely pulled out the concealed bloody kitchen knife.
With a swift and treacherous motion, he stabbed Song Xian in the abdomen, causing him to falter and double over in pain.
Gritting his teeth, Song Xian weakly questioned the man, "Why... Xuan? Why did you do tis?"
Xuan, the bandit leader, looked down at him, a mischievous smile gracing his face. "Orders from above," he responded, his voice filled with wicked satisfaction.
Song Xian clutched his abdomen, the pain intensifying with each passing second.
He desperately wanted to exact revenge on the man who had caused such devastation, but as he tried to move forward, the pain became unbearable.
Xuan, seemingly bored, kicked Song Xian's knee, causing him to collapse onto the floor, his body drained of energy.
Nonchalantly, Xuan walked out of the house and commanded his men to set the building ablaze, erasing any evidence of their presence.
As the flames engulfed the house, Song Xian, struggling to stay conscious, opened his eyes with great effort.
Summoning his last ounce of strength, he slowly crawled towards his wife, tears streaming down his face.
"Meng Li... my love..."
The flames hungrily devoured the walls, consuming cherished memories and shattered dreams.
Reaching Meng Li's side, Song Xian, despite his own injuries, pulled her into a protective embrace.
With his dying breath, he mustered a final act of love and devotion, shielding her even in his last moments.
Whispering amidst the engulfing fire, he said, "Together... forever..."
--
Fear gripped Shu Wa'er, propelling her to flee as her heart pounded in her chest.
She darted through the dense forest, desperate to put distance between herself and the horrifying scene she had witnessed.
Amidst her escape, her eyes caught sight of a plume of smoke ascending into the sky, emanating from the direction of her home.
She froze, her gaze fixed on the ominous sight, a mix of fear and disbelief flooding her mind.
The weight of the realization washed over her, and tears welled up in her eyes, cascading down her cheeks in a torrent of despair.
Instinctively, she covered her mouth, attempting to stifle the overwhelming cries that threatened to consume her.
Her surroundings became a blur as her attention remained fixated on the rising smoke, a cruel reminder of the worst outcome.
Amidst her despair, memories of her adoptive mother and father flooded her mind, each one intertwined with the familiar scents, the echoes of laughter that once filled the house, and the warmth of familial love she had yearned for.
She stood at the very spot where she had been once found by her adoptive parents, now forever lost to her.
Grief and despair consumed her, causing her to collapse to her knees, crying out in anguished sorrow.
"No... I'm alone again... I have no one..."
Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps pierced through her despair. She looked up and saw a group of men closing in on her, their intentions clear.
Fear surged through her veins, her mind racing to find a way to escape their clutches.
She couldn't allow herself to be captured after all the sacrifices her parents had made for her!
With adrenaline coursing through her, she hastily rose to her feet and fled through the treacherous terrain of the mountain.
Her father had once mentioned a mountain road that led to a neighboring kingdom, often used for trading illegal goods.
As she navigated the rugged landscape, a mix of desperation and relief washed over her when she spotted a group of people traveling in carriages along the mountain road.
Summoning every ounce of remaining strength, she quickened her pace, closing the distance between herself and the unsuspecting group.
Observing the stationary carriages, Shu Wa'er was taken aback to discover that the majority of them were occupied by children around her age, their ankles adorned with metal cuffs—a clear indication of them being slaves.
The harsh reality of slavery in this place struck her, and she clenched her hands in disbelief.
She had never knew such cruelty existed in this world.
Looking at herself, she realized that she stood out among the children with her appearance and attire like a carrot among radishes.
She hastily tore a few pieces of her clothes to resemble a ragged beggar and applied a sparse mixture of wet mud with bird feces to her face, attempting to blend in.
With her heart pounding in her chest, she cautiously climbed into one of the carriages, hoping that her presence would go unnoticed amidst the varied faces.
As she glanced around, she noticed the numb expressions and vacant eyes of the children. Their faces held no light, their souls seemingly emptied by their harsh circumstances.
Shu Wa'er tightly clenched her hands, a mix of anger, sorrow, and shame coursing through her.
How could she sympathize with them when she couldn't even save her own loved ones? Her emotions dampened as she reflected on the blessed fortune she had once experienced—finding a family who loved her wholeheartedly, even though she was not their own.
Shu Wa'er tightly hugged herself, stifling the cries and pig-like noises that escaped her.
Suddenly, loud noises were heard at the front of the line, followed by screams and curses.
The bandits who were chasing after Shu Wa'er intercepted the slave traders, their eyes scanning the carriage.
Despite the explanations and swears of the slave traders, they searched among the children, seeking the one their leader wanted to find.
Shu Wa'er's anxiety skyrocketed as the search intensified, with one of the bandits ordering a girl with mud on her face to cleanse it.
Her heartbeat reverberated in her ears, a constant reminder of her dangerous situation.
Her eyes rapidly scanned the carriage, searching for something that could help her escape.
Just then, her eyes caught sight of a young boy holding a short dagger.
He was rapidly sawing at the rusted chain on his ankle, occasionally glancing at the situation in front.
Intensely focused, he continued his efforts until the rusted chain finally snapped with a loud crack and fell off.
The other children were startled by this unexpected turn of events.
Shu Wa'er immediately crawled toward him and urgently whispered, "Give me that dagger! I need it!"
The young boy, his face filled with relief and fear, quickly passed her the dagger, hoping it would aid in her escape, before jumping off the carriage and running into the woods.
With trembling hands, Shu Wa'er pressed the sharp point of the dagger against her face, wincing at the pain.
"Godfather, bless me," she muttered under her breath.
Without a moment's hesitation, she raised the blade to her face and abruptly slashed, causing the children around her to gasp in horror.
But that wasn't enough.
Shu Wa'er raised the dagger high and screamed as she repeatedly scarred her face, the pain becoming almost unbearable.
She refused to be captured by those bandits!
While she could save her appearance with items in the system store, she couldn't save her life if she made a mistake, at least not right now.
Her movements became rough and hasty as she used the dagger to cut her long hair into a jagged and disheveled mess.
Blood trickled down her face, mingling with her tears and snots.
Her appearance now looked no better than a ferocious ghost that arose from hell.
The other children screamed and backed away from her, terrified by her action.
Their shrieks and the sound of chains clicking echoed through the air, causing panic and confusion.
The bandits and the slave traders, drawn by the commotion, cursed and rushed toward them.
However, as soon as they gazed upon Shu Wa'er's bloody and disheveled appearance, their heart trembled in horror.
One of the bandits with scarred cheek frowned and questioned the slave trader leader suspiciously, "What's wrong with her?."
Although frightened, the slave trader leader, a fat stomach man with short legs replied with an awkward expression, "she's just a mad child."
"Sir, don't bother with her. You see, it's getting late for our journey. Please let us continue on our way," he hurriedly added, glancing at the darkening sky.
The scarred bandit's eyes grazed over Shu Wa'er, his scrutiny briefly lingering on her disfigured figure before moving away in disgust.
He signaled his men to retreat, realizing that the desired target was not among the group.
Shu Wa'er, sighing in relief, felt the unbearable pain overwhelm her. She clutched her disfigured face, her vision blurred, and finally succumbed to unconsciousness.
"Lock her up and keep her away from the others! She still holds some value!" the slave trader master hissed as he ordered his servants.