The blood moon hung high in the sky, and the night breeze chilled to the bone.
At the heart of Cyan Town, inside the City Lord's Mansion.
Under the illumination of numerous Light Crystal Stones embedded in the walls, the grand hall looked like daytime.
At the topmost seat, a middle-aged man dressed in a brocade robe sat, closing his eyes in contemplation while shaking the metal wine cup in his hand.
At his side, two rows of pretty maidens stood shivering.
After a moment, the man drained the reddish liquid from his cup and casually tilted it to the side.
Immediately, a young maiden who looked only sixteen or seventeen and still had traces of innocence on her face hurried forward, her hands trembling slightly as she refilled the wine cup.
During this process, it was apparent that the maiden's exposed fair wrists were covered in startling scars, some of which had only recently scabbed over, evidently left behind not long ago.
