As the sun gently slipped towards the horizon, painting the sky with shades of purple and orange, Xiao Yao strode confidently towards the city gate, picking up a bucket along the way. He had keenly observed that the guards only paid attention to obvious signs of danger: weapons or faces marked on the posters of fugitives from the two neighboring kingdoms separated by the vast forest. A slight smile stretched his lips as he passed them, nonchalant and undisturbed by their scrutinizing gazes.
Once beyond the protective walls of the city, he chose a direction that led deep into the dense canopy of the forest, where the shadows of the tall trees welcomed the emerging twilight.
***
In a small cabin nestled near a winding river, muffled cries broke the calm of the surrounding forest. The cabin was rudimentary, built with worn wooden planks and supported by sturdy beams.
Inside, two men with hard faces were sitting on simple chairs, their expressions marked by tension. Beside them, a young girl, barely a teenager, was tied up. Tears rolled down her pale cheeks, her wide eyes filled with terror and incomprehension.
Her wrists were bound behind her back with a coarse rope, while a thick piece of cloth muffled her cries and filled her mouth.
The setting sun cast a reddish glow through the slats of the wood, accentuating the dark and oppressive atmosphere of the scene.
"We've been waiting here forever. It could become problematic if Luminara city sends a patrol into the forest," grumbled a robust man as he toyed with a knife, his voice laden with annoyance.
The other man, bent over a map spread out in front of him, responded without even looking up: "He will come, and our money with him."
Hearing this, the robust man let out a biting laugh while looking at the tied-up girl near them, whose tears betrayed her terror. "I hope so. This mission has been too easy, thanks to this girl's naivety."
His companion cast a disillusioned glance at the girl in question: "These noble girls live in their own fairy tale. They think the outside world is an enchanted garden."
"I'd really like to taste her," added the robust man in an almost melancholic tone, his gaze hardening.
"Our client clearly told us not to touch her. We follow orders," the other intervened in a calmer tone, seeming more annoyed by his companion's attitude than by the situation itself.
The exchanged words increased the girl's anxiety, now convinced that her captors had much darker intentions towards her than she had imagined.
In the oppressive silence that enveloped the room, the only audible sounds were the muffled pleas of the young girl, begging for mercy that seemed already lost. The two men observed the scene with calculated indifference, as if they had already anticipated every move in this power game.
Suddenly, a small bird appeared, flying gracefully across the room before delicately landing on the table. Its unexpected arrival momentarily broke the palpable tension.
"Looks like we have a little curious visitor here," snickered the man with the knife, a mocking smile on his lips. He reached out to grab the bird, but it swiftly dodged his fingers and flew to the window. There, it perched on the ledge, casting sharp and curious glances at its observers.
The two men exchanged a brief look, then shrugged nonchalantly. After all, what could a little bird do against them?
Ten long minutes passed in that oppressive cabin. The atmosphere was heavy, impregnated with the muffled cries of the young girl who still desperately tried to plead for mercy.
The bird continued to watch them, as if it were monitoring their every move. The man with the knife, increasingly annoyed by this incongruous presence, stood up abruptly and chased the bird away, which flew off silently.
As silence fell back in the cabin, broken only by the terrified girl's panting breaths, the man with the knife was suddenly irritated by his captive's continuous whining.
"Shut up!" he suddenly shouted, abruptly cutting off the girl's pleas and filling the room with an even more palpable tension.
Suddenly, a strange noise echoed through the cabin, freezing the two men in place. One grabbed his sword, while the other pressed his knife gently against the girl's throat, who held her breath in fear.
The man with the sword cautiously advanced towards the door, his senses on high alert. Carefully, he turned the handle and pushed it slightly. The dawning light cast its first rays through the cabin's windows, faintly illuminating the interior. As he scanned the outside, he saw nothing unusual in the immediate surroundings. However, when his gaze fell to the ground, he noticed the bird he had seen earlier, perched nearby. The animal calmly stared at him with its small, bright eyes.
Annoyed by this false alarm, the man moved slightly, causing the bird to fly away, seemingly relieved to escape.
"It was just that stupid..." he began to say, but his words caught in his throat when he turned towards his companion. His pupils dilated, and his heart started racing.
Behind his companion, a young man with dark eyes was smiling discreetly, a finger on his lips, signaling him to stay quiet.
Seeing his friend's reaction, the man with the knife frowned, perplexed for a second before becoming decisive. In a flash, he struck violently with his knife behind him, hoping to hit whatever was there. Then, in a fluid motion, he lunged forward, rolling on the ground to avoid a possible counterattack.
As he got up, he turned his head to see the young man with the enigmatic smile holding a hand that had a knife planted in it. A wave of perplexity crossed his face. He slowly lowered his eyes, realizing with horror that his own hand was missing.
A scream pierced the air, tearing through the silence of the cabin, resonating like a pig in a slaughterhouse. The pain was unbearable, and he fell to his knees, clutching the bloody stump where his hand had once been.
The young man remained unruffled, his enigmatic smile never leaving his lips as he continued to gaze steadily at the man with the sword.
"I'm going to kill you, i'm going to kill you !" shouted the man, desperately trying to stop the bleeding from histoire mutilated arm, histoire eyes burning with hatred.
Xiao Yao esquissed a slight smile as he observed the scene. With a troubling serenity, he approached the young girl, still trembling with fear. Gently, he placed a reassuring hand on her head, his fingers brushing through her hair in a comforting gesture. Sensing her terror, he picked up a bandage from the floor. With precise and delicate movements, he wrapped the cloth around her eyes, creating a blindfold that plunged her into darkness, shielding her from the horror that would follow. She trembled slightly, but Xiao Yao's gentle touch helped her relax a bit, even though the anxiety remained present in her shallow breaths.
In the narrow gloom of the abandoned cabin, the atmosphere crackled with tension. The three figures faced each other. The two men opposite Xiao Yao appeared nervous yet determined to defeat him, despite the powerful aura emanating from Xiao Yao.
The man wielding the sword, his face contorted with rage, was the first to attack. He lunged at Xiao Yao with palpable fury, his blade gleaming faintly in the dim light of the cabin. With supernatural agility, Xiao Yao dodged his strike, moving with an impressive grace that seemed to defy gravity. In a fluid motion, he seized the man's wrist, twisting his momentum against him. The sword was ripped from his grip, spinning through the air before embedding itself deeply into the decaying wooden floor.
Meanwhile, the other man, armed with a knife and wounded but not defeated, attempted a sneak attack from behind. However, Xiao Yao had already anticipated his move. With precise and swift motion, he deflected the knife blade, firmly grasped the assailant's wrist, and disarmed him with a sharp twist.
Now disarmed and disoriented, the two men found themselves vulnerable before Xiao Yao. Without hesitation, Xiao Yao went on the offensive. With a series of lightning-fast movements of astonishing mastery, he neutralized his adversaries one by one. Each strike was precise, every dodge calculated with a finesse that betrayed unmatched skill.
In a matter of moments, the fight came to an end. The two men lay on the ground, lifeless. Xiao Yao stood in the center of the cabin, his expression impassive and his features calm, contrasting with the recent tumult of battle. The cabin echoed with the heavy silence of defeat, only disturbed by the young girl's shallow breaths.
Xiao Yao, with silent grace, gently freed the young girl's hands from their bonds without removing the blindfold covering her eyes. He carefully took her into his arms, and with calm determination, dashed into the forest. Using his cultivation to enhance his speed, he moved through the trees with supernatural agility, skillfully avoiding obstacles in his path.
The young girl, feeling the wind whip her face and Xiao Yao's protective arms around her, experienced both fear and uncertainty. Deprived of sight of her savior, she wondered who he truly was and if he was there to save her. Despite her apprehensions, she felt safe in his embrace as they traversed the dense forest.
After a few minutes of frantic running, she finally felt her feet touch solid ground. A peaceful silence enveloped the moment, broken only by the gentle whisper of the wind through the trees. Taking a deep breath, the young girl decided it was time to lift the bandage covering her eyes. Her fingers trembled slightly as she gently removed the cloth.
When her eyes finally opened, she was dazzled by the sight before her: the majestic gates of the city of Luminara, illuminated by bright torches marking the city's entrance. The warm glow of the flames danced on the stone walls, creating a welcoming ambiance despite the darkness of the night. A sense of relief and gratitude washed over her as she realized she was safe, at least for the moment, sheltered from the dangers of the forest.
In the heart of the city of Luminara, a sturdy and visibly agitated man ran alongside the guards, his voice resonating with anger as he addressed the city guard captain. His eyes gleamed with frustration as he growled,
"It's been an hour since you sent out patrols, why haven't they found my daughter?!"
The guard captain, slightly trembling under the man's furious gaze, tried to justify,
"Sir, we've sealed off the area for miles around. They couldn't have gone far."
Despite the captain's response, the man seemed unconvinced. His face reflected growing anxiety and impatience.
The chief of the city guards shared the growing stress of the father, bewildered by the sudden disappearance of the mayor's daughter without anyone being able to locate her.
They had been under tension for over an hour, with nearly 80% of the guards sent on patrols around the city, yielding no positive results.
As he tried to make sense of the situation and coordinate the searches, a guard arrived running, his face expressing urgency. He exclaimed, "Sir, we have found Miss Elise, she was found at the city gate, in critical condition."
Upon hearing these words, a wave of terror and relief mixed across the mayor's face. His heart pounded so hard he could almost hear it echoing in his temples. Without taking any more time to think, he dashed through the paved streets of the city, his steps echoing like drums of urgency. The guards, alerted by his urgency and captivated by his dedication, followed closely behind, their boots pounding the ground as they tried to match their leader's frenzied pace.
Arriving at the city gate, his labored breath mingled with the night air. His eyes scanned feverishly until he finally spotted his daughter, trembling under a blanket. His heart swelled with an indescribable mix of happiness and relief. He approached her cautiously, his hands trembling at the sight of his daughter unharmed despite the minor injuries on her face, poignant symbols of her ordeal.
"Dad, I'm sorry, so sorry." The words trembled on the daughter's lips as tears streamed down her cheeks. She sat there, wrapped in a blanket, her eyes filled with pain and deep regret. Her father, his face marked by mingled anxiety and relief, approached her with palpable tenderness.
He knelt gently beside her, his trembling hands gently holding hers. Their eyes met, filled with so many unspoken emotions, so much past fear and gratitude to finally be reunited. Silence fell, only interrupted by the daughter's muffled sobs and the father's labored breath.
"Dad..." she murmured again, unable to find other words to express the depth of her sorrow and gratitude.
The father gently embraced her, a protective and comforting gesture. He felt the tremor of her body, the fragility of her soul after the anguish she had endured. But in that moment, they were together, in the warm circle of their reunited family love, far from the tumults and dangers of the night past.
The guards, respectfully standing back, watched this emotional scene with a touch of relief.
The father held his daughter close with infinite tenderness, aware that she had just endured a harrowing ordeal. He chose not to press her with questions, preferring to offer silent comfort. The tears she shed conveyed to him the full extent of the distress and fear she had endured.
In his mind, tormented by worry, he found relief in seeing her clothes slightly rumpled but otherwise normal. Every detail, every crease in her clothing, offered him precious reassurance: nothing malicious had befallen her. It was as if every fiber of fabric testified to her physical integrity, soothing the anxieties that had plagued his mind since her departure.
In that fragile yet precious moment, he knew that their family had been spared from a terrible misfortune. The regained safety of his daughter in his arms was a blessing he would cherish forever, even if he had to patiently wait to learn the details of her ordeal.
***
In the abandoned cabin, the worm-eaten door closed. Fresh blood slowly seeped under the cracked door, forming a dark pool on the earthy ground outside. Above the cabin, the moon slowly emerged in the night sky, casting a silvery light through the leaves of the trees surrounding the clearing. Its soft and mysterious glow contrasted with the disturbing atmosphere and the sinister scene inside the cabin.
Inside, the metallic sounds of cutting echoed in the confined space of the cabin, breaking the natural silence of the forest. Each clink was like a discordant note in a symphony of tranquility, an undeniable presence of human activity where only nature should have reigned supreme.