Chapter 53 Book 2 Camaraderie
The forest stretched endlessly, an untamed sea of green beneath the vast canopy of the heavens. Sunlight pierced through the leaves in shafts of gold, illuminating the winding path that Li An's group followed. The once-small band of travelers had grown to nearly forty, with the rescued women finding solace and security in the presence of the young leader and her formidable guards. They dared not return to their families in the capital; shame, fear, and the threat of punishment for losing their chastity hung over them like a dark cloud.
It would be better if they lose their lives rather than come back tainted. For their family that was better than surviving with such dirt in their honor.
