The two watched apprehensively as the lone figure responsible for the death of their leader walked toward them. They gulped and trembled at each foot that put the man closer. "W-we are s-sorry for your inconvenience, but what the leader d-decides isn't up to us." Zhen spoke.
"Yeah, I mean we didn't do anything to you." The not-Zhen spoke. "Just let us walk away. You can even keep everything here."
Su Yan grinned. "Do I look like I care about your thoughts?"
Without waiting for their reply, he rushed in. The men had their swords drawn, but fear seemed to have paralyzed them. His single swing put the both of them on the back foot.
"Just let us go." The not-Zhen drawled. "You won't ever see us again."
Su Yan sneered but made no comment. If you started a fight, you had to see it through. It didn't matter if he was tired and didn't have any more juice left in him. No matter how appealing the option of letting them go seemed, he didn't relent. His each strike was forceful and with intent of murder.
Su Yan ducked beneath the swing of one of the men and slashed deep. The sword cut through the fabric of their robes, slashing deep into the skin. Blood gushed forth from the cut, but he paid it no mind, dodging another man's plunge.
"You crazy fucker!" The still-intact man, which he now realized was not-Zhen, yowled. "I will die with you!"
"No." Su Yan dodged calmly. "You will die alone."
Grabbing hold of his hand, he pulled him inward. The man's eyes widened but only for a moment before a grimace etched on his face. He looked down to see the sword twisted in his gut, blood dripping down on the ground.
Su Yan calmly looked him in the eye. Pulling his sword out, he glanced at the fallen man, Zhen. The man was already a trembling mess from the blood loss, and a swing to his neck finished him for good.
Taking a deep breath, Su Yan winced as he locked down at his waist. Pushing the garment upward, he was met with a giant bruise, a result of the last throes of death before his fists had put her to rest. Then there were his palms, bloodied and encased in searing pain. Thankfully, his years of fighting had helped him build a tolerance for pain.
Cleaning the blood off his sword, he sheathed it back and turned to look at the caged females all around him. "Ha..." Sighing, he shook his head. "What am I going to do with all of you?"
Then, thinking for a moment, he recalled a certain method he had read about. Although it required proper training in the cultivation art, some basic functionality could still be derived as is.
"Yin Soul Gaze." He softly muttered and cycled the last dribble of his Qi into his eyes. At once he felt a flare of something in his vision. Each of the women present gave off a silvery mist that hung around them. Some had thin, but most had thick—virgins he presumed. But one particularly bright spot blinded him momentarily.
Clearing his eyes to stop the art, he looked at that specific cage. Inside it lay a young woman, in her early twenties. She had long black hair and sapphire blue eyes. Much like her companions, she wore a dirty rag and had her hands and legs tied by ropes. Seeing the attention being directed at her, she frowned and lowered her gaze.
Su Yan thought for a moment and advanced toward the cage. "Hello." He called out. "I have a few questions that I hope will answer."
She lifted her gaze slightly. "And what if I don't? Are you going to kill me too?"
Su Yan quivered a brow at that and shook his head. "You have nothing to worry about. Just answer a few of my questions, and I will set you all free. How about that?"
"Ask." She prompted.
"First, do you know the way to Meteorite City?" She nodded. "Alright, then why exactly were you all captured, and what was going to be done with you?"
She took a moment to think and then explained. "Most of us come from the Brich Town and were caught because we got unlucky. Those guys you just killed? They have been roaming these forests for years now, kidnapping and pillaging villages. We were probably going to be sold at Meteorite City to some brothel."
Su Yan nodded and asked, "Then would you be willing to escort me to this city?"
The young woman tilted her head. "Why? So that you can fuck me?"
"Rude." He shook his head. "No, not to fuck you. Just prevent me from getting lost."
"You promise?" The woman asked.
"Yeah." Su Yan nodded. "I mean, I don't have any reason to lie to you. If I really had designs on you, I wouldn't wait till you brought me to the city. I'm pretty sure there would be more willing ladies if I asked loudly."
The woman narrowed her eyes and thought for a moment, then nodded. "Might as well."
"Cool. Now for the last question, what's your name?"
The young woman smiled at that, her dirt-smeared face somehow trying and failing to cover her beauty. Her pearly white teeth on display, she answered, "Xie Lian."
Su Yan proceeded to free Xie Lian of her cage. Using his sword, he cut off her restraints and started on others too. The women didn't protest, resigned as they were. They quietly let him cut their bindings off and pull them out of the cage.
Xie Lian found a small barrel of water next to bound steeds and started washing her face. Some of the women followed her example, and soon there was a crowd of females washing their faces or arms. It was made apparent that each of the women held quite the beauty. But even among them, Xie Lian radiated an otherworldly charm.
With her face no longer covered by dust and grime, Su Yan could make out her enchanting beauty. She had soft pink lips and pale white skin. Her face seemed to be carved with care and precision and carried a youthful aura.
He watched as the woman made her way toward him. "Well then, are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, let's depart. Wait, no, it's still night. We need to take some rest first."