Upon hearing a cry for help, Liu Xiaojing reacted with little more than curiosity. He leaned forward and glanced down the alley, where he saw a couple, entangled in an embrace, walking towards him. The woman in the man's arms appeared reluctant, struggling desperately, but her efforts were in vain as the man's strength overpowered her. He held her tightly, covering her mouth, rendering her unable to cry out. Liu Xiaojing observed this scene, and although he had heard the woman's plea, he hadn't fully grasped the situation. He was confused as to why the man was groping the woman in such a manner, or why the man's face seemed to reflect such urgency and desire. These two strange individuals…
Before long, the man continued to drag the woman toward him, while Liu Xiaojing stood still, watching them with a puzzled expression, as if trying to understand their actions. When the man saw Liu Xiaojing, he was startled at the sight of another person in such an isolated place, but upon assessing Liu Xiaojing's appearance, his gaze turned menacing.
"What are you staring at? Never seen a couple before? Keep looking and I'll gouge your eyes out!"
Liu Xiaojing, though unbothered by the man's threatening tone, shifted his gaze, not wanting to provoke any trouble. However, the woman, upon catching sight of him, seemed to recognize a potential savior. She began to struggle even more violently, and with all her might, she bit the man's hand, breaking free just enough to speak.
"Sir! Please, help me! I beg you! I... I don't know him! He's a bad man..." Her plea was cut off as the man swiftly clamped his hand over her mouth once again, and despite her frantic struggles, she could do nothing to escape. In her desperation, tears began to stream down her face, unsure whether they were due to her plight or the sorrow she felt at seeing Liu Xiaojing's passive expression.
Liu Xiaojing, now understanding the situation, observed the woman's expression and realized what had transpired. Still, he remained unmoved, his indifference unchanged. His circumstances were complicated, and avoiding unnecessary trouble seemed the wisest course—after all, becoming entangled in such a matter could attract unwanted attention, and that would certainly not benefit him.
The man, however, had been watching Liu Xiaojing closely. When he saw that Liu Xiaojing remained unmoved by the woman's desperate cry, he smirked and taunted, "Hmph, at least you know your place, you filthy beggar. If you dare meddle in my business, I'll make sure you won't see the sun tomorrow."
With that, the man sneered at Liu Xiaojing before roughly pulling the woman with him deeper into the alley, disregarding the beggar who wisely minded his own business. But as the man spoke, Liu Xiaojing's thoughts began to stir. He had been troubled by his own situation, uncertain of how to proceed without drawing attention, and the arrival of these two strange individuals had momentarily distracted him. The man's taunt, however, brought him back to his previous concern—he needed food. Without it, he might fall into the same frenzy as before, and that would draw even more unwanted attention.
Today's events had underscored the importance of money in this place. Slowly, Liu Xiaojing stood up, his gaze fixing on the man's back. He then spoke, his voice steady and cold.
"Stop. You must have money. Give it to me. All of it."
The man, hearing the disturbance behind him, paused and turned, his expression dark and hostile. "You filthy beggar, you want to die, huh?"
"Give me the money. All of it." Liu Xiaojing repeated, his face expressionless, his tone unwavering.
The man laughed, his face contorting into an even more sinister expression. He released his grip on the woman, turned to face Liu Xiaojing, and from his pocket, pulled out a folding knife.
"Kid, if you're looking to die, I won't stop you. You're just a beggar, no one will care if you're gone." The woman, now free from his grasp, pressed herself against the wall in fear. Though she worried for Liu Xiaojing's safety, she was too terrified of the knife in the man's hand to speak.
Liu Xiaojing, however, remained unperturbed. He glanced at the knife without flinching. "Give me the money. All of it. Don't make me repeat myself."
"Looking to die, huh?!" The man, enraged by Liu Xiaojing's defiance, lunged forward, the knife stabbing toward Liu Xiaojing's abdomen with swift precision. In the dim light, the blade flashed with a cold gleam, its target clear.
But in the instant the blade made contact with Liu Xiaojing's body, something strange happened. Instead of piercing him, the knife folded like a flimsy piece of cardboard. The man's smug grin turned to confusion, followed by an overwhelming sense of dread. The folding knife, now bent out of shape, had failed to do any harm.
Liu Xiaojing, his face still emotionless, looked down at the knife pressed against his abdomen, now bent and useless. Without a word, he reached out and extended his hand toward the man.
"Money. I want the money. All of it. Don't make me repeat myself. Thank you."
The man, stunned, stared at the twisted knife in his hand, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The fear he had suppressed earlier exploded within him. Throwing the knife aside, he began to punch Liu Xiaojing with all his strength, but the blows were ineffective. Liu Xiaojing stood motionless, his expression one of mild curiosity, as if pondering what the man was doing.
Minutes passed, and the man's energy was spent. He stopped, panting, his eyes now filled with doubt and disbelief. "What... what are you?"
Liu Xiaojing sighed, clearly bored. "Forget it. I'll do it myself." He stepped forward, and with a swift, almost effortless motion, a slender hand, painted in black nail polish, struck the man's face. The world spun for the man, and he was sent hurtling backward, crashing into the wall with bone-crushing force. His body slumped to the ground, his neck twisted in a grotesque angle.
"Mm? Is he dead?" Liu Xiaojing muttered, glancing at the man's limp form. He walked over to the body, rifling through the man's clothes. After some searching, he found only a few small bills. Though he didn't recognize the currency, he could tell from the quantity how much it was worth. Disappointed, Liu Xiaojing pocketed the money, feeling as though he'd been shortchanged.
Meanwhile, the woman, who had witnessed the entire scene, was too shaken to speak. Though she hadn't seen the knife's strange fate, she had watched the man's bizarre demise.
"You... you..." she stammered, but Liu Xiaojing simply pocketed the money and turned away. Without saying a word, he walked off into the night, disappearing into the shadows.
The woman, breathing a sigh of relief, looked back at the man's lifeless form. Spitting in disgust, she quickly left the alley, never to return. What she didn't see, however, was that after Liu Xiaojing and the woman had gone, the man's fingers twitched. The wound on his face, caused by an unknown object, began to darken with a sinister, spreading bruise.