Chapter 2319 - 104: Crow's Prophecy VII_3

The tall men sneered as they placed a rusty iron sword on the white neck of the girl, repeatedly gesturing as if probing where a single slash would satisfy their bloodthirsty desires.

The girl shivered uncontrollably, further amusing these scoundrels.

Suddenly, they paused, surprisingly noticing the sudden appearance of a little figure.

"Hey, another one," the leading man whistled. "Look what I've found, a little 'Shadow Person'."

The others laughed knowingly.

Dai trembled, fear almost pushing her to faint, gasping softly, yet unable to move as she faced her sister in these men's hands.

The girl in the men's grasp suddenly sensed something, lifted her head, her dull eyes gazing toward her sister's direction. "—Run, Dai! Run! Don't worry about me!" She mustered all her courage to shout.

But how could Dai run? Her sister, her only family in this world. Tears streamed uncontrollably as she struggled to lift a stone from the ground, wobbling as she faced the men.

The tall man chuckled, turning to his companions, "Look, she's preparing to attack us."

The bounty hunters chuckled lightly.

The man drew his short sword, advancing toward Dai.

Dai was so terrified she nearly convulsed; instinctive fear overwhelmed everything. Tears flowed freely, yet she closed her eyes tightly, trembling as she raised the stone.

At this moment, a hand emerged from behind her, gently pressing her cold hand.

Dai shuddered, opening her reddened eyes, glaring as she turned around. The young man, wrapped completely in layers, pressed her hand with one, while from the other, he calmly drew a rapier—out from its sword sheath.

He slipped his hand through the hilt, raising the rapier to point its tip at the bounty hunters—

At that moment, the boy, in his pitch-black coat, pointed wizard hat, even the raised collar hiding his face, with his calm, silent gaze, and the sword in his hand, became nearly the girl's entire world.

But the 'Hyenas' only sneered, seeming already informed that the camp's decent fighters had left. "Another wet-behind-the-ears kid," the tall bounty hunter spat, "Hey, kid, I suggest you don't point that thing at us—"

But Xiangzi rarely spoke nonsense.

He's not used to speaking, expressing everything through action. With his leather-gloved left hand raised, the tall man's sentence abruptly ended, his entire body soaring, crashing into the tree behind with a boom.

Almost everyone heard the crisp sound of bones breaking.

The bounty hunters startled awake, drawing their swords. But the coat-clad boy, gestured at each one, whispering, "Detect, metal sensing, force field, soul-stealing—"

Pointing to the weapons in their hands, his left hand brushed lightly, the bounty hunters felt an immense force from their sword blade. They seemed only able to watch as their controlled weapons moved to slash themselves.

Xiangzi watched silently, rarely whispering:

"He who commits evil shall reap the consequence—"

A flash of dazzling sword light flickered, making every bounty hunter near the girl seem bewitched, standing still and raising their hands to slash themselves clockwise.

The cold blade brushed fragile necks, crimson blood arrows sprayed out. Yet the blood didn't fall but froze in mid-air.

The surviving bounty hunters looked as though seeing phantoms, wheezing in terror, realizing they couldn't turn to flee, only issuing a distorted scream, charging at Xiangzi.

But what greeted them were mere flashes of sword light; Xiangzi, a top fighter in the Seven Seas Travel Group, dispatched these low-rank enemies no different than slaughtering a chicken.

Until the last corpse fell, he gently wiped the sword blade, then flicked, sending the lingering blood scattering onto the snowy ground. From start to finish, it took mere seconds.

Dai stood dumbfounded, staring at the scene in shock.

She remained motionless, unaware when Xiangzi took the stone from her hand and tossed it aside.

Xiangzi gave her a glance, ensuring she was unharmed, then lightly passed her to approach the bloodstained girl. Squatting, he took off his coat, draping it over the shivering girl, helping her up.

The girl trembled, keenly discerning his gender from the warm coat and broad hands supporting her. She seemed vaguely aware of what happened, bowing her head, voice trembling as she asked:

"Dai...?"

"Sister, sister..." Dai hesitated, finally reacting, sobbing and wiping tears, saying amid sniffs, "...sister, sister, we're saved, it's... it's Adrian-Box sir, sir saved us...sob sob sob..."

"Dai, Dai please don't cry..."

The girl curled her head slightly, blind, momentarily at a loss, blushing as she awkwardly thanked: "Thank, thanks... Ad-Adrian-Box sir..."

Xiangzi tilted his head slightly, puzzled when he acquired such a strange name?

At this moment, a call sounded from the Forest: "Xiangzi, where did you go!? Tons of enemies here, come help!"

The voice of Tianlan's was recognizable.

Xiangzi turned back, glancing towards the opposite side of the Forest, realizing those 'Hyenas' he killed here were insignificant on this battlefield. In that direction, countless knight figures in black and white war robes emerged from the Forest's edge.

Further beyond, even more mercenaries swarmed, several attacking formations stepping out from the snowy shrubs.

Seeing this, Dai suddenly gasped, exclaiming, "Sister Shaya, Sister Shaya and others are still in the camp!"

Xiangzi fell silent for a moment.

He lowered his gaze to the sword in his hand, then instinctively shifted it aside, taking a glance at the black hilt suspended—of the rapier, resembling a folded, winged Raven.

The Raven's eyes, the blood-red gemstone, flickering dimly.

It's that sword he could never unsheathe.

...