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"Ahā¦"
The young maiden could not even blink. Her entire body had gone stiff, her breath shallow, her mind blank. She could not comprehend how her companion, her golden shield, had been reduced to such misery in mere moments.
Things were happening too fast. Her head spun, her knees weakened, and she could only watch helplessly as her world turned upside down.
Suddenly, Jun Xie's gaze snapped toward her. His chest heaved as he sucked in ragged breaths, blood still dripping from his knuckles. He raised a trembling finger, pointing straight at her.
"What is your name!" His roar thundered across the clearing. "Dammit, tell me or you die!"
Her lips quivered, her throat dry. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes as she stammered, "...m-me?"
"Are you a ghost?!" Jun Xie snarled, eyes sharp as blades. He showed not the slightest hint of courtesy toward the so-called fairer sex. "What is your name? Speak!"
"Iā¦ Iā¦ my name is Han Yanā¦ Mengā¦" she choked out, her voice breaking. "I'm very powerfulā¦ don't you dare attack meā¦"
But her pale face betrayed the truth that she was terrified beyond reason. The fear in her jade-like features was so raw that even her words trembled like fragile glass.
Since childhood, Han Yan Meng had been pampered like a precious jewel, revered wherever she went. No one had ever dared to raise their voice at her, much less terrify her like this.
To be truly bullied was a new, unbearable humiliation.
'This man was not merely a scoundrel. He was the embodiment of shamelessness and cruelty, a devil clothed in the skin of a man.'
Sneaking out of the Magnificent Jewel Hall for a little amusement had turned into a nightmare she could never have imagined.
"Han Yan Meng?" Jun Xie muttered, stunned for a moment. "This brat's from the Silver Blizzard City's Xiao Familyā¦ and youā¦ you're from Han Yan Yao's family?"
"Sheā¦ she is my elder sister," Han Yan Meng whispered, her body shaking. "Don't you dare attack me! My sister loves me dearly! She's terribly powerful!"
Her trembling voice, more plea than threat, made it obvious she was grasping at straws, clinging to her sister's name like a lifeline.
Jun Xie froze. His eyes flickered in disbelief. Han Yan Yaoā¦ his third uncle's wifeā¦ that means this trembling little thing in front of meā¦ is his uncle's sister-in-law?
For a long moment, he stood there, dumbstruck.
Jun Xie coughed and decided to change the subject. He narrowed his eyes at the wretched figure sprawled miserably on the ground, Xiao Feng Wu, his bloodied face barely recognizable. With a finger, he pointed mockingly, his voice carrying a faint drawl of disdain.
"Is this your personal dog?"
Han Yan Meng's pretty face instantly paled. She flailed her hands before her chest in panic, her voice trembling.
"No, no, no! He, he is not my personal dog..."
Her words hadn't even finished forming when Jun Xie cut in, sharp and merciless.
"You haven't educated him one bit; he's not just a dog, but a wild dog!" His tone dripped with mockery as if every syllable was meant to sting.
The young maiden's eyes widened in shock. She stomped her foot, desperately trying to defend Xiao Feng Wu, her words stumbling out.
"He is not a wild dog! He... he is a man! He is my senior, his surname is Xiao, and hisā"
Jun Xie's laughter cut through her voice like a blade. He leaned slightly forward, eyes glinting with derision as he declared,
"He is a man? Hah! I don't see so! He is a dog!"
With casual cruelty, Jun Xie wiped the blood from his hands and cheek onto a clean handkerchief, as though the mere contact with Xiao Feng Wu's blood was filth. His tone was cold, absolute, every word like an imperial decree.
"I said he's a dog, that means he is a dog! An uneducated, wild dog! Do you understand?"
Han Yan Meng bit her lip. Never in her sheltered life had she encountered someone so tyrannical, so unreasonable, so unyielding. Her heart raced wildly, and for the first time, she felt utterly at a loss. Yet in her panic, a desperate thought struck her, and she blurted out the only defense she could muster.
"No, no, he really isn't a dog! Look! Look... he has no tail! Dogs have tails, but he... he doesn't! That means he is actually a person!"
For a brief second, Jun Xie stared at her blankly, almost stunned by the absurdity of her logic. Then, unable to restrain himself, a sharp laugh burst from his lips. He straightened, amusement flickering across his face as he deliberately twisted the knife further.
"You don't know this yet, do you? His tail was cut off!" His voice lowered, rich with mockery. "How else would they be able to make him look man-like instead of a dog?"
His lips curved into a wicked smile. He nearly added pleasing to the eye, but paused, the words lingering unsaid as his gaze swept over Han Yan Meng's flushed, anxious face.
Jun Xie's sharp eyes glinted as he noticed a faint bulge beneath Xiao Feng Yu's robes.
"Oh? Carrying some treasures, are you?" His lips curled into a wicked grin. Without hesitation, he squatted down and began stripping the unconscious Xiao Feng Yu of every pouch, ring, and hidden trinket, moving with the practiced ease of a seasoned thief.
Han Yan Meng stood frozen, her hands clenched at her sides, too frightened to speak as she watched this 'monster' shamelessly loot her senior brother like a bandit in broad daylight.
Jun Xie finally dusted his hands with satisfaction and turned, his gaze landing mischievously on Han Yan Meng. Without warning, he reached out and pinched her cheeks hard enough to make her squeal.
"Ah!" Han Yan Meng jumped back in fright, her wide eyes staring at him like he was some wild beast.
Jun Xie burst out laughing, his voice dripping with mockery. "Miss Hanā¦ heh hehā¦ I heard you call him your senior. Don't call him that again. Ha ha!"
Still chuckling, his figure blurred, vanishing into the distance like a shadow swallowed by the wind.
Han Yan Meng finally let out the breath she had been holding. Her little chest rose and fell rapidly as she patted it with trembling hands.
"Scared me to deathā¦" She muttered, her voice shaky. Relief softened her expression for a moment, until her brows knit together again.
"That last sentenceā¦" She whispered, recalling his parting words.
Her delicate face twisted with confusion. "Why shouldn't I call him senior? He is from the Xiao Familyā¦ what's wrong with that? Hmph! That man must be crazyā¦ a martial madman with a twisted brain! Definitely not normal!"
She puffed her cheeks in frustration, muttering to herself as though her words might erase the lingering fear.
But her stubbornness couldn't change the reality before her.
Xiao Feng Yu lay pale and unmoving at her feet, his injuries deep, his breath weak. The more she stood there waiting for him to wake, the heavier the silence grew.
The autumn winds picked up again, carrying a biting chill. Han Yan Meng shivered, hugging her arms around herself. Then, her eyes widened in disbelief.
The maple forest around her was changing. Leaves that had moments ago burned crimson and gold began withering into gray, crumbling into ash. One by one, the trees themselves seemed to rot and fade, their trunks splitting with eerie cracks before disintegrating into dust.
The once-beautiful forest was collapsing, as though unable to withstand the cold breath of autumn.
Han Yan Meng's lips trembled. "Whāwhat's happeningā¦?"
The lonely girl stood amidst a world that was dissolving around her, fear clawing at her heart as the wind howled through the vanishing forest.
--- ā¦ ā¦ ā¦ ---
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