"Azhen."
The corners of Xu Si's eyes lifted slightly, and her voice was a bit hoarse as she scanned the area behind him. She hadn't expected Azhen to arrive so quickly. She also hadn't expected him to come personally, and even less so, that he would come alone.
"Mhm, here I am."
He chuckled softly, leaning down as he gently embraced Xu Si. His fingers caught on the hemp rope behind her. With a forceful tug, SNAP! The coarse hemp rope simply broke apart.
His fingertips grazed lightly over the marks the rope had left on her arms, his voice tinged with heartache.
"You've been hurt. The way these people tie knots is still as lousy as ever. Later, I'll kill them all as an apology to you."
Xu Si hadn't paid attention to his words. Her mind was entirely captivated by the JINGLE JANGLE sound from his hands, as if a specialized shackle had been placed around her.
Before she could turn her head to confirm, he suddenly drew even closer, forcibly interrupting all her movements.
