Jiang Hua Ying sat on the ground, dazed and trembling as she slowly opened her eyes.
Did… did I mess up?
Shu Tian was already standing in front of Jiang Hua Cai, his massive shadow looming over her from head to toe like a mountain.
The girl beneath the shadow looked up like a fledgling bird, her damp eyes shimmering with fear.
A faint red glow flickered in Shu Tian’s mechanical eyes as he prepared to retrieve the Axe lodged behind her.
The moment his large hand reached out, Jiang Hua Ying instinctively shrank back in fear, hugging her head and curling into a ball.
Shu Tian’s motion paused midair. He pulled the Axe from the ground without a word and turned to leave.
As he turned, his other hand, hanging by his side, was suddenly wrapped in something soft and warm.
Jiang Hua Ying’s heart raced. Just as she realized she had misunderstood him, she didn’t know where the courage came from, but she reached out and grabbed his hand.
Seeing Shu Tian halt again, his Electronic Eye dimly staring at her, Jiang Hua Ying knew it was already too late to regret.
She swallowed nervously and softly meowed, “Yi Meng.”
“Yi Meng” was the name Jiang Hua Cai had once given him.
These two words seemed to trigger some underlying mechanism. The inorganic Electronic Eye suddenly blazed with a scorching red light, locking firmly onto Jiang Hua Ying.
Something bound to that name seemed to awaken, surging endlessly in his blood. Shu Tian’s bronzed skin flushed red like heated iron, with waves of heat rolling off him.
“Yi Cai… can I hold your hand?” Jiang Hua Ying felt her palm grow hot. Uncomfortable, she shifted a little, her fingertips unconsciously brushing over the Butcher’s knuckles.
Shu Tian’s gaze shifted to their clasped hands.
The hand that had just killed was still stained with dark red blood. Bulging veins and old scars crisscrossed the back, radiating a sense of absolute strength and danger.
It was completely different from the small hand exploring his palm.
The girl’s hand was pale, smooth, and flawless, without a single callus—a hand pampered since childhood.
But now that delicate hand was stained.
Shu Tian stared for a long while.
Jiang Hua Ying thought he was unhappy, so she quickly withdrew her hand and obediently hid it behind her back.
Shu Tian didn’t react, simply resuming his silent walk forward.
[Black Mist Density -1]
The sudden system prompt made Jiang Hua Ying blink in surprise.
Is this something I can affect directly?
Watching Shu Tian walk farther and farther away, Jiang Hua Ying didn’t dare delay any longer. She hurried to catch up, following him cautiously.
At first, she kept her distance, stopping and starting, stretching out like a little snail testing the waters, probing his attitude.
After confirming that Shu Tian didn’t react at all, Jiang Hua Ying took it as tacit approval and followed openly behind him, maintaining a distance of about ten meters.
The first round of reaping had long since ended.
Perhaps because of Shu Tian’s natural aura, there were hardly any Two-Legged Sheep in the areas he passed through.
If any unlucky ones did bump into him, they would flee at the sight of the Butcher.
Naturally, no one noticed the little tail following behind him.
Jiang Hua Ying checked her black Terminal, her steps growing lighter.
Five minutes later, Jiang Hua Ying was already struggling to keep up.
Her weak constitution was exposed at this moment.
Her little face flushed from exertion, cherry blossom-pink lips parted as she gasped for breath. Even though she tried her best, she still couldn’t keep up.
Forcing herself to take another step forward, Jiang Hua Ying looked ahead.
Her stride wasn’t short at all, but compared to the tall and long-legged Butcher, she instantly wilted.
His single step was worth two of hers.
Not to mention, she had to constantly watch her footing to avoid tripping or stepping on something strange.
Every sound of her stumbling steps fell into the Butcher’s ears.
Listening to the increasingly slow and sticky steps, like melted rice cake, Shu Tian shortened his stride by half and slowed his pace accordingly.
After walking for another ten minutes or so, they arrived at a fork in the road.
One side was barely lit by a single flickering bulb, its faulty connection causing it to blink on and off, as if it might burn out at any moment and plunge the path into darkness.
Jiang Hua Ying silently prayed not to have to take that way.
But things never go as one wishes—Shu Tian walked straight over.
Jiang Hua Ying watched his figure disappear into the black tide, only the faint red glow of his eyes flickering in and out.
She stood frozen in place, her hands unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes.
That pitch-black road looked like the gaping maw of a giant beast, threatening to swallow her whole in the next second.
For a pampered young lady like her, Jiang Hua Ying had many fears.
She was afraid of the dark, of ghosts, of rats, of bugs, of being alone…
She didn’t dare go in, but she couldn’t stay here either.
The deserted street was eerily silent, as if a ghost might emerge at any moment to grab her ankles.
But as time ticked by and Shu Tian didn’t return, Jiang Hua Ying grew more and more anxious. If she didn’t go in now, she’d lose her way.
Just then, the streetlight at the intersection flickered rapidly and, with a “pop,” exploded.
Jiang Hua Ying jumped in fright, her hair standing on end!
Pushed to her limit, she instinctively chose to trust the only person she could.
Jiang Hua Ying charged headlong into the darkness.
She crashed hard into a wall.
Holding her sore nose, Jiang Hua Ying took a step back and finally noticed the bulging, muscular chest in front of her radiating heat—it was the Butcher’s bare torso.
So he hadn’t gone far after all.
The next second, Jiang Hua Ying heard a system prompt.
[Black Mist Density +2]
Shu Tian was lowering his head, his pale skull mask and those scarlet Electronic Eyes staring straight at her feet and her injured heel.
The frantic running had caused her delicate flesh to rub against the rough heel of her shoe again. The wound on her pale skin oozed bright red blood, like cracks on fine porcelain.
Shu Tian’s gaze moved upward.
The girl in front of him trembled slightly.
A pink blush spread beneath her porcelain skin, tinting her shoulders and the corners of her eyes, making her look especially pitiful.
Shu Tian let out a short, guttural sound from his throat.
The next instant, Jiang Hua Ying felt the world spin.
She cried out in surprise as Shu Tian swept her onto his shoulder.
His iron-like arm wrapped tightly around her waist, his massive hand gripping her firmly by the ribs.
Jiang Hua Ying dangled upside-down, facing the Butcher’s bare back. The muscles were taut and sculpted, forming a deep and seductive groove down his spine.
“Yi Cai?” She felt all the blood rush to her head, her mind a mess. Only the thought of lowering the Black Mist Density remained clear. “I can walk by myself. I’ll be quick.”
“No,” Shu Tian spoke his first word since their meeting, his voice low and hoarse.
He continued carrying Jiang Hua Ying forward, his combat boots thudding heavily on the ground.
Without the little tail slowing him down, Shu Tian’s pace quickened.
After another twenty minutes or so, Jiang Hua Ying was finally set down by her waist.
She looked around.
Crowded, chaotic, and dense concrete buildings formed a labyrinth, like a cyberpunk version of the Nine Dragons Walled City.
Shu Tian walked up to a standard room, set his massive Axe by the door, twisted the handle, and went inside.
Jiang Hua Ying crouched outside.
Thankfully, she had the sense not to follow, standing in place and staring at her dusty toes.
[Black Mist Density +1]
The system prompt sounded again.
Jiang Hua Ying thought to herself, Good thing I stayed outside and didn’t go in to annoy him.
With so many empty rooms here, there must be somewhere she could stay…
By now, it was deep into the night.
The entire X District had quieted down. The surviving Two-Legged Sheep finally had a chance to rest, seizing every second to recover.
The tightly shut door creaked open, the “squeak” especially loud in the silence.
Shu Tian walked out of the room, carrying a large black garbage bag in one hand.
The bag was stuffed full and rattled with a “clank clank” as it moved.
From beneath a tarp not far away, a platinum-blonde head poked out.
The once-confident young lady now looked like a stray cat, pitifully curled up by the trash.
X District had been abandoned for years. No one knew what had happened, but traces remained, making people think of the Flood and Shu Shu.
Jiang Hua Ying circled the area, but couldn’t find a single clean spot to rest her feet.
The cleanest place was actually the Butcher’s doorstep.
After much fuss, she finally managed to fall asleep, only to be woken by a loud noise.
After tossing the garbage bag, Shu Tian returned inside.
The bag wasn’t tied tightly. When it hit the ground, the mouth gaped open, revealing its contents.
Among the crumpled paper, double-layered glass tubes containing golden Healing Ointment were especially conspicuous.
Beneath the ointment, there was even some neatly packaged food.
The stray cat’s stomach rumbled, and she dove halfway into the garbage bag.
Jiang Hua Ying first applied Healing Ointment to her foot.
Just like the label said, “Heals your wounds in just one minute—MF.” The effect was excellent—
Except for the moment she applied it, which stung so much her eyes teared up.
After finishing the ointment, Jiang Hua Ying eagerly tore open the food and started eating.
Once her stomach was full and the hunger faded, she opened her Personal Panel.
Jiang Hua Ying: “System, did the Black Mist Density just get lighter?”
[Yes.]
Jiang Hua Ying: “When did my Blackening Value decrease?”
[When you rummaged through the trash, Black Mist Density -5.]
Jiang Hua Ying chewed on the bread-like food, glancing at the tightly closed door not far away, her courage only returning after half a beat.
Late into the night, rain poured down in sheets.
A light flickered on in the pitch-black room.
Before the Butcher could open the door, a knocking sounded first.
In the “whoosh” of rain, a girl’s pitiful voice, soft and sweet like a mochi cake soaked in syrup, drifted out: “Yi Cai, can I stay with you for the night?”