The door suddenly burst open, and a small, thin figure tumbled out.
It was a girl of about twelve or thirteen. She lost her balance and fell heavily to the ground.
Even after falling, she did not stop moving, scrambling on her hands and knees as she tried to get back up.
Then several burly figures emerged from the house behind her.
Leading them was a man in filthy, ragged clothes, his chest exposed. His grotesque grin revealed a mouthful of crooked yellow teeth. He seemed in no hurry at all; there was even a hint of playful mockery in his smile.
He also held a woodcutting axe, its blade stained with blood.
"What are you running for, you little brat?"
The man's voice was cloying and revolting:
"Your dad and mom are both dead now. Why don't you be a good girl and come with Uncle?"
As he spoke, the man kept walking toward the little girl.
It was just then that he finally noticed the figure standing nearby, dressed in a plain white gown and leading a handsome black horse.
His expression briefly froze, and then he swallowed:
"Well, well. Am I dreaming? A guest like this, here in our village?"
The man's eyes brimmed with greed, as did those of everyone behind him.
Expressionless, Zhong Yumo lowered her eyes slightly and glanced toward the little girl.
They were probably a few idle village thugs who had seized the opportunity presented by the severe drought to take over the entire village by force.
After killing nearly all the men in the village, they had left only the women alive.
Now she finally understood why the old man she had met earlier had been so desperate to drive her out of the village.
But it did not matter.
Zhong