Redemption

What was that?

Jing Hongchen thought for a moment and realized what it was. Wasn't that the small town where they had stopped earlier?

There was nowhere else nearby where people lived.

Something had happened.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he said to Xu Lanqing, "Your Highness, something's happened in the town where we stopped earlier."

Xu Lanqing froze. He looked ahead, but the world remained a vast expanse of white, unchanged.

But Jing Hongchen was a Titled Douluo, and his senses were far sharper than Xu Lanqing's. It was only natural that Xu Lanqing couldn't see what he could.

He remembered that Ju Zi was still in town. His expression changed, and he said anxiously, "Hurry! We have to go check. Saving people comes first!"

He didn't doubt Jing Hongchen's words. There was no reason for him to lie.

Jing Hongchen and Zheng Zhan nodded, then sped up again. Xu Lanqing nearly lost his footing, which showed just how hard Jing Hongchen was pushing himself.

"What exactly happened?" Xu Lanqing asked, puzzled.

Jing Hongchen focused his gaze ahead, as though that would help him see what was happening.

He shook his head. "I don't know either, but from the looks of it, it seems like some kind of bandit raid."

"Bandits, in weather like this? There's only one town within hundreds of miles. If there really were bandits, they wouldn't survive to see next year, would they?"

Doubt filled Xu Lanqing's eyes. Then he suddenly thought of something.

"Could Evil Soul Masters have done this? Weren't there two Titled Douluo Evil Soul Masters who escaped earlier?"

"If it were Evil Soul Masters, the people in the town would all be dead, and there wouldn't be any commotion," Jing Hongchen said, dismissing the idea.

Xu Lanqing's mouth twitched. "True."

But he felt a little more at ease. If that was the case, Ju Zi's chances of survival were probably good. After all, her mother was a Soul King. She could surely hold out for a while.

"By the way, where are Elder Ye and the others? I haven't seen them in ages," he asked suddenly.

"The Emperor urgently summoned them to the battlefield. It seems the fighting on the front lines suddenly intensified, and they were short on manpower," Jing Hongchen replied.

Xu Lanqing nodded. That was far beyond his reach, so he didn't ask anything else.

He looked ahead, hoping they would make it in time.

Ten minutes later.

They drew closer and closer. Even Xu Lanqing could see the thick black smoke billowing into the sky.

He could almost smell the faint scent of something burning in the air.

"Go straight to Juzi Barbecue!" Xu Lanqing pressed his lips together.

"Understood!" Jing Hongchen raised an eyebrow and agreed without hesitation.

"Whoosh—"

Like a meteor chasing the moon, they shot forward at incredible speed, accompanied by a long, piercing whistle.

Flickering flames and thick black smoke engulfed the once peaceful town, now reduced to ruins.

Corpses littered the ruined streets. There were hardly any people left moving about.

Inside Juzi Barbecue.

The tables and chairs had been overturned. Blood stained the floor, and signs of destruction were everywhere. The whole place was a wreck.

In the kitchen, a beautiful woman stood drenched in blood, leaning on an iron sword planted on the ground. She gasped for breath like someone drowning. Her Soul Power was weak, and she watched the figures surrounding her with a cold gaze.

Three burly men stood before her. They reeked of bloodlust and wore identical uniforms that looked like military attire, though it was unclear which army they belonged to.

Their faces, however, were twisted with greed and lechery. They eyed the beautiful woman, who was a prize catch by any measure, licking their lips with lustful grins.

"Who'd have thought we'd run into a beauty like this? We're in for a treat today!"

"Damn right. I've been starved for so long, I'm practically going crazy. Time to have some fun, heh."

"Ha ha ha!"

"She's so delicate. Don't break her while you're having your fun. I want a turn too."

"Get on with it! I can't hold back much longer."

They spewed vile remarks as they surrounded the woman like cats toying with a mouse, their faces full of mockery.

"Pah!"

Lin Rou spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground. Disdain filled her gaze as she looked at them.

"You scum! You think you can lay a hand on me?"

"Looks like you still don't understand the situation. Then let me teach you a lesson. Brothers, let's get her together," one of the burly men said with a vicious grin.

The three men advanced slowly toward Lin Rou. Five Soul Rings—white, yellow, yellow, purple, and purple—appeared around each of them. All three were Soul Kings.

Lin Rou tightened her grip on the iron sword. Five Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, and black—hovered around her.

She cast a discreet glance at the ground not far away, her eyes filled with reluctance. Then she raised her sword and charged at them.

Underground.

Ju Zi hid in the cellar where ingredients were stored beneath the kitchen. Her little face was pale, and she clamped a hand over her mouth, not daring to make the slightest sound. Her wide eyes were fixed on the cellar's pitch-black, seamless door as tears slid silently down her cheeks.

She could faintly hear the fighting outside, along with the mocking laughter of those devilish men.

She was consumed by terror. She stood motionless, like a serene statue.

What should I do?

What am I supposed to do?

Can someone help me?

Without realizing it, she dug her fingernails into her cheeks. Scarlet blood trickled down, but she barely noticed.

She hated how weak she was, and she hated war even more. War had taken her father, and now it was going to take her mother too. And all she could do was hide here in fear, too afraid to make a sound.

She wanted to rush out and face it all with her mother, but her legs felt as though they were weighed down with lead. Faced with death, she shamefully cowered where she was.

Fear and helplessness gripped her.

Her mind was a thick, chaotic mess.

"Ugh—"

A pained groan struck her mind like thunder, and she abruptly snapped out of it.

Without thinking, she somehow rushed outside. All she knew was that she had ended up in front of her mother, arms spread wide, her Martial Soul, Ju Zi, in her hands.

"You... Why did you come out? I told you to stay hidden and not come out..." Lin Rou said bitterly.

"Because you're my mother. I've already lost Dad, and I don't want to lose you too. Even if we die, we'll die together.

"If I just stand by and do nothing, I'll never be able to forgive myself. I'd be trapped in a nightmare forever."

Ju Zi turned to her mother. Her bloodstained face wore a relieved smile.

"You silly girl..."

"Ha ha ha!"

The lust in the uniformed men's eyes intensified, and they couldn't help laughing lewdly.

"I didn't expect a bonus too. The little girl's pretty cute. Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"Boom—"

A thunderous crash rang out. The roof suddenly caved in, leaving a gaping hole. White snowflakes drifted inside, followed by a slightly youthful voice.

"If you're so eager to mate, I can find you a few sows. No, that'd be insulting the pigs. How about you satisfy yourselves instead? What do you think?"

Ju Zi stared blankly up at the hole. The owner of the voice seemed to be treading on golden light, like a god who had come to save them.