Touching Beika Town

Masuo Eri had suffered quite a few scares over the past few days. The kidnappers had evidently been too lazy to provide their hostage with a balanced diet, following the simple principle of "as long as she doesn't die" when it came to food, clothing, and shelter.

Under such harsh conditions, Masuo Eri was exhausted. She had been sleeping fitfully just moments ago.

...Until a series of strange, muffled thuds startled her awake. Relying on what little vigilance she had left, along with an instinctive fear of that sound, she barely managed to open her eyes.

Then she immediately saw someone nearby swinging a stick and beating a person. Perhaps it was an illusion, but through her blurred vision, Masuo Eri could even make out terrifying emotions on the attacker's face—"pleasure" and "relaxation," utterly out of place in the current situation.

Even more terrifyingly, after she stared blankly for a few moments, the person doing the beating seemed to notice the movement on her side. He suddenly looked away from the half-dead Man in Black, turned around, and looked at her.

Masuo Eri: "!!!"

Jiang Xia: "..."

He looked at the terrified hostage, then at the kidnapper, whose Killing Intent had mostly faded. First, he gathered up the Killing Intent he had knocked loose and put it away. Then he picked up the rope nearby, stepped on the Man in Black to secure him, and tied several tight knots.

Then he turned and walked toward the woman in the corner.

As he approached, she squirmed in utter terror, wishing she could shrink her entire body into the corner.

"Don't be afraid. I'm a good person." Noticing that her reaction was off, Jiang Xia paused slightly and hid the Collapsible Baton behind his back.

Then he gave her a heartwarming smile.