Here, his rules were the only rules.
Whether a six-year-old child could leave Slaughter City alive was up to his own fate.
As for "taking care of him"?
The King of Slaughter leaned back in his stone chair and closed his eyes, the smile still lingering at the corners of his mouth.
If a six-year-old child could last three days, he'd be lucky.
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
Slaughter City.
The entrance.
Luo Yun stood before a massive iron gate. It was shut tight, and a dark red glow seeped through the cracks.
He didn't know where his father had gone, or what lay beyond the gate.
He only knew that the God Trial said to "clear Slaughter City," so this was where he had to start.
The iron gate slowly opened.
Dark red light surged out from behind it, swallowing him like a tide.
The light carried a thick stench of blood, mixed with alcohol, sweat, and something rotten. It hit him full in the face, so overpowering it was enough to make anyone gag.
Luo Yun didn't move.
He stood there, staring without blinking at the world beyond the gate.
It was a huge city.
A city built deep beneath the ground.
Above him stretched a rocky dome whose peak was nowhere to be seen.
Buildings stood everywhere in the city. Some were built of stone, some of wood, and others looked as if they'd been pieced together from bones and leather.
The streets were narrow, and brawls and killings erupted everywhere.
Someone died with every passing moment.
The air was thick with the smell of alcohol, blood, shit and piss, and some unidentifiable spice, all blended into a stench that made one's head spin.
Luo Yun stood there like an outcast.
He wore a clean black robe, his hair neatly tied back, and his face was without a single scar.
His skin was fair, his features exquisite, his gaze cool and distant. He stood at the entrance to that filthy, blood-soaked, frenzied city.
Just then.
A scantily clad maid walked out from behind the gate.
The woman looked to be in her twenties. She wore a qipao that barely covered her body, revealing plenty of skin and curves.
Her face was thickly made up, her lips painted bright red, and black eyeliner ringed her eyes. She looked seductive yet vulgar.
She swayed her hips as she walked over to Luo Yun, then lowered her head.
She froze on the spot.
She'd seen plenty of newcomers.
There had been hulking brutes, ferocious bandits, and murderous Evil Soul Masters.
But she'd never seen a six-year-old child before, much less one who looked like this.
That face was far too beautiful.
And that air about him was so... out of place here.
The maid stared for a few moments before coming to her senses. She coughed and tugged her lips into a professional smile.
"Little brother, are you new here?" Her voice was sickeningly sweet, as if it had been coated in honey.
Luo Yun glanced at her without replying.
The maid didn't mind. She reached out to take his hand.
Luo Yun calmly moved his hand behind his back.
The maid's hand stiffened in midair, and her smile faltered for a moment. Then she withdrew it as if nothing had happened and turned toward the gate.
"Come with me," she said.
"For the next 24 hours, no one will touch you as long as you stay by my side. That's the newbie protection period."
Luo Yun followed her through the iron gate.
It slowly closed behind them with a dull, booming clang.
The Inner City.
The streets were even more crowded, noisier, and more frenzied than those near the entrance.
People were everywhere.
Some were drinking, some gambling, some fighting, and some were doing unspeakable things in the corners.
The air was thick with the smell of alcohol and blood, and the ground was stained all over.
Alcohol stains, bloodstains, and stains from who knew what.
Luo Yun followed behind the maid, walking at an unhurried pace.
He noticed that everyone around them was watching him.
Their gazes swept over his face and body, then came to rest on his face.
They weren't looking at him like prey. Their gazes were even more disgusting—lecherous, appraising him like a toy.
"Well, where'd this pretty little boy come from?"
"He's so tiny, too. Hasn't even grown any hair yet, hahahaha!"
A gruff voice called from nearby.
Luo Yun turned his head. Several hulking men sat at a roadside tavern, each holding a large bowl of wine. Their faces were thick with fat, and the stench of alcohol clung to them.
The speaker was bald, with a scar running from his forehead all the way down to his chin. His eyes were full of lecherous intent as he looked at Luo Yun.
"Look at that little face, tsk, tsk, tsk." The bald man licked his lips, his voice loud enough to carry down the entire street.
"I've been in Slaughter City for three years, and this is the first time I've seen such a pretty little thing."
A bearded man beside him joined in. "Scar Brother, you're not wrong. This little guy's prettier than those women. Look at that skin, white as tofu."
"Hahaha!" The bald man burst out laughing. "Tofu? I feel like trying a piece of this tofu tonight!"
The men all laughed together, their laughter coarse and shameless. Others nearby joined in, cheering them on.
The maid quickened her pace and whispered to Luo Yun, "Ignore them. They're just trying to provoke you into making a move. If you fight within your first 24 hours, your protection will be revoked. Just hold out a little longer. Once the 24 hours are up..."
Luo Yun stopped walking.
The maid hadn't finished speaking when she felt the small figure beside her come to a halt. She turned around and saw Luo Yun standing there, head tilted as he looked at the men.
His expression hadn't changed at all.
He wasn't angry or afraid. He didn't even show the slightest trace of any other emotion.
He simply looked at them, as if he were looking at a few dead men.
The bald man noticed Luo Yun's gaze. Instead of backing down, he grew even bolder. He stood up with his bowl of wine and staggered two steps toward Luo Yun.
"Don't rush off, little guy." His voice was full of mockery. "Come have a drink with us. Judging by the look of you, you just got here, right? Don't worry. We'll take care of you."
The bearded man stood up too, grinning and showing a mouthful of yellow teeth.
"Yeah, take care of you. Take real good care of you."
Luo Yun looked at him, the corners of his mouth lifting ever so slightly.
The curve was faint, almost impossible to see.
But the maid saw it, and a sudden sense of foreboding welled up inside her. She hurriedly reached for Luo Yun.
"Little brother, don't..."
Luo Yun had already moved.
The Moon Eclipse Sword emerged from his palm. Its purple-black blade looked especially cold beneath the dark red light.
Destruction Thunder crackled along the blade, making tiny snapping sounds.
Luo Yun gripped the sword and walked toward the men at an unhurried pace. His boots tapped crisply against the stone pavement.
The maid panicked and hurried after him, keeping her voice low. "Are you crazy? If you fight now, you'll lose your protection! There are so many people here, and you're all alone..."
"I don't need it."
Luo Yun's voice was soft, but cold.
The maid froze.
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