Man-eating snow

Inside the ring, Yao Lao also sensed the scene outside, and his aged voice rang out from within the wine jar with a trace of gravity.

"These children... whoever did this was truly vicious! They really are all quite young. With prompt treatment and good medicinal pills, recovery wouldn't be difficult. But... with injuries inflicted like this, compounded by the current weather, even if they're healed, they'll probably suffer lingering effects later in life. Joint pain will be all but inevitable, especially in cold, damp weather like this."

Just as Xiao Yan pondered silently and Yao Lao offered his assessment, Xiao Yi's brow furrowed, then smoothed again. He said nothing, merely dismounted the Bicycle and turned toward a nearby shop. A moment later, he returned carrying a small packet of steaming sweet cakes and headed straight toward the little beggars.

"Hey! You..." Before Xiao Yan could finish, he watched in astonishment as Xiao Yi walked straight toward the little beggars huddled at the alley entrance! His face betrayed no expression, neither his usual playful grin nor the gravity the moment called for. He simply approached with steady steps.

Xiao Yi stopped a few paces before the children, his gaze sweeping over their twisted limbs and little faces purple with cold. Then he took the freshly bought sweet cakes from inside his robe and offered them to the nearest child, whose arm was twisted. His voice revealed no emotion. "Hey, kid. Hungry? Here, eat."

The child with the twisted arm shrank back and did not immediately accept the sweet cakes Xiao Yi held out. Those eyes, which should have been clear and innocent, were filled with fear and wariness far beyond his years. His small body trembled constantly from cold and terror.

He timidly lifted his eyes toward Xiao Yi, then quickly lowered his head again. Yet in that brief instant, his gaze strayed involuntarily toward an inconspicuous corner deeper in the alley, his eyes brimming with dread.

Xiao Yi's keen eyes caught that tiny shift at once. Following the child's terrified glance, he saw several indistinct figures leaning against a wall in the shadows deep within the alley. They seemed to be chatting, yet also seemed to be keeping watch over something.

They were too far away, and the light too dim, for him to make out their features, but their furtive manner carried an unusual air.

Xiao Yi understood, but his expression remained unchanged. Instead, he deliberately raised his voice and called out to the little beggars before him, his words echoing through the narrow alley.

"Hey! You little fellows! Where did you come from? How did you end up trying to scrape out a living in Wutan City? Where are your parents? Did you run into some bad people? Were you abducted and brought here?"

Meanwhile, Xiao Yan had taken in everything from behind him. He clearly saw the child's terrified gaze and where it pointed. Looking that way, he too noticed the suspicious figures deep in the alley. Though he could not see them clearly, they visibly stirred with unease upon hearing Xiao Yi's loud voice. Xiao Yan's heart leaped into his throat.

Just then, Yao Lao's steady voice sounded. "Hmm, looks like we've found the lackeys watching these children. Don't be afraid, boy. From the look of them, they're nothing but small fry. They can't be very strong. That lad is drawing their attention out front. Just take me with you and sneak over."

With Yao Lao's instructions, Xiao Yan felt somewhat reassured. He drew a deep breath and gave Xiao Yi a meaningful glance, signaling that he understood his intent. Then he reached for the wine jar in the bicycle basket and tore away the Red Cloth sealing it, exposing the dark mouth beneath. Xiao Yan slipped his hand inside and felt around for a moment. When he withdrew it, an ancient-looking Black Ring lay between his fingers.

Xiao Yi had been silently watching the little beggars, occasionally glancing toward the alley entrance. Seeing Xiao Yan's movements, his slightly languid gaze sharpened. When Xiao Yan took out the ring, his brows lifted faintly and his lips moved, as though words were about to spill out. In the end, however, all that escaped was a barely perceptible hum, and he turned his attention back to those figures.

Xiao Yan lowered his body and, using the clutter piled along the alley and the walls for cover, crept carefully toward the suspicious figures deep inside, one step at a time.

He kept his breathing light, his heart pounding hard in his chest and his gaze fixed firmly on his targets. At the alley entrance, Xiao Yi was still saying something to the little beggars. His voice was neither loud nor soft, just enough to draw some attention while masking the faint sounds of Xiao Yan's movements.

Just as Xiao Yan came within a dozen steps of the men and began looking for the best moment to strike, something changed without warning! A wisp of eerie white flame appeared out of thin air like a phantom before the outermost man leaning against the wall! It appeared with startling suddenness, without the slightest ripple of energy or the faintest sound. It simply "burned" in silence.

The white flame flashed and vanished, so quickly it might have been nothing more than snow glare dazzling the eyes. Yet the man it touched could not even manage a muffled groan. His entire body seemed to have been erased in an instant by an invisible force, leaving only a few wisps of white smoke curling upward before swiftly dispersing into the freezing air. His clothes and bones vanished without a trace, as though he had never existed.

At this utterly uncanny sight, the accomplice beside him widened his eyes in sheer terror! His mouth fell open instinctively, as though he meant to let out a piercing scream, warn his companions, or call for help. Yet the instant his throat moved, another wisp of eerie white flame fell silently upon him like a hunter striking with perfect precision.

The same silent devouring, the same instant annihilation. The second figure followed the first, reduced to nothing amid abject terror without leaving the slightest trace of his existence. The silence was dreadful. Only the softly falling snowflakes bore witness, and even the freezing air seemed to grow still.

The sudden turn of events also shocked Xiao Yan, who had been about to strike, into stopping in his tracks. But he reacted swiftly, immediately realizing this was the work of Yao Lao inside the ring. While the last survivor remained lost in the overwhelming terror and bewilderment of seeing his companions vanish in an instant, Xiao Yan moved like lightning, reaching the man in a few swift bounds!

The last man was of medium build. Now he stood with his back against the icy wall, his face pale as paper, his pupils dilated to their limit with fear, and his whole body shaking like grain in a sieve. He watched helplessly as Xiao Yan appeared before him like a phantom. His mouth opened, but his extreme terror robbed him of any sound.

Xiao Yan gave him no chance to react. Fixing him with an icy stare, he quickly raised his index finger to his own lips in a gesture for silence. Then he leaned closer, almost pressing his mouth to the man's ear, and whispered in a bone-chilling tone devoid of all emotion:

"Shh... don't make a sound. You see, the snow in Wutan City eats people. Now, take me to your boss. Try any tricks or make the slightest noise, and your end... will be even 'quieter' than theirs."