The woman wore a pale yellow dress. If he ignored her face, she was like a lotus rising from the water, gazing at him with hope.
So what was going on here?
Xu Ye strode forward. The woman, who still retained a shred of awareness, startled and shrank back, dragging her heavy chains as she squeezed herself into the shadows.
He lowered his hat and crouched down, speaking calmly to her. "Don't be afraid. You just said you were the one who brought me here. What did you mean?"
An Aberrant... hmm... not quite level 3. Still a little short. Even without the Bandit Lord's help, his current strength was more than enough to deal with her. That put Xu Ye somewhat at ease.
Still, the fact that she could retain any sanity at all was remarkable.
As far as Xu Ye could sense, this woman had already undergone complete aberration.
The woman raised her head. Countless tiny faces covered her face, making her look especially eerie. "All these years, Father Hall has kept me imprisoned here. I've been crying for help the whole time. He vents his desires on my body and treats me like a tool."
"I begged and begged, but my mind grew hazier and hazier. Until one day, I saw a light. Someone stepped out of that light, and that someone was you. Ever since then, I've occasionally been able to think clearly."
Light?
Me?
Tiga... Xu Ye's thoughts wandered for a moment before he reined them in.
Could this be the Holy Grail's doing?
This was the woman's plea, her wish. It was what had brought her into this affair.
The woman continued:
"My name is Ruan Shanshan. My father works for the Federation, but my mother was homeless. After my father took her in,