The northern corner of Vast Sea City was crowded with people, its houses scattered here and there.
A blue-and-white cottage stood among them, with white steps and glass windows decorated with colorful seashells.
Inside, the cottage was clean and tidy, with plush ornaments hanging on the walls. Outside, however, people had gathered all around.
A short, fat man pointed at the girl before him. "Don't throw our kindness back in our faces. Having our boss take a fancy to you is a blessing you spent your whole life earning."
Three men stood in a row, all fat-faced and big-eared. The fattest one in the middle was their leader.
The girl kept her head down, staring at the soles of her shoes, her hands clutching the corners of her clothes. She dared not speak.
"Do you know who our boss is?"
The girl shook her head.
The fat man said smugly, "See this? A Soul Elder badge. He just registered today."
At this, the onlookers lowered their voices, no longer daring to comment. Some had initially wanted to help the girl seek justice, but once they learned that the man facing her was a Soul Elder, they abandoned the thought.
Judging by their clothes alone, these three were no ordinary men. With a Soul Elder among them, they were even less affordable to offend.
"No. I don't want to." The girl's voice trembled, but she still said it.
Among the onlookers, a middle-aged woman stamped her feet anxiously. "Xiaoduo, your parents died young. Now that a Soul Elder has taken a fancy to you, just accept him! Once you pass this village, you won't find another shop like this!"
An old woman beside her pointed at her nose and cursed, "You walking widow! You cursed your husband to death, yet you have the nerve to meddle in another family's affairs? Whether Xiaoduo marries him is none of your business."
The fat man glared at the old woman. "Old hag, this is none of your business either! Keep spouting nonsense and I'll smash your coffin boards!"
Silenced by his shout, the old woman shut her mouth.
The fat man continued, "Don't worry about your parents being dead. Our boss doesn't mind. Follow him, and you'll feast on fine food and drink."
The girl abruptly raised her head and stared fixedly at the fat man who had just spoken. "Don't you talk about my parents! I have my grandpa to take care of me."
She knew perfectly well that, although he was a noble, if she truly gave in and went with him, her days would become utterly dark. If she was lucky, he would tire of playing with her and cast her aside, leaving her to fend for herself. If she was less fortunate, her corpse would end up in the wilderness.
The fat leader looked Xiaoduo up and down several times and swallowed, then turned to the thin man who had just spoken and snapped, "Is that any way to speak to your sister-in-law?"
The fat man who had just spoken raised his hand and slapped his own face several times. "My fault, my fault! Sister-in-law, don't blame me for talking nonsense!"
Xiaoduo bit her lip, trembling all over, and said nothing more.
The fat leader raised his voice, which sounded harsh and unpleasant. "Xiaoduo, how old is your grandpa already? How will you live on your own in the future? Everyone has to call me master when they see me. Come with me, and you'll live well, eat well, and have servants waiting on you. You'll be a noble lady from then on."
The fat man took a step forward.
Xiaoduo stepped back, shaking her head in utter rejection.
"I don't need you to take care of me! I won't eat your food or live in your house, much less be some noble lady!" Her voice grew louder and louder until it turned hoarse, her eyes filled with hatred.
Step by step, she retreated beneath the eaves of the blue-and-white cottage until her back pressed against the wall.
Among the onlookers, the middle-aged widow spoke again. "The old man is already so advanced in years. Xiaoduo ought to find a good family to marry into. Besides, he goes out to sea to catch fish every day, working with his life dangling over a cliff. One of these days, he might not come back."
"I heard that last time, the old man helped a Soul Master hunt Soul Beasts on the Wind Sea Plain and nearly didn't make it back."
"Do you have any humanity left?" Another voice rose from somewhere in the crowd. "Having neighbors like you lot, Xiaoduo must have suffered eight lifetimes of bad luck."
The fat man beside the leader noticed his boss's displeased expression. His eyes shifted, and he leaned over to whisper, "Don't worry, boss. I have an idea."
He paused. "In a moment, the three of us will force Sister-in-law into the house. Once we shut the doors and windows, you can do whatever you want, boss. Once the raw rice is cooked, she'll have to agree whether she wants to or not."
The fat leader's face gradually reddened, as though he had thought of something unspeakable. "We'll do it that way. Once it's done, you'll be rewarded."
The fat leader chuckled, then turned and gave the other fat man a few instructions. The last fat man's eyes lit up when he heard them.
The three advanced step by step toward Xiaoduo in the corner.
One fat man shouted at the onlookers, "If you've got nothing to do, go home! Stop making a racket here. The boss and I are inviting Sister-in-law inside for a chat. We'll invite you all to the wedding feast in a few days!"
Seeing this, the onlookers all guessed what the three intended to do.
Many were furious, but intimidated by their status as Soul Masters, no one dared step forward.
Even the widow who had urged Xiaoduo to accept him earlier went pale. She had not expected the three to dare drag someone inside in broad daylight to commit such a filthy act.
A few people considered going to the city gates to seek help from the city guards, but they had little confidence. After all, these men were not merely nobles; they had an even more imposing identity as people from the Marquis's Residence.
Heaven knew whether, after learning who these three were, the city guards would not only fail to rescue Xiaoduo but bring disaster upon those who sought their help as well.
While those few hesitated, the three men kept closing in on the girl.
Just as Xiaoduo was at a loss, a rough, aged voice came from the crowd.
"Xiaoduo, Grandpa's here."
An old man, his eyes red, forced his way through the crowd. Listening to the whispers around him, he already understood what his granddaughter had endured.
Hearing her grandfather's voice, Xiaoduo looked up. "Grandpa!"
Light returned to her eyes. She ran over and clutched her grandfather's rough hand tightly.
Unable to hold back the hurt she had kept buried in her heart any longer, she burst into tears. "Sob... Grandpa, I was so scared..."
The old man patted her back with aching tenderness. Once Xiaoduo's sobs quieted a little, he could no longer suppress the anger on his face. He cared nothing about nobles or Soul Masters. He knew these three men intended to do something terrible to his granddaughter.
The old man shouted at the three, "Get out of here! You're not welcome!"
One of the fat men curled his lip. "You old fossil, watch your mouth! Do you know who's standing in front of you?"
An elderly neighbor beside him grabbed the old man and urged in a low voice, "Keep your voice down, old man. All three of them are Soul Masters. If you anger them, those old bones of yours won't hold up!"
"I don't care who they are. Even Soul Masters have no right to snatch someone away in broad daylight." The old man refused to retreat a single step. Even if he had to stake his old life on it today, he would keep his granddaughter safe.
The fat man shook the flab on his face and glared. "Don't be stubborn, you old fossil. Don't think being Sister-in-law's grandpa means you can step on our noses and climb all over our faces."
The fat leader took over. "Since you're Xiaoduo's grandpa, I'll show you some respect and call you elder brother. We'll all be family from now on, so there's no need to stand on ceremony. I'm a Soul Elder. Xiaoduo won't do badly with me. If she keeps me happy, I can even support you in your old age."