773. Self-Study Phenomenon

The streets and alleys were narrow and deep, and the stone walls on both sides were covered in withered vines.

The girl's boot soles struck the slick stone slabs as she sprinted through the alley with two Pujis, yet the footsteps behind her only drew closer and closer.

She rounded a corner and plunged straight into a dead end.

The stone wall at the end was several meters high. There was no way she could climb over it.

She turned, wanting to find another way out, but three panting men had already blocked the alley entrance.

The one in the lead raised his head. His face was all coarse, bulging flesh, and the veins at his temples throbbed.

"Little brat—fast legs you've got!" He straightened up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and grinned. "Run? Let's see where else you can run."

The girl pressed herself into the corner, her voice trembling. "Please—let me go."

"Let you go?" The burly man gave a scornful laugh and took a step forward. "If we let you go, who's going to pay back the money your father owes?"

"That was clearly a trap you set!" the girl shouted through gritted teeth.

"Who cares what kind of trap it was?" Another short, stout man squeezed up from behind, his gaze sweeping over her face twice. He clicked his tongue. "A debt has to be paid. It's only right and proper. Don't worry—with a face like yours, after the mycelium tidies you up a little, once you're at our place, it won't take more than a few years to clear it."

The girl's lips trembled. Her eyes were red, but no tears fell.

The three men exchanged a glance—then lunged at her at the same time.

The girl controlled the two Pujis to make one