Late at night, in an empty street in Ku Hai County, the accumulated snow had not been completely swept away, and two footprints, one large and one small, stretched into the distance. After the snowfall temporarily ceased, the cold moonlight finally once again fell upon this corner of the human world. At the end of the road, a small girl was helping an old man walk step by step.
The girl was about seven years old, with twin pigtails, and holding a red rattle drum. Her small Face was as fair as a porcelain doll.
The old man had a broad back, white hair and beard, a serene Face, and a benevolent expression.
His left hand held the little girl’s, but his right hand was empty, its sleeve swaying back and forth with the old man’s movement.
Yes, the old man was missing an arm.
He led the little girl, walking and stopping, stopping and walking. Later, when the little girl got tired, he took her to sit on the steps of someone’s doorstep, pulled out a piece of already hardened steamed bun from his body, and let the little girl slowly gnaw on it.
Each time her clean teeth ground against the steamed bun, a crunching sound echoed on the empty street.
The little girl was very patient, meticulously finishing all the steamed bun before turning her head to the old man and asking:
"Grandpa Ma, who exactly are we looking for?"
The old man looked at her with doting affection, stroked her hair, and softly said:
"Silly child, we aren't looking for anyone."
Confusion appeared in the little girl's eyes. She looked up at the stars and mumbled:
"But, didn't that uncle say yesterday that we should go find a big sister..."
The old man whispered:
"We can't go find her; instead, we must hide from her."
The little girl was puzzled, blinking her somewhat sleepy eyes:
"Why?"
The old man looked at the distant end of the alley, where there seemed to be a mountain of daggers and a sea of fire.
"Because she is a monster."
The little girl let out an 'oh' when she heard that, immediately becoming interested, her dark eyes rolling around.
"Grandpa Ma, are there really monsters in this world?"
The old man was very certain:
"Of course."
"If fire can't kill her and a blade can't destroy her, what else could she be but a monster?"
"This arm of Grandpa's was lost back then."
The little girl understood, her eyes lighting up:
"I get it, Grandpa Ma, we're pretending to look for her!"
The old man smiled and said:
"So smart!"
He withdrew his gaze, then suddenly looked up, gently patting Xiao Yang’s back.
"Xiao Yang, you go back first. Grandpa will stroll for a bit longer while there's no snow tonight, and I'll be home later."
Xiao Yang obediently nodded.
"Okay!"
She slowly got up, patted the snow off her body with her small hands, and swayed as she walked towards the end of the street. After her small figure completely disappeared into the darkness, more than a dozen dark figures appeared on the eaves above the old man’s head, at some unknown time.
These dark figures arrived silently, as if they had been following the old man all along, or as if they had appeared out of thin air.
A young and indifferent female voice sounded from the eaves:
"Elder Ma, Hei Chan has lost contact."
The old man stood up with his back to them and sighed:
"He was too eager for quick success, and wouldn't listen to good advice."
"Every year in Wangchuan, there are always young people whose ambitions are higher than the sky, but whose lives are as fragile as paper."
He paused, his eyebrows furrowing in the middle:
"It's truly a pity. Although he was eager for fame, he was indeed a good talent in martial arts. I heard he came from a certain clan in Huaibei, and at such a young age, he broke through the Dragon Cry Realm, making him a master in the Jianghu. However..."
Another middle-aged man on the eaves, with a hook hanging from his waist, asked in a low voice:
"Elder Ma, that woman who escaped from Feng City... what is her true background?"
The old man walked down the steps, step by step, to the center of the street, following the footprints left by the little girl.
As he walked, the dark figures on the eaves also followed.
"Don't ask so much. I only have one piece of advice – this task, you cannot touch it."
"We are here because we cannot refuse."
"This bounty came from the Royal City, an existence that can casually throw out a hundred thousand taels of gold. They are figures from the clouds; money is merely a facade, power is the core. No matter who is wanted, we must put on a good show for the sake of Face."
"But we cannot handle this person. If you see her, stay far away, don't lose your lives for nothing."
The old man's words made some of the dark figures displeased.
The indifferent woman from before spoke again, her voice filled with Killing Intent:
"Those who have joined Wangchuan, as long as someone pays, who wouldn't dare to kill?"
"No matter how powerful she is, she's not a celestial being. What can't be touched?"
"This time, Wangchuan has sent at least a hundred people to Ku Hai County, which is considered a first-class force among the Four Kingdoms' Jianghu. Elder Ma, aren't your words giving too much prestige to others?"
"She was lucky to survive that fire back then, but this time... she won't be so fortunate."
Elder Ma waved his hand with his back to everyone:
"I have given all the good advice I can. If you want to earn merit and advance your rank, then go try."
"Ku Hai County is not big, and there are many local strongmen. It's simple to find someone if you really want to."
"If this matter succeeds, all related affairs will have nothing to do with this old man. This old man is old and has no ambition left; I will not compete with you all for credit."
The people on the eaves watched him walk away and no longer followed.
Under the moon, the cold wind howled, blowing their green sashes to flutter and drift, carrying that Killing Intent to an unknown distance...