Chapter 873
Night draped itself over the Holy Land like a heavy curtain soaked in ink, swallowing the last traces of daylight and leaving behind only shadows that seemed to breathe, shift, and whisper among the dense forest, where danger lurked not in one place but everywhere at once, hidden in every rustling leaf and every unseen movement beyond sight.
Through this suffocating darkness, three slender figures moved at full speed, weaving through trees and uneven ground with desperate urgency, their footsteps uneven yet relentless, as if the forest itself were trying to slow them down, and yet they refused to yield.
Their clothes clung to their bodies, soaked with sweat, strands of hair stuck to their faces, and every breath they drew was sharp and ragged, like glass scraping through their throats, yet none of them dared to stop, not even for a heartbeat.
Because behind them—
Something was chasing.
Something they feared more than exhaustion.
From time to time, they glanced back, their eyes wide with tension, as if expecting claws, or blades, or something worse to burst out of the darkness at any moment.
If Ryan were here, he would recognize two of them instantly.
Mu Xianling.
Li Shu.
And the third—
Milu.
The so-called first beauty of the thirty-six cities in the North District.
A woman once admired, envied, and placed high above others like something untouchable.
And yet—
Reality had stripped that illusion away.
The same Milu who once abandoned Bai Ye in a moment of crisis now ran alongside the very people who might once have judged her, fleeing together, bound not by trust, but by necessity.
Behind them, the darkness stirred.
Two figures emerged.
Their movements were swift, predatory, and disturbingly relaxed, as if this chase were not a struggle, but a game they were enjoying.
Shao Yushan.
Jiao Zhiming.
Their smiles, visible even in the dim light, were crooked, filled with a kind of casual cruelty that turned the air colder than the night itself.
"The three little beauties ahead—why run so fast?"
Shao Yushan called out, his voice echoing lightly through the trees, carrying a mocking warmth that made his words all the more repulsive.
"The night is long, the wind is cold, and the forest is dangerous. Why not come over here? Stay with us. We'll take good care of you."
Jiao Zhiming laughed beside him, his tone dripping with the same twisted amusement.
"Running around like this, you might run straight into a monster and die without even knowing how. Better to stop now and spend the night with us… at least you might live a little longer."
Milu's face flushed red instantly, not from exertion this time, but from fury so intense it burned through her exhaustion.
"You shameless bastards!"
Her voice trembled, not with fear, but with rage barely contained.
"Even if we die, we will never let you defile us!"
In the past, she had lived surrounded by admiration, protected, praised, untouched by anything ugly or cruel, her world shaped by attention and reverence.
But now—
Reality had teeth.
And it was biting.
If not for the clear difference in strength, if not for the knowledge that turning back meant certain defeat, she might have already rushed at them, even if it meant dying in the attempt.
Mu Xianling's expression was equally cold, her voice sharp despite her labored breathing.
"I didn't expect such disgusting people to exist among candidates. Aren't you afraid that if this is discovered, you'll be punished by Western Mansion?"
Shao Yushan burst into laughter, the sound echoing like something hollow.
"Punished? In the Holy Land, if we kill you, no one will know."
He spread his hands slightly as he ran, as if presenting a simple truth.
"And as for what happens before that… who's going to report it? The night knows, the ground knows, we know, and you know. But Western Mansion?"
He grinned wider.
"They won't know a thing."
*
Li Shu's small face darkened, her eyes burning with anger that did not match her age.
"Just wait."
Her voice was low, but steady.
"If Brother Wei finds out… you'll wish you were never born."
Mu Xianling clenched her teeth, her voice rising with urgency.
"I—I'm Li Wei's servant! If he hears about this, you won't even have a place to be buried!"
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
And the moment they did—
Her face flushed instantly.
Heat spread across her cheeks, not from running, but from embarrassment so sudden it caught even her off guard.
She glanced sideways.
Li Shu and Milu were both staring at her.
Surprised.
Silent.
That single sentence had revealed more than she intended.
Mu Xianling wished she could disappear into the ground.
Of all things to say—
Why that?
And worse—
It didn't even sound threatening.
Behind them, Shao Yushan laughed loudly.
"Brother Wei? I'm afraid your 'Brother Wei' won't make it in time."
He licked his lips slightly.
"Why not let Brother Shao take care of you instead?"
Jiao Zhiming smirked. "A beauty like you becoming someone else's servant? What a waste. Well, from now on…"
He pointed lazily.
"You belong to me."
Mu Xianling didn't even respond this time.
Words were useless.
Only distance mattered.
Only escape mattered.
Li Shu and Milu remained silent as well, focusing all their strength into running, their breaths uneven but their will unbroken.
But then—
Shao Yushan's expression changed.
"Still running?"
His voice dropped slightly.
"Interesting."
He glanced at Jiao Zhiming.
The two exchanged a brief look.
A silent agreement.
And then—
They moved.
"Whoosh—!"
Their speed exploded.
No longer the leisurely chase of predators playing with prey, but a sudden, decisive burst, like arrows released from a drawn bow.
The distance shrank instantly.
In a blink—
They were already behind Mu Xianling and the others.
Close enough to reach.
Close enough to end it.
Shao Yushan's voice came again, this time right at their backs, carrying a cruel satisfaction.
"Run?"
"Let's see where you can run now."
Jiao Zhiming's gaze lingered on the three fleeing figures ahead, his eyes glinting in the darkness like something hungry and unrestrained, his lips curling into a slow, indulgent smile as if he were savoring a delicacy not yet tasted but already claimed in his mind.
"From afar, I already thought the three of them were extraordinary," he said, his voice low and almost dreamy, as though he were admiring a rare collection rather than chasing living people.
"But now that I see them closer… each one is like something crafted by heaven itself. One carries a cold, untouchable beauty like a fairy beyond reach, another has that fragile softness that makes you want to protect and… break at the same time, and the youngest—though not fully grown—has that sweet, delicate charm that lingers."
He let out a soft breath, almost intoxicated.
"Three different kinds of beauty… Old Shao, tonight… we've truly struck fortune."
Shao Yushan laughed, his tone rougher, more openly greedy, as if he had no intention of hiding the filth coiling in his thoughts.
"Fortune?" he scoffed. "This is more than fortune. I came out thinking this would just be another dull mission, and instead I stumbled upon treasures like these. If I can have them…" His eyes darkened. "Then this trip alone would be worth a lifetime."
Ahead, Mu Xianling heard every word.
Each sentence landed like poison, tightening around her chest, turning her already exhausted body colder despite the sweat clinging to her skin.
Her brows drew together, not just in anger, but in something deeper—something close to despair.
She would not allow it.
No matter what.
Even if it meant death.
If those two caught up…
She would end her own life before they could touch her.
Her body—
Her dignity—
No one could take that from her.
No one… except…
Her thoughts stumbled.
Li Wei.
For a fleeting moment, his figure surfaced in her mind, uninvited yet impossible to ignore.
I… I'm his servant…
The thought lingered just long enough to send a faint flush across her cheeks, even in the midst of fear and exhaustion.
Why am I thinking about him now…
She clenched her teeth harder, forcing the distraction away.
This was not the time.
Beside her, Li Shu's small face had turned pale, yet her eyes burned with fierce determination, while Milu, once the proud jewel of the North District, now carried a silent resolve that no longer relied on pride, but on something far more desperate.
They had all reached the same conclusion.
If caught—
They would not live to regret it.
Because for them, there was something more important than survival.
Chastity.
Dignity.
For a woman, especially one raised with pride and self-respect, there were lines that could not be crossed, even at the cost of life itself.
The distance behind them shrank further.
Breath grew shorter.
Steps grew heavier.
The end… was approaching.
Then—
A sound tore through the night.
"GRAAAH—!"
A deep, thunderous roar erupted from the side, shaking the air like a stone dropped into still water, followed by a crashing force that shattered the silence of the forest.
"BOOM—!"