The woman’s eyes darted around. Spotting a tall, strapping young man beside her staring back with a fierce, menacing scowl, she instantly cowered.
She glanced around in a fluster and noticed the other vendors all watching her sharply. She no longer had any heart to pester Su Nian’an further and hurried away in a panic.
Seeing how easily the woman backed down, Su Nian’an figured she didn’t have many accomplices nearby.
Typically, traffickers worked in groups. Su Nian’an had avoided confronting the woman head-on because she suspected she wasn’t alone.
Having only just arrived in this world and completely on her own, she had no wish to draw attention to herself so soon.
Then—
“Brother, I’ll take these two balls of yarn.” Su Nian’an had no idea how to knit, but since she’d used the vendor’s presence to her advantage, she certainly ought to buy something from him.
“Consider it done!”
As he handed over her change, the vendor watched her and said with a smile, “Smart little girl, aren’t you.”
Su Nian’an understood exactly what he meant and replied with a smile, “I don’t go off with strangers.”
“That’s right! That woman you just saw—we spot her loitering round here often. She walks up to every pretty young girl she sees, and we’ve no idea what she’s up to.”
What else could she be up to? Seeking out young, good-looking girls—she could only be a trafficker.
In these times, buying wives was so common it was appalling. Countless innocent girls had been tricked and sold off into remote mountain villages.
Su Nian’an hesitated. Should she get involved?
But glancing down at her own shabby, tattered clothes, a sudden sense of helplessness washed over her.
She had nothing at all right now, and barely even understood this new world she was in. If she hoped to ever help others, she would have to wait until she was stronger.
And yet—
Su Nian’an couldn’t let it go. Traffickers were despicable. Why should they be allowed to roam free and unpunished?
With that thought, she thanked the vendor and immediately set off after the woman. Having failed to target her, she would surely be looking for someone else.
She circled the market once but saw no sign of her. Just as she was about to give up, a loud thud echoed from an alleyway beside her.
For some reason, a powerful premonition gripped her. She glanced back at the bustling market, then toward the quiet, desolate alley beyond. She hesitated. Should she go in?
Then came another loud crash.
Su Nian’an could hold back no longer. She wished someone would come with her—but everyone was busy with their own work. No one was paying any attention at all.
Forget it! A crappy life beats a good death any day.
Call her foolish and overconfident if you must—but when it came to the abduction and trafficking of women and children, Su Nian’an could never simply stand by.
With every ounce of strength she possessed, she refused to believe she couldn’t handle whoever lay inside that alley.
Steeling herself, she seized a wooden carrying pole someone had left propped at the alley mouth and charged in.
The deeper she went, the clearer the sounds became. Then she heard it—the muffled, desperate whimpering of someone whose mouth had been covered.
Her heart tightened. Her guess had been right all along.
She hurried forward into the shadows. Those ahead had now noticed her approach and were moving faster.
“Stop right there!” Su Nian’an shouted.
At the sound of a girl’s voice, the group froze. When they saw Su Nian’an’s face clearly, they positively lit up with delight.
“Well now! Earlier I tried so nicely to get you to come along and you refused. And here you are—walking right up to us all on your own!” It was the same woman who had tried to lure her away at the market stall.
So it was her gang after all. Su Nian’an knew her instincts hadn’t failed her.
She had always been known for her sharp intuition—and more times than she could count, that very instinct had saved her life.
Su Nian’an gave the woman a cold, knowing smile. “Walked right up to you? Or have the lot of you walked straight into my trap? We’ll see who comes out ahead.”
With that, she raised the pole and charged straight at them.
The lean, dark-skinned man closest to her watched her rushing toward him and smirked lewdly. Su Nian’an swung the pole straight at him. The others looked on as if she were some great joke—surely such a thin, delicate girl couldn’t possibly think she could fight them?
Blinded by arrogance, certain she was far too weak to do any real harm, the man made no move to stop her.
But the moment the pole struck home, his expression twisted in shock.
Su Nian’an gave him no time to recover. She swung hard—aiming straight for his groin.
“AAHH—!” The man shrieked and collapsed to his knees. Even the others winced in sympathy at the sound.
Realizing something was very wrong, the remaining two men lunged forward to seize her.
“Help! Traffickers over here! Someone help us!” Without a second’s hesitation, Su Nian’an turned and fled back toward the entrance.
The two men were furious at being humiliated. They weren’t about to let such an easy prize get away—or perhaps they were simply confident they could catch her. They gave chase, hot on her heels.
But Su Nian’an ran with surprising speed, shouting as she fled: “Help! Traffickers! Come quick—there are traffickers here! There’s a reward for catching them! Someone, come quick!”
The two men chasing her were falling behind, and panic began to set in. They’d been tricked. This girl—she was far stronger and faster than she looked. They never should have chased her out into the open.
Thankfully, the alley mouth was still some distance ahead. They could turn back.
Glancing at each other and realizing they couldn’t catch her, they abruptly turned to retreat.
Su Nian’an had deliberately drawn them out—why would she ever let them escape now?
And then—she heard footsteps rushing toward her from the direction of the market. Help was coming.
A clever plan sprang to mind. Su Nian’an stumbled, twisting her leg, and fell hard to the ground.
Hearing the commotion, the traffickers had every mind to flee—but their prize was right there, helpless before them. They’d been fooled and humiliated, and now she lay fallen. Walking away now was simply too bitter to bear.
“Damn it! Grab her! We’ll sell this little brat deep in the backcountry!” One of the men glared furiously and sprinted straight toward her.
Su Nian’an scrambled to her feet, ready to run again—but to slow them down, she swung the pole once more at the man closest to her.
This time he was ready. He reached out and caught hold of the pole. But he had underestimated her strength—Su Nian’an wrenched it free from his grasp and struck him again.
This time he didn’t dodge in time.
“Damn you, you little vixen! Just you wait!”
Bruised and stinging from the blow, the man burned with rage. Meanwhile, his companion had caught the sound of voices and footsteps pouring in from beyond the alley mouth—a crowd was coming.
He turned sharply to his partner. “Acai! Let’s go! Now! Leave her!”