“…Sell her to the darkest brothel, where she’ll pray for a life she can’t have and a death that won’t come!”
Cyclops’s incredibly venomous words were like a poisoned dagger, flaying Lin Xi’s nerves stroke by stroke.
So, Lin Dajun and his lot were only the first link. Mother Liu, the matchmaker, was the second. And these flesh-faced, cold-blooded bandits before her were the final link in the abyss of her fate! Had she not escaped, her end wouldn’t have been as a servant in some wealthy city manor—she would have been trafficked by these scumbags to a black mine or a brothel!
Those places were hells on earth, a hundred times more terrifying than the Lin family home.
In her past life, though she was sold into the mountains and sent to sweatshops to live a life worse than livestock, she had at least… retained the last shred of human dignity. But these people—they wanted to strip away her everything!
A bone-chilling hatred surged from the soles of her feet straight to the crown of her head. Her small hands, which had been trembling slightly from fear, clenched into tight fists. Her nails dug deep into her palms, yet she felt no pain.
Run?
No!
Why should she run?
Heaven had granted her rebirth and this strange, unique talent—was it really just so she could flee in wretched terror from these beasts over and over again, just like in her past life?
She looked at the three bandits gorging on meat and laughing loudly, then shifted her gaze to a spot not far above their heads. Hanging from a thick branch was a hornet’s nest larger than her entire body. A mad, daring plan instantly took shape in her mind.
You want to make me wish I were dead?
Then today, I’ll let you taste what it’s like to be stung by ten thousand hornets—with no way to heaven and no door to the earth!
Lin Xi took a deep breath, tucking her body deeper into the shadows of the rocks. She closed her eyes, channeling all her mental energy toward that massive hornet’s nest.
She didn’t issue a direct attack command as she had with other animals. Hornets were insects with intense territorial instincts and high aggression; their minds were simple and blunt, making complex communication difficult. Commanding them directly risked drawing their hostility or even causing a backlash against herself.
Instead, she tried a different way.
She took the malice she had just heard from the bandits, the aura of greed, brutality, and bloodthirstiness radiating from them, and the surging hatred and killing intent within her own heart…
She bundled all these negative, aggressive emotions into an “information packet” and then, like a spiritual bomb, hurled it precisely and ruthlessly toward that massive hornet’s nest!
The intent she transmitted was simple and pure:
“Threat!”
“Invaders!”
“Enemies! Right below! They carry fire! They carry blood! They want to destroy our home!”
“Buzz—!”
Almost the instant her mental energy touched the nest, the entire hornet’s nest—as if it had been physically poked—let out a massive, muffled roar!
Countless sentry hornets instantly surged from the nest’s exit, circling in the air to form a small, black “dark cloud.” They felt that intense, malicious spiritual stimulus; the entire colony’s “rage meter” was skyrocketing at a terrifying speed!
By the campfire, the three bandits remained completely oblivious.
The one-eyed bandit finished the last drop of wine, tossed the wine skin aside, and stood up. Cursing, he said, “Damn it, it’s pitch black, and there are so many mosquitoes in this ghost of a place! Big Brother, when are we leaving?”
“What’s the rush!” The scarred leader glared at him. “Wait until the rain has completely stopped and the mountain paths are a bit easier to walk. Let’s sleep first and get some rest. Tomorrow morning, we’ll take the back trails down the mountain and head straight for the southern docks. We’ll sell these two ‘goods’ and trade them for silver dollars!”
“Hehe, Big Brother always thinks of everything!” the third bandit, a thin and tall fellow, said with a flattering smile.
They failed to notice that the black “dark cloud” above their heads was growing larger and denser. The “buzzing” sound had shifted from an initial warning into an aggressive, violent roar!
Lin Xi knew the moment had come.
She took her last bit of spiritual energy, turned it into an invisible fuse, and ignited the rage of the entire swarm!
“Attack!”
“Kill them!”
“BUZZ—BUZZ—BUZZ—!”
As if receiving the order for an all-out assault, the massive “dark cloud” composed of thousands of hornets streaked down like black lightning. Accompanied by a deafening, skin-crawling roar, it swept toward the three bandits by the campfire!
“What’s that sound?” The one-eyed bandit was the first to realize something was wrong. He looked up in confusion.
The next second, his pupils constricted to the size of pinheads!
What he saw was a sky-blotting black wave composed of countless writhing, hideous insects!
“Mother of God! It’s hornets! Run!”
The One-eyed Dragon let out a piercing, inhuman shriek of utter terror!
However, it was all too late.
The speed of the swarm was far faster than their reaction time!
“AAAAGH!”
“My eyes! My face!”
“Help! Big Brother, save me!”
The agonizing howls instantly echoed throughout the entire valley.
The three bandits, who just a moment ago had been so arrogant and overbearing, had now become the helpless prey of the swarm. Countless hornets, like maggots on a bone, pounced frantically onto their bodies, ruthlessly driving their stingers into their faces, necks, and every inch of exposed skin!
They flailed their arms wildly, trying to swat the hornets away, but this only incited the swarm to attack even more fiercely. They tried to dive into the nearby creek, but before they could run even two steps, they were stung so badly they collapsed, rolling on the ground with their vision blurring.
The scarred leader tried to reach for his machete, but a hornet crawled directly into his ear. The searing pain forced a scream from his throat as he clutched his head, crashed to the ground, and began to twitch in agony.
Lin Xi hid behind a rock, coldly watching this hellish scene unfold.
There was not a shred of sympathy or pity on her small face—only a cold, sharp satisfaction of vengeance.
This is your end!
This is the retribution for trying to push others into the abyss!
She didn’t linger. Taking advantage of the chaos where the three bandits were completely submerged by the swarm and unable to help themselves, she slipped out from behind the rock as silently and agilely as a civet cat.
She didn’t run away immediately. Instead, she rushed at her top speed toward the two “cargoes” who were tied up.
Using her stone knife, she swiftly sliced through the ropes binding them and ripped the tattered rags from their mouths.
The two captives seemed to have been scared out of their wits long ago. They stared with terror-stricken eyes at the little girl before them—who looked like she had crawled out of hell, covered in blood (actually rabbit blood and mud)—and then at the bandits not far away screaming under the swarm. For a moment, they forgot to react at all.
Lin Xi had no time to explain. She pointed toward the forest in the opposite direction of the bandits and, using all her strength, growled in a low voice: “If you don’t want to die, just run! Don’t look back!”
After saying this, she ignored the two of them and turned to sprint back toward the direction she had come from—toward the cave.
She had to leave this place immediately!
The swarm’s attack was fierce, but it couldn’t last forever. Once those bandits recovered or the bees dispersed, the first person they would hunt down would be her!
Moreover, the screams and the scent of blood in this area would soon attract other wild beasts. This place had already become a den of trouble.
Clutching Huzi, Lin Xi ran through the complex forest terrain at her maximum speed. She didn’t dare look back; the screams behind her felt like a death knell drumming against her heart.
However, just as she had gained some distance and thought she was safe, her foot suddenly slipped!
“Ah!”
With a sharp cry, she lost her balance and began rolling uncontrollably down a steep, moss-covered slope.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Her body tumbled down the incline like a ball, repeatedly colliding with trees and rocks. The basket slung over her shoulder and the stone knife tucked into her waist were thrown who-knows-where.
Finally, her back slammed heavily against a fallen, withered tree, bringing her to a halt.
“Pfft—”
The massive impact sent a metallic sweetness to the back of her throat, and she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood!
It felt as though her internal organs had shifted out of place; the intense pain made even breathing difficult.
Worse still, during the fall, her left leg had apparently been sliced open by something sharp, leaving a gash so deep the bone was nearly visible. Blood gushed out, instantly soaking her trouser leg crimson.
She… was injured again.
And this time, it was more severe than ever before!
“Huzi… Huzi…” she called out weakly.
“Meow…” Huzi’s cry came from nearby. He had been tossed around as well, but thanks to his feline agility, he wasn’t seriously hurt. He limped over to Lin Xi’s side, anxiously licking the cold sweat from her face.
Lin Xi struggled, trying to sit up, but the slightest movement sent a heart-wrenching bolt of pain through her left leg, causing her vision to go dark in waves.
She knew she couldn’t run anymore.
And behind her, those bandits could catch up at any moment…