Pale morning sunlight illuminated the land. Li Yue looked out the window, feeling as if the world had begun to burn.
She changed into a relatively light shirt and vest, topped with a wool overcoat. Her overall attire resembled men's clothing, as it allowed for easier movement. The extremely cold environment seemed to have little effect on her, other than a slightly lower body temperature.
Am I a cold-blooded animal now? Truly... never mind.
She put on her ring and opened the door. It was early morning, and in the distance, busy workers were already visible. Their clothes were stained with coal dust, suggesting they had either already started work or hadn't changed from the night before.
A blast of cold air hit her face. She closed the front door tightly. Despite her extremely high resistance to cold, she could still keenly sense the rapidly changing ambient temperature. If inside the house was warm like spring, outside was a frigid hell.
Through the window, she saw Ms. Mary, the woman who had rented the house to her yesterday, drinking hot coffee at the dining table. Li Yue had paid two months' rent in advance, hoping everything would conclude within that time.
Mary waved at her as a greeting. Li Yue nodded, pulled down the brim of her hat, recalled the city map she had seen, and walked towards the address written on the commission paper.
Her boots trod on the pale ground. Her snow-white hair seemed to merge with the vast, white world. She watched the hurried workers on both sides of the street, some carrying strong liquor, others with pickaxes and other tools.
This world was vast, similar to Li Yue's previous world. The map drawn on Caesar's token seemed to be a world map of this realm. The token resembled a playing card in shape, but its material was much harder.
Her blood-red eyes stared at the vast white land. This monochromatic ground always made her unconsciously recall that pitch-black land, and the man who had once gently stroked her head.
For the first few days, Li Yue felt sadness, but more often, she found herself staring blankly at Roland's relics. Now, whenever those memories surfaced, her grief gradually transformed into anger.
Rather than saving this place, it was more about unleashing the flames of hatred.
Unconsciously, she walked for several tens of minutes, reaching a slum area outside the fourth ring. Most of those who remained at home here were women and children; the men had largely gone out to work, because if they stopped working, they might have to face the severe cold for several days next month.
“Knock, knock.” She knocked on the door of a small, dilapidated wooden house. Soon after, a frail woman opened the door. The temperature inside didn't seem particularly warm; it was certainly colder than Li Yue's residential area.
“Esteemed adult, have you perhaps come to the wrong place?” She cautiously glanced at Li Yue's blood-red eyes, then lowered her head in fear, staring at her own feet, appearing both humble and pathetic.
Li Yue took out the commission paper she had accepted. Her nose twitched slightly. Inside the house, there was a pungent fragrance mixed with a faint stench. She tilted her head and saw clothes piled up, waiting to be washed.
“I apologize, the house is a bit messy...”
“It's fine.” Li Yue followed her inside. A young girl was kneeling on the floor, vigorously scrubbing clothes. Li Yue looked at her, comparing her to the girl in the photo; there was some resemblance.
“This is my daughter, helping me around the house,” the woman said, pulling the girl up to bow to Li Yue. “She used to go to the church's school every day, but she hasn't been since this happened.”
“This 'thing'?”
“Her older sister always went to and from school with her...” The woman paused, and the girl continued, “It was very dark that night. I was holding my sister's hand, but when I turned my head, she was gone. I heard running footsteps, and I ran as fast as I could, barely managing to escape back home.”
The young girl's body trembled slightly; she seemed very frightened.
Li Yue pondered. From this, it seemed there were no clues, which explained why so many people had given up.
“Go to class as usual. I'll wait nearby for them to make their move,” Li Yue said blandly. After a moment's thought, it still didn't feel entirely secure. She pricked her finger, and a few drops of blood solidified into blood crystals.
She handed it to the girl's trembling hand. The girl looked at Li Yue, her eyes showing both reverence and fear.
“Just carry this,” Li Yue said simply. “Go to class.”
The girl nodded, taking her rag-made bag and heading to the church school. The woman sighed and turned off the continuously heating stove.
“Why turn it off?” Li Yue tilted her head.
“Because I have to pay for the commission, I can't cover expenses for this period. My weekly wage is only 1 silver coin...” the woman said, resuming her laundry.
Li Yue turned on the heating stove and placed a silver coin beside it.
“Adult...”
“It's nothing, I just feel a bit cold.” Li Yue sat to the side. Before long, she said, “I'll walk around for a bit,” and left the house alone.
Li Yue stopped in front of a small shop. It seemed to sell food. Li Yue pushed the door open. It wasn't mealtime yet, so it was quite deserted.
She looked at the menu. The food prices were very cheap. A stew of mixed meat and offal cooked in one pot counted as a dish, as did pork blood porridge made with pork blood and rice, and seasonal vegetable soup.
Li Yue ordered casually. Although she wasn't particularly hungry, eating was just for taste.
“You're a new face, miss,” the shop owner said, appearing very enthusiastic. He wiped his hands and the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. There were no customers in the shop at the moment, so he seemed quite idle.
“I'm a traveler, just arrived in this area, looking for some cheaper rental houses.” Li Yue looked up, and the shop owner was slightly startled by her blood-red eyes.
“Well, the prices in the surrounding areas are around 8 copper coins a week, with heating calculated separately, if it's just for one person.”
“Why is the heating less around here?” Li Yue drank her porridge and posed another question.
“Ah, well, I'm not sure. It's always been this temperature here. Maybe other areas have better heating...”
Li Yue left two copper coins and exited the shop. She pulled down her hat brim, looked at the weather outside, and pondered. The heating in this residential area seemed subpar, and if the cold wave truly arrived, it would likely be very difficult to endure.
This city seemed to have no homeless people. In Parvati, one could occasionally see vagrants sleeping in parks and being driven away. But then again, in this city, homelessness seemed impossible; without shelter from the wind and snow, it would be difficult to withstand a blizzard.
She walked in the wind and snow, with nothing to do but wander around. Night quickly fell. The young girl returned home safely; it seemed the culprits hadn't made a move on the first day.
In the darkness, Li Yue slowly walked back to her house. At a roadside shop, she casually bought a worn-out coat and a mended wool sweater, observing the still bright lights around her with a thoughtful expression.
The next day, Li Yue, dressed in old clothes, joined the church class. It was slightly different from what she had imagined; besides teaching stories of saints from mythology, it also taught word spelling and mechanical knowledge.
The churches built in the city were, to some extent, influenced by this steel city. Although these past few days had been boring, she had gained some insight, at least her perception of the church had changed somewhat.
The church pastor was a man of taste; sometimes during midday communion, he would take out his violin and play for a while. Li Yue sat watching. After all, being half a Great Mage, she had learned some basics after a few days. At night, she could practice some simple tunes alone in her room using the musical scores Roland had left behind.
What Roland had said truly held some truth; the time spent immersed in music indeed lessened her inner pain and eased her uncontrollable murderous intent.
She had completed all necessary investigations, but found not a single clue. All she knew was that several outer ring areas also suffered from inadequate heating, and people occasionally went missing. However, most of these were minor figures, and one less wouldn't affect the city's operation, so the police quickly closed the cases.
It was another ordinary day. The pastor offered a prayer before dismissing everyone. The girl diligently studied the book's contents, driven by both a thirst for knowledge and a desire to change her life. Li Yue looked at the musical score, pondering how to play the remaining few segments.
She accompanied the girl home. During their few days together, she learned the girl's name was Anna.
The night sky here occasionally displayed auroras, like glowing silk, hanging across the firmament like a splendid, flowing river of stars. But tonight, the sky seemed overcast, and the surrounding darkness was so profound one couldn't see their own hand.
A cold wind gently blew, and Anna's body shivered slightly, seemingly feeling the chill. Li Yue sniffed the air.
Living people?
Her half-closed eyes opened slightly, her blood-red snake pupils seemingly flashing with a faint red glow in the night. She looked in the direction the wind was blowing, muttering softly.
“One, two, three...”
Three people? I thought it was a solo operation before. I need to leave one alive to get information.
No, judging sin is not my duty. Before a death sentence is passed, I still don't have the right to kill them.
Several dark figures rapidly approached Anna in the thick night. The latter, trembling from the wind, seemed completely unaware of the approaching danger.
A man's hand quickly reached for the young girl, but as it drew near, he felt a series of piercing pains. He winced and withdrew his hand, finding his palm pierced by a strange object.
He recoiled to the side, inexplicably breaking out in a cold sweat. He first looked at his companions, then followed their astonished gazes to the red eyes glowing with blood-light in the night.
“Good evening, everyone. There's no need to waste time,” Li Yue said, lighting the kerosene lamp in her hand. The dim light illuminated the several individuals, each with a different expression.
“I ask, you answer, then take me to your lair, and surrender yourselves in the morning.”
As Li Yue spoke, she sidestepped a very fast attack. She looked at the weapon in the man's hand with a hint of surprise, her brow furrowing slightly.
A revolver? Truly worthy of a nation with such powerful steel manufacturing.
Li Yue flexed her wrist, seemingly gaining some interest in battle. She stood opposite the three, the red glow in her eyes growing stronger, like a coiled giant snake ready to strike.
A swift blade sliced across the man's cheek, leaving a bloody mark. He looked at Li Yue, whose hand hadn't even been raised, and instinctively thought there was another person.
Li Yue assessed the previous attack. She tried to draw her blood into a very fine line, allowing her to unleash quick and powerful slashes. However, this severely tested her precision in using it.
She rubbed her temple with one hand, her eyes half-closed, muttering to herself, seemingly suppressing something.
Calm down, Li Yue, calm down. This is your test. Be merciful, not cruel. Be merciful, not cruel. Be cruel...
“Bang!” Another gunshot shattered the night's silence. Li Yue, still trying to calm herself, didn't dodge in time, and her shoulder was shot through. She opened her eyes.
Everyone watched the bizarre scene: the recently injured girl's wound didn't bleed a single drop, or rather, the blood floated in the air.
The man froze, then felt the revolver in his hand detach itself. He raised his hand, only to see the clean cut surface of his wrist.
Li Yue covered Anna's eyes.
“Don't look, little one. Go wait over there and cover your ears.”
Anna nodded tremblingly and scurried into a small alley.
Ten minutes later, Li Yue looked at the trembling man before her, and the two neatly severed piles of flesh beside him. She sighed helplessly.
Rhombus-shaped blood blades condensed around her, unlike the single sword she had previously formed. This shape was more precise, easier to control, and in crucial moments, could even assemble into a wall to defend against damage.
She bent down, looking at the trembling man, and repeated her words.
“I ask, you answer.”
“No, no, no, no... I can't... If I tell, I'll be worse than dead when I go back.”
“Is that so?” Li Yue narrowed her eyes.
Several minutes later, Li Yue walked into the alley. She saw Anna squatting in the corner, covering her mouth, looking very frightened. She stared at Li Yue, who was covered in blood, and was too scared to speak.
“This isn't my blood, I apologize. It felt warm when it splashed on me, and I forgot to remove it.” She snapped her fingers, and her clothes became clean as new. “I've gained quite a bit of information. Your sister should still be alive. Keep my blood crystal; it will keep you safer.”
Li Yue sorted through her gains: a few clues, and the coins found on these individuals. Some had been sliced apart by Li Yue, but the intact ones amounted to no more than 5 silver coins.
Her feet trod in the snow as she savored the warm sensation of being bathed in blood. Thinking of the three dead men in the snow, she felt a strange emotion.
How is it that the blood of scum is warmer than mine? Truly... astonishing.
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