She looked up at the sky, weak sunlight spilling through the clouds.
That light suddenly reminded her of the look in Li Xin’s eyes when she was injured, a strange radiance amidst the pain.
Li Xin had once risked her life for her.
Mu Xi closed her eyes, the images in her memory making her throat tighten.
“I can’t go back,” she whispered to herself, her voice firm yet carrying a slight tremor.
“I can’t rely on anyone at a time like this. I can do it myself.”
Having made up her mind, Mu Xi tidied her clothes and checked the bullets in her Gun.
Enough to handle any emergency.
She looked toward the Gold Mine and began to move forward cautiously.
The Forest gradually thinned out, and the outlines of buildings in the distance became clearer.
A pungent smell of gunpowder drifted over, mixed with an unsettling metallic scent.
Mu Xi frowned and slowed her pace, approaching the destination under the cover of the bushes.
Most of the main building of the Gold Mine had been destroyed, with occasional flames flickering among the Ruins.
Several bodies lay at the entrance, blood congealing into dark red patterns on the ground.
Mu Xi suppressed the churning in her stomach and carefully observed the battlefield.
This wasn’t a common robbery or a gang fight; it was an organized attack.
The distribution of bullet holes showed the attackers were well-trained, and the clean demolition points proved they had prepared thoroughly beforehand.
“How did things get this bad?” Mu Xi murmured, her eyes searching for any possible signs of survivors.
Just then, a faint noise came from the Ruins not far away.
Mu Xi quickly crouched down, her Gun already in hand.
She held her breath and moved slowly behind a collapsed wall, peering through a crack in the bricks to observe the source of the movement.
A familiar figure crawled out from the Ruins with difficulty, her left shoulder soaked in blood and her right leg seemingly injured.
Even in such a wretched state, the person’s silhouette made Mu Xi’s heart race.
“Li Xin!” she almost blurted out but bit her tongue just in time.
In broad daylight, on a battlefield full of devastation, the once composed and elegant Li Xin was now as pathetic as a stray dog.
Mu Xi ignored the potential danger and rushed out from her hiding spot.
Her footsteps made almost no sound on the soft earth, but Li Xin seemed to have some sort of intuition; she lifted her head with difficulty, her gaze finding her through the dust and smoke.
“Li Xin!” Mu Xi knelt by her side, her trembling hands not knowing where to land.
Li Xin’s left shoulder was a mangled mess of flesh and blood, and her right leg was bent at an unnatural angle.
Li Xin’s expression shifted from surprise to disbelief, finally freezing into a complex emotion, “Miss Mu Xi… how could you be… here?”
Her voice was low and hoarse, each word sounding as if it were being forced out of her throat.
“Don’t speak.” Mu Xi tucked her defensive Gun back into her waist and carefully supported Li Xin’s back with both hands.
“What happened at the Gold Mine? Where are Ye Lan and Little An?”
Li Xin’s breathing was ragged, each breath accompanied by a faint wheezing, “Ye Lan… came to save us, but now… she’s missing…”
Her pupils contracted in the sunlight, revealing a hint of fear, “Little An is… right behind me.”
Mu Xi followed Li Xin’s weak gesture and saw a thin figure standing guard with a gun on the other side of the Ruins.
It was Little An.
The Butler who was always respectful to her now exuded a cold murderous intent, her eyes as sharp as a Knife.
“Little An!” Mu Xi called out.
Little An spun around, her gun instinctively aiming at the source of the sound.
When she saw it was Mu Xi, her expression instantly shifted from alertness to ecstasy.
“Little Master!”
Little An almost ran and jumped over, her gun still tightly clutched in her hand, but her eyes were already moist.
“You’re alright! Thank heavens! I thought—I thought you had already—” Her voice choked up, unable to finish the terrible word.
Mu Xi noticed that Little An only had some minor abrasions and dust on her, faring much better than Li Xin.
“Where is Ye Lan?” she asked, staring intently into Little An’s eyes.
Little An shook her head, the joy in her eyes fading and being replaced by worry, “She told us to leave first while she went to chase the attackers. After the explosion, we lost contact.”
Mu Xi’s mind raced.
Ye Lan was gone and Li Xin was seriously injured.
She had to make a decision.
“Let’s leave here first,” she ordered in a low voice, “Help me take Li Xin back to the Safe House.”
“Safe House?” Little An looked at her in confusion while warily scanning the surroundings.
“I know a place,” Mu Xi said as she and Little An carefully helped Li Xin up.
“Ye Lan prepared it for me.”
Li Xin let out a low groan as they supported her.
Her weight pressed down on Mu Xi’s slender shoulders, making it almost hard for Mu Xi to breathe.
Little An noticed and quickly adjusted her posture, taking on more of the weight.
“I’ll do it,” Little An said bluntly, almost hoisting Li Xin onto her shoulder and demonstrating strength far beyond her appearance.
The three of them moved slowly toward the depths of the Forest.
Mu Xi walked in front, her Gun ready to respond to any threat; Little An was in the middle, carrying Li Xin; Li Xin was in a semi-conscious state, drifting in and out of clarity.
“Careful, this way.” Mu Xi avoided the route where she had encountered the wild dogs earlier, choosing a more concealed but difficult path.
After walking for about ten minutes, Little An began to notice Mu Xi looking back at them from time to time, her eyes shimmering with a strange light.
“Little Master, what’s wrong?” she asked softly.
Mu Xi bit her lower lip and suddenly let out a soft laugh, her voice laced with self-mockery, “I almost got eaten by a pack of wild dogs just now.”
Her tone was light, but her eyes revealed she was still shaken.
“I’m so weak, yet I actually got into a life-and-death struggle with wild dogs. It would be laughable if anyone heard about it.”
A flash of distress passed through Little An’s eyes, but she responded unexpectedly, “That only makes the Little Master more adorable.”
Her voice was gentle, but her gaze remained alert as she scanned the surroundings, as if she were ready to block any threat for Mu Xi at any moment.
Mu Xi was speechless at the answer and gave Little An a wordless glare, only to find a hint of an emotion she couldn’t read in the other’s eyes, alongside loyalty.
Li Xin moved slightly on Little An’s back, letting out an incoherent groan.
Mu Xi immediately composed herself and quickened her pace.
“We’re almost there.” Mu Xi pointed to a massive ancient pine tree ahead.
“The Safe House is right beneath it.”
Little An looked at the tree skeptically but didn’t voice any doubts.
Mu Xi ran to the tree and skillfully pressed a depression in the roots, causing a hidden door to slowly open.
“Get in, quick!” Mu Xi urged, while warily scanning the area to ensure they weren’t being followed.
Little An carefully squeezed through the narrow entrance while carrying Li Xin, and Mu Xi followed, closing the secret door behind them.
The Emergency Light automatically turned on, illuminating the stairs leading underground.
“This is…?” Little An looked at the well-equipped underground space in surprise.
“Ye Lan’s Safe House,” Mu Xi explained briefly, pointing to a double bed in the corner.
“Put her there.”
Little An complied, gently placing Li Xin on the bed.
Li Xin’s breathing became more rapid, and her face was so pale it was almost translucent.
“The medical kit is on the shelf over there.” Mu Xi quickly walked to the storage area, taking out a first-aid kit and several bottles of water.
“We need to treat her wounds first.”
Little An took the medical kit and began cleaning Li Xin’s wounds with practiced movements.
She cut open Li Xin’s clothing, revealing the gruesome injuries.
Mu Xi watched from the side, unable to help but gasp; her face was even paler than Li Xin’s.