The flower-selling girl and the debauchee, walking one after the other, one carrying a money bag and holding a flower basket with a good mood, while the other silently followed behind, their lewd gaze scanning the girl's figure like a venomous snake, lingering on the exposed white skin on the back of her neck, as if wanting to penetrate through the shabby linen robe with their eyes.

Imagining the delicate body under the girl's linen robe and the terrified gaze of a lamb when her clothes are torn apart, Mosla almost couldn't help but pounce on this little maid and deal with her on the spot. But considering the lesson he learned from being caught last time, he decided to endure a little longer, his eyes turning slightly red as he followed.

Heh heh, I will cherish you very much later, my lord...

...

"Disgusting fellow..."

Anwei muttered, gritting her teeth in resentment. That guy's attention was all focused on the flower-selling girl, thinking that there was no one else in this secluded alley besides the two of them. His true colors were revealed.

-- Anwei could even see a bulge in the location of that loose robe, and she didn't need to think to know what it was. The female knight suddenly felt her face getting hot.

Although she led those rough men in the garrison and occasionally cursed with dirty jokes, and she knew a thing or two about affairs between men and women, she was ultimately an unmarried woman at a late age -- that's how her subordinates called her. Seeing such a thing was inevitably discomforting.

Before bringing him back, I'll give him a stab...

The female knight made up her mind.

The flower-selling girl was very familiar with this area, leading Master Mo through the houses in the alley with ease. Anwei, who was following behind, not only had to be careful not to be discovered, but also had to recognize the way. Moreover, the girl's speed was not slow, and Anwei had wasted time trying to memorize the route, so she had to jog to keep up.

Following the two through this slightly old-fashioned area of houses, even she almost lost her way. She could only barely make out that they were in a residential area near the pier.

Fortunately, Mo Sula and the flower-selling girl finally stopped ahead, otherwise it would be a problem if they had to find their way back.

After taking a moment to catch her breath, Anwei felt for the handcuffs and the badge that proved her identity as a member of the garrison, and crouched outside the door ready to rush in at any moment to arrest them.

However, after waiting for a long time, there was still no movement inside the door.

What's going on? Did they go somewhere else?

Anwei quickly circled around and confirmed that there was only one entrance to this room, which made her even more puzzled. There was no other way out, the girl and Mosla were still inside, so why hadn't they come out for so long?

Could it be that guy attacked her directly inside...

As if confirming Anwei's thoughts, a short, faint scream suddenly came from inside the room, and it only lasted for a moment before it was abruptly cut off, as if someone had covered the person's mouth. If it weren't for Anwei's keen senses, she might have missed it.

Beast! He really attacked her!

At this critical moment, Anwei no longer hesitated. With her sword in hand, she kicked open the somewhat fragile wooden door and rushed in, shouting loudly, "Release that girl--"

Huh?

What she saw in front of her was not the disgusting scene she had imagined. Anwei didn't even see a single person. Moreover, the entire room was empty, with no decent furniture, it didn't look like anyone had lived there at all.

The room was dimly lit, with only a half-open small window on one side letting in a few rays of sunlight. The floor was covered in dust, indicating that it had been unused for a long time.

The most important thing was, where did Mosla and the flower-selling girl go?

Feeling a sense of unease in her heart, Anwei cautiously assumed a defensive posture, ready for any possible threat. Chi silently flowed within her body, entering a state of potential eruption. At the same time, she carefully observed her surroundings, attentive to any slight movement.

"Mmm..."

A sudden noise behind her made Anwei immediately turn around.

It was still the half-broken wooden door that she kicked open earlier, nothing out of the ordinary... Wait, the direction of the sound just now... above?

Slowly raising her head and looking up, Anwei suddenly felt a chill run through her blood, as if ice shards were forming. Her grip on the sword tightened with sudden force.

The ceiling of this room was quite high, with a considerable distance between the door and the ceiling. The light from the window couldn't reach up there, making it an easy blind spot.

And it was in this darkness that countless flower vines were entwined.

She saw it correctly—it was indeed flower vines. They were about the thickness of a little finger, with a green surface and strange dark red lines growing on their tough skin. She had no idea what kind of plant it was.

Within the layers of flower vines, a person was tightly bound—Mosla, the person Anwei had been tracking and planning to capture all along.

Not long ago, Mosla, who used to fancy himself as charming and elegant, looked extremely miserable at the moment. His limbs were twisted at an inexplicable angle by the flower vines, and Anwei even suspected that some of his joints had been completely shattered.

It seemed to be the case—Mosla's face was distorted with pain, and although he clearly wanted to shout, his mouth was sealed shut, and he could only make barely audible sobbing sounds.

"Mmm..." Seeing that Anwei had discovered him, Mosla seemed to see a glimmer of hope for escape. He struggled even harder, causing the flower vines to violently shake, but there were no signs of them breaking apart.

Although Anwei still didn't know what was happening, one thing was clear: the flower girl she had seen earlier was definitely not ordinary.

After carefully inspecting the surroundings again and not finding any trace of the flower girl, Anwei decided to first rescue Mosla and ask him directly.

"Tsk, never thought I'd have to save scum like you one day."

Glancing at Mosla, the female knight furrowed her brows and took a couple of steps forward, gesturing with her sword to find the best angle to cut open the peculiar flower vines.

"Mmm!"

"Alright, alright, young master, stop shouting, I'm trying to save you here. If you keep thrashing around, don't blame me if you accidentally get hurt."

As she spoke, Anwei leaped up and gripped her sword, ready to strike.

"Careless, Knight..."

Suddenly, mischievous laughter resounded in Anwei's ears, as if someone had successfully played a prank. In the next moment, the flower vines that covered almost half of the ceiling suddenly opened up from the center, revealing a young girl sitting within a woven vine ball. She flashed a cunning smile at Anwei.

Oops, Anwei had overlooked the fact that someone could easily hide behind the flower vines, disguised by Mosla's struggles.

Before Anwei could react, a sharp flower vine like a spear thrust straight out, effortlessly piercing through her left shoulder, splattering a blossom of blood. It firmly nailed her to the wall behind her.

"..." Enduring the pain of her shattered shoulder, Anwei's forehead was covered in cold sweat, but she gritted her teeth and didn't scream. Her eyes stared fixedly at the girl who slowly landed on the ground amidst a cluster of flower vines.

As the girl's tip-toes touched the ground, the flower vines on the ceiling and walls immediately withered and dissipated. Without any support, Mosla fell to the ground with a thump, losing consciousness from the pain.

"Who... are you? You harmed someone in the Beacon City, do you know what consequences you'll face?" Anwei asked in a low voice, pressing down on her shoulder wound.

"Oh my, Sir Knight, you're so fierce," the girl said, crossing her arms and making a fearful expression. "I'm just a flower seller, that's all."

Seeing Anwei remain silent, the girl found it a bit boring and took a couple of steps forward to stand in front of Anwei, tilting her head up slightly.

"Hey, are you one of the guards for that dead dog over there?"

"..."

"Say something? It's so boring like this," the girl showed a look of distress, then suddenly brightened up. She reached out and started feeling around Anwei's waist, tracing down her back...

"What are you doing!"

Anwei finally started to panic, trying to dodge the girl's hands to no avail. Being touched so intimately, especially by a girl, was an experience she had never encountered before!

"Well, well, don't be nervous... Ah, found it!"

Suddenly backing away, the girl held her hands up to her chest, displaying what she had just discovered to Anwei.

"Clang, clang, clang~ It's the insignia of the Guard, so Big Sis is one of them. I knew it, there's no way such a cool knight like you could be a lackey of that dead dog."

"Ah, this is much more convenient. I was planning to find a rich merchant's son and use the opportunity to get into the Guard... But I got lucky. Praise the Lady of Fortune~"

The Guard? What is this person planning? In Anwei's eyes, the girl became even more dangerous. She had been defenseless against her attack just now, and someone at this level of danger needed to be reported to the Commander and the Councilor as soon as possible.

"But, are all the people in the Guard like you? If so, it's quite boring."

"...If it was Prince Tiran who made a move, you wouldn't have the chance to be so proud."

"Oh, the Silver War Maiden? I'm looking forward to it." The girl didn't seem angry at all and instead showed a radiant smile. "But you're finally willing to say a few more words, Knight Sister."

"Who wants to waste time talking to you? I'm just trying to buy some time." Now that Anwei had identified her as an enemy, she didn't plan on being polite anymore. She sneered and suddenly her body emitted a bright light.

"Huh? When did...?"

Before the girl could finish her sentence, a surge of Chi and a dazzling light radiated from Anwei.

...

Outside the house, Anwei's right hand pressed against her bleeding left shoulder as she stumbled and ran, not daring to slow down.

Anwei had realized that she couldn't match the strength of that girl, so she had started to buy time and gather her strength. Finally, she unleashed the full force of a third-level Knight's Chi all at once, managing to create an opportunity to escape. As for Mosla, she would have to find another chance to save him later.

But it still wasn't safe. The streets in this area were sparsely populated, and the girl didn't have to worry about anything as she could fully focus on chasing Anwei. It seemed that safety could only be found by returning to the Guard or places like the Adventurer's Guild Knight Association.

And the first thing to do was to get to the main street.

Stopping to catch her breath, Anwei continued to run, the noise from the main street ahead becoming gradually clearer.

With her Chi reserves depleted, the wound oozing blood non-stop, and a piece of flower vine stuck inside, her arm would be useless without a good priest to heal it.

Her head... was spinning.

Anwei suddenly felt something was off.

Although blood was flowing steadily, fortunately not damaging any major arteries, it shouldn't have caused such dizziness or the scenes before her eyes to darken. This kind of injury was nothing for a knight with a sturdy physique, so why was she feeling dizzy now?

Oh no, consciousness... it's starting to blur.

Struggling to stay alert, Anwei felt his consciousness inexorably separating from his body.

What's happening?

In the last moments before his consciousness drifted away, Anwei caught a whiff of a floral scent.

...

"You can't escape, Knight Sister."

A girl slowly approached from behind, half a head shorter but steady as she caught Anwei's falling body. With a hint of regret, she said, "The roses are in full bloom."

A fresh red flower quietly blossomed on the branch piercing the female knight's shoulder, exuding a bewitching allure.