On this moonless and windy night, Nangong Shiyu and Xia Zixin walked through dark alleyways. The buildings lining the path—each at least three stories tall—blocked most moonlight from reaching the ground. Still, after adjusting to the darkness, Shiyu could just make out the path ahead. At least she wouldn’t trip into a filthy gutter face-first.
Nearly a minute after parting with the little girl, they began spotting men lying motionless along the roadside. Cold steel weapons of all kinds lay scattered across the ground, stained with traces of blood. This place might well be a Tianmu City gang stronghold—recently torn apart by a brutal turf war.
Shiyu had heard of gang fights before, but never something this savage. Taking lives was serious business even among criminals—it invited unnecessary trouble. Only one thing could drive men to slaughter each other like this: a war of annexation between rival gangs.
*If that’s true… can we even save that girl’s brother alive?*
"Hmph. Pathetic." Xia Zixin sneered at the carnage.
"What’s wrong?"
"Life isn’t some cheap toy. How can they treat it like a game, tearing each other apart like this? I’ll never understand what’s worth dying for." Her voice turned icy.
"If you hate it so much," Shiyu sighed, "why drag yourself into this mess?"
"If that girl loses her brother…" Zixin’s gaze dropped. "She’ll carry that pain forever."
For a moment, Shiyu felt this woman was far more naive than herself.
"Didn’t take you for the gentle type."
"Your elder sister’s *always* been gentle. Haven’t you noticed?"
"No."
*Like hell I’d admit that.* Shiyu’s backside still ached faintly from Zixin’s earlier "gentleness."
*How could someone who hits that hard be gentle?*
"Looks like we’re close."
Ahead, light spilled from the alley’s end. Two armed men stood guard before a metal shutter door glowing with light. Jeans and leather shoes covered their lower halves; bare torsos displayed vivid tattoos. Blood smeared their skin and blades.
"Time to move, little Shiyu."
"Hey! Who’s there? Show yourselves!"
Hearing footsteps, the guards turned. As Zixin and Shiyu approached, one thug blocked their path. Zixin stopped with a smile, shielding Shiyu behind her.
"Can we help you?"
"Huh? Just two girls?"
"Don’t get careless."
"Pretty little things though… maybe we could—"
"Idiot! Let your dick do the thinking again? Civilians are off-limits. No moves until we ID them—and one’s in a school uniform."
"Tch. Boring."
The first thug leveled his blade. "How’d you get past the outer guards? Who *are* you?"
"Well…" Zixin tilted her head. "Take a guess?"
"Enough games! Talk or I cut you!"
"No need for violence. There’s an old saying: *courtesy before force*. Your dear elder sister just wants to know where the brother of that little girl who ran past here is."
The thugs instantly dropped into fighting stances.
"Take them alive!"
"Oh dear," Zixin sighed. "Seems polite chat’s off the table."
As one thug lunged for her arm, Zixin’s foot shot up—a sharp kick straight to his groin. He crumpled with a choked scream, clutching himself.
"Damn bitches!" The second thug charged. Zixin ducked low, driving an elbow into his gut. He gasped and collapsed, unconscious.
She crouched beside the first thug, peering down. "Where’s the girl’s brother? Or shall I show you *exactly* what ‘gentle’ really means?"
"Ghh… upstairs…!"
A swift chop to his neck silenced him.
"All set, little Shiyu." Zixin turned, grinning. "I’ve got a plan. Wanna hear it?"
Shiyu swallowed hard. Her sixth sense screamed: *This’ll be trouble.*
