Chapter 11: Sword’s Glimmer Charging at the Dogwoman

Kleine slowly advanced toward Wu Qingsong and Ling, step by deliberate step. Wu Qingsong’s sole response was to firmly clutch the iron rod, previously used to pry the bars, positioning himself protectively before Ling.

Yet, he was painfully aware of the vast power gap between them. For Kleine, taking Ling’s life would be a mere flick of the wrist.

“You wish to head to Karazhan, don’t you? I’ll guide you! I know the route!” he shouted with urgency.

Kleine hesitated briefly, immediately discerning Wu Qingsong’s attempt to stall for time.

In prior instances, under varying circumstances, he had posed the same question to Wu Qingsong, scrutinizing his every reaction. He had essentially ascertained the truthfulness of Wu Qingsong’s claims.

To have escaped such a place and then aimlessly traverse forests and mountains for months alone, retaining any sense of direction would be peculiar indeed.

“Do you take me for a fool?” he uttered disdainfully. Gradually, he unsheathed his sword, steadily approaching Wu Qingsong.

Wu Qingsong felt his mouth dry and his tongue parched, his eyes tightly fixed on the sword in Kleine’s hand. But all he saw was a flash of the sword, followed by a sharp pain emanating from his abdomen. His body instinctively stepped back, heavily crashing against the iron cage, subsequently pressing down on Ling, causing her to let out a light gasp.

“Oh right, there’s another accomplice,” said Kleine, his eyes narrowing in evident pleasure. A surge of satisfaction washed over him.

‘Believed yourself invincible, did you? Thought you feared nothing?’

Seeing Wu Qingsong’s panicked expression and recalling the times he had begrudgingly yielded to Wu Qingsong’s demands, Kleine began to laugh with malice.

“I swear you’ll regret this day!” Wu Qingsong bellowed without reservation. “Mark my words, harm her, and you’ll find no peace even in death! You know I can’t die, right?  I’ll do whatever it takes to get my revenge on you!”

He knew all too well that expressing concern for Ling at this moment could place her in even greater danger. Yet, given Kleine’s cold detachment, if he deemed her worthless, there was a high likelihood he might kill her on a whim out of frustration. Wu Qingsong couldn’t risk that.

Perhaps he wasn’t some formidable, justice-driven hero, but he couldn’t stand the thought of a girl he knew meeting a senseless end right before his eyes.

This revelation made Kleine’s sneer deepen. 

“Ah, so this is your weakness,” he remarked.

“I know exactly what you’re after,” Wu Qingsong shouted at Kleine. “Release her now, and I promise to persuade Khadgar to instruct you in magic. I swear it! But if you lay a finger on her, I’ll implore him to end your life and that of anyone connected with you! Mark my words.”

‘Khadgar, is it?’

Kleine’s laughter took on a chilly edge. He circled the cage leisurely, while Wu Qingsong, bracing himself, shielded Ling behind him.

“Wu!” For Ling, who was unaware of Wu Qingsong’s resilience, this marked the first time she ever felt genuinely protected and cherished. Tears filled her eyes, but now they were tears of joy.

“Don’t worry about me,” she murmured.

“I can’t stand by and watch you die,” Wu Qingsong declared, his teeth clenched in determination.

However, almost as soon as he finished speaking, the gleam of a sword darted before him. This time, it didn’t target him but whistled past, narrowly missing under his arm.

“Ling!” Wu Qingsong’s heart plummeted into a freezing abyss. Even though their acquaintance was brief, he felt that if not for him, she wouldn’t be in this predicament.

Kleine’s blade slithered back into place, reminiscent of a venomous snake. When Wu Qingsong looked back, he saw a minute triangular gash on Ling’s forehead, blood oozing from the wound. She stood there, frozen in terror, her body rigid.

“I’m giving you one final chance,” Kleine stated coldly. “Next time, she won’t be as fortunate.”

Ling, having just survived a close call, found her legs giving out beneath her, causing her to slump within the cage.

“What will happen to Liuli?” Wu Qingsong managed to ask, despite his trembling body.

“She has to die,” Kleine declared fiercely. “Every traitor must face their consequences.”

“But…” Wu Qingsong began, raising his voice in protest. Yet, before he could finish, a sword was violently thrust into his mouth. It twisted brutally, making his tongue, throat, and entire mouth throb in excruciating pain.

“Don’t overstep your bounds,” Kleine admonished. “Who do you believe you are? What right do you have to negotiate with me? You think you’re invincible?”

Pain paralyzed Wu Qingsong, preventing him from making a sound. With his sword directed at Ling, Kleine ordered, “Give up everything! Quickly!”

Ling, after hesitating and sharing a brief look with Wu Qingsong, complied. She handed over all the tools, sliding them through the cage’s gaps.

“Remember, this is your last warning.” 

With a swift motion, Kleine kicked the items beyond their grasp, fixing Wu Qingsong with a cautionary stare.

At that moment, the distant sounds of an uproar filtered in from outside. Kleine, his brow furrowing, sheathed his sword and quickly moved to investigate.

An eerie silence descended upon the cellar, but the tumult outside intensified. They could just make out the desperate cries of someone shouting.

“It’s a fire! There’s a fire!”

Clearly, Kleine had been drawn outside. As an officer of the defense force, he was bound to respond to such emergencies.

Wu Qingsong seized this opportunity. “Quickly!” Urgently, he began to shake the iron bars, which had started to give way. With a quiet clang, one bar dropped. Soon after, another followed.

Enduring the pain, Wu Qingsong desperately tugged at the wire mesh with his hands until he managed to tear a hole large enough for Ling to crawl through.

“Quickly!” he urged her.

“But you can’t get out,” Ling responded, tears in her eyes.

“Fetch that iron rod for me,” Wu Qingsong commanded, raising his voice.

Finally heeding his words, Ling scrambled out of the gap. Together, they frantically worked to dislodge a third iron bar. As they did, the ominous sound of footsteps resonated from above.

“Run, now!” Wu Qingsong said, urgency evident in his voice.

“I can’t…” Ling began, her voice filled with despair. 

What would be the point of escaping? The first slave trader to see her would just recapture and sell her. She felt powerless to escape from Rem City to the open wilderness. To her, the choice between dying here or enduring an even grimmer existence elsewhere wasn’t really a choice. Here, at least, was someone who truly cared about her and expected nothing in return.

“I won’t be harmed! I won’t die!” Wu Qingsong insisted as the footsteps neared the cellar. “Listen closely, Kleine can’t kill me, but he might bury me alive. You have to find Liuli, escape with her, and then find a way to rescue me, alright?”

Tears flowed freely from Ling’s eyes as she shook her head, reminiscent of their initial encounter, not truly comprehending his words.

With frustration evident, Wu Qingsong gritted his teeth and slapped her, jolting her back to the present.

“Find Liuli. Flee with her, and then find a way to free me. Do you understand?” he reiterated.

In her daze, Ling gave a hesitant nod. However, just at that instant, a figure dropped down from the cellar entrance.

“Go!” Wu Qingsong shouted to Ling.

Yet, the person who had descended exclaimed jubilantly, “I’ve found him!”