010: Once upon a time there was a mountain, Chapter Ten

Without Jiang Yan, the wordless temples became a bit desolate, and there were no more animals carrying the burden to deliver heads. This made An Yu speechless as she looked up at the sky, the difference in treatment was too big.
Perhaps sensing An Yu's dissatisfaction, one night, there were several muffled bangs on the door frame. Opening the door, several rabbits bumped up against it.
An Yu: "......"
I don't really want it.
Just as I was about to pick up the rabbit and suddenly felt something, I turned around and looked east.
The blackness in the eyes became even heavier, like a whirlpool, once you look at it, you will be trapped and unable to escape no matter what.
"Amo, let's go to Chunhe Building."
Anmo made a howling sound as a response and nudged Anyu's hand with his head, signaling her to get on.
Anyu straddled Anmo's back, stroking the fur on his neck, her voice cautious and restrained: "Faster."
Anmo immediately raised his paws and ran wildly. Since being picked up and raised by Anyu, he has been fed countless magical pills and has become more than just an ordinary black wolf.
Anmo ran at a lightning-fast speed, leaving only a residual image visible to the naked eye. In just a short span of fifteen minutes, he arrived at Nanxi County.
In a small county like Nanxi, there is naturally no grand city gate, but there are guards on watch. One guard, while dozing off, suddenly felt a gust of eerie wind blowing. Startled, he opened his eyes, looked around and found nothing amiss, so he courageously went back to sleep.
In Nanxi County, there is no curfew. Even though there are fewer people on the streets during the winter, it is not completely empty. An Yu asked An Mo to stop in a secluded area and in no time, she hurriedly carried a young wolf cub and ran towards Chunhe Tower.
Spring and Harmonious Building is the largest brothel in Nanxi County. It is particularly lively as the New Year approaches.
An Yu looked at Spring and Harmonious Building, which was covered in a black mist in front of her, with a hint of powerlessness in her eyes. She lifted her foot and walked in.
When I crossed the gate of Chunhe Building, the noise immediately came into my ears.
It wasn't the gentle whispers of guests coming and going, but terrified screams and desperate faintness.
In the lobby of Chunhe Building, there were people lying scattered all over, unable to move. A woman wearing a bright red dress with delicate features held a dagger in her hand and repeatedly stabbed a man's body. The man's painful screams stimulated the eardrums of everyone present, one by one.
"The last one." The woman's voice was gentle, like a whisper between lovers, but the man, who couldn't move at all, couldn't control his trembling.
"Don't, don't kill me! It was Xu Yingyu who asked me to do it! It's not my fault! Spare me! Spare me..."
The dagger in the woman's hand slowly reached the man's throat, and with a little force, the gushing blood splattered half of the woman's face. However, she paid no attention to it, stood up, held the dagger, and walked to another man's side. She crouched down, smiling, and said, "It's your turn now."
"Don't come over! Don't come over! Help! Help!" The man struggled weakly, his face covered with snot and tears. He deeply regretted why he had been so ruthless, and now he was suffering the consequences...
The sharp edge of the knife stained with blood slid across his right arm, the sound as gentle as a ghost: "I remember, it was this hand that broke Song Lang's hand back then."
"Ah!"
The woman exerted force on her wrist, severing the man's wrist, instantly causing blood to flow profusely.

It's hard to imagine how much strength a woman must have mustered to easily sever someone's wrist.
"This foot snapped Song Lang's leg bone." The woman stabbed the man's lower leg with the knife in her hand, ignoring his screams. The knife stirred inside, but the bone was always severed.

A few drops of sweat appeared on the woman's forehead. She decided to draw out the dagger and stabbed it in repeatedly.
There was always a gentle smile on her face, as if she was not stabbing someone with a knife, but giving a massage to her loved one.
A man was tortured by pain and fainted, only to be awakened by continuous bursts of pain, such repeated.
There were many people present who were scared and fainted, but even more terrifying were those who couldn't faint, their nerves stirred by the painful screams in their ears, and the sound of the knife entering and exiting the flesh made them even more restless. For a while, besides the burning incense, there was an indescribable smell in the lobby.
The woman finally broke the man's calf, and her smile widened, as if she had accomplished something big. There was a sense of relief in her tone as well.
"How does it feel? Isn't it comfortable?"
There seemed to be some confusion as to why the man didn't speak, and the woman furrowed her brows slightly.
With a sigh or maybe with pity, Anyu spoke softly, "He is dead."
The woman turned her head in surprise, as if just noticing Anyu's presence.
Those who were immersed in the woman's cruel killing method also woke up and started wailing and howling, screaming for help and promising rewards.
The woman confirmed that what An Yu said was true and said with some regret: "He got away cheap."
The way her beloved Song Lang died was so tragic, and these two murderers died in such a way.
The woman's fair face was stained with red blood, matching her tender expression, making it look extremely eerie.
At this moment, the woman suddenly curled up her lips, gently raised her arm, and blood slowly dripped onto the ground from the dagger, making a dull sound.
"It's okay, there's still one more."
A woman turned around and her gaze fell on Xu's mother sitting in the chair.
That is the woman An Yu encountered outside the Chunhe Building that day, Xu Yingyu, the owner of Chunhe Building.
Xu Yingyu's seductive face showed no fear, but anger was clearly visible: "Ran Yue!"
The woman's dagger swiftly and accurately stabbed into Xu Yingyu's shoulder, and she spoke with a deliberate tone: "My name is Chu Wanjun."
Xu Yingyu snorted, a madness flashing in her eyes: "Since the day you were sold to the Spring and Orchard, Chu Wanjun no longer exists in this world!"
The dagger embedded in Xu Yingyu's shoulder swiveled, forcefully twisting the flesh and blood inside. Chu Wanjun's eyes turned bloodshot: "Xu Yingyu, why won't you let me go!"
Song Lang clearly prepared the ransom early on. As long as Xu Yingyu agrees to return the contract, she will still be Chu Wanjun. Why? Why won't they let her go?
Chu Wanjun's family is not wealthy and has several younger siblings. She was prepared to be sold by her parents, but she never expected that for the sake of earning a few more silver coins, her parents would sell her to a brothel.
Song Lang, mentioned by Chu Wanjun, is actually named Song Ke. He is a scholar and is neighbors with Chu Wanjun. Chu Wanjun's name was actually given by Song Ke's father, who is also a private tutor.
The two grew up together since childhood. Due to a recent incident in the Chu family, Chu Wanjun failed the provincial exam this year. His family is already dissatisfied with the Chu family, but Song Ke's affection for Chu Wanjun is genuine. Helpless, Song's parents had to give in and let it be.
Song Ke had raised enough silver, but Xu Yingyu refused to let him go no matter what, and they were entangled for more than two months. In the end, Song Ke died in the alley behind Chunhe Building.
Xu Yingyu dragged her and made her watch as Song Ke was beaten to death by those two men. At that moment, her heart went with him.
She remained silent and compromised, eventually becoming the person Xu Yingyu wanted her to be.
Xu Yingyu seemed to hear a huge joke and sneered, "Why? Once you enter the Spring and Harmony Tower, you can never hope to climb out alive."