Chapter 3

Chapter 3

We washed our faces and rushed to the city gate under the cover of night, planning to leave this place as soon as dawn broke.

Before we left, Daya hugged that tree for a long time. In these chaotic times, we didn’t have the strength to carry a set of remains out of the city. Leaving her in the courtyard meant that, at the very least, she would have a tree to shield her.

As for that pervert, Daya found a burlap sack, and together we hauled him to the pit where kitchen waste was piled. It was a fitting place for him.

In any case, the city was currently gripped by panic. No one would care why the restaurant next door had stopped opening, just as no one had cared about the whereabouts of the girls the owner had lured into the backyard under the guise of charity.

Once we were outside the city, Daya asked me where I was going. I replied, “I’m going to kill someone. Someone with great power and high status.”

My intention was actually for us to go our separate ways, but she said she owed me a debt of gratitude and wanted to help me.

I didn’t refuse. I wanted to learn from her. After all, the first person I tried to kill had seen through my intentions immediately, whereas she had successfully remained undercover for so long.

By the time we reached Anfu City, the season had shifted from winter to spring. All things were reviving, and the colors of the world looked a little more beautiful.

While we were stealing food from a brothel’s kitchen, we were accidentally caught.

The madam was a woman of refined taste. Scented with a pleasant fragrance, she approached us with graceful, swaying steps.

“You two little slips of girls certainly know how to pick a spot. In times like these, this place is a woman’s sanctuary.”

“Lift your heads and let me have a look.”

I obediently raised my head, tilting it halfway up with my left profile slightly forward. This was my most beautiful angle.

Mother used to say that anyone who could maintain a stable brothel in a city must have countless intricate connections behind them. And right now, I needed those connections.

As I squinted slightly against the stinging light, I heard the collective intake of breath I had been hoping for. The daughter of the Number One Courtesan Under Heaven naturally possessed a face of devastating beauty.

The madam leaned down to examine me closely. The joy of having struck gold flashed through her eyes. I knew then that I had achieved my goal.

And so, Daya and I were given a comfortable room and delicious meals. I, in particular, was assigned various teachers to instruct me in the ways of being a woman.

Daya asked me in her dull, wooden voice, “Just what kind of grudge is it that makes it worth debasing yourself like this?”

She knew. She knew I had intentionally allowed us to be caught stealing.

I smiled, using the charming yet innocent curve Master Fu had taught me. “It’s nothing much. It’s just… about a hundred and two times greater than the grudge you held for your sister’s murder.”