Ambush

Dropping a few copper coins into the bowl of the armless, blind beggar, Lin Yilan walked away silently. The hoarse singing dissipated in the wind. Pedestrians on the street hurried past, numb with a familiarity born of long exposure.

Every city had beggars; in Xiuwa, most were disabled miners. To mine the crystal ore essential to the Empire, they risked their lives entering deep shafts, often encountering unstable crystal explosions. After losing limbs, their only means of survival was begging.

Adjusting her military cap, Lin Yilan looked at the sky. People were gradually gathering in twos and threes around the high platform in the square. A bare iron pillar stood on the platform, with firewood piled high beneath it. A strange silence shrouded the surroundings; the atmosphere was oppressive and gloomy.

Burning at the stake—the severest punishment in the Sear Empire for capital offenders, and a common sight in Xiuwa's central square.

A resonant bell rang from the clock tower. A group of barefoot prisoners was marched onto the streets, thick ropes around their necks. Their firmly bound hands were covered in bright red candle wax, symbolizing unforgivable felonies. Soldiers with guns marched alongside them, parading down the long street.

The roadside was packed with onlookers whispering about the disheveled death row prisoners. A woman with red eyes stared at one of the condemned, suppressing low sobs. People watched from behind every window along the street; a desperate gloom enveloped the entire city.

The procession should have included the city's nobles and informers, usually dressed in white robes and walking at the front to receive the crowd's adulation and cheers. This time, however, they were collectively absent. Unlike the carnival-like execution scenes of the past, if they dared to appear now, they would likely be torn to shreds by the rioting crowd.

Lin Yilan stood at the edge of the square, watching the parade circle the city and return to the starting point. The City Hall, directly facing the stake, was heavily guarded. Nobles and Xiuwa's upper-class celebrities watched from the third-floor outer corridor. The identity of the prisoners was quite special; a simple burning even mobilized the infantry battalion for crowd control.

The bruised and battered death row prisoners were several miners, who were also leaders of Xiuwa's underground resistance organization.

To seek relief from the harsh collection orders, they had instigated a miner's strike, which sparked unrest involving half the city. It was only quelled after the infantry battalion forcibly suppressed it.

The military captured the leaders of the resistance organization thanks to an informer's report. Torture failed to extract a single clue from the prisoners, but it attracted repeated rescue attempts by their accomplices; the arson at City Hall was one such attempt. After secret detention and interrogation, the judge sentenced them to public burning. No one could guarantee whether the insurgents would create another incident.

Sadness and anger permeated the crowd. In a city where half the population were miners, many sympathized with this failed unrest and felt unwilling to accept the outcome. The crowd hated the informers and was hostile toward the nobles, yet under the menacing pressure, they could not resist. They could only wait for the burning with a pain akin to a memorial service.

The piled firewood formed a wall half the height of a person, separating the stake from the crowd.

The prisoners were locked to the iron pillar with heavy shackles, awaiting the ritualized sentence. Wearing a silver wig, the judge read the verdict, loudly proclaiming every crime of the condemned.

Usually, the sentencing was the climax of the ritual, with every sentence eliciting bursts of cheers. The response now was a heavy silence. The unprecedented stillness brought pressure, causing the judge to involuntarily speed up his speech, hastily concluding the sentencing.

The tradition of purging sin with fire was primitive, barbaric, and cruel. Yet, it was used repeatedly for its powerful deterrence and the endless pain it inflicted on the executed.

The oil-soaked wood caught fire easily. Fanned by the wind, the flames shot up rapidly, billowing choking thick smoke. The temperature rose higher and higher. The clothes of the executed began to burn. Unable to scream because of the rags stuffed in their mouths, only their distorted faces revealed their agony. Raging flames licked at their bodies, and the smell of scorching flesh spread throughout the square.

Lin Yilan's face was pale to the point of turning green. Her heart palpitated uncontrollably, and her back felt ice-cold.

Although her position was too far to see the details of the execution, she still couldn't stop trembling. She quietly stepped back, hiding from her subordinates in a dark alley. The burnt smell made her vomit uncontrollably until only bile remained in her stomach.

She hated this extremely cruel punishment, yet there was no escape.

She didn't know how long passed before the pervasive smell gradually faded. Lin Yilan wiped her face and forced herself to walk back to her original spot. Everyone's attention was fully drawn to the fire, and no one noticed her abnormality. After waiting a long time, the mayor and nobles finally left, and the crowd dispersed. Only a few charred bones remained on the empty iron pillar.

"Sir, you look unwell," Angie whispered after they left the central square.

Lin Yilan gripped her cold, clammy hands. "I have a bit of a headache."

"Maybe find a place to rest and return to the base later," Angie suggested kindly.

The base wasn't far from the city. Many soldiers lingered in the city after finishing their tasks, unwilling to return to the dull barracks. It was rare to have half a day to indulge in pleasure. As long as they made it back for the evening roll call, officers usually turned a blind eye.

Lin Yilan indeed didn't want to return to the base; she let her emotions dictate her actions for once. "You take them back. The Lieutenant approved my leave. I'm leaving the squad in your hands for the next few days. Report to the Lieutenant if anything happens."

"Yes." The joy of being trusted made Angie blush slightly. She clicked her boots together and gave a standard salute.

The door of the noisy bar swung open, and a young woman in uniform entered.

A garrison cap pressed down on her hairline. Her beautiful face was somewhat pale, and her fine figure was wrapped in a uniform, exuding a unique charm that blended femininity with heroic spirit.

The afternoon bar fell silent for a moment. The young woman approached the bar and whispered something to the bartender. A moment later, a glass of wine was pushed in front of her. She picked it up and took a sip, pursing her fragrant lips. The hearts of the men around the bar skipped a beat.

It was inappropriate for a woman to come to a bar alone, but the uniform provided an invisible barrier.

The military's various brutal and unscrupulous acts were well known in the streets. Their special status was favored by the security squad, so civilians mostly avoided them. Although her beauty was tempting and covetous gazes lingered, no one dared to approach her.

The lively noise gradually returned. Her slender fingertips traced the rim of the transparent glass. As the hot liquor flowed down her throat, her cold body gradually warmed up. Drinking after vomiting so hard wasn't wise, but it made her feel slightly better. The taste of alcohol suppressed the discomfort at the root of her tongue.

The chaotic bar was filled almost entirely with men, with occasional barmaids and prostitutes weaving through, telling vulgar jokes and flirting loudly. Noticing her gaze, a coquettish prostitute looked over and made a lewd gesture wantonly, drawing a roar of laughter from the surroundings.

Lin Yilan looked away and ordered another drink. She didn't want to go home, but she had nowhere else to go besides the camp. She would drink one more glass to calm down, then she still had to embark on the return journey.

The bar door swung open again, and a group of people entered, making the place even noisier.

The uniform color drew side-glances. Surrounded by his subordinates, Dana glanced around, an unexpected smile hooking his lips. He hugged a prostitute who welcomed him, kissed her, slapped her plump buttocks, then pushed her away and squeezed up to the bar.

"What a coincidence. You come here too."

Seeing his hand about to touch her, Lin Yilan took a step back. "Hello, Sir."

The other soldiers tactfully didn't follow, joking at the other end of the bar. The gathering soldiers attracted more prostitutes. The smell of alcohol and sweat mixed with cheap powder, making it suffocating.

"What do you want to drink? My treat." A silver coin was flicked into the bartender's hand. Dana stared intently at her face.

"No need. I was just leaving. Have a good time, Sir." Lin Yilan refused flatly.

"Can't even have a drink with me?"

"I have things to do. Please excuse me, Sir."

"So cold. Were you demoted to Xiuwa because you refused to sleep with your superior in Del?" Dana asked frivolously and obscenely. Her stern coldness only fueled his desire. "Why pretend to be decent? Are you still a virgin?"

Her green eyes gave him a cold look, and she placed money for the drinks on the counter.

The smell of powder suddenly became heavy. A prostitute threw herself into Dana's arms. He embraced her, and while the woman fawned wantonly, using her ample figure as cover, Dana's hand moved. A pinch of powder fell into the half-finished drink on the counter, dissolving instantly without a trace.

Lin Yilan put on her cap and was about to leave when Dana pushed the prostitute aside and called out to her, raising his glass. "Sorry, I apologize. I went too far. I won't provoke you again."

The sudden show of goodwill made her wary. Lin Yilan remained silent.

"Then have a drink, to bury the hatchet." Dana smiled and snapped his fingers, signaling the bartender for another glass.

Lin Yilan thought for a moment, picked up her unfinished drink, downed it in one gulp, set down the glass, and turned to leave.

The prostitute beside them giggled, exchanging a triumphant look with Dana.

The bar was large. Before she had taken ten steps through the crowded throng, Lin Yilan stumbled, and the scene before her suddenly blurred. Sensing something was wrong, her heart turned ice-cold. Wasting no time looking back, she pushed through the crowd toward the door.

She seemed to hear Dana's shout. Soldiers laughing with prostitutes gathered around, blocking her path. One soldier lunged and fell; another groaned in pain and retreated; a third, a fourth...

Caught off guard, she forced a path through them. By the time she threw herself at the door, she could no longer see clearly. Bright, dazzling light spun like a vortex, and her soul seemed to float. She bumped into someone and stumbled, falling. The door closed again, and hope vanished with it. Her fingertips tried to grasp something but were powerless. She lost consciousness instantly.

The person she bumped into was a man who had just stepped into the bar. But no one paid attention to him. The noisy environment fell silent; everyone was looking at the woman who had collapsed.

Her cap had fallen off, and short hair stuck messily to her cheek. Her body, lying on its side, presented alluring curves. Her pale face was delicate and fragile, showing no trace of the toughness that had just taken down six soldiers.

Dana stroked the unconscious woman's face, the soft touch making him ecstatic. "I didn't lie to you. After tonight, you'll be the one coming to find me."

"Sir, I want seconds," a soldier shouted loudly, rubbing his bruised arm.

"I took a heavy kick from her; I should be second," another soldier contended.

"I let you have the last one. This time it's..."

Amid the clamorous dispute, Dana scooped up the soft body onto his shoulder. Amid the soldiers' noise, he called to the bartender. "A room, the usual rules."

Catching the thrown key and walking inward, a person suddenly appeared in front of Dana. The man who had been at the bar entrance was now blocking the passage. Dana shouted in displeasure. "Get lost!"

"What's going on?" A companion followed the man. Hearing the shout and taking a glance, he understood most of it and patted his friend's shoulder. "Don't interfere."

The advice had no effect. The man moved, and the woman on Dana's shoulder was snatched away. Dana was furious.

Tossing the unconscious woman to his partner, the man fought Dana. In a few moves, he suppressed Dana's offensive, forcing him to retreat repeatedly. No match for him, Dana was about to draw his gun when a sharp knife pressed against his throat, drawing a line of blood.

The surrounding soldiers preparing to pounce all froze. Before they could react, the man turned the knife, knocked Dana unconscious with the hilt, and dispatched the remaining soldiers with a few moves. Taking the woman from his friend, he walked out of the dim bar.

"She's from the military. It's just dogs biting dogs; there's no need to save her. Did you change your nature?" The companion who followed asked in confusion. "Is it because this woman is beautiful?"

The man gave a faint glance. "I owe her a favor."

"You owe her?" The unexpected answer piqued his companion's curiosity, his tone turning teasing. "You know each other? What exactly did you do to get involved with the military..."

"Don't know her." The man left no room for imagination. "You can shut up now."