20: Ye Rui

A few moments ago…

The creaking sounds of a makeshift wheelchair was faintly heard in a small alleyway, muffled by the noise of the bustling main street.

A young woman in her early twenties push the wooden wheels with her hands. Her legs, from the ankles up to her calves, were tightly dressed with bandages. Courtesy of the cruel reality of living in the street. 

It's been three months since the last time she could walks on her own feet. She had to beg on the roadside or giving a nice head to the men who were in need for a quick release.

She looks so pretty in her plain white clothes which already turn slightly brown due to exposure against the sun and dust. For her, this was the best outfit that she possessed, just enough to cover her skin and look decent enough to present herself before someone else.

Even if she wasn't well-dressed like any young woman of her age, she's still evoking a charming aura from her jade-green eyes which goes perfectly with her long, straight, deep green hair.

'I heard that the Red Light District has been so lively again after a decade of dormancy after that Minor Heavenly Tribulation. I wish I could get more clients in there.' The woman thought inwardly and certainly filled with a hope as she push the wheels eagerly.

There was a wooden bowl on her lap. Filled with a few dozens of copper coins and one silver coin. She quickly hid the bowl's content inside the fold of her clothes when she encountered two thugs who inflicted the injury on her legs.

"Shit!"

The young woman immediately manoeuvred the wheels into an opposite axis. However, the wooden wheels are heavy and not perfectly circular.

"Hey! Stop right there!" One of the thugs rebuked from a distance. He quickly arrived in front of her with just one tap of his foot. A First Stage Body Refining expert! It might not look so extravagant by the nobility standard. 

However, being an expert as a street thug was a big deal, one could overruled the other members of this underground society with a sheer strength and violence.

"Hohoho! What do we have here?" Said the other thugs whose face full of blotches 

"The infamous Cat Burglar, Ye Rui! We meet again, darling." Said the expert thug, touching Ye Rui's chin. "I heard the rumour that you've changed your occupation for the last three months. I heard that you are now selling your body instead of your thieving skills."

"Fuck off!" Ye Rui growled low.

Although she's a common mortal, she was completely undaunted even if she particularly had no chance against them.

"Wow wow… calm down, Miss kitty cat." Said the ugly faced thug, he's not an expert, but his big and burly body was very domineering. "Actually, we've been thinking about this and I, personally, feel bad about what we did to you. We didn't meant to cripple your legs at that time. Therefore, I have proposition for you. Become our bitch and we will take care of you. Hell, we'll find a physician to heal your legs. Sounds good, no?"

Hahaha!

The two laughed maniacally.

Ye Rui, on the other hand, couldn't do anything but gripping the wooden wheels until her nails were partially broken due to the intense pressure.

"Go fuck each other's asses. You cocksuckers!"

"You bitch!"

SLAP!

Ye Rui was oblivious when she found her face planted against the soil, her head churned upside down, followed by a stinging pain on her bloodied left cheek.

The hard-earned coins that she got from giving a quick 'head' service were in straggler before her eyes. Her hands lazily reached for them, she couldn't think anything else but to save every coins that she earned to buy some foods for the orphans that she cared for.

"Hmph! Let's get her into our hideout! Hehehe, we will have a good time with her pussy!"

"Hmph! Let's do it here, I can't hold it any longer!''

Ye Rui was still in daze, her sight were blurry as the thugs reached for her body, ripping the only decent clothes in her posession. Last time, she was lucky that these two thugs were only after her money. But this time, Ye Rui felt like her time has ran out. She shut her eyes tightly, wincing in pain as the two pulled her thighs apart.

When she thought that her chastity was about to be taken away, however, everything went silent in a sudden. By the time she turned her head, the alleyway was already abstractly painted with blood. She tried her best to understand what was going on with her blurry sight.

As a common mortal, Ye Rui failed to sense another presence who had been watching the ordeal from the side. The next thing she saw was a handsome face of a young-looking man in a gaudy, black and white robe with two phoenixes embroidery on either side of his chest.

"Who. Are–"

A warm touch reached her slightly parted lips.

"Ssshh… save your breath. Let's get out from here."

****

After that not-so-heroic rescue mission, Li Fei finally arrived at mansion with a half-conscious young woman on his back. Aylan and Yulan, however, weren't so surprised, they didn't ask what happened to him. The cue evidences on the young woman's body and face were enough to tell the story which unnecessarily to be told.

 Thus, Aylan urging him to bring the young woman into a private room on the ground floor for an easier access to the restroom and such.

Li Fei was curious and wants to see how a psychian of this world work on their patients. No lewd thoughts imparted, it was purely scientific curiosity since a physician and an alchemist has a huge gap of differences on how they work on their patients.

But, Aylan was adamant and tells them to leave everything to her. She then shoved Yulan and Li Fei out of the room. She wants to focus on her patient upon noticing Ye Rui's severe pain.

"Well, that's unfortunate."

Yulan gave him a "What?" glance from the corner of her eyes which made Li Fei to fake a cough to clear the awkwardness. 

"Nevermind."

"Anyway… About the promise that you've made in the marketplace." Li Fei was somewhat embarrassed to say it.

Was it because he's going to do it with his beloved her for the second time? Li Fei wasn't sure either.