Chapter 20: The Child Who Brought the Blizzard

This is an era of nature. Consuming infants, or even unborn babies and placentas, has, at some point, become a "civilized" form of dining. Such practices have even gained popularity among certain noble circles. Therefore, this is not an act of savagery, but rather a principle of the natural law of "survival of the fittest."

The vicious dogs, saliva dripping from their sharp teeth, eagerly lunged toward the infant girl, exuding an air of dangerous grandeur. However, the young beggar seemed to be a step faster than them. Just as the dogs' claws were about to reach the swaddling cloth, the beggar swiftly grabbed its edge and pulled the infant back into his arms.

The infant's cries grew louder. Clutched once more, she burrowed her head into the beggar's chest, instinctively seeking comfort. With his left arm holding her securely, the beggar gently soothed the swaddling cloth with his right hand. Then, he looked up, his cold eyes glaring at the servant, before turning to leave.

"Wait, you thief!"

The servant's mocking voice called from behind.

"Who gave you the right to steal food meant for the dogs of Mayor Senag's household?"

The three vicious dogs barked loudly, drooling profusely.

The beggar said nothing. Any response would only entangle him further. Before these wild dogs, he, a mere child of ten, seemed overwhelmingly insignificant and powerless.

Yet, the servant seemed unwilling to let the beggar go. With a disdainful grunt, he loosened his grip on the dogs' collars...

Hearing the sound of rapid footsteps behind him, the beggar immediately turned and fled. However, for the first time that day, fortune seemed to turn in his favor. As he dashed into a nearby alley, just as the three dogs bolted after him, six figures suddenly appeared out of nowhere, positioning themselves between the dogs and the beggar, halting their advance.

"What is this? Why release the dogs?"

A young female voice sounded from outside the alley. The voice was muffled, as if coming through thick fabric, making it difficult to understand clearly.

Upon realizing the dogs had been stopped, the beggar pressed himself against the wall, quietly hiding.

The servant, unrelenting, took hold of the dogs' chains and walked toward a lavish carriage, kneeling respectfully beside it. "Your... Your Highness! It... it's actually..."

"I will not allow you to lie!"

The young woman's voice, now clearer, scolded coldly. "My people have seen it. It appears you've let the dogs chase a child. Don't think that just because Senag is part of the Crystal Ice Republic, not the Stag Empire, you can behave recklessly. The Crystal Ice Republic is a vassal of the Stag Empire. You must abide by the will of the Stag Empire and uphold justice, not commit evil!"

The servant dared not speak but nodded repeatedly in agreement. When the young girl asked what had happened, the servant reluctantly recounted the events, though he conveniently omitted the part about setting the dogs on the infant.

"Ah, it was a baby."

The girl's voice softened, becoming gentle.

"It seems the boy must have been seeking someone to adopt them. And yet, you brought three barking dogs. It's no wonder he ran."

The servant nodded again, silent and obedient.

It was at that moment that the girl's voice once again echoed faintly through the alley from the street—

"With the cold so bitter, abandoning one's own flesh and blood is not entirely unexpected. Uncle Qiao, is the boy still there? If he is, let him come forward. I can take them in. The righteous always care for the weak."

The girl's voice was so unclear, muffled through the fabric of the curtain, but the beggar could vaguely make out that she had agreed to take in the infant. Just then, a cloaked figure appeared in front of the beggar, gesturing for him to come over.

"Interesting."

A cold laugh emanated from the figure.

The beggar paid no attention to this. The thought of the infant being taken in was more than enough to bring him comfort.

Following the cloaked figure, the beggar quickly moved toward the street. In front of him stood a grand carriage drawn by four horses, its lavish decoration rivaling that of royalty. The thick curtains blocked out any trace of the cold, creating an atmosphere as warm as summer within.

The beggar halted, cradling the infant. The baby, exhausted from crying, had curled up in his arms and fallen into a deep sleep. At that moment, the girl's voice floated out from inside the carriage. Two female attendants emerged and slowly drew the curtain aside—

"Little boy, you're fortunate. I'm returning home tomorrow, and I'll make sure to find you a good job—one where you can work as a respectable servant and earn enough to care for yourself and your siblings, whether it's a brother or a sister."

As the curtain lifted and the beggar saw the girl's face, his expression suddenly changed. Without a word, he turned and fled.

The change in the scene was so sudden that no one knew why the beggar had run. Everyone stood frozen, unsure of how to react. It wasn't until the girl saw the beggar's retreating figure that her gentle expression twisted into one of anger. She pointed a finger, her voice sharp and commanding: "It's him! It's him! Catch him! No, kill him!"

The atmosphere shifted in an instant, and no one could comprehend what had just happened. Yet, the three dogs sensed the girl's fury and began to bark in unison, straining against their leashes before breaking free and charging toward the direction the beggar had fled.

The servant was the first to react. Although he did not know why the princess had ordered the beggar's death, he had long been looking for an outlet for his frustration. Drawing his sword, he marched swiftly after his dogs. The other guards, after a brief pause, scrambled to follow, some staying to protect the princess, while others hastened to pursue the beggar.

...

It was truly the worst night.

The beggar had to face the truth: his luck had not improved all day. Now, he was running for his life, fleeing through the snow-covered ground, desperate to escape the three dogs relentlessly chasing him.

He would die.

If caught, he would certainly be killed.

Now, he truly understood how deadly the first mistake he made yesterday had been. He had been too careless, believing the girl would be easily dealt with, which allowed him to reveal himself before her. As Dark Extinction had warned, his immaturity would one day lead him into an inescapable abyss.

The sounds of the dogs' growls grew louder, so close now that he could hear their urgent footsteps. The servant's terrifying voice echoed in his ears. The beggar was certain that, should he be caught, his life would not last more than ten minutes.

What should he do now?

The beggar weaved through the narrow alleyways, using his knowledge of the area to maintain some distance from the dogs. However, mazes were useless against the keen noses of dogs. He needed a better plan to escape.

The snow flew up beneath his rapid strides. Even as he ran for his life, his mind remained calm, thinking through his options. The more dangerous and frantic the situation, the more necessary it was to stay patient and composed. A humble mouse had to rely on more than speed to survive this long.

Surveying his surroundings, the beggar realized he was nearing the end of the alley, where the main street began. The closest street was a commercial avenue, and the pharmacy where he had been imprisoned the day before was part of it. But now, everything was buried in snow, and no one was out, so the shops were surely closed...

Closed?

In that moment, an idea flashed in his mind. He no longer turned further down the alley but instead ran back toward the main street. Within moments, he emerged from the alley, clutching the infant, and sprinted down the commercial avenue.

The barking of the dogs grew clearer. The three wolves had emerged from the alley, spotting their prey, and began to chase with renewed vigor.

The beggar did not look back. He had no time. Moreover, glancing behind to gauge the distance between himself and the dogs would be of no use. He simply ran with all his strength, while calmly scanning the shops along the road.

"Ha ha! Found him! Everyone, over here! Hurry!"

The servant, along with several guards, rushed out of the alley. As they saw the beggar's figure, they immediately sprung into action, chasing after him.

The shops along the street were indeed all closed. And the connected buildings offered no alleyways to escape through. Was the beggar now running toward his doom?

No. It turned out his hunch had been correct. Among the closed shops, one stood open, its sign bearing a green cross.

It was a pharmacy. The owner of the pharmacy was inside, counting his earnings for the day, a satisfied smile spread across his face.

"Hey, boss. How's business?"

A man with thick brows emerged from the side door. Upon seeing him, the pharmacy owner's smile faltered, and the satisfaction quickly turned to distaste.

The man with the thick brows walked up to the counter, his hand resting on the surface, his eyes twisted as they fixed on the money bag in the owner's grasp.

"I suppose business is good, huh? With no competition left, everyone in the area must come to you when they need medicine. And with this snowstorm, I imagine there's been a lot of sick people. You're still open this late, so your business must be doing quite well!"