Chapter 3: killing dealers

Tan Xia dropped down from the roof like a shadow and landed squarely on the fat dealer's shoulders, locking her legs around his neck in a swift chokehold.

The man's eyes bulged, turning red as he flailed in panic, trying to pry her off. But her grip only tightened.

The slim dealer gasped. "W-What the—?!"He scrambled for his dagger and began slashing wildly toward her.

"AHHH! I'll kill you! Get off him!"

Slash! Slash!

But Tan Xia had already leapt backward, flipping gracefully onto the roof of the moving carriage once more.Creak.

She landed in a crouch and looked down, a cold smirk forming on her lips.

The fat dealer clutched his throat, blood pooling at his collar. His wide, disbelieving eyes turned to his own partner — the dagger now buried deep in his neck.

Tan Xia raised a brow as the slim dealer twisted the blade deeper, watching the man slump forward, lifeless.

Oh? So the dog bites the hand that feeds him. Interesting.

The slim dealer laughed maniacally, yanking the dagger free and standing tall, arms wide in twisted triumph.

"Hahaha! Now it's all mine! You greedy pig should've paid me when I asked! Look at you now—dead and broke!"

Tan Xia's expression shifted — surprise flickering in her eyes.

So that's what this was. An opportunist waiting for his moment… Guess I just handed him the perfect chance.

But before she could react further, the slim dealer spun around and lunged at her, blade gleaming in the sun.

Her instincts kicked in.

She dodged, backflipping away—but the hem of her long dress caught on a nail and tore violently, splitting in half. The skirt was now tattered, fluttering like pants at her waist.

"Tch. This body really can't keep up," she muttered, frustrated at its weakness.

As the dealer recovered and came charging again, she raised her leg and struck him hard in the waist.

CRACK!

He let out a grunt and lost his balance—falling hard off the side of the moving carriage.

Thud.

Watching the slim dealer's body roll down the dirt path, Tan Xia twirled the hairpin between her fingers and smiled sweetly.

"Oh dear… I didn't even get to use you, cutie," she said to the pin with mock affection.

But then her eyes shot forward—widening in alarm.

Just ahead was a massive ravine.

Tan Xia's smile vanished."What the fuck—! These bastards didn't notice the cliff?!"

Without wasting a second, she leapt down onto the horses, landing with a light thud and grabbing the reins tightly.

The startled horses snorted and neighed, trying to resist her sudden grip. The edge of the cliff was getting dangerously close.

"Whoa! Stop, stop, STOP!"

With sheer will, she yanked the reins sideways. The horses cried out in protest, their hooves skidding across the dirt.

Realizing it was too late, Tan Xia acted fast—gritting her teeth as she slashed the reins with the pin, cutting them loose.

"Go! Run, you idiots!"

The horses bolted, galloping away in panic just as the carriage's wheels dug into the earth, dragging along the edge of the cliff.

Tan Xia clung to the splintering wood, panting, watching the horses disappear into the forest.

She stared after them, betrayal etched on her face.

"Ahh, you ungrateful bastards! Couldn't even take us with you? Hmph!"

Behind her, the carriage groaned, inching closer to collapse.

The carriage skidded to a halt right at the edge of the ravine, teetering dangerously.

Tan Xia stood on the roof, breathing heavily. She looked down at the massive drop just inches away, then burst out laughing.

"Ha! You can't take down this master—Tan Xia!"She struck a triumphant pose, one hand on her hip, the other raised like a hero on a battlefield.

But then—crack.

The carriage groaned ominously.

The wooden beams beneath her feet splintered.

Tan Xia's eyes widened."…Eh?"

The carriage tilted forward, threatening to tip over.

"No no no—!" she yelped and jumped down, grabbing onto a side beam to stabilize the structure.

She braced herself, arms trembling as she tried to hold the balance.

"Ai ya, I was just joking! Why so serious?!"

The ravine creaked back in response like it didn't appreciate her sense of humor.

With great effort, Tan Xia stabilized the carriage, her arms trembling from the strain.She let out a heavy breath, muttering,"Phew… even death seems afraid of me."

She dusted off her clothes and made her way to the back of the carriage. Pushing aside the cloth cover, she stepped inside.

The little girl's eyes lit up the moment she saw her."Big sister!"

Tan Xia smiled and gently waved, crouching beside her to tuck the pin back into her hair bun.Then, without a word, she began cutting the ropes binding the girls one by one.

As the last girl was freed, a wave of sobs filled the carriage.

"Thank you, miss!""Thank you so much!""W-we thought we'd be sold…"

Tan Xia scratched the back of her head awkwardly, her tough expression softening."Alright, alright. Don't cry. I just hate owing favors, that's all."

She stood up, stretching her sore limbs.

"I'm going to look for food. The horses ditched us, so we'll have to walk back. I'll return in five minutes—don't run off and get caught again, alright?"

The girls nodded quickly, wiping their tears.

With that, Tan Xia hopped out of the carriage and disappeared into the trees.