Pillar of Yita

”There’s a closed inn one street back; they want to take Miss Feyos there,” Fang Hong whispered.

Hilveld’s eyes reflected an image, winter in Dulun with pedestrians on the street, and three or four members of the Shadow Throne were separating from the crowd, heading in their direction.

She remained calm, her hand reaching behind her back under her skirt, where one of the handguns Sicape had given them was hidden. She looked at those people, smiled slightly, and without turning her head, she teasingly asked, ”Is Lord Captain planning to play the hero and rescue the damsel in distress?”

Fang Hong hurriedly explained, ”Miss Hilveld, this is...”

”Those people are coming, Lord Captain—”

”But it seems they don’t intend to let us leave easily,” Hilveld replied with a smile.

Only then did Fang Hong realize, taking a glance at those people, and quickly spoke, ”I found another path to that inn, but we can’t let them follow us, we need to create a disturbance...” He looked around and his sight settled on a table piled with colorful balls. ”Miss Hilveld, over there!”

Although Hilveld said that, her gaze followed Fang Hong’s voice, and the two of them seemed to have a tacit understanding, immediately finding the same target. She turned sideways, lifted her skirt slightly, drew out the short gun, avoided the crowd, cocked the silver hammer, and then fired in that direction.

The crisp gunshot drowned out all the sounds on the long street.

A flame flashed, hitting the balls on the table, with a soft puff, the balls flew up like a burst of fireworks. The crowd initially didn’t realize what happened, but after the image hesitated, the women began to scream, while the men reacted quicker, immediately shielding their female companions and running to the street sides.

The crowd started to move, and the sharp whistles of the City Defense Force sounded in the distance as a squad of soldiers rushed over, further exacerbating the chaos on the street.

The panicked crowd formed a flowing river, knocking the members of the Shadow Throne off balance; although they realized what had happened, they were unable to move, carried away in one direction by the human flow.

Fang Hong took a glance, silently pulled up his hood, grabbed Hilveld’s hand, and with a blink, vanished into a nearby alley.

Once they entered the alley, Miss Ship’s Officer quickly cleaned the gun chamber and loaded bullets while asking, ”Which direction is that path?” Fang Hong turned his lens. Through the Clockwork Fairy’s overhead view, he saw the people holding Feyos moving straight along a small path heading north.

Just east of that path, there was a zigzagging stairway intersecting it; as long as they got there first, they could intercept those people.

”This way, follow me,” Fang Hong said and immediately moved forward.

The two of them navigated through the convoluted alleys and surprisingly encountered a locked iron gate ahead. Hilveld instinctively raised her gun, but Fang Hong stopped her, summoning Energy Angel to slash the lock with a sword, and the iron gate opened with a sound.

They pushed the gate and entered, finding a courtyard behind where a woman was coming out carrying a washbasin. She screamed in fright upon seeing the two, dropping the basin, scattering clothes everywhere.

Fang Hong quickly raised his hand indicating no harm, asking, ”We are not bad people, we are just chasing a gang of thugs, can you tell us which way is the exit?”

The woman stammered, unable to say a word for quite some time.

Eventually, Hilveld took charge, comforting her with gentle words, and the woman hurriedly turned and pointed in one direction.

But this delay meant that when they passed through the courtyard and entered the zigzag stairs, Fang Hong noticed through the Clockwork Fairy’s view that they were significantly behind—the others had entered the alley before them, and moving in a straight line was shorter than their route, making the lead even more substantial.

In the view, the others were slowly approaching the intersection, Fang Hong turned back and said to Hilveld, ”Hold onto me.”

Hilveld hesitated a bit, curious for a moment, but seeing her Lord Captain’s serious face, she didn’t think too much, obediently leaning forward, her head pressed against his back.

Miss Ship’s Officer’s embrace was a bit soft, but Fang Hong didn’t have time for distracting thoughts, only placing his hand on Energy Angel, murmuring deeply:

”Blink—”

Like a streak of silver light, landing on the zigzag stairway.

After blinking thrice, when Energy Angel landed, Fang Hong realized he was a step late, coincidentally bumping into the group at the intersection. Surprised by someone appearing, they slightly hesitated; the people holding Feyos noted the commotion behind them, turned around to see him and Hilveld.

The young girl froze, disbelief in her eyes, opening her mouth to shout. But one of the group preemptively covered her mouth, forcing her to turn around. Holding Feyos, the person turned back, coldly glancing at Fang Hong and Hilveld.

Clearly recognizing the two.

”Mind your own business.”

”You started the trouble.”

Fang Hong pretended not to recognize Feyos.

”Damn, idiot!” The person, impatient, gestured to his companions.

There were seven of them; seeing his gesture, three immediately broke off to obstruct them.