Chapter 216: The Night Of Encounter
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"Travelers, destiny has brought us together here. At this moment, the Nefarious Tiger King within me seeks a sacrifice. Would you be willing to make a sacrifice for the future ruler?"
The white-haired, one-eyed girl addressed the two carriage drivers from a distance with some incomprehensible words, leaving them exchanging glances, uncertain of how to respond... even suspecting they had encountered a lunatic.
Then, inopportunely yet quite fittingly, the girl's stomach emitted a "gurgle, gurgle, gurgle" sound.
The drivers suddenly understood - she was simply hungry.
"Hehehe, come sit with us and eat. We have more than enough," one of the carriage drivers beckoned to the girl, while the other pulled off a rabbit leg and offered it to her, both of them quite welcoming.
To these two middle-aged carriage drivers, the white-haired girl was almost like one of their own daughters... save for the peculiarity of her mind.
"The Nefarious Tiger King within me expresses pleasure at your offering...!"
The young girl didn't hold back and, accepting the rabbit leg, sat down and began to devour it heartily.
Seeing her eat so voraciously and seeming to enjoy it so much, the carriage drivers laughed heartily.
They told her to eat slowly and if she liked it, they could leave the rest of the rabbit for her to take with her.
— (So she's a wanderer... at least she's not fallen into being a streetwalker.)
Vanessa sighed and shifted her gaze from the girl.
·
Vanessa had some bad memories associated with streetwalkers.
When she was thirteen, the second year after she was exchanged to the Azure Lizard Family, she met a woman who called herself Lydia during a solo outing.
Lydia was very kind to young Vanessa, not only showing her around the unfamiliar Emerald City but also taking her to eat delicious food and play fun games.
However, half a year after she met Lydia, Vanessa was betrayed by her.
Lydia had put a sleeping drug in Vanessa's food and was a mere step away from selling her to an underground organization to become a streetwalker.
If it were not for the doe spirits and guards from the Azure Lizard Family arriving in time, Vanessa didn't know where she would be or what kind of life she would be leading now.
After the incident came to light, the underground human trafficking organization was quickly annihilated by the Azure Lizard Lord, and Lydia, who was both a streetwalker and a human trafficker, was put to death by hanging in public.
Before the execution, Lydia shouted a sentence to Vanessa in the audience.
She yelled in despair, asking why Vanessa hadn't told her she was the young lady of a prominent family.
If she had known, she wouldn't have committed such a stupid act.
At that moment, Vanessa's values were greatly shaken.
She had hidden her identity to prevent Lydia from feeling distant from her, as she didn't like it when people kept their distance out of respect.
But she didn't expect that her unilateral idea would prompt Lydia to commit a crime, and that allowed her to see Lydia's true face.
·
There was no such thing as tenderness or sisterly love, everything was driven by self-interest.
.
From that day forth, Vanessa no longer felt discomfort from the chasm between herself and the commoners.
On the contrary, she found this chasm comforting, a sense of security. Commoners were just that, commoners. They were not worthy of befriending nobles; they were merely tools for the nobles.
Naturally, the consciousness of class ingrained itself deeply in Vanessa's heart, where it remained unassailable, even to this day.
·
Upon seeing that the carriage drivers had already enjoyed a hearty meal but were still conversing with the white-haired girl, Vanessa cleared her throat subtly, indicating that it was time to set off.
The drivers were startled, aware that they had been lax in their duties due to the girl's arrival. They hurriedly bade farewell to the girl and proceeded towards the carriage.
At this point, as if to bid the girl farewell, the three doe spirits walked over to her one by one, gently nuzzling their snouts against her body before returning to the carriage.
This left Vanessa utterly astonished.
It was the first time she had ever seen the doe spirits get close to anyone other than herself within the territory of the Azure Lizard Family!
"Hey, what's the matter with you three? Are you turning your backs on me?"
At Vanessa's reprimand, the doe spirits lowered their heads and looked at the ground, bleating softly, appearing rather innocent.
Vanessa could only sigh. She hadn't yet advanced to the third tier and was currently unable to communicate mentally with the doe spirits.
— (Perhaps they simply liked the scent of her.)
"Driver, let's move," Vanessa commanded, and the white carriage resumed its journey, leaving the white-haired girl behind, still enjoying her roasted rabbit by the fire.
The white-haired girl watched the departing carriage, feeling a twinge of regret.
She had thought that the three little fawns were going to stay back to be her reserve food. She hadn't expected them to leave so soon.
"Hmm... My Nefarious Tiger King Eye... it's throbbing again..."
The girl dramatically clutched her right eye, which was covered with an eye patch. However, she didn't feel any pain; she just suddenly felt like acting that way.
She pretended to be in pain and looked at the departing white carriage, feeling a vague sensation... She felt that the black-haired girl in the carriage had a very special aura, something indescribable.
.
In no time at all, the white-haired girl, "Black Tigerwing - Heloise," had gnawed the remaining rabbit meat clean.
Ever since she accepted the "Trial Blood," she found herself getting hungry easily and her appetite had considerably increased.
"Hehehe... It appears the bloodline of the Nefarious Tiger King within me has awakened..."
Heloise was exhilarated, believing it to be the fulfillment of the promise made by the Lord Earthly Ghost.
From now on, as long as she could acquire great power, she would be able to fulfill her desire to repay the kindness of the demon race!
— (But where could that Banning fellow be?)
— (Anyway... I should continue towards Delis Town based on the previous information!)
Heloise patted her belly; although she had just finished eating, she felt as though her body was ready to move.
Certainly, it was the power of the Nefarious Tiger King.
[Reminder: Dear Earth World readers, please avoid intense physical activities after a meal.]
Then, Heloise raised her head and gazed at the stars in the night sky for a long time. Mumbling something along the lines of, "Gods of the constellations, the followers of the Nefarious Tiger King seek your guidance..."
After about ten minutes, Heloise finally discerned the direction to Delis Town through the constellations and proceeded to run straight in that direction.
It's worth mentioning that when Heloise decided to go straight, she meant "absolutely straight".
She would go through the forest, swim across rivers, slide down and climb up canyons, all without deviating from her original direction.
The reason for Heloise's stubbornness was twofold.
First, she wanted to reach Delis Town as soon as possible.
Second, if she changed her course, she would get lost and waste a lot of time finding her way back.
Obviously, the second reason was the main one.
But a servant of the Nefarious Tiger King would never admit to having a poor sense of direction.
·
Two days later, Heloise, who had been running straight all the way, finally spotted something.
About a hundred meters ahead on the dirt road, she saw a figure riding a horse at full speed. The person on horseback was shrouded in a black cloak, seemingly a young man.
The figure of the youth matched the description of the target "Banning" given to her by the Lord Earth Ghost in the letter.
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"Travelers, destiny has brought us together here. At this moment, the Nefarious Tiger King within me seeks a sacrifice. Would you be willing to make a sacrifice for the future ruler?"
The white-haired, one-eyed girl addressed the two carriage drivers from a distance with some incomprehensible words, leaving them exchanging glances, uncertain of how to respond... even suspecting they had encountered a lunatic.
Then, inopportunely yet quite fittingly, the girl's stomach emitted a "gurgle, gurgle, gurgle" sound.
The drivers suddenly understood - she was simply hungry.
"Hehehe, come sit with us and eat. We have more than enough," one of the carriage drivers beckoned to the girl, while the other pulled off a rabbit leg and offered it to her, both of them quite welcoming.
To these two middle-aged carriage drivers, the white-haired girl was almost like one of their own daughters... save for the peculiarity of her mind.
"The Nefarious Tiger King within me expresses pleasure at your offering...!"
The young girl didn't hold back and, accepting the rabbit leg, sat down and began to devour it heartily.
Seeing her eat so voraciously and seeming to enjoy it so much, the carriage drivers laughed heartily.
They told her to eat slowly and if she liked it, they could leave the rest of the rabbit for her to take with her.
— (So she's a wanderer... at least she's not fallen into being a streetwalker.)
Vanessa sighed and shifted her gaze from the girl.
·
Vanessa had some bad memories associated with streetwalkers.
When she was thirteen, the second year after she was exchanged to the Azure Lizard Family, she met a woman who called herself Lydia during a solo outing.
Lydia was very kind to young Vanessa, not only showing her around the unfamiliar Emerald City but also taking her to eat delicious food and play fun games.
However, half a year after she met Lydia, Vanessa was betrayed by her.
Lydia had put a sleeping drug in Vanessa's food and was a mere step away from selling her to an underground organization to become a streetwalker.
If it were not for the doe spirits and guards from the Azure Lizard Family arriving in time, Vanessa didn't know where she would be or what kind of life she would be leading now.
After the incident came to light, the underground human trafficking organization was quickly annihilated by the Azure Lizard Lord, and Lydia, who was both a streetwalker and a human trafficker, was put to death by hanging in public.
Before the execution, Lydia shouted a sentence to Vanessa in the audience.
She yelled in despair, asking why Vanessa hadn't told her she was the young lady of a prominent family.
If she had known, she wouldn't have committed such a stupid act.
At that moment, Vanessa's values were greatly shaken.
She had hidden her identity to prevent Lydia from feeling distant from her, as she didn't like it when people kept their distance out of respect.
But she didn't expect that her unilateral idea would prompt Lydia to commit a crime, and that allowed her to see Lydia's true face.
·
There was no such thing as tenderness or sisterly love, everything was driven by self-interest.
.
From that day forth, Vanessa no longer felt discomfort from the chasm between herself and the commoners.
On the contrary, she found this chasm comforting, a sense of security. Commoners were just that, commoners. They were not worthy of befriending nobles; they were merely tools for the nobles.
Naturally, the consciousness of class ingrained itself deeply in Vanessa's heart, where it remained unassailable, even to this day.
·
Upon seeing that the carriage drivers had already enjoyed a hearty meal but were still conversing with the white-haired girl, Vanessa cleared her throat subtly, indicating that it was time to set off.
The drivers were startled, aware that they had been lax in their duties due to the girl's arrival. They hurriedly bade farewell to the girl and proceeded towards the carriage.
At this point, as if to bid the girl farewell, the three doe spirits walked over to her one by one, gently nuzzling their snouts against her body before returning to the carriage.
This left Vanessa utterly astonished.
It was the first time she had ever seen the doe spirits get close to anyone other than herself within the territory of the Azure Lizard Family!
"Hey, what's the matter with you three? Are you turning your backs on me?"
At Vanessa's reprimand, the doe spirits lowered their heads and looked at the ground, bleating softly, appearing rather innocent.
Vanessa could only sigh. She hadn't yet advanced to the third tier and was currently unable to communicate mentally with the doe spirits.
— (Perhaps they simply liked the scent of her.)
"Driver, let's move," Vanessa commanded, and the white carriage resumed its journey, leaving the white-haired girl behind, still enjoying her roasted rabbit by the fire.
The white-haired girl watched the departing carriage, feeling a twinge of regret.
She had thought that the three little fawns were going to stay back to be her reserve food. She hadn't expected them to leave so soon.
"Hmm... My Nefarious Tiger King Eye... it's throbbing again..."
The girl dramatically clutched her right eye, which was covered with an eye patch. However, she didn't feel any pain; she just suddenly felt like acting that way.
She pretended to be in pain and looked at the departing white carriage, feeling a vague sensation... She felt that the black-haired girl in the carriage had a very special aura, something indescribable.
.
In no time at all, the white-haired girl, "Black Tigerwing - Heloise," had gnawed the remaining rabbit meat clean.
Ever since she accepted the "Trial Blood," she found herself getting hungry easily and her appetite had considerably increased.
"Hehehe... It appears the bloodline of the Nefarious Tiger King within me has awakened..."
Heloise was exhilarated, believing it to be the fulfillment of the promise made by the Lord Earthly Ghost.
From now on, as long as she could acquire great power, she would be able to fulfill her desire to repay the kindness of the demon race!
— (But where could that Banning fellow be?)
— (Anyway... I should continue towards Delis Town based on the previous information!)
Heloise patted her belly; although she had just finished eating, she felt as though her body was ready to move.
Certainly, it was the power of the Nefarious Tiger King.
[Reminder: Dear Earth World readers, please avoid intense physical activities after a meal.]
Then, Heloise raised her head and gazed at the stars in the night sky for a long time. Mumbling something along the lines of, "Gods of the constellations, the followers of the Nefarious Tiger King seek your guidance..."
After about ten minutes, Heloise finally discerned the direction to Delis Town through the constellations and proceeded to run straight in that direction.
It's worth mentioning that when Heloise decided to go straight, she meant "absolutely straight".
She would go through the forest, swim across rivers, slide down and climb up canyons, all without deviating from her original direction.
The reason for Heloise's stubbornness was twofold.
First, she wanted to reach Delis Town as soon as possible.
Second, if she changed her course, she would get lost and waste a lot of time finding her way back.
Obviously, the second reason was the main one.
But a servant of the Nefarious Tiger King would never admit to having a poor sense of direction.
·
Two days later, Heloise, who had been running straight all the way, finally spotted something.
About a hundred meters ahead on the dirt road, she saw a figure riding a horse at full speed. The person on horseback was shrouded in a black cloak, seemingly a young man.
The figure of the youth matched the description of the target "Banning" given to her by the Lord Earth Ghost in the letter.
"Travelers, destiny has brought us together here. At this moment, the Nefarious Tiger King within me seeks a sacrifice. Would you be willing to make a sacrifice for the future ruler?" The white-haired, one-eyed girl addressed the two carriage drivers from a distance with some incomprehensible words, leaving them exchanging glances, uncertain of how to respond... even suspecting they had encountered a lunatic.Then, inopportunely yet quite fittingly, the girl's stomach emitted a "gurgle, gurgle, gurgle" sound. The drivers suddenly understood - she was simply hungry."Hehehe, come sit with us and eat. We have more than enough," one of the carriage drivers beckoned to the girl, while the other pulled off a rabbit leg and offered it to her, both of them quite welcoming. To these two middle-aged carriage drivers, the white-haired girl was almost like one of their own daughters... save for the peculiarity of her mind."The Nefarious Tiger King within me expresses pleasure at your offering...!" The young girl didn't hold back and, accepting the rabbit leg, sat down and began to devour it heartily.Seeing her eat so voraciously and seeming to enjoy it so much, the carriage drivers laughed heartily. They told her to eat slowly and if she liked it, they could leave the rest of the rabbit for her to take with her. So she's a wanderer... at least she's not fallen into being a streetwalker. Vanessa sighed and shifted her gaze from the girl.Vanessa had some bad memories associated with streetwalkers.When she was thirteen, the second year after she was exchanged to the Azure Lizard Family, she met a woman who called herself Lydia during a solo outing. Lydia was very kind to young Vanessa, not only showing her around the unfamiliar Emerald City but also taking her to eat delicious food and play fun games.However, half a year after she met Lydia, Vanessa was betrayed by her.Lydia had put a sleeping drug in Vanessa's food and was a mere step away from selling her to an underground organization to become a streetwalker. If it were not for the doe spirits and guards from the Azure Lizard Family arriving in time, Vanessa didn't know where she would be or what kind of life she would be leading now.After the incident came to light, the underground human trafficking organization was quickly annihilated by the Azure Lizard Lord, and Lydia, who was both a streetwalker and a human trafficker, was put to death by hanging in public.Before the execution, Lydia shouted a sentence to Vanessa in the audience. She yelled in despair, asking why Vanessa hadn't told her she was the young lady of a prominent family. If she had known, she wouldn't have committed such a stupid act.At that moment, Vanessa's values were greatly shaken.She had hidden her identity to prevent Lydia from feeling distant from her, as she didn't like it when people kept their distance out of respect. But she didn't expect that her unilateral idea would prompt Lydia to commit a crime, and that allowed her to see Lydia's true face.There was no such thing as tenderness or sisterly love, everything was driven by self-interest..From that day forth, Vanessa no longer felt discomfort from the chasm between herself and the commoners. On the contrary, she found this chasm comforting, a sense of security. Commoners were just that, commoners. They were not worthy of befriending nobles; they were merely tools for the nobles.Naturally, the consciousness of class ingrained itself deeply in Vanessa's heart, where it remained unassailable, even to this day.Upon seeing that the carriage drivers had already enjoyed a hearty meal but were still conversing with the white-haired girl, Vanessa cleared her throat subtly, indicating that it was time to set off. The drivers were startled, aware that they had been lax in their duties due to the girl's arrival. They hurriedly bade farewell to the girl and proceeded towards the carriage.At this point, as if to bid the girl farewell, the three doe spirits walked over to her one by one, gently nuzzling their snouts against her body before returning to the carriage.This left Vanessa utterly astonished.It was the first time she had ever seen the doe spirits get close to anyone other than herself within the territory of the Azure Lizard Family!"Hey, what's the matter with you three? Are you turning your backs on me?" At Vanessa's reprimand, the doe spirits lowered their heads and looked at the ground, bleating softly, appearing rather innocent. Vanessa could only sigh. She hadn't yet advanced to the third tier and was currently unable to communicate mentally with the doe spirits. Perhaps they simply liked the scent of her."Driver, let's move," Vanessa commanded, and the white carriage resumed its journey, leaving the white-haired girl behind, still enjoying her roasted rabbit by the fire.The white-haired girl watched the departing carriage, feeling a twinge of regret. She had thought that the three little fawns were going to stay back to be her reserve food. She hadn't expected them to leave so soon."Hmm... My Nefarious Tiger King Eye... it's throbbing again..." The girl dramatically clutched her right eye, which was covered with an eye patch. However, she didn't feel any pain; she just suddenly felt like acting that way.She pretended to be in pain and looked at the departing white carriage, feeling a vague sensation... She felt that the black-haired girl in the carriage had a very special aura, something indescribable..In no time at all, the white-haired girl, "Black Tigerwing - Heloise," had gnawed the remaining rabbit meat clean. Ever since she accepted the "Trial Blood," she found herself getting hungry easily and her appetite had considerably increased."Hehehe... It appears the bloodline of the Nefarious Tiger King within me has awakened..." Heloise was exhilarated, believing it to be the fulfillment of the promise made by the Lord Earthly Ghost. From now on, as long as she could acquire great power, she would be able to fulfill her desire to repay the kindness of the demon race! But where could that Banning fellow be? Anyway... I should continue towards Delis Town based on the previous information!Heloise patted her belly; although she had just finished eating, she felt as though her body was ready to move. Certainly, it was the power of the Nefarious Tiger King.Reminder: Dear Earth World readers, please avoid intense physical activities after a meal.Then, Heloise raised her head and gazed at the stars in the night sky for a long time. Mumbling something along the lines of, "Gods of the constellations, the followers of the Nefarious Tiger King seek your guidance..."After about ten minutes, Heloise finally discerned the direction to Delis Town through the constellations and proceeded to run straight in that direction.It's worth mentioning that when Heloise decided to go straight, she meant "absolutely straight". She would go through the forest, swim across rivers, slide down and climb up canyons, all without deviating from her original direction.The reason for Heloise's stubbornness was twofold. First, she wanted to reach Delis Town as soon as possible. Second, if she changed her course, she would get lost and waste a lot of time finding her way back.Obviously, the second reason was the main one.But a servant of the Nefarious Tiger King would never admit to having a poor sense of direction.Two days later, Heloise, who had been running straight all the way, finally spotted something.About a hundred meters ahead on the dirt road, she saw a figure riding a horse at full speed. The person on horseback was shrouded in a black cloak, seemingly a young man.The figure of the youth matched the description of the target "Banning" given to her by the Lord Earth Ghost in the letter.
