The two sides faced each other, Shen Yicong frowning. "Yilin, she's gone. You can put the knife down now!"
Shen Yilin shook his head. "If I put it down now, you'll immediately send people to chase her, won't you?"
He knew his brother too well.
At the very least, he could hold on for as long as possible, giving Qin He a better chance of escaping.
Shen Yilin pursed his lips, as if he could feel Qin He moving further and further away from him.
Perhaps, this meeting today would be the last time he would ever see her.
Qin He flipped over the wall and immediately headed for a small path after landing.
She had been brought here unconscious, but that didn't stop her from determining direction from the sunrise and sunset.
From the surrounding trees, Qin He quickly deduced that she was north of Kundian. In Kundian, the safest place was the capital.
The north was the most chaotic area.
Qin He walked along the path heading south—
Time ticked by. In the villa, Shen Yilin remained standing under the tree, watching Shen Yicong and Houzi not far away.
As dusk fell, lights began to illuminate the villa.
Shen Yicong looked at Shen Yilin's pale face. "Put the knife down. I promise I won't look for her again."
Shen Yilin let out a light laugh. "Brother, we know each other too well. Don't try to fool me."
Another half hour passed, and Shen Yilin's body began to sway slightly.
Shen Yicong's gaze was fixed on the knife in Shen Yilin's hand, afraid he would accidentally puncture his own artery.
Shen Yilin's arm had been raised for so long that it was stiff and numb.
Already in the late stages of stomach cancer, his stamina was failing. He was solely supported by his immense willpower and his love for Qin He.
Another hour passed, and Shen Yilin suddenly lost all strength, collapsing downwards.
Shen Yicong lunged forward and caught him.
Shen Yilin regained his senses and was about to move when Shen Yicong raised his hand and knocked the dagger from his grasp.
He gritted his teeth, staring at his own brother. "You're quite something, threatening me like this for an outsider!"
Shen Yicong turned to Houzi. "Take him back and keep him under close watch! Don't leave any sharp objects in his room!"
Handing Shen Yilin over to Houzi, Shen Yicong walked out, his face ashen.
Weak and gasping for breath, Shen Yilin asked, "You're going to look for her, aren't you?"
Shen Yicong turned to look at him. "Unless she's dead! I will capture her! Even if I have to go to Qingcheng to catch her again!"
Shen Yilin pursed his lips. "Brother, you really have feelings for her."
This was the second time Shen Yilin had said this today.
"I need her to treat you."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yilin let out a light laugh. "I won't let her fall into your hands. Your love is poisonous."
With their parents gone early, Shen Yicong had shouldered the family's burden at a young age.
When one is at the bottom and vulnerable in their youth, they are most exposed to the world's darkness.
Shen Yicong had endured unimaginable humiliation and hardship. Emerging from darkness, one could only become a demon.
He was accustomed to taking by force, prone to fits of rage, and pitiless due to his past.
Shen Yilin closed his eyes in pain.
He couldn't protect her now, but half a day had passed. He hoped she had escaped far enough.
On a road in Kundian.
The area had been in constant internal conflict for years, leading to poor development. The roadsides were mostly dense forests.
The moonlight shone on the forests by the roadside, making them appear exceptionally eerie.
Qin He stumbled through the woods. The highway was too conspicuous, so she couldn't use it.
There were few vehicles here. In over two hours of walking, she had only seen three. However, judging by their weathered appearance and the security grills on the windows, she knew they weren't good news. If she flagged down the wrong car, she could be sent to a criminal organization as forced labor.
She could even lose a kidney.
She had to avoid these cars and walk in the forest, about ten meters away from the road.
This way, she could avoid being discovered and wouldn't lose her direction.
After walking for a while longer, Qin He felt her strength gradually returning.
She hadn't taken the stamina-replenishing medicine she needed to take every night.
Instead, after walking for so long, she felt more energetic.
After another half hour, Qin He spotted a dilapidated road sign.
A small town lay ahead.
But this was Kundian, globally notorious for its lawlessness. She didn't plan to seek shelter, but she did need some food.
Qin He frowned as she looked. She wanted to enter the town to find a way to get transportation. Otherwise, if she walked all the way to the capital of Kundian, she feared she would either starve to death on the way or be targeted by the wolves in the wilderness or passing illegal organizations.
However, if she entered the town, escaping if she were discovered by Shen Yicong's men would be difficult.
Qin He observed the town from afar. Kundian towns were underdeveloped and dilapidated. Except for a few tall buildings in an industrial park nearby, most were two or three-story buildings, with tents of slums at the edges.
After much consideration, Qin He headed towards the slum area.
The people in the slums were thin, their eyes vacant and frightening.
Qin He walked through a row of tents and entered the town.
Passing a narrow alley, Qin He's gaze fell upon a row of bamboo poles tied together to form clothes racks not far away.
Among the clothes drying on the racks were female garments.
Qin He considered for a few seconds before making a decision. She stepped forward, took a set of women's clothes, and quickly fled.
This was the first time in her life she had stolen something, and she felt a little guilty.
Finding a secluded spot, Qin He used a large trash can as cover and changed into local attire.
Kundian's clothing was similar to that of China but a bit more archaic, resembling fashion from the 1980s.
The set Qin He stole was a denim outfit, which made her look much more composed after changing.
However, her exceptionally fair face could still make her stand out in any crowd.
Not long after walking, Qin He felt two people following her.
She narrowed her eyes, listening to the clearly uneven and heavy footsteps behind her. These weren't Shen Yicong's men.
This place was chaotic. It wasn't safe for women to be out alone, especially now that it was dark.
Qin He pursed her lips and turned into a small alley.
She stopped after turning and waited. Soon, two local Kundian men appeared at the mouth of the alley.
Qin He narrowed her eyes, listening to their conversation and looking at their lewd expressions. She understood.
As one of them reached out to her, she skillfully raised her hand and dislocated his wrist joint.
The man stared in surprise at his hand, which hung down like a limp noodle, only crying out in pain after two seconds.
Qin He stepped forward and delivered a chop to the back of his neck. The other man, seeing this, became enraged and rolled up his sleeves before charging at her.
Qin He let out a cold laugh and rushed forward.
Five minutes later, the two men were lying on the ground groaning in agony.
Qin He stepped forward, directly took one of their baseball caps, kicked them brutally a few more times, and thoroughly searched them for money and valuables.
Finally, she delivered two kicks to their groins before turning and walking out of the alley.
With the baseball cap, Qin He was less conspicuous in the nighttime town, but as a lone woman, she still attracted the attention of many men.