Luo Xiaosu walked alone in the forest.
She didn’t take the main road but followed a path almost covered by wild grass, carefully hurrying toward the town.
Though the path was difficult, it allowed her to avoid most people’s attention.
Finally, after pushing through a thicket of bushes, Luo Xiaosu saw the tall city wall.
She quickly approached, pressed against the shadow at the base of the wall, and carefully scanned her surroundings.
After confirming there was no one else around, she pulled out her wand and softly murmured a spell.
“Levitation.”
Immediately, a rising current of air enveloped her, lifting her steadily, and she silently rose up, crossed over the tall wall, and gently landed in a corner of the city filled with abandoned barrels.
As soon as she landed, she quickly put away her wand and slipped into a narrow alley.
Only then did she let out a long sigh of relief, leaning against the cold, damp stone wall, her heart still pounding wildly.
“I finally made it in. Luckily, there aren’t many patrol guards today.”
She didn’t think much of it, simply attributing the shortage to most of the guards being injured yesterday.
Luo Xiaosu pulled her hood lower, hiding her face in shadow, then cautiously peered out from the alley, only to find that the atmosphere in the town today seemed off.
Too quiet.
Usually at this time, the vendors would be hawking their goods, and the streets would be bustling with shoppers.
But now, the streets were lifeless, with very few pedestrians.
The occasional few all walked hurriedly, fear etched on their faces.
She didn’t dare delay.
After confirming there were no guards patrolling, Luo Xiaosu immediately left the alley and quickly ran into a general store.
“Shopkeeper, I need…”
After telling the shopkeeper what she needed, Luo Xiaosu lowered her head, pretending to browse the goods while actually listening intently to the conversations of the other customers.
“Have you heard? There was a monster at the city gate yesterday.”
“Monster? That’s a witch! Those refugees said she’s here to cast a curse. They say their village was destroyed by that witch, that’s why they fled here.”
“Those refugees who came yesterday? Can their words be trusted? I don’t think they look like good people either.”
“I think so too, but didn’t the lord send people to post notices this morning? It said that if you kill that witch and take her heart, the curse will be lifted. For that, he’s offering a reward of fifty silver coins.”
“How much?! Fifty coins! Wow, that’s really generous. That’s enough to feed our family for half a year.”
“Right, the lord is such a good person.”
Hearing those words, Luo Xiaosu’s hand, which was about to take out money, paused slightly.
‘Witch?’
‘Curse?’
‘Reward?’
Each word was like a heavy hammer, slamming into Luo Xiaosu’s heart.
She understood that these people were talking about her Aiweila.
It seemed that after the guard captain went back yesterday, he had reported to the lord.
‘Damn it, I should have roasted him to charcoal on the spot!’
Luo Xiaosu bit her lower lip, her hand hidden under the cloak clenching into a fist.
She had originally thought that yesterday’s commotion would make them afraid to enter the forest.
But who would have thought that the lord would use such despicable means, turning these townspeople into knives in his hand.
The “witch’s curse” and the fifty silver coin reward instantly transformed the townspeople’s fear into greed, making them willing to risk their lives and take desperate measures.
“That’ll be four copper coins.”
The shopkeeper’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
Luo Xiaosu took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
‘Can’t panic. If I’m exposed now, I’d be walking right into a trap.’
She took out four copper coins from her bosom and placed them on the counter, then picked up her purchases and put them into a bamboo basket.
However, just as she was about to leave, a gust of wind blew in from the door, ruthlessly flipping her hood back.
No matter how fast Luo Xiaosu reacted and grabbed her hood in time to prevent it from being fully pulled back, there was still someone who saw her face clearly.
The man who had been discussing the reward happened to catch a glimpse of Luo Xiaosu’s exposed face, and his pupils immediately contracted.
“Hey! Wait!”
He suddenly stood up, his chair scraping against the floor with a harsh sound, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.
Luo Xiaosu’s heart skipped a beat.
She quickened her pace, wanting only to escape this place of trouble as fast as possible.
Seeing the man about to chase after her, his companion quickly grabbed his hand.
“Hey hey, what are you doing? Even if that girl is good-looking, you don’t have to be like this.”
But the man forcefully shook off the hand grabbing him and shouted.
“She’s that witch!”
His shout instantly silenced the noisy chatter in the shop.
Everyone’s eyes focused on the figure in the cloak and hood at the door.
“What? Witch?!”
“Really? Have you gone crazy for money?”
“Look at how she’s dressed, all covered up—she must be a witch!”
“But if a witch appeared here, wouldn’t we already be dead by her hand?”
“Who cares! Grab her first!”
Greed instantly devoured reason.
That man, like a wolf discovering its prey, lunged forward to grab Luo Xiaosu.
A flash of panic crossed Luo Xiaosu’s eyes.
She looked at the door, now blocked by people, steeled herself, and pulled out her wand, swinging it.
“Wind Control!”
A powerful gust of wind pressure shot out from the purple gem at the tip of her wand, violently blowing the two people blocking the door away, crashing them into the wooden door.
The wooden door burst open with a bang, and the two flew backward, landing on the street.
But this only further confirmed her identity.
“Magic! It’s magic!”
“She really can use magic! She’s a witch!”
The crowd did not retreat; instead, they surged forward even more frantically.
Luo Xiaosu knew she couldn’t stay here any longer.
She gritted her teeth, gripped the bamboo basket in her hand, and swung her wand, blowing over the nearby shelves.
Bottles and jars fell to the ground, the sound of shattering glass mixing with the crowd’s shouts.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Luo Xiaosu immediately rushed out the door.
“Grab her! Don’t let her escape!”
Behind her came the sound of chaotic footsteps and shouts.
Luo Xiaosu dared not look back.
She plunged headlong into the alleys, turning left and right through the labyrinthine lanes.
She didn’t know where her destination was, only running continuously in the direction she remembered from earlier.
Finally, after turning a corner, Luo Xiaosu saw the tall city wall.
Hearing the shouts and curses growing closer behind her, she didn’t hesitate for a moment.
She immediately released her magic, lifting herself up and over the tall wall.
By the time the crowd arrived belatedly, all that remained was the pile of abandoned barrels still lying there.
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