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At first, Mengdie didn't understand what Xiu was staring at, but after a moment, she realized his thoughts. Out of anger, her cheeks reddened in what others would perceive as shyness and petulance. She shook her hands again, speaking with a hint of indignation, “Xiu! Untie me now!!!”
The other women in the room, who were initially surprised by Mengdie's beauty, turned their scared eyes to the magician behind her, assuming he was an accomplice of General Del.
Xiu, seemingly oblivious to the women's glares or perhaps ignoring them, continued to indulge in his fascination, playing with the rope and chuckling, “No rush. The sight of you bound is quite rare. It gives me a... hmm... a sense of criminal pleasure. Ha ha ha! Let me enjoy this a bit longer. Maybe you can show some fear or trembling, or perhaps say something sweet and seductive...”
"Bang——!!!"
Mengdie, infuriated by his words, quickly stood up and swung the stool she had just used at Xiu. Startled, Xiu quickly drew a circle in the air with his staff, creating a magical barrier to block the stool. Before he could catch his breath, Mengdie stepped back with her left foot for support, spinning quickly to the right, her right foot hurtling towards Xiu’s face like a spinning top!
Xiu's close combat skills were no match for Mengdie. He froze, unable to react. However, Mengdie's kick didn't connect. Just before her heel could hit his face, she stopped abruptly. What followed her halted attack was her soft voice, slowly rising, "Make another joke, and I'll kill you, believe it or not!"
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Xiu realized how close Mengdie's foot was after she finished speaking. He laughed nervously and nodded.
After being untied, Xiu left the room as if drained, speaking briefly with the soldier outside and dismissing him with the excuse of guarding the room himself. He then re-entered, sitting next to Mengdie, who was tidying her hair, and pleaded almost mournfully, "Miss Mengdie, why couldn't you let me look a little longer? Watching you, my mind brims with inventive inspiration..."
Mengdie glared at him and ignored him. After tying up her hair, she turned her attention to the girls in the room, smiling warmly.
"Everyone, were you all brought here against your will?" she asked gently.
The girls exchanged glances, perhaps reassured by Mengdie's smile, and nodded.
After brief introductions, Mengdie began conversing with them. Initially, they were reserved in Xiu's presence, but as he declared himself Mengdie's servant, the girls slowly opened up and shared their stories.
They revealed that the longest among them had been there for a year, with new girls brought in every two weeks. Many couldn't endure the horrific abuses of the sixty-year-old General and committed suicide. Their days were spent waiting for the General's 'favors,' with the risk of being thrown into the army camp as prostitutes if they resisted.
Mengdie's heart boiled with anger at their tales, her fists clenching at the sight of their tears. However, her priority was to find Miss Emily and retrieve her necklace.
"Does anyone here know an 18-year-old girl named Emily? She should have been sold here by her father this morning."
Scanning the room, Mengdie spotted a girl with green short hair and freckles, crying in a corner.
"I... I am Emily! How do you know my name?"
The girl approached, visibly malnourished for her age. Her arms bore whip marks, and she limped as if injured. Mengdie quickly helped her to a bed.
To Emily's inquiry, Mengdie just smiled, signaling Xiu to apply a pain-relief spell. After lifting Emily's skirt and gently massaging her swollen foot, Mengdie expertly realigned a nerve compressed by a broken bone.
"Phew, lucky the bone structure here is like that of Earthlings," she muttered in Mandarin, letting go of the skirt. "Try standing and walking... should be fine now."
Emily, amazed at the absence of pain, was about to kneel in gratitude, but Mengdie quickly comforted her, urging her to sit.
Once Emily calmed down, Mengdie asked directly, "Miss Emily, I might stir up unpleasant memories, but I need to ask. Did your father give you a ruby necklace yesterday?"
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