A Hero's Heart - Chapter 10

There were four of us.

One was blind and mute, one had lost all his inner force, and one was carrying an injured woman.

Only Lu Zichen could still fight.

No matter how capable he was, he could not defeat so many men alone.

Before long, the four of us were tied up and dragged back.

The masked man wore a dark robe embroidered with silver. He lounged on a cushioned chair above us, turning the ring on his right thumb while he regarded us with a wicked gaze.

“What do you want?” I demanded.

He looked at me, narrowing his eyes, but said nothing.

After a moment, someone hurried out from the hidden passage. Trembling, he knelt before us with a pile of bones in his hands.

“Master…” he stammered. “Meiniang is gone. We only found these.”

I recognized the bones at once.

They were the rabbit bones Lu Zichen and I had left behind.

I looked at Lu Zichen. He immediately shook his head and said anxiously, “I don’t know anything.”

The masked man stared at him in disbelief. He reached for the bones, but the moment his fingers touched them, he slapped the pile out of the servant’s hands.

“Who did this?” His voice was low and vicious.

Lu Zichen flinched.

The next instant, the masked man’s gaze landed on me.

He stepped forward, passed Seventeen, and came to stand behind me.

Then he bent down and breathed beside my ear.

I heard him sniff.

“You smell delicious.”

The way he said it made my skin crawl.

Seventeen moved toward me and knocked the masked man aside, placing himself between us.

The masked man flew into a rage and kicked him in the chest.

Seventeen could not make a sound. I could only see the deep crease between his brows.

Since meeting him, he had spent almost every day beside me.

Most of the time, he wore the same blank expression and never reacted to anything I said.

Only when I teased him did he reveal any other emotion.

I had thought he must hate me.

That was why, before entering the forest, I had told him not to wait for me and not to concern himself if I died.

But when I saw him come into that dangerous place, I was startled—and strangely moved.

Now he had once again ignored his own safety to protect me. I became even more certain of my theory.

He must have taken a liking to me.

My heart had already begun to beat faster with excitement. I hurriedly stepped farther away from him.

Not now.

And he was only going to get me into trouble.

While I was still feeling touched, the masked man circled around Seventeen.

He bent down, lifted my chin, and let his foul breath brush my face.

“Since you ate my Meiniang, you owe me something in return. What do you think?”

I wanted to spit in his face.

But I had eaten one of his rabbit legs after all, so I swallowed my guilt and held back.

“It won’t hurt,” he said viciously, drawing one finger across my cheek.

“It had nothing to do with her. I ate it!” Lu Zichen, who had remained silent until then, finally protested.

I turned and looked at him, rolling my eyes.

Idiot.

As the only one among us who could still fight, he should have been thinking about how to get everyone out—not arguing over who had eaten the rabbit.

The masked man clearly had not expected him to step forward. He smiled coldly.

“Then you can die first.”

He turned and kicked the servant who had brought the bones. “What are you waiting for? Go find another rabbit for me. You’re responsible for the rabbit meat.”

That was when I finally realized something was wrong.

“That rabbit was your pet?” I looked up at him.

He threw back his head and laughed. Returning to his chair, he turned his ring. “A pet? It was worth far more than any pet.”

As for why it mattered so much, he obviously had no intention of explaining.

“You’ll know soon enough.”

He raised a hand and crooked two fingers. Several people entered from outside.

“Take them back to the cells.” He pointed at Zhao Yihuan and me.

“Wait,” someone said.

“As for the men, keep them here for three days.” He hesitated, then glanced at Seventeen. “This one looks rather pitiful. Kill him.”

He turned to Lu Zichen. His gaze turned cold, but an evil smile touched his lips.

“This young master dared to meddle in my affairs and eat my rabbit. Chop him up and feed him to the dogs.”