ITF Chapter22

Bai Heting staggered up from the ground.

From his appearance, the boy’s age basically matched the description in secret order. He looked exactly like Pei Ming’s illegitimate son, whom Pei Ming had hidden in Urdan behind Bai Yi’s back—Pei Yan.

But before he could say anything, the sound of approaching footsteps from a distance pulled his attention away. The Alpha cavalryman who had doubled back was also surprised to see him, a look of astonishment surfacing on his face, “Why are you here?”

Bai Heting held a title bestowed by the king; he did not eat or live with the other soldiers in the army, nor did he usually act with them under normal circumstances. It was even more impossible for him to be sent on such a simple mission.

However, Pei Yan’s movements were faster than Bai Heting’s response.

The small figure that suddenly rushed out startled the cavalryman, but how could a six-year-old child be any match for a well-trained Alpha cavalryman? With a gentle squeeze of his frail wrist, the small hunting knife in his hand clattered to the ground. With one hand restraining Pei Yan’s wrists, the cavalryman studied him closely, recognizing his identity from the small face flushed with anger.

“I was just worried about how to report back,” he said, unable to hide his delight amidst the surprise. “And yet you deliver yourself right to my door?”

The boy’s thin chest heaved rapidly, his eyes so red they looked ready to burst. From between his tightly clenched teeth, he forced out four words one by one, “I. Will. Kill. You.”

Naive, reckless, and fantastical. Amused, the cavalryman burst into laughter, “You saw it all? Then why did you hide and refuse to come out just now?” He leaned in close to the boy’s face, raising an eyebrow contemptuously. “What a little coward.”

Pei Yan threw his head back and shut his eyes, forcibly swallowing the tears that threatened to spill. When he opened them again, he spat viciously into the man’s face.

The cavalryman’s expression changed instantly.

With a sweep of his large hand, Pei Yan stumbled and was pushed to the ground.

“Little bastard.” He wiped the saliva from his face, then drew a short sword from his waist, his tone turning cold and menacing. “I was going to give you a quick death—”

“Do you want to live?” A cold, youthful voice cut him off.

The cavalryman turned his head in confusion. Bai Heting, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines the entire time, had silently appeared behind him. There was no expression on his face as he lowered his eyes, looking at the equally bewildered boy.

The cavalryman did not understand what he meant, but he did not dare to defy him either. He could only remind him blankly, “But the order we received was… leave no survivors.”

Only then did Bai Heting look at him.

The cavalryman caught the killing intent in his icy gaze, but it was already too late; Bai Heting didn’t even give him time to blink.

Warm blood splattered all over Pei Yan’s face.

Pei Yan was stunned.

This Alpha had clearly been completely respectful and deferential to the youth… yet his throat had been slit without a shred of mercy.

Bai Heting knocked over a candlestick and reached out to pull his arm. Only then did Pei Yan snap out of it, gripping the cavalryman’s corpse tightly and refusing to let go. “He doesn’t deserve it…” He clawed at the corpse’s arms with both hands, trying to drag it up, his tone just as fierce as his expression. “He doesn’t deserve to die in the same place as my mother.”

Bai Heting frowned.

He could not understand this child’s bizarre behavior. The man was already dead. Dead people don’t need to eat or drink, nor can they speak; what does it matter where they died or who they died with?

The roof beams made crackling noises in the flames, and the pungent, thick smoke burned their throats. Yet the stubborn brat before him was locked in a bitter struggle with the corpse, looking as if he would never give up until he had dragged it away.

What a hassle. Bai Heting let out an impatient, soft click of his tongue.

Without wasting another moment, he dragged the lifeless weight of the corpse out into the courtyard, then led away the stubborn little brat who kept turning back every few steps, fleeing westward into the night.

But Bai Heting had never anticipated that this little brat would prove far more troublesome to handle than he had imagined.

The next morning, he opened his eyes in the hazy twilight, his sleepiness vanishing in an instant.

There was no longer any sign of a second person in this abandoned farmhouse.

He reached out to feel the spot where Pei Yan had slept the day before; there was still a faint hint of warmth lingering on the thatch.

Idiot.

Bai Heting cursed under his breath, pushed open the door, and gave chase.

*

He was clearly in league with them.

Pei Yan did not know why the youth had killed his own companion, nor did he know why he had given him a new name.

He did not even know why the peaceful life he shared with his mother had vanished into thin air overnight.

But it was only yesterday, from the mouths of the cavalrymen who had stormed into his home, that he had first heard the name of his biological father.

It was only that right now, he had no spare strength left to think. He hadn’t dared to close his eyes the entire night; only when dawn was about to break and he saw that the youth had finally slipped into a deep sleep did he seize the chance to flee.

This place was already quite a distance from the urban area with only a few simple, crude farmhouses scattered across the barren fields. Further west lay the desolate, uninhabited desert.

He had never run to such a remote place before.

The trembling boy hid inside an abandoned barn with his tightly clenched palms slick with sweat.

The sound of galloping hooves was already right upon him.

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