From the adjacent room came the sound of hurried footsteps.

Soon, two more people rushed in, one of whom hadn’t even bothered to pull up his pants, but both wielded large knives.

Upon entering and seeing their fallen, lifeless comrade on the floor, they were shocked. They picked up their knives and charged at Xie Wanqing.

Such a perilous situation, she had only experienced on that night at Hot Spring Villa.

But back then, Mingjian had been fighting desperately alongside her, and now, she was all alone.

Xie Wanqing was frighteningly calm. In the silent night, the sounds of fighting were loud, yet no one came to inquire, clearly indicating that no one aboard this ship would intervene.

If these men weren’t armed with cleavers, she might have stood a fighting chance. But with two men wielding long knives, she feared she’d be cut down before she could even get close.

In the chaos, Xie Wanqing was forced toward the window.

For safety, she had booked a second-floor room on this two-story steamboat, as most guests on this level were moderately wealthy. Yet, merely being a lone woman made her a target like a lamb to wolves.

Fortunately, the windows on the second floor were large enough for an adult to jump through.

In the moment when evasion was impossible and the knife swung towards her, Xie Wanqing didn’t hesitate to flip out of the window.

The three men rushed to the window.

Under the night’s embrace, the dark and mysterious surface of the lake was serene, as if it could devour all things.

Let alone a weak woman—it was certain death, even for a strong young man to fall.

They breathed sighs of relief mixed with curses, sitting on the ground in cold sweat.

A seemingly frail older woman had cost them a comrade. Without weapons, this night might have led to a disastrous defeat.

As they panted heavily, attempting to calm down, their eyes fell on the jewelry left on the bed, brightening with a common understanding.

This haul wasn’t a loss.

While they were cursing, Xie Wanqing had already reached the next room.

Upon boarding, she had noticed an iron chain hanging below the second-floor window, spanning across the boat, for some unknown purpose.

Traveling alone, she was extremely cautious. The first day she stayed in this room, she had tried tugging at it, finding it quite sturdy, and had worried about thieves climbing in through the window along the chain at night.

She hadn’t expected it to become her escape route.

As she leapt from the window, Xie Wanqing grabbed the chain tightly, pressed against the ship’s side, and, once those men averted their gaze, climbed into the adjacent room separated by a wooden partition.

For someone capable of riding a warhorse, this level of responsiveness was manageable.

Yet, as soon as she crawled into the room, before she could even have relief for her narrow escape, she was shocked by the horrific scene before her.

Two naked female bodies lay sprawled on the ground, bruises marred every inch of their skin, blood seeping from their noses and mouths, eyes wide open, seeming to testify to the world’s ugliest evil.

The young woman hadn’t even closed her legs, with fresh blood oozing from beneath her.

Xie Wanqing stood frozen, staring at this scene, unable to snap back to reality for a long time.

Sounds came from the next room, where those people seemed to be rummaging through her luggage, trying to see if there was anything else of value.

This noise reminded Xie Wanqing that after those men finished pillaging and left the second floor, they would pass through the room where the mother and daughter lay. Although the most dangerous places were often the safest, with the door open, they could see everything inside at a glance as they passed by.

She needed to find somewhere to hide.