Divergent Path

Dear Ms. Clo,

How have you been lately? I have moved to a new city, Yakutsk. I imagine you have heard about what happened before. I am fine, though the climate here is much colder than in Parvati.

Aside from that, everything is well. My emotions are stable, and my mental state is good. Do not worry about me.

Li Yue

Li Yue sent the letter and watched the sunset outside the window. She put on the wool sweater and overcoat she had recently purchased. Although the wool on the collar pricked her neck with slight discomfort, she didn't pay much attention to such details.

She locked the door behind her. Mary's husband, Bond, had just arrived home and was unlocking their front door. He greeted Li Yue.

“Good evening, miss. Are you heading out?”

“Just going for a few drinks before coming back,” Li Yue replied casually, adjusting her coat. She wore a simple dome-shaped hat that left her fair ears exposed to the wind and snow. In contrast, the engineer was wrapped up so tightly he only lacked a pair of goggles.

“Don't drink too much, young lady. Wear more clothes when you go out; sleeping in the snow at night will freeze you to death.” Bond took off his hat and exhaled a puff of air, revealing ears that were turned bright red by the cold.

“Many of my younger colleagues wear thin clothes after drinking, and they usually end up catching a cold... Achoo!” Mr. Bond turned away mid-sentence to sneeze. He sniffled, sounding as if his nose was completely blocked. He waved his hand and turned to enter his house.

Li Yue also sniffled, but her breathing was as clear as ever, without any discomfort. Recalling Bond's words, she suddenly realized she hadn't been sick in a very long time. She didn't even experience the typical physiological reactions women usually have.

She gave it a brief thought and then abandoned the idea. The task at hand was more important. After all, if her body temperature remained low for too long, she would still feel tired.

She wrapped her scarf tighter as a symbolic gesture and boarded a passing carriage. This journey was not short; she was heading to a pier on the very edge of Yakutsk.

Despite the world of ice and snow, a great alchemist had invented the highly acclaimed icebreaker, which had facilitated the establishment of this snowy nation. As long as magic was used to power it, the ship could cut through the ice.

She remained silent as usual, quietly watching out the window. The houses gradually became more dilapidated, and the light from within them grew scarcer. The number of lit rooms was decreasing; the people living in the outer rings seemed to have to save on everything.

She stopped the carriage near the pier and handed the driver five copper coins. She looked at the setting sun in the distance; the scenery on the horizon looked like a gash on her own arm, a vivid crimson, though unfortunately not warm at all.

She walked along and casually entered a tavern. Sitting at the bar, she ordered a glass of cloudy spirits. The noisy surroundings did not disturb her thoughts as she took small sips of the strong liquor.

The people were still chatting fervently, seemingly not paying much attention to this lady with a unique aura. Though she was dressed in old clothes, she gave off the feeling of a person of noble status.

Li Yue sat quietly, taking sip after sip. She didn't particularly like the taste of strong spirits, but it did make her feel as if her body was getting slightly warmer.

She yawned and looked toward the door. A man dressed somewhat more lavishly walked in, holding a lady in his arms. The owner stepped out from behind the counter to open a bottle of wine that looked quite exquisitely packaged for him.

The pier workers' break time seemed to be coming to an end. They reluctantly put down their drinks and wrapped their clothes tighter. Even though being tipsy increased the danger of working at night, they wouldn't give up this chance for an evening drink. Li Yue didn't quite understand; perhaps it was because she had never experienced the torture of being cold.

“Lady!” the leading man shouted. Li Yue turned her head, her blood-red eyes meeting his. The lavishly dressed man seemed to sober up instantly, his body trembling with lingering fear.

He abandoned the girls on either side of him and trotted over to Li Yue's side.

“I thought we were supposed to check the goods in a week. Is the Big Boss starting to push for it?” The man frowned, thinking for a moment before choosing not to sit down.

Li Yue opened her mouth slightly. She had originally thought she might have to use violent means to pry his mouth open, but now it seemed there was a more “civilized” way.

“The Big Boss sent me to inspect ahead of time to see how your preparations are going,” Li Yue fabricated a sentence on the fly to see the man's reaction. The latter remained silent for a while, seemingly considering whether to tell the truth.

“The three brothers we sent out last night have all lost contact, and the girls we were supposed to catch weren't brought back either.” The man seemed a bit nervous; despite the cold weather, he felt his armpits were completely soaked.

“Is that so? Then how many have you prepared now?”

“None for the moment... We just delivered the last batch a few days ago.”

“How did you recognize me?”

“You are indeed a new face, but the boss and those other lords also have red eyes.” The man rubbed his hands. Li Yue tilted her head and pondered for a moment, thinking about her next move.

“Take me to your delivery point.” Li Yue stood up, feeling a sudden, inexplicable sense of nausea. She suppressed the intense killing intent in her heart. If she were to act on her whims, there probably wouldn't be a single intact corpse left here.

She followed the man, bypassing the workers at the pier. People greeted them respectfully, but the leader only gave a brief smile, appearing extremely nervous.

“This is the place.”

Li Yue looked around. It was an area of abandoned shipping containers. No one seemed to come here, and the visibility was well-obstructed. There were dragging marks nearby that looked recent. Li Yue didn't care to imagine what had happened; currently, it seemed things were becoming clearer.

That man was right; there really was something wrong with this pier. What was their leader's name again? She forgot... But Li Yue didn't understand why that man only spoke after he felt he was about to die. Why didn't he just confess and go to prison? Surely those places couldn't be scarier than dying.

Unfortunately, he ended up dying from excessive blood loss. She would have to change her method during future interrogations. Next time, she would try breaking their fingers; although non-traditional, it shouldn't be enough to kill them.

“Boss, the Big Boss sent a message. The inspector will arrive in two days. He also gave the content for this time's secret code.” A lean man ran over from not far away. Holding a telegram, he looked at Li Yue and froze on the spot. The atmosphere suddenly became extremely tense, and everyone looked at Li Yue.

“Can't I come early?” Li Yue raised an eyebrow.

“The weather is beautiful today?” the man suddenly said.

“The wind is quite boisterous?” Li Yue replied, feeling a bit speechless.

“That's not right! There's something wrong with this person!” the man shouted. He reached for his weapon, and the others followed suit. The man's body stiffened, and he let out an involuntary “Eh?”

His body was neatly sliced into cubes, becoming a pile of flesh and blood on the ground. A ball of blood-red threads appeared in Li Yue's hand. The surrounding people looked at the pile; the faint-hearted ones had already collapsed to the ground, their legs gone weak.

The leader's hands trembled, his magic repeatedly failing to activate. His body seemed frozen, and he didn't dare move a muscle.

“Alright, the person who raised the problem has been dealt with by me.” Li Yue clapped her hands. “Since the problem is solved, let's continue. I ask, you answer.”

“Why are you kidnapping young girls?” In a flash, Li Yue was in front of the man. Her eyes glowed with a blood-red light, looking exceptionally terrifying in the gathering darkness.

“This... I can't say, milady. I really can't say.” The man's body trembled as he waved his hands in front of his chest.

“Is that so...” Li Yue grabbed his finger, a smile appearing on her lips. With a crisp snap, before the man could even react, a heart-wrenching pain surged through him. His finger had been bent back 180 degrees.

“It seems you have plenty of chances. Once I finish breaking all your fingers, I'll move on to your spine.” Li Yue held the man's finger, watching him twitch on the ground in agony.

“I've said it, the boss will definitely kill me! I can't escape!”

“Crack.” Li Yue provided the sound effect for the man's finger herself. She turned to look at the surrounding people who didn't dare to move and gave a gentle smile. “Do any of you know?”

“We really... really don't know... We only know the Big Boss above wants to catch some young girls. Sometimes he just needs them alive!” a voice called out from the crowd.

“Is what he said correct?” Li Yue leaned down, and the man nodded tremblingly.

“Next question. What locations do you know of? And where is the girl in this commission photo now?” Li Yue took out the commission photo and showed it to the man, whose face was already as pale as a ghost.

“Either at the plant cultivation chemical factory in the north of the city, or at the Oulane Brothel on Wright Road in the city center!” The man confessed everything. He no longer cared about how he would live in the future; he only knew that if he didn't speak now, he would die immediately.

“It seems I have nothing left to ask.” Li Yue let go of his hand and covered her head, catching her breath as if suppressing something within her. “Go turn yourselves in quickly.”

“Definitely, definitely!” The man scrambled away to the side. He used healing magic on his finger. Just as he looked up, he saw Li Yue shove a blood crystal into his mouth.

“If you don't go, it will explode.” Li Yue smiled and snapped her fingers. Another blood crystal in the distance exploded violently.

“Of course, of course!” The man nodded repeatedly.

“What was that noise!” Someone shouted from not far away while running toward them. As they ran, they pulled their triggers at Li Yue.

“There's more of you?” Li Yue waved her hand. The people in the distance were sliced in half at the waist. She smiled and looked at the crowd, her gaze carrying a silent threat.

The snow around them was soaked with blood, crimson stains marring the vast white expanse.

The crowd wailed and fled in all directions. Li Yue stood where she was, looking at her hands and falling into deep thought.

“Mr. Roland, have I started to go astray?”