In the anime, Ai Li's father really doesn't want to be a yellow-haired man

A petite figure wandered alone... It was a blonde girl, about eleven or twelve years old. Her face was like a newly blossomed flower, pure and charming, and her eyes revealed a melancholy that didn't belong to her age.

The sunlight filtered through the sparse clouds and shone onto her smooth blonde hair. Even though it was a little messy, it couldn't hide its natural luster.

She wore a white shirt on her upper body. Although the edges of the shirt were slightly worn and even stained with a few stains, one could still see its former refinement and purity. She wore a red skirt on her lower body, and the hem of the skirt was also covered with traces of dust.

The girl's steps were light yet uncertain. Sometimes she lowered her head in thought, sometimes she looked around... Was she searching for something? Or was she avoiding someone?

The pedestrians around her cast glances at her...some whispered, some hurried past, but no one stopped to ask. Perhaps they all thought, "Mind your own business."

Occasionally, she would stop and gaze up at those warm and cozy homes, her eyes filled with longing and envy. The feeling was particularly strong when she saw other people's happy families... The joy and happiness that belonged to others seemed like a distant dream to her.

Whenever she was extremely hungry, she would seek a hidden corner to avoid being seen, silently licking the cold, hard bread crust or half-rotten apple core in her hand...When night fell, she would choose to spend the cold night in a simple shelter.

That night, the petite girl was curled up in a thin blanket in the corner of a dark and damp alley. The only sounds around her were the occasional meow of a cat and the faint glow of a fire in the distance.

At this moment, several rough figures suddenly appeared.

Those men were big and strong, with ferocious faces, and they exuded a pungent smell of alcohol and sweat.

They approached slowly, with malicious intent in their eyes.

"Look what little treasure is hidden here?" one of the men chuckled, a sinister smile forming at the corner of his mouth. "I never thought I'd find such a rare item in such a haunted place."

Upon hearing this, the others agreed and gathered around to prepare for action.

While the girl was still deep in sleep, a large hand suddenly covered her mouth. Then came the pressure of a heavy body, pinning her to the ground.

Although she struggled with all her might, the huge disparity in strength made all her efforts seem pale and powerless.

Chapter 9: 009 First Visit to the Giant World: Saving Christa

"Mmmm!" The girl with her mouth covered could only make this struggling sound.

"Hurry up, it will be troublesome if those guys from the garrisoned corps come." The companions nearby urged anxiously.

Before he finished speaking, people swarmed over, each doing their own job: one person was responsible for tying the girl's hands and feet, making her completely unable to resist; another person quickly carried her up and put her into a carriage that had been prepared in advance and hidden in the shadows on the street.

These people cooperated with each other in an extremely tacit understanding, which was obviously the skillful movement that only habitual kidnappers could perform.

Soon, the only things left on the empty streets were the speeding carriages and the clouds of dust floating in the air.

The jolting of the carriage rocked the girl back and forth. 'It hurts,' she thought, her head thumping against the wooden planks of the carriage.

Through the winding paths...

The carriage finally stopped outside a small cabin in a remote area.

Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, this place was desolate and silent. The carriage door was opened roughly, and the girl was carried off the carriage like cargo and thrown onto the haystack without mercy. The light was dim, and the air was filled with a heavy, musty smell.

Inside the cabin, several people sat together, whispering about their next plan... The girl was lying in the haystack. Although she was exhausted, she remained awake and listened to their conversation nervously.

She heard one of them say, "We should sell her to that nobleman; he's always interested in beautiful young girls like this."

Another person disagreed: "No, I think it would be better to sell it to a brothel. Their price is not low."

Hearing these words, the girl became even more frightened, and she realized that her situation was very dangerous.

If I were sold to a place like that, my life would be completely over, right?

As time passed, the conversation became increasingly unclear. After discussing for a while, several people got up and left, saying they were going to contact the buyer.

The girl looked at their departing backs, her heart filled with despair.

As time went by, the three bored people started playing cards. They seemed to have forgotten the existence of the girl and focused on the game in their hands.

This gave the girl an opportunity, she carefully moved her body, trying to untie the ropes that bound her. After some effort, she finally succeeded in untying the ropes on her wrists.

However, at this moment...

One of them noticed her movements and yelled, "She's running away!"

Before she could run out of the cabin, she was caught by a fat middle-aged man.

The man, already furious because he'd been losing money playing cards, grabbed the girl by her long, golden hair and slammed her face into the floor, hurling all sorts of vicious insults at her. "Bitch, bitch! You're still not behaving!"

The girl's forehead was bleeding and her tears kept flowing to the ground.

The other two hurriedly grabbed him and said, "Hey, if you mess up your face, you won't be able to sell it for a good price."

"What do you know?!" the fat man roared, "This little bitch dared to run away, she must be taught a lesson!" But he still loosened his hand slightly.

The girl huddled on the floor in agony, her hands clutching her injured forehead as blood oozed from between her fingers. Her body trembled, tears mixed with blood streaming down her cheeks. "Please... let me go."

One of them advised, "We still have to make a fortune from her."

The fat man glared at them fiercely and said, "Are you trying to teach me how to do things?" He turned the girl over and began to rip her clothes roughly. "I think I'll just have some fun first!"

Seeing this, the tall and thin man next to him hurriedly tried to dissuade him: "Robinett, this is not a good idea. The buyer is coming soon."

But Robinette obviously didn't intend to listen. He continued to pull the girl's clothes roughly and said, "What are you afraid of? Enjoy it first. This kind of stuff will be easy to sell." His voice was full of contempt.

The girl struggled desperately, kicking her legs wildly, trying to break free from his grasp. However... the power disparity was too great, and she could only watch helplessly as her clothes were torn apart. Although her clothes were not exposed, the white skin of her shoulders and thighs was exposed.

"Asshole, you dare to resist." Robinette slapped him twice with his big hand.

The heavy blow made the girl's head dizzy, and her face was burning with pain... Blood was flowing from the corner of her mouth. She closed her eyes in despair, and tears flowed uncontrollably. She sobbed and begged for mercy, "Please... please, let me go."

The girl could smell the fat man's bad breath, and she tried hard to turn her head away... Her heart was filled with despair and fear, and she could only close her eyes helplessly, tears flowing from the corners of her eyes uncontrollably.

"Anyone can save me." She prayed silently in her heart.

But...she was desperate and knew that those fairy tales were fake.

No knights...

Even if there is, I am not a princess.

At this moment, she felt a gust of wind whistling past, and the weight on her body was instantly reduced.

Then there was an angry shout: "Who are you!"

Then... there was a series of fighting sounds.

When the girl opened her eyes, she saw the figure of a young man. The dim light of the oil lamp illuminated his figure, outlining his outline. The other three men were lying on the ground, beaten to the ground.

The boy came to the girl and said gently, "Are you okay? Don't be afraid. I'll take you away right away."

Before the girl could open her mouth, he picked her up and carried her out of the cabin.

The girl's petite body felt an unprecedented warmth and security in the boy's arms. She could smell his pleasant fragrance. She could hear him muttering to himself, "I didn't expect to encounter something like this right after arriving... This place is really dangerous."

The boy was running quickly in the forest with the girl in his arms. The dark clouds covering the moon just moved away, and the moonlight shone down, illuminating the boy's face: his features were clear, and his brows showed determination and gentleness... At this moment he looked particularly handsome and charming.

The girl's heartbeat involuntarily quickened a few beats, and waves of emotions spread in her heart. She looked at Xiao San's face, and her heart instantly rippled, waves of emotions spread, and her heartbeat involuntarily quickened a few beats.

Takashi San looked ahead. In order to soothe the girl in his arms, he took the initiative to open the conversation and said softly, "My name is Takashi San."

"Kouzou..." The girl looked at his face and remembered his name.

Xiao San asked again: "I still don't know your name?"

The girl hesitated...

"Christa, just call me Christa." The girl's voice was weak but very pleasant. Although... it was not her real name.

Kozo ran through the forest, holding Christa tightly in his arms.

Because Xiaosan was holding Christa in his arms and was not familiar with the forest, their steps seemed particularly heavy and slow.

Before long, subtle sounds were heard in the silent forest, which were only detected by Takashi San's keen ears (Tendo Souji's physical fitness)... The sound of hurried footsteps and heavy breathing clearly indicated that someone was approaching quickly.

"Sure enough, have they caught up?" Xiao San muttered to himself. But he also knew that it was almost impossible to increase his speed in such a situation.

I am not familiar with this world...

As a newcomer, I don't know the way around the mountains...

Just as he was thinking about a countermeasure, he suddenly heard a sharp sound of breaking through the air...it was the sound of a bow and arrow flying.

Almost at the same moment, Xiao San bent down instinctively and barely avoided the fatal arrow... The arrow flew past his shoulder, drew an arc in the air and then pierced the ground.

"That was a close call..." Xiao San swallowed his saliva, feeling relieved and sighing: "These guys are really good at archery. Even those students in the Kyudo Club who specialize in archery can't compare to them, right?"

After all, even though the moon was bright tonight, it was still night. Being able to shoot a moving object with such accuracy required not only precise archery skills but also a good pair of eyes.

Kouzo recalled last year's events... As an excellent student, he was invited to visit Shuchiin Academy in Minato-ku, Tokyo. The girl from the archery club had left a lasting impression on him. "Isn't it true that a half-baked hobby shouldn't be compared to someone else's survival skills?"

Of course, in terms of physical fitness alone, if modern people train using the assessment criteria of "archers capable of actual combat against humans"... with their understanding of body structure, and the use of various instruments to measure physical condition to adjust training and diet, coupled with scientific common sense education, the top group is definitely superior to these people.

Immediately afterwards, Xiaosan's sensitive eardrums heard even noisier voices and more footsteps coming from behind, "Don't let them run away!" someone shouted.

Xiao San immediately chose a big tree as a shelter. Just as Xiao San hugged Christa and hid behind the tree, two more sharp arrows whizzed in, one on the left and one on the right, piercing through the tree trunk.

At this moment, Christa, who was in Takashi San's arms, felt the danger... He could clearly feel the tense atmosphere in the air and the approaching enemy, and in his ears were the shouts of the pursuers and the sound of arrows piercing the air.

At this critical moment, Christa felt an inexplicable surge of courage. "I can't... I can't let anyone else get involved." She gently raised her head to look at Xiao San and whispered, "How about letting me go? You should be able to escape alone."

Xiao San looked down at Christa in his arms and gently stroked her hair. "Don't talk nonsense," he replied softly, "I won't abandon you." His voice was full of unquestionable determination.

These brief words, like a ray of sunshine on a winter's day, instantly warmed Christa's icy heart. From childhood to adulthood, no one had ever said such words to her, not even her mother.

For the first time, she felt the feeling of being cherished...

Finally, there is someone in this world who is willing to risk everything for me...

This sudden sense of security made her involuntarily hold on to Xiaosan's clothes tightly, as if this way she could hold on to that rare warmth and never let it slip away.

Xiao San's eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. He observed his surroundings with keen eyes, his ears pressed to the ground, listening carefully, judging the number and position of the pursuers from the subtle sounds. "Let's give it a try... I'm not sure, though," he murmured softly.

Soon after, just as Xiao San had expected... two groups of people came from both sides like ghosts. When they groped their way to the tree, the first thing they saw was Christa curled up beside the tree.

One of them kicked her body lightly with his toes, a teasing smile on his lips: "Still running away, bitch?"

At this time, another fat man with a bruised face and nose came forward. "Tell me quickly, where did that bastard go?" Robinette asked viciously, with a fierce gleam in his eyes.

Just when the atmosphere was extremely tense, several sounds of breaking through the air suddenly rang out in the air, followed by several shrill screams.

Robinette looked around in panic, only to see his companions falling one by one... He saw those who were originally standing and ready to attack fall to the ground, covering their arms or legs that were hit by arrows, and rolling and struggling on the ground in pain.

Robinette himself was not spared either. Two arrows hit his thighs almost at the same time. The huge impact force made him lose his balance in an instant. He fell heavily to the ground and let out a heart-wrenching wail.

Not long after, Xiao San emerged from the darkness, the bow and arrow he had seized in hand. His somewhat frail figure now loomed large in the moonlight.

He came to Christa, squatted down, gently touched her head, and said softly: "I'm sorry, I wronged you just now."

Christa shook her head and said, "It doesn't matter." Her eyes were full of trust and dependence on Xiaosan.

At this time, Robinette on the side endured the pain, stared at Xiaosan angrily, and asked: "You, who are you?" His eyes were full of unwillingness and hatred.

Xiao San turned around, looked each of them in the eyes seriously, and said slowly: "Please remember what I look like. I am your enemy. I will bear your hatred."

One of the injured men covered the wound pierced by the arrow and said with gritted teeth: "We will remember you and will never let you go." His words revealed deep hatred.

Xiao San closed his eyes and sighed deeply, "That's good."

Suddenly, Christa blurted out a warning: "Be careful."

Robinette's mouth curled up, revealing a smile of success. He had already taken out the rifle from his pocket and pulled the trigger at Xiaosan without hesitation.

Chapter 10: 010 Save Christa and receive a reward for summoning a heroic spirit

However, Takashi's reaction was even faster. Without even opening his eyes, he dodged sideways in an instant... The bullet grazed his arm and finally hit the tree.

"How is this possible?" Robinette looked at Xiaosan in shock, his eyes filled with disbelief. He hadn't expected the other party to dodge the bullet so quickly.

However, before Robinette could react, Xiaosan had already appeared in front of him. He was kneeling on the ground with one knee bent, holding a bow in one hand and something in the other, but it was out of his sight.

Robinette felt a burning sensation in his neck, and breathing became increasingly difficult. He glanced to the side and saw Xiaosan's hand tightly grasping the arrow... The arrow had already pierced his neck from the side.

Robinette clutched his neck, but the blood continued to flow. He fell to the ground, his consciousness gradually blurring. He managed to utter a few words with difficulty: "You..." Then, due to suffocation and heavy blood loss, he completely lost consciousness.

Xiao San stood up, looking at the body lying on the ground with complicated eyes... He turned around, facing the others who were terrified, and said in a steady and powerful voice: "Murder is murder, no matter what the reason. But if I let you live, it will only cause more innocent people to be hurt. This is my opinion, so... for the sake of the people I want to protect, I am willing to bear this sin."

Those who were originally arrogant and domineering finally realized that death was at hand... They cried and begged for mercy.

"Please, sir, let me go. I will never dare to do this again. I will never do this again." A young man said tremblingly, his eyes full of fear and despair.

"Me...me too. I have elderly parents and young children to support, and I really had no choice but to join in. I was confused for a moment...my whole family depends on me for support." A middle-aged man said with a sob.

You talk, I talk...

Just to seek a glimmer of hope in this young man's hands...

Xiao San felt a mixture of emotions as he watched these once-powerful enemies become so humble. He knew that these people also had families and loved ones, and their deaths would also bring pain and tragedy to others. He also knew that these people did not know they were wrong, but that they knew they were going to die.