Xyliana looked back and saw a large group of people coming from afar.
A group of ragged people staggered at the front, heavy chains pressing on their wrists, their hands bleeding from friction.
Their clothes were torn, skin exposed and covered in whip marks, looking extremely disturbing.
"Slap!"
The people behind hit them again.
"Not full yet? Hurry up for me!" several overseers shouted from behind.
At the back of the group was an open prison cart with someone sitting inside.
Black hair hung over his face, hiding his features. Before Xyliana could see clearly...
Xerxes and Xicob both noticed the unusual scene and ordered the horses to stop. They wanted to investigate.
Zhiyina was woken by the noise and asked, "What's going on?"
"Look, what's with that group behind? Are they escorting prisoners?"
Xyliana asked, puzzled. The scene looked exactly like the prisoner escorts she had seen on TV before.
Zhiyina followed Xyliana's gaze.
The leader of the group seemed to notice them and hurried to Xerxes and Xicob's side.
"Maybe they are slave traders," Zhiyina guessed uncertainly to Xyliana.
Slaves? Were there still slaves?
Xyliana was shocked. Before she could react, Zhiyina quickly reached out and pulled down the curtain.
"Xabrina, lower the curtain quickly. They are looking this way."
"Ah, okay."
Xyliana nodded and listened carefully to the outside sounds.
The leader ordered the convoy to stop.
The slaves in front finally got a chance to rest and sat down on the ground.
"Well, what a coincidence to meet Lord Xerxes and Lord Xicob out here. I didn't recognize you at first," Ziruv said with a flattering smile.
"No matter. Who are these people?" Xicob's calm voice came from outside the cart, unlike his usual lively tone.
"These are from Nanli Kingdom. Not long ago, I was hunting with Crown Prince Xhelon near Suicheng. Unexpectedly, we entered a small village in Nanli Kingdom. The prince captured these people with his guards," Ziruv explained.
Hearing this, Xerxes and Xicob understood. This was typical of the prince's style.
The North Wing Kingdom and Nanli Kingdom had long been at odds, often clashing in small battles.
Still, this was reckless, ignoring North Wing's reputation. If word got out...
Seeing Xerxes and Xicob's thoughtful faces, Ziruv whispered closer.
"Don't worry, Lords. The prince acts decisively and keeps things very secret. Besides, that village is an isolated fishing village in Nanli Kingdom. Few know about it. It won't cause trouble."
Xerxes and Xicob frowned at Ziruv's disgusting attitude.
The prince was known for being violent and crazy. This was just too much.
Ziruv continued flattering.
"I think you don't need to worry. The prince ordered me to escort them to the underground prison in Wanling City."
The slaves were sold to the arena to train the beasts for this year's competition.
Inside the carriage, Xyliana made a silent gesture to Zhiyina and quietly pulled back a corner of the curtain to look outside.
Soldier Zhi and Xicob heard this and did not say much. They stayed in their seats, knowing some things are better left unsaid.
If they angered Crown Prince Xhelon, it might bring more trouble than necessary.
"Then who is in the carriage behind?" Xerxes looked back and asked.
Ziruv followed his gaze and whispered, "That one? Don't underestimate him. He looks like a barefoot doctor.
He seems weak and fragile, but when he got angry, he scared me. He even hurt Crown Prince Xhelon." Ziruv's face was full of mockery.
"Tsk tsk, such a pity to anger the wrong person. The prince ordered his legs to be broken and poisoned his throat. Now I'm sending him to be sold at Xianxiang Tower.
Don't judge him by his broken state. His face and figure are fit for the top spot. He can fetch a high price."
Ziruv's ugly expression made Xyliana's skin crawl.
Xyliana listened carefully, but the carriage was a little far and she could not hear everything.
Seeing the three men all staring at the back of the convoy, Xyliana looked that way too.
She saw a person leaning weakly against the railing in the cage.
His two legs were limp and his clothes were torn. Almost no skin was left unhurt.
His hair was dry and messy, covering his face. He looked very pitiful, dirty and worse than a beggar.
Xyliana was quietly surprised but saw the man in the cage seem to sense something.
He struggled to move, leaned up slightly, and turned his body. These movements seemed to drain all his strength.
He looked toward them with a dazed expression, as if nothing in this world was worth holding onto.
When his eyes met Xyliana's, there was a flicker of confusion. Then surprise, and a flash of joy.
He stared at Xyliana intensely, his gaze hot and mixed with complicated feelings, like longing and regret.
Xyliana felt strange... that person...
At the moment they locked eyes, Xyliana saw his eyes clearly.
They were very beautiful eyes, a pair of peach blossom eyes with slightly upturned corners that did not seem seductive.
His brown eyes were clear like water, gentle and warm, perfectly balancing the shape to show kindness and calm.
Those clear eyes seemed to pull Xyliana in like a clear spring.
Looking at those eyes, Xyliana faintly sensed something familiar. It seemed...
It seemed that those clear eyes had appeared in her memory at some unknown time.
Suddenly, her head hurt sharply, forcing Xyliana to stop all her thoughts.
"Xabrina, are you okay?"
Zhiyina asked anxiously, seeing Xyliana looked unwell.
"I'm fine, fine. Maybe I drank too much last night," Xyliana smiled softly to reassure her.
"It's all my fault. Next time, I won't ask you to drink so much with me," Zhiyina said, frowning with guilt.
Seeing Zhiyina so sorry, Xyliana felt warmth and quickly comforted her:
"It's okay, really. Just some wine. I'll be fine soon."
While Xyliana was comforting Zhiyina, she did not notice the man in the cage saw the moment her eyes flashed with panic from the headache.
Xyliana seemed to sense something and looked out the window. The man appeared to lose strength and slid down to lean against the railing behind him again.
His chest rose and fell strongly as he started coughing uncontrollably, his voice hoarse and pitiful.
For some reason, Xyliana suddenly felt uneasy.
Nearby, Soldier Zhi and Xicob, after asking Ziruv, were preparing to signal their men to move again.
Suddenly, they heard Xyliana's voice from inside the carriage: "Xerxes, Xicob, could you move the carriage a bit?"
"Brother, come here! Xabrina wants to talk to you!" Zhiyina called from outside the carriage.
Hearing this, Xerxes and Xicob quickly walked toward the carriage.