As their weapons wavered, so did the woman's voice.
"D-Did he… see right through us?"
Ji Zong calmly tied his hair back, ignoring the blades pointed at him.
"Hmph. I don't care. I've seen people raped or conned by scum like you—it's nothing new. Live long enough, and you stop feeling anything. Though… I was born without it."
He suddenly locked eyes with her.
"Marry me."
The three froze in shock.
"What?"
Ji Zong smirked at their confusion.
In the next instant, he grabbed the woman's wrist—the one holding the dagger—and drove his knee into her stomach.
She crashed to the ground, gasping for air.
One of the men panicked and bolted, but the other lunged forward with a spear-like dagger.
His strike was heavy and reckless. For Ji Zong, that only made it easier.
He slipped past the blow and rammed his blade straight into the man's throat.
Blood sprayed as the man staggered, choking, his red eyes bulging before he collapsed lifelessly to the floor.
The woman, still on the ground, watched in horror. Tears streamed down her face as her body trembled, her legs refusing to stand.
Ji Zong looked at the woman, almost in tears, and grinned. Then he turned back to the man who was suffocating on the floor.
He sat down beside him.
"You see, I'm a man of mercy. I let the other one run, didn't I? I would have done the same for you… if you hadn't jumped at me. I don't kill for fun or thrill. I kill only when it serves a purpose."
He lifted the dagger close to the man's eye—just a finger's width away.
His face stayed blank. No joy. No sadness. Only emptiness.
"Living is worse than dying. I'm giving you salvation. You may see me as a demon, but I'm just a savior."
The dagger dropped into the man's eye, ending him and sending him into a cycle of rebirth.
Ji Zong's gaze shifted back to the woman. She froze as his eyes met hers.
He stood and walked toward her.
"Here," he said, smiling suddenly. "Take my hand."
She stared in shock, trembling, but still reached for it.
Ji Zong pulled her up and patted her shoulder.
"There, there. Don't be scared. I never meant to hurt you. In fact… I want to give you a job.
"Job?" she whispered.
"Yes," Ji Zong said calmly. "I'm currently being watched… or you could say, controlled. That means I need someone to do certain things for me. A maid, you could say."
He pointed at the corpse on the ground. "So, I'll give you five seconds to answer. Otherwise… well, you saw what happened to him."
He began counting. "One."
"Y-yes!" she shouted, panicked.
"Good. What's your name?"
"Lian…" she answered, her voice trembling.
"Oh." Ji Zong smirked. "So, where's the nearest gambling house?"
Lian bowed her head slightly. "Please… follow me, master."
"Don't call me master," Ji Zong cut in, his tone sharp. "It makes me sound like some pervert being called that by someone as beautiful as you. Call me Ji Zong. That's my name."
She nodded quickly. "Yes… Ji Zong."
The two of them started walking.
A minute later, they stood before the gates of a gambling house.
They stepped inside.
Ji Zong wrinkled his nose. "Geez. The stench of alcohol… it makes me sick every time."
"Lian, do you know any dice masters here? They're usually popular."
She nodded quickly, too scared to speak, and led him straight to the counter.
The dice master bowed politely. "How can I help you, young master?"
"I want to play dice," Ji Zong said flatly.
"Of course. And the amount of the bet?" The dice master asked, eyes gleaming.
"Five gold coins. Here."
The dice master's mind buzzed with greed.
"Today's my day… a whale walked right into my hands."
He scooped two dice into a cup.
Clatter. Clatter.
He set the cup down and leaned forward. "Your guess… or forfeit?"
"Seven."
The grin slid off the dice master's face.
"The sum is seven."
The dice master froze. Lian thought it was pure luck. So did everyone else.
But Ji Zong kept winning. Again. And again.
Shock spread through the gambling house. Whispers filled the air. Some stared with wide eyes; others clenched their fists in disbelief.
"Let's do it again," Ji Zong said calmly.
"You'll lose this time, kid. That was just luck till now," the dice master sneered.
"Does luck happen twenty times?" Ji Zong replied.
Gasps broke out from the crowd. Murmurs of awe followed.
The commotion finally drew out the manager.
"What the hell is going on here?" he barked.
Moments later, he realized what had happened.
His face twisted in fury.
He roared at the dice master, "You stupid fool! Trying to make me lose everything? You're fired! Out! Get the hell out—and don't show your face again!"
The dice master fell to his knees, begging.
But he was dragged out and tossed into the street.
As Ji Zong rose and walked away, the humiliated man shouted after him, "Good game! But next time—I'll win!"
Ji Zong waved a hand lazily, not even looking back.
Beside him, Lian finally spoke in a steady voice, no longer trembling. "How did you do that?"
"You mean win?" Ji Zong's lips curled into a faint smirk. "I just listened to the sound of the dice… and predicted the outcome."
"But you were a lifesaver there," Ji Zong continued, slipping the space ring into his sleeve. "If not for this, we would've been jumped the moment people saw two hundred and forty gold coins in our hands."
Then, with a teasing smirk, he added, "Oh—and don't tell my wife about the gambling."
Lian blinked.
"Wife? You're married?"
"Yes," Ji Zong said casually, as though it were nothing.
"Her name is Rou Mei."
Her eyes widened.
"Rou Mei? You mean… from the Rou clan?"
Ji Zong nodded, unfazed.
"But she already has a fiancé," Lian blurted.
Amusement flickered in Ji Zong's gaze. "Fiancé? I didn't know that."
"Are you living under a stone?" she whispered. "Her fiancé is from the strongest clan on this continent… He's known as the Son of Heaven."
For a heartbeat, silence hung heavy.
Then Ji Zong's lips curved into a slow, malicious grin.
His eyes glinted with dangerous interest.
"Ohh~ Son of Heaven, is it?"