The Double

Faintly visible among the crowd were people in coarse linen, no different from the ordinary civilians, moving swiftly through with bright long knives in hand. The civilians were thrown into a panic, running and fleeing in all directions, making the crowd even more congested. The cries of children, curses from those who had been tripped, and the sound of assassins slicing skin were incessant.

"Oh God!" Tonger’s face turned pale, "Someone is killing people!"

"Don’t be scared," Jiang Li calmly said, "The City Garrison Army is nearby, they’ll come as soon as they hear the commotion." No sooner had she spoken than their own carriage suddenly stopped, refusing to move further, and at the same time, they heard the coachman scream tragically.

Tonger was trembling with fear, yet she still reached out to protect Jiang Li behind her, while Bai Xue said, "Miss, we can’t stay in the carriage, our house’s carriage is too conspicuous, we need to hide..."

Suddenly, the carriage curtain was lifted, and a strange middle-aged man appeared in front of them, his eyes glinting fiercely, brandishing a curved saber as he stepped up into the carriage. Tonger let out a shriek and pushed Jiang Li off the carriage, confronting the man herself. As the saber swung toward them, Jiang Li only saw Tonger’s arm move to block, a streak of red blurring her vision. Bai Xue, tall and imposing, blocked the doorway, shouting, "Miss, run first! Hide somewhere nearby!"

The man’s gaze flickered and, in that one glance exchanged with Jiang Li, she suddenly realized he was coming for her! She glanced at Bai Xue and Tonger still inside the carriage, and indeed, the man discarded Bai Xue and Tonger, heading toward her. Jiang Li gritted her teeth and turned to run into the crowd.

All around were cries and howls like ghosts and wolves, the ground was a chaotic mess of fresh blood, it was like a hell on Earth.