Chapter 1: The Source of Everything
This was a quiet little town, known for its honest, simple folk -- at least, that was how the people living here saw themselves. To outsiders, it was nothing more than a shabby, backward, stuck-in-the-past hovel in the middle of nowhere.
But apart from outsiders, Miao Rui, born and raised here, thought the same thing.
Miao Rui had been beautiful from the day she was born, and at eighteen, she was so stunning that even jealousy felt like a desecration against her. The young men of the town all worshiped her as their goddess.
Still, heaven was always fair. If it gave you something others could only dream of, it would take something else to balance the scales.
That day, Miao Rui was walking home from school as usual. Before she even reached the alley, she heard the howling curses and hysterical shrieking. She stopped, her feet frozen mid-step, neither stepping back nor forward. After a moment's hesitation, she forced herself to move again.
"You cursed bastard! You think you can just pull up your pants and run after you've had your fill? Nothing in this world comes that cheap!" A disheveled woman clung desperately to the man's clothes. Her heavy smoky-eye makeup was smeared all over her face. Right now, no one would argue if you called her a ghost straight out of hell.
"This was all consensual -- money for goods, goods for money. The business is done, the money's paid. What more do you want from me?" The man frowned, staring at the woman on the ground with open disgust.
In this closed-off town, whenever something happened in someone's family, practically the whole town turned out to watch, even if it was a show the Miao household put on every couple of days. They never got tired of it.
Because their lives were simply too dull. A diversion like this -- how could they bear to miss it?
Someone called out, "Sis Miao, the man already paid you. Why are you still dragging him back? You're in this line of business -- send them off nicely and they'll come back for more."
As soon as the plump woman finished, the people around her burst into laughter.
Li Yuzhen acted like she hadn't heard a thing, still holding the man fast. "That pocket change you threw at me wouldn't even satisfy a beggar. You dress like a gentleman, but turns out you're nothing but a broke wretch."
The man's face went red and then white from her words. Gritting his teeth, he said, "I must have the worst luck today, running into a woman like you." He pulled out several more bills and hurled them in her face, finally breaking free of her grasp.
Miao Rui stood in the crowd, her dark eyes staring numbly at Li Yuzhen picking up the money, then drifting to the man's retreating back.
"Auntie Pang, the show is over. You should all go now." Miao Rui showed no extreme reaction -- on the contrary, a faint smile lingered at the corner of her mouth.
The neighbors of Mercy Town all looked down on Li Yuzhen, but they held this daughter of hers in unusual respect. As for why, no one could quite put it into words. They only knew she was nothing like her mother.
Auntie Pang broke into a grin, deepening the creases in her plump face. "Ruirui, in the future, just pretend not to see these things. Better to avoid them -- saves you from the sick feeling afterward."
"Yes, Auntie Pang is right."
Her bright eyes shimmered. She lowered her head, a bitter laugh in her heart: "The last person with any right to judge is me."
The crowd gradually scattered, and only then did Miao Rui step forward to help Li Yuzhen up.
"What do you want for dinner tonight?" Miao Rui asked, the same way she always did.
Li Yuzhen leaned on Miao Rui as they climbed the stairs, not answering. Instead, she spat and cursed, "Filthy man. Thing's so small and he's still out there sneaking around for a taste. He should be grinning from ear to ear that this old lady was willing to service him."
"Ow! You wretched little wretch, are you trying to kill me?" Li Yuzhen clutched her bumped head with one hand while the other rested on Miao Rui's shoulder, eyes glaring.
Miao Rui lowered her head and clenched her small fists, silent for a moment. Then, voice barely above a whisper, she said, "Can you stop doing this from now on? You make me feel so... filthy."
Li Yuzhen froze. All these years, she had always known that Miao Rui looked down on her, but the girl had never once interfered with her affairs. This was the first time Miao Rui had ever talked to her about it -- and in a dark, cramped stairwell, no less.
"Hah. Miao Rui, what are you pretending to be so pure for? Now you feel dirty? But what good does that do? You've grown up to eighteen years old on the money I earned selling my flesh. Don't you think it's a little late for disgust now, hmm?"
Miao Rui bowed her head and said nothing.
Li Yuzhen gave a cold laugh and pulled a few crumpled bills from her pocket, flinging them in Miao Rui's face. "Look, here's your tuition money." Then she shook off Miao Rui's support and limped upstairs by herself.
Miao Rui knew -- those bills were the same ones the man had thrown on the ground. She remembered. She remembered perfectly.
The next second, she snatched them up and tore them to shreds with every ounce of strength she had. The hatred in her eyes was like a blade -- if it could cut flesh, it would have flayed a man alive.
Dusk in Mercy Town only deepened the gloom. Miao Rui leaned quietly against a large mulberry tree while her eyes searched restlessly for something.
Soon. It should be soon now.
Sure enough, before long, a man's figure appeared in her line of sight. She narrowed her eyes and tugged the neckline of her shirt a little lower.
"Mister, I twisted my ankle. Could you help me get home?" Her voice was soft and sweet, her pitiful expression enough to stir anyone's protective instincts.
From the moment Miao Rui had entered the man's field of vision, his eyes never once strayed. Hearing her call out to him was everything he could have hoped for.
"Little miss, that looks like a pretty bad injury. But it's getting late, and I need to get home soon. How about this -- give me your family's contact information and I'll have someone come pick you up." His burning gaze was fixed unblinkingly on the smooth curve of Miao Rui's exposed shoulder, but his hands stayed still.
Disgusting. Miao Rui finally understood what they meant by "a beast in human clothing."
She counted the time in her head. If she didn't start now, the opportunity would be lost. She would have to try another approach.
"Ah, mister, I've seen you before. Just now, the women in town were talking about you."
"Oh? Is that so? Little miss, why don't you tell me what they were saying?" The man's lips curled into a lecherous smile as he pressed for details.
Miao Rui looked up at him with autumn-water eyes, biting her lower lip. "They said that... that thing of yours is small. It's, well, it's..."
"It's what?" The man's expression changed at these words. The cultured, refined facade peeled away, revealing the very same face she had seen on her way home from school.
"It's... just for show."
The man withdrew his smile and slowly stood up, looking down at her. "I knew it. What's a young girl like you doing alone in such a secluded place at this hour? Turns out you're in the same trade. What, you saw that woman get a taste of the sweet life from me and decided you wanted a piece too? Heh. Fine, I'll grant your wish. Let's see if you still think it's 'just for show' afterwards."
The beast had finally bared its fangs. The savage, gaping maw of that face sent a chill through Miao Rui's heart. She told herself: nothing will go wrong. Once she had evidence, she could send this man to prison.
The man unbuckled his pants and lunged toward her, tearing her thin clothes piece by piece. She kicked at him, but the man only seemed more excited. Grabbing her ankle, he pulled her closer.
The time should be up by now... but why... why haven't they come yet...
The vile breath drew closer and closer. Her exposed skin grew cold in the breeze, accompanied by the filth spilling from the man's mouth. Only in this moment did she finally understand what fear truly was.
"Little beauty, uncle's coming to make you feel good now... hahaha..."
Miao Rui clamped her lips together and squeezed her eyes shut.
All she heard was a sharp cry -- and then the heavy thud of something massive collapsing to the ground.
