Chapter 918: A Hard World
Editor: Henyee Translations

Xu Er kicked the old woman, shouting, “If you’re looking for death, we can oblige, but we won’t spare your granddaughter either!”

The old woman screamed in agony, dizzy from the pain, barely able to recover, “Xu Er, we’re all from the same village…”

Xu Er violently knocked down the room door with a loud crash, “We used to be from the same village, but now… everyone is looking out for themselves. Who cares if we’re from the same village!”

The old woman looked at Xu Er, “Can’t you retain even a shred of humanity?”

Xu Er sneered, “Everyone’s about to die, and you talk to me about humanity? How laughable. You’ve lived so long yet learned so little.”

His accomplice, with a grim and hoarse voice, came over to inform Xu Er, “We didn’t find anyone, but I’m sure there’s someone in this house.”

Xu Er with a demonic look, declared, “Then let them come out on their own.” He pointed at the old woman on the ground, “Tie her up, we’ll burn her alive shortly.”

He continued, “Little girl, if you don’t come out now, your grandmother will be burned alive.”

The old woman, exerting all her strength, pleaded, “I’m old and ought to die, but the child has her whole life ahead. It can’t end like this. Hold on a little longer; tomorrow, you might see hope.”

In the hidden compartment, tears fell from the little girl as she whispered, “Grandma, if you die, what’s the point of me living alone?”

The little girl emerged from the cellar to the ground, “I’m here, take me, but let my grandmother go.”

The famished villagers’ eyes lit up with a predatory glow upon seeing the little girl.

The old woman, crying and beating the ground, lamented, “When will this cannibalistic world end?!”

The little girl stepped forward to help her grandmother stand, “Grandma, in our next lives, I’ll be the grandmother, and you’ll be the granddaughter, and I will protect you.” After resigning herself to her fate, she calmly added, “Could you please kill me before…”

Xu Er, excited by the proceedings, conceded, “Since you came out willingly, I’ll grant you this request.”

The little girl nodded, “Then let’s go.”

The old woman clutched her granddaughter’s hand, apologizing, “I’m sorry, Xiao Zhen, I failed to protect you.”

The little girl shook her head, blaming no one but her unfortunate fate, “Grandma, don’t blame yourself. It’s my own forgetfulness that brought these troubles.”

Impatient, Xu Er waved his hand, “Take her away!”

The group escorted the little girl to the village butcher’s house, where Xu Er declared, “I did the most, so I choose first.”

The crowd agreed enthusiastically, allowing him the first pick.

Xu Er pointed arrogantly, “Butcher, fetch the knife.”

The butcher complied readily, “Right away.”

As the villagers around them reveled in their inhumanity, another scene unfolded.

Meanwhile, Chu Qingzhi, carrying buckets and lotus roots, returned to the old woman’s courtyard and set down her load, calling out, “Old lady, old lady…”

Inside the main house, the old woman had hanged herself.

Chu Qingzhi hurriedly cut her down, fortunately just in time to save her last breath.

Surprised, the old woman asked, “You… you came back?”

“I just went out to find you some water and food. What happened?” Chu Qingzhi was puzzled.

Tears streamed down the old woman’s face as she urgently said, “Please, miss, save my granddaughter. The villagers took her to kill her. Hurry, please save her.”

“Alright.” Disgusted by the villagers’ actions, Chu Qingzhi propped the old woman against the wall and dashed out…

At the butcher’s house, as the butcher approached the girl with a knife, licking his lips in anticipation, the knife was suddenly knocked from his hand, and a deep cut was made across Xu Er’s throat.

Feeling the cold slice and seeing his blood, Xu Er’s vision dimmed permanently.

The little girl, who had closed her eyes in resignation, opened them in surprise to see Chu Qingzhi descending like a celestial being, “Fairy sister!”

Chu Qingzhi took the knife in hand, waved it a few times, and all the surrounding villains fell; they were no longer human and better off dead for purifying the air.

Amazed, the little girl watched.

Chu Qingzhi untied the girl, “It’s over now. Your grandmother is waiting for you at home.”

The girl knelt briefly in gratitude before rushing home, crying out, “Grandma, grandma…”

The old woman was still sitting by the doorway, staring blankly out, lost in despair. When she heard her granddaughter’s voice, her expression lit up with a mix of relief and joy, “Xiao Zhen, Xiao Zhen…”

The girl threw herself into her grandmother’s arms, exclaiming, “Grandma, the fairy sister saved me, she killed all the bad people.”

“You’ve met a true benefactor,” the old woman said, patting her granddaughter’s back with trembling hands, overwhelmed with happiness.

Chu Qingzhi entered, bringing in the bag of lotus roots, “Would you like something to eat?”

The girl, surprised and delighted at the sight of the bag, exclaimed, “Is there something inside?”

“Open it and see,” Chu Qingzhi suggested, placing the bag at the doorstep before turning to retrieve the grass bundles from earlier.

She began sorting through the hay, extracting useful herbs she had spotted earlier. With the army camp’s medical supplies depleted by fire, any replenishment was crucial.

As the girl ate the lotus roots, she approached Chu Qingzhi, “Fairy sister, what are you looking for? Can I help?”

Chu Qingzhi continued her work without looking up, “No need, just enjoy your food. I also brought back two buckets of water, why don’t you drink some?”

Eyes wide with astonishment, the girl exclaimed, “Water? Really? There’s water?”

“Yes.”

“You took our bucket to fetch water for us?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I misunderstood you earlier, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I should have explained earlier; then you might not have had to face this ordeal.”

“It’s not your fault, sister. And now you’ve removed a significant threat; I owe you thanks.”

Chu Qingzhi hadn’t expected such understanding, “It’s alright. Go have some water.”

“Okay.”

The girl fetched two bowls, one for her grandmother and one for Chu Qingzhi, “Fairy sister, here.”

“I’ll drink later,” Chu Qingzhi said, setting the bowl aside as she continued working.

The girl went to the water buckets, hugged one, and drank deeply. Since the smallpox outbreak, she hadn’t had a proper drink of water.

The villagers in the refugee village were survivors of the smallpox epidemic, having recovered on their own. Currently, smallpox was primarily spreading through the capital, leaving these less populated areas untouched.