Chapter 124: The Ill-Fated Commandery Princess

Zhou Tian had painstakingly worked hard to bring the capital city to its current state, and naturally, he did not want all his efforts to be wasted because of some scoundrels' actions. At first, he had overlooked their behavior, but now that he was aware of what was happening within the city, he could not simply stand by and do nothing.

The capital had yet to take action, not because it was unwilling to deal with these people, but because their whereabouts remained unknown.

For most, tracking down such individuals would be an arduous task, but for Zhou Tian, it was by no means troublesome.

Having resolved to capture those who were secretly causing trouble in the capital, Zhou Tian purchased a suitable item from his system store.

“A Pathfinder Charm, priced at one hundred spirit energy. Effect: guides the user to any desired location.”

Thinking silently of reaching the hideout of the traffickers, Zhou Tian used a Pathfinder Charm and followed its guidance toward a certain place.

……………………………

At the very moment Zhou Tian set his plan in motion, the two young ladies who had come to the capital to trouble him—Li Xuexin and Lei Yuelin—found themselves in dire straits.

“How much longer until we arrive?!” Lei Yuelin’s heart grew uneasy as she watched the person leading them to a remote location.

“Almost there, almost there,” came the hurried reply from the guide, who inwardly rejoiced at the success of this venture.

Both Li Xuexin and Lei Yuelin were wealthy heiresses, and while they possessed some strength, their experience was lacking. After spending some time at the amusement park, just as they were preparing to leave, someone had told them of a little-known spot in the capital city that was even more enjoyable than the amusement park.

Initially skeptical, they were swayed by people around them who said they had visited that place and found it far more entertaining. Thus, their curiosity was piqued.

Ordinary people would never follow strangers so easily, especially beautiful young women like Li Xuexin and Lei Yuelin. But confident in Lei Yuelin’s strength, they were easily led toward a remote part of the city.

As they ventured deeper into isolated areas, they finally realized they had been deceived—the place was not a fun spot but an empty corner where danger awaited. Only then did Lei Yuelin understand the gravity of their predicament.

“Who are you?” Lei Yuelin immediately stepped in front of Li Xuexin, glaring at their guide and demanding to know his identity.

“Heh, heh~” The man leading them gave a few sinister chuckles, then whistled sharply. Suddenly, dozens of mercenaries emerged from the surroundings.

Seeing this, Lei Yuelin’s expression finally changed.

In truth, while Lei Yuelin was capable of handling dozens of ordinary mercenaries one by one, she lacked real combat experience against so many at once. Her status as an heiress meant she was used to sparring casually but not facing genuine life-or-death battles.

Facing dozens of opponents simultaneously, her nerves got the better of her. Fear clouded her judgment, and without a clear mind, she could not unleash her true power. It was a vicious cycle. When she realized the number of enemies, her face drained of color. Were it not for Li Xuexin needing protection, she might have fled outright.

Li Xuexin, trembling but resolute, glared at the mercenaries and warned, “You’d better let us go, or if my father finds out, none of you will live to see another day!”

“My father?” The mercenaries all froze upon hearing this.

Li Xuexin thought her threat had some effect and was about to press further, but their next reaction crushed her hope.

“Wonderful... We’ve caught a big fish,” one said eagerly. “These beauties alone would fetch a good price, but since she’s a member of the royal family of the Yanhuang Empire, selling her to another empire could make us all rich.”

He quickly shouted to his comrades, “Remember, capture these two alive! If anyone harms them, you’ll have to explain to the boss yourself.”

“Understood.”

“Don’t worry! No one here would dare hurt such pretty girls!”

“…”

“Listen, Xuexin, I’ll hold them off. You need to escape and find that city lord, Zhou Tian, to come save me. He’s the only one who can handle these people.”

“No, I can’t leave you behind, Sister Yuelin.”

“What use are you here?” Lei Yuelin’s eyes burned with determination as she spoke. “With your strength, you can’t face these people. You’d just slow me down. It’s better if you run now. If you bring reinforcements in time, I won’t be in danger.”

“…Alright!” Knowing her limits, Li Xuexin reluctantly agreed to Lei Yuelin’s plan.

“Go quickly!” Seizing a moment, Lei Yuelin struck, using her fighting spirit to instantly kill three mercenaries, creating an opening. She urgently signaled Li Xuexin to escape.

Biting her lip, Li Xuexin did not argue. Taking advantage of the gap, she dashed out.

Unexpectedly, even as Lei Yuelin held off the mercenaries with her strength, Li Xuexin had barely gone far when she was captured and dragged back.

“Ah!” A familiar scream echoed, jolting Lei Yuelin’s heart. She quickly looked toward Li Xuexin’s direction.

To her horror, it was a trap. The enemy had anticipated her escape and laid ambushes in that direction. With Li Xuexin’s shallow skills, she was no match for the mercenaries waiting for her. She was soon bound and dragged back.

“Drop your weapons, or I can’t guarantee I won’t shake and leave scars on that pretty face of yours,” a mercenary threatened, holding a weapon against Li Xuexin’s cheek as he dragged her.

“No!” Though Li Xuexin might not have feared for her life, threatening her delicate beauty struck a nerve. She screamed and fainted.

The mercenary was speechless. He only wanted to scare her but did not expect such a fragile reaction. Had he known, he would not have spoken so boldly. Someone of Li Xuexin’s caliber was far beyond his reach. If anything happened to her, his boss would make him pay dearly.

Despite the unintended effect, Li Xuexin’s scream achieved something unexpected.

Because Lei Yuelin was still fighting other mercenaries, she could only spare limited attention to Li Xuexin. Hearing the scream and seeing Li Xuexin faint, Lei Yuelin feared the worst and was momentarily paralyzed with fear.

By the time she regained composure, she was already subdued by other mercenaries. Resistance was futile.

Thus, the two heiresses who had come to the capital to confront Zhou Tian never even saw their target. Due to a careless mistake, they fell into the hands of human traffickers.