Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 167: The Little Angel

Chu Tianyu felt a stir in his heart and followed the sound.
“Gah gah, guys, the boss is totally right—she’s really an angel, haha…” A burly man with a broad nose and a fierce look was saying this to his accomplices, his face twisted in an exaggerated grin.
As soon as he finished speaking, the others around him burst into arrogant laughter.
“Haha, boss, do you really think the boss wants this little girl? Are you kidding? Look at her—skin and bones! Do we really need to get our hands dirty for her? Seriously?”
“Yeah, damn it! It’s just some street kid. Do we really need to use one of Prince Hart’s elite pure-bloods for this? Is Manager Philie crazy?”
“Stop talking and get to work! Why dress up as these scumbags today? It makes me feel sick. I’m going to take a bath for three days when I get back!”
In response to their complaints, the man who spoke first waved his hand and growled, “Enough! Hurry up and do your job. Didn’t the boss say we’re not dealing with this little girl here—we’re here to protect her from other vampires. Understand? We must escort her safely to the castle. The boss is already getting impatient for her blood!”
“Hey, boss, should this count as my merit? I was the one who suggested starting the search at the subway station!” said one of the green-haired thugs.
“Alright, I get it. It was hard enough to get the news that she came to Paris. We actually found her, so guys, stay focused and do this well!”
As they talked, they looked at the girl they were referring to—she was wearing a gray dress with an open neckline, revealing a white shirt underneath, though it now appeared almost gray in color. She seemed to be about thirteen or fourteen years old, petite in build, and indeed, as those thugs had said, frail. Her pale face had a sickly grayish tint, as if from chronic malnutrition, giving her the impression of a truly pitiful homeless girl.
Yet, this seemingly frail andpitiful little girl showed not the slightest sign of fear or panic toward the thugs surrounding her, unlike an ordinary girl.

On the contrary. She appeared solemn; after saying those words that snapped Chu Tianyu out of his thoughts, she turned and knelt in front of an old vagrant curled on the ground—dirtier and more pitiful than her. She first checked the old man’s condition. Apparently, years of hunger had already damaged his bodily functions, and now he had a high fever that left him trembling violently; he was clearly on the verge of death.

The girl showed no hesitation. She lifted the old man’s tattered blanket and took his wrist in her hand. Then, skillfully raising her finger, she created a blade of energy about an inch long, which she used to cut simultaneously across her own wrist and the old man’s, quickly pressing their wounds together.

In a short while, the girl’s face turned even paler, but the unconscious old man on the ground gradually regained a rosy complexion, his breathing became more regular, and the high fever subsided quickly. Though he still wasn’t conscious, his expression became much calmer.

But just then, a shadow appeared. It grabbed the girl, pulled her back mercilessly, and flung her to the ground with a thud. The shadow then stepped on the old man as well, causing him intense pain—even in his unconscious state, he showed signs of agony…

The girl didn’t even make a sound. Her injured wrist had already begun to heal miraculously as it was forced apart. By the time she landed, aside from some residual blood, there was no sign of injury or scar.

Clearly, the sight of the blood made the vampire gang members around them instinctively lick their lips, their eyes gleaming with greed as they stared at the fresh blood on the girl’s arm.

“I’ll come with you. Please release this old man! I beg you!” the girl said calmly, ignoring her own pain. Yet beneath her calm demeanor lay a deep sense of compassion that moved anyone who saw it.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t dealing with humans, and she seemed to be fully aware of this. So she didn’t expect them to spare her—only to let go of the innocent old vagrant before her.

“Ahh~~~” A scream of agony rang out amidst the little girl’s pleas. The shadow that pulled her away was none other than the leader of those thugs. He was slowly lifting the foot covered in the old man’s blood and brain matter, a cruel smile playing on his lips. Taking a few steps forward, he turned his grotesque face toward the girl and said, “I’m sorry. I heard your request, but my name is ‘Cruelty.’ Hahaha…”

As he laughed maniacally, his accomplices joined in with smug grins.

Faced with this scene, the girl, who had always appeared calm and strong, finally had two tears well up in her eyes. Yet it wasn’t out of worry for her own fate or fear of the thugs’ brutality—she was saddened by the homeless old man she had just healed, who now lost his life needlessly because of her!

“Enough!” A fierce shout rang out, and Chu Tianyu appeared around the corner.

That single cry startled the arrogant thugs, and the grieving girl also turned quickly. She saw an ordinary-looking Eastern man approaching, his face filled with anger—she knew more innocent people were about to suffer.

In the girl’s mind, this brave hero had no chance of escaping, just like the other homeless old man. Those cruel vampires would show no mercy. To keep their whereabouts secret and erase any traces of her presence here, they would kill even the unconscious vagabond she had saved without hesitation—let alone this ordinary witness!

As the vampires prepared to act upon seeing a stranger arrive, she endured the pain from her recent fall, stood up, and spread her arms in front of Chu Tianyu, her expression resolute. As if her small frame could serve as a mighty barrier against those villains, she shouted at them, “Please, stop harming the weak!!!”

“The weak?” Chu Tianyu was stunned. He thought to himself that ever since he came to Europe, he had “long stopped being weak”! On the contrary, he had done plenty of killing and robbing. So when he heard the girl’s words, he was momentarily stunned and didn’t know how to react.

Just now, at the corner, Chu Tianyu never expected those vampires to be so cruel—killing the still-conscious old man without any warning, leaving him no time to save him. So when they prepared to attack the little girl again, he naturally stepped forward without hesitation.

“Gaha, maybe God will hear your request, but I heard he’s on holiday today, so he can’t come, haha!” the leader of the thugs laughed maniacally.

“Oriental, boss, this one’s much cleaner. Let me give her her first embrace!” A guy with a silver ring in his nose stared at Chu Tianyu with a greedy gaze.

“Hari, that won’t do. The Russian girl last time was taken care of by you—do you want to take her too?” another companion objected.

“Damn it, I…”

Before they could finish speaking, the little girl let out a soft cry. She swung her arms open, conjuring two energy blades on her index fingers each, preparing to fight against the vampires. Unfortunately, despite her efforts, the blades didn’t last more than a few seconds before retracting. Having used all her strength, her pale face turned red, and sweat appeared on her forehead, yet the blades failed to reappear.

The leader, seeing the little girl’s futile struggles, turned away and stopped his men’s argument. “Enough, stop arguing. We need to get to business. Hari, take care of that Oriental. Turen, Akobu, escort this cute and kind lady away. Remember, she’s someone the prince wants—be gentle!”

As soon as the leader spoke, the little girl, having exhausted all her strength from saving the old man, could only accept this reality of survival of the fittest with helplessness and sorrow. Heartbroken, she turned to thank the kind stranger, but found no one there. At the same time, a pig-like scream reached her ears.

Turning around abruptly, she saw the Oriental man suddenly appearing in front of the vampires. He was pulling the guy with the silver ring in his nose, twisting the ring violently while delivering a knee strike infused with true energy. The boy’s bones shattered instantly, and he collapsed to the ground, uncontrolled. Yet the silver ring still attached to a piece of flesh remained in Chu Tianyu’s hand…