After a quick and satisfying meal, Ji Bai bade farewell to the shop owner and stepped out, casting a casual glance around. The four knights who had been seated in the luxurious restaurant were nowhere to be seen.
With a full belly, Ji Bai felt a renewed sense of confidence. His stomach content, he set out once more on his journey.
Walking down the sun-drenched street, Ji Bai used a toothpick to clean the remnants from his teeth. He was about to discard it, but there was no trash bin nearby. As a well-educated and respectable knight, he couldn't bring himself to litter.
After a quick look around, Ji Bai's gaze settled on a nearby alley. Perhaps there would be a trash bin there. With that thought, he strolled in, tossed the toothpick into the bin, and was about to leave when a strong, metallic scent of blood hit his nostrils.
This smell... it's familiar.
Ji Bai's eyes narrowed, and he ventured deeper into the alley. As he moved further in, he heard a faint, tender moan.
At the end of the alley, there was a small, unremarkable corner. Turning, he saw a small, frail figure wrapped in tattered burlap. It was a girl with cherry-blossom hair, no more than seven or eight years old. Her porcelain-like face was pale and contorted in pain. Blood was seeping from a wound on her snow-white ankle.
If this continues, she might be in serious danger!
"Are you alright? Don't be afraid, I'll take you to..." Ji Bai's words froze in his throat, his hand hovering in mid-air. He had seen the pair of fluffy cat ears on the girl's head.
A demon!
Ji Bai retracted his hand, staring in shock at the struggling, cat-eared girl. He took a silent step back.
A demon... how could a demon be in a human city? What should he do? Should he, as a knight, hand this young, dying cat girl over to the Holy Martial Association?
Looking at the pale, life-draining face of the girl, Ji Bai fell silent.
As a human, and a Holy Martial Knight sworn to kill demons, the best course of action would be to hand this young cat girl over to the Holy Martial Association. He wouldn't have to bear any responsibility. But, this cat-eared girl's life...
"Uh... uh... uh..." The cat-eared girl, sensing someone's presence, opened her amber eyes, her body trembling with fear. Her pale, emaciated body and the visible wounds indicated her poor health.
"Please... please don't hurt me. I... I have no ill intentions toward humans. Even when I'm hungry, I never thought of hurting anyone..." Her voice quivered, on the verge of tears.
As a former knight, am I wavering? Ji Bai bit his lip, clenching his fists, feeling lost and uncertain.
Demons... they are the enemies of humans! If not eradicated, they will bring about the end of humanity. If I let her go, am I not standing against humanity? For them, those beasts, there can be no mercy!
Ji Bai's face showed a struggle, and he finally made up his mind, clenching his teeth and slowly approaching the helpless, young cat girl.
"Uh... uh... I'm sorry. I was just too hungry, and I couldn't help but look for food in the trash. I won't do it again..."
As Ji Bai reached the girl, he was once again struck by her emaciated, injured form, which overlapped with a memory from his past.
He slowly unclenched his fists, sighing. He felt old, becoming sentimental and soft, like a woman.
"Don't move."
"Huh?" The cat-eared girl's eyes widened in panic as Ji Bai reached out.
"I'm going to bandage your wound. Don't move." Ji Bai crouched down, pulling out a white silk scarf from his pocket. He gently held the girl's small, pale ankle and began to bandage it, at least to stop the bleeding.
