Lin Shufen was grateful for the chance to stretch her legs, she had been cooped up in a tiny carriage for the greater part of the day. The ride wouldn’t have been so exhausting if it wasn’t for the presence of that insufferable idiot Zhang Jie and his fat sycophant. 

 

“Where are we?” She exited the carriage with shaking legs. The only thing keeping her standing was Zhang Jie’s rough grip on her arm. 

“Tavern,” he answered, grinning from ear to ear. Lin Shufen ignored Zhang Jie and glanced around, trying to get a clearer picture as to just where they might be.

 

The land around the tavern was devoid of any characteristics save a few withered trees and boulders. In the wilderness, such establishments of comfort were few and far between. Merchants and travelers could often be found within, relaxing from a long day's journey. The only thing of note was a forest a mile or so away. If she could somehow escape from Zhang Jie then hiding there wouldn’t be out of the question. 

 

This particular tavern had two floors, it could also double as an inn. A chill ran down Lin Shufen’s spine. Zhang Jie always fronted himself as a gentleman but perhaps he intended to. . . violate her in this very tavern. 

“Don’t be scared, sweetie. Lord Zhang is always gentle with his girlies.” The man with a bulging stomach jeered while unhitching the horses from the carriage.

 

Lin Shufen stopped dead in her tracks, her face contorting in fear but she quickly wiped all signs of it. The bastard’s head would only get bigger if he found out she was afraid. Zhang Jie nearly crushed her arm dragging her to the tavern. 

 

As she was being dragged, she noticed the horses hitched outside the tavern. She hoped against odds some of them would belong to sober soldiers of the local magistrate or a benevolent hero willing to lend her a hand. 

“Behave. If you so much as wink at someone, I swear to god, I’ll kick your teeth in and make you eat them.” Zhang Jie snarled, right before he opened and ushered her through the door

 

Lin Shufen believed him wholeheartedly. There were rumors floating around that Zhang Jie was the illegitimate bastard of the Zhang clan's head. At the mere mention of the word bastard, he would fly into a rage that not even his father could stop. Plenty of arrogant young masters had suffered from thoughtlessly provoking him.

 

Her hopes were dashed when they entered the inn. The majority of the occupants seemed like traveling merchants and their hapless servants. None of them could be expected to stand for her against a wealthy young master like Zhang Jie. 

 

A young, pretty barmaid approached them at the door. “I’m sorry, milord, but we don’t have any open tables right now. As you can see, we’re packed to the brim,” she said.

“No matter, a table will open up soon enough,” he said, winking at the barmaid and walking up to a table with a gloomy young man in black eating lunch. 

 

“Name your price, plebeian,” Zhang Jie said, stretching out the last word as if to inform the man in black about his background.

 

“I’m sorry?” The man in black asked. 

 

“I want your table. And I’m willing to pay you for it.” Zhang Jie stretched out each syllable this time, as if talking to a retard. 

 

“No.”

 

“What? Pardon, but I don’t think I caught that. What did you say?”

 

“I said no, idiot.”

 

“Your eyes or your tongue?” Zhang Jie asked, his hand on the sword by his waist. 

 

“What the hell are you talking about, idiot?” the gloomy man said, eyeing his spear laying across the tabletop.

 

“Do you want me to gouge your eyes out of your sorry skull because you failed to see the status of the man in front of you? Or rip out that filthy tongue of yours for your insolent words? Your choice, you insignificant piece of shit.” 

 

“No matter how many insects like you I squash, there’s always more to take their place.” 

 

The man grabbed his spear and twirled it over his head before using it to smash the table in half. All conversation in the tavern ceased at once. Unexpectedly, the occupants actually seemed to enjoy the disruption, and watched with animated gazes as if it was a play.  

 

Zhang Jie drew his sword and assumed a low ready stance. Likewise the spearman assumed a stance. The second they both lunged at each other, Lin Shufen made a break for it. 

 

“Shit! Get back here, you insolent wretch!” Zhang Jie let loose a string of curses but was too busy fending off lunges from the spearman to chase her down. She burst through the door and ran straight for the horses. She tugged at the rope that tied them to the hitching rails. 

 

“What the hell?” The fat man cursed, seeing her burst through the door. He immediately dashed towards her.  

 

Lin Shufen cursed whoever tied the ropes, there was no undoing them before that fat tub of lard caught her.  She abandoned the horses and sprinted towards the forest in the distance.

 

“Wait! Stop running!”

 

Ignoring the shouts, Lin Shufen continued to run as fast as she could. None of his demands got through to her. She would even run to the ends of the Earth if it meant getting away from those two. 

 

Lin Shufen’s legs nearly gave out within half a mile to the forest, her heart lurched but when she looked back, she found the fat man doing no better. And so they both continued to run in such a manner all the way to the forest. 

 

 "Stop! I said wait, you little bitch! I just want to talk!" 

 

“Leave me alone! Stay away from me!” 

 

"Don't think you can run forever! Your family is already gone! Why don't you let me do you a favor and send you to meet them!"

 

Lin Shufen nearly froze. His words were likely false, meant to make her falter, yet they still cut deep. 

 

Springing from the undergrowth a feral fox leaped past her and barrelled into the man. The gods had not abandoned her, perhaps there really was some form of karma in the world. She could hear his shrieks. Whatever the fox was doing, she prayed that it would keep doing it.And then his shrieks stopped. She stopped for a moment, catching her breath. 

“Is- is h- he dead?” She muttered in between haggard panting. 

 

She started running again, there was no telling when Zhang Jie would finish his battle and come looking for her. As she was running, she saw the fox from before chasing after her from the corner of her eye. It bolted past her and skidded to a halt. 

 

"Wait! Would you like to take a minute to learn about our lord and savior, Yod?"