The waiter turned towards the ten men. "If you want to enter Slaughter City, dispose of the girl."

What none of them knew, was Ru Shenqi's age. Her cloak successfully covered her, making it seem like she was just a really short adult. But then, she stood and removed the cloak. Everyone in the tavern gasped.

"She's just a little girl? That Death God sent a little girl here to challenge us?!"

"Xiao guniang¹小姑娘 - literally translated to "Little Girl", how old are you?" the waiter asked.

"I'm seven," she responded.

The waiter's jaw dropped. He thought, How can that Death God bring a child here? She'll surely be killed before ever entering Slaughter City, let alone survive in Slaughter City.

The other men were thinking the same thing, which was their mistake. Suddenly, Ru Shenqi's eyes flashed, becoming transparent. A vivid lucent glow shot from her eyes, momentarily blinding the entire tavern. As the light faded, everyone's jaws dropped when they saw her three black spirit rings.

"I might be seven," she taunted. "But I am a thirty seventh ranked Spirit Elder. Spirit rings cannot lie."

For a moment, there was silence as all those present gawked at her. The waiter, realizing what Hu Liena meant, was the first to shake himself of his reverie.

"Did the Death God explain to you about Slaughter City?"

Ru Shenqi shrugged. "On the way here, she said that I was going to a special place to train. She mentioned that she had trained there as well. I was told it would be very different from my previous training, and that I'd have to get used to killing people. That's about it."

The waiter shook his head in amazement. "Slaughter City Arena is a dangerous place, xiao guniang, in order to leave, you have to pass through the Hell Road. To get to Hell Road, you have to win one hundred successive wins in their fighting arena. To win, you have to kill ten people in a round. This may sound easy, but it's very difficult to do. In all of Slaughter City's history, only ten people have successfully walked the Hell Road."

She gulped. Why did Mentor send me here?

"But can't I use my spirit skills?"

"They're ineffective in Slaughter City. You can only rely on your own strength."

Does Mentor know my background? Does she know who I am? Is that why she brought me here?

Ru Shenqi shivered once. But then, she steeled herself.

Looking straight at the waiter, she asked, "Can I enter Slaughter City now?"

He bit his lip but nodded. Going over behind the counter, he fiddled with something. Then, a surge of power shot up. Bright red light flooded the tavern. The entrance to Slaughter City had been opened.

"This way, xiao guniang. Good luck."

She walked over to him and looked down into the red pit. Pointing to it, she asked, "Down there?"

He nodded. She took a deep breath and jumped down. After several meters, her feet his solid ground. Thanks to her enhanced night vision, she could make out that she was in a tunnel of sorts. Deciding to follow it, Ru Shenqi began to walk forward. After she had walked a while, a chilly voice made her stop.

"Welcome to Slaughter City. This is the capital of Hell, a world brimming with slaughter. Here you can obtain everything you want, at the price of your life."

She shivered again but kept walking. When she finally emerged from the tunnel, she saw one hundred men. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Beyond them, was a black city. Every building was obsidian. High above in the dark sky was a shining purple moon.

One of the men stepped forward. "If you can defeat me, you can pass into Slaughter City."

The man appeared to be a knight, clad in metal armor. He raised a large sword and charged at her. Ru Shenqi remembered the waiter's warning. Your spirit skills won't work in Slaughter City, so don't bother trying to use them.

So instead, she employed her street smarts and outmaneuvered the large knight. Finding a pebble on the ground, she picked it up and flicked it at his head, using her spirit power to enhance the pressure of it. The pebble hit the knight temple, right where his helmet wasn't protecting him. It caved in the side of his head, instantly killing him. He collapsed, and she turned to see if any of the other men made a move. One other knight approached, she got on guard, but instead, he held out a black tile.

"Use this to enter Slaughter Arena. It's your identification tile. There will be someone to greet you at the front gates."

Then, the knight stepped off to the side, letting her pass. Ru Shenqi strode forward, and the other ninety eight knights parted for her. She made her way towards Slaughter City.

<><><>

As she came upon the black wrought iron gates, she looked down at the tile in her hand. The number 5423 was etched onto it. Two guards stood eerily still at the gates. Before she could speak, a gentle voice rang out.

"Welcome to Slaughter City, young one."

In front of her stood a young woman with soft features and onyx black eyes. Her chocolate brown hair was tied up into a bun. The woman smiled at her, and turned. Ru Shenqi followed her into the black city.

"I'm your guide. You can ask me about anything you don't understand. Within a full day and night, all of your questions shall be answered. Once a full day and night has come and gone, you'll officially become a Slaughter City citizen and live here in the Outer City."

"Outer City?"

"The Outer City is more governed. There's no senseless killings allowed here. To maintain your citizenship, though, you must donate two cups of Bloody Mary a month."

"What about there?" Ru Shenqi pointed in front of them.

"That's the Inner City. It's more lawless, and any kind of behavior is allowed there. In order to live in the Inner City, you must compete and survive in the Slaughter City Arena. Do you know the rules of Slaughter City Arena?"

Ru Shenqi remembered the waiter having briefly mentioned it and nodded.

"Good. Are you thinking of registering?"

She nodded again.

"Okay, but I must warn you, young one. Slaughter City Arena is for the depraved and the not-so faint of heart. Each person is required to enter Slaughter City Arena once a year. If they can survive one fight, they'll get to live another year in Slaughter City."

Ru Shenqi didn't need to ask about the other option. She knew what it was.

The guide led her towards the center of the city. "The Slaughter King controls everything here. He commands the enforcement teams and makes sure that the Captain, who's a Titled Douluo with use of his spirit skills, controls the city."

Ru Shenqi gave an involuntary shiver. Soon, they came upon the imposing black arena. The guide waved her arm grandly towards it.

"This, young one, is Slaughter City Arena."