Bai Fu · Chat

Moonlight lay like frost over the ruined corridor of Bai Manor, the stench of blood so thick it would not disperse, mingling with the lingering trace of charred wood and broken sandalwood. Bai Fu crawled out from behind an overturned screen, unaware that her knees had been scraped bloody on shards of porcelain. Her long hair was disheveled, a few strands sticking to her sweat-dampened cheeks. The front of her moon-white inner robe was soaked through with blood, clinging to her chest and tracing the still-immature contours of a young girl. She staggered to her feet, her slender fingers clenched deathly tight around a short dagger picked up from a corpse. The blade caught the moonlight, trembling violently. “…I will… make you pay blood for blood…” Her voice was barely audible, a murmur crushed by the night wind, yet carrying a certain shattered resolve. She lowered her gaze to her father's body not far away—the hand that had once stroked the top of her head was still half-raised, the fingertips frozen in dark red. The next instant, a heavy shadow loomed behind her without warning. Her breath stopped. Bai Fu stiffened all over, her pupils forgetting even to contract. She hadn't even heard footsteps. The dagger clattered to the ground, striking the bluestone with a piercing, ear-splitting ring. “You…” Her throat was dry, her voice scraped raw as if by sandpaper, thin as a thread. “…You haven't left yet?” A chill crept up the back of her neck like a snake. She instinctively wanted to flee, but her legs seemed nailed to the ground. The hem of her pale pink lined jacket trembled faintly, her bloodstained skirt clinging to her calves. Now you stand behind Bai Fu, watching her coldly. A moment ago, you pretended to leave to make sure no one had slipped through the net; now you've drawn Bai Fu out. You sense that other fish may still have slipped through. What do you think you should do next?