Queen O's Timid Fugitive A - Chapter 15

15

The night was thick and silent over the capital of Southern Liang, broken only by the occasional bark of a dog. The wind swept through the empty streets, deliberately stirring the withered leaves on the blue bricks.

—Bang!

In the foul-smelling slums, a rarely traversed narrow alley suddenly echoed with a noise. A dull, square stone slab was pushed aside, revealing a hole just large enough for a person to pass through. Under the faint moonlight, a deep tunnel could barely be glimpsed, along with an overwhelming stench of rot.

A moment later, a figure clad in a loose, hooded black robe—completely obscuring their form—emerged from the shadows beneath the eaves. After a cautious glance around, they carefully descended the steps, the hilt of a blade strapped diagonally across their back swaying slightly, creating a subtle bulge in the fabric.

A guide, already waiting nearby, spoke in a low voice: “Credentials.”

The flickering candlelight illuminated his face, crisscrossed with hideous knife scars, rendering his original features unrecognizable and terrifying.

The black-robed figure, however, seemed unfazed. Without hesitation, they raised a wooden placard, flashing it briefly before the guide’s eyes.

The guide immediately stepped aside, gesturing inward. “Proceed.”

The placard was tucked back into the robe, clinking faintly against a sapphire ring on the wearer’s finger.

“Kill! Kill! Kill!”

Deafening roars erupted from the frenzied spectators. Who would have thought that beneath the slums—occupying a quarter of Southern Liang’s capital—lay a hollowed-out space resembling a Roman colosseum? Tiered seating rose in steps around a circular arena below.

At the moment, a heavily armored Alpha stood at the edge, gripping a broadsword. Opposite them was a giant lizard covered in black crystal-like scales, its reptilian eyes locked onto its opponent, hissing furiously. Both combatants bore wounds in various places, bl00d seeping out.

As they stood frozen, the crowd grew impatient, hurling curses and demands for bloodshed. The meek and timid by day—those who bowed their heads in fear or spoke with scholarly politeness—now unleashed the darkest, most depraved desires hidden in their hearts.

“What the hell are you waiting for?! Attack!” someone bellowed, hurling a piece of silver at the lizard’s head.

Enraged, the first-tier magical beast slammed its massive claws onto the stone tiles, shattering them instantly.

Seizing the opportunity, the Alpha charged forward, sword raised high.

The spectators erupted into even wilder cheers.

“Throw that man out,” commanded a silver-haired woman in a crimson dress, standing behind a one-way glass window in the highest VIP box, her gaze coldly surveying the spectacle below.

“Yes,” replied the female Alpha standing half a step behind her, back slightly bent in deference.

Before she could even turn to relay the order, black-clad guards stationed around the arena had already rushed forward, dragging the troublemaker away.

The onlookers barely reacted, some even smirking in schadenfreude.

Daring to disrupt the match so blatantly? Who knows if he’ll leave in one piece—but he’ll certainly never set foot here again.

The woman in red turned her attention back to the fight, though her expression remained indifferent, like an adult watching children play with toys.

“During today’s court assembly, the Emperor of Southern Liang ordered Chen Ya to lead fifty thousand troops to the border,” the female Alpha continued her earlier report.

“After the assembly, the Crown Prince visited Chen Ya’s residence. We don’t yet know what was discussed, but it’s said the Crown Prince left in poor spirits.”

“Li Zhile, the young master of the Li family, departed the capital this morning with his merchant convoy.”

At this, Xu Fusheng’s eyebrow twitched, the faint taste of osmanthus lingering on her tongue.

Unaware of her reaction, the female Alpha continued listing intelligence in a low voice. Had any Southern Liang nobles been present, they would have been stunned by the sheer scope of this spy network—every movement in the kingdom laid bare, as if under a microscope.

Without this meticulously prepared advantage, Xu Fusheng would never have dared to “surrender” to Southern Liang with just a hundred men.

—Knock! Knock knock!

“Enter.”

The door opened cautiously, and a male Alpha with downcast eyes stepped inside. He struck his chest with a fist in salute. “My Lady, Supervisor Jin.”

Xu Fusheng didn’t turn, her posture languid and disinterested.

Supervisor Jin took the initiative to ask, “What is it?”

“Word from Box Seven: the Crown Prince went to the Chen residence to recruit Chen Ya, but Chen Ya refused him outright.”

Xu Fusheng smirked. “How stubborn.”

Knowing he’s marching to his death, yet still refusing the Crown Prince’s offer of survival.

“Understood. Dismissed.”

The messenger bowed deeply and retreated, closing the door softly behind him.

Never underestimate an underground, illicit beast-fighting arena. While it appeared to welcome all comers—whether cloaked in anonymity or flaunting their identities—every high-ranking official, noble, or even lowly soldier was meticulously cataloged. No disguise could fool the watchers hidden in plain sight.

Guards stationed every five meters among the general seating maintained order—and surveillance. The seemingly private VIP boxes had thin gaps in their walls, allowing spies to eavesdrop. Newcomers might be wary at first, but under the arena’s frenzied atmosphere, even the most guarded secrets spilled out freely.

“Hmm?” Xu Fusheng’s eyelids lifted slightly, her interest piqued as she watched the arena below.

The magical beast was panting like a broken bellows, its claws barely keeping it upright. The female Alpha, meanwhile, bore three deep gashes across her right shoulder but still gripped her sword firmly. With a final swing, she cleaved the beast’s skull in two.

The once-ferocious monster collapsed, lifeless. The Alpha dug out its magic core to raucous cheers.

Such gore only fueled the crowd’s bloodlust. They hammered the railings, howling like beasts.

The guards made no move to intervene. The rules here were simple: either the combatant killed the beast and took its core, or they died trying. But it was rare for anyone to slay a magical beast barehanded in such a confined space. Out of five daily matches, maybe one ended in victory.

The cheers died abruptly.

Just as the victorious Alpha staggered toward the exit, she collapsed, bl00d pooling beneath her.

A guard emerged, checked her pulse, and shook his head.

The crowd groaned in disappointment.

If both sides perished, the house took all.

“My Lady, the Jiang family sent a letter,” Supervisor Jin said once Xu Fusheng looked away.

“Oh?” The Omega’s lips curled slightly—the first hint of amusement despite her earlier windfall.

Supervisor Jin handed over the letter.

The paper unfolded, its contents illuminated by candlelight. Xu Fusheng’s expression darkened instantly.

“Chen Ya…” she spat, voice icy.

Supervisor Jin tensed, not daring to ask, though fear flickered in her eyes.

Xu Fusheng suppressed her fury, her ruby-like eyes glinting with frost. “Was the Jiang courier seen?”

“No. The Jiang artisan must have instructed caution—the messenger took deserted alleys and only knocked after confirming no one was at the door.”

Xu Fusheng nodded slightly. Three years had passed, but she still remembered those desperate days of flight. Only twice in her life had she been so humiliated—both times at the hands of Southern Liang’s royal family.

Her mood soured further. Instinctively, she reached for the saber usually at her waist, only to grasp empty air. The realization deepened her scowl.

Below, the arena had been cleared. A new combatant entered—another black-robed Alpha, facing a fiercer second-tier beast. Yet the cloaked fighter held their ground, even pressuring the monster.

Distracted, Xu Fusheng glanced down—and froze.

That silhouette…

“Who is that?” she demanded.

Supervisor Jin hesitated, then shook her head. “This person has won dozens of matches. No matter the season, they always wear that heavy cloak and a full-face mask. We’ve cross-referenced every skilled Alpha in Southern Liang—none match.”

“Is that so…” Xu Fusheng didn’t doubt her subordinates’ competence. Still, her gaze lingered on the fighter’s back, a flicker of doubt in her eyes.

Someone she recognized…

A memory surfaced—a slender, tall figure.

Impossible.

Shi Yi never trained in combat. During our escape, she couldn’t even catch a rabbit, surviving on foraged berries. And back then, when she had a blade, she threw it aside and took a fatal strike for me with her own body.

No one could feign that kind of sacrifice in a life-or-death moment.