Chapter 11: A Border Town’s Grime and a Splash of Defiance

Xiluo’er belatedly realized that the figures appearing at the restaurant’s entrance were clearly not cultists, but rather hooligans looking for trouble. Their thuggish attire made this abundantly clear.

‘Well, there was nothing to be done about it,’ she mused. Cana City, a border town, was inherently a melting pot of good and bad, always possessing corners beyond the reach of law enforcement. Over time, these neglected areas invariably festered with intractable grime.

“Hello, sirs… are you here for a meal?”

‘No, clearly not,’ Xiluo’er thought.

The same server who had just attended to Xiluo’er approached them, her voice trembling slightly. Though she knew at a glance these men weren’t there to dine, what could she do? She was merely a server, after all.

Among the hooligans, the man at the forefront didn’t speak immediately. Instead, his gaze swept over the server from head to toe, a scrutiny that made her skin crawl.

“No, we just want to speak with your boss about some matters.”

Xiluo’er knew well. The “matters” the man spoke of most likely referred to collecting protection money.

“Forgive, forgive me, the boss isn’t here. He… went out to get supplies today.”

Though she desperately wished to avoid provoking the man, the server could only tell the truth.

“Hm?”

The leader’s eyes immediately darkened, and the atmosphere in the restaurant plummeted to a freezing point.

Xiluo’er quietly lifted her head, scanning the restaurant. It was currently mealtime, and the dining area was far from empty, yet everyone was engrossed in their food, with no one showing any inclination to stand up and intervene.

Indeed, what sane person would invite such trouble upon themselves without reason? It was only human nature.

Xiluo’er lowered her head, silently resuming her meal of grilled fish. It wasn’t that she didn’t wish to act heroically; it was simply that in this situation, she would be utterly useless.

Could a teenage girl stop a group of burly hooligans?

Clearly not.

Of course, if Xiluo’er truly wished, these few hooligans wouldn’t last more than a few rounds against her. However, she naturally couldn’t expose her true strength in front of others. If she were to cut down these hooligans in the restaurant today, her exposed identity would lead to Eve cutting her down in turn.

‘No matter,’ she thought. ‘Once Eve returns, these hooligans will simply become experience points.’

Xiluo’er brought a piece of fish from her fork to her mouth, savoring it slowly.

‘Ugh, so many bones…’

“So you’re saying your boss isn’t here?” another hooligan from the group sneered.

“No choice then. We’ll just have to reluctantly wait here for a bit.”

“After all, the matters we need to discuss with your boss are quite important.”

“But, but…” The server lowered her head, not daring to meet the hooligan’s gaze. “Sir, this is a restaurant. We still need to conduct our business…”

The hooligan deliberately raised his voice. “What? Are you trying to kick us out?”

“No, no! Forgive me, sir, I didn’t mean that.”

Xiluo’er frowned. Such hooligans, who only dared to bully the weak, instinctively repulsed her.

“Well, hello there, lovely lady. Dining alone, are we?”

Suddenly, a man pulled out a chair and sat down opposite Xiluo’er, in what had been Eve’s seat.

Xiluo’er, who had been painstakingly picking out fish bones, paused her movements and looked up. The man before her sported a long, bushy beard, and a distinct saber scar marred his left cheek. He was none other than the leader of the hooligans she had observed earlier.

“Can I help you?”

Xiluo’er raised an eyebrow.

While she had no desire to act here and reveal her abilities, that didn’t mean she would show any pleasantries to these obnoxious hooligans.

“Heh heh, you heard us, didn’t you? We’re waiting for someone here at the shop.”

“Since we’re just idling anyway, lovely lady, would you be interested in a little chat with me?”

Only then did Xiluo’er realize she was being hit on. After glancing down at her dress, she resisted the urge to slap herself on the forehead.

‘To think I’d actually be hit on one day!’ she mused.

She had to admit, Eve had excellent taste. This playful and adorable black dress suited Xiluo’er perfectly.

“Your pickup lines are terrible,” Xiluo’er said, rolling her eyes. She had no intention of being civil with the man before her.

“Heh heh, don’t say that. Eating alone can be quite boring, can’t it?”

The man wasn’t angered by Xiluo’er’s attitude. Instead, he let out a vulgar whistle.

Xiluo’er’s hand silently tightened around her fork. She longed to add another gash to the right side of his face with the utensil, just to make his features a bit more symmetrical.

“Please, please don’t do that, sir!”

At that moment, the server’s startled cry reached Xiluo’er’s ears. She instinctively looked up, just in time to see the same server being cornered by a hooligan.

“Hm?”

The man also noticed the situation in the corner. He deliberately jutted his chin towards it, then spoke again. “So, miss, are you interested in a chat now?”

‘Damn it.’

Xiluo’er felt herself losing patience.

“Sorry, no interest,” Xiluo’er said, standing up with a cold expression. “Do you know who I am?”

However, given Xiluo’er’s stature, standing up from a seated position hardly conveyed any intimidation. Consequently, the man, who hadn’t taken her seriously to begin with, burst into laughter.

“Heh, little girl, do you know who *I* am? Trying to intimidate me with your status? ‘Scarred’ Red doesn’t fall for that trick.”

Xiluo’er maintained her cold expression. “So, you’re saying you don’t know who I am, then?”

The man waved a dismissive hand. “No idea.”

‘No idea, huh? Excellent…’

A glint of cold light flashed in Xiluo’er’s eyes. With lightning speed, she raised her hand high… then snatched a glass of cold water from the table and splashed it straight into Scarred Red’s face.

Without a second’s hesitation, Xiluo’er spun around and bolted towards the restaurant’s entrance!

‘What an idiot,’ she thought. ‘Who still acts all arrogant and announces their name before a fight these days? Do you think this is some kind of *Dragon King* novel? Waiting for them to come seeking revenge based on your personal information after you’ve beaten them up? You said you don’t know me, right? Good, because I’m just going to splash you and run!’

Red clearly hadn’t anticipated Xiluo’er’s move, and the expression on his face instantly froze. This action also drew the attention of everyone else in the restaurant; all eyes turned towards them.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the hooligan who had been about to lay hands on the server in the corner was also distracted. Xiluo’er sighed faintly to herself.

‘Alright, this is it then,’ she thought. ‘At least for now, this is all I can do.’

****