Chapter 118: Voiceless

Something inside Ru Yi gave way as Lieyin’s arms wrapped tighter around her. The stillness she had forced onto herself shattered, and her hands clenched weakly into Lieyin’s clothing as her breath broke unevenly.

"I’m here," Lieyin said quietly, her voice low and trembling.

One hand came up to cradle the back of Ru Yi’s head, pressing her gently against her shoulder. "You’re fine. It’s over."

Ru Yi shook her, though she couldn’t form the words. Her body trembled despite her efforts to remain steady, the tears she’d held back now falling freely.

Outside, the camp had erupted.

Voices overlapped, sharp and confused. The sound of weapons being drawn cut through the noise.

Yexue was already standing near the wagon, her sword half drawn, her expression colder than it had ever been. The noise had woken them up, but one glance at the man told them all they needed to know.

Qingyie stood just ahead of her, one arm extended—not to stop her completely, but to keep her from moving too soon.

"Stay focused," Qingyue said under her breath. "Not yet."

Yexue’s jaw tightened, her gaze fixed on the man writhing on the ground, clutching his bleeding arm. The severed hand lay a short distance away, forgotten in the chaos.

"I should’ve been there," Yexue said, voice low and strained. "I don’t know why I let her stay with them."

"You couldn’t have known," Qingyue replied.

Yexue’s grip tightened on her sword, she couldn’t even bear to look at Ru Yi. She said nothing after that, but the guilt did not leave her expression.

By then, the rest of the traders had gathered, some of them still rubbing sleep from their eyes. Some stood back uncertain of what was happening, others looked between the injured man and the wagon with poorly hidden irritation.

The injured man was already pale from loss of blood, calling onto the others for help but no one moved.

Gao Ren pushed through them, his expression dark as he took in the scene. "What happened?" he demanded, his gaze snapping towards Qingyue. "Why did you attack my man?"

Qingyue did not move. "Your man attacked our sister first." The words landed clearly, without hesitation.

Gao Ren frowned, not in shock but from annoyance. "And?"

The single word hung in the air, heavy with something ugly.

Yexue’s grip tightened further.

Qingyue’s expression did not change. "You allowed this?"

Gao Ren let out a short breath, shaking his head as if they were the unreasonable ones. "They’re women," he said simply. "What did you expect?"

The words were said so casually, so matter-of-fact, that for a moment everyone was too stunned to respond.

"They’re there for a reason," he continued, gesturing vaguely toward the wagon. "Cooking, cleaning...and keeping the men satisfied. That’s how it works."

Understanding came all at once to the triplets. The silence of the women, the way they never spoke, never looked up, never resisted. It had never been a choice.

Qingyue’s gaze hardened. "That’s not what you said they were."

Gao Ren shrugged. "I didn’t think it was your business."

"What are they?" Qingyue asked, her voice growing colder with immense dislike for the smug man standing in front of her.

Gao Ren’s expression sharpened slightly. "I just told you...it’s none of your concern."

That was enough.

Yexue moved before anyone could stop her.

In a single step, she crossed the distance to the wagon, her hand reaching out and grabbing one of the women by the arm.

The woman startled violently, a muffled sound forcing its way through the veil as Yexue pulled her forward.

"Wait!" Qingyue started, but it was too late.

Yexue tore the veil away.

The woman screamed— or tried to. A sound came out all wrong. It wasn’t a scream, not even a voice.

A broken, choking gurgle.

The woman’s mouth opened, trembling. But where her tongue should have been...there was nothing.

Realization hit all at once. Everyone fell silent, even the wind seemed to go still.

Yexue froze, her hand still gripping the torn veil. Her expression shifted from fury to something far colder. Something far more dangerous.

Behind her, Qingyue’s face went still.

The woman’s shoulders shook as she tried and failed to form words that no longer existed within her. Her eyes darted wildly, not meeting anyone’s gaze for more than a second before dropping again in instinctive submission.

Yexue released her slowly.

Not out of gentleness, but because her hands had gone rigid.

The woman stumbled back immediately, clutching at the torn edge of her veil, her body folding inward as if trying to disappear. The other women in the wagon recoiled as well, shrinking into themselves. Their silence now unmistakably forced rather than chosen.

Yexue turned to Gao Ren. "What," she asked, her voice low and trembling with anger, "did you do to them?"

Gao Ren did not flinch.

If anything, his expression hardened, irritation replacing whatever unease had briefly surfaced among the others. "You’re overreacting. They’re still useful, aren’t they?"

The words landed like a blow.

Behind him, a few of the traders shifted uncomfortably, not one of them spoke. None of them stepped forward or denied it.

That silence was answer enough.

Qingyue placed herself slightly ahead of Yexue. Not to shield Gao Ren, but to control what came next.

"You mutilated them," she said. "You took away their ability to speak."

Gao Ren scoffed. "We made sure they wouldn’t cause trouble. It’s necessary in this line of business."

Qingyue could feel disgust crawl all over her skin. "Business? You’re trading this women?"

"I make sure they eat, they’re protected, and they serve their purpose," Gao Ren replied. "That’s more than most get."

Yexue let out a short breath that almost sounded like a laugh, though there was no humor in it. "You want them to be grateful to you for treating them like animals?"

"Jugding by the looks of you I can tell that you don’t earn much," Gao Ren continued. "Let your sister join the trade and I’ll make you and your brothers rich."

Before anyone could react—

A sharp sound came first. The clean whisper of steel leaving its sheath. So soft it almost disappeared beneath the cracking of the fire.

Qingyue stepped forward once. Her blade flashed in half of a second—

Gao Ren’s body remained standing for half a heartbeat longer, confusion frozen on his face. Then a thin red line appeared across his throat.