Foreword Preface

  Summer night, thunder rumbling, heavy rain pouring down, tree branches wildly swaying in the storm, bearing the brunt of the wind and rain's ferocity with a fierce stance.

  In the desolate mountain and cold house, the lamp light was dim yellow. A small figure huddled at the foot of the wall, shaking shoulders and knees while sitting, thunder suddenly rang out, she shook even more violently, a delicate and small face hidden under disheveled hair, dirty clothes wrapped around a frail body.

  A dark shadow blocked the light, standing in front of the girl, like a mountain, bringing an overwhelming sense of oppression. "Get up and continue practicing!" It was a fierce roar, followed by a long whip lashing across her body.

  With a "pop" sound, his clothes ripped open, revealing a gash of torn flesh.

  Excruciating pain, the girl clenched her teeth and forced back the hot tears that welled up in her eyes. She picked up the sword at her feet and slowly stood up, but because the sword was too heavy, she had to exert great effort to lift it, causing her body to sway slightly. The sword was very large, suitable for an adult's use, and looked out of place in the hands of a seven-year-old child.

  "Stand up straight, raise your sword high, and thrust!" The scar-faced man bellowed, his large hand grasping the rabbit tied to the beam with a rope. With a forceful swing, the little rabbit instantly swung like a "swing".

  This scar-faced man was notorious for his ruthlessness, a trainer of bounty hunters under the banner of the underworld boss. And here, it was one of the many strongholds of the bounty killers, at this moment, there were only two people in the house, one hunter and one master, each with their own strengths after leaving the master's tutelage.

  Moreover, the hunters trained by this underworld gang are different from other bounty hunters. They only take on tasks that involve killing and looting, and they are all involved in some kind of evil deeds. In private, they are even more evil, causing extreme public outrage!

  The girl gripped the hilt of the sword with difficulty, gazing at the innocent little rabbit in front of her. Her heart ached unbearably, she gritted her teeth and stifled a sob, striking heavily again and again. Warm blood spurted out, splashing all over her body and face. With each strike, she was met with a lash of painful whipping.

  She didn't know how many more white rabbits she had to kill before it was all over, nor did she know what the point of this endless practice was!

  The door of the house was kicked open by someone, and the wind poured in through the gap. Several men wearing raincoats and black shirts strode in, their rain-soaked coats dripping water all over the floor. Their faces were stern and solemn, their footsteps forceful, and at a glance, it was clear that they were skilled and well-trained. After entering the house, they politely stepped aside to make way, moving to stand by the door on either side.

  Right behind her walked in a woman in purple, tall and slender, with a charming figure, wearing a hat to shade the sun, white gauze and purple clothes were very nice to look at, the attendant beside her put away the oil-paper umbrella, shook off the rainwater, and retreated to one side.

  Scarface saw this array, his heart sank, and he angrily said: "What kind of people are you? Get out of my sight quickly, otherwise don't blame me for being ruthless!"

  "Take it down!" A crisp and melodious female voice, extremely pleasant to listen to, with a hint of coldness.

  At the sound of an order, several men in black shirts surrounded Scarface, killing intent began to spread, knives and swords flashed, lanterns jumped, after a few short rounds, Scarface was outnumbered and had been subdued and dragged out of the door.

  "Don't be afraid!" The woman slowly walked closer to the girl who was hiding in the corner, bent down and comforted her in a soft voice, with jade-like hands lifting up the white veil, revealing an exquisite foreign beauty.

  The girl looked into the woman's amber-like eyes, and her heart warmed up involuntarily. She smiled softly, and her small face appeared exceptionally beautiful. Her tender and lovely voice was very pleasant to hear. "I'm not afraid, I know you won't hurt me. Will you take me away from here? I don't want to be whipped anymore!"

  Looking at her eager eyes, the woman's eyes flowed with a hint of heartache, and her gaze shifted to her blood-soaked clothes. Her jade-like hand involuntarily gently stroked her wound.

  The girl's face suddenly contorted in pain, her complexion turning deathly pale, "Ah!"

  The woman frowned and asked in a soft voice: "Does it hurt?"

  "Hmm!" she replied softly.

  "Why aren't you crying?" The woman looked at her stubborn little face with some curiosity and asked.

  "Crying won't help, the pain won't decrease one bit. Instead, it will only enrage Scarface and bring more whips and injuries!" Her response was clearly beyond the woman's expectations, she never thought that such a small child could say something so calm and mature.

  The girl's eyes shone with appreciation and she asked: "What is your name?"

  "I don't have a name. People with scars usually call me Little Devil, and I also secretly scold him as Ugly Devil!" The girl answered very briefly, not forgetting to tease at the end.

  The woman was amused by him, her smile as bright as a flower. "Heh..." Then, she slowly regained her composure, her face slightly surprised, and continued: "How can you not have a name? Everyone in the world has their own name."

  The girl lowered her eyelids, shook her head and remained silent. She wasn't nameless, but she couldn't remember. Her life experience, her name, her family - all were forgotten. She only remembered the moment she opened her eyes to find herself in this mansion, where every day she was forced to practice her skills. Half a year had passed, yet it felt like an eternity!

  The girl didn't ask further and said "Follow me!"

  "Good!" Without a moment's hesitation, the voice fell like pearls on a plate.

  "Aren't you afraid I'm a bad person?" the woman asked doubtfully.

  "How much worse can it get? At least it's better than suffering here, and besides, I... have nowhere else to go!" Once she leaves this place, she'll be all alone, how will she survive at her age?

  So clever and intelligent child, she saw for the first time, couldn't help but nod in satisfaction, "From now on Wu Luan is your name, remember?"

  The girl smiled with joy, seemingly very fond of this new name. Those two words were like a seal carved into her heart: "Wúluán, remember!"