Chapter 3, Cold Frost of the Night

Hey! Look at mine! Look at you, you naughty one, refusing to surrender! Just obediently surrender to the representative of justice, Miss Walnut!

The worthless trash only needs to take care of itself. Even biological parents can be abandoned if it means preserving one's own life, let alone a pair of mother and daughter who are completely unknown. Such actions are truly foolish. In this world, such fools have only two paths: first, to be killed by nature; second, to be captured by the authorities and then killed by them

Haha! You are here! You naughty one, just wait and see how I will deal with you today

The boy dodged, and with a loud bang, the snowball smashed against the wall in front of the little beggar. The flying snowflakes hit the little beggar's face

If he stays here any longer, he will surely freeze to death

The snow fell in abundance, eroding the flame of life. The little beggar's consciousness grew increasingly hazy, and just as his eyes were about to lose sight of everything, a red cross sign suddenly came into view.

With this thought in mind, the little beggar ceased to struggle. Upon seeing the little beggar no longer resisting, the other party also let out a cold snort and turned his body over.

Fifteen minutes had passed, and no one had come out. The large door responsible for isolation between the pharmacy and the owner's room seemed to be dead, remaining closed without any sound. At this moment, the little beggar finally stood up from the corner, shook off the small icicles that had formed on his body, and cautiously walked towards the shelves of the pharmacy

Is today's snowstorm particularly severe

The little beggar did not emerge immediately; he knew that patience and careful observation were the best methods to determine whether the other party had set a trap. After waiting for nearly thirty minutes, and only when the sounds of the little girl still playing outside with her companions reached him, did he slowly crawl out from the trash can, lean against the wall, and move towards the mouth of the alley

It turns out, it was a game

He was killed. Before the little beggar could react, the man with thick eyebrows suddenly shoved something into his hand and pushed him into the room. Then he laughed and said: "This guy is a competitor of another pharmacy owner. Because his business was too good, I was commissioned to take him out. It’s really fortunate to have you, my little angel, to help me clean up. Now, please deal with those officials. Oh, by the way, Sainag is a border city, and its public security is notoriously poor. So will those soldiers listen to your explanations and investigate carefully... heh heh, I can't guarantee that."

The thick-browed man grasped the back of the little beggar's neck and lifted him up. ... Immediately afterward, he pulled the little beggar straight toward the large door leading to the shop owner's room, yanking it open with a whoosh ...

The act of theft was discovered, and the young beggar disregarded everything, turning around and stabbing forward with a knife. However, the other party clearly knew how to deal with a child wielding a dull knife; with a mere twist, they knocked the young beggar's knife away and pinned him to the ground

Snow, for the wealthy, is merely an amusing toy. Yet for those who struggle for survival, it is so cruel.

After speaking, the door was slammed shut with a bang. Immediately, the little beggar heard the piercing alarm sound coming from the pharmacy, so loud that it nearly deafened his eardrums

Is there anything more terrifying than hearing a stranger call your name from behind you in the dark

The little beggar did not respond. It is always the easiest thing to remain silent before confirming the other party's intentions

He can no longer walk

The apothecary was shrouded in darkness, devoid of any presence. The young beggar took out a knife and gently tapped the glass with the handle. After confirming that no one emerged, he applied a bit more force, shattering the window glass near the latch, opened the window, and climbed inside

The little girl smiled as she formed another snowball and ran past the little beggar. When she caught a whiff of a foul odor, she turned her head, and a look of disgust immediately appeared on her small face. She stopped in her tracks, took three steps back, and then, making the little beggar the center of her path, ran in a wide circle before dashing off again to chase the boy playing the villain.

The thick eyebrows snorted again: "Not going to answer? That's fine, your name is of no importance to me anyway. Hey, stand up."

The delicate voice of the girl echoed on the spacious street. In addition to the girl's voice, there were unexpectedly four or five other children who began to laugh and play.

Sand ... ... sand! ... ... ...! Sand! ... ...! ! ... sand ...!

The little beggar's face bore no expression, and his eyes remained as sharp and cold as before. He did not think much of it, as this was quite normal. Wealthy individuals can do anything; how could someone as insignificant as himself expect them to stop their play and clear the way for him to return

The sound of footsteps gradually approached. The little beggar slowly retreated into the alley, lifting the lid of the trash can and hiding himself amidst the filthy stench.

The room remained cold, but it was evidently much better than the blizzard outside. The little beggar clutched a knife, stealthily crawling among the shelves. ... Once he had hidden himself in a dark and inconspicuous corner, he curled up there, holding his breath and waiting quietly ...

In his not particularly long life, he had already gained a profound understanding of his own existence. He was no different from a rat, living each day solely to survive, with the only thought upon waking each morning being how to obtain food for that day. Beyond this, he had no hopes whatsoever. Such aspirations were unrealistic; any "hope" beyond merely satisfying his hunger was merely a self-deprecating joke of the wealthy, completely unattainable for him

Oh dear! Oh dear! Miss, please spare me, spare me!

five minutes ... ... ten minutes ... ... ... fifteen minutes ...

He stands before the door of the "once was" destination

Hmph, don't be nervous, I do not wish to harm you

The little beggar was neither flustered nor did he curse his situation. This was quite normal and reasonable. The weak are destined to be killed, and those without intelligence or ability deserve to be trapped. Those who are deceived should not blame the deceivers, but only themselves for not being cautious enough. To kill someone and then shift the blame onto others while escaping oneself is indeed a very correct course of action in this world of the survival of the fittest. If he were in the same position, he would do the same.

With the flashlight in the hands of the man with thick eyebrows, the scene of the bloodied apothecary owner lying lifeless on the bed came into the view of the little beggar

The acrid smell of blood

The little beggar got up from the ground and looked at his hands. In his hands was a blood-stained knife, and blood had already covered both of his hands. Then, he glanced at the shopkeeper beside him, whose lifeless body lay stiff on the bed, eyes wide open, unable to close in death

A slightly larger boy was running towards the direction of the little beggar while dodging the snowballs thrown by the girl. As the boy moved, the little girl immediately bent down, scooped up a large chunk of snow with both hands, packed it tightly, and chased after the boy. She aimed at the boy's body and with a swift motion, the snowball flew out.

The road was blocked. The little beggar had no choice but to turn around again and walk forward. His steps were heavy, and numbness and cold had driven away his sense of touch. Are my legs still there? He repeatedly asked himself, even as he saw the ground beneath his feet moving, he still kept asking.

The little beggar looked coldly at the pharmacy, its large door already closed, the thick rolling shutter beyond his reach. He stood in the midst of the heavy snowstorm, arms crossed, hunched over, resembling a dog hesitating in its tracks

Strangely, the sound of footsteps gradually faded away. Just as the little beggar let out a breath in order to continue living.

He was an adult of approximately thirty years of age. His most striking feature was his thick, bushy eyebrows. This person leaned in, glanced at the little beggar, and then snorted coldly again, saying: "Who are you, and why have you come here?"

Cold

pharmacy

As the little girl moved, everyone else followed suit. The elegantly dressed individuals rushed past the little beggar, once again forming a playground in front of him, blocking his way home

... ...

Soon, he found it. ... Above his head, on the wall of the pharmacy, there was a window without an iron grille installed ...

The little beggar would not act like such a fool. He took a step forward again, preparing to bypass the pharmacy and return to his nest from the intersection ahead.

one minute two minutes three minutes

On a street where a dozen adults holding lanterns stood, a little girl, around ten years old, dressed in a large furry coat and tall warm boots, with brown hair, was playing outside with a group of children of similar age. It appeared that she was the center of this game, with everyone listening to her commands, even the adults, who laughed and followed her orders.

... ...

The little beggar's mind was racing, contemplating the meaning behind the other person's words. To be honest, this did not sound like the voice of the apothecary, and the strength in the other person's hand did not resemble that of the plump owner. Now, under duress, it would be wise to remain quiet for the time being and wait for the other party to relax before seizing the opportunity to escape with the knife.

I thought it was someone, but it turned out to be a thief

Death is truly terrifying. It is both dark and cold. Even the most miserable life instills fear of death in the little beggar. He struggles and crawls up against the wall. He wants to find a place with a slightly higher temperature, a place where he can escape this snowstorm. With this thought, he raises his head and searches around.

The little beggar's heart was set at ease, and he tucked the knife into his bosom, silently walking out of the alley, turning his back on the children of the wealthy families who had no connection to him, preparing to step forward

The little beggar had just taken a step when a sudden blizzard struck! The little beggar's feet became numb, and with the impact of the snowstorm, he was knocked to the ground, rolling several times before crashing hard against the wall beside the apothecary.

Sand ... ... ! ... Sand ! ... ! ... ! Sand ! ... ... ... ! Sand ... ...