Opening the Iron Cage

Ye Chuan looked at the shivering girls in the cages, feeling a heavy block in his chest.

Their eyes were exactly like Angelina's back then, filled with fear and despair toward this world.

"Um... don't be afraid, I'm not with them." Ye Chuan drove his fine steel longsword into the ground and raised his hands to show he meant no harm, his voice exceptionally gentle.

"Those bad guys have already run away. You are safe now."

"I'm not a bad person... Oh right, I'm an adventurer from a nearby town."

But the succubi in the cages still huddled in the corners, watching him warily. Not a single one dared to speak.

Over the days since they were captured, they had seen too many hypocritical faces and suffered too much torture. They had long stopped trusting anyone.

Ye Chuan was not in a hurry. He knew they needed time, and right now, it was better to just let them out first.

He walked up to the nearest iron cage and looked at the little succubus huddled in the very back, who seemed to be only twelve or thirteen years old.

Her little tail was tucked tightly between her legs, and her large eyes were brimming with tears. She looked incredibly pitiful.

"Don't be afraid. I'll let you out."

His gaze fell upon the iron cages. He wasn't sure if his sword was sharp enough if he were to hack at them.

If the blade were to snap, not only would it waste a good sword, but the flying shards might even hurt these people.

"I'm quite strong... What if..." Ye Chuan looked at his own palms, as if realizing something.

Ye Chuan reached out and grabbed the bars of the iron cage.

Those thumb-thick bars of refined iron were like molded clay in his hands. With a gentle pull, they bent into a large curve.

Crack—

The piercing sound of twisting metal echoed through the quiet forest.

All the succubi froze, their eyes wide with disbelief at the scene before them.

This seemingly frail young man had actually bent a cage made of refined iron with his bare hands?!

Ye Chuan didn't notice their shocked expressions. He continued to bend the bars, and soon, he had pried open a hole in the cage door large enough for a person to slip through.

"Come on out," he smiled at the little succubus and extended his hand.

The little succubus timidly raised her head. She looked at Ye Chuan's gentle smile, then at the severely mangled iron cage. After hesitating for a long time, she carefully reached out her little hand and grasped Ye Chuan's fingers.

Ye Chuan gently pulled her out of the cage. The little girl's body was very light, as light as a feather. She stumbled a bit when her feet touched the ground, but fortunately, Ye Chuan caught her in time.

With the first one out, the rest of the succubi gradually lowered their guard.

One by one, Ye Chuan pried open all the iron cages and released the succubi inside.

They stood beside the carriage, looking at the twisted iron bars scattered on the ground, and then at Ye Chuan. Their eyes were filled with awe and gratitude.

"Th... thank you..."

The little succubus who had been rescued first mustered her courage and bowed deeply to Ye Chuan.

Her voice was soft and delicate, like the buzz of a mosquito.

"You're welcome," Ye Chuan smiled. Perhaps because the succubi had such incredible figures, Ye Chuan's gaze wandered, not quite knowing where to look. Finally, he could only clear his throat lightly.

"How did you end up getting captured by those people?"

Hearing this, the succubi's eyes turned red.

"We... we are all half-human succubi," an older succubus wiped her tears, her voice choking with sobs.

"Because our bloodline is impure, we don't have much power. We could only live in a small village on the border."

"But half a month ago, those people suddenly broke into our village, killed everyone who resisted, and captured all of us. They said they were going to sell us to the nobles in the royal capital as playthings..."

"We originally thought that we would never be able to escape in this lifetime..."

At this point, all the succubi began to cry.

The torture and fear they had suffered these past few days finally erupted all at once.

Seeing them cry, Ye Chuan also felt terrible.

He thought of Angelina. If he hadn't met Angelina back then, would she have ended up like these girls, sold to some unknown place and subjected to endless torment?

"Alright, don't cry anymore," Ye Chuan comforted them softly. "Everything is fine now. You are safe."

"But... we don't know where to go," the older succubus wiped her tears and said blankly.

"Our village has been burned down, and our families are gone. There is no place left for us in this world."

Nowhere to go...

It seemed like he didn't have anywhere to go either...

Except for that small house.

Ye Chuan sighed in his heart, but still said, "Not far from here is Isu Town. The people there are very nice... You can settle down there. As long as you work hard, you will definitely be able to survive."

"Really?" The little succubus looked up, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Ye Chuan. "The people there... won't they bully us?"

"They won't," Ye Chuan nodded affirmatively. "If anyone bullies you, go find Uncle Hans at the bakery, or Mr. Cullen the blacksmith. Just tell them Ye Chuan sent you, and they will help you."

"Besides, there are many demi-humans in Isu Town. There are quite a few races like yours as well."

The people in the town were actually quite nice; having lived there for a few months, Ye Chuan knew this very well.

Of course, Holkin was a pure bastard.

Dying was letting him off too easy.

The little succubus nodded vigorously. "Ye Chuan... thank you. Um, my name is Sophia!"

"Sophia, that's a very pretty name," Ye Chuan smiled. "Let's go. I'll escort you near Isu Town, otherwise it would be bad if you ran into monsters on the way."

He picked up the cloth bag from the ground, strapped the fine steel longsword onto his back, and led the succubi toward Isu Town.

Along the way, the succubi quietly followed behind Ye Chuan. Looking at his tall and straight back, their hearts were filled with gratitude.

This young man who had suddenly appeared not only saved their lives but also gave them hope to keep living.

After half a day, the walls of Isu Town could already be seen in the distance.

"Alright, I'll drop you off here," Ye Chuan stopped in his tracks and said to the succubi. "Isu Town is just ahead. You can just head straight in."

"There isn't much more I can do to help... I... still have things to do," Ye Chuan scratched his head, speaking a bit sheepishly.

"Big brother, aren't you going back with us?" Sophia tugged at the hem of Ye Chuan's shirt, looking up with her small face.

"I have things to do," Ye Chuan shook his head and pointed in the direction of the Black Pine Forest.

"I need to go in there and kill a demon wolf... Once I kill it, I'll go back to town and find you."

"A demon wolf?!" Sophia's face instantly went pale. "Isn't that a very dangerous monster?"

The other succubi also chimed in to persuade him, "That's right, demon wolves are incredibly vicious! We have them where we come from too, and so many people have died at their hands!"

"I have a reason why I must go... because... heh." Ye Chuan chuckled, ultimately deciding not to explain too much. He ruffled Sophia's hair.

"Look, I can even bend iron cages. A mere demon wolf won't be a problem for me."

Seeing his confident demeanor, the succubi held back from trying to talk him out of it, though they were still deeply worried.

"Then you must be careful!" Sophia said, clenching her small fists tightly. "We'll be waiting for your return in town!"

"Yeah, I will."

Ye Chuan watched them until they safely reached the entrance of Yisu Town, and only then did he turn around and head toward the depths of the Black Pine Forest.