In the middle of a bunch of guys who looked like they could eat you for breakfast, someone had plopped down a newborn. Jill Young had a real bad feeling about this.
"Hey, Frost Hollow Lord," Walter Huan piped up, "time for the Blood Pact thing. You're the big boss, right? Why don't you do the honors?"
As soon as Walter Huan said that, everyone stared at Jill Young, eyes glittering. Nobody forgot what just happened—some still doubted whose side Jill was on. Right now, if Jill so much as said 'no,' they'd jump her with knives before she could blink.
Jill wasn't scared of these jokers, but she was dying to see what kind of circus she'd stumbled into. She shrugged. "Alright, I'll do it."
Her answer made a bunch of folks quietly breathe easier. Lord Shade gave Jill a shifty once-over, then, out of nowhere, chucked the baby at her like he was dunking a basketball—fast and mean, way harder than Liu Bei tossing his kid in those old dramas.
Jill frowned and snatched the bundle out of the air.
Jill kicked her Level Two Ultra-Senses into gear and moved like lightning, both hands snapping out to catch the baby by the neck and the butt. The kid came flying, but Jill caught her easy—smooth as butter, not a scratch on her. Jill even had time to roll her eyes at these lunatics.
Fun fact: Jack Young is actually a sucker for kids, and so is Jill. Sure, she’s got a scheming streak, but she’s got a soft spot for little troublemakers.
So Jill shot Lord Shade a look sharp enough to cut glass. "What the hell are you playing at?"
"Hmph, nice moves, but what’s the point?" Lord Shade rasped. "The kid’s about to croak anyway, so why bother being careful?"
"Dead?" Jill raised an eyebrow and shot Walter Huan a look. "What's this all about?"
"It's a sacrifice for the cause," Walter Huan pointed at the baby. "Lord Shade snatched this kid from that witch’s lair, so she must be one of the witch’s new recruits—or maybe the witch’s own bastard!" The crowd burst out laughing. Walter stroked his beard, eyes glinting. "Frost Hollow Lord, we're in this together, no turning back. Kill the kid, eat her, show your resolve and we can trust each other."
"Eat the kid's meat?" Jill gaped, not believing her own ears. "You guys want to chow down on baby?"
"Meat's not enough," Terrence Bar waved, and someone dragged over a big copper grinder. "Kid’s kinda small, but whatever—chop her up, grind her, mix it up, everyone gets a share."
"Uh... can't we just drink the blood instead?" someone muttered from the crowd.
"No way," William Bo sneered. "We're either winning or dead. That witch won't spare us—so we gotta go all in, kill the kid, eat her, show we mean business!"
"Baby killing! Baby killing!" The crowd started chanting, and a few eager guys rushed to the grinder, grabbing the handle. "Let me do it!"
"Nice, that's the spirit." Walter Huan nodded, then grinned at Jill. "Ready, Frost Hollow Lord? Or are you chickening out?"
People crowded around Jill, eyes crazed in the torchlight. Jill ignored them and looked down at the baby girl in her arms—wide-eyed, not crying, just staring at her. Cute as a button, probably a knockout someday, if she survives this bunch of psychos.
Heh... hehehe... Jill suddenly laughed, sighing. "I've eaten all kinds of stuff—birds, beasts, aliens, monsters. Never tried people. But today..." She turned, face hidden in shadow, voice low and deadly. "I'm kinda tempted..."
Most folks had no clue what Jill was talking about—aliens, monsters, whatever—but they could tell she meant business. Someone urged, "Come on, just do it already."
"Fine!" Jill grinned, her teeth flashing. Out of nowhere, she whipped out a pistol and aimed it right between the guy’s eyes. "Then you die."
Bang! The gun went off, bullet to the head—brains everywhere. Blood and guts splattered all over, people got soaked. The corpse hit the ground, smoke curling from the hole in his skull.
"What the hell did you just do? Is that witchcraft?" Everyone freaked out.
"Hahaha!" Jill laughed, cradling the baby with one arm and firing with the other. "What I want to eat is you guys! Come get some, losers!"
Gunshots lit up the night, hot bullets howling through the crowd, screams echoing everywhere.
"Bastard! She’s one of the witch’s crew! Don’t be scared, it’s just a fancy weapon—get her!" Walter Huan shouted, leading the charge. Swords and knives flashed, all aimed at Jill. She could tell they were using some kind of martial arts.
Blades flying, Jill just patted the baby’s butt and smirked. "Kiddo, you lucked out meeting me." The baby squirmed, maybe even blushed. Jill didn’t notice, just grabbed the furnace.
The furnace was huge, solid copper and iron, weighed a ton. But Jill squeezed with her right hand—crunch! Five finger marks on the metal, and she hoisted the whole thing up.
"No way!" Walter Huan gaped. "How is she that strong?!"
Boom! Jill hurled the furnace like a cannonball, smashing through a crowd and rolling down the mountain.
One-handed, Jill tried to slip away in the chaos. But Iron Mountain roared, "Where you going?" He swung at her, but Jill's eyes flashed—she punched back like lightning.
Crunch! Bones cracked, Iron Mountain screamed and flew down the slope, rolling away. Jill stumbled back, surprised, shook out her arm, glared at the crowd, grabbed the baby, and leapt into the air.
Jill blasted off, kicking up snow, flying high into the night.
No way! That jump freaked everyone out. William Bo went pale, then someone shouted, "Iron Lord’s arm...!"
Light the torches! William Bo yelled, running over. Terrence Bar lay in the snow, arm smashed to bits—looked worse than ground beef. He was famous for his iron hand, but Jill wrecked him in one hit.
"Iron Lord, you alright?" William Bo was nervous and scared. He couldn’t believe how strong Jill was. With that kind of hit, Terrence Bar was probably done for.
"I'm good. Not dead yet!" Terrence Bar spat blood, wiped his mouth, and glared.
How’d she smash your body but not your heart? She didn’t look like she was holding back.
"Don't be scared! That woman has no internal power. My twenty-five years of training went straight through—she’s hurt and can’t get far. After her!" Terrence Bar shouted, and the crowd took off after Jill.
"No internal power? Then her body’s tough as a monster. Who is she, anyway?" William Bo muttered, stunned.