Lux walked down the somewhat creaky old staircase.

They lived on the third floor, in a room Grandma Mabel had rented to them at an extremely low price out of pity.

The back room of the bakery was the kitchen, which contained a huge brick oven.

Previously, Grandma Mabel used to cook for the two sisters, but later Mitty's culinary skills improved by leaps and bounds, and Mitty took over the cooking.

However, on every festival, Grandma Mabel would still personally cook a sumptuous feast.

Both of them strictly forbade Lux from setting foot in the kitchen—because Lux's "talent" in seasoning was truly… hard to describe.

Of course, Lux herself insisted that it was just her "bold adventurous spirit" in the art of cooking.

At this moment, many freshly baked loaves of bread, all carefully wrapped in clean greaseproof paper, were neatly arranged on the kitchen shelves.

Lux walked out of the bakery entrance and subconsciously turned her head to glance at the small sign that read "Mabel's Bakery."

"I'm sorry…" she whispered to the empty doorway, in a voice only she could hear.

Because she didn't know what the future would hold, didn't know what fate awaited this street she had lived on for so long.

The only thing she knew clearly was that she could only, and must, first take care of her sister, and protect the future she and Mitty yearned for at all costs.

As for everyone else… she had no time to spare for them.

Then, Lux no longer hesitated and turned, walking quickly towards Boss Pony's territory.

...

This was Middle Street.

Casinos, taverns, and brothels stood shoulder to shoulder, the air thick with the mixed scent of cheap alcohol, low-quality perfume, and sweat.

This was the favorite haunt of the low-level thugs in their short cloth shirts.

Half the shops on this street were controlled by the Blood Drop Gang, to which Boss Pony belonged.

Pony was one of the leaders of the Blood Drop Gang, mainly responsible for collecting protection fees in the Left Street area.

But he himself rarely stayed in Left Street, spending most of his time indulging in the debauchery of Middle Street.

Street hustlers like Lux, pickpockets and thieves, all needed to regularly "pay tribute" to Boss Pony.

If they didn't pay, Boss Pony himself might not personally do anything to them, but other gangs, or Pony's lesser underlings, would come looking for trouble and try to take over their turf.

And Lux, because she had a strikingly beautiful sister, had to pay five times more "protection money" than others, in exchange for a moment of peace.

Lux familiarly walked towards the five-story small building made of purple stone.

Outside the building, several thuggish-looking gang members were gathered, smoking and chatting idly.

Lux went up, slipped them a few coins, and was then led inside by one of them.

She was taken to the fifth floor.

The gang member leading the way stopped in front of a heavy wooden door, knocked, and after receiving permission, pushed the door open and went in. He came out a short while later, opened the door, and gestured for Lux to enter.

"Boss Pony, good afternoon," Lux immediately put on a smile and greeted him respectfully as soon as she entered the room.

The room was dimly lit, the air thick with the strong smell of alcohol and an indescribable mixed scent of spices and mildew.

On the wall hung a huge, crudely painted oil painting of a nude woman.

In the center of the room was a large leather sofa, in which an extremely obese middle-aged man was sunk.

Beside him stood several burly, expressionless men, like iron towers.

This fat man was Boss Pony.

He was bald and shiny, adorned from neck to fingers with all sorts of tacky gold rings and thick gold chains.

His entire body, even including his bald head, was tattooed with colorful flowers and twisted poisonous snakes, forming a nauseating, terrifying garden built on fat.

At this moment, he was holding a magnifying glass, said to be imported from the northern "Holy Sunrise Empire," and carefully examining a pigeon-egg-sized gemstone.

Seeing that Boss Pony didn't immediately acknowledge her, Lux sensibly remained silent, standing respectfully by the door.

"Hmm? It's Sam, huh." The fat man buried his head and looked at the gemstone for a good while longer before slowly and carefully wrapping it in a piece of silk and putting it down. Then he raised his small eyes, squeezed by fat until they were just slits, and looked at Lux. "What happened to your face? And, what do you want from me?"

"Boss Pony, it's nothing major," Lux's face immediately bloomed into an ingratiating smile. "Just ran into a few clueless young thugs looking for trouble on the road, but I've already beaten them down. I reckon they won't dare to come back again." She paused, her tone becoming even more respectful. "I'm bothering Boss Pony today because I'd like to buy two exit permits from you. I recently heard news of a long-lost relative of mine, so I want to leave the city to look for him."

"Is that so? Exit permits, a small matter of little cost." Boss Pony patted his huge belly, which made a dull sound. "But, don't you even think about leaving the city and not coming back, you hear me?"

"How could I! Boss Pony, you know, there are still many brothers on this street who owe me money. I haven't even collected it yet, how could I not come back?" Lux replied with a fawning smile.

"Mm, that's more like it." Boss Pony nodded with satisfaction, fiddling with the several large gemstone rings on his hand. "I also think highly of you. In a while, I'm planning to promote you, let you manage a few shops. Then, you'll be a little boss too."

"Then I really have to thank Boss Pony so much! I'll definitely work hard!" Lux quickly bowed, her face full of tearful gratitude.

"Alright, alright, it's nothing. Those two exit permits, consider them a free gift from me." Boss Pony waved his hand impatiently. "Berger, you take Lux and get her two tickets." A burly man standing nearby immediately responded and walked out, nodded, and beckoned Lux with his finger, indicating for her to follow.

"Thank you again, Boss Pony! When I come back, I'll definitely bring a gift for Boss!" Lux repeated her thanks. Seeing the obvious impatience on Boss Pony's face, she dared not say more and quickly followed the underling named Berger out.

"Hmph." As soon as the door closed, the amiable expression on Boss Pony's face instantly vanished, replaced by a gloomy one. "Dead Fist, that useless trash. Said he was coming to defect to me, but he couldn't even rob a little brat when I arranged it."

Boss Pony grabbed a half-empty bottle of strong liquor from the nearby table and gulped down a large mouthful directly from the bottle, the spicy liquid flowing down the corners of his thick lips.

The few underlings beside him were as silent as cicadas in winter, not even daring to breathe loudly.

"Damn it," Boss Pony put down the wine bottle, scratching his almost triple-layered chin with his greasy fingers, a trace of suspicion flashing in his eyes. "But… this kid, there's indeed something fishy about him."

"Boss Pony, do you need us to… make a move?" a burly man beside him asked cautiously.

"Idiot!" Boss Pony suddenly turned his head, a glob of spit spraying onto the burly man's face. "I'm dealing with my own subordinate, do I want others to know?!"

He picked up a wine glass and poured himself another. "This kid, he's always refused to be my enforcer, and he's been saving money so actively. I guessed right away he was planning to run away with his sister, and now it's pretty obvious."

"This kid, either he has beastkin blood in him, or… he's a damned Cursed One!"

"I don't have the patience to wait for him to come back." Pony drained the wine in his glass again, as if extremely thirsty. "Report him to the Demon Hunting Bureau right now! I can even earn a bounty on the side!"

He suddenly chuckled, his laughter greasy and lewd. "What a pity… that pretty sister of his. If his sister wasn't dead, tsk tsk, I'd definitely take her into my own room and 'dote' on her properly…"

Pony burst into loud laughter, and as he laughed, he suddenly felt a wave of heat all over his body and abruptly roared at the people beside him, "Damn it! What are you still standing around for?! Now! Immediately! Get me some clean women over here!"