My Xianxia Harem Life-Chapter 406 Variation

Riley came out of the woods like a shadow given form.

First came the rustle of leaves high above, then the faint scrape of boots on bark—before he dropped from a tall oak, landing in a crouch with a silent precision that made it seem like he belonged more to the forest than the road.

The four women froze at the sight of him, their eyes swelling with sudden, desperate hope.

Dirt streaked their cheeks, and their wrists trembled where the ropes bit into their skin.

They tried to call out, but the gags shoved between their lips turned their cries into muffled sobs.

Riley didn’t hesitate. He crossed the clearing in long, sure strides, his expression sharp but calm.

With a flick of his wrist, his knife was out—sharp, clean, deadly—and he began cutting them free one by one.

As the first rope fell away, Evelyn collapsed against him, crying openly as her voice finally escaped the gag.

Riley supported her weight without a flinch.

The second woman broke down the moment he freed her wrists, her tears splashing onto his chest as she whispered his name through trembling lips.

The third tried to stay strong but failed the moment the gag was removed, choking on the first sob that burst out.

The youngest, the fourth, didn’t even wait—she threw her arms around him the moment her hands were free.

"Riley!" one finally cried out clearly.

"Master!" the others echoed, voices shaking.

"You’re safe now. It’s over," Riley said, his tone gentle but steady, the kind of voice that could hold a collapsing world together.

He brushed a strand of hair from one woman’s face, lifted another’s chin with reassuring fingers.

"Take a moment. Breathe."

They huddled close to him, clutching his clothes as if afraid he’d vanish.

Their tears came freely—silent at first, then breaking into full sobs as the fear finally melted off their shoulders.

Riley let them cry. He didn’t rush them.

Three whole minutes passed beneath the quiet canopy, the only sounds the soft echo of the forest and the women’s trembling breaths.

When the shaking finally eased, he drew in a slow breath and straightened.

"Let’s get moving."

His voice was firm again—calm, but carrying weight.

He turned briefly to the fallen bandits.

Bodies sprawled where he had dropped them minutes earlier.

Riley crouched and searched them methodically.

He looted coin purses, daggers, a half-decent short sword, and a folded map with markings that might prove useful later.

He also pocketed their rations—not because he needed them, but because the women would.

The women watched him with wide, reverent eyes.

They remembered the screams and chaos from earlier, the blur of movement when Riley had appeared and cut their captors down before the men even realized they were being hunted.

Now, seeing him so composed afterward only deepened their awe.

When he stood again, he looked at them, his expression softening.

"Stay close. It’s a long road to White Bone City."

And so they continued the journey.

***

The next day was slow, the women still shaky.

Riley adjusted his pace to match theirs, always keeping them within arm’s reach.

He constantly scanned the treeline, the sky, the terrain ahead—always alert, always composed.

Even when danger wasn’t visible, his presence made them feel shielded.

By the third day, the women had begun to speak again—small whispers at first.

"Master Riley... are you sure it’s safe?"

"Will those men have friends?"

"Are we slowing you down...?"

Each time, Riley answered simply, with a quiet firmness that left no room for fear.

"You’re under my protection. No one will touch you again."

And they believed it.

At night, he gathered wood, built the fire, cooked what little they had, then stood guard until morning with barely a moment of sleep.

The women would awaken and see him against the dim glow of embers—arms crossed, eyes half-lidded but alert, like a sentinel carved from stone.

They whispered among themselves, thinking he couldn’t hear:

"He saved us..."

"He’s so strong..."

"I feel safe with him..."

"Without him... we’d be dead."

Riley pretended not to notice, but the faint tug at the corner of his lips betrayed him.

***

By the fifth day, the road grew harsher—steeper hills, colder winds, and a stretch of marsh that slowed their steps to a crawl.

The women stumbled often, their bodies exhausted.

Each time, Riley caught them before they fell, lifting them as if they weighed nothing.

"Hold on to me," he’d say simply.

And they would.

***

A full week passed this way—dangerous roads, grueling travel, but also a growing trust that wrapped the group together like invisible thread.

The women walked behind Riley, their gazes fixed on the strength of his back.

The mere sight of him pushing forward gave them the courage to match his steps.

On the morning of the seventh day, the forest thinned, the dirt road widened, and a pale light began to glow across the horizon.

There—rising from the earth like an ancient monument—stood White Bone City.

Tall white stone walls jutted up like massive ribs, lined with battlements and bone-like towers that glistened under the sun.

The air grew thicker, livelier; voices and distant clangs of the city trickled on the wind.

The women gasped.

"We made it..."

"It’s real..."

"We’re actually here..."

Riley exhaled slowly, shoulders relaxing for the first time in days.

"Yes," he said. "Welcome to White Bone City."

They looked at him with trembling relief, gratitude overflowing in their eyes—because they all understood one undeniable truth:

Without Riley, none of them would have survived long enough to see these walls.

They reached the gates of White Bone City just as the sun dipped low, staining the horizon in a blood-red glow.

From a distance, the walls looked like the ribs of some colossal beast jutting into the sky—smooth, pale stone that inspired awe in strangers and dread in those who knew its reputation.

Closer, the noise hit them first.

Shouts. Bargaining. Arguing. The groans of beasts of burden. The clatter of armor.

The harsh clang of metal against wood as guards checked wagons and packs.

Dozens of people waited in line—farmers, merchants, hunters, wandering adventurers, even a few shabby nobles trying to hide their crests under dusty cloaks. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Riley brought his group to the end of the line.

Evelyn and the three younger girls stared wide-eyed at everything—the sea of people, the towering gates, the guards in bone-white armor, the sheer feeling of being so small before something so enormous.

Then the shouting began.

"One gold coin per person!" the gate guard roared, pacing before the line with a baton tucked under his arm like he was ready to strike someone at random.

"One! Gold! Coin!" he repeated, hitting the baton into his hand with each word.

He jabbed a finger at a trembling old man near the front.

"You got coin? No? Then get out of the line before I throw you out."

The old man backed away weakly, clutching his bag.

His family pleaded, but the guards ignored them.

All around, people muttered in frustration.

"This is robbery..."

"How are we supposed to afford this...?"

"It was only five silver last year..."

"White Bone City is bleeding travelers dry."

Because of the outrageous fee, most groups sent only one representative inside, leaving the rest outside the walls to wait—sometimes for hours, sometimes overnight—hoping they wouldn’t be harassed or robbed.

Riley noticed this immediately.

But he didn’t hesitate.

He walked up, placed five gold coins on the table—one for himself, four for the women—and simply said:

"All of us are entering."

That turned heads.

The guard counting coins paused.

His eyes flicked over Riley, sizing him up—simple clothes, worn boots, a traveler’s pack.

Nothing impressive. Nothing threatening. Nothing that suggested he had that kind of money.

Then the guard saw the women.

Three young maids—still teenagers, frightened, clinging to Riley’s coat. Already pretty despite exhaustion, with delicate faces that would one day bloom into beauty.

And then Evelyn.

Eighteen. Matured. Soft curves beneath her cloak.

A face framed by long hair, sweat-streaked but undeniably lovely.

She had that rare combination of innocence and womanly allure that drew the eye without effort.

The guards exchanged looks.

Some smirked.

Some whistled.

One leaned forward so his eyes could drink in Evelyn’s figure more openly, his grin widening into something filthy.

"Hey, boy," he called out, swaggering toward Riley. "How much for the girls? I’ll buy all of them off you."

The three younger girls gasped and shrank behind Riley’s back.

Evelyn’s face flushed in humiliation and fear.

Riley didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t threaten.

He simply met the guard’s stare with a look so cold it made even the loud, arrogant ones fall briefly silent.

"They’re not for sale."

He turned away and guided the women through the gate.

The guard watched him walk, a sneer spreading across his lips.

"Your loss, boy."

Another guard chuckled.

"Fresh meat, huh?"

"Doesn’t even know how things work here."

"He’ll learn."

But the smirking guard wasn’t laughing anymore.

His eyes narrowed dangerously as Riley disappeared into the bustling interior of White Bone City.

He clicked his tongue.

"We’ll just take them tonight," he muttered darkly. "Teach the little village brat how this city really works."

He made a hand signal.

Two guards peeled away from the gate and moved to follow Riley at a distance, blending into the crowd with practiced ease.

These weren’t ordinary sentries—they were part of the night watch gang, a group infamous among locals but untouchable due to connections inside the city’s enforcement bureau.

Their specialty: targeting first-time travelers with valuables... and women.

The smirking guard leaned back against the wall and exhaled slowly, imagining his prize.

In his mind, he already saw Evelyn trapped beneath him, crying, begging. The thought made him grin.

"Heh... pretty little thing. She’ll fetch a good price after I’m done."

He rolled his shoulders and spat on the ground.

"That boy’s as good as dead."

He’d done this dozens of times.

Travelers disappeared all the time in White Bone City—especially the ones who didn’t know the unspoken rules.

And to him, Riley looked like the perfect victim. Too young. Too calm. Too quiet.

A country bumpkin with no backing, no reputation, nothing.

Someone who wouldn’t be missed.

Someone who would vanish without a ripple.

The guard didn’t know—couldn’t possibly know—that he had just decided to stalk the worst possible man he could have chosen.