With her options limited, she did the only thing she could think of—she stuck out her tongue and licked his palm.
The reaction was immediate.
The man recoiled as if he'd been electrocuted, yanking his hand away with a sharp hiss. His entire body stiffened in sheer horror, and he gawked at her, his expression a mixture of disbelief and disgust.
"Did you just—" He cut himself off, staring at his now-tainted palm like it personally offended him.
Divya, finally able to breathe, took in a deep gulp of air before smirking. "Oh? What's the matter? Didn't like that?"
His eye twitched. He wiped his hand furiously against his coat, his jaw tightening as he pointed an accusing finger at her.
"Are you insane?!" he hissed in a strained voice.
Divya took a deep breath, finally free from his suffocating grip, and glared at him.
"I'm crazy?" she hissed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "You're the one who nearly suffocated me! What the hell was that for?"
The man still looked at his hand, as if trying to process what just happened. His brows furrowed, his lips parted slightly, and then—he wiped his palm against his coat with an almost panicked urgency.
"Who the hell licks someone's hand?!" he exclaimed, his voice strained, still staring at her like she had personally offended every law of human decency.
Divya crossed her arms. "Well, who the hell clamps their hand over someone's mouth and nose at the same time?!" she shot back.
The man clenched his jaw. This woman…
He inhaled deeply, trying to regain his composure, but the irritation was still clear on his face. With a quick glance around, he stepped closer, this time without manhandling her. His voice dropped to a hushed tone.
"Listen, I did that because someone is coming, and if you don't want to end up in trouble, you better stay quiet."
Divya narrowed her eyes. "Oh? And why exactly should I trust you?"
His gaze darkened. "You don't have to. But if you want to stay alive, I suggest you follow my lead."
At that moment, the sound of footsteps grew louder. Divya hesitated, glancing toward the approaching figures, then back at the man.
She hated to admit it, but for now… she might not have a choice.
Divya's breath hitched the moment she saw them.
Two men emerged from the shadows, their uniforms unmistakable—the distinct black robes marked them as Ghost Cultivators.
Her stomach twisted. Damn it.
These were the same men who had been tailing her earlier.
For once, she decided that hiding might actually be the smarter option. Pressing herself tightly against the wall, she tried to shrink her body as much as possible, hoping the dim lighting would work in her favor.
The cultivators were on high alert, their sharp gazes sweeping the area. But the darkness worked against them.
One of them exhaled loudly, irritation dripping from his voice. "What the hell, man? Why do we have to work so late at night?"
The other let out a lazy sigh, rubbing the back of his head. "What can we do? We just wanted to drink and get some damn rest, and now we have to waste our time looking for a stupid beggar."
Divya's jaw clenched. A beggar?
Were they talking about her?
Her fingers twitched, itching to reach for her dagger. But she forced herself to stay still, listening.
Divya's eyes caught something unexpected—something off.
The man holding her wasn't focused on her at all. Instead, his gaze was locked onto the group ahead. And from the look in his eyes, he wasn't admiring them. His expression was sharp, intense—like he was staring at a painting rather than people.
But it wasn't just anger burning in his golden irises. No, there was something else lurking beneath. Hatred? Resentment?
Before she could piece it together, voices rang through the air again.
The cultivator halted, frustration dripping from his words. "What the hell is with today? Everything is falling apart. First that damn beggar, and now that lunatic! Who even was he? Just barging in and stealing our Black Abraa Gem!"
Another man scoffed. "Without that crystal, we lost half of our power supply. And that fool—who knows what kind of crazy he is? We need to find him and kill him. If not, the master will have our heads."
Hearing their words, a slow, knowing smile flickered across Divya's face.
So, they weren't only after me.
She cast a glance at the man beside her—the one who had been watching the cultivators so intently. His eyes followed their every movement before drifting downward, lost in thought.
Then, as if completely unbothered by the rising tension, Divya smiled.
A creepy smile.
The man stiffened. He didn't know why, but something about her—despite her frail, delicate appearance—made him feel uneasy.
A subtle danger radiated from her.
As the cultivators moved away, Divya leaned in slightly, her voice a whisper.
"Want me to call them back?"
The man's head snapped toward her, suspicion flashing in his eyes. "What?"
Had he misheard?
Divya raised three fingers, her movements slow, deliberate. "My price for silence."
His brows furrowed. "Three? Three what?"
She mouthed the word without making a sound.
"Money."
His expression darkened as he glanced down. "You mean… three gold?"
A sharp scoff left Divya's lips. She gave him a condescending look before shaking her head. "Are you crazy? I'm talking about three—"
She trailed off, her eyes glinting with amusement.
The man hesitated. "Thirty gold coins?"
Divya's eerie smile widened.
His throat tightened. "Three hundred?"
She shook her head again.
A cold shiver ran down his spine. "Three thousand?"
Still, she shook her head.
The air between them thickened, charged with an unspoken challenge.
How much was her silence worth?
Divya didn't give a fixed answer.
Why?
Because even she didn't know how much her silence was worth.
She was simply assuming that this man had done something wrong—she had no proof, no real leverage. If he simply told her to shut up, she might have to.