Chapter 632

Chapter 632: Oh Ho, Returning Home

Mai Feng’s body ached terribly, but Shan Shan was still burning with fever. He carried Shan Shan on his back, using the wall for support as he struggled to his feet.

Each step was unsteady, his breath thick with the scent of blood.

That night, Shan Shan took another dose of medicine, yet his fever had not subsided. However, after eating, he felt a bit stronger. He lay quietly on Mai Feng’s back, listening to his labored breathing grow heavier with each step.

Shan Shan furrowed his brows slightly, pretending to be obedient.

[Once I leave this place, I’ll escape Lu Chao Chao’s grasp. I must not cause trouble, I must not cause trouble,] he repeated to himself.

Yet Mai Feng’s breath in his ear grew more ragged.

The man carrying a blade led several children out of the cellar. Doubt clouded his heart. Strange… why hadn’t the esteemed guest opened the door?

Earlier, when knocking, he had vaguely heard a scream. It sounded like the guest.

Everything was as usual—no, something was different!

After the Grand Buddhist Gathering, Lotus City had distributed protective talismans to all villagers. These talismans had been blessed under the sacred radiance of the Bodhisattva, possessing…

The power to repel evil.

The man’s hand trembled, his steps faltering as he swallowed hard. His eyes widened in shock at his own realization.

At that moment, his wife had already opened the door.

A noble figure, clad in black robes and a hooded cloak, stepped into the courtyard.

The man glanced up, his eyes inadvertently landing on the door.

His pupils contracted violently, his cheeks twitched uncontrollably, and even his eyelids quivered.

On the door, the protective Buddha talisman bore five blackened handprints.

Was this the source of the scream?

“Hurry up, don’t keep the guest waiting. We’re about to strike it rich! That money pouch at their waist is so heavy!” The woman’s eyes gleamed with greed. Though she had been nervous when opening the door, all her worries vanished upon seeing the weighty pouch at the noble’s side.

Pouring a cup of tea for the guest, she quickly hurried over to her husband.

She found his hesitation odd. Why was he dawdling, and why was he making strange faces at her?

Even with his head lowered, the man could feel the noble’s amused gaze on him. Clenching his teeth, he forced a smile and stepped forward.

“We’ve been waiting for you, esteemed guest. This batch of goods is top quality.”

“Three pairs of virgin boys and girls, all born in years and months of pure Yin energy.” He dared not lift his head, cold sweat dripping from his brow.

The woman, eager to profit, added with a flattering tone, “Esteemed guest, gathering these children was no easy feat. We nearly exhausted all our efforts. You must not shortchange us…”

“You have no idea—the city is under lockdown.”

“Soon, we will have no choice but to flee Brahma Kingdom. Life in exile will be tough,” she tried to raise the price, seeing that money didn’t seem to interest the guest.

“These children are fortunate to follow you. They are obedient, won’t escape, and won’t cause you any trouble. Look at the price…”

The man panicked and quickly interjected, “Don’t listen to her nonsense. Women know nothing. Esteemed guest, whatever you see fit is enough.”

He shot a fierce glare at his wife.

The woman, intimidated by his gaze, fell silent.

The cloaked man sat quietly in a chair. Though his hood obscured his face, the man could feel his penetrating gaze upon him.

He gripped the cleaver in his hand tightly, his legs shaking involuntarily.

“Are you afraid of me? Because of this?” The cloaked man rasped, lifting his hand.

His voice carried a mocking edge.

His hand bore burn marks, the exposed flesh rotting with blackened, decaying streaks. A foul stench filled the air.

With a thud, the man gripping the cleaver collapsed to his knees, bowing his head desperately. “Mercy, esteemed guest! Mercy! Take them all if you wish! No money, not a single coin needed!”

“If you ever need anything in the future, you can find me.”

Having seen the burn marks on the cloaked man’s hand, he understood completely.

Only an evil spirit could be harmed by a Buddha talisman!

An evil spirit!

Only something unholy would be unable to cross the threshold!

The man now cursed his own greed. How could he have been so blinded by wealth to deal in such forbidden business?

Trembling, he was overcome with fear. His wife stared at the blackened handprints, then turned sharply to look at the courtyard gate.

The talisman on the door. The massive, scorched prints.

Terror seized her heart. She fell back onto the ground, mouth agape, ready to scream.

The moment her mouth opened, the cloaked man flicked his wrist.

Blood splattered.

The woman clutched her throat in horror—her neck had been sliced open.

She collapsed, wide-eyed, as blood gushed from the wound.

The children were paralyzed with fear. Their mouths opened to scream but instinctively covered themselves, stifling their cries. Their faces turned red from holding their breath, and tears streamed down their cheeks.

“You’re rather clever…” the cloaked man murmured with amusement.

The man kneeling on the ground trembled so violently that even his teeth chattered. His robe concealed his shaking hands—and the cleaver hidden within.

“Esteemed guest, take them. Consider it my humble offering.”

Shan Shan, lying against Mai Feng’s back, suddenly opened his eyes.

That familiar aura…

Was this the subordinate who had performed a ritual for him in the depths of the desert?

Recalling the bloodstains that had once covered the sacrificial formation, Shan Shan’s brows knitted together.

“Pay? I never planned to pay…” the cloaked man chuckled, loosening his money pouch.

Inside, there was nothing but clumps of dirt.

“Do you really think you deserve my gold ingots? Perhaps you should check the treasure I left for you?” he sneered, finding mortal greed endlessly amusing.

The trafficker froze. Earlier, he had sold another batch and received gold ingots in return.

It was precisely because of this payment that he had planned to make this his last deal before retiring.

He had hidden the gold at home, beneath the third brick under the table.

Hands trembling, he dug up the hidden stash, only to find—not gold, but a fist-sized rock!

From beginning to end, he had been deceived!

There had never been a fortune! No ingots!

The man’s eyes turned bloodshot with rage. Driven to madness, he leapt up, swinging his cleaver at the evil spirit. “I’ll kill you!!”

Human trafficking was a crime with a death sentence hanging over his head. If discovered, he would be torn apart by an enraged populace.

Yet the cloaked man remained seated, motionless.

The cleaver halted mid-air before reaching his neck, unable to move forward.

The evil spirit extended his slender, pale fingers, grasping the man’s throat. His feet lifted off the ground, the cleaver clattering to the floor.

His eyes bulged as his body convulsed violently.

Slowly, his limbs lost strength and went limp.

The cloaked man flung his lifeless body into the corner, shaking his hand in distaste.

The children were too terrified to move. One even wet himself.

Shan Shan remained still on Mai Feng’s back.

[Oh ho, looks like I’m heading home!]