Ling taizi (part 3)

Since they didn't buy food, they always kept the little money they earned in a dirty little bag, even though they knew they would only have to keep it there for a little while and that they would have to find shelter along the way. They wouldn't always be able to sleep in inns, but that didn't matter to them in the least.

They spent two months following this routine. Jing Shao would leave very early in the morning and stay a little later at night to sell enough. He was young, handsome, and very lovable, so they always bought absolutely everything from him.

The day before they decided to leave, Jing Shao stayed a little later at night.

"You're so handsome and so young," said a not-so-young lady. She wore quality clothes, so she seemed to have some money. Jing Shao smiled at this comment.

"Thank you very much, madam. May I offer you something?" The lady seemed to be thinking about something and ordered three figurines: two rabbits and a flower made with abundant spiritual energy.

Cultivators were very common in this village, so they weren't surprised to see the numbers.

"You're young and you work hard every day. Do you have a wife or family?"

"Jing Shao was very surprised to see her so sincere. He wasn't used to talking about marriage," he said nervously, his ears a little red.

"I don't have a wife, and my family died a long time ago. I'm doing this because I plan to go to the Longxu Kingdom tomorrow."

The lady gave an unusual smile with a strange gleam in her eyes. Jing Shao had a bad feeling.

"Huh? How interesting. My youngest daughter often buys you flowers and is of marriageable age. If you don't have a wife, may I introduce you to her?"

Jing Shao was so surprised he almost skipped a beat. He said with a smile, "I'm a nobody. I have no parents or family. Miss deserves better than me."

"Aiya, don't beat around the bush. My family is a merchant, so we don't need money. What do you like? My daughter is pretty and a good catch." Jing Shao didn't remember that young woman and felt very embarrassed, but when asked about his tastes, he really didn't know what to say. As expected, he always saw his brother with all kinds of women. The ministers introduced him to their daughters. His father often talked to him about marriage, but he simply wasn't interested.

There were both men and women present. Jing Shao stood back as far as he could. He never felt comfortable enough. So when the lady asked him something like that, he didn't know what to say. "I... I'm not looking for a wife, and besides, I'm leaving tomorrow, madam. Sorry," he said with a shy smile.

At the same time, Mu Yan arrived home from work and found that abandoned house. He took out the bag from the hiding place under the table where it had been hidden. Seeing that no one was there, Mu Yan sighed. Lately, he had gotten used to being alone.

But by chance, he heard a loud noise.

About six or seven men with sticks and brooms were laughing. Mu Yan was quick and hid the money behind his back.

"Huh? Don't hide it," said a tall, ugly man, laughing arrogantly. "Why don't you take it out and give it to us?"

Mu Yan was weak and much shorter than them. He simply couldn't do anything, but it was the money Jing Shao and Mu Yan had worked so hard to earn.

"I won't do it," he said firmly and without flinching.

The man sneered and said, "Do you want to die? Give us the money right now."

Mu Yan was stubborn to the end, but the outcome was inevitable.

When Jing Shao arrived, what greeted him was Mu Yan, severely injured and tortured. Jing Shao reacted quickly and went to see him.

"Sorry, I couldn't protect the money anymore... we can't go... to..."

He couldn't finish his sentence. He had lost a lot of blood. Mu Yan died in Jing Shao's arms.

ng Shao didn't cry, he stayed there for a while, he was tired of this scene, he wrapped Mu Yan in the old blanket he had for sleeping and covered him very carefully. Then he got up and took a mask out of his sleeve. It was the wolf mask he used to rob the lady and the girl. He put it on. He didn't know who had robbed them, but he put the mask on anyway, and summoned Lianxin.

He put up a huge barrier in the village, he fell into the house, women, children, and the elderly. It didn't matter. It didn't matter how much they screamed. They were all massacred. It didn't matter. His hands were stained with blood. It didn't matter anymore. When he was about to leave the village, tears came out of his cheeks. "I'm sorry, I couldn't protect you," said Jing Shao before leaving without looking back.