Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

Xu San'er felt heartache and liver pain, but could only watch the spirit stone drift away from him.

This gamble is on whether the trip will be safe and smooth. If he rolls a six, he has a very high chance of being able to take these children away from the chaotic southern lands. This is an opportunity that cannot be missed.

Xu San'er was very happy to be able to buy the children.

Xu San'er was very unhappy that the spirit stone had left him.

This complex mix of emotions was evident on his face, so every time he saw a child he bought, he was very displeased and had a fierce look on his face.

On the contrary, they were able to successfully deceive the monks guarding the camp.

He took the rope and said in an unfriendly tone:

"You little brats, I've lost all my money."

Xu San'er deliberately acted like a ruthless, arrogant, and cunning evil cultivator, leading a string of children out of the camp.

A monk's voice came from behind: "Why are you buying so many children?"

Xu San'er had traveled all over the country in his early years, and later joined the Star-Picking Tower, where he had seen all kinds of storms. He sneered without changing his expression, "What else can I do? Refine pills!"

"Oh, you're practicing alchemy?"

The cultivator scanned Xu San'er up and down, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, which meant—it seems his skill level isn't very good, how many furnaces has he cooked and he still isn't good enough.

That makes sense, though; these heinous pills are all highly potent, but very difficult to make into pills.

"Okay, if you succeed in refining it, tell me about it then. Maybe I'll have to buy one from you too."

"Then why don't you give me a discount? A few brats are asking me for so many spirit stones!"

As a businessman, Xu San'er was quite adept at witty banter. Even in dangerous situations, he would never reveal his true intentions and would immediately turn around to continue a thorough and enjoyable bargaining session.

Seeing this, the cultivator quickly raised the formation and said:

"No delivery!"

Xu San'er spat, tugged at the rope, and angrily shouted to the children behind him, "Hurry up and run! Anyone who tries to run away, I'll devour you alive!"

Jin Yuanbao and Xu San'er are also doing business this year.

But what they're doing is a business that squanders money.

What you buy is human life.

Seeing the spirit stones flowing out of his fingers, Xu San'er felt as if his heart was being torn apart; it was worse than death for him.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Therefore, Huang Feng was terrified throughout the journey.

Looking at the face of the cultivator in front, and seeing that the fat man's face was as black as iron, he seemed to dislike the children under him very much. Every time he glanced back, his eyes were full of complicated emotions.

Huang Feng dared not utter a sound.

They hurried along with their heads down, like quails.

He was still thinking about what the fat man had told the cultivator—that he would feed him for two months with grain. Thinking of this, he licked his chapped lips, and his stomach began to rumble again.

"what!"

The child in front of Huang Feng fell down, his mouth twitched, and he was about to start crying out of fear. Huang Feng quickly went over to help him up.

They were afraid that the fat man ahead would get angry and swallow them whole on the way.

As soon as I took a step forward, I saw Fatty turn around and look at me.

Huang Feng quickly withdrew his hand, began to tremble all over, and stood stiffly in place. Not only him, but the children beside him were also like quails with their throats being choked, not daring to utter a sound.

But the fat man simply reached out, picked up the fallen child, and helped him regain his balance.

"Take care!"

Huang Feng felt that he could breathe again.

The group continued moving forward.

Throughout the entire day, the fat man in front maintained his menacing appearance, but halfway through, he distributed water and biscuits to all the children.

Until we arrived at a certain place.

Huang Feng felt dizzy and was about to collapse. The journey was long, and he even felt that he would never make it out. But the fat man in front of him seemed to have breathed a sigh of relief.

The fat man found a deserted spot, sat down on the ground, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

He swore several times.

Then he conjured up food and water, a large horse made of black wood, and attached a wheeled cart to its back. He then took out some clothes and said:

"Eat quickly, and then change your clothes."

Huang Feng grabbed the fried dough stick handed to him, which contained meat filling, and wolfed it down.

After they all changed their clothes, Huang Feng and the others were ushered onto the wheeled vehicle behind them. Several children were crammed together, but no one dared to complain.

Galloping all the way.

Huang Feng saw the deserted village, passed through the jungle, and the magical horse turned into the mountains. Just before it was about to enter the miasma, the carriage and the horse suddenly lit up with light, enveloping everyone.

He saw slithering snakes and insects, surrounded by a pervasive poisonous gas, and psychedelic plants with vibrant colors.

It felt like a dream.

The fat man rode his big horse, turning left and right with the cart. The children behind him gasped softly. The sights and sounds along the way seemed to have given the children's eyes a special sparkle.

After passing through a dense forest that looked like it was filled with poisonous gas, we arrived at a cliff.

A bottomless abyss.

Below, a thick fog rolled in, thorns clung to the rocks, and an eerie purple mist spread, just like the dwelling place of a terrifying demon from a story.

Fatty didn't stop; he jumped off the carriage.

"Ahhh!"

The children screamed, nearly thrown out of the car by the jolting, but instead bumped into that soft light.

The horse began to stretch and transform, its wings suddenly unfurling as it soared down the cliff and landed smoothly in a cave nestled in the middle of the precipice.

Huang Feng was still in shock.

He saw that Fatty had dismounted from the horse and the cave entrance had been sealed off.

I quickly got off the bus and was given a "poison"—maybe it was poison—and then followed the fat man inside.

The fat man carried a torch, the only light in the cave. After walking for an unknown amount of time, the view suddenly opened up, and the group arrived at their final destination—

Huang Feng saw many flowers and plants.

They intertwine and entwine behind a transparent light film.

In the very center, amidst a profusion of flowers, lies a fairy, or perhaps a witch, or even an evil demon that eats children, sleeping peacefully.

She lay peacefully among the flowers, seemingly lost in a sweet dream.

Huang Feng was filled with fear and took a step back.

Because behind that membrane of light, within those enormous plants, there are still many, many, hundreds of children sleeping.

"Go inside. When you wake up, the world outside will be better. I'll buy you candy then."

Huang Feng saw the sleeping children, their faces smiling, breathing quietly, seemingly very happy.

So, as if by some strange twist of fate, amidst the terrified cries of the children around him, he took a step forward, reached out and touched the light membrane, and discovered that he could pass through it.

As Huang Feng walked in, a flower vine suddenly wrapped around him.

he exclaimed.

But sleepiness soon crept in.

Huang Feng closed his eyes with a mixture of fear, unease, and a sense of relief.

When he regained consciousness, he suddenly met several pairs of curious eyes.

He sat up abruptly, backing away in terror, only to find himself not dead, but surrounded by soft flowers. Huang Feng heard birdsong, the fragrance of flowers, the babbling of a stream, and the laughter of children.

It was like a beautiful dream.

Yes, it was like a beautiful dream.