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墨書 Inktalez
Lu Yao sat trembling on the bed, listening to the increasingly urgent knocking on the door, fear making him shift uncomfortably. If he didn't go out soon, the people outside would likely break the door down.
They were a bunch of brutes, ruthless and dangerous. Strangely enough, the people outside were those he had met when he went looking for human traffickers. At that time, he had rushed to their temporary hideout, and just as he was about to make a deal, a man who had been standing silently beside him suddenly spoke up.
"Do you sell women?"
Lu Yao looked at him, taking in the man's beard and muscular build, which made him step back in fright. "W-what kind of woman do you want?"
"A woman who can bear children. If you have one for sale, I’ll buy her. Here’s ten dollars." The man pulled out a ten-dollar bill from his pocket and shoved it into Lu Yao's hand.
"This is just a deposit. Once you deliver her to me, I’ll give you the rest."
For some reason, the face of Wen Qian flashed in Lu Yao's mind at that moment. He stared at the money in his hand, his palm tightening around it as his fingertips traced the edge of the bill.
"Where are you taking her? I need to ensure my safety," he asked the man.
The man let out a cold laugh. "Don't worry about that; even if she has the guts, she won't escape in the deep mountains."
Listening to the man's rough tone and thick accent, Lu Yao sensed he was likely from the nearby mountains. He felt a pang of worry for Lu Zheng, who was far away in a military camp; if he found out...
But then he thought of Lu Chen. If Lu Chen was sold off, Wen Qian would have to be dealt with too; otherwise, if she contacted Lu Zheng, it would truly be over.
"Alright, wait for my news. I’ll sell," Lu Yao finally said.
"Are you sure she can bear children?" the man pressed.
"Yes, she can bear children—she's just a bit thin," Lu Yao replied hesitantly as he looked at the man.
The man waved his hand dismissively. "As long as she can bear children, I don’t care if she's thin."
Once the trafficker confirmed the deal, he quickly took the money and hurried off to inform his associate, giving him a specific time for tonight.
However, Wen Qian, that wretched woman, could not be sold now. He had calculated everything, but unexpectedly, something went wrong halfway, leading to his complete downfall.
Lu Yao trembled as he approached the door, cautiously opening it to see several men standing outside. Fear made him shrink back slightly. The man saw Lu Yao and pushed him aside, impatiently asking what was taking so long. "Where is she? Hurry up and bring her out!"
Inside the room, Wen Qian heard the man's voice and nearly dropped the cup she was holding. It was caught securely by Lu Zheng, who looked at her with concern.
Wen Qian's body shook even more violently, her mind a chaotic mess of scenes from her past life. She instinctively wanted to curl up in a corner.
Lu Yao quickly shut the door and bent over beside the man, his voice trembling as he said, "Brother Liu, we can't sell her anymore. I... I'll return your deposit." He hurriedly pulled out ten yuan from his pocket and respectfully handed it to the man.
Brother Liu glared at him and grabbed his collar, lifting him off the ground. Lu Yao's toes barely touched the floor as he looked up at the man in terror. "You’re telling me you can’t sell her now? Do you dare to fool me? Do you believe I’ll take your life?"
"Brother Liu, it really can’t be sold anymore. The... the person is gone."
Lu Yao cautiously glanced at the thatched cottage, feeling resentment toward Lu Zheng for not coming out to save him, for refusing to help when he was in danger. Yet he also secretly hoped that both of them would come out; Brother Liu brought so many people that they could surely overpower Lu Zheng. At that point, he might just turn the tables.
Even if he couldn't, he could at least drive these thugs away and save himself.
"Where is she? Speak clearly!"
Brother Liu raised his hand and threw Lu Yao to the ground, stepping on his thigh with force. Lu Yao cried out in pain, grasping at the man's leg in desperation. "Ah, Brother Liu, I know I was wrong! I know I was wrong! Just let me go and I’ll explain slowly."
Brother Liu lifted his foot and squatted down to pat Lu Yao's face mockingly. "Kid, if you dare to fool me, I’ll kill you right now."
"Brother Liu, I wouldn’t dare! It’s true we can’t sell her! She... she’s in that house!"
Lu Yao closed his eyes and pointed toward the thatched cottage.
Brother Liu and his men were not fools; seeing Lu Yao's fearful expression made them realize there couldn’t possibly be just one woman inside—there had to be others as well.
He scanned the surroundings and noticed the main house had already been torn down; he understood this situation was far from simple. If he didn’t have some brains, how could he survive in the city and make it out of the mountains?
He grabbed Lu Yao's hair and pulled it back, forcing them to face each other. "You better tell me clearly, who else is in the house?"
"Brother Liu, I wouldn't dare lie to you. She's right in that room," Lu Yao replied.
Brother Liu seized Lu Yao's hand, exerting pressure as he twisted his wrist. A sharp crack echoed through the air.
"Ah!" Lu Yao's anguished cry filled the room, causing Ding Cuiying, who had been sitting inside, to spring into action. Ignoring Lu Yao's warnings, she rushed to open the door.
However, as soon as the door swung open, she was met with the sight of several people standing in the yard. Terrified, she quickly slammed the door shut again.
"I'm so scared, I'm so scared," she gasped, leaning against the door.
The people outside noticed her movements. Brother Liu exchanged a glance with one of his companions, who immediately approached her.
Lu Yao looked pleadingly at the man. "Brother Liu, it's my mother and father inside. My parents are old; they aren't as young as that woman in there."
Inside the thatched house, Wen Qian trembled at the sound of Lu Yao's cry. Feeling someone grip her shoulder from behind, she bit down on her hand to stifle a scream.
Turning around in fear to look at Lu Zheng, her eyes filled with tears as she reached out to embrace his waist, unable to hold back her sobs.
She was truly terrified. In her past life, she had constantly thought about dying while trapped in that cellar, but she could never die.
Lu Zheng felt a dampness spreading across his abdomen and gently patted her shoulder. He had no idea what she had gone through; for the first time, he felt utterly powerless.
Before long, a man forcefully kicked open the tightly shut door, sending Ding Cuiying tumbling to the ground.
The man entered the room and took a quick look around before grabbing Ding Cuiying's face to inspect her. He then released her with a look of disdain.
He turned to Brother Liu and shook his head. "Just an old woman and a nearly dead old man."
Brother Liu's gaze shifted toward the thatched house, his eyes narrowing slightly as a smirk curled at the corners of his mouth. "Now tell me, who else is in there?"
Lu Yao felt the grip on his hair tighten further, and a sharp pain shot through his scalp.
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