The night was dark, shrouded in an air of menace. Danger lurked in every shadow.

In the depths of the endless mountain range, a few points of starlight suddenly appeared. Like sparks in the boundless darkness, they brought a fleeting hope, dispelling the surrounding gloom. The wind whispered through the trees, carrying with it the promise of an approaching storm.

“Chase her! That woman is weak and has been starving for two days. She can’t have gone far!” A rough, cold voice echoed under the starlight, filled with malice, breaking the silence of the forest. The air was thick with the scent of pine and earth, mingling with the faint aroma of fear.

“Damn it, boss, that woman ran into Xianmiao Village territory.” The moving starlight halted. A dark-skinned, thin man, panting heavily, supported himself on his knees, hesitation in his voice as he addressed the tall, burly leader, “Should we keep chasing?”

“Do you want to lose the wife you paid for?” He Kun glanced at him coldly, his eyes reflecting the faint light like shards of broken glass.

“But the people of Xianmiao Village are difficult and xenophobic. They love to help others and uphold justice. If they find out what we’re doing, they won’t let us get away with it.” The thin man seemed to recall a terrifying memory, his voice trembling. “Most importantly, their village is protected by a deity!”

“A deity?” He Kun, who never believed in such things, sneered. “If there were really deities, I’d have died countless times by now.”

He had blood on his hands, countless sins, yet he lived better than most people. He enjoyed wealth, luxury, and the support of many, acting recklessly. If there were deities, he should have been struck by lightning long ago. The heavens were blind, and there were no deities to save or uphold justice.

The thin man hesitated. “But, but there really is a deity in Xianmiao Village. I saw it when I was a child!” As he spoke, long-buried memories resurfaced vividly—cold, lifeless eyes, devoid of any human emotion, and a skeletal creature not quite human. Liu Xia’er felt his legs go weak and collapsed to the ground.

“Pathetic.” He Kun spat, glaring at him with ruthless eyes. “Even if there is a deity, so what? That woman is your wife. A deity can’t interfere with your marital life.”

Seeing him still cowering on the ground, He Kun’s patience ran out. He kicked the man. “Think carefully. If that woman escapes, I don’t know if a deity will trouble you, but the police definitely will!”

“And all the money you worked so hard to save will be gone.”

The woman’s family background was not ordinary. If not for the generous reward, he wouldn’t have taken such a risky job. If she escaped, they’d all be in serious trouble.

Perhaps it was his threat, or Liu Xia’er’s reluctance to lose the money he spent, but after a couple of minutes, Liu Xia’er stood up, head lowered, and followed He Kun.

Seeing him comply, He Kun’s mood lightened, and his tone softened. “That’s right. Listen to me, and you won’t lose out.”

“Boom!” A muffled thunder echoed in the sky. Dark clouds spread overhead like a giant iron pot, growing thicker and lower as hot winds howled, stirring up the vegetation, making the already dim visibility even worse.

A storm was coming.

He Kun’s thick eyebrows knitted together. He bent down, scanning the ground with a flashlight, stopping at a trampled patch of grass. “This way. Move quickly. If it rains, the tracks will be washed away, and finding her will be much harder.”

The men responded, their spirits lifted, and they quickly followed him.

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Among them, Liu Xia’er lifted his head, looking at the direction they were headed, his pupils shrinking. Instinctively, he wanted to retreat, but being near the front, he was pushed forward by those behind him.

Liu Xia’er’s face turned visibly pale.

As a familiar yet blurry silhouette appeared in the distance, his face drained of color. Anyone who looked closely would see his pallor, stiff limbs, and fearful expression, as if he’d seen a ghost.

“Boss, there’s light ahead. Looks like a house. Maybe she ran inside?”

“Let’s check it out.”

***

Run, keep running, don’t stop, you mustn’t get caught!

Her heart pounded wildly, almost giving out. Her legs felt like they were filled with lead, too heavy to move.

Her chest was tight, her breathing rapid, her throat dry and burning with each breath.

But Bai Luan didn’t stop. She couldn’t stop, she didn’t dare stop.

The darkness obscured her vision, fatigue dulled her senses, and the sudden mountain wind carried the sounds from behind.

“Hurry, that woman is just ahead.” Bai Luan heard the terrifying voice.

She gritted her teeth, swallowing her sobs, her eyes scanning frantically around her.

Suddenly, a light appeared in her vision, like a beacon in the night, warm and bright, silently beckoning her.

The wind grew stronger, carrying sand and stones that stung her face, leaving small scratches. The scent of rain mingled with the tang of blood and sweat.

The sand in her eyes made tears stream down.

Ignoring the tears, she instinctively ran towards the light, stopping abruptly near the door, hesitating. She heard voices inside.

“Grandpa, the wind is picking up outside. It looks like it’s going to rain heavily. Are we still going down the mountain tonight?”

A child’s voice. Bai Luan’s oxygen-deprived brain tried to process it, but before she could fully recover, she heard an old man’s voice. “No, we won’t go down tonight. We’ll stay here.”

In the mountains, a small house in the wilderness, an old man and a young boy, it was eerie and mysterious, like something out of a ghost story. She had heard tales of the Xianmiao Village, a place whispered about in the villages—a sanctuary protected by ancient spirits, untouched by the corruption of the outside world.

She heard the footsteps behind her, chaotic and heavy, indicating a group of people.

Danger ahead, danger behind, Bai Luan was caught between a rock and a hard place.

“Crack!” A bolt of lightning tore through the sky, briefly illuminating the darkness. In that momentary light, Bai Luan saw the “small house” clearly.

It was a temple. The temple was painted red with white walls. Due to age, some of the paint had peeled off, revealing the dark brown stone beneath. Tall ancient trees surrounded the temple, forming a protective canopy. The air was thick with the scent of incense and ancient wood, a stark contrast to the chaos outside.

A temple, deities, devotees, a harmless old man and a boy, vicious human traffickers—thoughts flashed through Bai Luan’s mind, finally settling on the ancient temple.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed open the old wooden door.

“Squeak.” The door opened, and the wild wind rushed in, making the candles on the altar flicker, casting an eerie glow on the old man and the boy who turned to look at her.

“Bang.” Bai Luan shivered and quickly closed the door, leaning her back against it, watching the people in the temple with caution and anxiety.

The long curtains hanging from the beams gradually stopped swaying, falling silently. The flickering candlelight steadied, illuminating the entire hall. The walls were adorned with faded murals, depicting stories of ancient heroes and forgotten gods.

“I…” Bai Luan finally saw the faces of the old man and the boy, and the statue behind them.

The boy had dark skin, with eyes as bright and shiny as black obsidian.

The old man was tall and thin, with a wrinkled face but gentle, loving eyes.

Behind them, the statue had a human head and a dragon body, its expression fierce, eyes cold and indifferent. The deity Nuwa, protector of the village, her gaze seemed to pierce through the dim light, exuding a sense of calm and authority.

The old man and the boy didn’t look threatening. Their expressions weren’t malicious. They seemed trustworthy… right?

Thoughts raced through her mind. Bai Luan took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm the discomfort from running, and took a leap of faith. “Someone is chasing me. Can you help me?”

The candle on the altar flickered, emitting a spark, lighting up the girl’s current state more clearly.

Her clothes were disheveled, hair messy, her oversized clothes dirty, some parts torn, revealing dried blood underneath, and her shoes had leaves stuck to them.

Her small face was marked with black, white, and red streaks, her expression fearful, eyes unsettled.

She looked like she’d fallen many times in the mountains, scratched by branches countless times.

“Who’s chasing you?” The boy’s black and white eyes widened, filled with disbelief, curiosity, and anger. “Why are they chasing you?”

“Because… because.” Bai Luan hugged herself, trembling, gritting her teeth, forcing out the words, “They’re human traffickers. I was kidnapped and sold here by them!”

“Human traffickers?” The boy had never left the village or gone to school, not knowing what human traffickers were, but instinctively feeling it was bad. “Grandpa,what are human traffickers? Are they bad people?”

“Yes, they are bad people.” The old man’s eyes showed understanding. He patted his grandson’s head, speaking gently to the girl at the door. “Come in, child. We are not bad people. No one in the village has ever bought a wife. You don’t need to be afraid.”

Hearing that no one in the village had ever engaged in human trafficking, and seeing the child’s innocence and the old man’s kindness, Bai Luan finally relaxed, her heart slowly settling.

Once her tense nerves relaxed, the fatigue from running and escaping hit her. She leaned against the door, her body giving out.

“Sister.” The boy exclaimed, running over to help her, but being small and weak, he couldn’t pull her up despite turning red in the face.

“Grandpa.” The boy looked at his grandfather for help, who smiled and walked over to assist.

“Close the door, child.”

The old man hadn’t forgotten what the girl had said earlier—someone was chasing her.

“Okay.” The boy remembered the girl’s words and quickly found the door latch, securing the door. Then he climbed onto a stool and began closing the windows from inside.

As he closed the last window, he saw several beams of light approaching their location, along with the faces of several fierce-looking men.

“Grandpa, it’s bad, those bad guys are coming after us.”

Bai Luan’s heart skipped a beat.

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