Before the house was raided, the maidservant of the Prime Minister's residence absconded with t

After about half an hour, the man finally stopped.

Ayan was placed heavily on the ground, his back hitting the ground, which hurt painfully.

He heard a rustling sound, as if the ropes on the sack had been untied.

As the light shone in, he squinted and saw a pair of straw sandals covered in mud and a tear in the coarse cloth trousers.

"Boss, I've brought this little brat here."

The man's voice was rough and gruff, with a hint of boasting.

Ayan's heart skipped a beat.

Boss?

He was pulled out of the sack like a chick.

The surroundings were very dark, like a dilapidated temple or an abandoned woodshed, with a damp, musty smell and the stench of rotten wood in the air.

In the corner were some broken wooden boxes and straw, and a hole in the roof let in a few rays of cold moonlight.

There were two people standing in front of me.

One of them was the one who carried him here earlier; he was big and burly, with a fierce face and a plaster on his forehead.

Another person sat on a crooked chair, with a thin, long face, triangular eyes, and a straw stick dangling from the corner of his mouth. He was looking Ayan up and down, his gaze as if he were assessing the price of a piece of goods.

Ayan's heart sank.

He remembered what Sister Tao had told him about taking pictures of flowers.

Kidnappers specifically target children, abducting them and selling them elsewhere. Some are sold to be laborers, some to circus troupes, and some... He dared not think any further.

But he neither cried nor made a sound.

He knew that crying out was useless; the place was too remote, and no one would hear him even if he shouted himself hoarse.

He just stared at the "boss" without moving, his lips pressed tightly together.

The man with the triangular eyes paused for a moment, then laughed, spat out the straw from his mouth, bent down, leaned closer, and said in a sticky voice, "Oh, this little brat is quite calm."

Aren't you afraid?

Ayan didn't answer, but secretly began to observe.

He was certain they were the ones who had been photographed, because there were three other children in the room, two boys and a girl.

The man with the triangular eyes also sized up Ayan, straightened up, and waved to the burly man: "Lock him up for now, send him away first thing tomorrow morning."

They're coming to pick us up tonight; the price's agreed upon: fifty taels.

The burly man chuckled, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth: "The boss is really something, negotiating such a high price."

"This little rascal is good-looking, with a clever look on his face; they'll definitely like him over there."

As Ayan listened to their conversation, he gradually calmed down.

He remembered a saying his Uncle Shi had taught him: "Don't panic when things happen, or you'll make a mess of things, and you'll lose everything."

He took a deep breath and, through the hole in the broken roof, saw a corner of the night sky outside, where a few stars shone coldly.

He thought to himself: Sister Peach and Sister Winter Sunflower must have already discovered that I'm missing.

Uncle Shi and Brother Achen must be looking for me too.

He believed they would come.

Hopefully, Sister Tao and the others can find the glowing guide powder he left behind along the way.

This was given to him by Sister Tao'er, who said it could be used to guide the way at night. He casually put it in his pocket when he went out.

This herbal powder has a natural herbal fragrance and a magical effect.

It means that after being scattered, it will emit a glow in the dark for a while, and hopefully Sister Tao and the others will be able to find it.

Ayan leaned against the earthen wall, buried his head between his legs, and trembled as if he were scared.

The other children looked at the two people with expressions of horror.

It occasionally let out frightened whimpers, but dared not cry loudly, probably because it had been threatened before.

The henchman chuckled, "Boss, look at that kid, he's actually scared."

The leader snorted coldly, "He's just a little kid who's only a few years old, how could he not be scared?"

"Ma Zi, you stay and keep an eye on them. I'm going back to get some sleep; I'm exhausted."

After saying that, he turned and left.

The guy called Pockmarked glared at them fiercely, then shouted, "You lot, behave yourselves! If anyone tries to run away, I'll throw you into the back mountains to feed the wolves."

After saying that, he walked to a nearby bonfire and sat down, facing them directly so he could see them clearly.

Meanwhile, the crowd on the long street had gradually dispersed.

Tao'er's eyes reddened with anxiety, and she held onto Dong Kui's sleeve tightly, refusing to let go.

Xiao Yi, Qingfeng, and Achen ran over from the other end. Seeing Tao'er and the others like this, they immediately asked, "Tao'er, Miss Dongkui, what happened?"

Tao'er sobbed as she spoke, "Seventh Brother Shi, Ayan, he..."

He's gone!

"What?"

Where is Ayan?

Could it be that there were too many people and they got separated in the rush?

Xiao Yi frowned slightly, his face filled with worry.

Dongkui quickly chimed in, "I don't know, but Tao'er and I called for a long time and still couldn't see Ayan..."

Upon hearing Dongkui's words, the expressions on everyone's faces turned sour.

"Brother Shi Qi, I suspect that Ayan might have been kidnapped by the kidnappers?"

Should we report this to the authorities?

Tao'er was almost certain of her suspicions; the commotion earlier was probably caused by the flower-picking.

They usually commit crimes in groups.

She was holding both Ayan's and Dongkui's hands when they were quickly separated by the crowd.

"Now that Ayan has just disappeared, the government officials may not necessarily come out."

Besides, the shift has already ended, so even if the government wants to intervene, they should wait until tomorrow, right?

We still need to start looking for it ourselves.

Ah Chen spoke up.

"What should we do then?"

Tao'er and Dongkui asked in unison.

"Young Master Chen is right, the government may not intervene at this time."

Let's split up and search!

"Peach, don't worry, we will find Ayan."

Xiao Yi said in a deep voice, his tone carrying an undeniable determination.

"Young Master Chen, you and Qingfeng head east."

Qingfeng, you and Dongkui head west.

Peach, lead me back the way we came to find it.

Whether we find it or not, we'll meet here in half an hour.

The group nodded, turned around, and disappeared into the night.

The lanterns along the long street were still lit, one by one, illuminating the empty street in a lively and bustling manner.

The aroma of roasted chestnuts had not yet dissipated, and the occasional sound of firecrackers could still be heard in the distance.

But Tao'er's heart felt as if a stone had been dropped on it, heavy and sinking with every step she took.

She walked and shouted, her voice cracking: "Ayan..."

Ah Yan…”

No one answered.

"Tao'er, we haven't seen any suspicious people along the way."

I think that even though Hua Zi kidnapped A Yan, he probably hasn't had time to sell him yet.

The people who take pictures of beggars will definitely need to find a place to settle them; they certainly wouldn't dare leave them in a crowded place like an inn.

They won't spend money to stay in a guesthouse.

Their focus was always on the city, and they never considered the area outside the city.

Tao'er's eyes lit up. "Seventh Brother Shi, do you mean that the beggars might have settled people outside the city?"

Xiao Yi nodded. "Very likely. As far as I know, there is a long-abandoned dilapidated temple outside the city, only about two miles from the city gate."

That place should be very suitable for Tibetans.

"Brother Shi Qi, let's hurry up and leave. There's only one hour left until curfew, or we won't be able to get out."

Tao'er immediately pulled Xiao Yi towards the outskirts of the city.

"Walking there like this will take too much time, Tao'er, I'm sorry..."

Before Tao'er could react, Xiao Yi pulled her into his arms and then leaped up.

Tao'er felt dizzy: Is this the legendary light-body skill?

Is that really that awesome?

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they arrived at the city gate; they were really fast.

"Peach, I apologize for my rudeness just now. I had no choice but to do so!"

Xiao Yi apologized, his heart still pounding wildly.

"It's...it's okay!"

Tao'er shook her head shyly, lowered her eyes, and looked down; she was still a little dizzy.

In a fleeting moment, she noticed a glowing light on the ground at the city gate.

Tao'er immediately squatted down to examine it carefully, and a faint medicinal fragrance entered her nostrils.