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

"Tao'er, what's wrong?"

Was it too fast just now, and it made you uncomfortable?

I'm sorry, I was only thinking about finding Ayan as quickly as possible, I didn't control my speed...

When Xiao Yi saw Tao'er squatting there with her head down, he immediately panicked.

He didn't control his speed and must have made Tao'er dizzy. He momentarily forgot that she didn't have internal energy like him.

Tao'er looked up, smiled, and shook her head at him. "Seventh Brother Shi, you've misunderstood. I'm not feeling unwell."

Look what this is...!

Xiao Yi looked in the direction Tao'er pointed and saw some fireflies flashing in front of her.

Immediately sensing something, she quickly asked, "Tao'er, what are these glowing things?"

"Could it be that you've discovered a clue about Ayan?"

"Yes, Brother Shi Qi, these glowing fluorescent powders are also called guiding powders. I made them myself and then gave them to Ayan."

I never expected that the little guy would actually carry it with him.

This is a mark he left intentionally; you can see it earlier too.

Tao'er pointed to a spot a little ahead.

Xiao Yi looked up and saw that there really was one.

"So that's how it is. I didn't expect Ayan to be so intelligent. Let's hurry out of the city!"

Ayan has definitely been captured and taken out of the city.

Xiao Yi said happily.

Tao nodded. "Okay, let's go quickly!"

Ayan must be in that dilapidated temple about a mile outside the city.

The two quickly left the city.

It had only been a quarter of an hour since we left the city, and the dilapidated temple was already in sight.

"It's the one up ahead."

Xiao Yi said in a low voice, his gaze fixed on the dilapidated temple like that of a hawk.

Tao followed closely behind him, her forehead already beaded with sweat, but her steps did not falter in the slightest.

Her heart was pounding, and her mind was filled with Ah Yan's innocent face.

I wonder if the child will be scared!

I should have known better than to bring him out to see the lanterns.

Oh dear, danger really is everywhere!

If she finds out which bastard kidnapped Ayan, she'll definitely teach him a lesson he won't be able to bear, making him wish he were dead.

Tao'er cursed inwardly.

The dilapidated temple is getting closer.

The weeds in front of the temple had been trampled into a messy path, indicating that many people had been here recently.

Xiao Yi slowed his pace and listened intently.

The faint sound of children sobbing could be heard from inside the temple. It wasn't just one child; it was the voices of several children mixed together, like suppressed whimpers, coming out intermittently.

He gestured to Tao'er, and the two silently approached the temple gate.

The moment the scene inside the temple came into view, Tao'er felt a rush of blood to her head.

Five or six children were huddled in a corner, the oldest being no more than seven or eight years old, and the youngest looking only four or five.

Their clothes were filthy, their faces were streaked with dried tears, and their eyes were filled with terror.

Among these children, a small, thin figure suddenly stood up, and Tao'er almost cried out at the familiar face.

That's Ayan.

Ayan saw her too. The expression on his little face changed from disbelief to ecstasy. His lips trembled, as if he wanted to shout but dared not.

But the guards weren't pushovers either.

He was a man with a pockmarked face, a large and burly build, and a pair of triangular eyes that gleamed with a fierce light.

He was sitting lazily by the fire eating dry rations when he saw a stranger at the door, and he immediately sprang up like a spring.

His reaction was indeed quick; almost instinctively, he pulled the little girl closest to him to his side and held the gleaming dagger to her delicate neck.

"Don't move!" Ma Zi shouted sternly, his voice echoing in the empty, dilapidated temple.

The little girl was so frightened that she burst into tears, her tears streaming down her face, her small body trembling like a leaf in the wind.

She tried desperately to break free, but the man's hands gripped her arms like iron clamps, making it impossible for her to move.

In that chaotic moment, Ayan seized the opportunity.

Taking advantage of Ma Zi's attention being focused on the doorway, he crouched down and slipped out from the group of children in a flash, running to Tao'er's side in just a few steps.

Tao'er hugged him tightly, pressing her hand firmly against the back of his head, as if afraid he would be taken away again.

The other children realized what was happening too.

Although they were young, they weren't stupid. They could tell that the older brother and sister at the door had come to rescue the child they had kidnapped that night.

That instinct to see hope in such a desperate situation made them stand up one by one from the corner and stumble towards Tao'er and Xiao Yi.

The relief of surviving the ordeal shone in their small eyes. Some people tightly gripped Tao'er's clothes, while others hid behind Xiao Yi, not daring to utter a sound. All of them were trembling slightly.

Ma Zi was furious at the sight, but there was nothing he could do. The boss hadn't returned yet, and he couldn't handle it alone.

The young man in front of him clearly knows martial arts; he's no match for him.

Xiao Yi quickly glanced at the situation and had already made up his mind.

He lowered his voice and said to Tao'er, "Take Ayan and the other children outside first and wait for me there."

Tao looked up at him, her lips moved, but in the end she didn't say anything, she just nodded heavily.

She bent down, holding Ayan's hand with one hand and calling to the other children with the other, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, and carefully retreated towards the temple gate.

She believed in Xiao Yi's abilities; he was more than capable of dealing with a con artist.

Moreover, she knew in her heart that their presence would only be a hindrance, and if a fight broke out, these children would become a burden.

Tao'er led the children out of the dilapidated temple, and the temple suddenly felt much emptier.

As Ma Zi watched the children leave one by one, a flicker of panic crossed his eyes, but he still held a hostage in his hand.

The little girl was so frightened that she couldn't speak. Tears streamed silently down her face, which was as pale as paper. A faint white mark was left on her neck from the blade.

"Don't come any closer!"

Ma Zi shouted at Xiao Yi, his voice already showing obvious tension.

"If you dare to move, I'll kill her right now!"

Do you believe it or not?

Xiao Yi stood there, his figure as imposing as an iron tower, his gaze coldly fixed on Ma Zi.

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but carrying a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine: "Put down the knife, release the child, and I'll let you go."

Ma Zi sneered, but his laughter was clearly weak: "Let me go?"

Do you think I'm a three-year-old?

"You've got me arrested the moment I released them? That's utter nonsense!"

Standing outside waiting, Ayan looked worried. He asked in a low voice, "Sister Tao'er, do you think Uncle Shi Qi can rescue that little girl?"

The other children also looked at Tao'er, their eyes filled with worry.

Tao'er smiled and patted Ayan's head. "Ayan, don't worry, your Uncle Shi is very powerful. He's so good at kung fu, dealing with that beggar is a piece of cake for him. He'll definitely be able to save that little girl."

Tao looked at the other girls and thought that these children had probably been locked up for a day or two. They all seemed listless, and two of them even had rumbling stomachs.

She silently recited a sentence in her mind, then took out a few egg yolk pies and a few bottles of milk, giving each person two egg yolk pies and a bottle of milk.

The children timidly accepted the gifts and whispered their thanks, "Thank you, sister."

Then they quickly started eating, their eyes shining, because they had never tasted anything so delicious before.

Tao'er's gaze was fixed on the temple entrance, and then her eyes unconsciously shifted, and she suddenly noticed a dilapidated window.