Chapter 006: Nightmare

The fat man immediately showed a hint of interest, "Blowing it as beautifully as a celestial being, where is the person? I want to take a look too"

Upon seeing the visitor, Hua Jian Tao's expression changed, and with a disgruntled air, he put away the golden hook, "What a joke, I rushed over here, eating dust and grinding my teeth all the way, and just as I had two drinks, you come to stir up trouble."

However, Hua Jian Tao is indeed an old hand, well aware of the importance of the prey. Even when fine wine is on the table and beautiful women are laughing and surrounding him, he first immobilizes the light beauty by sealing her acupoints, discards her onto the corner of the room, and ensures that she is under his watchful eye without any mistakes, before he begins to indulge himself.

The world is full of strange and bizarre occurrences, so what if there are mysteries? Once dawn breaks, the guests will leave on their own, so why bother to investigate and bring trouble upon oneself

But this time it is not a dream; the demon truly exists.

She floated up and down in the water, unaware of how much dirty water she had ingested. By the time she regained consciousness, she found herself in a filthy and terrifying room

Amidst the complaints of Huajian, there was no concealment of pride. The stout man, holding a piece of pig bone, remarked, "Those few characters just now? I suggest you tighten your skin and think carefully about how to appease the old ancestor's anger"

She had never witnessed such a terrifying scene, trembling uncontrollably even in her dreams. Although the demon did not harm her, he was more frightening than a man-eating giant. His wolf-like eyes were filled with a chilling lewdness, and he forced her to take a drug, rendering her mute. On the long street, people came and went, yet not a single person noticed her despair. Even when the constable passed by, she did not dare to reach out for help. He destroyed her will with his wicked mockery, causing her to completely lose her courage and understand that she could never escape.

She vaguely remembered that on the day of the rain prayer, she had seen this face in the back chamber of the Chu King's palace. Before she could scream, she lost consciousness, and later, she was awakened by her sister, who laughed at her for sleeping so deeply, as if she had experienced a heavy dream

Hua Jian's expression tightened, and his lustful thoughts vanished instantly. He dismissed the courtesan and sat down at the table, saying, "The ancestor has summoned me, and I am anxious beyond measure. Unfortunately, the city of Jingzhou has been locked down for several months, rendering me unable to move. Fortunately, a flood broke through the city walls a few days ago, so I was able to rush over immediately."

The shop assistant's attentive flattery is quite appreciated by Hua Jian Tao

The small town is situated in a region of rolling hills, where mountain springs mingle with clouds and mist, allowing it to escape droughts, locusts, and famine. Being a thoroughfare, the town is dotted with numerous inns, with wine flags fluttering in the breeze. The shopkeepers are warm and perceptive; even if a man travels with a beautiful young girl who often shows signs of fear, which appears unusual, the staff would never ask inappropriate questions.

The flower swayed proudly as it tilted its gaze towards the corner of the house, and just as the glance passed by, a sudden chill ran through, causing a shiver.

Hua Jian Taohao, unfazed by the mockery, licked his sharp teeth and said, "What are those ordinary women worth? The light beauty I choose is so tender that she could be squeezed for water, exquisite in every aspect, a noble lady from a prestigious family, priceless and rare, how could she be compared to common goods?"

Where did the guards go? Where are the accompanying maid and the matron?

He commanded her to eat, and she could not refuse; he ordered her to change her clothes, and when she refused to move, he directly tore her clothes apart; she attempted to escape, but the demon easily caught her again, even casually killing a passerby as punishment for her. She watched in horror as the blood splattered out, the innocent writhing on the ground in agony, her ears filled with the wretched cries of pain

The two individuals are at odds with each other, accustomed to mutual disdain. The overweight man revels in their misfortune, while the flower among the thorns cannot help but feel anger. However, given the unfavorable circumstances, any outburst could easily lead to repercussions. Thus, he can only suppress his anger and say, "You serve the ancestor well, ensuring his comfort in every way, while I am trapped in a foreign land, unable to act freely. I can only think of finding a grand gift. After much effort, I have managed to acquire a stunning beauty, which the ancestor will surely find pleasing."

The assailant was a greasy, overweight man, with an abundance of flesh on his face that squished his small eyes into a line. His large ears flapped in the wind, resembling a pig's head on a platter. He smiled broadly and spoke without regard for the powder-faced woman's pale screams, "Old Tao, you seem to be quite pleased with yourself."

Just when she was on the verge of going insane, the demon brought her to a town

She disregarded her weakness from days without food and fled in a panic with all her strength. The demon caught up with her by the stream. It seemed that someone had said something, and suddenly something warm splashed onto her cheek, both bloody and scalding. She felt her arms filled with fresh red blood, and her mind instantly turned blank.

The dimly lit couch is empty and desolate, devoid of any human presence, with only the cool night breeze gently wafting through the door

The girl almost wishes for her own death, perhaps only in this way can she awaken from the endless nightmare

Her tears flowed endlessly, not daring to make a sound, telling herself that she must have fallen into a nightmare, which is why she saw the fierce man hacking at a corpse, putting human flesh into a pot to cook; why she heard him gnawing on the fingers of his kind, spitting the bones onto the ground; even the wild dog that crept in at midnight searching for leftover bones seemed like a part of the nightmare. It was not until she crawled out through a hole in the pile of firewood and stepped onto the brownish-yellow ground that she experienced a hazy awakening

The stout man was not polite, grabbing a pig's trotter and chewing on it loudly, his mouth dripping with grease. "I came here with good intentions to remind you that during the last gathering called by our ancestor, you hid in Jingzhou and did not respond. The ancestor was quite displeased."

Each day feels longer than the last, and her loved ones seem unreachable. It is as if she is living in a hell, where each day is an endless nightmare. She even experiences hallucinations, momentarily believing she has returned to her home in Langya, seeing her father and grandmother, only to be thrust back into the despairing reality, her mind tormented beyond measure

A few days ago, she was still under the meticulous care of her relatives. Even when she went out to attend the hairpin ceremony banquet of the Grand Historian's daughter, she was accompanied by guards and maids. How could it be that in one moment she was on the long street, and in the next moment, a flood came rushing from all directions.

Upon waking, she found herself still in hell, the demon had changed its face, the man in gray had a wolf-like visage, more terrifying than a strongman

The candlelight cast a glow on the red gauze, swaying in a hazy manner. The room was filled with the colors of spring, as a few people enjoyed their drinks and exchanged playful banter. The atmosphere was already infused with the effects of alcohol. Suddenly, a person burst in, a gust of wind from their fist striking the face, startling the others and causing the flower vase to topple, sending the powdery head flying out several feet, revealing a gleaming golden hook.

He usually indulges in pleasure, and within three days he must pick flowers and willows. However, the little beauty is meant to please the old ancestor, and no matter how tempting, he cannot lay a finger on her. He has been holding back a belly full of lust on the way and can no longer bear it. At this moment, arriving in town is just in time for some fun; a wicked smile spreads across his face as he orders the finest food and drink, tossing a piece of silver to reward the waiter, instructing him to call over two beautiful courtesans from the flower house to keep him company.

The fat man let out a sneer and said in a sarcastic tone, "Is this how you write your message? It seems that the ancestor doesn't quite believe it."