Section 1

The rain maiden snorted, "Rest assured, you won't miss your way into the city."

The veins on Miss Yu's forehead twitched; the rouge on her face was the imperial makeup used in the Yanqiu Palace. After all, she was the young lady of the Helian family, the future head of the household. Which young masters in Panshi City did not pamper and adore her? Who could dare to say that her face resembled a monkey's bottom? As this young lady angrily swept her sleeves and left, You'er crossed her arms and chuckled, thinking to entice our young master, but she still lacked a bit of substance!

The vast and boundless desert sea, the sound of camel bells drowned in the scorching wind, the caravan sets up camp on a sheltered slope before sunset, binding dozens of camels and tents together with iron chains, while the clever young servant begins to light a fire for cooking, and at the horizon, a burning red sun slowly descends.

While traversing the desert, the Helian family's caravan encountered danger

The batch of human livestock purchased by Lady Yu consists of forty-nine underage boys. Since they are required by the palace, she has been quite generous in her spending.

Children often exhibit hysteria in this manner. Bai Hanlu tied her long hair back, holding a crane bone flute, and stepped out of the tent. The wind overturned several tents, and it was unclear how many people were swept away. A large iron cage meant for holding people and livestock was blown around several times by the wind, and the children inside cried out in a chaotic uproar.

At the city gate, Bai Hanlu asked, "Does Miss Helian have anything else to say?"

At midnight, the wind began to blow

Those were a pair of amber beastly eyes, enchanting and bewitching, yet chilling to the bone

The Rain Maiden held the broken knife, feeling both angry and anxious, yet she could do nothing to him at all

As one truly advances further along the official road, the once lively thoroughfare is now devoid of any human presence. The thickets on either side are littered with stark white bones, along with pieces of flesh scattered on the ground, and the waves of putrid stench are enough to induce nausea

"You, how do you know?! Why are you going to the City of Panshi?!" The Rain Lady drew her curved blade and held it against his neck, speaking sharply and fiercely, "Speak!"

Bai Hanlu finished his work and, without even glancing at them, went straight into the tent to sleep

Bai Hanlu secured the sword and lifted the bamboo hat, "So, you might as well pray that your head grows a bit sturdier."

The white cold dew pierces the tip of the tongue, lips kissing the body of the crane bone flute, igniting a faint golden light from the blood-stained flute. A sharp and fierce tone spills from the lips, transforming into a dozen illusory celestial cranes flying in all directions— "With my blood, I honor the gods and Buddhas of the eight directions. With my fan, I ferry the evil souls of heaven and earth. With my sword, I slay the malevolent spirits of the universe. With my words, all evils heed my command, retreat!"

The people of Yanqiu refer to the desert as the sea; since it is called the sea, it is capable of drowning people

Most of the merchants are somewhat bold, and they do not stop to read books; instead, they keep their heads down, anxiously urging their camels forward. They finally entered the city of Panshi before the city gates closed. The capital, built against steep mountain cliffs, features enormous green flowers resembling rhinoceroses hanging from the distant mist-shrouded cliffs, which are said to be one of the three treasures of Yanchiu, known as Bizhi.

You'er originally thought it was just a dream in broad daylight. Yu Niangzi either called him "wild monkey" or "wild rabbit." When he heard the call of "You Ge'er," it truly sent shivers down his spine. He sniffed the air, and the aroma of meat was indeed enticing. He immediately sat up; his young master had already groomed himself and was meditating to cultivate his spirit. He hurriedly ran outside; the morning chill of the desert had not yet dissipated, and a dazzling golden light filled the scene. Yu Niangzi smiled and asked, "You Ge'er, has your young master gotten up yet?" He hurriedly ran outside; the morning chill of the desert had not yet dissipated, and a dazzling golden light filled the scene. Yu Niangzi smiled and asked, "You Ge'er, has your young master gotten up yet?"

In an instant, the sound of the wind and the cries of cranes filled the air, as a gust of black wind surged into the sky. Those who had been swept away and fainted were carried out of the whirlwind by the cranes. When the Rain Lady and the others opened their eyes, there was a deathly silence between heaven and earth. A group of people sat slumped on the ground, not daring to even breathe, as if they had been rendered speechless by fear.

Will we be able to reach the capital before dark

"Who do you think can go to the Western Paradise?" He tugged at two strands of silver hair and blew on the edge of his sword, causing the white veil to lift and reveal his pointed chin, with the diamond-shaped corners of his lips curling upwards. "You merchants who deal in the trade of human lives, wait for your death at https://www.hetushu.com.com, but you will descend to the eighteen layers of hell."

Young masters like Bai Hanlu, who go to the capital of Panshi for study, are often taken by merchant caravans at high prices, and no one complains about the money being too hot to handle. However, after a few days of travel, Rain Lady began to sense something was amiss. Generally, pampered young masters would have already been crying for their parents, yet Bai Hanlu remained as fresh and tender as dew under the scorching sun. His irritable little scholar, You'er, was also cursing with great vigor.

Rain Maiden endured for a moment, then lowered her voice and said fiercely: "If the young master came here after seeing the imperial edict, I advise you to leave early. Are there not enough extraordinary people in the city? In the end, they still end up as carrion at the city gate, feeding the vultures?" Remembering her parents in the palace, her eyes turned red, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "The Empress is simply a madwoman!"

You'er stood with one hand on her hip and the other pointing at her nose, "What's wrong with you? Were you possessed by a monster last night?" Upon seeing her face, she exclaimed, "Wow! Monkey butt!" and took a step back in fright.

I have heard my mother say that soul masters can ferry souls and eliminate demons. What attacked our merchant convoy last night was not a storm, but a demon

That is good, outside the city of Panshi, there is a pervasive atmosphere of hostility for ten miles. If you are trapped outside the city, after another night, I fear there will be nothing left of you but bones

He naturally knows, otherwise why would he travel thousands of miles from the fairy island at sea, taking three months to arrive in this vast desert? Bai Hanlu extended two fingers to pinch the blade, applying a slight force, and the knife snapped in two with a "pop". He lowered his head to look at the knife tip and said淡淡地道: "Unfortunately, I do not wish to speak."

Ah, the wind is picking up," said Rain Maiden. "Young Master Cold Dew, look at the sky; perhaps tonight we will be swept away by a storm to the western heavens.

As they set off again, the Rain Maiden approached on her camel and asked, "Young Master Hanlu, are you a Soul Sealer?"

The once silent desert was suddenly engulfed by a fierce wind, and upon closer listening, one could discern the sounds of weeping and ghastly laughter mingling with the wind. The tents rattled noisily, and the camel bells clanged chaotically. Suddenly, the sounds of wailing and the shrill screams of children could be heard from outside, as the rain woman shouted loudly for everyone to hold onto the camels tightly

After saying that, he fell down with a "thud" and continued to sleep soundly

Madam Yu was overwhelmed with turmoil in her heart. In fact, the Helian family had never engaged in the business of human trafficking; they only occasionally betrayed their servants and had never intended to take anyone's life. Six months ago, the head of the Helian family was invited to the palace as a guest, where the chief steward Zheng Kun demanded that the Helian family send forty-nine young boys to the palace each month. To save her mother's life, Madam Yu had no choice but to travel back and forth between the capital and the border town, purchasing boys of suitable age, engaging in this heinous act.

You Er suddenly sat up, gritting his teeth and shouted: "It's so noisy, does that crazy woman not allow anyone to sleep?!"

On the second day, at the break of dawn, the fierce rain maiden softly called out at the entrance of the tent: "Young Master Hanlu, You Ge'er, it's time to get up for breakfast. You Ge'er, the cook has roasted a little hen for you."

The caravan leader, Lady Yu, dressed in crimson lantern pants, with a few green parrot feathers inserted in her hair, stepped out of the tent and stretched lazily. A glance revealed a man in a snow-white outfit, wearing a white gauze bamboo hat, sitting at the entrance of the tent, diligently polishing the sword in his hand with a silk cloth

"How can you be so sure?" Bai Hanlu lazily closed her eyes.

The rain maiden felt a chill all over as she was stared at by him, and in anger, she lifted the tent and crawled back inside

Bai Hanlu's lips curled up in a semblance of a smile, "How can that thing be considered a demon? It is merely a disembodied evil energy, entangled in a place due to the failure of a local guardian beast." He pointed to the iron cage being pulled by the cart, "But your empress feeds these boys to it; given time, it will surely cultivate into a malevolent force that endangers the region."

They met at Tongcheng on the Yanqiu border, which is the largest goods trading market in Yanqiu. The Helian family, as a caravan traveling between Tongcheng and the capital of Panshi, has been engaged in the business of human livestock for nearly six months. They purchase children from other countries at high prices and then transport them to Panshi City to sell to high-ranking officials and noble families as sacrificial victims for funerals

Although the Rain Lady is a woman of great skill and courage, encountering such a peculiar and oppressive person still makes her somewhat apprehensive