Chapter 2, Encountering Two Girls

The remaining few suddenly remembered something, and their expressions all changed.

The accountant unfolded the paper, glanced at it, and said with a smile: "Indeed, it is quite ugly, not even as good as what my son writes." After looking for a while, the accountant's brows furrowed deeper and deeper, his face showing anger, and finally turning into helplessness

Bai Yuchen shook his head and said: "No, although it is not possible to discern the level of cultivation, it should not be high."

Bai Yuchen nodded in acknowledgment and said: "Just now, as I was walking down the street, I heard a call from a vendor. Although the voice was youthful, it was filled with joy. The vendors on the street are all striving for survival, their daily cries have long become weary and monotonous, and it is impossible to hear such a lively sound.

... ...

However, not every spirit of sacrifice is benevolent; there are particularly ferocious spirits that intimidate villages into providing offerings. They demand not only the blood and flesh of prey but also young boys and girls, and they are in such a situation.

Li Ping'an nodded heavily and said, "How did they appear in the city again?"

Li Ping'an asked again: "So do you know which village you live in?"

Two little girls held hands, nodding repeatedly like chicks pecking at rice, looking at Li Ping'an with dependence as he walked to the side. To them, Li Ping'an was a deity who appeared before them in their despair, bringing hope.

Li Ping'an nodded, smiled, and ruffled their hair, saying: "Did your father mention where you would meet?"

Bai Yuchen said: "I originally intended to take on a book boy, but after some conversation, I discovered that he already belongs to a sect"

Li Ping'an handed the paper in his hand to the accountant and said: "Please help me see what is written on this? The handwriting is too messy and really difficult to decipher"

Hmm

The accountant turned his head and glanced compassionately at the two little girls outside, and said helplessly: "The Cangman Mountain range outside stretches for tens of thousands of miles, with some villages on the outskirts. They rely on hunting and gathering medicinal herbs for their livelihood

Hmm

Li Ping's heart stirred, and he spoke gently, saying: "You all wait here, and I will take you to find Father shortly."

It is just that he gives me a very gentle and simple feeling, not a bad person, and I hope he is not being used by an evil god

Another smaller girl cried out: "I want Daddy, I want Daddy, Daddy and Mommy, I will never be naughty again."

The two little girls shook their heads together

Li Ping'an was taken aback and turned his head to look. He saw two little girls, about four or five years old, sobbing in the corner by the wall.

A larger little girl looked up, her eyes brimming with tears as she sobbed, "Father... Father took us to the city to play, we were too playful, and now Father is missing"

Li Ping'an stood up with two little girls and walked into the restaurant they had just visited, arriving at the counter where he knocked on it twice.

Li Ping'an gently comforted, saying: "Don't cry, don't cry, I will find you a father, alright"

The woman expressed her concern, saying: "Is he very formidable?"

The accountant stretched his neck to look at the two little girls in front of the counter and asked, "Young master, where did you meet them?"

Li Ping'an was taken aback and exclaimed, "Sacrifice?"

Li Ping'an furrowed his brows and asked, "What is going on?" He vaguely speculated in his heart, could it be that her parents intentionally abandoned her? In this world that favors sons over daughters, such a thing is not impossible, which could also explain why they had pancakes in their bags.

The accountant hesitated to speak, glancing at the two little girls waiting expectantly at the counter. He stepped out from behind the counter and pulled on Li Ping'an's robe, saying, "Young Master, may I have a word with you."

The two little girls wiped their tears and stood up from the ground

The accountant shook his head and said, "It is not that we have lost our way."

The young woman said with a smile, "Is that senior brother disappointed?"

Li Ping'an was instantly bewildered; it seemed as though he did not recognize the characters of this world. Moreover, the handwriting was quite messy. Although he could not read the characters, he could still roughly discern their quality. The crooked and uneven strokes were clearly not the work of a calligraphy master

Li Ping'an took the cloth bag, opened it, and found several large pancakes inside, along with a piece of hemp paper that had some writing on it

The accountant said: "It is their parents who could not bear to see them fall into the mouths of monsters, so they secretly brought them into the city and abandoned them, hoping that they would encounter a good family to take them in. Even if they become servants, it is better than dying at the hands of monsters"

Li Ping'an smiled and said, "Can I take a look at the bag?"

The two little girls shook their heads together again

The woman said in a daze: "Senior brother has developed an affection for talent and intends to bring it into the academy"

A young man with a pair of small mustaches flashed a gleam in his eyes and said with a smile, "It seems that this merchant possesses extraordinary qualities"

Do you know the way

Li Ping'an said: "I haven't miscalculated; I would like to ask you for a favor."

Li Ping'an walked out of a restaurant while picking his teeth, secretly reflecting that these ten silver beads were worth more than he had imagined! He had only consumed half a bead for such a lavish meal, which seemed to indicate that he was repaying the favor of that Bai Yuchen.

He looked at the wild boar tusk on the table and said, "With this, I will be able to investigate the origins of that so-called Daoist sect. I hope it is not an enemy."

Li Ping'an thought for a moment, turned his head to look at the nearby restaurant, put away the paper, and said: "You all follow me."

The larger little girl nodded repeatedly and said, "Alright!" She took the rope loop of the cloth bag off her neck and handed it to Li Ping'an

Li Ping'an walked over, squatted down, and said with a smile: "Little sister, why are you crying here? Where are your parents?"

The larger girl nodded repeatedly and hurriedly said, "Yes, yes!" She reached out and patted the large bag hanging in front of her chest, saying, "Father left something for us inside, and he said to give this to anyone who is willing to help us."

The accountant asked strangely, "What is the matter?"

The accountant, who was bowing his head to keep the accounts at the counter, raised his head with a smile upon hearing the voice and said: "Young master, why have you returned again? I certainly did not miscalculate your accounts just now"

In order to better survive in the mountains, some villages have reached agreements with spirits, offering tributes to mutually assist each other. The spirits rely on the offerings from humans for their cultivation, while the villages depend on the protection of the spirits for their survival. These spirits are referred to as "sacrificial spirits" by them, and the offerings to the sacrificial spirits are generally composed of spiritual herbs, prey, and other items.

Li Ping'an then noticed that the little girl had a cloth bag hanging from her chest, which he had not seen before as she had been crouching with her legs tucked in.

Li Ping'an said: "Just at the corner of the outer wall, I saw them crying, so I approached and asked a few questions. They said they had lost their father."

The larger little girl exclaimed, "Dashi Village, our village is called Dashi Village, which is quite far from here."

The taller girl looked up, her eyes filled with anticipation as she said to Li Ping'an, "Really?"

The accountant spoke solemnly: "Young master, they are sacrifices"

A faint sound of sobbing can be heard coming from a distance

Li Ping'an followed the accountant into a small room next to the counter

Li Ping'an continued to ask: "Did your father leave you anything?"

I curiously glanced over and saw a strangely dressed individual sitting by the roadside selling pig teeth. Their expression was relaxed, with a smile in their eyes, as they curiously observed their surroundings, exuding a sense of vitality

The young man stroked his two small mustaches and pondered, saying: "It may not necessarily be within those mountains!"

The mention of the "Evil God" instantly cast a heavy pall over the room, as the mere name brought a weighty pressure upon everyone present

Bai Yuchen said gravely: "Whether or not to accept a book boy is a trivial matter, but you should also be aware of what lies in the mountains outside the city. Now, with a sect suddenly appearing there, it is likely that the visitors harbor ill intentions"