Chapter 102

The large performance tent is still being set up, but the row of small sheds and tents where the circus troupe members live and reside has already been erected.

Xu Dong held the hand of his "son" Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang and followed along to a white-topped tent in the middle.

The tent was wrapped in thick plastic sheets on all sides, and a blanket curtain hung at the entrance.

It was still summer, and the sun was high; this kind of dwelling looked stifling and oppressive to the heart.

Xu Dong tugged at his collar and urged, "Can you be quick? Don't waste my time!"

The young woman glanced at him and said, "You have to touch and inspect a mule or an ox before buying it, let alone a person."

Xu Dong glared at her and demanded, "What do you mean by that?"

"It means we have to see if this child has any illnesses or disabilities; otherwise, it won't be easy to find a buyer even if we take him."

"My son has hardly ever been sick since he was little; he's very healthy."

"Heh." The young woman covered her mouth and chuckled, "Your word doesn't count. Come in and sit; it's hot outside and cool inside."

As she spoke, the woman lifted the blanket curtain, and a wave of cool air immediately wafted out, not only dispelling the summer heat but also making one involuntarily shiver.

Xu Dong suspected that there might be ice blocks inside.

"Are you coming in or not?" the woman urged again.

Xu Dong took a deep breath, held Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang's hand, and walked inside.

The space inside the tent was not large, with a chair and a bed placed on either side.

In the middle area was a water vat, and on the vat sat a statue wearing a white robe, a tall hat, and holding lanterns in both hands.

At first glance, one might mistake it for a living person; Xu Dong was startled when he entered.

Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang shrank back, hiding behind his father, his hands gripping Xu Dong's trouser leg.

"What is this thing?" Xu Dong asked.

The woman said matter-of-factly, "What's so strange about that? Doesn't every trade have something they worship?"

The old woman sat down on the chair, holding an old-fashioned porcelain bowl in her hand at some point; the bowl had several cracks and was filled with clear water.

The woman bent down and grabbed Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang.

"No, I don't want to, I don't want to." Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang looked at his father pleadingly.

A struggle appeared in Xu Dong's eyes, but he still didn't look down and stood there without moving.

The woman dragged the boy away from the man and pulled him in front of the old woman.

The old woman reached out and touched Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang's cheek.

Upon being touched, the little boy immediately stopped fussing, his eyelids drooping, but beneath the quiet facade, his body kept trembling.

The old woman first tapped the little boy's glabella with her index finger, then dipped her index finger into the clear water in the bowl; immediately, the water in the bowl turned a faint black.

The woman looked at the color and frowned slightly, clearly dissatisfied with the quality.

However, she still took money out of her pocket, counted it, and handed it to Xu Dong: "That's all there is, take it or leave it."

Xu Dong took the money, stuffed it into his pocket without counting, and turned to walk away quickly.

The trembling on Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang's body became more violent.

The old woman continued to maintain the posture of holding the bowl, motionless.

At this moment, the blanket curtain was lifted at a corner, and a man poked his head in and asked, "Sister Rou, the food has been bought; everyone is waiting for you to start eating."

The woman addressed as "Sister Rou" turned her head abruptly and scolded the man: "Eat, eat, eat! The offerings aren't even prepared yet, and all you know is eating!"

"Didn't we just receive one..."

Sister Rou pushed Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang and snorted coldly: "The quality is too poor, just a child no one wants."

Xu Dong walked all the way out to a small shop by the roadside, went in to ask for a pack of cigarettes, stood at the shop entrance, pulled one out and lit it; he choked on the first puff, then squatted down and began to retch.

The sense of revenge he had imagined did not appear; instead, his heart suddenly felt empty, and his eyes became moist.

"Slap! Slap!"

He slapped himself hard twice, turning his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face bright red.

"Xu Dong, oh Xu Dong, why are you so cheap? It's not your seed, what are you reluctant about?"

He originally had an enviable and beautiful life.

After graduation, he was assigned to a unit with good benefits and welfare; he married an intellectual and beautiful wife, and later the two had a cute son.

At that time, he truly felt that Heaven had not treated him poorly.

But later, he discovered that he had lived his life as a joke.

First, his wife divorced him on the grounds of emotional incompatibility; although he didn't understand and had tried hard to save the marriage, he could only accept it helplessly in the end.

Fortunately, he won custody of his son.

For this, he even felt some gratitude toward his ex-wife.

Until one day, rumors about his ex-wife reached his ears; he didn't believe it at first, but the results of his inquiries later revealed that his wife had been with that man since they were in school. Strictly speaking, he had actually become the third party.

He had been to that school and met the retired old professor Chen Chen Deliang; with just one look, he confirmed that Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang was the other man's son.

He hadn't felt that his son didn't look like him before; perhaps the son looked more like his mother, but once the suspect appeared, this comparison made it impossible for him not to believe it.

So, all these years, he had not only been helping someone else raise a wife but also helping someone else raise a son.

Every time he looked at the son he had once cherished, he felt it was a mockery of himself and a trampling on his self-esteem.

Especially since the son's name contained the character "Liang," and his nickname was "Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Xue Liangliang," which was chosen by his wife—it was a character from that old man's name.

His world had collapsed.

However, after selling the child, he felt very uncomfortable in his heart, and he could vaguely hear his son calling him "Daddy" in his ears.

Squatting on the ground, he turned his head and saw a red toy car among a pile of toys on a table outside the small shop.

At this moment, countless voices in his heart were despising and scolding him, calling him spineless, calling him a coward, calling him deserving of it, calling him a loser.

But he still stood up, picked up the toy car, walked to the counter, asked the owner how much it cost, and then took out his wallet to pay.

Then, he took the toy and started walking back.

He kept taking deep breaths, his expression very painful, and he could only keep repeating, "Even if you raise a dog, you'd have feelings for it after raising it for so long."

He could have left the child with his mother, with that old man, or even at an orphanage, but he shouldn't have sold him.

Thinking of this, he started to run, and he ran faster and faster.

Meanwhile, inside the white tent.

The water in the bowl held by the old woman, which had originally been only faintly black, was gradually becoming thick.

Sister Rou noticed this and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Looking at it this way, although the quality is only half of normal, it can still pass."

The old woman stood up with the bowl, walked to the water vat, and poured the black water into it.

The appearance of the statue seemed to have become a bit more vivid.

A smile appeared on the old woman's Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face, and the sagging skin on both sides of her mouth lifted slightly with effort.

Sister Rou put her hands together and bowed three times to the statue.

Then, she walked out of the tent and came outside, where she saw the man running over with a toy in his hand.

"Take the money back, give me the child; count the money, I haven't touched it!"

Xu Dong took out all the money he had previously tucked into his pocket.

Sister Rou shook her head.

"Give me the child, I'll give you more money; I'm not selling anymore, give me the child!"

Sister Rou continued to shake her head.

"I'm not selling, damn it!"

Xu Dong tried to barge inside.

The next moment, Sister Rou grabbed his neck with one hand and followed up with a knee strike.

"Bang!"

Xu Dong clutched his lower abdomen and knelt on the ground, his mouth wide open; he hadn't expected this young girl to be so heavy-handed.

"Give me the child... I'll add money... you take children... isn't it also to... to make money..."

"Make money? Heh."

Sister Rou laughed, then delivered a hand-blade strike to the back of Xu Dong's neck.

Xu Dong's eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

Two circus troupe members walked over and pointed at Xu Dong on the ground: "Sister Rou, there's a reservoir ahead; should we dispose of him tonight?"

"Dispose of him, my ass. Find a cage and lock him up. When we leave Jin Ling and head north, sell him to a black coal mine. He has to stay alive; otherwise, the child we just received will be useless.

In the future, we have to collect these children ourselves; otherwise, they always come in such inexplicable ways.

During tomorrow's performance, you keep a close eye out for children who come to watch with their parents.

By the way, has the propaganda van gone out yet?"

"Not yet, they're eating."

"Tell them to eat in the van and go promote it for me right now. Go to the residential areas near kindergartens, and turn the speakers up loud for me!"

……

"The Yu Family Circus is about to present you with wonderful performances, featuring cute little dwarves, beautiful mermaids... Children, hurry and tell your mom and dad to bring you to the West Suburb Plaza tomorrow to watch!"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin rolled down the taxi window and looked at the van driving toward them; the van had a large loudspeaker on top and various performance posters pasted on both sides.

"Brother Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, is this the one? It's also called the Yu Family Circus."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan nodded: "It should be it."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin asked the taxi driver in front: "Master, do you know the West Suburb Plaza?"

"I know it; my home is right in this neighborhood. Are you here to see the acrobatics? They don't start until tomorrow; I saw them setting up the tents when I went out with my vehicle this morning."

"Are there many people in that acrobatic troupe?"

"Looks like quite a few. Just the trucks alone number several. Hehe, tomorrow is the weekend and the kindergarten is closed, so I plan to take my child to see the performance."

"Master, you'd better not go. There will be a lot of people there, and it's easy for accidents to happen." After a pause, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin added, "It's not safe for the child."

"My child is smart and quick-witted; it'll be fine. He doesn't talk to strangers, so no one could trick him."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan said indifferently, "There is no such thing as a child who cannot be tricked."

The driver immediately retorted, "My child is truly different. We've taught him since he was small not to talk to strangers and not to take things from strangers. Unlike other people's children, who are all silly."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan did not reply further; he felt that this driver was the one who was silly.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had once specifically studied and understood many children, and the conclusion he reached was: in this world, there basically does not exist a child who cannot be tricked.

And those parents who like to be smug and boast about how smart their children are and how they won't be tricked by strangers are often truly ridiculous and foolish.

Most importantly, many times, human traffickers don't need to trick anyone at all.

It is simply too easy for an adult to control a small child: clamp the child's body with one arm, cover the child's mouth with the other hand, and walk away while holding them. The child cannot resist at all, nor can they make a sound, and the posture looks just like someone holding a child normally.

Even if an individual child struggles violently and cries out, the trafficker just needs to say a few words like, "Be good, don't make a scene, listen to me, I'll buy you a toy next time," and passersby who see it won't think it's child abduction.

The destination was reached. The so-called West Suburb Plaza was actually just a small patch of paved ground, plus a large stretch of wasteland nearby. This place was originally supposed to have been planned, but for some reason, it had stalled.

Therefore, generally, when there were any large events, temple fairs, or performance troupes, they would all be held here.

"Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge, it's right there."

In front, there was a place where tents were being set up, and a sign made of large poster paper had already been erected.

"Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin Ge, let's go eat."

"Alright, let's eat first, and by the way..." Before Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin finished speaking, he heard an argument coming from the taxi behind them. "Eh, why hasn't A You gotten out of the car yet?"

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan had good hearing and replied, "He didn't bring enough money when he left the house."

Tong'an Town is located in the suburbs of Jin Ling. Taking a taxi from the school to here is quite a long distance, so the fare naturally wasn't low.

When Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You left the house, he was only focused on being cautious, bringing his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face-painting pigments and costume, but he forgot to stuff a bit more money into his pocket. He also hadn't expected to be in the car for so long.

"Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge?"

"You go ahead."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin walked over to the taxi and interrupted the driver's angry voice: "How much is still owed? Is this enough?"

"That's enough, I'll give you change."

"No need for change, calm down."

"Then thank you, young man. Is he your friend?"

"Yes, we came out together."

Hearing this, the driver turned his head to look at Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You, his tone softening: "You should have just called your friend over earlier and it would have been settled."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin said, "This friend of mine is thin-skinned."

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You got out of the car. When facing Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin, his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face showed both relief and embarrassment.

"Big Brother, thank you..."

"Alright, it's no big deal."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin was very satisfied with Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You's expression. He hadn't told the driver not to give change because he was deliberately showing off or acting generous; in fact, this tip was for Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You.

"Big Brother, where are you all now..."

"We're going to eat now. Come, together."

"Together?"

"Why are you still hiding? My Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge already saw you."

"Then he won't make me leave?"

"Do you have money to take a taxi back?"

"No, no..."

"Taxi fare is quite expensive, and taking separate cars isn't cost-effective, so you might as well wait and go back with us."

"Really, Big Brother?"

"Let me correct you: it's fine to call me Big Brother in private, but in front of my Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge, you call me Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin. As for Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge, just call him what I call him."

"Alright, Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin Ge."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin put his arm around Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You's shoulder and led him toward Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan.

"Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge..." While still at a distance, Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You raised his hand to greet him.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan glanced at him, didn't respond, and turned to walk toward a noodle shop on the side of the road.

He sat down and ordered three bowls of noodles.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin and Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You also walked into the shop and sat down in front of Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan.

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You spoke up somewhat awkwardly: "Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge, eliminating demons and defending the Dao is also my responsibility."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan took three pairs of chopsticks from the chopstick holder, found them to be a bit dirty, and handed them to Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You: "Go wash them."

"Alright!" Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You let out a sigh of relief, took the chopsticks, and walked toward the sink. When he returned, a smile appeared on his Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face.

The three bowls of noodles were brought up.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan said, "This time, the evil spirit has a rather large background. The three of us need to unite and cooperate in order to return to school alive."

"Understood." Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You nodded vigorously, excitement showing in his eyes, "We, the Guan Old Old Old Jiang Shou, will not fear the background of any evil spirit."

The "Bai He Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Master Tongzi" that Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You had previously invited down should, in mythological narratives, be a disciple of the Old Immortal of the South Pole. As for the two generals of increase and decrease, they are the two ghost kings subdued by the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

Theoretically speaking, no matter how powerful something like Yu Yu Popo is, in front of them, it isn't worth looking at; it isn't even qualified to be on the dining table.

But the problem is, gods are gods, and humans are humans. How powerful the god you invite down can be still depends on you, the person.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "You must learn to cherish your own body to sustainably eliminate demons and defend the Dao."

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You: "Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge is right."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin poked Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You's arm and said to Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan, "Don't worry, Little Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan Ge, A You understands. Both of us will listen to your instructions."

"Yes, yes, yes, I will listen to your command."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "Eat your noodles."

After finishing the noodles, the three returned to the West Suburb Plaza.

The performance tent was already more than half built and should be finished by evening. At this moment, on the perimeter of the performance tent, there was a row of small tents, and some small performances that could be listed separately had already begun.

For example, things like "smashing cans," "ring toss," "popping balloons," "Vase Girl," "Beauty and the Python falling in love"...

These items were all brought by the acrobatic troupe itself. Each tent required a separate admission ticket, but it wasn't expensive; even ordinary children's pocket money could afford it.

Some local small vendors also gathered here at this time, setting up along the performance tents of the acrobatic troupe. Currently, there was already a feeling of a small temple fair.

"Go play, blend in, and pay attention to observation."

After saying this, a look of innocence and liveliness, which a child of his age should have, appeared on Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face.

The three first came to the can-smashing stall. A row of beverage cans was stacked there, and one used a basketball to smash them. Next to it was a poster with the rules, showing how many cans smashed corresponded to which prizes.

Generally speaking, the cans on the bottom layer should be filled with sand, or perhaps poured with cement.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin spent money and bought three chances.

The first was Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's turn. Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan threw the basketball very casually, only knocking down two cans. When it was Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin's turn, he used a lot of force, but there were still a few cans on the bottom layer that didn't fall.

Finally, it was Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You. When his basketball was thrown, it had spin. It landed in front of the stack of cans and knocked all of them over.

He won a very large rabbit doll. He handed the rabbit doll to Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan like he was presenting a treasure.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan took the rabbit doll with a Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face full of joy and held it.

At the same time, he whispered: "If you are any more conspicuous, you can just roll back to school."

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You was stunned for a moment, then realized, and nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.

Next was the ring toss. Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan still threw casually and didn't hit any.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin performed quite well; he used the ring money for five bottles of drinks and tossed a ring onto one bottle.

As for Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You, this time he learned from Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan and deliberately missed.

This was a stall set up by people from the acrobatic troupe. Encountering a real expert would easily attract attention, and at this time, the least necessary thing to be was a conspicuous person.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan also noticed that these stall owners had a characteristic: when they encountered people bringing children to play, they would be exceptionally enthusiastic... Of course, children are the main consumers, so enthusiasm is normal, but their attention wasn't on the children; it was more on patrolling the adults around the children, as if they were judging something.

Especially toward those parents who brought their children together, they appeared even more attentive.

This was definitely not Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan overthinking it; their layered performance was just too obvious.

This made Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan somewhat curious. Even if your entire acrobatic troupe is a human trafficking organization, shouldn't you mainly focus on the "quality" of the children?

Moreover, children who run around blindly alone, and children brought only by a grandfather, grandmother, or mother, should be your best targets.

Here, there existed something clearly illogical.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan felt that he should perhaps re-examine their purpose for child abduction.

After playing a round outside, the three bought tickets and walked into the "Vase Girl" tent.

On a platform, there was a square wooden board. In the middle of the board stood a vase, and on top of the vase was a woman. In front of the woman was a microphone.

It looked as if the woman only had a head, placed white on the vase.

There were quite a few people who bought tickets to come in and watch. The Vase Girl sang some children's songs and chatted for a while.

As long as you bought a ticket to come in, there was no time limit; you could leave once you were tired of watching.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin and Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You were peeking and looking very enthusiastically. Although they knew they had a mission, and this was the "enemy's" turf, it still couldn't stop their curiosity.

After coming out, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin coughed twice, while Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You rubbed his own Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face. Both of them pretended that their previous appreciation and immersion were just to better perform and blend in.

However, after a brief exchange of glances, driven by curiosity, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin finally lowered his head to ask Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan:

"Brother Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, how is this done?"

"That's great, you didn't ask me if it was real."

"Oh, I'm not stupid." Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin gave a sheepish smile; most "dead-fall" performers would die if they lost their heads, let alone a real person.

"There are two mirrors placed at an angle under the wooden grid. The person is actually standing underneath, only positioning their head and above. To keep the trick from being exposed, you have to set up a rope barrier so people can't get too close, and you have to raise the height of the table to make her look down on the audience as much as possible."

"Oh~"

"Oh~"

Both of them revealed expressions of sudden realization.

This couldn't help but make Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan feel a bit puzzled; both of them were university students who had passed the entrance exams properly, so how could they not see through even this?

However, just at this moment, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan stopped in his tracks. He sensed something unusual; in his line of sight, a faint bit of black seemed to have appeared.

Turning his head to look at Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You, sure enough, Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You had also stopped and closed his eyes.

If he were to open them again, there was a high probability they would turn into vertical pupils.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan was not sure if this was a characteristic of the Guan Old Old Old Jiang Shou or if it was because Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You himself could not control his spirit-medium ability well.

"Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin."

"Understood."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin, who had a Mind-Clearing Talisman hidden in his hand, reached into Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You's clothes and stuck the talisman onto his back.

The Mind-Clearing Talisman could remove the effects of evil spirits. Although the Guan Old Old Old Jiang Shou had turned over a new leaf, their predecessors were still Ghost Kings, so it would naturally have an effect.

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You's body trembled slightly, and when he opened his eyes again, they had returned to clarity.

"I... I'm sorry." Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You knew he had almost caused big trouble again just now.

"Are your master or your grandfather like you too?"

If this were a traditional trait of their sect, then they would really just start fighting without a word whenever they encountered an evil spirit on the road.

But thinking about it, that seemed unlikely. A completely radical sect would be hard to sustain, especially during a period of declining heritage.

"My master and my grandfather aren't like this; only I am."

"Then did they say what the reason was?"

"They said it's because my talent is too good, and it's too easy for me to become a spirit medium."

"Good talent? So you can still only invite the White Crane Boy?"

"At my age, being able to invite the White Crane Boy alone without the help of a temple or support is very rare. Of course, Brother Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, I can't compare to you; you can even invite the General of Loss."

"Didn't I tell you last time that I was lying to you?"

"That's you being humble."

"Who told you that?"

Hearing this, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin shifted his gaze and began to carefully examine the "Beauty in Love with a Python" poster in front of him.

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You: "No one told me; I heard it by myself."

"Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin."

"It wasn't me who said it."

"Go buy the tickets."

"Ah, oh, okay, hehe."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin went to buy the tickets.

The three of them walked into the tent.

On the poster outside, the beauty had a hot figure, wearing a swimsuit, with a python coiled beneath her.

This advertisement really wasn't fake at all; it was even modest.

Because inside the mosquito net bed, there really lay a very young and scantily clad beautiful woman.

Beside her was a thick python, and beneath her were many small snakes.

The audience in this tent was twice as many as in the Vase Girl's tent earlier.

The children's eyes were all on the snakes, while the adults' eyes were all on the woman.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan hugged his large rabbit doll and stared at the woman.

There were wisps of black aura around her that ordinary people couldn't see; it didn't look like she was possessed by an evil spirit, but rather like a kind of contamination and infiltration.

"Watch closely now."

Sister Rou, lying on the mosquito net bed, gave a reminder, then reached out to grab a small snake beside her, letting it enter through her nostril. After a while, the small snake crawled out from her mouth.

The surrounding crowd immediately let out a gasp, feeling only terror and fright.

Immediately after, the python, which had been lazily lying there without moving much, began to writhe on the woman's body. After the snake's head swam to the top of the woman's head, it slowly stood up and flicked its tongue.

The woman's eyes and the snake's eyes turned almost simultaneously, scanning everyone present.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan noticed that they would make a subtle pause when scanning the children.

But what Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan didn't expect was that, in the end, the woman and the python actually turned toward him.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan pretended to be afraid and raised the rabbit doll he was holding to block his line of sight.

In fact, the woman did not notice Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's abnormality; she just simply thought this child looked quite good.

This child should be in his early tens, not a very good target for abduction.

For human traffickers, boys under five are good targets; the price is high, the market is tight, and they are easy to sell.

They haven't formed memories yet, so after being raised for a while, they will forget the past and treat the buyers as their own biological parents.

"Little brother, don't be afraid, hehe." Sister Rou spoke up.

The others also cast their gazes toward him.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan quietly peeked his eyes out from behind the rabbit doll. After confirming that the other party hadn't noticed his special nature, he raised the rabbit doll again, then shook his head while backing away, and finally simply exited the performance tent.

Before finding Yu Yu Popo's location, he didn't want to have direct contact with her periphery.

Because his target was Yu Yu Popo; if he didn't kill her, even if he killed all her subordinates, under the influence of the river water, she would still continue to fight him to the death.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin: "Hahaha, Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan, why are you so scared?"

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin laughed and chased after him.

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You didn't have that kind of performance talent, so he could only pretend to shake his head helplessly and followed him out.

Inside the tent, a burst of laughter broke out. Everyone felt it was very normal; let alone children, many adults would also be afraid when facing such a scene full of snakes.

Sister Rou didn't care either; she picked up another small snake and continued her performance.

After Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin and Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You came out from inside and reunited, the three of them began to walk toward the performance shed that was being built.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan: "This woman has a problem. Currently, she is the only one clearly visible. The other employees in the acrobatics troupe seem to be ordinary people. When we really make a move, pay attention to her actions."

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You said solemnly: "I've remembered."

"No, you don't need to remember her. Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Binbin, you focus on that woman. If she appears when we make a move, you will be the one to hold her back."

Because Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Lu Runsheng and Xiang Seeing Yin Meng were not here this time, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin, who had received such an independent task for the first time, was very excited. He raised his hand to his forehead, flicked it forward, and then stomped his foot:

"Loyalty!"

At this time, quite a few people were stopping here to watch the construction of the performance shed.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan discovered the problem as soon as he arrived; the temporary foundation of this performance shed was a bit too solid.

Those stakes wrapped in oil paper clearly had their own particularity, and judging from the specific positions they were placed in, it was clearly the preliminary layout of a formation that induces hallucinations.

But these construction workers of the acrobatics troupe clearly didn't understand formations; it was more like they were copying a pattern. In the very center, a person was holding a blueprint, constantly directing others to correct the orientation of the wooden stakes.

While they were setting it up, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan was thinking about how to modify the layout.

It was a good thing that no one understood formations, so he didn't need to consider the issue of concealment and could directly set up a micro-formation in the center of this large formation to control it.

If he encountered someone who knew the trade, this move would be as obvious as holding a glowing light bulb in the night, but in the eyes of those who didn't know the trade, it was just an ordinary light bulb in a pile of trash during the day.

While observing the row of small sheds and tents behind the performance shed, the white-topped shed located in the central area that had been insulated caught Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan's attention.

It was almost as if it were missing a banner on the shed labeled: I have a problem in here!

The daytime was not suitable for making a move, and even less suitable for setting up, so he had to wait until the dead of night.

In the time that followed, the three of them had to choose a place where they could rest and discuss.

Unfortunately, there were no hotels nearby where they could open a room. However, there was a building across the street, and a massage and physical therapy sign was hanging on the second-floor balcony, from where one could observe the entire acrobatics troupe from a high vantage point.

Crossing the street and arriving at the shop entrance, there was only one lonely massage bed placed inside, and five heavily made-up Wo Sect were sitting on the sofa next to it.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin slapped his forehead: "Oh, it's a 'meat' place."

The implication was to hint at whether Brother Marquis Xiao Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Brother Yuan could change to another place.

But the area around this building was all single-story shops, and the observation angle was very poor.

Seeing that Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan didn't speak, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin could only walk in. After some negotiation, he signaled for Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan and Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You to come in.

The three of them walked upstairs, followed by two technicians.

The second floor consisted of small cubicles.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin: "Little brother, sit here and wait for us brothers to finish."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan sat down on a chair outside.

After Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin whispered a few words to Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You, they each walked into a room, and the two technicians also entered carrying small plastic baskets.

At first, it was a fairly standard massage, although somewhat distracted and sloppy.

When the technician was preparing to gradually tease toward the key areas, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin said somewhat helplessly:

"Forget it, I'm too tired and not in the mood. Take the money, I'll sleep for a while."

Next door, Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You, who encountered the same situation, shook his head and said:

"I can't."

"I don't believe it."

"I really can't."

"Believe in me."

"No, no."

"Have some confidence in yourself. For a boy of your age, it's usually just a psychological issue; it's nothing."

"No, really, there's no need."

"It's okay, I'll help you."

"No, really, I don't want to."

"Don't be afraid, sister understands you."

"You don't understand."

"Are you still a virgin?"

"I..."

"Sister will give you a discount, just consider it a red envelope for you."

The technician for Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin's room had already come out, and Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan entered this cubicle.

There was a window inside that faced the acrobatics troupe perfectly.

From Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin's mountaineering backpack, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan took out the formation diagrams he had drawn beforehand, and looking down from a high vantage point at the actual site, he instructed Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin on the specific placement locations and precautions for after dark.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin nodded continuously; these formations were to be set up on the perimeter, which could lure opponents in to be dealt with, and if the situation changed and slipped out of control, they could also use them to delay for an evacuation.

There were quite a few formations, and Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin began to plan the time he would need, while Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan began to draw micro-formation diagrams on the spot specifically for the performance tent.

After everything was planned, Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You pushed the door open and walked in.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin laughed: "Yo, that took quite a while."

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You blushed and said: "I didn't do anything; it's just that the auntie was too enthusiastic, and it took a lot of effort to persuade her to leave."

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin: "Auntie has professional ethics."

Right next door, separated by a wooden board, every word of the conversation could be heard clearly.

It was only because they were busy with serious work; if it were any other time, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin would have really teased: "Ah You, just give in to sister."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan handed another set of formation diagrams to Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You and asked: "Can you understand them?"

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You nodded, then shook his head: "I recognize them, but I don't know how to use them."

He had the basics, but only the basics.

"Recognizing them is enough; follow the requirements above and go plant the flags after nightfall."

"Okay, understood."

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan arranged for Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin to set up on the perimeter, while Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You needed to set up in the inner circle; after all, Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You had good skills and wouldn't easily alert others.

The sky gradually darkened, the performance tent had already been set up, and the people on the road were gradually becoming sparse.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin couldn't help but sigh: "It seems business at this shop isn't good either; it's been so long and no one has told us to vacate the room."

They waited until late at night, when the outside was basically quiet, and the people from the acrobatics troupe had also returned to their respective tents or vehicles to rest.

The timing was ripe, and they could begin their operation.

The three left the cubicle and went downstairs, only to find the downstairs area pitch black; the glass door was locked, and the rolling shutter door was also down.

As it turned out, they had long since gone off duty.

They had completely forgotten, or rather, hadn't expected at all, that there would be guests in that second-floor cubicle resting so late and not yet gone, and they hadn't even checked.

Breaking the door would cause a commotion, so the three had no choice but to return to the second floor and climb out from the window.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin needed to use his hands and feet carefully, while Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You first leaped down, placed his schoolbag and Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin's mountaineering backpack down, and then jumped back up to the second floor to bring Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan down.

By the time they had gone up and down twice, Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin was still using his feet to test whether the frame on the utility pole was sturdy.

After he came down, the three separated to act.

Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan hid under a slope relatively close to the acrobatics troupe, responsible for observing the movement inside, though he didn't need to look up; he only needed to listen with his ears.

Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin and Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You each carried a bag of formation flags of various sizes and styles and began to set them up.

Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Lin Shu You, who was setting up the inner circle and facing greater difficulty, completed his task almost at the same time as Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Tan Wenbin and returned to the bottom of the slope.

Both were panting slightly, and Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan gave them a period of rest.

Just when they thought the time was about right and they could make their move, Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Li Zhuiyuan heard a "rustling" sound in his ears.

The youth slowly raised his head and looked forward.

In the distance, an old woman, holding two white lanterns in her hands, was walking toward this place step by step.

Her shoes looked a bit like wooden clogs, her steps were very heavy, and the noise made while walking was also relatively loud.

Moreover, as the distance gradually closed, the height of her legs seemed to be gradually lengthening; despite not being on stilts, she presented an eerie height-increasing effect.

The light from the white lanterns illuminated the old woman's Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Human Face, making it look deathly pale.

"Hehehehehehe..."

An eerie laugh emanated from her, and immediately after, she began to call out:

"How naughty, not going to sleep peacefully in the middle of the night, forcing Grandma to come find you."

(End of chapter)