Li Jun stared intently at the thatched hut, a strong sense of unease rising in his heart.
Just as he was about to bolt, Shan Hetian next to him moved faster, shooting five meters away in an instant.
Shan Hetian's sudden flight caused a stir among the other children, and several wanted to follow suit.
“Slap!” The black-faced big man behind them caught up to Shan Hetian in a few steps and mercilessly slapped him across the face, then kicked him to the ground and heavily stepped on his back.
“Ah!” Shan Hetian cried out in pain, his voice echoing in the wilderness, while the others were too terrified to move.
Another big man unhesitatingly drew a large saber from his waist and swung it fiercely. With a "clang," the saber plunged deeply into the ground just ahead of where Sun Xiuer was fleeing, the blade flashing with cold light, almost grazing her toes.
Sun Xiuer’s body went limp from fright, and she collapsed to the ground, curling into a ball and trembling uncontrollably.
“You little brats, behave yourselves! If anyone dares to run again, I’ll break their legs!” the big man with the saber roared fiercely, his voice laced with icy killing intent.
A deathly silence permeated the air; the children trembled, none daring to move.
The big man stepping on Shan Hetian suddenly drew the dagger from his waist and mercilessly slashed down toward Shan Hetian's ear without hesitation.
With a "squirt," blood splattered.
“Ah!!!” Shan Hetian screamed, blood gushing from his ear, staining his entire face red.
He clutched the bleeding wound, struggling in agony, his face covered in terror and despair.
This scene completely stunned the others. The children who had been crying fell silent, their faces etched with horror.
No one dared to move again; everyone stood frozen in place, legs weak, trembling incessantly.
Li Jun was also stunned. He hadn't expected the other party to actually resort to violence. His heart pounded like a drum, and his limbs felt cold.
He wanted to run, but he knew there was absolutely no chance.
“I’ll count to three. Whoever isn't inside the thatched hut by then will end up like him!” the big man said coldly, pointing at Shan Hetian, his eyes devoid of any pity, as if the previous atrocity was a trivial matter.
Those words hung over their heads like a knife; no one dared to resist further.
All the children immediately burst into cries and rushed into the thatched hut, looking utterly miserable.
The black-faced big man lifted Shan Hetian, whose face was covered in blood, and tossed him carelessly into the hut like trash before shutting the door.
The room was pitch black, with only faint candlelight dimly illuminating a few corners.
The air was thick with a damp, musty smell, and some dry rations and water remained in the corners of the hut.
Li Jun huddled in a corner, staring fixedly at Shan Hetian on the ground, his heart filled with unease and fear.
“Are they… are they human traffickers…” a child whispered, his voice trembling.
“Let’s eat something first; we’ll figure out a way later.” Sun Xiuer and a few companions picked up the dry rations and water from the corner.
Seeing that nothing happened to them after eating, the others also stepped forward to swallow some food; they were starving after the long journey.
“I miss home. At this time, everyone at home would be making noodles…”
“I miss home too…”
As soon as these words were spoken, a few soft sobs broke out in the room.
Almost every child was weeping quietly, some starting to call out for "Mother." The sounds of sobbing rose and fell, enveloping the entire hut in an atmosphere of despair.
“Bang!” Suddenly, a loud crash sounded as the door was violently kicked by the black-faced big man, shaking the entire thatched hut.
The children were instantly silenced by fear, all crying abruptly stopping, and the interior fell into an eerie stillness.
After a while, a faint sound returned to the thatched hut, a mixture of low gasps and soft whimpers.
Shan Hetian clutched his bleeding ear, lying on the ground, panting painfully and letting out intermittent groans.
Li Jun looked at Shan Hetian, whose face was covered in blood, feeling a wave of nausea and fear, mixed with a sliver of concern.
Having grown up under the strict discipline of Li San and having witnessed Li San slaughtering fierce beasts, Li Jun was not seeing blood for the first time.
He took a deep breath, trying hard to calm down, his eyes sweeping over every corner of the thatched hut, contemplating what to do next.
Li Jun’s fingers unconsciously stroked the small pinecone hanging on his chest; this pinecone had become a protective talisman hung there by Xu Hua.
It was his only comfort at that moment.
He forced himself to remain calm, his mind beginning to race. The two black-faced men outside were clearly not benevolent. Moreover, their methods were so brutal that they left no room for retreat.
No matter what, he had to find a way to escape.
“Are you alright?” Li Jun quietly asked Shan Hetian, who was groaning in pain on the ground.
Shan Hetian did not reply, merely twitching weakly, his eyes filled with pain and terror.
Li Jun’s heart tightened as he looked at Shan Hetian’s blood-soaked face.
Looking at the other children, they were all huddled in the corners, their faces etched with panic.
Sun Xiuer was also hiding far away, hugging her knees, her gaze vacant, clearly not yet recovered from the shock of what had just happened.
“We have to find a way to escape,” Li Jun’s voice was very low as he spoke tremblingly to those around him.
But he knew that in the room now, all the children, just like him, were too overwhelmed by fear to think.
Sun Xiuer slightly raised her head, a flicker of hope flashing in her eyes, but it quickly dimmed again.
“They will kill us,” Sun Xiuer’s voice was almost a tremor.
“But if we do nothing, we might die too,” Li Jun gritted his teeth, his heart filled with unwillingness.
Silence fell over the room again. The sounds of breathing and faint sobbing mixed together, creating an intensely oppressive atmosphere.
Suddenly, footsteps were heard outside, and Li Jun’s heart leaped into his throat.
The sounds from outside grew closer, followed by another loud kick against the door.
The children shrank into the corners, holding their breath.
“Be quiet! If there’s any more noise tonight, you’ll lose your ears!” the man outside threatened fiercely, his voice like a sharp blade piercing the hearts of all the children.
Then, the footsteps gradually faded away, and darkness once again enveloped the dilapidated thatched hut.
In the time that followed, the room gradually quieted down. Apart from Shan Hetian’s faint groans, the others gradually fell asleep due to exhaustion and fear.
Li Jun, however, forced himself to stay awake. His eyes constantly observed the layout of the room, his mind calculating various possible escape plans.
Sun Xiuer hid behind Li Jun somewhat fearfully.
Two hours later, a fierce gale raged outside, and dark clouds rolled in, as if the stars in the sky had been completely swallowed by a formless force.
The trees on the mountain were blown crookedly by the wind, and dead leaves and debris swirled in the air like countless ghostly souls wreaking havoc.
Amidst this terrifying atmosphere, a piercing "squirt" echoed across the sky, like a sudden clap of thunder.
Li Jun and the other children hid inside the thatched hut, peering out through the gaps in the worn windows, but they could see nothing; there was not a trace of light in the black night.
A massive silhouette swooped down from the sky—a giant beast shaped like a vulture, but its size far exceeded that of any bird.
Its wings spanned ten zhang wide; every flap seemed capable of stirring up a hurricane, and the air was thick with the smell of blood and overwhelming pressure.
Li Jun’s eyes widened, his mind blank. He strained to look until he saw the vulture’s eyes, which were as large as his own head, startling him, allowing him to finally make out a huge figure.
He had never seen such a monster; this was not the kind of wild beast occasionally seen near their village.
Some timid children began crying uncontrollably on the spot, and one even collapsed onto the ground, soaking their trousers.
“W-what is that monster!” a child asked, trembling, his voice full of terror.
“Shh, don’t make a sound!” Li Jun quickly grabbed Sun Xiuer beside him and warned her in a low voice. His heart was beating rapidly, as if it might leap out of his chest at any second.
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside. The two black-faced big men rushed out from behind the hut. The usual arrogance was gone from their faces; instead, they showed clear panic and deference.
They bowed toward the giant vulture and hurried over, stooping low and not daring to look directly up at it.