The waitress handed her the change.
Xiao Qingxuan lifted her round, bun-like face and said, “Sister, you’re in conflict with the stars today. It’s best not to go west, and be especially careful of vehicles.”
Seeing how serious she looked, not at all like she was deliberately causing trouble, the waitress felt an inexplicable pang of unease.
But after all, this was just a child, and people generally don’t like hearing bad news.
Facing a customer, she didn’t let her expression sour, but merely replied perfunctorily, “Got it, I’ll be careful.”
With that, she turned to attend to other customers.
Xiao Qingxuan watched her retreating back, unsure whether she had taken the warning to heart or not.
Lingfeng leaped onto her shoulder and brushed her cheek with his tail.
【Little Tuanzi, most mortals don’t believe in these things. You’ve already warned her. Do your part and leave the rest to fate.】
Xiao Qingxuan sighed.
“That’s all we can do. Since we can’t return to the temple, where will we stay tonight?”
Her master had said not to forcibly interfere with karma.
Xiao Qingxuan had no choice but to take the three little ones to find a place to rest.
Perhaps because it was on her mind, her steps gradually led her westward.
Earlier, when she had calculated with her fingers, it wasn’t just the direction—she had also divined the time and the malevolent forces.
The hour of You, three quarters past, corresponds to the west, which belongs to Metal. Metal generates Water, and Water represents evil—precisely the time when malevolent spirits stir.
That “blood calamity” wasn’t an ordinary traffic accident; it seemed more like someone had deliberately caused it.
Just as she was pondering this, she suddenly overheard two burly men drinking beer chatting idly.
“Have you heard? The west side of the city hasn’t been peaceful lately. Several young women have vanished on their way home from work. The police have been investigating for days but have no leads.”
“Exactly. My cousin works over there. She’s so scared she has her husband pick her up every day. They say the perpetrator specifically targets women walking alone.”
Xiao Qingxuan’s heart skipped a beat. She abruptly looked toward the west.
It was an old industrial area, with dim streetlights and a maze of alleys—the perfect place for filth to hide.
By the time she hurried back to the restaurant on her short little legs, the sister had already left.
She was said to have gone to a warehouse in the west to fetch frozen meat.
Xiao Qingxuan quickly performed a finger calculation. Not good.
But Little Tuanzi was still young. By the time she arrived, both the van and the sister had vanished without a trace.
Everything was as calm as if nothing had happened.
Xiao Qingxuan took out the change the sister had given her and placed it on her compass. Unfortunately, the money had passed through too many hands. The needle spun several times but never settled.
【Too many people’s auras are attached to this money. This method probably won’t work.】
Xiaobai crouched beside the compass, pawing at its edge with his little claws.
【Hey, aren’t you a dog, fox? Sniff out the scent.】
Lingfeng flared up in anger, not caring that the other was the White Tiger.
【You’re the dog! You’re the dog!】
Xiao Qingxuan smacked both their heads.
“What are you two doing, fooling around at a time like this? You ate the sister’s meat!”
The two little ones stopped their squabbling and began sniffing intently.
Fortunately, this gang had a hideout.
They hadn’t fled overnight.
Lingfeng stopped in front of an abandoned, unfinished building and growled softly toward the inside.
【That sister’s scent is in there.】
Qingxuan lightened her steps and peered through the crack in the door.
The courtyard was piled high with cargo crates, and there were several tire tracks on the ground.
Behind the innermost crates, she could vaguely make out an iron door, its handle hung with a rusted chain.
Xiaobai jumped onto a nearby low wall and looked down.
【Looks like two people are guarding the door.】
Xiao Qingxuan calculated in her mind. Charging in head-on was definitely not an option.
With her meager strength, she couldn’t even pull open the iron chain.
Just as she was growing anxious, the sound of flapping wings suddenly came from overhead.
Looking up, it was Qingyu returning.
【Xiao Tuanzi! I finally found you.】
The Xuan Bird landed on her shoulder.
【Exhausted! You all didn’t wait for me.】
Qingxuan was both surprised and overjoyed, hugging Qingyu’s neck.
“Qingyu, you came back just in time. Help me with something.”
She whispered a few words into Qingyu’s ear, and before the Xuan Bird could complain, it flapped its wings and flew into the night sky.
Not long after, a commotion suddenly erupted in the yard.
“What’s making that noise?”
“Sounds like a bird? Never mind, keep an eye on this door. Don’t let that woman escape.”
“Damn it, why does this bird keep swooping at people’s faces!”
Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Qingxuan pulled Lingfeng and Xiaobai through the gap under the iron gate.
Fortunately, she was only five years old, so the narrow gap was just enough for her to squeeze through.
The two guards in the yard were busy trying to shoo Qingyu away and didn’t notice the small figures darting past their feet.
The three little ones hid behind a cargo crate and saw that the innermost iron door was slightly ajar.
From inside came the muffled cries of the waitress sister, her mouth gagged.
Just as Xiao Qingxuan was about to move closer, she heard a rough voice speaking inside.
“The boss said this woman is pretty and can fetch a good price. We’ll load her onto the truck at dawn and send her straight to the docks.”
“What about the ones caught earlier?”
“They were shipped off long ago. Heard they were sent south—no chance of coming back in this lifetime.”
Xiao Qingxuan knew there were too many people to fight.
She pulled two Yellow Talismans from her bamboo basket and handed them to Lingfeng and Xiaobai.
“Wait for my signal. Once we rescue the sister, we run.”
Lingfeng held the talisman in his mouth, eyes wide open: 【Understood!】
Xiaobai also pressed the talisman under his paw, letting out a low growl in his throat, ready to grow larger at any moment.
Qingxuan held her breath and took out a talisman.
She flung it onto the cargo crate and whispered, “Rise!”
A golden light flashed from the Yellow Talisman, and the half-person-high cargo crate suddenly toppled over with a loud crash.
The contents inside spilled onto the ground.
“Who’s there?!”
The people inside were startled and came over with clubs in hand.
Just then, Qingyu swooped down.
Its claws scratched the face of the man on the left, making him howl in pain.
Meanwhile, Lingfeng darted to the feet of the man on the right and stuck the talisman onto his shoe.
The man instantly froze as if nailed to the ground, unable to move.
“Now!”
Qingxuan shouted, pulling Xiaobai as they rushed to the now-open iron door.
Behind the door, the waitress sister was curled up in a corner, her eyes widening in disbelief at the sight of the little ones.
“Mmph… mmph.”
“Sister, come with me quickly!”
Xiao Qingxuan took out a dagger and cut the ropes, then grabbed her hand and ran outside.
Xiaobai shielded them from behind, instantly transforming back into a half-grown white tiger, baring his teeth at the guards who were chasing after them.
“There’s a tiger!”
The guards were terrified out of their wits and didn’t dare to pursue any further, turning and fleeing out of the yard.
Qingyu led the way ahead, while Xiao Qingxuan pulled the sister along.
Lingfeng and Xiaobai followed closely behind as they ran out of the warehouse.
Only when they stood on the main road outside the industrial area, seeing the flashing police lights in the distance, did the sister’s legs give way.
“Sister, the police are here. Go and report this quickly.”
Xiao Qingxuan handed the protective talisman to the waitress.
“Keep this with you. It will keep you safe.”
The waitress sister was still shaken, collapsing to the ground.
Qingxuan patted her back: “Sister, go quickly, or the bad guys might escape.”
Watching the waiter being taken away by the police, Qingxuan led the three little ones back.
Qingyu landed on her shoulder and asked in confusion.
【Xiao Tuanzi, you went through so much trouble to save someone. If Master finds out, he’s definitely going to scold you.】
Qingxuan looked up at the moon, her small face full of indifference.
“Master says that karma cannot be forcibly altered, but to stand by and watch someone die—that would be a true taboo.”
Then she slapped her forehead: “Oh no, I forgot to mention Master’s name!”