Early the next morning, the group continued their journey towards Silver Peak Village, the southern heat already beginning to rise. By the time they reached the village entrance, evening had fallen, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple. Mu Yin, deciding to make a show of their arrival, chose to rest in a roadside pavilion before entering the village proper, her gaze sweeping over the approaching lights.
"How far are we to the village?" Gen grumbled, his irritation with Mu Yin palpable, his voice low. "I hate this lady's attitude. She's so arrogant."
"About a half-hour walk, Brother Gen," Lee Nianzu replied calmly, his voice soothing.
"Thank heaven," Gen sighed in relief, his shoulders slumping. "I'm starving."
"Senior Brother, can we eat first?" Yu Lei asked, his stomach rumbling loudly, a hopeful gleam in his eyes.
"Hmm," Guozhao Zhiqiang assented, a faint smile on his lips.
"Thank heaven it's not the fifteenth day of the month!" Yu Lei exclaimed happily, referring to a day of fasting, his face lighting up. "I want all the meat dishes! Roasted pork, chicken, everything!"
"Me too!" Tian Xiang agreed enthusiastically, rubbing his stomach. "I'm craving meat!"
As the hunters chatted, a sedan chair, carried by a group of burly men, approached them, its silk curtains swaying. The sedan stopped in front of the pavilion, and a portly man in his forties with a large belly stepped out, his face beaming. His workers were all male, dressed in fine silks. The six hunters watched as the fat man and Mu Yin spoke briefly, their voices low. Mu Yin then pointed at Deming, a subtle gesture. The fat man smiled and nodded, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction, and one of his servants handed Mu Yin a large, heavy money pouch. With her transaction complete, Mu Yin walked back inside the pavilion, a triumphant smirk on her face. Shortly after, two of the fat man's servants approached the pavilion, stopping before the six hunters, their expressions grim.
"You," one of the men said, his voice curt, pointing at Deming. "Come with us. My master is waiting."
Deming's eyes narrowed suspiciously, a cold dread creeping into his heart. "Why?" he challenged, his voice firm.
"You were sold to my master," the man replied bluntly, his gaze unwavering. "You are his property now."
Deming looked at Guozhao Zhiqiang, his eyes wide with fear and confusion, then back at the two servants. "Did you ask him if he agrees?" he challenged, indicating Guozhao Zhiqiang, his voice shaking slightly.
The man reached for Deming's right hand, but Gen moved like lightning, grabbing the man's hand firmly, his grip like iron. "Don't touch him!" Gen snarled, his voice thick with anger, his eyes blazing with a dangerous fire.
The man cried out in pain, his hand suddenly feeling as though it were on fire, a searing agony. He struggled to break free from Gen's grip, but it was impossible, Gen's hold unyielding. It wasn't until the man's hand was engulfed in flames, his skin blistering, that Gen finally released him. Another servant rushed forward, trying to slap the flames out of his colleague's arm, his face contorted with fear. The wounded man shrieked, the fire climbing higher, licking at his face, a horrifying spectacle.
Mu Yin and Miao Jing, standing just outside the pavilion, watched the terrifying, unpredictable scene unfold, their faces stunned.
Mu Yin was stunned by Gen's display of power, her eyes wide with disbelief. She looked at Miao Jing, her voice hushed, a tremor in her tone. "How could he do this? What kind of monster is he?"
Miao Jing was equally bewildered, shaking his head. "I do not know, Boss. I've never seen anything like it."
"That's enough, Gen," Guozhao Zhiqiang said, his voice cold and commanding, cutting through the chaos.
Gen snapped his fingers, and the flames vanished instantly, leaving the burnt, whimpering man writhing on the ground, his arm charred.
Forty guards, alerted by the commotion, rushed in and surrounded the six hunters, their weapons drawn, their faces grim.
Tian Xiang smirked, his eyes sweeping over the bewildered guards, a hint of disdain. "Do you really want to fight us? You'll regret it."
The fat man, the buyer of Deming, waddled forward, his face pale with fear, but his eyes still fixed on Deming. He smiled unpleasantly at Deming, his gaze possessive. "You are so beautiful. How old are you, little boy?" He licked his lips, his gaze lingering. "Do not harm the little boy," he commanded his guards, "he's mine."
Guozhao Zhiqiang raised his right palm, and a glowing talisman appeared, shimmering with light. He sent the talisman into the ground, and instantly, numerous dirt spikes erupted from the earth, impaling the people surrounding the hunters, their screams piercing the air. As the uninjured guards stumbled backward, retreating towards their boss, Tian Xiang and Yu Lei simultaneously launched two talismans towards the group. The talismans transformed into fifty sharp icicles, which hurtled through the air, striking the remaining uninjured men, piercing their flesh. The seriously injured guards, screaming in agony, limped farther and farther away until they reached the sedan chair and the terrified fat man, huddling together.
Yu Lei stepped to the edge of the pavilion, staring directly at Mu Yin, his voice laced with menace. "You made Senior Brother angry, lady. That was a grave mistake."
Tian Xiang glared at Mu Yin, his expression furious, his eyes blazing. "Making Senior Brother angry is like opening the gate to hell! You'll face his wrath!"
"We made an equal deal!" the fat man stammered, his voice trembling, trying to justify himself. "I didn't do anything illegal! It was a fair transaction!"
Lee Nianzu stepped forward, his demeanor calm despite the chaos, his voice resonating with quiet authority. "This gentleman," he said, "it is legal to trade goods, but it is illegal to trade with human life. Please repent. What if the other party were your relative? What would you think if your relative was traded to be someone else's slave? Think about it."
"Nianzu," Yu Lei sneered, "why be polite to him? He's a human trafficker!"
A young man in his thirties, one of the fat man's uninjured servants, stepped forward, his face pale. "Please," he pleaded, "my master will not force us to do anything that we are not agreeable to do. He is kind. Please don't hurt our master."
Another servant also stepped forward, echoing his sentiment. "Master is very good to us. He treats us well."
The fat man, still visibly shaken by Guozhao Zhiqiang's cold gaze, stammered, his voice trembling, "I respect their decisions. I want him because I think he's too beautiful to be ruined by other men. Who knows which bad man will hurt him if the lady sells him at Silver Peak trading market? I wanted to protect him."
Mu Yin stepped forward and, with a disgusted look, threw the fat man's money pouch back at him, the coins scattering. She then approached Guozhao Zhiqiang, her expression softening, a hint of admiration in her eyes. "I never knew that a man like you would love his little brother so much. I was attracted by men who love their family, and I've decided not to sell any of you. You're too valuable in another way." She moved closer to Guozhao Zhiqiang, looking him directly in the eyes, a bold proposition on her lips. "Marry me and be my husband. Join my ranks."
Without a word, Guozhao Zhiqiang grabbed Deming's right hand with his left, his grip firm, and the two walked away from the stunned group, heading towards the village. Tian Xiang, Yu Lei, and Gen quickly followed, leaving the bandits behind.
Lee Nianzu looked at the trembling fat man. "You have yourself a good day, sir. I'm sorry for hurting your subordinates." He then quickly caught up with his four brothers and Gen, leaving the scene behind.
"Husband! Wait for me!" Mu Yin shouted, her voice ringing with determination, then began to run towards the hunters, her face beaming, her eyes fixed on Zhiqiang.
Miao Jing, still reeling from the events, muttered, "She's crazy and scary. I don't understand her." He then yelled at his remaining followers. "Hurry up! Let's get out of here!"
Mu Yin rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Guozhao Zhiqiang's left arm, her face beaming, her grip possessive. "Marry me! I'll give you everything you want! Power, wealth, anything!"
Guozhao Zhiqiang yanked his arm away from Mu Yin, his voice cold and devoid of emotion, his eyes blazing. "Don't touch me. Ever again."
"It's normal for husband and wife to stay close to each other," Mu Yin insisted, reaching for Guozhao Zhiqiang's arm again, undeterred.
Guozhao Zhiqiang glared at her, his voice chillingly firm, a silent threat. "As I said, don't touch me."
"Why not?" Mu Yin demanded, her voice rising in frustration, her face contorted. "You touch him! Are you afraid of touching me? Am I not good enough?"
"Because he is different from you," Yu Lei sighed dramatically, a knowing smirk on his face. "How can you compare to Brother Deming? He's a goddess, you're... not."
"Why not?!" Mu Yin yelled, her patience completely gone, her face red with fury.
Yu Lei looked at Tian Xiang, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Comparing yourself with Brother Deming is like comparing a stone to a silver bar. You are a stone, and he is a silver bar. There's no comparison." He and Tian Xiang burst into laughter, a loud, mocking sound.
Gen also chuckled at Mu Yin, a rare display of amusement. "Have you ever heard of 'don't hold your hopes too high, because it will be very painful if your hopes are dashed'?"
The two hunters and the fire demon smiled, leaving Mu Yin behind in her frustration, her face burning with humiliation, and walked away towards Guozhao Zhiqiang and Deming, their bond unbreakable.