Chapter 3 – Escape II

The greatest feature of her Spirit Spring space was, of course, the spring itself. To say it could cure all diseases would be an exaggeration, but long-term use did strengthen the body, improve complexion, and extend one’s lifespan. Other than that, there was just a small hut, a few acres of spiritual farmland, and a couple of fruit trees. Not large, but enough for self-sufficiency.

She didn’t know how long this body had gone without a full meal, but her stomach was so empty it was producing sour water, and her limbs felt weak and powerless.

She secretly ate a few pieces of lotus candy and nibbled on some pastries. Only then did her strength begin to return.

Carefully, she crept toward the wooden planks leading up from the basement. Perhaps the men were overconfident, or perhaps they thought the captives were tied too securely to escape. Whatever the case, there was no lock on the boards, nor was anyone guarding them.

Wei Ci pried open a narrow gap, her large, foxlike peach-blossom eyes darting left and right like a guilty thief. Her dark pupils swirled with constant movement, while her little ears twitched nervously, straining for every sound.

It seemed to be an abandoned, broken-down courtyard outside. Everywhere she looked, tall weeds grew wild. Only one narrow path, trodden down by frequent use, was visible.

Listening carefully, she heard the chirping of insects and calls of birds, but also faint sounds of drunken laughter, shouting, and women crying—all coming from somewhere farther away, most likely the front yard.

Wei Ci had just decided to slip away. A gentleman should not linger beneath a crumbling wall; she, a little chick with no strength to fight anyone, had only one priority: preserve her own life.

“Wu… wu…”

Just as she moved, the sound froze her in place. Like a lizard, she plastered herself against the ladder, turning stiffly to look back. One of the girls had awakened, eyes open, struggling against her ropes. Wei Ci’s brows arched slightly, her expression flickering with something unreadable.

Her mother used to say: ‘Three men make a tiger, when the time comes, you must take action.’ But her mother also said: ‘One can never be too cautious of others.’ Wei Ci felt that maybe the first bit could be ignored, but the second was the real key.

Right now, she wasn’t even sure of her own safety. If she helped these people, she might drag herself down with them. She was a grasshopper in a cage—no room to leap.

The girl seemed to sense her hesitation and began struggling even harder. Tears welled in her deer-like eyes, shimmering as if to say, If you don’t help me, I’ll cry until you do.

Her noise roused the others. The children and girls who had been unconscious began waking one by one, confused and terrified, their gazes darting around. As Wei Ci expected, they started writhing against their bonds. If their mouths weren’t stuffed, their screams would have pierced the boards and carried for miles.

Wei Ci sighed, her shoulders slumping, her expression weary and resentful.

Mother, why didn’t you ever teach me how to deal with this kind of situation?

After thinking for a moment, she slowly went back down. Squatting beside the girls, she put a finger to her lips, signaling for silence. Only when they nodded did she remove the gags from their mouths.

“Cough, cough…”

“Cough, cough…”

The basement filled with coughing. Wei Ci panicked, rushing to cover their mouths in fear that the noise would draw the men outside.

“Don’t make a sound. They’re right outside.”

The first girl who had awakened looked at Wei Ci, a flicker of complexity passing through her eyes.

“Little sister… how did you get free of the ropes?”

Wei Ci froze for a moment, then shrugged nonchalantly—the gesture one she had picked up from her mother, thinking it very cool.

“They didn’t tie me tightly. My wrists are thin, so I wriggled free.”

The girl clearly didn’t believe her. She glanced at the pile of severed ropes in the corner, then back at Wei Ci. Her gaze swept Wei Ci up and down with suspicion before settling on her face, her expression unreadable—tinged with envy, jealousy, and even faint pity.

One by one, Wei Ci untied the rest of the girls and the four children.

Their ages varied. The oldest of the girls was the first to wake; her name was Meng Wa, twenty years old. The youngest was Wei Ci herself, only eleven. Among the boys, the eldest was about ten, and the youngest only two years old.

Wei Ci thought for a while, then cursed silently in her heart. Those bastards—no, those traffickers—were truly vicious. Their “business” was damn well organized.

Girls were kidnapped to be sold as child brides, so most of them were around fifteen or sixteen years old. Boys, on the other hand, were taken to be sold as adopted sons—the younger, the better.

“How did you all get caught?”

Wei Ci was very curious. In her memory, although the outside world was suffering from famine, where people barely had enough to eat or wear, in the county towns and big cities the girls still had access to government-supplied rations. They shouldn’t have ended up like the original owner—sold off by her family in exchange for two ration tickets, right?

At her words, the girls lowered their heads, expressions mixed with shame, awkwardness, and anger.

“I was knocked out on the road home.”

“I was helping an old lady who pretended to be lost, then I got hit and tied up.”

“Uh… I was tricked into coming.”

Listening to them speak one by one, Wei Ci truly gained new knowledge. Indeed, every trade was difficult—even this costless, immoral business required a strong mindset and cunning tricks. Ordinary people wouldn’t be able to pull it off.

As her aunt often said, with her kind of brain she was destined only to be the one who got tricked. In a period drama, she wouldn’t even survive past two episodes. Wei Ci had no idea what a “period drama” was, but she understood clearly enough that her aunt meant she was stupid.

Meng Wa, the eldest girl, remained silent the whole time, just quietly watching the others talk. Occasionally when she met Wei Ci’s eyes, she would smile politely and nod. She didn’t look anxious at all. Wei Ci scratched her head and forced a silly grin, pretending not to notice anything strange. She was just a weak little girl who didn’t like meddling in other people’s business.

While they were discussing what to do next, a boy with a delicate face, though his hair had been crudely hacked off like a dog’s bite, suddenly collapsed with a thud. His little face was burning red, his lips murmuring incoherent nonsense.

“Ah—”

The next second, his mouth was covered. Meng Wa blinked, her gaze meeting Wei Ci’s, a flicker of guilt showing in her eyes.

Wei Ci narrowed her own eyes, hiding her surprise. She withdrew her hand calmly and shifted her gaze, crouching down to check the boy.

“He’s running a high fever. We need to leave quickly and find a doctor.”

His skin burned hot to the touch, his small, delicate face flushed a dangerous red. His tiny hand clutched tightly at Wei Ci’s clothes, refusing to let go.

At her words, everyone exchanged looks but no one spoke. They all wanted to escape too, but the problem was how? Those human traffickers were still right upstairs.

Wei Ci stood up and swiftly climbed back up. She lifted the wooden plank again—those men were probably still drinking and eating, though their noise had quieted somewhat.

“I’ll go take a look. You all stay quiet.”

Without waiting for their response, she slipped out like a cat.

“Uh… which way do I go?”

Wei Ci stood in the overgrown backyard, momentarily lost.

She might have inherited the original owner’s memories, but most were about her family. In her fifteen years, the original girl had barely stepped outside, and Wei Ci herself even less so. In this ancient world, women of noble households rarely left their homes. Unless it was to attend banquets at another estate, they might never step beyond their gates their entire lives, except on the day they married.

She had just come of age, and not once had she even walked out of the Right Prime Minister’s gates. Her aunt, on the other hand, often snuck out to meet her lover, while Wei Ci was left behind to keep watch and cover for her, so their legal wife and scummy father wouldn’t find out.

So Wei Ci had never been out herself. She had no idea where to go, nor even which direction the government office faced.

Her round ears twitched as she heard noise coming from the front yard. Pressing her lips together, she reached into her Spirit Spring space and pulled out half a packet of powder, a sly grin curling on her lips.

It was a knockout drug her aunt had given her, originally to deal with her scummy father in case he barged into her aunt’s courtyard when she wasn’t there. Although there were other ways to get out of trouble, it was always messy.

Well, it turned out to be exactly the right precaution.

Judging from the fact that a whole pound of knockout drug had dwindled to just a palm-sized pouch, its frequency of use was obvious. Back then, she pitied her aunt. Now… she pitied herself.