My Demonic Cult's Holy Maiden

Upon opening the pot lid, Su Yue discovered a plate of egg fried rice already prepared inside.

Is that guy saving it for his next meal?

Su Yue couldn't help but think this way and prepared to cover it up again.

But suddenly her gaze fell on the place where the bowls and chopsticks were placed, and there was a note there.

Su Yue picked up the note and read it. Then her face gradually turned angry. Ten taels of silver for a plate of fried rice? This is blatant robbery!

With a cold snort, Su Yue slammed the lid shut, turned, and walked out of the kitchen.

This was the first time she had ever seen such a despicable man!

Go back and continue treating your injuries; the sooner you recover, the sooner you can leave.

……

When Qi Yu arrived at the riverbank, several children were already waiting, each holding a candied hawthorn.

The candied hawthorn in Erhu's hand is a new variety, made from green apples!

Qi Yu raised an eyebrow and slightly raised the corners of his mouth.

Spending all day reading and learning characters is nothing but loneliness, which most people really can't stand, so I found a way to relieve stress.

It's just teasing these little kids!

Qi Yu moved closer, ready to say something, but then he saw the little kids surrounding a boy with pigtails.

The boy's eyes were red and swollen, clearly from crying, and in a very sad way.

Qi Yu frowned. What was going on?

Did they fight?

"What happened? Why is Tiezhu crying?" Qi Yu asked with a stern face.

A group of children looked at Qi Yu and surrounded him, chattering away. Qi Yu didn't know who to listen to.

Finally, having no other option, Qi Yu had to have Erhu explain the situation separately.

"This morning, Tiezhu's older sister, Erniu, was taken away. I heard she's going to be sold to a brothel!" Erhu said.

Qi Yu frowned. Er Niu was Tie Zhu's older sister, a twelve-year-old girl. She had a grandfather and a father who was addicted to gambling. Her mother died shortly after giving birth to Tie Zhu.

This little girl often gives him food; she is a very gentle and kind girl.

His father was a compulsive gambler who squandered the family fortune, sold off the land, and incurred gambling debts. He fled at a young age, leaving the grandfather, grandson, and granddaughter to depend on each other for survival.

Grandpa Liu is 76 years old, but he still manages to support his two children.

"Where's your grandfather?" Qi Yu turned to look at Tie Zhu and asked.

Tie Zhu burst into tears and sobbed, "Grandpa was pushed by those people and broke his leg. He's resting in bed."

Upon hearing this, Qi Yu frowned even more deeply.

Those people were undoubtedly their father's creditors.

Their father, young and strong, had run away long ago, leaving behind two children and an elderly person, who were constantly being harassed by their father's creditors for debts.

"Tiezhu, stop crying. Take me to your house and talk to your grandfather!" Qi Yu said.

Tie Zhu sobbed once, then slurped back a snot, nodded, and occasionally let out a few more sobs.

……

When Tie Zhu arrived at his house, it was a dilapidated little thatched hut with many of the fences collapsed.

Qi Yu and Tie Zhu hurriedly entered the thatched hut and saw his grandfather, an old man with gray hair, in a narrow room.

He was lying on the bed, unconscious, and several neighbors were also there.

We're all from the same village, so we should look out for each other. Grandpa Liu was carried in by them too.

"Aunt Li, how is Grandpa Liu?"

Qi Yu walked up to Aunt Li and asked her.

Aunt Li's family lives in the south of the village, while Qi Yu lives in the north, separated by a river.

Jiangting Village has only about thirty households, it's very small, and everyone knows each other.

Aunt Li sighed and said, "It seems she fainted from anger. She hasn't woken up since this morning."

"What happened? How could they break into a private residence in broad daylight and take people away?" Qi Yu asked, frowning.

Although Jiangting Village is a small place, kidnapping someone from their home is a very serious offense, and if caught, one will go to jail.

Aunt Li sighed and said, "Liu Hu owed gambling debts, so he signed a contract to sell himself into servitude and mortgaged Er Niu. The government just turns a blind eye to it."

Qi Yu's breathing became slightly heavier. In the present day, the powerful families control the court in the Great Yun Dynasty, and many rules and laws are no longer effective.

"Cough cough cough~"

Grandpa Liu on the bed coughed, then opened his eyes and shouted Erniu's name.

After regaining her senses, tears streamed down her face as she cursed her gambling son. A somber atmosphere filled the room, and her uncles and aunts rushed to comfort her.

In this era, women had a very low status. At home, they obeyed their fathers; after marriage, they obeyed their husbands. In reality, they were truly sold.

"Aunt Li, how much money does Uncle Hu owe them?" Qi Yu turned to Aunt Li and asked softly.

After thinking for a moment, Aunt Li said, "It seems to be six taels of silver!"

Qi Yu's breathing became slightly heavier. Liu Hu really is a scumbag who sold his daughter for just six taels of silver!

I'm going out for a bit!

Qi Yu said this and then ran out.

It was sold to a brothel!

Brothels are only found in Jiangzhou City, but there are several brothels there. I don't know if I can catch one.

------------

Chapter Five: The Journey

Qi Yu hurriedly arrived in Jiangzhou City, searching from one brothel to another.

The brothels were initially located in the south of the city. Qi Yu went there as soon as he entered the city, but couldn't find them.

Next was a family in the west of the city, but Qi Yu couldn't find Liu Erniu's whereabouts there either.

In the end, only one brothel remained in Jiangzhou City. By the time Qi Yu arrived at this brothel, it was already evening.

Qi Yu found Er Niu, but he was too late; Er Niu had already been sold.

The indenture her father, Liu Hu, signed had fallen into the hands of a fat middle-aged woman.

At Qi Yu's request, he saw Er Niu, whose eyes were red from crying and whose body was covered in bruises.

When Erniu saw Qi Yu, she hurriedly ran over, then grabbed Qi Yu's arm and tried to avoid the fat woman.

"Brother Qi Yu, this place is so scary! Er Niu is so frightened! They hit me! I want to go home!"

Liu Erniu, like a frightened little rabbit, hid behind Qi Yu and sobbed, her face full of fear.

Qi Yu's breathing was a little heavy, and his fists clenched slightly. Er Niu was only twelve years old!

But she was sold to such a place and suffered abuse.

Qi Yu turned around, looked at the fat woman, and asked, "How much is her indenture?"

The fat madam had a face full of fat, a plump figure, and her neck was barely visible; she looked to weigh two or three hundred pounds.

Yet this same woman gave Qi Yu a flirtatious wink and said in a coquettish voice, "Originally it was twenty taels of silver for working here for fifteen years, but if it's you, young master, I'll just give her to you directly. Talking about money is too formal!"

Qi Yu found it extremely offensive and hurriedly said, "Stop! Twenty taels, right? I'll pay!"

A gift for myself?

The boss's lustful gaze told Qi Yu that she was just lusting after his body, and was particularly shameless and despicable.

With her physique, what man could handle her? He'd probably just break a bone!

The fat boss gave Qi Yu a resentful look, and his attitude changed somewhat. He said in a calm tone, "Then give it to me. Twenty taels, cash on delivery, contract of sale on the other."

Qi Yu doesn't have twenty taels right now. He only has a little over three taels in total, most of which is still Su Yue's rent.

Qi Yu took out all three taels of silver and handed it to the fat shopkeeper, saying, "Here are three taels of silver. I'll go back and get the rest! I'll be right back!"

The portly boss looked at the silver, beaming with joy, and nodded.

Anyway, she only bought Erniu for eight taels of silver, and could make twelve taels profit by reselling her. Why not?

Qi Yu turned his head, squatted down, grabbed Er Niu's shoulders, and said seriously, "Wait for me, I'll be right back."

Qi Yu is Er Niu's last hope, so Er Niu nodded and obeyed.

Qi Yu didn't delay any longer and immediately ran out of the brothel and headed towards the city gate.

Jiangting Village is five kilometers away from here, and it takes about half an hour to walk there.

Qi Yu was in a great hurry, so he ran and arrived home in just over ten minutes.

Su Yue sat in the courtyard, watching Qi Yu rush in anxiously. He didn't even greet her as soon as he entered the door, but hurriedly ran into the house and started rummaging through something.

Su Yue looked puzzled, but didn't say anything.

This is his home; he can search it however he wants without any problem, as long as he doesn't go inside...

Just as she was thinking this, Qi Yu pushed open the door to the inner room and went in. Su Yue's face immediately turned ugly.

She hurriedly stood up from the chair, rushed into the inner room, glanced at the change of clothes on the bed, and then looked at Qi Yu, who was dragging a box out of the wardrobe.

"What are you doing? Didn't we agree that you're not allowed to come into the inner room without permission?" Su Yue's eyebrows furrowed as she scolded.

"Looking for something, we're leaving right away!" Qi Yu replied casually, then picked up the table and placed it on the dressing table to search for it.

Qi Yu took out a few taels of loose silver from the box, then took out a jade bracelet, and hesitated for a moment.

This bracelet was left to him by his mother. Although it wasn't a precious piece of jade and wasn't worth much, he still carefully preserved it.

If I sell the bracelet, I should be able to get seven or eight taels. Adding that to my own money, I should be able to raise about seventeen taels.