At the farmhouse, which was located outside the town, Xu Ke and the other male slaves were assigned to three bedrooms. Each person was allocated a bed and a thin blanket. The stout women were given another room.
Some of the elder boys had already become accustomed to their new household, and they silently lay on their beds like corpses and held the bedding in their arms.
The young, impetuous Xu Ke would not give up as easily as they had. His hands gripped the blanket, and his eyes were as dark as the ocean at night.
A teenager who was sleeping next to him turned and sighed when he saw Xu Ke sitting on the bed.
"Why don't you get some sleep? We should save energy for tomorrow. We have no idea what is waiting for us…"
Xu Ke interrupted with a hoarse voice. "I am fine. I have rested enough these past few days because I was sick, and I am not tired at all. Maybe I should go out for some fresh air to avoid disturbing you. Good night."
He put the blanket aside and opened the door gently as he tightened his lips. The view outside was dark as ink, and the surroundings were almost silent. The only sounds he heard were the snoring from the rooms and the blowing of the wind.
He felt hope rekindle in his heart. This would be his only chance to escape. Everyone was new to the Liu family, so they had not developed loyalty for their masters yet. If time went by, it would be more difficult for him to run away under the eyes of so many faithful servants.
He had yearned for freedom since the day he was released from prison. During his time in the slave shop, he had been patiently waiting for his chance to escape. The slave shop had monitored its slaves strictly. Two teams of guards checked in on them every fifteen minutes, and other strong men were stationed in every corner. Although Xu Ke knew some kungfu, he was too weak to fight them. And if they caught him, they would beat him to death.
On the contrary, the farmhouse was loosely watched. He had figured out the guards' regular patrol routes and was prepared to run away that night. Jiang Pengji would come in the morning, but he would be gone by then. All he needed to do was sneak out to the forest and hide for a few days. After that, he would gain the freedom that he had pined for!
Tempted by the thought, he swallowed. A fever was burning his throat.
The boy shook his heavy head to keep his mind clear and awake. He tried to remember the directions he had observed when they came in the mule carts.
"If Heaven would allow me to take revenge!"
He discreetly crawled in the shadows until the farmhouse became distant.
He stumbled toward the woods and saw a deep forest a mile away. He had enough time. The people on the farm would not notice that he was missing until four hours later.
However, he felt his feverish heart cool, and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
He could not account for the fear that he suddenly felt. He continued to walk farther, but his heart sank. The roaring wind hit his face, turning his cheeks ice cold, but that was nothing compared to his frozen heart.
His body could feel no warmth. He had dropped from the heaven of freedom to the hell of reality.
There were 12 armored men on horseback who were staring at him without making a sound.
Xu Ke stared back blankly.
Silence rang out in the night.
Finally, a clip-clop broke the stillness, and a man came forward. "Are you Xu Xiaoyu?"
Xu Ke hoped this was a mistake. Maybe he could still survive. Now, all he wanted was to go back to bed.
But these people had come for him. This sparked courage in him, and he tidied his clothes before bowing. "Yes, I am Xu Xiaoyu from Zisang."
"Well, well! We have waited for you for the whole night! Our master wants to see you." The man gestured for him to follow. He was not willing to speak further. Xu Ke wondered who they were taking him to.
He knew there was no chance of escaping now. He had only two legs, and the men were on horseback. Besides, he was ill and feeble.
There were a number of farmhouses in various sizes that were situated next to Heijan. After walking for some time, he could see candle lights, which indicated there was another village nearby. Xu Ke grimaced with emotion.
The man who was leading him jumped off his horse and handed the reins to his companion. He spoke to the pale-faced Xu Ke. "The master is waiting for you inside. You will go in alone. Be respectful."
Xu Ke didn't know who wanted to see him. But the instant he opened the door, he smelled the warm air that was mixed with a mild fragrance.
The scent reminded him of the teenager he had seen in the morning. Was it him, the wealthy Langjun who had bought him?
But he soon realized his guess was wrong when he saw the silhouette on the folding screen. The person behind the screen was an adult, and the Langjun was no more than 13 years old.
"Come in," a husky voice said.
Xu Ke hurriedly collected his thoughts and kneeled in front of the screen. Before he even took a breath, he could hear the rustling of the man's clothes as he stood up. He heard his steady footsteps approaching, and he brought the scent of his fragrance with him.
"So you are Xu Ke, Xu Xiaoyu."
The man raised his chin as sharply as the Langjun had, but this time, the man used his fingers instead of a fan. The force caused him to draw a breath, and tears slid to the corners of his red eyes.
Now he could observe the man's features.
The candlelight was flickering behind the man. His eyes were as cold and cruel as a deadly snake.
Xu Ke could tell that this man and the Langjun were from the same family because they resembled each other. This troubled Xu Ke. He was just an ordinary slave. What had prompted such an important man to look for him?
Still, he answered with difficulty. "Yes, master. That is me."
The man's snake-like scrutiny swept away all thoughts from his mind, leaving only boundless fear in his heart. He didn't even feel the pain on his bruised chin.