The main performance tent was still under construction, but a row of smaller sheds and tents for the circus troupe to live in had already been set up.

Xu Dong, holding his “son” Liangliang’s hand, followed them to a white-roofed tent in the middle of the area.

Thick plastic sheets covered the sides of the tent, and a blanket curtain hung at the entrance.

It was still summer, and the sun was high; just looking at such a dwelling made one feel hot and irritable.

Xu Dong tugged at his collar and urged, “Can you hurry up? Don’t waste my time!”

The young woman glanced at him and said, “You inspect a mule or an ox before you buy it, let alone a person.”

Xu Dong glared at her, demanding, “What do you mean by that?”

“It means we need to check if the child has any illnesses or disabilities, otherwise, even if we take him, he’ll be hard to re-home.”

“My son has barely been sick since he was little; he’s very healthy.”

“Heh heh,” the young woman chuckled, covering her mouth. “What you say doesn’t count. Come in and sit; it’s hot outside, but cool in here.”

As she spoke, the woman pushed aside the blanket curtain, and a wave of cool air immediately wafted out, dispelling the summer heat and making one shiver involuntarily.

Xu Dong suspected there might be ice inside.

“Are you coming in?” the woman prompted again.

Xu Dong took a deep breath and, holding Liangliang’s hand, stepped inside.

The tent’s interior wasn’t large; a chair and a bed were placed on either side.

In the center was a water vat, topped by a statue wearing a white robe and a tall hat, holding two lanterns.

At first glance, it looked like a living person, and Xu Dong was startled when he entered.

Liangliang recoiled, hiding behind his father, clutching Xu Dong’s trouser leg with both hands.

“What is this thing?” Xu Dong asked.

The woman replied matter-of-factly, “What’s so strange? Which profession doesn’t have something they worship?”

The old woman sat down on the chair, holding an old ceramic bowl that had several chips. It was filled with clear water.

The woman bent down and grabbed Liangliang.

“No, I don’t want to, no,” Liangliang pleaded, looking at his father.

A struggle flickered in Xu Dong’s eyes, but he didn’t look down; he just stood there motionless.

The woman pulled the boy away from the man and brought him before the old woman.

The old woman reached out and touched Liangliang’s cheek.

At her touch, the little boy immediately stopped struggling, his eyelids drooping. But beneath his calm demeanor, his body trembled incessantly.

The old woman first touched the boy’s forehead with her index finger, then dipped the finger into the clear water in the bowl. Immediately, the water in the bowl turned a faint black.

The woman frowned slightly at the color, clearly dissatisfied with the “quality.”

Nevertheless, she took money from her pocket, counted it, and handed it to Xu Dong: “This is all there is. Take it or leave it.”

Xu Dong took the money, stuffed it into his pocket without counting, and turned to leave quickly.

Liangliang’s trembling intensified.

The old woman remained motionless, still holding the bowl.

Just then, a corner of the blanket curtain was lifted, and a man poked his head in, asking, “Sister Rou, the food’s back. Everyone’s waiting for you to serve it.”

The woman, addressed as “Sister Rou,” sharply turned her head and snapped at the man, “Eat, eat, eat! The offerings aren’t even ready, and all you can think about is eating!”

“But didn’t you just take in a…”

Sister Rou pushed Liangliang and scoffed, “The quality is too poor. He’s a child no one wants.”

Xu Dong walked all the way out to a small convenience store by the road. He went inside, asked for a pack of cigarettes, stood by the entrance, pulled one out, and lit it. The first puff made him choke, and he squatted down, dry-heaving.

The imagined feeling of vengeful satisfaction did not appear. Instead, his heart suddenly felt hollow, and his eyes welled up.

“Slap! Slap!”

He slapped himself twice forcefully, turning his face bright red.

“Xu Dong, Xu Dong, how could you be so pathetic? He’s not even your own flesh and blood, what’s there to miss?”

He once had an enviable, good life.

After graduation, he was assigned to a very profitable company with excellent benefits. He married an intelligent and beautiful wife, and later they had a lovely son.

At that time, he genuinely felt that fate had been kind to him.

But later, he discovered he had been living a joke.

First, his wife divorced him, citing emotional incompatibility. Though he didn’t understand and desperately tried to reconcile, he eventually had no choice but to accept it.

Fortunately, he gained custody of their son.

For this, he even felt some gratitude towards his ex-wife.

Until one day, rumors about his ex-wife reached his ears. He initially didn’t believe them, but subsequent inquiries revealed that his wife had been with someone else since her school days. Strictly speaking, he was actually the third party.

He went to that school and met the retired old professor Chen Deliang. With just one look, he confirmed that Liangliang was the professor’s son.

Before, he hadn’t thought his son looked unlike him; perhaps the son resembled his mother more. But once the suspected person appeared, the comparison left him no choice but to believe.

It turned out that for all these years, he had not only been raising another man’s wife but also another man’s son.

Every glance at his once beloved son now felt like a mockery of himself, a trampling of his dignity.

Especially since his son’s given name contained the character “Liang,” and his nickname was “Liangliang,” chosen by his wife, it was a character from the old man’s name.

His world collapsed.

However, after selling the child, he felt a deep pang of pain. He could faintly hear his son’s voice calling “Papa” in his ears.

Squatting on the ground, he turned his head and saw a red toy car among a display of toys on a table outside the small store.

At that moment, countless voices inside him scorned and cursed him, calling him a disappointment, a coward, deserving of his fate, and a piece of trash.

But he still stood up, picked up the toy car, walked to the counter, asked the price, took out his wallet, and paid.

Then, holding the toy, he started to walk back.

He took deep breaths, his expression pained, repeatedly muttering to himself, “Even if it were just a dog, after raising it for so long, you’d develop feelings.”

He could have left the child with his mother, with the old man, or even at an orphanage, but he shouldn’t have sold him.

With that thought, he began to run, faster and faster.

Meanwhile, inside the white tent.

The water in the bowl held by the old woman, which had been faintly black, was gradually darkening.

Sister Rou noticed and let out a long breath.

“It seems that even though the quality is only half of what’s normal, it’s acceptable.”

The old woman, still holding the bowl, stood up, walked to the water vat, and poured the black water into it.

The statue seemed to come alive a little more.

A smile appeared on the old woman’s face, the sagging skin at the corners of her mouth pulling upwards slightly.

Sister Rou, with her hands clasped together, bowed three times to the statue.

Then, she stepped out of the tent and saw the man running towards her, holding a toy.

“Take your money back, give me my child. Count the money, I haven’t touched it!”

Xu Dong pulled out all the money he had put into his pocket earlier.

Sister Rou shook her head.

“Give me my child, I’ll give you more money! I’m not selling him anymore, give me my child!”

Sister Rou continued to shake her head.

“I’m not selling him, damn it!”

Xu Dong tried to rush inside.

The next moment, Sister Rou grabbed him by the neck with one hand, then brought her knee up.

“Thump!”

Xu Dong clutched his lower abdomen, collapsing to his knees with his mouth wide open. He hadn’t expected such force from the young woman.

“Give me my child… I’ll give you more money… You take children… isn’t it… isn’t it for money…?”

“Money? Heh.”

Sister Rou chuckled, then delivered a chop to the back of Xu Dong’s neck.

Xu Dong’s eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

Two circus troupe members walked over, pointing at Xu Dong on the ground: “Sister Rou, there’s a reservoir nearby. Should we take care of him tonight?”

“Take care of what? Put him in a cage. When we leave Jinling and head north, sell him to a black coal mine. He needs to be alive, otherwise the child we just took will be useless. From now on, we’ll have to acquire the children ourselves, otherwise, these strange situations keep happening. During tomorrow’s performance, keep a close eye out for children who come with both their parents. Oh, and has the promotional van gone out yet?”

“Not yet, they’re eating.”

“Tell them to eat in the van and go promote right now! Go to residential areas near kindergartens, and turn the loudspeaker up!”

“The Yu Family Circus will soon present spectacular performances, featuring adorable dwarfs and beautiful mermaids… Children, tell your parents to bring you to Xijiao Plaza tomorrow to see the show!”

Tan Wenbin rolled down the taxi window and looked at the approaching van. It had a large loudspeaker on its roof and various performance posters plastered on its sides.

“Brother Xiaoyuan, is this the one? It’s called the Yu Family Circus.”

Li Zhuiyuan nodded, “It should be.”

Tan Wenbin asked the taxi driver, “Sir, do you know Xijiao Plaza?”

“Yes, I live nearby. Are you here for the circus? It doesn’t start until tomorrow. This morning, when I was heading out, I saw them still setting up the tents.”

“Are there many people in that circus troupe?”

“Looks like quite a few; there are several trucks alone. Heh heh, tomorrow’s the weekend, and kindergarten is closed, so I plan to take my kid to see the show.”

“Sir, I wouldn’t go there. It’s crowded, and accidents can easily happen.” After a pause, Tan Wenbin added, “It’s not safe for children.”

“My child is smart and clever; he’ll be fine. He doesn’t talk to strangers, you can’t trick him.”

Li Zhuiyuan said flatly, “There’s no child that can’t be tricked.”

The driver immediately retorted, “My child is really different. We taught him from a young age not to talk to strangers or take things from them, unlike other kids who are foolish.”

Li Zhuiyuan didn’t respond, thinking the driver himself was foolish.

Li Zhuiyuan had specifically studied many children and concluded: In this world, there are practically no children who cannot be deceived.

And parents who smugly boast that their children are too smart to be tricked by strangers are often truly ridiculous and foolish.

Most importantly, often traffickers don’t even need to use deception.

It’s far too easy for an adult to control a small child: one arm clamps the child’s body, the other hand covers their mouth, and they pick them up and walk away. The child can’t resist or make a sound, and the posture looks almost like a normal way to carry a child.

Even if a child struggles more violently and cries out, the trafficker can just say, “Be good, stop fussing, be obedient, I’ll buy you a toy next time,” and passersby won’t suspect it’s a child abduction.

They arrived at their destination. What was called Xijiao Plaza was actually a small paved area with a large stretch of wasteland nearby. This place was originally supposed to be developed, but for some reason, construction had stalled.

Therefore, major events like temple fairs and performance troupes typically set up here.

“Brother Xiaoyuan, it’s right there.”

Ahead, a tent was being set up, and a large sign made from poster paper had already been erected.

“Brother Binbin, let’s go eat.”

“Okay, let’s eat first, and by the way…” Before Tan Wenbin could finish his sentence, he heard an argument coming from the taxi behind them. “Huh, why hasn’t A-You gotten out yet?”

Li Zhuiyuan, with his good hearing, replied, “He didn’t bring enough money when he left.”

Tong’an Town, located in the suburbs of Jinling, was quite a distance from the school by taxi, so the fare was naturally not cheap.

When Lin Shuyou left, he was so careful to bring his face paint and costume that he forgot to put extra money in his pocket. He also hadn’t expected the ride to be so long.

“Brother Xiaoyuan?”

“You go ahead.”

Tan Wenbin walked to the taxi and interrupted the driver’s angry voice: “How much more do you need? Is this enough?”

“It’s enough, I’ll give you change.”

“Don’t bother with the change, just calm down.”

“Thanks, young man. Is he your friend?”

“Yes, we came together.”

The driver looked back at Lin Shuyou, his tone softening: “You should’ve just called your friend over earlier.”

Tan Wenbin said, “My friend is a bit shy.”

Lin Shuyou got out of the car, his face a mix of relief and embarrassment as he faced Tan Wenbin.

“Big Brother, thank you…”

“It’s fine, it’s no big deal.”

Tan Wenbin was pleased with Lin Shuyou’s expression. He hadn’t asked the driver for change not because he was trying to show off, but because the tip was actually for Lin Shuyou.

“Big Brother, are you now…”

“We’re going to eat now. Come on, let’s go together.”

“Together?”

“Why hide? Brother Xiaoyuan already saw you.”

“He won’t make me leave, will he?”

“Do you have money for a taxi back?”

“No, I don’t…”

“Taxi fares are expensive, and splitting up isn’t cost-effective, so you might as well wait and come back with us.”

“Really, Big Brother?”

“Let me correct you: it’s fine to call me ‘Big Brother’ in private, but in front of Brother Xiaoyuan, you call me Binbin. As for Brother Xiaoyuan, just call him what I call him.”

“Okay, Brother Binbin.”

Tan Wenbin put his arm around Lin Shuyou’s shoulder and led him towards Li Zhuiyuan.

“Brother Xiaoyuan…” Even from a distance, Lin Shuyou raised his hand to greet him first.

Li Zhuiyuan glanced at him, didn’t respond, and turned to walk towards a noodle shop by the road.

They sat down and ordered three bowls of noodles.

Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou also entered the shop and sat in front of Li Zhuiyuan.

Lin Shuyou said, somewhat awkwardly, “Brother Xiaoyuan, it’s also my responsibility to eradicate evil and protect justice.”

Li Zhuiyuan took three pairs of chopsticks from the holder, found them a bit dirty, and handed them to Lin Shuyou: “Go wash these.”

“Okay!” Lin Shuyou sighed in relief, took the chopsticks to the sink, and returned with a smile on his face.

The three bowls of noodles were served.

Li Zhuiyuan said, “This evil spirit is quite formidable. The three of us need to cooperate to make it back to school alive.”

“Understood,” Lin Shuyou nodded vigorously, excitement in his eyes. “We, the Guanjinshou, are not afraid of the evil spirit’s origins.”

The “White Crane Boy” Lin Shuyou had previously summoned was, in mythical narratives, a disciple of the Immortal of the South Pole. As for the Zeng-Sun Generals, they were two ghost kings subdued by Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.

Theoretically, no matter how powerful someone like Granny Yu was, she wouldn’t be a match for them; she wouldn’t even be fit to sit at their table.

The problem is, gods are gods and humans are humans. How powerful the summoned deity is still depends on the person who summons them.

Li Zhuiyuan: “You must learn to preserve yourself to sustainably eradicate evil and protect justice.”

Lin Shuyou: “Brother Xiaoyuan is right.”

Tan Wenbin nudged Lin Shuyou’s arm and told Li Zhuiyuan, “Don’t worry, Brother Xiaoyuan, A-You understands. Both of us will follow your orders.”

“Yes, yes, yes, I’ll follow instructions.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Eat your noodles.”

After finishing their noodles, the three returned to Xijiao Plaza.

The main performance tent was already more than half built and should be finished by evening. Meanwhile, outside the main tent, a row of smaller tents housed individual mini-shows that had already begun.

These included activities like “can toss,” “ring toss,” “balloon darts,” and attractions like the “Vase Lady” and “Beauty in Love with a Python”…

These attractions were all run by the circus itself. Each tent required a separate admission fee, though it wasn’t expensive; ordinary children could afford it with their pocket money.

Some local vendors had also gathered, setting up their stalls along the circus tents, creating the atmosphere of a small temple fair.

“Let’s play around, blend in, and observe carefully.”

After speaking, a naive and lively expression, typical for a child his age, appeared on Li Zhuiyuan’s face.

The three first approached the can-toss stall, where a stack of beverage cans stood. Players threw basketballs at them, and a nearby poster listed the rules, specifying how many cans needed to be knocked down for different prizes.

Generally, the cans at the bottom row would be filled with sand, or perhaps even cement.

Tan Wenbin paid for three tries.

Li Zhuiyuan took the first turn, casually tossing the basketball, knocking down only two cans.

When it was Tan Wenbin’s turn, he threw with great force, but several cans on the bottom row remained standing.

Finally, Lin Shuyou’s turn came. His basketball was thrown with a spin; it landed in front of the stack, causing all the cans to tumble.

He won a large rabbit doll, and like presenting a treasure, he handed it to Li Zhuiyuan.

Li Zhuiyuan, with a joyful expression, took the rabbit doll and hugged it.

At the same time, he whispered, “If you draw any more attention, you can go straight back to school.”

Lin Shuyou paused, then realized, nodding like a chicken pecking rice.

Next was the ring toss. Li Zhuiyuan still threw casually, missing every time.

Tan Wenbin performed well, using the equivalent of five bottles of drinks in ring toss money to win one bottle of drink.

As for Lin Shuyou, this time he also imitated Li Zhuiyuan, deliberately missing his throws.

These were stalls run by the circus troupe. Encountering a genuine expert would naturally draw attention, and at this moment, being conspicuous was the last thing they needed.

Li Zhuiyuan also noticed a characteristic among these stall owners: they would become especially enthusiastic when children came to play. Of course, children were the main consumers, so enthusiasm was normal, but their attention wasn’t on the children themselves. Instead, they seemed to be scrutinizing the adults accompanying the children, as if assessing something.

They were particularly solicitous towards parents who brought their children together.

This was certainly not Li Zhuiyuan overthinking; their differential treatment was too obvious.

This made Li Zhuiyuan curious. Even if their entire circus troupe was a trafficking organization, shouldn’t their primary focus be on the child’s “quality” or appearance?

Furthermore, children who wandered off alone, or those accompanied only by a grandparent or mother, should be their easiest targets.

There was a clear logical inconsistency here.

Li Zhuiyuan felt he should re-evaluate their child trafficking objectives.

After trying all the outdoor games, the three bought tickets and entered the “Vase Lady” tent.

On a platform stood a square wooden board, with a vase upright in its center. A woman was positioned on top of the vase, and a microphone was placed in front of her.

It appeared as if the woman was just a head, seemingly floating on the vase.

Quite a few people bought tickets to see her. The Vase Lady sang a few songs and chatted for a while.

Once inside, there was no time limit; one could leave whenever they got tired of watching.

Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou peered eagerly, their curiosity undiminished even though they knew they were on a mission and this was “enemy” territory.

After they came out, Tan Wenbin cleared his throat twice, and Lin Shuyou rubbed his face. Both pretended their earlier absorption in the show was merely to better blend in with the audience.

However, after a brief exchange of glances, driven by curiosity, Tan Wenbin eventually lowered his head and asked Li Zhuiyuan:

“Brother Xiaoyuan, how is this done?”

“Good, you didn’t ask if it was real.”

“Oh, come on, I’m not stupid,” Tan Wenbin chuckled sheepishly. Most dead bodies, headless or not, would be dead. Let alone a person?

“Underneath the wooden frame, there are two mirrors placed at an angle. The person is actually standing below, with only their head and neck positioned correctly. To avoid revealing the trick, a barrier rope is needed to prevent people from getting too close, and the table’s height must be raised so she appears to be looking down from above as much as possible.”

“Oh.”

“Oh.”

Both men looked as if a light bulb had gone off.

This made Li Zhuiyuan somewhat puzzled. These two had, after all, legitimately passed their college entrance exams. How could they not see through such a simple trick?

However, just then, Li Zhuiyuan stopped. He felt something unusual; a faint touch of black seemed to have appeared in his vision.

He turned his head to look at Lin Shuyou. Sure enough, Lin Shuyou had also stopped and closed his eyes.

If he opened them again, it was highly likely they would transform into vertical pupils.

Li Zhuiyuan wasn’t sure if this was a characteristic of the Guanjinshou or if Lin Shuyou simply couldn’t control his mediumistic abilities well.

“Brother Binbin.”

“Got it.”

Tan Wenbin, holding a “Purity Talisman” in his hand, reached into Lin Shuyou’s clothes and pressed the talisman onto his back.

A Purity Talisman could dispel evil influences. Although the Guanjinshou had turned from evil to righteousness, their former selves were still ghost kings, so the talisman would naturally be effective.

Lin Shuyou’s body trembled slightly, and when he opened his eyes again, they had returned to their clear state.

“I’m… I’m sorry.” Lin Shuyou knew he had almost caused big trouble again.

“Are your master or your grandfather like this too?”

If this was a traditional trait of their sect, then they would literally just start fighting any evil spirit they encountered on the road without hesitation.

But that seemed unlikely; extremely aggressive sects rarely survived, especially during periods of declining lineage.

“My master and my grandfather aren’t like this; only I am.”

“Did they say what the reason was?”

“They said my talent is too great, and I enter trances too easily.”

“Great talent? But you can still only summon the White Crane Boy?”

“At my age, being able to summon the White Crane Boy independently, without the aid of temples or assistance, is extremely rare. Of course, Brother Xiaoyuan, I can’t compare to you; you can even summon General Sun.”

“Didn’t I tell you last time that was a trick?”

“That was just your humility.”

“Who told you that?”

Hearing this, Tan Wenbin shifted his gaze, meticulously examining the “Beauty in Love with a Python” poster ahead.

Lin Shuyou: “No one told me; I heard it myself.”

“Brother Binbin.”

“I didn’t say it.”

“Go buy tickets.”

“Ah, oh, okay, heh heh.”

Tan Wenbin went to buy tickets.

The three entered the tent.

On the poster outside, a beautiful woman with a fiery figure wore a swimsuit, a python coiled around her.

This advertisement was completely genuine, even understated.

Inside the mosquito-netted bed, a very young and scantily clad beautiful woman was indeed lying there.

Beside her was a thick python, and beneath her were many smaller snakes.

The audience in this tent was double that of the previous Vase Lady attraction.

The children’s eyes were all on the snakes, while the adults’ eyes were on the woman.

Li Zhuiyuan, holding the large rabbit doll, watched the woman intently.

Wisps of black mist, invisible to ordinary people, swirled around her. It didn’t look like demonic possession but more like a pervasive contamination.

“Watch carefully now.”

Sister Rou, lying on the mosquito-netted bed, gave a warning, then reached out and picked up a small snake beside her, letting it enter her nostril. After a moment, the snake emerged from her mouth.

The onlookers immediately gasped, finding it horrifying and frightening.

Immediately afterwards, the python, which had been lazily coiled and mostly still, began to writhe on the woman’s body. Its head moved up to her crown, then slowly rose, flicking its tongue.

The woman’s eyes and the snake’s eyes moved almost simultaneously, scanning everyone present.

Li Zhuiyuan noticed that they would pause subtly when their gaze fell on children.

But to Li Zhuiyuan’s surprise, finally, both the woman and the python directed their gaze towards him.

Li Zhuiyuan pretended to be scared, raising the rabbit doll he was holding to block his view.

In fact, the woman hadn’t noticed anything unusual about Li Zhuiyuan; she simply thought the child was quite good-looking.

This child was probably just over ten years old, not a very suitable target for trafficking.

For traffickers, boys under five were ideal targets: high price, strong market demand, and easy to sell.

They were too young to remember, and with a bit of raising, they would forget their past and consider the buyers their biological parents.

“Little brother, don’t be scared, heh heh,” Sister Rou spoke out.

The others also turned their attention to him.

Li Zhuiyuan subtly peered over the rabbit doll, and after confirming that the other party hadn’t noticed anything unusual about him, he raised the doll again. Then, shaking his head, he backed away, eventually exiting the performance tent altogether.

Before he could pinpoint Granny Yu’s location, he didn’t want direct contact with her peripheral elements.

His target was Granny Yu; even if he killed many of her subordinates, under the influence of the river water, she would still relentlessly pursue him.

Tan Wenbin: “Hahahaha, Xiaoyuan, why are you so scared?”

Tan Wenbin laughed and followed him out.

Lin Shuyou lacked such acting talent, so he could only shake his head in feigned helplessness and follow them out.

Inside the tent, a wave of laughter erupted. Everyone found it perfectly normal; let alone children, many adults would be afraid when faced with a scene full of snakes.

Sister Rou paid no attention, picked up another small snake, and continued her performance.

After Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou emerged and regrouped, the three began walking towards the main performance tent that was being set up.

Li Zhuiyuan: “This woman is problematic. She’s the only one who clearly stands out right now; the other circus employees seem to be ordinary people. If we have to make a move, pay attention to her actions.”

Lin Shuyou said seriously, “I’ve noted that.”

“No, you don’t need to remember her. Brother Binbin, you focus on that woman. If she appears when we make our move, you are to hold her back.”

Since Run Sheng and Yin Meng were not present this time, Tan Wenbin, receiving such a crucial independent assignment for the first time, was very excited. He raised his hand to his forehead, then swung it forward, followed by a stomp of his foot:

“Loyalty!”

At this time, quite a few people had stopped to watch the construction of the performance tent.

As soon as Li Zhuiyuan arrived, he noticed a problem: the temporary foundation of this performance tent was excessively sturdy.

The stakes, each wrapped in oiled paper, clearly had a special significance, and judging by their precise placement, they were evidently the preliminary layout of a hallucinatory array.

However, the circus’s construction workers clearly didn’t understand array formations; they seemed to be simply copying. In the very center, someone held a blueprint, constantly directing others to correct the orientation of the wooden stakes.

While they were setting up, Li Zhuiyuan was contemplating how to modify the layout.

No one understanding array formations was a good thing; it meant he didn’t have to worry about concealment. He could directly set up a small, miniature array at the center of this large one for control.

To someone knowledgeable, this action would be as obvious as carrying a glowing light bulb at night, but in the eyes of the ignorant, it would just be an ordinary light bulb in a daytime trash pile.

While observing the row of small sheds and tents behind the main performance tent, a white-roofed shed in the central area, equipped with insulation, caught Li Zhuiyuan’s attention.

It might as well have had a banner on it proclaiming: “This one has a problem!”

Daytime was not suitable for action, much less for setting up, so they would have to wait until late at night when everything was quiet.

For the remaining time, the three needed to find a place where they could rest and discuss their plans.

Unfortunately, there were no hotels nearby where they could get a room. However, across the road, there was a building with a “Massage” sign on its second-floor balcony, from which they could observe the entire circus area from above.

Crossing the road, they arrived at the shop entrance. Inside, a single massage bed stood forlornly, and on a nearby sofa sat five heavily made-up women.

Tan Wenbin slapped his forehead, “Oh, it’s that kind of place.”

The implication was whether Brother Xiaoyuan would prefer a different location.

However, the buildings around this one were mostly single-story shops, offering a poor vantage point for observation.

Seeing Li Zhuiyuan remain silent, Tan Wenbin had no choice but to go inside. After some negotiation, he gestured for Li Zhuiyuan and Lin Shuyou to enter.

The three went upstairs, followed by two masseuses.

The second floor consisted of small partitioned rooms.

Tan Wenbin: “Little brother, sit here and wait for us older brothers to finish.”

Li Zhuiyuan sat down on a chair outside.

Tan Wenbin whispered something to Lin Shuyou, then each of them entered a room, followed by the two masseuses carrying small plastic baskets.

Initially, the massages were relatively standard, though a bit careless and perfunctory.

When the masseuse prepared to gradually move to more suggestive areas, Tan Wenbin said with some resignation:

“Never mind, I’m too tired and not in the mood. Here’s your money; I’m going to get some sleep.”

Next door, Lin Shuyou, facing the same situation, shook his head and said:

“I can’t.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I really can’t.”

“Trust me.”

“No, no.”

“Have some confidence. For boys your age, it’s usually just a psychological issue; it’s nothing.”

“No, I really don’t need it.”

“It’s fine, I’ll help you.”

“No, please don’t.”

“Don’t be scared, Sis understands you.”

“You don’t understand.”

“Are you still a virgin?”

“I…”

“I’ll give you a discount, consider it a red envelope for you.”

The masseuse from Tan Wenbin’s room had already left, so Li Zhuiyuan entered that cubicle.

Inside, there was a window directly overlooking the circus.

Li Zhuiyuan took out his pre-drawn array blueprints from Tan Wenbin’s backpack. From his elevated position, he instructed Tan Wenbin on the specific placement and considerations for setting up the array after dark.

Tan Wenbin nodded continuously. These arrays were to be set up on the perimeter to draw opponents in. If the situation changed and became uncontrollable, they could use the arrays’ delaying effect to retreat.

There were quite a few arrays, so Tan Wenbin began to plan the time he would need, while Li Zhuiyuan started drawing miniature array diagrams specifically for the performance tent on the spot.

Only after everything was planned did Lin Shuyou push open the door and walk in.

Tan Wenbin laughed, “Well, well, that took a while.”

Lin Shuyou blushed and said, “I didn’t do anything; the auntie was just too enthusiastic. It took me a lot of effort to finally persuade her to leave.”

Tan Wenbin: “The auntie has professional ethics.”

Just next door, separated by a wooden partition, the conversation was clearly audible.

They were busy with serious work; otherwise, Tan Wenbin would have teased, “A-You, why don’t you just give in to the older sister?”

Li Zhuiyuan handed another set of array diagrams to Lin Shuyou and asked, “Can you understand these?”

Lin Shuyou nodded, then shook his head: “I recognize them, but I don’t know how to use them.”

He had the basics, but only the basics.

“Recognizing them is enough. Just follow the instructions and plant the flags after nightfall.”

“Okay, understood.”

Li Zhuiyuan assigned Tan Wenbin to set up the outer perimeter, while Lin Shuyou was to arrange the inner circle, as Lin Shuyou’s agility made it less likely for him to alarm anyone.

As dusk fell, the performance tent was fully set up, and the streets gradually emptied.

Tan Wenbin couldn’t help but sigh, “It seems this shop isn’t doing well; no one has asked us to leave after all this time.”

They waited until late into the night. Outside, it was mostly quiet, and the circus troupe members had returned to their tents or vehicles to rest.

The time was ripe; it was time to act.

The three left the cubicle and went downstairs, only to find the ground floor completely dark. The glass door was locked, and the roller shutter was down.

It turned out the establishment had already closed for the night.

They had completely forgotten, or perhaps simply hadn’t anticipated, that guests would still be resting so late in that second-floor room without having checked.

Breaking the door would create noise, so the three had no choice but to return to the second floor and climb out through the window.

Tan Wenbin had to climb carefully, using both hands and feet. Lin Shuyou first leaped down, lowered his own backpack and Tan Wenbin’s hiking pack, then jumped back up to the second floor to help Li Zhuiyuan down.

While the others had already gone up and down twice, Tan Wenbin was still cautiously testing the stability of the racks on the utility pole with his feet.

After he descended, the three split up.

Li Zhuiyuan hid beneath a slope relatively close to the circus, responsible for observing the movements inside. However, he didn’t need to look up; he only needed to listen.

Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou, each carrying a bag of array flags of various sizes and styles, began to set them up.

Lin Shuyou, who was responsible for the inner circle and more difficult placement, completed his task almost simultaneously with Tan Wenbin, and both returned to the bottom of the slope.

Both were slightly out of breath, and Li Zhuiyuan gave them some time to rest.

Just as they thought it was time to make their move, Li Zhuiyuan heard a “rustling” sound in his ears.

The young man slowly lifted his head and looked ahead.

In the distance, an old woman, holding two white lanterns, was walking towards them, step by step.

Her shoes seemed somewhat like clogs; her steps were stiff, and she made quite a bit of noise as she walked.

Moreover, as she drew closer, her legs seemed to gradually lengthen. She wasn’t on stilts, yet she appeared to be eerily growing taller.

The glow from the white lanterns cast a ghastly pallor on the old woman’s face.

“Heh heh heh heh heh heh…”

A sinister chuckle emanated from her, and then she began to call out:

“How naughty, not sleeping peacefully late at night. Granny had to come find you herself.”