"Let's go see Grandpa Dean"
Alex took the girl's hand and led her out the door.
Camellia let him do as he pleased.
She didn't go to school. She had gone before, but quickly dropped out for various reasons.
The orphanage was willing but unable. The small town didn't have special education schools. To attend a dedicated special education school, one would have to go to a big city.
But Camellia was alone and so young. Even if she went to the big city, there would be no one to take care of her. It was better to just stay at the orphanage.
Although life was a bit boring, at least there wouldn't be any big problems.
Coming to the kitchen, they saw a stooped figure busy at the stove.
In the large iron pot, the sound of stir-frying with an iron spatula was accompanied by bursts of fragrant aromas.
The stooped figure heard footsteps and turned around. He had a towel around his neck and casually wiped his face with it.
Seeing the young man standing at the door, the dean laughed and scolded, "Alex, what are you standing there for? Come over and tend the fire!"
Alex squeezed the girl's hand, then walked over to the place by the stove where the fire was burning. There was a long bench there.
He sat down and casually picked up some scattered dry grass from the ground, bundled it up, and clamped it in with iron tongs.
After doing this, he started chatting with the dean in a leisurely manner.
The firewood was fierce, occasionally crackling with subtle sounds, casting a reddish glow on the young man.
...
...
At the same time.
As night fell, the quiet small town also welcomed an uninvited guest.
He hid in the shadows, his skin a sickly pale, his eyes glowing an eerie scarlet.
The man clutched his chest and walked down the street step by step.
A stray cat discovered his presence and was instantly so frightened that its fur stood on end. It turned to run away.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
The man casually grabbed its throat, preventing it from making any sound, then he opened his mouth and bit down on the stray cat's head.
'Mm, crunchy~'
Traces of foul-smelling liquid flowed from the corners of his mouth.
The man's steps did not linger.
The stray cat was just a small snack bestowed by the heavens.
He walked in the shadows for about another ten minutes.
Suddenly, the man finally stopped.
He looked at the orphanage in front of him, the corners of his mouth curling into a cruel, silent laugh.
"Sunflower Orphanage"
The man murmured in a low voice, "This is the delicious main course"
The night grew deeper and deeper.
The man took out the materials he had prepared long ago and began circling around the orphanage.
One after another, strange symbols were drawn by him on the walls of the orphanage.
The man was busy for a long time. He looked at his masterpiece in front of him, his eyes filled with incomparable madness and excitement.
"Look..."
"What a great miracle!"
"This is a miracle created by my own hands!"
"The gears of my fate will also start turning from this moment!"
After a long time, the man finally managed to suppress the craving in his heart.
He really wanted to start the blood sacrifice now, but that wouldn't be perfect.
He only liked to pursue perfection!
So, the man chuckled, a hint of viciousness flashing in his eyes.
"Let the bullets... fly for a while longer."
...
...
Divine Land.
"So this is Luoyang? It's really big!"
Looking up, the shops along the road were lined up one after another, with passersby shuttling between them. Occasionally, a few cries from street vendors could be heard, making it quite lively.
Selene had a candied hawthorn stick in her mouth and was shaking Alex's arm.
"Luoyang is one of the top cities in the Divine Land, of course it's big"
Alex led Selene into an inn.
"Hey, welcome guests, welcome to 'One Inn'"
A waiter hurried over. He flicked the rag on his shoulder and smiled from ear to ear, "Are you here for a meal or to stay?"
"To stay"
Alex asked for an ordinary guest room, then took Selene to the main hall on the first floor.
After traveling for almost a day, they should eat first.
Selene sat on the stool, very restless. She looked around curiously like a curious baby, touching this and that from time to time.
Suddenly, she saw the big red lanterns hanging on the street outside and her eyes lit up. She shook Alex beside her.
"Master, look, why is everyone hanging lanterns?"
Alex looked in the direction she was pointing. Indeed, it was a scene of lanterns and decorations everywhere.
"Perhaps some big family is holding a joyous event"
"Oh!"
Selene responded. Just as she was about to continue speaking, a customer at the next table suddenly struck up a conversation.
This was a middle-aged burly man. He had drunk some wine and was a bit tipsy, swaying his body and squinting his eyes as he said, "Hey! Little girl, you don't know this, do you?"
"Today is the big day when the eldest daughter of our Luoyang City Lord, Miss Ji Yun, is getting married!"
The burly man spoke with a piggy look on his face, then showed off, "Speaking of that Ji Yun, I heard she was born beautiful as a fairy, like a flower, like jade, and she's from a noble family. Her temperament and figure are all top-notch"
"I never thought that so many years would pass in a blink of an eye, and she would reach the age of marriage"
The burly man finished speaking and smacked his lips.
Alex listened silently. He turned his head and looked at the mansion at the end of the road. At this time, the mansion was bustling with activity, and there were countless carriages of various officials and nobles at the door.
Alex said, "Brother, you speak so well of her, could it be that you have seen Miss Ji Yun with your own eyes?"
Hearing this, the burly man slammed his hand on the table and snorted, "I've not only seen her, I've even greeted her sister, the legendary immortal Miss Ji Qingge!"
Alex cooperatively cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Since that's the case, why doesn't Brother go to the mansion for a chat instead of drowning his sorrows in alcohol here?"
Hearing these words, the burly man visibly deflated. He lay on the table, staring blankly into the air with both eyes.
After a long time, he finally let out a long sigh.
"How could a vulgar person like me have the virtue or ability to enter the Ji Mansion?"
The burly man was still talking when he suddenly discovered that the people at the next table were gone.
He rubbed his eyes and looked outside the inn. He saw the young man he was just talking to holding a little girl's hand, walking towards the Ji Mansion.
The burly man sneered and shouted, "Hey, little Taoist, I advise you not to make a fool of yourself. Don't think that just because you're good-looking, you can mix into the Ji Mansion. Without an invitation, how can you get in?"
Hearing the burly man's shout, Alex didn't turn back.
He waved his hand as a response.
Seeing this, the burly man picked up his wine cup and took a big gulp.
He thought to himself, this Taoist is really naive, looking like he won't give up until he sees the coffin.
If the Ji Mansion was really that easy to enter, why would he be here drinking himself into a stupor, lifeless?
'He really doesn't know his place!'
The burly man sneered inwardly, but still cast his gaze towards the end of the road.
…
There, Alex and Selene were getting closer and closer to the Ji Mansion.
"Master, aren't we going to eat?"
"We are, does it matter where we eat?"
"But why are we going there to eat?"
Alex paused and patted the little girl's head.
"Because we need to return something for you"
"If you ate someone's candy, you have to pay it back"