"You two can stay here for the time being,"
Austin said to Ivy and Sue.
"Okay, no worries,"
the two women responded, nodding at Austin.
They knew staying here was a great opportunity for them.
"All right, I'm going out then. Should anything happen, send me a message through your spiritual
sense," Austin said.
He left the pure land of Buddhism hidden deep in the void. Taking Julian with him, he returned to the
plateau.
From there, Austin took Julian around the big cities as well as some famous scenic spots on Earth.
Their skills aided them to travel all over Earth in half a day, though it was a thousand times larger than
before.
Once they'd visited most of the famous scenic spots, they returned to the Brilliant Kingdom.
Then Austin took Julian back to his hometown, the one where he was born. He'd even taken him to the
house where he and his parents had lived before.
He told Julian some interesting stories from his childhood.
Julian listened eagerly, curious about his father's past.
Standing in the house where his father and grandparents had lived, he kept asking Austin for more.
Since his birth, Julian had spent most of his time in a small world in the Fallen Divine Valley.
This was the first time for Austin to take him out for a tour.
"Don't hit my father. Let him go!" A panicked voice suddenly echoed into the air.
It sounded like a frightened little girl.
"Girl, if you don't want to die, get out of here right now!"
"Sam, you've only given us half of the crystals you owe us this month. Where is the other half? If you
don't hand it over right now, we will kill you!"
"Sam, how dare you refuse to pay the tax you owe Dent? Do you have a death wish, is that it?"
"Why are you wasting your time talking to him? Beat him up. He won't learn obedience otherwise."
Several fierce voices rang out in succession.
Austin's spiritual sense immediately told him there were more than a dozen fierce-looking men out
there. They were surrounding a man and his daughter on a nearby lawn.
The father looked over forty years old, and the little girl about thirteen or fourteen.
Father and daughter were huddled close together in fear.
Their faces etched in horror and trepidation.
"Please tell Dent that I will try my best to pay the other half of the tax this month. My wife has been sick
these days and has been hospitalized. I had to take care of her and my daughter
and then had to work in the mine. I've merely been really busy,"
Sam pleaded.
"That's none of our concern, nor will it matter to Dent.
All he cares about is that you pay the required amount of crystals every month.
Save us these theatrics.
Now tell me, will you hand the crystals over today or not?"
a strong man with a chubby face said with a sneer.
"Please, please give me just a few more days.
I really don't have any crystals on me right now.
I have turned in all the crystals I dug up this month,"
Sam begged.
"Is that so?
So you're telling me you're refusing to hand them in today?
That we came all the way up here in vain?"
a short man with yellow hair said disgustedly.
"Since that's what he has to say, he leaves us no choice.
We'll need to give him a beating he won't forget.
Let's go!"
the men said in unison, ready to attack.
"What do you want from us?
What you're doing right now is illegal!"
In a panic, the little girl spread her arms out in an attempt to protect her father. Tears streamed down
her face as she yelled at the men.
"Wait!" one of the men said, waving his hand.
"Haven't you noticed?
While she is still young, she is already quite feminine.
Look at her.
She is quite tall, too."
The man leered at the little girl, studying her from top to bottom with a lecherous look in his eyes.
"You're right.
She might be young, but old enough for us to have fun with her.
I imagine it would be an interesting experience."
Now the rest of the men were giving her similar looks, making her stomach turn in disgust.
"What are you talking about?"
Sam paled at the turn in conversation. He knew how heinous those people were, and he couldn't allow
them to do what they had in mind.
"Viola, leave now."
Sam pulled his daughter behind him and kept pushing her to leave.
"It's too late for that."
Of course, they wouldn't let them go now. In quick succession, all of them were surrounding the father
and daughter.
"Sam, the only way out of this is for you to pay up the crystals.
If not, then maybe we can come up with a different payment plan. Let us borrow your daughter for three
days.
In exchange, we will pay the tax for you this month.
How about that? Doesn't it sound reasonable enough?"
a man said to Sam, still eyeing the girl with more lustful intent.
"Hell no!
My daughter is still young. Please let her go.
This has nothing to do with her.
I will pay the tax,"
Sam stood in front of his daughter and said.
"Young? Now, now, that's obviously not true.
Just look at her.
She's bloomed into a beautiful woman.
All the right parts to please a man.
It's what women are good for, after all. Why not let her fulfill her role?
In fact, it's settled.
Let us keep your daughter for three days.
You will be exempt from this month's tax.
Take her away,"
one of the men said.
Several men walked up to the girl.
"Go away!"
Sam couldn't help the mountain of rage enveloping him.
He shoved his daughter behind him to protect her.
"Sam, do you want to die?"
The men's eyes turned livid at his obvious rebellion.
"If you refuse our generosity, we will punish you."
"Teach him a lesson!"
Now the men had turned to Sam instead.
"I'll fight you to the death!"
Gritting his teeth, Sam punched the air, and a stream of spiritual power surged out from his fist.
Sam, it seemed, was a cultivator.
"You think this will save you?
Don't you know that we are disciples of the Green Bamboo Gang?"
With a few moves, using their martial arts skills, the men knocked down Sam effortlessly.
"Stop it! Don't hurt my father!"
The girl ran up to where the men were fighting to protect her father.
However, she was too small and useless to protect him.
62fb1bb41dcb31934bd49bda