Save the Child

Zhuge Jian returned to Shuinui County and sorted through the documents on his desk. Things had not gone well for him in Shuinui County, and he had long been prepared to resign from his post as court clerk. But as court clerk, he wanted to put everything in perfect order, so that his successor could smoothly take charge of Shuinui County's affairs.

"My lord, I have gathered information on what happened near Huangpo Village, as well as the life and history of the talisman master Chen Yindu, and organized it into documents."

A bailiff hurried into the study and presented the documents. "My lord, Huangpo Village falls under Xinxiang County's jurisdiction, not our Shuinui County. Meddling in Xinxiang County's affairs could easily invite unnecessary complications."

"I understand. You may leave."

Zhuge Jian waved his hand, then recalled something else. "Do not mention this matter to anyone. Even if the county magistrate's deputy asks, you are not to say a word."

The bailiff withdrew.

Zhuge Jian opened the documents and began to read. Gradually, his brows knitted together, tightening more and more, like two ropes locked together in a knot that could not be untied.

"So many things have happened near this tiny Huangpo Village? So many experts have vanished?"

He sucked in a cold breath. Any one of the incidents near Huangpo Village, had it occurred in Shuinui County, would have counted as an astonishingly major case!

There were more than ten disappearance cases alone, and every missing person was an extraordinary figure!

"Li Xian of Quanzhou, He Qinghe of Danjiang, the Zhao Family's second young lady, Lin Feishuang of the Lin Family, Xiao Zhu of the Nascent Soul Realm..."

Zhuge Jian's scalp went numb. Most of these people had vanished within the past two years.

"Rumor has it that there is a True King's Tomb within Ganyang Mountain. Most of these people were drawn there by the True King's Tomb, intending to explore its secrets and seek treasure, only to disappear in Ganyang Mountain. Exploring secrets and hunting treasure has always claimed countless lives, especially at the True King's Tomb, which must be fraught with peril at every turn. So that is not too strange. The only question is, so few people vanished in the past—why have so many disappeared over the last two years?"

Zhuge Jian's gaze flickered.

"So many people have vanished over the last two years. This means a murderous demon has appeared around Huangpo Village, slaughtering every expert who came here! Could that person be the talisman master Chen Yindu? Did he truly possess the strength to kill so many experts? Was his purpose to monopolize the True King's Tomb's treasures?"

He continued flipping through the pages. According to the records, Chen Yindu of Huangpo Village was an utterly ordinary talisman master. He made his living by drawing and selling talismans, kept to himself, and had never done anything out of line.

He had a son named Chen Tang, who had gone to the provincial capital to make a living and rarely returned.

Chen Yindu also had a grandson who had died long ago, only to suddenly come back to life two years ago. The boy was mischievous and troublesome, loathed by gods and hated by ghosts...

Zhuge Jian's eyes widened. He read the passage over and over, confirming that he had not misread it.

The document indeed said that Chen Yindu's grandson, Chen Tang's son, had died long ago and suddenly come back to life!

"In the countryside, strange evils are common. More likely than not, some evil thing possessed the corpse!"

Zhuge Jian steadied himself and murmured, "Evil entities are ranked evil, Sui, demon, calamity, misfortune. The thing possessing Chen Yindu's grandson should be at the evil or Sui rank, nowhere near the level of a demon. It has yet to become a force to be reckoned with. In that case, the people who vanished over these past two years are most likely connected to Chen Yindu's grandson."

He continued reading. "Chen Yindu's grandson is named Chen Shi. Hmm, Chen Shi, Chen... Honest?!"

Zhuge Jian was horrified. He shot to his feet and nearly flung the document from his hand.

This Chen Shi was clearly the youth Honest who had murdered Li Xiaoding and eight others, and also the pure-hearted Chen Shi who had salvaged three children's skeletons and handed them over to their families!

"So I had never heard of anyone surnamed Honest because his surname was Chen. He and Chen Yindu are family!"

Zhuge Jian felt his scalp prickle. Yet he also found it strange. If Chen Shi had returned from death because he had been possessed by an evil entity, then the villagers of Huangpo Village should have long since been eaten clean.

Not only Huangpo Village—even all the villages and towns large and small nearby would likely have been devoured until nothing remained!

Yet Chen Shi seemed exceptionally kind. Clearly, he had not been possessed by an evil entity.

He slowly sat down, picked up the documents, and continued reading.

"The villagers of Huangpo Village say that Chen Yindu died half a month ago... Chen Yindu died too?!"

He paused at that point, drew a breath, and continued. "On the second day after his burial, Chen Yindu rose from the dead, sitting up in his coffin. He ate candles, sniffed incense smoke, and slept in the coffin. Since then, livestock in the village often died after having their blood drained dry. The villagers believed he had become a corpse Sui, calling him a zombie..."

Zhuge Jian's scalp went numb. This Chen Yindu was the true Sui!

He steadied himself. If Chen Yindu had been possessed by an evil entity or turned into a corpse Sui, then let alone livestock, the villagers of Huangpo Village should have been eaten clean long ago!

"Within half a month, this zombie could have eaten its way through every village for ten miles around. The first person he should have eaten would have been Chen Shi right beside him. Why had he never taken a bite?"

Zhuge Jian could not understand it no matter how he pondered it. Could it be because Chen Shi is also a zombie? Or have both of them been possessed by Sui, which is why grandfather and grandson have not turned on each other? But Chen Shi looks like a living, breathing person, absolutely not a zombie. Then only Sui remains possible, yet his actions do not resemble a Sui...

This grandfather-grandson pair was far too strange. It was as though each of them carried countless secrets.

"Those people who vanished over the past two years are most likely connected to this strange grandfather-grandson pair. The missing people often came from powerful and noble families. They certainly will not let this go."

The provincial capital of Xinxiang Province had another name: Imperial Township, Imperial City!

What did the name Imperial Township signify?

To dare lay hands on the powerful and noble families of Imperial Township was truly to have the audacity to overturn heaven!

Zhuge Jian placed his letter of resignation on the desk and was about to leave, but after some thought, he turned back.

"Those who uphold justice on heaven's behalf are not criminals."

He lit a fire starter and burned the documents concerning the Chen clan grandfather and grandson to ashes. "Whether or not the two of them are connected to the disappearance cases, Chen Shi is one who upholds justice on heaven's behalf."

He turned and left.

"If this place will not keep me, another place will! To hell with this court clerk post, to hell with this county yamen!"

Li Kefu, Shuinui County's deputy magistrate, wore a gloomy expression as he tore Zhuge Jian's resignation letter to pieces. He said coldly, "Zhuge Jian is nothing but a dog raised by my Li Family, yet he really thinks himself somebody. If you will not do it, plenty of others will!"

He immediately issued an order to recruit another court clerk. Applicants flocked to Shuinui County like clouds, and even xiucai scholars from more than a dozen surrounding counties hurried over to take the examination, hoping to earn a bowl of government rice.

From among the many candidates, Li Kefu selected a new court clerk, surnamed Qu, named Ji.

Qu Ji immediately led the Shuinui County bailiffs in investigations everywhere. Before long, they discovered that on the day Li Xiaoding was killed, the talisman master Chen Yindu of Huangpo Village had been selling talismans in Yandang Village.

One bailiff said, "Lord Qu, Lord Zhuge said that the talisman master who killed Young Master Li was short, around five feet tall. But Chen Yindu is extremely tall. He clearly cannot be the man who killed Young Master Li."

Qu Ji sneered. "Is Zhuge Jian the court clerk, or am I the court clerk? There were no other talisman masters in Yandang Village at the time. He was the only one. If he did not do it, then who did?"

He immediately reported to Li Kefu. Li Kefu gathered the bailiffs and brought along the Li Family's experts, more than fifty people in all, then headed straight for Huangpo Village.

But Shuinui County lay more than a hundred li from Huangpo Village, and they had to travel around the mountain foothills. Though everyone hurried on, dusk was already falling before they reached Huangpo Village.

"My lord, the countryside is unlike the county seat. Evil things often appear in rural areas, so it is not suitable to travel at night," an old bailiff hastily advised.

Qu Ji laughed. "Ignorant nonsense. Our party has thirty-four xiucai scholars and seventeen juren scholars, all of whom have cultivated to the Divine Embryo Realm. We even have experts at the Nascent Soul stage. Moreover, Lord Li is personally presiding over this expedition. Let alone mere evil things, even if a Sui comes, before it can approach us, our divine light will melt it away like snow!"

Li Kefu was eager for revenge. "Continue onward!"

The bailiffs and Li Family experts continued ahead. The moonlight was enchanting, and thick white mist rose within the mountain forests.

At that moment, the crying of an infant drifted from the woods, not far away.

Li Kefu frowned slightly.

Qu Ji ordered, "Li Ying, go take a look."

One bailiff answered in acknowledgment. He activated his Divine Shrine Divine Embryo, and it was as though a lantern hung behind his head, radiating divine light that illuminated the road ahead.

Bailiff Li Ying prepared his spell and carefully kept his guard up as he followed the crying into the forest.

After a moment, Li Ying's voice came from within the woods. "My lord, there are many abandoned babies in this forest!"

Li Kefu and the others were slightly stunned.

"There are around a dozen infants!" Li Ying shouted.

"A dozen infants?" Everyone was startled.

Abandoned infants were not uncommon in the countryside. Some were born to unmarried girls who had become pregnant and discarded their children to avoid disgrace. Some were abandoned in the wilderness simply because they were girls, due to a preference for sons over daughters. Others were born into families too poor to raise them, leaving the parents no choice but to give them away or cast them aside.

But throwing away more than a dozen infants all at once—such a heartless, conscience-destroying deed was something they had never heard of!

Qu Ji immediately selected another dozen or so people. "Heaven cherishes life. Since fate has let me encounter this, go help Li Ying and carry those dozen or so infants over here."

"My lord, could there be something strange about this?"

"If I tell you to go, then go!"

Those dozen or so people followed the crying.

Qu Ji flattered him. "My lord, saving more than a dozen infants in one stroke shows a heart as compassionate as a bodhisattva's. Once word spreads, you will surely be praised by all under heaven."

Li Kefu rarely revealed even a hint of a smile. Since his son Li Xiaoding's death, this was the first time he had shown the slightest amusement.

Saving one infant would not stir any response whatsoever on the Western Ox Continent, but saving more than a dozen infants in the countryside at night was legendary in itself. It would be enough to spread throughout the world and let everyone know of Li Kefu's good deed!

"The Li Family will surely learn of my actions and value me more highly. I am still young. In the future, I can take several more wives and have a few more sons."

Just as he thought this, Li Ying's voice rang out. "My lord, there are not enough hands. We need more people to come!"

The bailiffs who had gone to assist him also called out one after another. "My lord, there are even more children here!"

More infant cries rose from the forest. Just now, there had only been the cries of a dozen or so infants, but now it sounded as though thirty or forty infants were crying at once.

Li Kefu's heart skipped a beat. Something felt wrong.

Yet tonight's moonlight was truly enchanting. Amid the gaudy lights and revelry of the city, how could one ever see moonlight so pleasing to the eye?

His expression became somewhat dazed.

Qu Ji also frowned. "My lord, something seems wrong..."

Li Kefu shook his head, casting off the moonlight's interference. He shouted in a low voice, "Prepare your spells. Use the Zi Wu Zhan Xie Sword! Await my command!"

The Zi Wu Zhan Xie Sword was a spell within the Heavenly Heart Righteous Qi Art. It gathered true qi and divine light into invisible Sword Qi. It had six forms and was a spell every scholar had to master.

Everyone prepared their spells. The air before them quivered faintly, yet no sword shape could be seen.

Qu Ji shouted, "Li Ying, carry the children back first! Then we will go help!"

Li Ying answered in acknowledgment. Footsteps then sounded from the forest, while the babies' cries drew closer and closer. Under the moonlight, vague figures swayed among the trees. After a moment, more than a dozen figures emerged from the forest. They were Li Ying and the other bailiffs, each carrying an infant in his arms.

Li Ying and the others took two steps out of the forest, then each stopped. They did not come closer, merely saying, "My lord, there are even more children inside. Please lend a hand!"

Indeed, the crying of more infants came from the forest.

Li Kefu, Qu Ji, and the others looked at one another, half believing and half doubting.

Qu Ji barked, "Bring the children over first!"

Li Ying and the others did not move. They merely urged them to enter the forest and rescue those infants.

Qu Ji was about to speak again when Li Kefu ordered, "Lord Qu, go take a closer look. I keep feeling that there is something wrong with them."

Qu Ji had no choice but to steel himself and walk forward. Several bailiffs cradled infants in one arm while waving at him with the other. Their movements were somewhat stiff as they called out, "Lord Qu, come quickly and save the children!"

Qu Ji drew closer and closer, his heart pounding wildly. The more he looked at those bailiffs, the stranger they seemed. Suddenly, he stopped and shouted, "Li Ying, bring the child over—"

Before the word "here" could leave his mouth, the forest suddenly rumbled. A four-legged monster slowly rose from the woods. It had as many necks as strands of long hair, slender and serpentine, with infant-like heads at the ends, each one letting out an infant's wail.

Quite a few of those infants were being held in Li Ying and the other bailiffs' arms. At that moment, the infants in their arms also rose along with the slender necks.

The four-legged monster let out a rough, thunderous cry:

"Quick, save the children!"

More than a hundred infants wailed in unison, flailing their arms and legs in the air as they clawed impatiently toward Qu Ji.

And once the infants vanished from Li Ying and the others' arms, they suddenly began leaking air from all over, shriveling down.

Only then did Qu Ji and the others see clearly: in that brief span of time, Li Ying and more than a dozen other bailiffs had turned into sheets of Human Skin!

Just moments ago, they had held children, laughing and talking. In truth, the monster had merely eaten all their flesh and bones, then blown their skins full of air until they swelled, imitating how they walked and spoke!