Chapter 420: Witch Child

In two days at most, she would die of thirst. He He Lingchuan, who prided himself on having seen much over the past half-year, could not help but ask, "Who did this?"

To commit such a heinous act against a young child—surely "insane" is an appropriate description?

He He Lingchuan instinctively drew his dagger; the young girl retreated half a step, her face showing fear.

Fu Fu Shanyue, however, seemed unfazed and waved his hand. "Don't move. She is a Witch Child."

He He Lingchuan did not know what a Witch Child meant, but the little girl began gesturing to Fu Fu Shanyue.

"People, many people, outside, fighting?"

The young girl nodded.

"Alright, don't draw attention. Come in."

The young girl smiled immediately, her eyes curving, though her sewn-shut mouth could not lift into much of an arc.

He He Lingchuan hoisted her inside in one motion.

Outside was a patch of grass, and not far away was a shallow drainage ditch in the back alley; the light was very dim.

As soon as the child entered, she caught sight of the food on the table and swallowed hard, looking at the two of them with pleading eyes.

"I shouldn't have bothered with a Witch Child, but you helped me." Fu Fu Shanyue sighed. "Come, over here."

The young girl walked over. Fu Fu Shanyue raised his right hand, his fingernails lengthening and sharpening, and lightly sliced across her lips. The stitches snapped, but her skin remained unharmed.

The young girl immediately knelt and kowtowed to him.

"Eat."

The young girl was so hungry she stood on no ceremony, grabbing a pan-fried bun from the table and stuffing it into her mouth. She barely chewed, nearly choking as she shoved two in a row.

He He Lingchuan silently handed her a cup of water, which she took and gulped down in one breath.

This six or seven-year-old child was so famished that she ate like a little monster.

He He Lingchuan watched from the side and asked Fu Fu Shanyue, "What is a Witch Child?"

"You know that the Twilight Plains is a rather special place; it was originally the site of the Yuan Kingdom's capital. Later, the Yuan Kingdom fell, and eight hundred thousand capital troops and civilians were slaughtered. The lingering baleful energy is immense; no matter how one tries to perform rites for the dead, it is all in vain."

"Truly?"

"Truly." Fu Fu Shanyue said solemnly, "I am a Drought Demon; my sensitivity to earthly baleful energy is far superior to ordinary people."

"Because of this, there is a local legend that earthly baleful energy often entangles itself in the children with the weakest resistance, bringing great misfortune to those around them." Fu Fu Shanyue continued, "Therefore, the local witch doctors will point out miserable households, claiming that a child in the family is a baleful star eroded by the energy. They must perform rites to exorcise it; otherwise, the baleful energy will grow heavier and spread further, becoming more than just that one family's trouble."

"Let me guess." He He Lingchuan scoffed, "The rites cost a lot of money, right?"

"Of course." Fu Fu Shanyue said, "Families who cannot afford it can only let the witch doctor sew the child's mouth shut to let them die of thirst and hunger. Here, everyone avoids Witch Children like the plague; they dare not save them, for saving one would invite the baleful energy upon themselves."

"Then why did you save her?" Fu Fu Shanyue did not look like a great philanthropist, and this was a critical moment in his pursuit of his own second brother; why would he suddenly have a change of heart? "I was wounded a few days ago and she saved me. No one is willing to linger where she is, so the pursuers didn't search carefully." Fu Fu Shanyue coughed lightly. "At that time, I promised her I would take her away from here."

He had never been called a "good guy," but he kept his word, even if she was a burden.

"Aren't you afraid of the misfortune she brings?"

Fu Fu Shanyue said proudly, "Do you see me fearing baleful energy?"

A Drought Demon is born alongside the baleful energy of heaven and earth; what did he have to fear? "Do you think I can't find someone to remove the baleful energy or the curse for her? Besides, I see little connection between the misfortune of these lowly people and the baleful energy."

Both were clever men; there was no need to spell it out.

He He Lingchuan understood his meaning: the identity of "descendant of the Yuan Kingdom" was the true source of all the misfortune for the lowly people on the Twilight Plains.

Born carrying original sin, how could they be any more unfortunate? Unable to resist the powerful, they could only take a knife to those even weaker than themselves.

Lingxu City had long since declared that lowly people were forbidden from leaving the Twilight Plains, and those who helped them in violation of the order would also be reduced to lowly status. This was to uphold the will of the gods and the Demon Emperor, to nail the descendants of the Yuan Kingdom to a pillar of shame for generations, thereby manifesting the inviolable divine might.

But looking at Fu Fu Shanyue, He He Lingchuan could see he was not afraid of any so-called prohibition.

The immovable mountain hanging over this little Witch Child was something he could crush just by lifting his leg.

Although the young girl was small, her appetite was not; she finished the noodles Fu Fu Shanyue had left, drank half a basin of soup, and polished off five more buns. Fearing she would overeat to the point of bursting, He He Lingchuan raised a hand. "That's enough, stop eating." In times of famine, there were truly people who ate until their stomachs burst and died.

The young girl was obedient; she reluctantly put down the bowl and let out a long, full burp.

He He Lingchuan crooked his finger to have her come over and helped her pick out the stitches on her lips.

The thread had been in for three days and had grown into the flesh; pulling it out again would cause her more suffering. Fortunately, Young Master He was relatively compassionate toward little girls, applying pain relief first, then medicinal ointment.

This was delicate work. Fu Fu Shanyue watched from the side, propping up his head. "You're quite the tender-hearted one, aren't you? Why not just give her to you?"

"The trouble you caused, you clean up yourself." He He Lingchuan glanced at him. "Do you intend to keep cowering here?"

"I am a wounded man; where else can I go?" Fu Fu Shanyue lay back on the bed and closed his eyes to rest. "If you can find a few more people for me to eat, I will surely recover faster."

He He Lingchuan couldn't be bothered with him; he pushed the door open and went out to call the attendant to extend their time in this private room. The Golden Spring Elegant Bath allowed guests to stay overnight, as long as the money was right.

An hour later, Second Master Shi returned, beaming.

It was not yet the latter half of the night, so clearly, even in this place of indulgence, Second Master Shi remained a man who knew how to exercise restraint.

If such a person didn't make money, who would?

He He Lingchuan told him the news that Fu Fu Shanyue wanted to accompany them.

Brother He could casually pick up the eldest son of the Chiyan Kingdom's monarch, and the man even wanted to join the team? Second Master Shi was overjoyed. When he heard He He Lingchuan mention the grievances between the father and son, he let out a long "Oh."

He knew very well what this meant.

He He Lingchuan did not disturb his train of thought. This matter concerned the future of the Shi Gate Trading Firm; it could be said to be a massive gamble, so naturally, Second Master Shi had to make the decision himself.

If the gamble was won, once Fu Fu Shanyue successfully ascended to power, remembering the protection provided today, the Shi Gate Trading Firm might very well have a chance to soar to greatness. Of course, He He Lingchuan also said to him, "This matter is of great importance. If you don't want to take this risk, I can just chase him away."

Second Master Shi asked, "We only need to deliver this person to the border of the Chiyan Kingdom, and someone will meet him there, right?"

"Yes." He He Lingchuan also said, "The Chiyan monarch not living long is only my deduction; it cannot be taken as absolute."

"It's not far from here to the Chiyan border, only four hundred miles or so." Second Master Shi laughed heartily. "What kind of problem is that? Please tell him to join the team with peace of mind; we will provide him with the best food and a carriage."

For a merchant from a small country like him to want to make money on Between Beijia territory was a risk in itself. Otherwise, how could ordinary people stomach the dangers of a trade route that was often one or two thousand miles long? Wealth is sought in danger; if you're going to gamble, gamble big.

He He Lingchuan patted his shoulder, holding the two Shi brothers in even higher regard.

￥￥￥￥￥

Before dawn, the Shi Gate caravan set off.

The team members were all yawning, some with unsteady steps and expressions still showing two parts of exhaustion.

What the den of iniquity consumed was not just silver, but also their vitality.

Second Master Shi turned a blind eye and ordered the team to depart immediately. He had already met with Fu Fu Shanyue last night, talked for over a quarter of an hour, and had actually produced a blank travel permit on the spot to give to the other party.

This travel permit was issued by the Fu Kingdom, with the official seal clear and distinct, waiting only for a name to be filled in. He He Lingchuan smiled. "Second Master Shi, you are truly thoughtful."

Second Master Shi spread his hands. "Better safe than sorry."

This time, a carriage was specially allocated for him and the little Witch Child. The carriage was sturdy, and once the curtains were drawn, no one could see the scene inside.

The moment he saw the Witch Child last night, Second Master Shi had truly been startled.

But helping the eldest son of the Chiyan Kingdom was one thing, and helping a Witch Child was nothing more; buy one, get one free. Of course, Fu Fu Shanyue also guaranteed that he had a way to hide the Witch Child's identity.

It was perfectly normal for a caravan to carry passengers; some teams made money this way, and no one was curious.

The Witch Child wore He He Lingchuan's cloak, not daring to look around. Life had long since taught this six-year-old girl how to write the word "caution."

She had originally stayed obediently by Fu Fu Shanyue's side, but after glancing to the side, she suddenly squeezed into the carriage with effort and lowered the curtain.

He He Lingchuan also glanced in that direction and discovered a couple in ragged clothes walking over, looking left and right with anxious expressions, followed by three children.

The woman looked as if she had just been crying, and her features were two parts similar to the Witch Child's.

After they had walked far away, He He Lingchuan boarded the carriage and asked the Witch Child, "Were those your parents?"

The Witch Child pursed her lips tightly and nodded.

Fu Fu Shanyue had been closing his eyes to rest; he did not open them now, only commanding, "No saying goodbye."

The Witch Child nodded again, this time more firmly.

It seemed that, from the bottom of her heart, she did not want to see her parents again either.

Fu Fu Shanyue explained, "That couple was looking for the child because they were afraid that if she tore off the stitches on her mouth and survived, the whole family might be pointed at by thousands of fingers in the county town."

When there are many children, life is cheap; sacrificing one to let the whole family survive was not a difficult choice for these lowly people.

If they wanted a child, they could just have another one.

The Witch Child stared blankly in the direction her parents had left, but she did not lift the curtain.

This little girl was quite smart. Usually, children of this age have deep feelings of attachment to their parents and would cry and scream, refusing to be separated.

She had taken a bath last night and had become a clean and tidy child; apart from being thin, she seemed to have no other problems.

For a child, having her mouth sewn for three days without becoming dehydrated or exhausted, and recovering after two meals and a sleep, showed not only a strong constitution but also a vigorous will to survive.

If not for this, Fu Fu Shanyue would not have bothered to take her with him.

She tugged lightly on He He Lingchuan's sleeve, pointing at the wound on her mouth.

"The needle wounds will heal quickly, half a day at most." Lingguang's medicinal ointment never lacked in potency.

His monkey liked children; if Lingguang were here, should he be able to play with the little Witch Child? "What is your name?"

The Witch Child blinked and shook her head.

This was not strange; in the countryside, to make children easier to raise, they were often given cheap names, not formal titles.

Fu Fu Shanyue said lazily, "From now on, you are called Peach."

(End of chapter)