Chapter 1621: The Heaven‑Destined Child

They exchanged greetings here, and a few more people came outside the door.

Jin Chen poked his head in and glanced at everyone.

"Fourth Senior Brother…yo!"

"The protagonist really showed up—dangerous!"

Jin Chen darted over to Chang Wuming's side, "Fourth Senior Brother, don't forget our secret signal."

Chang Wuming: "……?"

"The signal—what… oh, when making friends we first check identity; court officials are to be avoided."

He whispered, "This person is a doctor who wanders the four directions."

"Tch." Jin Chen snorted, "Who knows."

"Anyway, I don't believe it."

But I've never seen a doctor wearing a gold jade pendant at his waist.

The problem is they weren't lowering their voices; Bai Shiyun's mouth twitched as he thought, "This person is incredibly rude."

"Uncle Nameless, which junior brother of yours is this?" Bai Shiyun asked with a smile, "How adorable, youthful at heart—this wound on your face must be from some mischief; let me apply some medicine for you."

Jin Chen: "……"

He's beating around the bush calling someone childish—surely not a good sort.

"Sorry, I'm busy." Jin Chen gave him a fake smile, then turned to look for the mute girl Xiao Hua.

Rong Zixu glanced at Bai Shiyun, then his gaze fell on the charcoal drawings covering the ground; he stepped closer to examine them, his expression gradually darkening.

——

Xiao Hua had been shaken awake.

When she woke up, she found Yang Yu carrying her on his back toward home; Jin Chen saw her open her eyes calmly and asked, "Do you remember what happened last night?"

Xiao Hua slowly looked at him; her innocent, numb gaze drifted slowly behind Jin Chen, as if she saw something, and then Youyou broke into a grin.

Jin Chen didn't look back; he irritably poked the little girl's head, "Don't play spooky in broad daylight—you can't scare me."

Xiao Hua: "……"

She gritted her teeth and, out of spite, turned her head away.

"Hey, I saw your dad last night." Jin Chen suddenly said, "How about we talk?"

Xiao Hua's head jerked back around, she glared at Jin Chen, her lifeless pupils widening as if wordlessly expressing dissatisfaction.

"How can you not be surprised at all?"

Jin Chen puzzled, then guessed, "You've more than once lured people into the woods, and you've long known their resentful spirits still linger there."

Xiao Hua glared even fiercer—clearly not the look of a little girl; her pupils faintly reddened, resentment showing.

Yang Yu, who was carrying her, let out a grunt, feeling as if he bore a block of ice that kept dripping water, cold and clammy.

"No, Xiao Chen, don't provoke her—I'm about to freeze!"

"Okay."

Jin Chen responded, moving a hint of Spiritual Power with his fingertips to attach to Xiao Hua, then shifted to Rong Zixu's side.

"She's ignoring me."

Jin Chen sighed, complaining to Rong Zixu, "Kids are really a handful."

"And we can't just beat them up."

Rong Zixu turned his head at the words, his gentle expression shifting slightly with a teasing smile, "That actually makes sense."

"……" Jin Chen leaned toward Rong Zixu, as if trying to read something from his eyes, and hummed, "Senior Brother, are you throwing shade at me?"

"Exactly you." Rong Zixu pushed his brow aside, chuckling lightly, "After all, I've never brought any other kids."

The five junior disciples have already reached an age where they no longer need to be cared for upon arriving at Tianming Mountain.

"To my senior brother, I'm indeed special."

Jin Chen pretended not to hear the word "kid," his lively eyes like beautiful gems, full of youthful vigor as he hooked his arm around Rong Zixu's neck and walked forward.

"We're destined to be the best in the world!"

Rong Zixu was led by him, taking a few quick steps forward; helplessly, he lowered his arm to take hold, "Behave!"

"……Oh."

In the blink of an eye they arrived at Xiao Hua's home; at the door sat an elderly woman, her cloudy eyes fixed on passersby, her wooden crutch wrapped in paste, and from her throat came occasional eerie gurgling sounds.

"You're back again."

The old woman saw Xiao Hua and gave a cold snort; her hoarse voice sounded as if it would vanish any second.

"You're back! What do you want? Get out…"

"Old woman, I'll beat you to death! I'll beat you to death!"

The old woman raised her crutch to strike Xiao Hua, not even caring that Yang Yu was carrying her.

"Hey hey hey, granny, don't get worked up!"

Jing Xingcan and Gong Simonth rushed over to help, shielding Yang Yu and Xiao Hua behind them, "Let's talk things out—we're here to stop the anomaly in this town."

"You? Hmph." The old woman coldly stared at them; her eyes were fierce, yet carried a dying‑after‑despair feeling.

"If you kill her, this town will be peaceful!"

Could the old woman actually know something!

Jin Chen stepped forward, putting on a harmless smile.

"Grandma, please explain—this is your own granddaughter; how can you just say you'll beat her to death?"

Probably because her appearance was too likable, the old woman lowered her hand, trembling slightly as she walked back inside.

"Monster… she's a sinful monster, a monster come to collect debts!"

She held her crutch and looked at the soot-covered wall, her taps making a clang-clang sound, "Look! Look what this monster has done!"

The empty room's walls were all covered in blackened soot traces, and upon entering it was extremely chilly.

"Hiss…" Jing Xingcan shrugged his shoulders.

This is the strangest place they've encountered since entering West Mausoleum Town.

"Did you draw all this?" Jin Chen asked Xiao Hua, who refused to get off Yang Yu's back.

Xiao Hua's dark, hollow eyes, Youyou stared, and she smirked at Jin Chen, neither nodding nor shaking her head.

"A painting… this is a painting!"

Gong Simoyue realized, stepped forward a few paces, and Rong Zixu said, "Eldest Senior Brother, the owner of the bun shop who framed you last night has a son about the same age as Xiao Hua, who keeps saying he doesn't want to turn into a person in the painting—how strange."

"I questioned the owner, but he was so terrified he wouldn't say anything."

Rong Zixu heard this, startled, reached out to touch the wall, and his hand came away covered in black ash.

"Black ash…"

He and Jin Chen exchanged a glance, "The forest."

Last night's forest was the painting they entered—Xiao Hua's painting.

The forest's reenactment was indeed Xiao Hua's obsession, but she didn't seem to be looking for the correct path—what, then, did she want to do?

Thump thump thump!

Xiao Hua suddenly leapt off Yang Yu's back, bouncing forward in the corner, her head and toes touching the wall, she kept bouncing in place, emitting a grating thump-thump sound.

Gong Simoyue and Xu Qie rushed to pull her away, but Jin Chen noticed the wall's marks, as if they were trying to convey something.

Where Xiao Hua struck the wall, a group of pallbearers in hemp robes was painted.

"Hey! Xiao Hua!" Gong Simoyue exclaimed, catching the little girl who had suddenly fainted, at a loss as she looked toward Yang Yu, "Second Senior Brother!"

"Don't move, let me check." Bai Shiyun, who had been following them, rushed over, smiling harmlessly, "I'm a doctor; let me have a look first."

Jin Chen raised an eyebrow, "You'd better not kill the little girl with your treatment."

Bai Shiyun: "……"

This person is really annoying!

Bai Shiyun went to feel Xiao Hua's pulse, but the old woman knocked his hand away with her crutch; he started, somewhat angry, "What are you doing!"

Old woman: "She deserves to die! She deserves to die…"

Gong Simoyue sighed, "Grandma, we know you're heartbroken too, but the tragedy isn't Xiao Hua's fault—she's your last living relative."

"Xiao Hua…"

The old woman slowly lowered her head, her wrinkled, aged fingers pointing toward the inner room.

"My good granddaughter is in there!"

"What?!"

Everyone was startled.