Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

”Heh, their actions are bizarre. It’s a ridiculously obvious cover-up,” Hua Yusen sneered. ”Over twenty toddlers, and all sold to the same person. What this person wants to do is self-evident—it has to be something nefarious. Otherwise, the Li family wouldn’t have risked drawing suspicion by murdering people to silence them.”

”Yes, that’s why I’m absolutely certain there’s something strange going on,” Chen Lei said with a sigh. ”That trafficker got what he deserved, but I’m worried about those twenty-some children. Are they even still alive?”

Hua Yusen was silent. He didn’t know either.

”Honestly, I should go tell Elder Gu right now, but I can’t. I have to protect you,” Hua Yusen said softly. ”If I went to see Elder Gu immediately after your sudden visit, everyone would realize you must have given me a crucial lead. Knowing the Li family’s ruthless methods, they wouldn’t spare you.”

Chen Lei froze, a look of delayed fear on his face. But then he thought of the children, still waiting to be rescued. He had stumbled upon that case file by accident; he might be the only one who knew. If word got out, Zhou Changhai, the Li family’s man, would surely deduce that he was the source of the leak.

”But every second we delay, those children could lose their lives.” Though frightened, the thought of so many children being murdered or harmed made Chen Lei forget his own peril. ”I’m a grown man. I’ll be fine as long as I’m careful.”

Seeing his friend’s resolve, Hua Yusen’s respect for Chen Lei’s character deepened. ”There’s no need to rush,” he said. ”In a little while, I’ll have Nuanyue go to Immortal Grass Hall. Uncle Sun can visit Elder Gu’s residence whenever he pleases without arousing suspicion.”

”Okay, then have Nuanyue go quickly. Saving them is what’s important,” Chen Lei urged. ”As for the dumplings, we two brothers can handle it.”

Hua Yusen nodded, went into the kitchen, and told Zhao Nuanyue what Chen Lei had discovered.

The news reminded Zhao Nuanyue of the strange potions Guo Dongmei used to have. ’So many toddlers... what horrors will they be subjected to?’

”Alright, I’ll go at once.” Zhao Nuanyue brushed the flour from her hands, washing them as she spoke. ”It’s perfect. I made a lot of pastries this morning. I’ll use that as an excuse to deliver them and take Little Red Carp with me.”

Little Red Carp’s expression was grim. She recalled her former master telling her about depraved individuals who would harm young children to achieve so-called immortality or other unspeakable goals, all to cultivate some kind of Evil Technique.

Little Red Carp followed her sister into the car, no longer her usual, lively self during the ride.

Zhao Nuanyue glanced at Little Red Carp, whose eyes glinted with worry.

But with Zhang Hong in the car, neither Zhao Nuanyue nor Little Red Carp spoke.

When they arrived at Immortal Grass Hall, her master and his wife were in the middle of a chess game.

Zhao Nuanyue set down the small pastries and poured hot tea for her master and his wife. In a low voice, she said, ”That child trafficking ring we encountered on the train... The Li family has already murdered the witnesses and destroyed the testimony, so the children must be in extreme danger. After Chen Lei discovered this, he didn’t raise the alarm. Instead, he came to Yu Sen. To protect his friend, Yu Sen can’t go to Elder Gu directly, so he was hoping you, Master, would make the trip for him today.”

Madam Sun, who was kind-hearted, turned pale. Having lived through the old society, she knew of many hidden, dark affairs and had heard tales of using children for Alchemy and other nefarious concoctions.

”Haoran, you must go at once,” Madam Sun urged. ”If those children fall into the hands of such depraved people, their fate will be utterly tragic.”

Sun Haoran listened, then asked in a somber voice, ”Is this Chen Lei trustworthy?”

”He’s one of Yu Sen’s childhood friends. They grew up together, so he should be trustworthy,” Zhao Nuanyue replied. ”If it’s false, the worst that can happen is we waste some time investigating. But if it’s true, we won’t just be saving those innocent children—we can also use this to expose the Li family’s crimes! We’d be killing two birds with one stone. So, Master, you must persuade Elder Gu to investigate this thoroughly. Also... when I heard about it, I don’t know why, but my mind immediately connected it to the potion Wang Yuan once gave Elder Gu. It’s a very bad feeling, Master. This must be handled with extreme caution!”

The mention of a ”potion” startled Sun Haoran. ”Do you have any proof?” he asked.

”No.” Zhao Nuanyue shook her head. ”I have no proof, just a gut feeling. I only get this feeling when something terrible is about to happen. It’s the same feeling that helped me successfully evade the traps set by Li Siming, Wang Dadan, and Liu Lanhua time and again back in Nianqiao Village.”

Hearing this, Sun Haoran shook his head with a wry smile. But since Zhao Nuanyue had come to him herself, he couldn’t refuse. ”Alright, fine. I’ll head over now. By the way, your master’s wife made some delicious red date cakes. Take some with you and hurry home. Don’t linger here.”

”Okay. We’re making dumplings at home!” Zhao Nuanyue replied, feeling slightly more at ease.

’Do your best, and leave the rest to fate,’ she thought. ’I hope those children will be saved.’

Sun Haoran left with his medicine box, and Zhao Nuanyue headed home, carrying a basket filled with red date cakes. Little Red Carp was still holding one, eating it with great relish.

By the time she returned home, Hua Yusen and Chen Lei had already finished wrapping the dumplings, and Zhao Nuan Yang was boiling a pot of water to cook them.

When Hua Yusen and Chen Lei saw Zhao Nuanyue return, they looked over expectantly. She gave them a nod, indicating that all had gone well.

Meanwhile, when Elder Gu heard the news, a sharp light glinted in his eyes. He gritted his teeth and said, ”The Li family is truly committing an atrocity! All those children...”

Gu Qingyu trailed off, unable to continue. He was torn. Part of him hoped this whole affair was nonexistent, so that so many children would not have to suffer. Yet another part of him hoped it was real, as it would give him the opportunity to finally bring down the Li family.

Gu Qingyu closed his eyes, thinking for a moment. Then they snapped open. ”Old Sun,” he said, ”I understand. True or false, I will send people to investigate.”

”That’s good to hear!” Sun Haoran felt a sense of relief. As long as Gu Qingyu was willing to get involved, perhaps the children still had a chance.

Once Sun Haoran had gone to a lounge to rest, Gu Qingyu immediately issued an urgent order, dispatching his most trusted agents to Lingshan to investigate the situation. They were also to investigate Zhou Changhai.

Gu Qingyu believed victory was within his grasp, but little did he know what kind of resistance his people would encounter when they arrived at Lingshan.

Having passed on the crucial information, a weight was lifted from Chen Lei’s shoulders. With Hua Yusen’s protection, he felt he wouldn’t be in any great danger, so long as he remained cautious.