After the Immortal Disappeared

Chapter 419: Chapter 418: Witch Child

In two more days at most, she would die of thirst.

Hee Lingchuan prided himself on having seen much of the world in the past half-year, but even he couldn’t help but ask, ”Who did this?”

’To inflict such a cruel fate on a young child... ’Depraved’ wasn’t too strong a word, was it?’

Hee Lingchuan subconsciously drew his dagger. The girl took half a step back, fear showing on her face.

Fushan Yue, however, seemed unfazed. He waved a hand and said, ”Don’t move. She’s a Witch Child.”

Hee Lingchuan had no idea what a Witch Child was, but the little girl started gesturing wildly at Fushan Yue.

”People, lots of people, outside, fighting?”

The girl nodded.

”Alright, don’t draw attention. Come in.”

The girl immediately smiled, her eyes crinkling, but her sewn-up mouth couldn’t form much of an arc.

Hee Lingchuan lifted her inside in one motion.

Outside was a patch of grass, and not far off, a shallow ditch in the back alley. The light was dim.

As soon as the child was inside, she spotted the food on the table and swallowed hard, looking at the two men with pleading eyes.

”I shouldn’t get involved with a Witch Child, but you helped me.” Fushan Yue sighed. ”Come here.”

The girl walked over. Fushan Yue raised his right hand, his fingernails growing long and sharp. He swiped them lightly across her lips, and the threads snapped without breaking her skin.

The girl immediately dropped to her knees and kowtowed deeply to him.

”Eat.”

Famished, the girl didn’t hold back. She grabbed the pan-fried buns on the table and stuffed them into her mouth, barely chewing. After cramming in two, she nearly choked.

Hee Lingchuan silently handed her a cup of water. She took it and GULP, GULP, GULP, tilted her head back, and drank it all.

This six- or seven-year-old kid was starving. When she ate, she was like a little monster.

Hee Lingchuan watched from the side and asked Fushan Yue, ”What’s a Witch Child?”

”You know the Twilight Plateau is a special place. It was originally the site of the Yuanl Kingdom’s National Capital. After the Yuanl Kingdom was destroyed, eight hundred thousand of the capital’s soldiers and citizens were slaughtered. The residual Evil Qi is so heavy that no amount of exorcism rituals can purify it.”

”For real?”

”For real,” Fushan Yue said seriously. ”I’m a Ba. My sensitivity to Earth Demons is far greater than that of ordinary people.”

”So, local legend says that Earth Demons often latch onto the children with the weakest resistance, bringing great misfortune to those around them,” Fushan Yue continued. ”Therefore, the local Witches will identify a family plagued by misery and declare that one of its children is an unlucky star eroded by an Earth Demon. They claim a ritual must be performed to expel it. Otherwise, the Evil Qi will grow stronger and spread wider, becoming a problem for more than just that one family.”

”Let me guess.” Hee Lingchuan scoffed. ”The ritual costs a lot of money, right?”

”Of course,” Fushan Yue said. ”Families that can’t afford it can only let the Witch sew the child’s mouth shut, leaving them to die of thirst and starvation. Around here, everyone avoids Witch Children like the plague. You can’t save them, either. If you do, you’ll be tainted by the Evil Qi yourself.”

’Then why did you save her?’ Fushan Yue didn’t seem like some great samaritan. Besides, this was a critical moment in his pursuit of his own second brother. ’Why the sudden burst of compassion?’

”She saved me a few days ago when I was injured. No one is willing to linger where she is, so my pursuers didn’t search thoroughly,” Fushan Yue said with a light cough. ”I promised her back then that I’d take her away from here.”

He wasn’t one to be called a ”nice guy,” but he always kept his word, even if it meant taking on a burden.

”Aren’t you afraid of the misfortune she’ll bring?”

Fushan Yue said proudly, ”Do I look like I’m afraid of Evil Qi?”

A Ba is born from the world’s Evil Qi. What did he have to fear? ”Can’t I just find someone to remove the Evil Qi or curse from her? Besides, I don’t think the misfortune of these pariahs has much to do with any Earth Demon.”

They were both intelligent men; things didn’t need to be spelled out.

Hee Lingchuan understood his meaning. The identity of ”Yuanl Kingdom descendant” was the true source of misfortune for all the pariahs on the Twilight Plateau.

Born already bearing an original sin, how could they become any more unfortunate? Powerless against the authorities, they could only turn on those even weaker than themselves.

Lingxu City had long ago declared that the pariahs were forbidden from leaving the Twilight Plateau. Anyone who defied the order and helped them would also become a pariah. This was in accordance with the will of the Deities and the Demon Emperor, a way to nail the descendants of Yuanl to a pillar of shame for all generations, demonstrating that divine might was inviolable.

But from the looks of it, Hee Lingchuan could tell Fushan Yue had no fear of this so-called prohibition.

The unshakeable mountain looming over this Little Witch Child was something he could crush with a stomp of his foot.

Though the girl was small, her appetite was not. She finished Fushan Yue’s leftover noodles, drank half a basin of soup, and downed another five pan-fried buns. Afraid she would eat until she burst, Hee Lingchuan held up a hand. ”Alright, that’s enough.” In times of famine, people had truly been known to eat until their stomachs ruptured.

The girl was obedient. She reluctantly put down her bowl and let out a long, satisfied burp.

Hee Lingchuan crooked a finger, beckoning her over to pick out the remaining threads from her lips.

The thread had been in for three days and had already grown into her flesh. Picking it out now would be another ordeal. Fortunately, Eldest Young Master Hee was always merciful toward little girls. He first applied an analgesic, then a healing salve.

It was delicate work. Fushan Yue propped his head on his hand and watched from the side. ”You’re quite the gentleman. How about I give her to you?”

”You clean up your own messes,” Hee Lingchuan shot him a look. ”Are you planning to just hole up in here forever?”

”I’m an injured man. Where else can I go?” Fushan Yue flopped onto the bed and closed his eyes to rest. ”If you could find me a few more people to eat, I’d definitely recover faster.”

Hee Lingchuan couldn’t be bothered with him. He pushed the door open and called for an attendant to extend their time in the private room. The Jinquan Bathhouse allowed guests to stay overnight, as long as they paid up.

One double-hour later, Shi the Second returned, beaming.

It wasn’t even the latter half of the night yet. Clearly, even in this place of indulgence, Shi the Second was a man who knew moderation.

’If a man like that doesn’t make money, who does?’

Hee Lingchuan then informed him of Fushan Yue’s intention to travel with them.

Brother Hee could casually pick up the Eldest Prince of the King of Chiyan, and the man even wanted to join their team? Shi the Second was ecstatic. When he heard Hee Lingchuan explain the enmity between the father and son, he let out a long, drawn-out ”Ohhh.”

He knew exactly what this meant.

Hee Lingchuan didn’t interrupt his train of thought. This concerned the future of the Stone Gate Commerce Association. It was a huge gamble, and of course, Shi the Second had to be the one to make the decision.

If the gamble paid off, and Fushan Yue successfully took power, he would remember their protection today. This could be a golden opportunity for the Stone Gate Commerce Association to soar. Of course, Hee Lingchuan also told him, ”This is a serious matter. If you’re unwilling to take the risk, I’ll just send him away.”

Shi the Second asked, ”We just need to escort him to the Chiyan Realm, and someone will be there to receive him, right?”

”Yes.” Hee Lingchuan added, ”My theory that the King of Chiyan doesn’t have long to live is just a deduction. It can’t be taken as fact.”

”It’s not far from here to the Chiyan Realm, just over four hundred li.” Shi the Second laughed heartily. ”What kind of problem is that? Please tell him to join our team with peace of mind. We’ll provide him with the best food and carriage.”

For a merchant from a small kingdom like him, trying to make money in Beiga’s territory was already a risk in itself. Otherwise, how could an ordinary person endure the dangers of a trade route that was often one or two thousand li long?

Fortune favors the bold. If you’re going to gamble, gamble big.

Hee Lingchuan patted his shoulder, his estimation of the two Shi Family brothers rising yet again.

* * *

Before dawn, the Stone Gate Merchant Team was on its way.

The team members were yawning nonstop. Some walked with unsteady steps, their expressions weary.

The Gold-Dissolving Cave didn’t just dissolve silver, but also your kidneys.

Shi the Second turned a blind eye and ordered the team to depart immediately. He had already gone to see Fushan Yue last night. After talking for a little over a quarter of an hour, he had surprisingly taken out a blank travel permit and given it to him on the spot.

The travel permit was issued by the Fu Kingdom. Its official seal was clearly visible, just waiting for a name to be filled in. Hee Lingchuan smiled. ”Shi the Second, you’re truly thorough.”

Shi the Second spread his hands. ”It pays to be prepared.”

A carriage was specially assigned to him and the Little Witch Child. The carriage was well-enclosed, and once the curtains were drawn, no one could see what was inside.

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

But helping the Eldest Prince of Chiyan was still helping, so helping one more Witch Child was no big deal. It was like a ”buy one, get one free” deal. Of course, Fushan Yue had also guaranteed that he had a way to hide the Witch Child’s identity.

It was perfectly normal for a merchant team to take on passengers. Some teams even made money this way, so no one was curious.

The Witch Child, wrapped in Hee Lingchuan’s cloak, didn’t dare to look around. Life had long since taught this six-year-old girl the meaning of the word ”caution.”

She had been standing obediently by Fushan Yue’s side, but after a glance to the side, she suddenly scrambled into the carriage and lowered the curtain.

Hee Lingchuan also glanced in that direction and saw a shabbily dressed couple walking over. They were looking left and right, their expressions anxious, with three other children in tow.

The woman looked as if she had just been crying. Her eyes and brows bore a slight resemblance to the Witch Child’s.

Only after they had walked far away did Hee Lingchuan board the carriage and ask the Witch Child, ”Were those your parents?”

The Witch Child pressed her lips together tightly and nodded.

Fushan Yue, who had been resting with his eyes closed, didn’t open them. He simply ordered, ”No goodbyes.”

The Witch Child nodded again, this time more resolutely.

It seemed that, from the bottom of her heart, she didn’t want to see her parents again either.

Fushan Yue explained, ”Those parents are looking for their child because they’re afraid she’ll pull out the threads and live. If she does, their whole family might be condemned by everyone in the county.”

When you have many children, their lives become cheap. Sacrificing one to let the rest of the family survive was not a difficult choice for these pariahs.

If you want another child, you just have another one.

The Witch Child fell into a Trance, staring fixedly in the direction her parents had gone, but she didn’t lift the curtain.

’This little girl is quite smart. Usually, a child this age would have a deep affection for their parents and would cry and scream, refusing to be separated.’

She had bathed last night and was now a clean and tidy child again. Besides being thin, there seemed to be nothing else wrong with her.

For a child to have her mouth sewn shut for three days without becoming dehydrated or exhausted, and to recover after just two meals and a night’s sleep, meant that not only was her constitution strong, but her will to live was also incredibly powerful.

If that weren’t the case, Fushan Yue wouldn’t have bothered taking her with him.

She gently tugged on Hee Lingchuan’s sleeve and pointed to the wound on her mouth.

”The needle wounds will heal quickly. Half a day at most.” Lingguang’s medicine was never anything less than effective.

’My Monkey likes children. If Lingguang were here, would he be able to play with the Little Witch Child?’ ”What’s your name?”

The Witch Child blinked and shook her head.

That wasn’t surprising. In the countryside, children were often given humble nicknames to make them ”easier to raise.” They weren’t formal names.

Fushan Yue said lazily, ”From now on, your name is Taozi.”