Chapter 136: A Lost Child

At that moment, Baozi was shouting at the top of his lungs as he pushed the door open, but upon seeing the scene inside, he immediately turned and hurried back out.

"Brother Yi, we’ve found the trail of the children!" He had barely spoken when he realized the timing was poorly chosen. He quickly added, "Uh, Brother Yi, please, carry on, carry on!"

No sooner had Baozi finished speaking than the sound of the front gate opening was heard; clearly, Mu Chen had returned as well. Mu Chen tried to enter the room but was intercepted by Baozi, and the sounds of their hushed conversation drifted in from outside.

For some reason, Zhou Yi felt a sudden sense of loss. He hurriedly wrapped the quilt around Fu Gege and said awkwardly, "They’ve found the children's trail. I must be going!"

Fu Gege buried her head in the quilt, too shy to meet his eyes, and let out a soft, "Mm!"

Zhou Yi turned and exited the room. Baozi was rubbing his head, smiling sheepishly. "Uh, Brother Yi, I didn't see anything. I just went in and realized you weren't alone, so I came right back out. I really..."

Before Baozi could finish, Zhou Yi slapped him on the back of the head. "Where did you say those children were?"

Baozi pouted and nodded. "Ten miles southwest of here, some people saw a group of men carrying over a dozen children at midday. That’s all they know."

There were many places to the southwest. Without knowing their destination, it was impossible to guess where they were headed. Daring not to delay further, the three of them packed their gear to set out that very night.

Fu Gege emerged from the room fully dressed, her eyes filled with tenderness as she looked at Zhou Yi.

"Go back to sleep. I will return once I've found the children. Master Jiechen is here, so you don't need to worry about your safety." As Zhou Yi spoke, Jiechen stepped out from his room.

"Amitabha. Master Zhou, please rest assured. This humble monk will certainly ensure the lady’s safety," Jiechen said with a bow.

Zhou Yi returned the salute with a fist-and-palm gesture and turned to leave. Jiechen’s kindness was too profound to be expressed in words; to say more would only be hypocrisy.

After Zhou Yi left, Fu Gege returned to his room. She liked being there because the space held his scent.

Without stopping, the three of them headed straight for the village where Baozi had gathered the news. They traveled quickly, arriving just past midnight. At that hour, the villagers were all asleep, making it impossible to inquire further. Knowing the general direction, they continued their pursuit to the southwest.

By the hour of the Ox (1:00 AM to 3:00 AM), they had covered over a hundred miles. They dared not push further, fearing that if the kidnappers had changed direction, they would lose the trail entirely.

The area was nothing but farmland, but fortunately, there was a small stream nearby teeming with white fish. The three of them skewered a few with branches, grilled them over a fire, and after eating, leaned back-to-back to catch some sleep at the edge of the village.

Not long after, the villagers began to wake up to light their fires and cook. The trio immediately went door-to-door to ask for news, but every villager shook their head. Frustration began to set in.

"We've asked the entire village. Is it that no one saw them, or did this group of kidnappers never come through here?" Mu Chen asked.

Zhou Yi shook his head; it was impossible to be certain. They needed to pinpoint several locations to determine the group's destination. They had stolen the children from Dunhua, and since they were spotted ten miles southwest of there, the trio had pursued them for a hundred miles, only to realize they must have chosen the wrong path.

"Let’s ask at the next village!" Zhou Yi thought to himself. If they couldn't find leads there, they would have to turn back.

The result was predictable: no one in the next village had seen them either. They had clearly taken a wrong turn. The three of them had to use their internal energy to travel back, a detour that cost them an hour and left them exhausted.

They returned to the first village, which was a crossroads with four paths leading north, south, east, and west. The northern path led back to Dunhua, so they ignored it. They split into three groups to canvass the neighboring villages. Zhou Yi reached the next village and found several people who had seen a group carrying children around 5:00 PM the previous evening.

The villages were only seven or eight miles apart. Zhou Yi moved to the next one, where residents reported seeing them around 6:00 PM, still heading south.

However, in the village after that, no one had seen them. Given the kidnappers' pace, they should have reached that village by 7:00 PM. Although it was dark by then, the village dogs would surely have barked if strangers had passed through. This meant the group had not come this way. Zhou Yi returned to meet his companions, leaving only the eastern and western paths.

The western path led to Liaoyuan, and the eastern path to Baishan. They split up again. They soon learned the group had stayed the night in a small town to the west around 9:00 PM and had set off again at dawn, heading south.

Zhou Yi was becoming confused. This route made no sense. He had hoped the security guards would set up checkpoints, but it was clear the soldiers hadn't taken the matter seriously.

"We can't keep being led by the nose. We have to get ahead of them and wait!" Zhou Yi sat by the side of the road, thinking for a long time before speaking.

"But we don't know where they're going. How can we get ahead of them?" Baozi sighed, poking at the mud with his single mace.

"Based on their speed, they cover about ten miles an hour. They left here this morning heading either west or south. It's 9:00 AM now; they can't have gone more than a hundred miles," Zhou Yi said, pausing to scratch his head. "Baozi, you go to Liaoyuan. Mu Chen, you go to Baishan. I will go to Meihekou. No matter which way they take, they will pass through one of these three routes. If you don't see them, come meet me at Meihekou. If I'm not there, it means I've intercepted them. Conversely, if one of you doesn't show up, the other two will go looking for you. Do you understand?" To ensure they grasped the plan, he drew a map on the ground, using pebbles to mark their positions.

With the plan clear, the two prepared to leave.

"These kidnappers aren't ordinary people. Be careful, and just follow them from a distance. If you don't see anyone by 6:00 PM, meet me at Meihekou. Go!" Zhou Yi repeated.

The three parted ways, using their internal energy to speed toward their destinations.

By noon, Zhou Yi reached Meihekou. There were only two main roads leading south from there, and many travelers passed through. After careful inquiry, he learned the group had not passed through that area. Though anxious, he knew there was no rushing such a search.

The scent of food reminded him that he had been so focused on the hunt he hadn't eaten since morning. He turned and stepped into a restaurant.

It was peak lunch hour, and the place was crowded. Where there are many people, there is much news.

"Little Liu, did you hear? So many children have gone missing over the past few days, and there's still no word on them!"

"What? Missing children? Selling children is common enough these days, but kidnapping? That’s a first. Tell me what’s going on!"

"It’s true! Yesterday, over a dozen were taken from Dunhua alone!"

Zhou Yi’s heart sank as he heard this. It turned out that children weren't just disappearing from Dunhua—they were being taken from everywhere else as well.