Chapter 2

Judging by the figure lying in the pile of fallen leaves, it was still a child. Half of his face was buried in the dry leaves, and he wasn’t moving at all.

If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, Lin Fangzhou would have found it hard to believe that a living person could fall from the sky.

Oh no—perhaps he couldn’t be counted as a “living” person anymore.

Having thought of this rather unlucky possibility, her heart pounded wildly. She mustered her courage, crouched down, and reached out to check the child’s breathing.

A faint breath, still carrying a bit of warmth.

She straightened up and looked at the large tree beside her. There wasn’t a trace of wind in the forest, and the canopy had long since returned to calm. Lin Fangzhou stroked her chin and muttered to herself, “Where did this kid come from? He couldn’t have grown on the tree, could he?”

If he hadn’t grown on the tree, then he must have fallen from somewhere else. Just a few steps away was a cliff. No doubt the child had been playing up there and accidentally lost his footing.

He was also incredibly lucky—he had landed right on the canopy, and the flexible branches had cushioned him again and again, so he hadn’t been smashed to pieces on impact.

The child’s clothing was very strange—a full suit of military garb, with armor and helmet. Was there going to be a war? But there were no garrison troops here, and even if there were a war, they wouldn’t use child soldiers like this, would they? For hunting rabbits, maybe.

Lin Fangzhou had never seen much of the world and couldn’t figure it out for the moment. Holding the cricket in one hand, she gently nudged him with the other and said, “I’ll do a good deed today and save you. I don’t know if I can keep you alive. If I can’t save you, don’t blame me. Everyone’s lifespan is predetermined. When you get to the King of Hell, don’t speak ill of me.”

With that, she went to drag him. She still couldn’t bear to throw away the cricket, so she dragged him with only one hand. But with her small frame, how could she possibly lift a half-grown child with just one hand? She strained so hard that she gritted her teeth and stomped her foot—ha!

She actually did drag him up. However—

“Ahhhh! Damn you! My cricket! My precious little darling!!! Ahhhh…”

It turned out that the hand holding the cricket had instinctively clenched along with the effort, and she had accidentally crushed the treasure she had just caught.

Lin Fangzhou nearly threw the child back onto the ground. In the end, she was too timid—afraid she might indirectly become a murderer. She hoisted him onto her back and grumbled resentfully, “To save you, I lost my Great General of the Mountain. What kind of demon are you, with such a big face?” Well, she had already picked out a name for the cricket.

The “demon” lay on her back, motionless.

Lin Fangzhou cursed him as she walked. After a while, a thought suddenly occurred to her: when this child fell, his family must be worried sick. Now that she had saved him, she could surely ask for a reward. Then she could buy ten Great Generals of the Mountain in one go—one to conquer Yongzhou City, and the other nine roasted to go with wine. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

Heh heh heh ha ha ha ha… Just thinking about it lifted her mood instantly.

Gradually, the sky darkened. Lin Fangzhou’s strength was limited, and carrying a child all the way from the outskirts back to the city nearly killed her. By the time she reached the city gate, she was exhausted like a dog.

The city gate was about to close.

Lin Fangzhou saw the small side door about to shut tight. She mustered every ounce of strength and shouted, “Wait! Wait a moment!”

The one responsible for closing the gate was a dim-sighted old man whom everyone called Old Tie. In the darkness, Old Tie looked at Lin Fangzhou several times before recognizing him as the Lin boy. The old man asked, “Dalang, how did you play until now? One step later and the gate would have closed. Then you’d have to sleep outside the city—let’s see if the tiger doesn’t carry you off!”

“Ugh, don’t even mention it.”

“Who’s that on your back?”

Lin Fangzhou was exhausted and didn’t want to waste breath explaining. Besides, a person of unknown origin would invite questioning from the yamen, and the child’s life or death was still uncertain. She might end up inviting trouble for herself.

Moreover, she was afraid someone else might steal credit for her deed.

In just a moment, her mind had already turned several corners. So she made something up on the spot. “The little ancestor of Butcher Chen’s family. Today he insisted on coming with me to the outskirts to catch crickets. And wouldn’t you know it—he got tired halfway and fell asleep, and I had to carry him back!”

“Children are all like that—loves to sleep.”

“Don’t tell anyone he went out of the city with me. His mother will beat him, and if he gets beaten, Butcher Chen will come beat me.”

“Don’t worry. This old man is deaf and dim-sighted. I didn’t see anything. It’s just that things aren’t peaceful outside these days. They say there’s a tiger roaming the mountains and forests. You’d better not go out to play so much, Dalang.”

“Alright, alright, I know!”

…

Carrying this burden home, Lin Fangzhou dumped him on the bed and lit the oil lamp in the dark. Her home was dilapidated, with wind leaking in from all sides. Now the bean-sized flame in the oil lamp flickered unsteadily, illuminating the dust and cobwebs in the house, making it look like a haunted house. Fortunately, she was used to living here and didn’t mind.

The child was still unconscious.

Lin Fangzhou didn’t know where he had been injured. She first removed his inexplicable armor to see if he was bleeding. The armor turned out to be made of leather—she didn’t know what kind of hide, but it felt somewhat soft and was very light in her hands. It was quite suitable for a child to wear.

Though she didn’t know much about such things, Lin Fangzhou could tell that this armor was probably not cheap.

Unfortunately, it was sized for a child. She probably couldn’t sell it even if she took it out.

Tossing the armor aside, Lin Fangzhou saw the white inner garment he wore underneath. She didn’t know what kind of silk it was made of—it looked like the shimmering surface of water, smooth and soft to the touch, making one reluctant to let go. The hem was even embroidered with hidden patterns in the same color, delicate and exquisite, a work of supreme craftsmanship.

Just this one garment alone must be worth a tael of silver, right?

Lin Fangzhou swallowed. Her gaze swept downward and suddenly noticed a fine piece of jade tied at his waist.

How strange—going to war and still wanting to look pretty. Kids these days were so complicated. She untied the jade and held it up to the light, unable to help exclaiming, “Good jade, good jade!”

It was a piece of jade white as snow throughout, translucent and lustrous, carved into a flying serpent biting its own tail, head to tail in a circle. The serpent’s head even had horns.

The whole piece had simple lines, ancient and dignified. Even Lin Fangzhou, who absolutely hated snakes, found it quite lovely to look at.

The leather armor was off, the fine jade was untied. Lin Fangzhou examined him carefully and found that the child wasn’t bleeding.

Tsk tsk—falling from such a height without a single wound. What on earth was that armor made of?!

Lin Fangzhou was somewhat amazed.

She then worried the child might have internal injuries. This child was either rich or noble—a live one was always worth more than a dead one… With that thought, Lin Fangzhou picked up a lantern and went out.

Doctor Huang also lived on East Street, not far from Lin Fangzhou’s home. Not many people came to him for treatment, simply because he was mute. When Lin Fangzhou knocked on Doctor Huang’s door, he was still grinding medicine in the dark, the room full of the fragrance of herbs. His wife had taken their two children back to her parents’ home for a few days, so he was alone in the house.

Lin Fangzhou explained her purpose, and Doctor Huang, without a word, shouldered his medicine box and followed her home.

At her home, he conducted a diagnosis.

The good news: no internal injuries from the fall.

The bad news: he had hit his head…

Lin Fangzhou was somewhat disheartened and asked, “Can he still survive?”

Doctor Huang made a series of gestures. Fortunately, Lin Fangzhou had been his neighbor for years, so communication wasn’t difficult. She nodded and repeated his meaning: “If he wakes within three days, he’ll live. If he doesn’t wake, then hold the funeral quickly, otherwise he’ll grow maggots?”

Doctor Huang nodded vigorously.

Lin Fangzhou rolled her eyes in exasperation. “How thoughtful of you!”

He then asked whose child it was, how he had ended up like this, and whether she had done it.

Lin Fangzhou waved her hand. “Of course not me. I’m the one who saved him… Don’t go poking around.”

In the end, Doctor Huang didn’t prescribe any medicine. For one, with a head injury, medicine wouldn’t help much. For another, Lin Fangzhou was dirt poor—he’d heard she had even bought a steamed bun on credit from the bun-selling old woman at noon today. If he prescribed medicine for her, she’d probably ask to buy it on credit too…

After seeing Doctor Huang out, Lin Fangzhou came back and sat by the bed, staring helplessly at the child lying there. She said, “If you’re going to die, die. If you’re going to live, live. Why do you need to wait three days? Does your daddy have to wait three days before he can get rice to put in the pot?! I might as well stew you—that would last me ten days to half a month!”

Forget it, forget it. Whether he lived or died, tomorrow she would ask around about whose child was missing. As long as he was still breathing, he was worth more than a corpse.

Having settled on this plan, Lin Fangzhou flopped down beside the bed and lay there.

…

Late at night, every household had closed their doors and was sound asleep. The streets were quiet, with only the occasional chirp of insects—desolate and cold.

The night watchman walked along the flagstone road with his lantern. A gust of wind blew, and he tightened his clothes, muttering to himself, “Looks like it’ll rain tomorrow.”

Just then, he saw a tottering figure approaching from not far away.

The watchman said, “Old Tie, is that you?”

“It’s me.” Old Tie answered.

“It’s already the second watch. Instead of lying dead at home, you’re out walking—are you going to meet the Night Roaming God?”

“The Night Roaming God can wait for another day. There’s another god at the yamen waiting for me.” Old Tie came closer and answered, “Someone from the yamen sent word earlier. The county magistrate wants to see me.”

“This late, what could the county magistrate want with you?”

“I wouldn’t know. I’m just a gatekeeper.”

Old Tie was over seventy this year. By rights, he shouldn’t be guarding a city gate at his age, but Yongzhou County wasn’t any strategic military location. And with the realm at peace these years and nothing major happening, the city gate wasn’t all that important. As an old man whose wife and children had gone to meet the King of Hell before him, the county magistrate had taken pity on him and given him this job.

When Old Tie arrived at the yamen, the county magistrate was waiting for him.

“Lord Magistrate, you sent for me?”

“Yes. Old Tie, let me ask you—from the hour of Shen to the hour of Xu today, were you on gate duty?”

“Replying to Lord Magistrate, yes, it was me.”

“Was the city gate properly closed?”

“Properly closed, Lord Magistrate, rest assured… Did Lord Magistrate summon me for some important matter?”

The county magistrate stood with his hands behind his back, his manner relaxed. “Not really. It’s just that recently there have been rumors of a tiger in the mountains. As the parent official of this county, I ought to look into it.”

“This…”

“Let me ask you—have there been many people entering and leaving the city gate these days?”

“Indeed fewer than before. No doubt scared off by the tiger.”

“Mm. Adults are one thing, but children especially—they get playful and might ruin things. During your watch today, were there any children entering or leaving?”

“Replying to Lord Magistrate, I only saw Doctor Huang’s wife taking her children back to her parents’ home. No one else.”

“Did you look carefully? If any child goes missing for no reason, I’ll hold you responsible.”

“Rest assured, Lord Magistrate, I looked carefully. There weren’t many people entering or leaving the gate to begin with.”

“That’s good then. Old Tie, you’ve worked hard. Once I find someone to deal with that tiger and eliminate the threat, I’ll reward you generously.”

“Thank you, Lord Magistrate! Thank you, Lord Magistrate!”

After Old Tie left, the county magistrate’s relaxed expression suddenly turned highly reverent. He turned and bowed with cupped hands toward the screen behind him. “My two lords.”

Before his voice faded, two men walked out from behind the screen.

Both were dressed plainly, looking like ordinary commoners, yet between their brows was a fierce, murderous air.

The county magistrate said, “My two lords heard just now—no unfamiliar child entered the city.”

The leading man nodded. His expression paused, then he suddenly said, “Investigate every clinic and pharmacy in the city. Any medicinal materials sold that can treat wounds, fractures, and internal injuries—you must find out where they went. Remember, investigate in secret. Do not make a sound.”

The county magistrate murmured his assent.

“Anyone who leaks information is to be executed on the spot.” His tone suddenly hardened.

The county magistrate trembled all over with fright. Wiping his sweat, he stammered, “Th-that, I, we, we don’t have the authority to execute criminals. Everything has to be reported to the prefecture…”

“You just handle your duties,” the man interrupted him. “As for killing, we’ll do it ourselves.”

With that, the two men prepared to leave. The one following behind, as he passed the county magistrate, said softly, “Let me give you a kind reminder. ‘Anyone’ includes you too.”

The county magistrate’s face turned sallow. “Yes, this subordinate will remember. Safe travels, my two lords…”

After these two gods of death finally left, the county magistrate collapsed onto a chair, his expression still somewhat terrified. He murmured to himself, “That child they’re searching the whole world for—just what is his background…”

He didn’t dare think any further.