TGCFNM -Chapter 99 Burned

Zheng Ying rushed up to the bamboo hut, shouting, “Ah-Zhao, move back!” Then he threw himself forward with all his strength.

With a crisp snap of bamboo breaking, the hut was forcefully pushed open, and Zheng Ying fell inside, gasping from the pain.

“Father! Father!” Zheng Zhao cried out.

Zheng Ying scooped Zheng Zhao into his arms. “I’m here, I’m here. It’s alright, it’s alright.”

Outside the hut, Wan Sanjin found Chu Ling and shook his head. “We’ve searched everywhere… no one’s here.”

“Could they have run off?” Han Jin asked.

Chu Ling shook her head. “It’s possible they went to handle something… Wan Sanjin, take your people and search again—see if there’s any evidence to confirm their identities.” She then stepped onto the bamboo door and entered the hut.

Inside, besides Zheng Ying’s son, who wore filthy clothes, there were a dozen or so children, all half-grown. The tallest boy was shielding the others behind him.

Chu Ling waved gently at the boy. “I’m the newly appointed Lord Chu from Changzhou. I’ve come to rescue you.”

The boy glanced at Zheng Ying. Zheng Ying immediately said, “It really is Lord Chu.”

Only then did the boy relax and lead the other children forward.

Zheng Ying picked up his son and walked over to Chu Ling, his eyes red. “Thank you, Lord, thank you so much.”

If Chu Ling hadn’t suddenly pursued the criminals, his son might have been devoured by this bamboo forest.

“Let’s get out of here first,” Chu Ling said, leading the children back.

Wan Sanjin also brought his men over, frowning as he shook his head at Chu Ling. “Lord, we didn’t find anything.”

Chu Ling’s eyes narrowed slightly. This person was truly cautious.

“Lord, we should leave now,” Zheng Ying urged.

Chu Ling glanced at the narrow path outside. “We won’t return the same way. There’s a labyrinth here. Everyone, hold onto someone—follow me carefully.”

“Lord…” The tall boy timidly called out, clutching his clothes, nervously looking at Chu Ling. “Lord, have you seen the little mute girl?”

Zheng Zhao hugged his father’s neck. “Father, the little mute girl was so clever. She swapped clothes with me and secretly followed Grandpa Bai out. She gestured that she would find someone to rescue us.”

Chu Ling paused mid-step, looking at the children’s anxious, hopeful faces, feeling a pang in her heart.

The tall boy had realized it by now. His face went pale, and trembling with fear, he asked, “Lord… is the little mute girl… is she dead?”

Chu Ling nodded solemnly.

When she had found this group of children, the little mute girl had smiled at her, beckoning with her finger, then vanished into nothingness.

Her only resolve had been to save these children.

Zheng Ying pressed his son’s head against his shoulder, his eyes red, looking at Chu Ling. “Lord… it’s my family’s debt. My family…”

The tall boy bit his lip, holding back tears, looking at Zheng Ying. “No… it’s not the Zheng family’s fault. We secretly arranged to trade the little mute girl for Master Zheng, because they seemed about the same age… Otherwise… if Grandpa Bai returned Master Zheng, no one would care whether we lived or died.”

“Why would no one care?” Wan Sanjin asked, confused.

Chu Ling felt a tightness in her chest, as if her heart had been twisted by scissors. “Master Zheng was probably taken by mistake.”

The others taken were all street children. No one would notice if they disappeared.

The “Grandpa Bai” the children mentioned likely intended to quietly return this child to avoid attracting attention—but the child was swapped. In frustration, he was simply killed and left behind.

Zheng Ying’s face went pale. “Lord, the child Grandpa Bai returned was the wrong one. He will surely come back. We must leave quickly.”

Chu Ling turned to look at the others. “Who has a fire striker?”

Wan Sanjin immediately said, “I saw some dry grass and firewood piled next to a house.”

Zheng Ying widened his eyes and grabbed Chu Ling’s sleeve. “Master, you… what are you planning to do?”

Chu Ling strode straight toward the dry grass, gritting her teeth. “Of course, burn this place down!”

Wan Sanjin shouted, signaling others to gather more firewood.

“Master, you’ll attract attention,” Zheng Ying hurried a few steps closer, anxiously warning.

“I am now the magistrate of Changzhou, and this person has killed more than one here,” Chu Ling said. After securing the torch, she lit it and threw it forcefully into a bamboo house.

Wan Sanjin and the others immediately threw their torches in as well.

The piled dry grass ignited instantly. The flames spread rapidly, devouring the firewood and engulfing the bamboo house.

In an instant, thick smoke billowed up. The fire crawled over every structure. Crackling sounds filled the air as the scorched bamboo could no longer hold, snapping and collapsing, only to be consumed again by the raging flames.

Chu Ling cast one long, deep glance before grabbing Wan Sanjin’s arm.

Wan Sanjin held onto Zheng Ying, and then, one by one, they all held each other’s arms, placing the children in the middle, following Chu Ling to avoid the winding path and returning to the bamboo forest.

Fifteen minutes later, Chu Ling led them out.

Zheng Ying let out a sigh of relief and quickly called the boatmen to board. Seeing their frightened expressions, he added ten taels of silver and urged them to push off immediately.

As the boat reached the middle of the lake, just as Zheng Ying was about to relax, a shadow suddenly shot toward them like a ghost. A black robe fluttered, and a hand, like an eagle’s claw, reached out.

Chu Ling raised her hand almost instantly, releasing an arrow. The shadow froze, looked deeply at Chu Ling, and then swiftly disappeared.

Bai Su and Chu Ling spoke almost simultaneously: “He wasn’t hit,” and the arrow had been taken away.

Wan Sanjin was shocked. “Is this person really that skilled?”

Even their master’s arrows rarely missed, and this was the first time someone had said an arrow didn’t hit.

Chu Ling’s face darkened. She lowered her arm, covering her wrist with her long sleeve, then looked at Bai Su.

The shadow hadn’t retreated because of Chu Ling—it was because of the hidden sleeve dart she had used, a dart that Bai Su had given her.

Bai Su’s face turned pale, a surge of intense hatred threatening to explode.

“Bamboo Forest Ghost Hand… Bai Zhuoxing.”

Chu Ling’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately ordered, “Faster! Return to the city at once!”

The boatmen were already so terrified they could barely stand. Wan Sanjin had no choice but to take the bamboo pole and push the boat faster toward the shore.

The journey out had the wind in their favor, so they went quickly.

The return against the wind was much slower. Being pursued by that shadow had left everyone shaken, their hearts pounding and minds in turmoil.

When the boat finally docked, they all let out a huge sigh of relief and hurriedly disembarked.

“Master, was that shadow the ghost Zheng San saw years ago?” Zheng Ying asked, his face pale.

“That wasn’t a ghost,” Chu Ling said, eyes narrowing. “That was a murderer.”

The group separated at the shore. Chu Ling, Wan Sanjin, and the others led all the little beggars back to the magistrate’s office—she had many questions to ask.

The first question she needed answered was why the little mute girl was covered in wounds.