Chapter 129

Chapter 129

◎The Little Boy at the Bottom of the Lake◎

Lin Kaiyuan was still hospitalized, and Dai Yuanjiang had not yet been sentenced, but a harsh sentence was inevitable. This incident became the talk of the neighborhood and even made the news. The video of Dai Yuanjiang brutally kicking Lin Kaiyuan went viral and trended for a couple of days.

Ji Nanxing’s neighborhood wasn’t exactly upscale, especially in recent years as the property management had declined over the years. Although there were security guards at the entrance, you didn’t need an access card, and anyone could enter.

Before, no one gave it much thought, and it was convenient for ordering takeout. But after the incident, people started feeling unsafe, so many residents rallied to push for tighter security.

Getting into the neighborhood got tougher, and anyone without an access card got thoroughly checked. Nowadays, most families have just one child to cherish, and if something happened, it would shatter more than one family.

This didn’t really bother Ji Nanxing and the others, except for needing an extra access card.

After picking up the access card from the property office, they saw a moving truck parked near one of the buildings. The old lady overseeing the movers was someone they recognized—she was the grandma of the kid with the mushroom cut.

Spotting them, Grandma Xu came right over, "It’s you guys! Remember what went down in the park that day?"

These two boys left a strong impression on her because they were so handsome. If her grandson turned out even half as good-looking as them, she wouldn’t have to fret about him finding a wife.

Xiao Ye grinned, "Grandma, you moving?"

Grandma Xu answered, "The kid who got into it with our Ruirui recently, the one who got beat up, you’ve seen the stuff in the neighborhood chat, right?"

Xiao Ye nodded and followed up with a question, "I’ve seen the messages, but I don’t know the details. How is the child now? Is it serious?"

Grandma Xu had a complex expression of pity, relief, and discomfort, "His brain was damaged from the kicks. He’s awake now, but he can’t even eat. Thankfully, the man who did it has been arrested. But that man just lost his parents and then his pet was killed, so he’s been under a lot of mental stress. He has no house, no savings, and can’t even pay compensation. He’s just waiting for sentencing."

Xiao Ye gave the reaction that elderly people love in gossip, exclaiming in surprise, "That’s so serious! The follow-up treatment must cost a lot of money."

Grandma Xu waved her hand, "Don’t worry about their family. You should be careful when you’re out and about."

Xiao Ye laughed, "Why should we be careful? Isn’t the man already arrested?"

Grandma Xu said, "You should be careful of the Lin family, the family of the boy who was beaten. Do you remember what you said that day? You said that killing small animals is a sin and would bring retribution. Well, that’s exactly what happened to their family. The old woman from the Lin family is unreasonable and thinks your words cursed her grandson. I heard they even want to come to your house to demand an explanation. You should be careful when you’re out. If they push you and you fall, they’ll blame you!"

Their family decided to move because they couldn’t afford to deal with such trouble. It’s impossible to be on guard all the time. They had an old house in another district, but the school quality there wasn’t great. So when they had Ruirui, they saved up to buy a place here and are still paying off the mortgage.

But after this incident, if Lin Kaiyuan doesn’t recover, and they see their smart, lively, and adorable Ruirui, the stark contrast might breed resentment. If something were to happen, it would be too late for regrets.

So after discussing it, they decided to move. Even if the school quality in the other district isn’t great, it’s better than staying here and living in constant unease. They could always save up to send Ruirui abroad in the future.

Today, running into these two young boys, Grandma Xu decided to give them a heads-up, "In the future, if you see that old woman, stay far away. Don’t try to reason with her, and don’t think the police will give you justice if something happens. There’s no use arguing with unreasonable people."

Xiao Ye nodded, "We understand. Thank you for the reminder, Grandma. We’ll be careful when we’re out. We won’t delay your moving."

Grandma Xu waved at them, smiling. They were handsome and so well-mannered. She wondered which family was lucky enough to have them.

After the small talk, Xiao Ye pulled Ji Nanxing away, "Did you hear that? Stay away from that old woman in the future. Her grandson is in that state, and if she holds a grudge against us, the trouble is minor, but wasting time and ruining our mood would be worse."

In reality, given their schedules, it wasn’t easy for them to run into the Lin family’s old woman in the neighborhood. High school students’ early mornings and late nights were even worse than those of working adults.

The clear weather seemed to have suddenly turned into a dense rainy season overnight. It was sunny in the morning, but by noon, dark clouds had gathered, and by the afternoon, there was thunder, lightning, and heavy rain.

The rain seemed to have an innate isolating aura, enveloping the entire classroom in a thick atmosphere of study.

Listening to the sound of the rain, Ji Nanxing was visibly drowsy. Relying on his strong willpower, he managed to stay seated without dozing off.

Seeing him so sleepy, Xiao Ye chuckled, "Go to sleep. It’s geography class, mostly stuff you need to memorize. With your photographic memory, you can glance at the book and master all the key points. No need to force yourself."

Ji Nanxing covered his mouth as he yawned, about to say something when he noticed a head poking out from the window beside him. A pair of eyes were half-exposed, and two hands were gripping the windowsill, cautiously watching him.

It was the timid little ghost from the old building.

Ji Nanxing put down his pen and said to Xiao Ye, "A friend from the other side is here to see me. I’ll step out for a bit to clear my head."

Xiao Ye: "Should I come with you?"

Ji Nanxing glanced at the blackboard: "You focus on jotting down the key points. I don’t want to waste brain space on stuff I don’t need to remember. I’m just staying on campus, not going out."

With that, he raised his hand and excused himself to go to the restroom.

The teachers at school cut Ji Nanxing a lot of slack. After all, he was sharp, consistently topping his class since the semester started. He was well-behaved, came from a good family, and had a delicate constitution. Besides accommodating him, what else could the teachers do?

The teacher gave him a nod and went back to the lesson.

Zhang Yuan and Chen Shiyi, sitting in the back, shot off messages in the group chat: "Where are you going?"

Ji Nanxing replied as he walked downstairs: "Just going for a walk."

Xiao Ye: "Why are you two so hyped up?" They were even more attentive than him.

Zhang Yuan: "Thought there might be something we could pitch in on."

Xiao Ye: "We’re high schoolers. Our main gig is studying. There aren’t that many cases."

Seeing them going back and forth in the group, Ji Nanxing tucked away his phone, opened his umbrella, and headed toward the old building.

The timid ghost poked his head out first, and seeing that Ji Nanxing was alone, he worked up the nerve to float out. But before he could speak, Ji Nanxing’s gaze shifted to something behind him.

The timid ghost also turned around. On the other side of the broken wall, a little boy was crouched on the ground, observing some ants.

Ji Nanxing: "What’s going on?"

The timid ghost shook his head: "I don’t know. It finally rained, so I figured I’d stretch my legs. Then I saw this kid wandering on the playground. I tried talking to him, but he didn’t respond. I was worried he’d get zapped by lightning, so I brought him back."

Ji Nanxing put down his umbrella, which was still dripping with rainwater, and walked over. Only when he got close did the little boy move his ears and look up, staring at him with vacant eyes.

The timid ghost floated over and whispered to the little boy: "This is a big brother who can see us. Where’s your home? This brother can help you get back."

The little boy looked completely lost, as if he couldn’t see or hear, and didn’t seem to know how to speak.

The timid ghost looked at Ji Nanxing, feeling helpless: "I’m sorry. Did I land you in a mess?"

He’d been hanging around this school for years and had seen other ghosts before, but many of them carried heavy baggage, and he dared not approach them. This little ghost didn’t seem to carry much baggage, and since he was so young, the timid ghost thought he could help him find his way home.

But he couldn’t leave the school, and this little ghost seemed unresponsive, as if he couldn’t hear or speak. Unable to get any information, the timid ghost figured he couldn’t just leave him hanging, so he went to find the Young Celestial Master to see if there was a solution.

Now that he had brought Ji Nanxing here, he felt bad, like he’d stirred up trouble. Ji Nanxing had given him talismans to eat, and now he was bringing him problems. The timid ghost lowered his head even further.

Ji Nanxing said, "It’s fine. This is what I do. His soul’s all shaky, and he’s a fresh ghost. He probably died not long ago. You’d better back up a bit."

The timid ghost quickly retreated, almost falling out of the window in his haste to get far enough away.

Ji Nanxing crouched down. He didn’t have a soul-nurturing tool on him, but he did have a few talismans on hand. After burning a Yin Gathering Talisman, he noticed the little ghost’s condition improved slightly. He then pressed his fingertip against the ghost’s forehead: "Don’t fight it. Let me take a look at your last memories. Maybe I can help you find your way home."

The little ghost stared at him without blinking. Suddenly, an external force drilled into his mind, and the sharp pain made him instinctively want to pull back. But he resisted the urge—he wanted to go home. His mother was still waiting for him.

Ji Nanxing closed his eyes, sharing the ghost’s emotions through his spiritual power. A drowning sensation hit him hard, like he was being smothered. A pair of large hands gripped the back of his neck, pressing him relentlessly into the water.

In his desperate struggle, he accidentally inhaled a lot of water into his lungs, causing him to choke and panic.

In the vision, he fought back fiercely, but his strength was too weak to escape the grip of that large hand. His nails clawed into the dirt, scraping against gravel, but the blood was washed away by the water before it could even bleed.

Finally, exhausted, the water filling his lungs grew heavier, and the air grew thinner until he could no longer breathe. In the rippling water, the vision froze.

Ji Nanxing’s eyes snapped open, and he stumbled back a few steps, clutching his neck as he coughed violently. The damp, rainy air flooded his lungs, slowly easing the suffocating feeling.

The little ghost, peeking from outside the window, half-rose to look at Ji Nanxing: “Young Celestial Master, are you alright?”

Ji Nanxing shook his head, his face slightly pale, and said, “I’m fine. Where did you find this child?”

The little ghost said, “Right on the school playground.”

Ji Nanxing tapped the child’s forehead with the Golden Bell to keep the little ghost from wandering off. He snapped a photo of the little ghost with his phone, instructed the ghost to watch the child, and to come find him if needed, then headed back to class.

As he reached the teaching building, the bell signaling the end of class rang. Ji Nanxing, stepping into the classroom, nearly collided with Xiao Ye, who was also entering.

Xiao Ye stepped back half a step, steadying Ji Nanxing, and frowned: “You look pale. Are you okay?”

Ji Nanxing shook his head: “It’s nothing. There’s a little ghost. See if you recognize him.”

Ji Nanxing used his yin energy to develop the photo and sent it to the group.

Zhang Yuan and Chen Shiyi hurried over: “What’s wrong with this kid?”

Ji Nanxing: “A drowned little ghost. I don’t know where exactly he drowned. He’s blind and doesn’t speak when questioned. He showed up on the school playground, so it’s likely he drowned at school.”

Zhang Yuan: “There are two artificial lakes at school. The big one’s off-limits, and there’s a small pond. The pond’s shallow. This kid looks about five or six. If he fell in, the water would only reach his chest if he stood up. So if it happened at school, the artificial lake seems more likely.”

Ji Nanxing: “He didn’t fall in by accident—he was drowned.”

Everyone gasped. Another murder, and at school. Who could the killer be—a student or a teacher?

Chen Shiyi: “Where’s the little ghost now? Did you catch him?”

Ji Nanxing shook his head: “In the old building. The ghost there picked him up.”

Ji Nanxing had warned them about the ghost in the old building and set boundaries, telling them to stick to the grilling area and avoid the back, so they’d been coexisting peacefully.

Zhang Yuan: “Didn’t the ghost in the old building see who killed the kid?”

Ji Nanxing shook his head: “He’s shy. If it hadn’t rained these past two days, he wouldn’t have come out, so he didn’t see anything.”

Xiao Ye: “A kid who shows up at school must’ve been brought by a teacher, but I haven’t heard of any teacher losing a child lately. Chen Shiyi, you’re usually in the know. Heard anything?”

Chen Shiyi shook his head: “The school definitely hasn’t lost a kid. Something that big would’ve caused a stir. If he’s from a nearby building, came to play, and got killed, that’s more likely.”

Zhang Yuan looked at Xiao Ye and Ji Nanxing: “You live nearby. Any missing child posts in the neighborhood groups?”

Ji Nanxing and Xiao Ye shook their heads.

Zhang Yuan frowned: “That’s strange. A child this big goes missing without any commotion? Unless the person who killed him is his family.”

Chen Shiyi: “Even if it’s the family, they’d have to create the illusion that the child is lost and they’re looking for him. Otherwise, such a big child disappears, and when the investigation reaches his family, there’s no sign of them looking for the child, that would be too suspicious.”

Ji Nanxing: “Let’s look into it. I’ll send the photo to the Management Bureau and have them check the public security system.”

Although Zhang Yuan’s father is in the police, a child who is already dead, and they’re holding a photo looking for him, it would take time to explain. It’s better to go directly through the Management Bureau’s channels.

The group split up to take action. Chen Shiyi inquired within the school, while Zhang Yuan scouted the area outside. The local cop in the school district knew his dad well, so he could also ask if anyone was looking for a child.

Ji Nanxing and Xiao Ye went to the management bureau. Ji Nanxing had captured a hint of ghostly energy from the little ghost, which could pinpoint the family’s general location.

When the general area fell within their school district, Zhang Yuan called: "Come back, I think I found the kid’s parents."

Ji Nanxing and Xiao Ye hurried back to the school. Zhang Yuan and Chen Shiyi were sitting in a small diner, waving at them. They walked over: "Found them?"

Zhang Yuan gestured toward a woman selling handmade items at a stall across from the diner: "There’s a hand-sized plush charm on her stall, for display, with a photo of her son inside. We just passed by and spotted it immediately."

Ji Nanxing and Xiao Ye also sat down in the diner. Xiao Ye ordered a bowl of assorted shaved ice and shared it with Ji Nanxing, while looking at the woman across the street.

In just a short while, they could tell that the woman was mute but not deaf, communicating with others using a writing board. The small table was filled with knitted crafts, from doll clothes and hats to scarves and small bags, as well as many knitted dolls, cats, and dogs, all looking very cute.

Although the stall owner couldn’t speak, she had a bright smile for every customer who came to look at her items. She was friendly, whether they bought anything or not.

Zhang Yuan poked the lemon slice in his drink: "We asked her quickly. She said her son is in a school for deaf and mute children. He’s blind but can hear and isn’t mute, but because she couldn’t speak, her son also spoke late. Since he couldn’t see, he was often bullied in regular schools and gradually became unwilling to speak."

Chen Shiyi said: "She didn’t want her son to lose his ability to speak, nor did she want him to be bullied in regular schools, so she sent him to a special school. But that kind of school isn’t a welfare institution, and the tuition isn’t cheap, so she works during the day and sets up a stall for extra cash around five or six when school ends."

Ji Nanxing: "She doesn’t seem like a mother who’s lost her child."

The little ghost must have died recently, still a fresh spirit. A mother who works so hard for her child’s tuition doesn’t seem like someone who would neglect her child, and her appearance doesn’t suggest she is harsh or cruel.

Chen Shiyi whispered: "She might not know yet."

Xiao Ye was stunned, somewhat surprised: "She doesn’t know? The kid’s been dead for a few days, hasn’t he?"

Zhang Yuan said: "I asked her, ‘You’re still out here so late, who’s taking care of your child?’ She said that deaf and mute school is a boarding school, only weekends off. Today’s Thursday, and she usually picks up her son on Friday."

Chen Shiyi looked pained: "How will she handle it if she finds out her son is gone and died in the school behind her?"

Ji Nanxing: "No use worrying, let’s find the body first. That deaf and mute school might need to be investigated, and our school too."

Zhang Yuan: "How do you plan to investigate?"

Ji Nanxing: "The kid’s been dead for a few days, but the deaf and mute school hasn’t notified the parents, which is suspicious. I’ll have Brother Zhang keep an eye on things. A lingering ghost can investigate better than a living person. As for our school, as long as the murderer is someone from the school, the investigation range can be narrowed down. We’ll definitely find out."

Regular investigations need evidence, but for Taoists, tracking the killer using a ghost’s aura is easier than police investigations. However, this little ghost doesn’t have much resentment, only a strong desire to go home, plus he’s just a kid and blind, which adds a lot of difficulty to finding the murderer.

Zhang Yuan looked at the woman across the street, frowning: "This seems a bit off. The deaf and mute school didn’t notify the parents about the disappearance, but the kid was killed in our school. What’s the connection?"

Xiao Ye looked at Ji Nanxing: "When do you plan to recover the body?"

Ji Nanxing: "Let’s figure out where the body is first."

After finishing their ice drinks, they passed by the knitted handmade stall on their way back. Seeing them stop, the stall owner picked up a pre-written board, which said things like "Feel free to look, can be customized," etc.

Ji Nanxing picked up a hand-sized knitted dog, probably filled with silk cotton, feeling soft and firm.

Xiao Ye looked at the price tag in that area—fifty yuan, not expensive—so he scanned the code to pay.

The stall owner quickly picked up a board with "Thank you" written on it, smiling brightly at them.

Chen Shiyi couldn’t bear to look, thinking that her child might now be lying in the cold water, his nose tingling and eyes red.

They returned to the school. Zhang Yuan asked: "How do we find where the kid is? Can we tell from his body?"

Ji Nanxing: "He’s just a kid, and blind. The school’s terrain and environment are special, unlike some places outside where it’s easy to detect resentment, so it’s easier to go down and investigate directly."

Chen Shiyi exclaimed, "We have to get in the water?"

Xiao Ye said, "I’m a strong swimmer, I’ll go in. I’ll need my bodyguard to bring me a change of clothes, otherwise, I won’t have anything to wear."

Ji Nanxing glanced at him, then turned and went to the small supermarket to buy a sealed bag. He then placed the small paper figure inside and threw it into the water.

The other three stared in amazement. Chen Shiyi marveled, "That little paper figure is something else! It can fly and catch ghosts, and now it can dive and retrieve bodies. Incredible."

Under Ji Nanxing’s control, the small paper figure swiftly dived to the bottom of the lake. Although it was an artificial lake, it was planted with many water plants to improve the water quality, which made it harder to sink. If one wasn’t careful, it could easily get caught in the water plants.

After searching for a while, the evening self-study bell rang just as the small paper figure reached the bottom of the lake.

A boy, about five or six, lay motionless at the bottom, his body pale and bloated, his limbs floating upward, with several stones tied around his waist with hemp rope.