Chapter 7: 007 Child

The wind howled across the north, passing over the farmsteads in the outskirts, which presented a scene of desolation and decay.

In a remote, dilapidated temple, the fences in front of the shrine lay crooked and broken, the ground covered in thatch and withered leaves, and the red-painted Buddha statue had completely collapsed.

A five-year-old boy curled up in a corner, his consciousness blurred, his limbs icy cold, and his body trembling violently. His lips were frozen purple; he had not had a single drop of water for a day and a night.

That day, Father and Mother had rushed back from the fields in a panic, saying that bad people were coming, telling him to run quickly, and forbidding him from looking back or returning.

At this moment, a sound of footsteps came from outside the door.

The little boy's small, trembling body shook even more violently now.

"Fa... Mother..."

The tear tracks on his face had not yet dried before large droplets began to roll down again.

Just as he was rising to try and hide, the person outside had already arrived.

"Is it him?" Ling Siye stared at the filthy child before him, his brows involuntarily furrowing.

"Reporting to Master, it is indeed this child," a maid in black standing aside answered respectfully.

"Take him away." Ling Siye seemed unwilling to stay even a moment longer; having said that, he turned and walked out.

"Bad people! Let me go, you villains!"

The little boy used his last shred of strength to cry out, but he was held tightly by the maid in black.

"Father, Mother, save me! Father, Mother!"

Just as he was about to step out of the temple door, Ling Siye suddenly stopped, a cold sneer appearing on his lips.

Father? Mother?

Tang Meng had fostered this child in the countryside, making him quite difficult to find!

"Bad people, bad people!" The little boy was incredibly clever; he recognized instantly that Ling Siye was the master of this group.

"Bad people?" Ling Siye's large hand slowly gripped the little boy's slender neck, the pressure gradually increasing.

Held so tightly, the little boy was powerless to struggle, and as his breathing became difficult, more and more fear surfaced in those clear, dark eyes.

"Bad people... bad people..." Ling Siye repeated the words pensively. A thought finally surfaced in his mind, and his hand finally let go. The little boy had already fainted.

"Where are his parents?" Ling Siye's sharp eyes swept over the several dark-clad maids standing nearby.

"Reporting to Master, both are dead," the lead maid stepped forward to report.

Only then did Ling Siye nod and exit the temple. He didn't want to stay in such a filthy place for even a minute, yet for some reason, he had come personally.

At that moment, on a nearby path, two steeds galloped away in the distance. The riders were both dressed in long white robes, their black hair fluttering in the wind. Ling Siye did not pay much attention and went straight into his carriage.

Those two were none other than Tang Meng and Tang Ying. Tang Ying was already wearing a mask, making it impossible to discern her features.

"Are you sure he will appear?" Tang Ying asked uneasily.

"The six deceased women were respectively the daughters of the Ministers of the Six Ministries, each separated by five days. Next, it will surely be the Prime Minister's daughter!"

Fearing that the matter would cause panic among the court officials, the Emperor had kept the deaths of the Ministers' daughters a secret. Tang Meng was not entirely certain if the next victim would be the Prime Minister's daughter, but she had no choice but to gamble.

Tang Ying hesitated for a moment before speaking, "If we catch the person, show mercy. This matter..."

If it truly was a merman, there must be some difficult truth behind it, or perhaps they were being manipulated. Mermen were naturally kind and quite timid; how could they cause such a massive murder case?

"This matter is for the Emperor to decide," Tang Meng replied helplessly.

There was definitely something strange going on behind this, perhaps even a shocking secret hidden within. However, she truly did not want to meddle in other people's business. Now, she only hoped to catch the person and hand them over to Ling Siye on time. Ever since she was discovered to be the daughter, she hadn't been able to sleep well at night!