Hibiskus als Gemälde

Kapitel 86

"The Peach Blossom River by Dongting Lake," the old river boy replied.

"Dongting Lake is...very far away. If you get caught...when we get there, we'll send you to the zoo," Dudu stammered.

"What is a 'zoo'?" the old kappa asked, puzzled.

"Well... well... anyway, it's not a good place." Dudu couldn't explain.

"No matter how far the journey, my heart remains steadfast in my desire to return home," the old kappa thought to itself, the wind ruffling its long brown fur, its face desolate and tragic.

Shen Caihua watched the kappa disappear into the darkness with lingering reluctance, feeling a pang of melancholy in his heart. Since childhood, he had longed for the carefree life in nature.

Youliang anxiously urged Shencai to hurry up, his excitement at the prospect of seeing Nizi making him somewhat excited.

"Dudu, go look for Momo over there first, we'll follow you," Shen Caihua instructed Dudu.

"Don't worry... Dudu's going, she's going." The big parrot flapped its wings and soared into the night sky, heading northeast.

Shen Caihua carried the suction tube in his arms, with You Liang following closely behind. The two walked down the gentle slope of Emei Plain.

The night sky was covered with dark clouds, and soon a light rain began to fall. Chen Cai opened the suction tube and placed it on their heads, stumbling along the ridges of the fields until they finally arrived at the country road.

The scent of ink stopped here...

"Come on, what's wrong now?" Youliang urged impatiently.

Shen Caihua gazed blankly at the night sky, murmuring with a sense of loss, "Mo Mo, she's gone..."

Youliang suddenly froze, staring at Chen Caihua with a questioning look. After a long while, he said doubtfully, "Can't you smell Nizi's scent? How could you have lost her?"

"I don't know either, the smell just disappeared here anyway," Shen Caihua replied, puzzled.

Youliang scrutinized Shen Caihua with piercing eyes, and finally said quietly, "You're lying to me, aren't you?"

"I'm lying to you...why?" Shen Caihua looked at Youliang with confusion.

Youliang stared intently and said, "You want to get rid of me so you can go find Nizi. You don't want me to be with Nizi, right?"

Shen Caihua was taken aback upon hearing this. He had left Nanshan Village and gone through countless hardships to find Momo, hoping to find back the lost memories of his childhood. He had never thought of anything else...

"Didn't I tell you?" A strange look flashed in Youliang's eyes, which was somewhat frightening. "You want to have Nizi all to yourself... Hmph, let me tell you, I'm going to be with Nizi for the rest of my life, and no one can stop me!"

A cool breeze swept by, and Shen Caihua couldn't help but shiver. He silently turned his face, his deep eyes fixed on Youliang's eyes, and grinned, unconsciously licking his lips...

"What do you want to do!" Youliang stared in surprise at Shen Caihua's cold gaze, took two steps back, and broke out in a cold sweat.

"I said I can't find it, and I mean I can't find it. Since you don't believe me, why are you following me around like a shadow?" Shen Caihua said angrily.

"Hmph, you've shown your true colors now..." Youliang said with a pitiful look up at the sky, "You don't need to chase me away, I'll leave on my own, I'll find Nizi myself, and then we'll fly away together, and you'll never see Nizi again in this lifetime."

"Get out!" Shen Caihua roared angrily.

With tears of humiliation streaming down his face, Youliang left without looking back, disappearing swiftly into the darkness.

Shen Caihua stood by the roadside, his heart unable to calm down for a long time. He looked up at the night sky, letting the cold raindrops fall on his cheeks. He did not shed tears, nor did he feel dejected. The ghost baby was born without cowardice, only with persistence and a trace of cruelty hidden deep in his heart...

The night rain gradually intensified. In mid-air, Dudu, soaking wet, swooped down and landed beside Chen Caihua, saying dejectedly, "I...I can't find Momo."

Left with no other choice, Shen Caihua said, "Let's go back inside the tower to take shelter from the rain first, and continue the search after dawn." So, he took the suction tube and Dudu back to Yingying Tower. The weather was cold, and the suction tube unfolded its warm belly, wrapping Shen Caihua up and letting him sleep, while Dudu flew to the eaves of the tower and dozed off.

As dawn broke, the rain finally stopped, the dark clouds in the sky dispersed, and a ray of morning sunlight shone on the Yingying Pagoda after the rain, while the fields were shrouded in mist.

Master Xufeng, the Hakka nanny, and Xiong Dahai arrived at the Yingying Pagoda of Pujiu Temple, travel-worn. "We've finally arrived. This is the Yingying Pagoda, one of the four famous ancient buildings in the country known for their echoes," the Master introduced to the nanny.

"They really are here!" The Hakka woman hurriedly stepped into the tower.

Shen Caihua was still fast asleep in the arms of the suction cup when Dudu heard the noise, opened her eyes, and called out loudly, "Cai...Caihua, Grandma and Master are here, they're coming..."

Shen Caihua rubbed his sleepy eyes, yawned, and crawled out of the suction tube. He was overjoyed to see the Hakka nanny.

"Caihua, are you alright?" The Hakka nanny's tense mood finally eased, and she looked Caihua up and down with loving eyes, asking with genuine concern.

"Master, I'm fine," Shen Caihua replied with a relaxed expression.

"Hey, where's Youliang?" Master Xufeng looked around but didn't see Youliang, so he asked.

“He’s gone,” Shen Caihua said calmly.

"They've left?" Master Xufeng asked, puzzled.

Shen Caihua recounted the events of last night truthfully, concluding, "Mo Mo's scent did indeed stop there; I didn't lie to him."

“Yes, that’s how it is. Let the child go,” Master Xufeng pondered. “Senior Granny, I will accompany you to Yongji County and ask the local public security bureau to help find Nizi. She is only six or seven years old. She must not have gone far. Perhaps she is in the home of a farmer here. It should be easy for the public security bureau to investigate.”

"That's fine then." The Hakka nanny glanced at Chen Caihua and nodded in agreement.

The task that Senior Brother Xuwu of Baiyun Temple in the capital assigned to Daoist Xufeng this time was to find the former abbot, Daoist Jia Shiming, and retrieve the secret manual of the Quanzhen Sect's "Essentials of Innate Qi Gong". It was none of his business, but he had the opportunity to meet a reclusive master like the Hakka Granny and wanted to befriend her, so he offered his help.

After leaving Yingying Tower, the group soon arrived at the country road they had visited the previous night. "This is it," Shen Caihua said, pointing to the roadside.

“Young man, you’re relying on your sense of smell to track Nizi’s whereabouts. Everyone in the world has a unique scent, just like fingerprints. A scent can linger on the ground for a while, or it can remain in still air. Last night there was wind and rain. The wind can disperse the scent in the air, and the rain can dilute the scent left on the ground. If the time interval isn’t too long, a trained police dog can definitely smell it because their sense of smell is tens of thousands of times more sensitive than a human’s. However, if a human’s nose were that sensitive, I’m afraid trouble would follow.” Master Xufeng chuckled.

“I only remember the scent of the ink,” Shen Caihua said truthfully.

“If the trail only ended at this main road, it means she took a car or similar means of transportation here, and her scent is no longer on the ground, so you naturally can’t smell it,” Master Xufeng squatted down on the road, pointing to two shallow tire tracks and continued, “Looking at these tire tracks, they look like a farm tractor. If we follow this clue, we should be able to find Nizi.”

The Hakka woman secretly admired him, thinking that this Taoist priest Xu Feng was indeed very meticulous in his thinking.

Around noon, they arrived in Yongji County. Master Xufeng carried a Ministry of Public Security work ID with him, so he easily checked into the county government guesthouse.

Chapter 133

At the Yongji County Party Committee Guesthouse, while having lunch, Master Xufeng went to the service desk to make a long-distance call.

Around 1 p.m., Deputy Director Zhao of the County Public Security Bureau, who was in charge of criminal investigation, rushed to the guesthouse with Chief Chu of the Public Security Section. They had received a call from the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, saying that someone from the bureau had come to Yongji County and asking the local authorities to provide assistance. Since it was someone from the Ministry of Public Security in Beijing, they should naturally give them a warm welcome.

In the guesthouse room, Deputy Director Zhao looked at the red work ID and said warmly, "Comrade Xu Feng, since you've come to Yongji County, is there anything we can help you with?"

Master Xufeng said solemnly, "I would like to ask for your help in finding a little girl..."

"Oh, what are the specifics?" Section Chief Chu asked, taking out a notebook and pen from his pocket. Cases involving missing children and trafficking of women have always been under the jurisdiction of the Public Security Section.

"The girl's name is Guo Ni, nicknamed Nizi. She lives in Fenglingdu Town, Ruicheng County, Hedong District. She is about six or seven years old. Last night, she rode on a farm tractor on the rural road in front of Pujiu Temple. She may have been taken to a nearby village," Master Xufeng explained.

"That's easy. I'll call the special police commissioner in that township right away and ask him to go down and investigate immediately. We should have news by evening at the latest," Section Chief Chu said, closing his notebook.

"Thank you so much." Master Xufeng nodded.

"By the way, Lao Xu, we'd like to ask you about someone," Section Chief Chu suddenly said.

"Asking me about someone? Who is it?" Master Xufeng asked in surprise.

"There's a vice minister in the ministry named Li Meng..." Section Chief Chu said hesitantly.

"You mean Vice Minister Li, who is in charge of local departments? Is there something you need?" Master Xufeng had heard of this person, but had never met him.

“Oh, it’s like this,” Section Chief Chu said carefully, “There’s a female qigong therapist nicknamed ‘Old Nun of Emei’ who was seriously injured. She said she knows Vice Minister Li Meng from our department…”

Master Xufeng understood immediately. Among the public security cases investigated by the county bureau, some involved high-ranking officials in the capital, so they dared not handle them rashly. Such things were not uncommon and happened frequently throughout the country.

“Old Xu, we want to verify whether what she said is true. You’re from the ministry, you can tell the truth just by listening to her.” Deputy Director Zhao looked at the Taoist priest with eager eyes.

"Alright, where is he?" Master Xufeng asked. Now was the time to ask for help, and it was really hard to refuse, so he could only agree for the time being.

Section Chief Chu replied, "It's in the county hospital next to the guesthouse on the east side."

Master Xufeng then followed the two to the county hospital's inpatient department, where he met the "Emei nun" lying on a surgical bed, combing her hair in front of a small mirror.

Section Chief Chu walked to the bedside, staring at the "Emei Old Nun," and said, "Ms. Ni, someone from the Ministry of Public Security has arrived. Didn't you say you knew Minister Li? If you have any messages, you can ask Comrade Xu Feng to pass them on."

The middle-aged woman on the hospital bed was slightly overweight with a sallow complexion. She wore gold-rimmed glasses and had a cast on her foot, indicating that her injury was quite serious.

"Are you from the department?" The old nun from Emei stared intently at Master Xufeng, who was standing in front of the hospital bed, and sneered.

Master Xufeng nodded and replied, "Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security. I heard you know our Minister Li."

"Minister Li?" the old nun from Emei said scornfully. "Who does he think he is? Humph, a higher-ranking official is coming to see me soon. At that time, I will decide how to report to the higher-ups based on the performance of your county bureau."

"What leader?" Deputy Director Zhao asked somewhat nervously.

"You'll find out when the time comes," the old nun from Emei said, then went on to trim her eyebrows, ignoring them completely.

Master Xufeng and Section Chief Chu looked at each other in bewilderment, and then they all left the ward.

"This woman is talking nonsense and spouting rubbish. I think she's a fucking lunatic," Section Chief Chu said angrily, swearing.

"Well, we should still be a little prepared. This woman speaks with a strong Beijing accent; she might actually have some connections," Deputy Director Zhao said cautiously.

Master Xufeng smiled slightly and asked casually, "Who injured her?"

“There’s a cultivator named Jia Shiming on Five Old Peaks,” Section Chief Chu replied.

Master Xufeng was greatly surprised upon hearing this, but he remained expressionless. He then asked, "This Jia Shiming is quite powerful. He beat Ms. Ni quite badly. I wonder how he injured her?"

"It's supposedly some kind of qigong; practitioners always have some strange skills," Section Chief Chu said dismissively.

"What is the identity of this Jia Shiming?" Master Xufeng asked, already certain that this person must be Master Jia.

"Hmph, he's just an unemployed bum," Section Chief Chu said disdainfully.

"Where is this person now?" Master Xufeng asked casually.

"He's locked up in the detention center," Section Chief Chu replied.

Master Xufeng smiled and said, "Yes, these martial arts practitioners just love to compete and disrupt social order."

"Old Xu, you go back to the guesthouse and rest first. I'll go arrange the investigation into Guo Ni right away, and I'll let you know as soon as I have any news." After saying this, Section Chief Chu and Deputy Director Zhao hurriedly left.

Master Xufeng left the hospital and returned to the guesthouse, where he recounted how the county bureau had assisted in finding Nizi.

"In that case, we'll have news tonight." The Hakka nanny nodded, relieved.

As dusk fell, the weather suddenly changed, with a fierce wind and torrential rain pouring down from the sky. Everyone anxiously awaited news in their guesthouse rooms. Finally, after dinner, the front desk notified Master Xufeng to answer a call from the county bureau.

"Old Xu, regarding Guo Ni's situation, the township's special police commissioner found the farm tractor. It's from a small village more than ten miles east of Puji Temple. According to the driver, last night, he did indeed rescue a six or seven-year-old girl on the road in front of Yingying Pagoda. The child was almost unconscious from the cold and was holding a large black cat in her arms." Chief Chu's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Yes, it's her." Master Xufeng finally felt relieved.

"The child ate something at that family's house and then went to sleep. When the family got up early in the morning, the child had already left without saying goodbye," Section Chief Chu continued.

"Leaving without saying goodbye? Does that family know where the child went?" Master Xufeng asked anxiously.

"We don't know. They don't even know when the child left," Section Chief Chu replied apologetically.

Master Xufeng held the receiver, pondered for a moment, and said, "Section Chief Chu, could you please notify all townships to keep an eye out for this child? If anyone sees him, detain him first, and then notify the county bureau as soon as possible?"

"No problem, I'll arrange it right away." Section Chief Chu hung up the phone.

After returning to his room, Master Xufeng told the Hakka woman about the county bureau's investigation.