Chapter 27: The Unexpected

Monkey Face hid miserably under a tree, but the leaves could not block the heavy rain at all. The man could only curl up, shivering uncontrollably.

At this moment, his heart was filled with endless regret. Had he known the floodwaters would rise so quickly, he would have waited a little longer. Now, he was stuck on the mountain, unable to move forward or retreat.

Starving until his stomach was stuck to his back, Monkey Face did not dare show his face because of the guilt in his heart. He could only hide in the shadows, eating leaves and gnawing on tree bark. He even stole trash thrown out by the people of Qingshan Village to eat, which barely kept him from starving to death.

“Damn it, once I kidnap that little girl from the Zhao Family and sell her, I’m going to a big restaurant and eat until I burst.”

Monkey Face huddled into a ball, his face twisted as he cursed.

Suddenly, the figure of a child emerged from the mouth of the mountain cave.

Monkey Face wiped his face and grew excited, squinting his eyes to look closely. “Why is it a boy?”

He had been hoping the little girl would get bored in the mountain cave and come out to play. Once he kidnapped her, with the water so high and people going missing, Zhao Mengcheng would surely think the child had been swept away by the flood.

He had waited all day, only for a little boy to come out and play.

Monkey Face was instantly disappointed.

The heavy rain had let up slightly, but Zhao Mao was still soaked to the bone after only a few steps. He didn’t seem to care, however, as he continued walking toward the mountain peak.

Even though many years had passed, Zhao Mao still remembered this catastrophic rain.

The downpour had destroyed the autumn harvest, plunging the common people into misery. The three siblings could have barely managed to survive, but this rain had completely cut off their path to life.

They had been so hungry. All the wild vegetables and grass in the village had been eaten clean. With empty stomachs, they could only drink water to fill the void. After drinking too much, their hands and feet would swell up.

It was during that time that Zhao Wencheng came to their door and sold them into the Wan Family.

Life in Qingshan Village was merely hard, but the Wan Family was a man-eating demon’s den that had swallowed the three siblings whole.

Countless children who couldn’t endure it died, but the three of them had survived. On the surface, they looked fine, but beneath their elegant clothes, their bodies were covered in scars.

The hideous scar on his eldest brother’s face, his younger sister’s inescapable nightmares, and his own broken body served as constant reminders.

Even now, thinking back to those days, Zhao Mao felt a sharp pain throughout his body, and he couldn’t help but tremble.

Fortunately, none of that had happened yet.

Zhao Wencheng would never have the chance to sell them again, Zhao Mao thought.

Soon, he reached the highest point of the mountain.

Looking down, he saw that Zhao Wencheng’s family had indeed set up a small tent on a flat area. They were currently fast asleep.

Zhao Mao watched coldly. There was a large rock in front of him. With just a hard push, the rock would roll down from the peak and crush that small tent into a pile of mud.

In his past life, Zhao Wencheng had died early and hadn’t lived to face their revenge. Now, with just this one small action, the man who had pushed them into the fire would be crushed to pieces.

A peal of thunder rolled across the sky, illuminating Zhao Mao’s freezing, bone-chilling eyes.

“A-Mao!”

The moment before he acted, a call drifted through the sound of the thunder and rain.

The noisy thunder and rain could not drown out that familiar voice. Zhao Mao’s expression changed instantly, and he began to run back without a second thought. “Father is looking for me.”

“Push the rock down,” the Zhao Mao from the past life shrieked, unwilling to give up this easy chance for revenge.

But the young Zhao Mao only heard his father’s call. “Why am I here? Father will be worried. I have to get back quickly.”

The child’s heart was filled only with concern.

The other Zhao Mao suddenly fell silent. He watched himself running along the mountain path in the heavy rain, running toward the man who protected him, cared for him, and prevented their tragic fate.

After a long time, he seemed to give up and fell back into a deep sleep.

Zhao Mao’s small head felt dizzy and confused. He only knew he had to get back, otherwise his father would be worried sick. Halfway there, the child’s body went limp, and he collapsed directly into the heavy rain.

Zhao Mengcheng was indeed worried sick. Because there were many people in the mountain cave, he had retracted his Mental Power before going to sleep.

Who would have thought that when he woke up, one of his three children would be missing?

Zhao Mao was usually the most sensible and never ran off. Zhao Mengcheng had initially thought the boy had woken up and gone to play on his own.

However, after getting up and searching the area without finding him, Zhao Mengcheng grew anxious. “Have you seen my A-Mao?”

The man sleeping near the cave entrance shook his head. “Is he playing deeper inside the cave?”

“I’ve looked everywhere, but I can’t find him.”

Zhao Mengcheng grew worried. The rain was so heavy outside, and they were on a mountain. Why would Zhao Mao run out for no reason?

“Ming, I’m going out to look for him. Help me keep an eye on the others.”

Wang Ming quickly stood up. “Brother, let my mother watch them. I’ll go with you.”

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t even stop to put on a straw raincoat before heading out. Sure enough, he saw small footprints not far from the cave entrance.

“A-Mao!” he shouted loudly, but his voice was drowned out by the rain. “A-Mao, where are you? Come back!”

Wang Ming shouted along with him. “A-Mao is usually very sensible. Maybe he just came out to pee? If so, he must be nearby. Let’s keep looking.”

“With rain this heavy, he shouldn’t have come out at all,” Zhao Mengcheng said, frowning.

Zhao Mao wasn’t like Zhao Chun. He was cautious by nature and never went to dangerous places.

After calling out for a while without any sign of the boy, and with the footprints being washed away by the rain, Zhao Mengcheng used his Mental Power to find a trace. “He went up the mountain.”

“What would he go up there for?” Wang Ming asked in surprise.

Zhao Mengcheng also knitted his brows. A hint of suspicion flashed through his mind, but nothing was more important than finding the child right now.

In the heavy rain, Monkey Face joyfully picked up the child from the ground and threw him over his shoulder.

“I’ll hide this brat first, then use him to lure the little girl out,” Monkey Face plotted.

“My luck has finally turned. This kid delivered himself right to my door.”

He carried the child down a few steps, only to run straight into Zhao Mengcheng and Wang Ming, who were searching the mountain.

“Put my son down!” Zhao Mengcheng spotted Monkey Face immediately and charged toward him.

Monkey Face was startled. He shouldered the child and turned to run.

One fled while the other pursued. Monkey Face didn’t even look where he was going, darting around aimlessly. Surprisingly, he actually managed to lose his pursuers.

Seeing the man disappear with Zhao Mao, Zhao Mengcheng’s face turned grim.

Wang Ming also realized things were bad. He quickly said, “The mountain is too big to search easily, but with the flood below, he can’t leave. He must still be on the mountain.”

“We’ll split up,” Zhao Mengcheng said.

“I’ll go get everyone to help search,” Wang Ming said, also worried about the child. He turned to call for help.

Zhao Mengcheng looked coldly at the dense forest. In the next moment, his Mental Power tendrils lashed out, quickly picking up the traces left by the two of them.

No matter how heavy the rain was, it could not block a Mental Power search.

Very quickly, Zhao Mengcheng locked onto a direction.

Monkey Face had run a distance with the child and thought he had lost them. He cursed, “Damn it, my luck is terrible. How did I run into them? It’s like a curse.”

As he spoke, he patted the child’s face. “He’s not dead, is he? He’s worthless if he’s dead.”

Just as he was thinking of finding a place to hide the boy, footsteps sounded from behind. Terrified, Monkey Face scrambled forward blindly.

But no matter where he ran or how well he hid, Zhao Mengcheng would soon follow.

Monkey Face couldn’t stop for a second. “This is truly cursed. How does he find me every time?”

He was still carrying the child and couldn’t move fast. The distance between them was shrinking.

“Let my son go, and I promise not to chase you,” Zhao Mengcheng shouted.

He was worried about Zhao Mao’s health. As the weaker of the twins, Zhao Mao had been frail since birth and had only recently begun to recover. How could he withstand such heavy rain?

Monkey Face didn’t believe him. “I don’t believe a word you say! Catch me if you can!”

Originally, he only wanted to trade the boy for the girl. Now that he had been discovered, the child was his shield. How could he let him go just because of a few words?

If he really let the child go and got caught, he would be beaten to death.

Seeing the distance closing, Monkey Face suddenly held Zhao Mao up high. “Stop! If you come any closer, I’ll throw him!”

Without realizing it, they had run to the foot of the mountain. Beside them was the stream that circled Mount Qingshan, which was now overflowing with churning river water.

Monkey Face held Zhao Mao up as a threat.

Zhao Mengcheng stopped in his tracks. “Let my son go now, and I’ll leave you a path to live.”

“Didn’t you hear what I said? Get lost, or I’ll throw him in! Let’s see where you find your son then!”

Monkey Face roared ferociously.

Zhao Mengcheng stared at him coldly. “I’ve seen you before. You’re a lackey for the Wan Family.”

Having his identity exposed, Monkey Face’s face twitched. “Since you know I’m from the Wan Family, you still dare to cross me? Damn it, get lost!”

Just then, Wang Ming arrived with a group of people to search.

Monkey Face panicked. He knew that once the large group arrived, he likely wouldn’t be able to escape. His eyes turned ruthless.

“You brought this on yourself!”

He held Zhao Mao high and violently threw him into the river.

“Stop!”

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t have time to react. He reached out to grab Zhao Mao but only caught a piece of his clothing. Without hesitation, he jumped in after him.

“Brother!”

Wang Ming arrived just in time to see this scene. He cried out and rushed to the bank, but he could see nothing. The current was too fast, and it had instantly swept both father and son away.

“Bastard!” Liu Bingkun stepped forward and threw a punch, knocking Monkey Face straight to the ground.

Monkey Face couldn’t escape and shouted repeatedly, “I’m one of the Wan Family’s people! If you dare hit me, just wait for the Wan Family’s revenge!”

Wang Ming rushed over and landed several heavy punches. “I’ll kill you right now and see if the Wan Family bothers to avenge you!”

“Kill him! Avenge Mengcheng!” the others shouted, joining in with a flurry of kicks and punches.

Fearing they might actually kill him, Liu Bingkun quickly stopped them. “Lock him up first. Finding Brother Mengcheng and the child is more important.”

Wang Ming’s legs gave out, and he knelt by the river. “The water is so high. How do we find them? Where do we even look?”

The young men who had come to help looked at each other. Seeing the churning river, no one dared to jump in.

Finally, Liu Bingkun took charge. The group split into two. One team followed the river downstream to search, while the other took the prisoner back to be locked up.

Inside the mountain cave, Zhao Chun and Zhao Xin were restless.

Auntie Wang comforted them. “Don’t worry. This hill isn’t that big. They’ll find your little brother soon.”

Zhao Chun felt regretful. “It’s my fault for sleeping too soundly. I didn’t even know my brother had walked out.”

Auntie Wang was about to offer more comfort when she saw an agitated crowd pushing a man back into the cave.

“How is it? Did you find them?” the Old Village Chief asked.

One of the men wiped his face. “Don’t even ask. This dog stole the child to run away, but when he was caught, he threw the child into the river.”

“Brother Mengcheng jumped in to save him, and then they both vanished. Ah-Kun and Ah-Ming are searching along the riverbank.”

The Old Village Chief’s expression changed. In such high water, could anyone survive falling into the river?

Auntie Wang burst into loud sobs. “Mengcheng has such a hard life. Things were finally getting better at home, and then this happens. Why didn’t this damned beast jump in himself?”

“Mengcheng, you saved so many people in our village, how could you…”

The villagers felt a heavy weight in their hearts and a deep hatred for Monkey Face.

Zhao Chun jumped up. “I’m going to find them!”

Auntie Wang quickly stopped him. “Don’t make trouble. Your father will definitely be fine. If something happens to you two as well, how will I ever face your father?”

“May the Bodhisattva protect him. Your father is a man of great fortune; he will surely survive.”

She held the children tightly, refusing to let them leave.

“Search! Everyone with strength, go out and search! We need to find them, whether they are alive or dead.”

The young men in the cave stood up, and even some of the stronger women followed.

The Old Village Chief looked grim. “Watch the children well. If something happens to Mengcheng, we must take care of these two for him.”

Uncle Wang and Auntie Wang nodded.

The Old Village Chief’s gaze fell on Monkey Face. He stepped forward and delivered a harsh slap. “Speak! Why did you steal the child?”

Monkey Face was badly beaten but still blustered, “I just didn’t like the look of him! Kill me if you have the guts!”

The Old Village Chief’s face darkened. “Hang him up. No food or water. Let’s see how long his mouth stays tough.”

Monkey Face was hung upside down.

“I’m one of the Wan Family’s people! The Wan Family has my back! You dare touch me?”

He continued to curse filthily. “Zhao Mengcheng and his son are probably drowned by now. That’s what he gets for crossing me. If you kill me, you’ll all pay with your lives!”

Someone took off a smelly sock and stuffed it into his mouth.

Zhao Chun’s teeth itched with hatred. He grabbed a branch and rushed over to lash him. “This is for hurting my father! This is for hurting my brother!”

Zhao Xin followed his lead, hitting him hard, making Monkey Face howl.

“Village Chief, will they really hurt him?” Someone worried about legal trouble if the man died.

The Old Village Chief snorted. “How much strength can two children have? Let them vent. When the water recedes, we’ll take him to the magistrate. Regardless of whether he’s from the Wan Family, we must get justice for Mengcheng and his son.”

In his heart, he felt that with the water so high, Zhao Mengcheng’s chances were slim after jumping in. The father and son were likely gone.

Others said resentfully, “He stole a child and thinks he’s in the right? We all saw him throw the boy into the water. Even if the County Magistrate comes, he’ll have to take his head.”

Most believed this was about the Tofu Secret Recipe. The Wan Family failed to get it last time, so they sent someone to steal the child.

Thinking this, the villagers felt even more guilty. They felt Zhao Mengcheng had offended the Wan Family because of them, leading to today’s tragedy.

When Zhao Mengcheng jumped into the water, he knew he was in trouble. The current was too swift. Even though he could swim, he couldn’t maneuver at all.

He quickly stripped off his outer clothes. The muddy yellow river water made it impossible to see, but fortunately, Mental Power didn’t require sight.

Finally, Zhao Mengcheng found the child.

Grabbing the boy, he surfaced and gasped for air, only to find that Zhao Mao was in bad shape.

Anxious, Zhao Mengcheng pried open his mouth and cleared out the silt, but the way they were tossing and turning in the water made it impossible to perform first aid.

The current grew even faster. Zhao Mengcheng knew this couldn’t continue. His body could hold out, but Zhao Mao’s couldn’t.

Another wave struck, leaving Zhao Mengcheng dizzy. The power of the flood was terrifying, and worse, his Mental Power was slowly weakening.

His body temperature was dropping. Zhao Mengcheng knew that if his strength ran out, only death awaited them both.

Holding the child up, Zhao Mengcheng gritted his teeth and extended all his remaining Mental Power tentacles.

“I’m counting on you this time.”

A tentacle brushed affectionately against his cheek before darting out to find a sliver of hope.

Fortunately, his luck had always been good. Just before his Mental Power was exhausted, he finally caught an unlucky fellow.

With one arm around the child, Zhao Mengcheng pulled himself up onto the creature’s back, no longer forced to tumble in the water.

Zhao Mao was still unconscious, but he seemed to feel his father’s warmth and instinctively leaned toward him.

Zhao Mengcheng held him close, letting the boy’s head rest on his shoulder. No matter what had happened with this child, since the boy called him “Dad,” he would protect him.

Wang Ming and Liu Bingkun searched downstream without stopping, their despair growing with every step.

Half of their village at the foot of the mountain was submerged. Only the rooftops were visible. They could only imagine what would have happened if they hadn’t moved to the mountain early.

The small streams surrounding Mount Qingshan that usually flowed toward Shanghe Town had turned into a torrent, washing down sand and tree trunks in a seemingly endless flow.

They searched the whole way, but they didn’t see Zhao Mengcheng or the child, not even a shadow.

“Ah-Ming, Ah-Kun, I’m afraid we won’t find them,” someone finally said.

Wang Ming gritted his teeth. “Brother Mengcheng is so capable; he’ll be fine. Maybe they were washed further downstream. Let’s keep looking.”

The others wanted to speak but hesitated, thinking no one could survive such water. Even if they found them, it would be bodies.

Liu Bingkun wasn’t willing to give up either, but looking out at the vast expanse of water, where could they find them?

They searched for a while longer, still with no results.

Wang Ming couldn’t hold it in anymore. A grown man, he wept until tears and snot covered his face. “It’s my fault. If I had been faster, they wouldn’t have been hurt.”

The heavy rain finally began to stop, and sunlight broke through the clouds.

Suddenly, someone shouted, “Look! What’s that?”

Wang Ming looked up quickly, and in the next moment, his mouth hung open in shock, unable to speak.

The area around Qingshan Village had become a sea. The post-rain sunlight turned the water’s surface golden.

Within that golden light, two figures were actually floating on the water.

“It’s Brother Mengcheng! They’re alive!” Wang Ming immediately started shouting.

Liu Bingkun squinted in that direction. “What is that underneath them?”

Zhao Mengcheng held the child tightly, afraid of falling off. The “mount” he had caught with his Mental Power was incredibly slippery; one mistake and they would both plunge back into the water.

“Brother! Over here! This way!” Wang Ming yelled.

Zhao Mengcheng also saw the people on the bank. He used his Mental Power to strike down, and the giant snake beneath him flicked its tail, swimming toward the shore.

“A dragon! They’re riding a dragon!” Liu Bingkun cried out in shock.

The sight was so staggering that even after Zhao Mengcheng and his son reached the shore, none of the dozen or so young men dared to approach.

Zhao Mengcheng waited for them to help him up, but when no one moved, he had to jump down himself while holding the child.

As soon as he got off, the giant snake flicked its tail impatiently and vanished back into the floodwaters.

Seeing everyone standing there in a daze, Zhao Mengcheng had to call out, “Come help me. My legs are like jelly.”

“Brother, you’re alive!”

Wang Ming finally snapped out of it and rushed forward to hug him. “This is wonderful! I thought you were… Thank heavens, the heavens have finally opened their eyes!”

Zhao Mengcheng was dazed by the hug and pushed him away without any brotherly sentiment. “I’m fine, just exhausted. Give me a hand.”

Wang Ming quickly supported him and reached out to take the child, but he found that Zhao Mao was clinging tightly to his father’s neck.

Afraid of hurting the boy, Zhao Mengcheng simply said, “I’ll carry him. Let’s talk once we’re back.”

“Mengcheng and the child are alive!” Liu Bingkun shouted, finally snapping back to his senses.

The crowd let out a cheer, which was followed by an eerie silence as every pair of eyes stared at the Zhao Family father and son.

Liu Bingkun was the first who couldn’t hold back: “Brother, did you two just ride back on a dragon?”

“It really was a dragon. I saw it clearly. It was a White Dragon.”

The young men could no longer contain themselves and started talking at once. “There really are dragons in this world.”

“The dragon even saved Brother Mengcheng and the child. Is it the Dragon God¹ of our mountain?”

“Are you stupid? Dragons live in water. It is the River God of our Shanghe Town.”

Zhao Mengcheng also knew that commanding the white snake² was extraordinary, but he had no choice. His life was nearly gone at the time, and survival had to come first.

“I don’t know if it was a White Dragon or not. I only know that when the child and I were about to die, something suddenly lifted us out of the water.”

Wang Ming immediately said, “Heaven must know you’re a good man, Brother, so it specifically sent a Divine Dragon to save you.”

Zhao Mengcheng simply said, “I was dazed just now and couldn’t tell for sure, but I owe my life to it. Once the water recedes, I’ll have to go to the temple to burn some incense³[3].”

“That was a Divine Dragon! I can die happy now that I’ve seen a dragon in this lifetime,” Liu Bingkun sighed.

He looked at the Zhao Family father and son with wonder, thinking to himself that Zhao Mengcheng was a capable man. Now that he was in trouble, even the Dragon God had come to his rescue; he was surely destined for great things in the future.

With that thought, Liu Bingkun decided he would follow Zhao Mengcheng from now on.

Wang Ming and Liu Bingkun supported Zhao Mengcheng on either side as they walked toward the Mountain Cave. Halfway there, they met the search party coming for them.

The ones in the lead saw that Zhao Mengcheng was still alive and could hardly believe their eyes. “Heaven bless us! Mengcheng, you’re alive!”

Before they could even celebrate, they heard the others say, “How could anything happen to Brother Mengcheng? He’s protected by Heaven itself. When Heaven saw him in trouble, it specifically sent a Divine Dragon to save him. It was a massive White Dragon, ten meters long, with horns larger than a goat’s!”

“What? A White Dragon?”

The villagers were glad Zhao Mengcheng was fine, but the young men of the village seemed to have gone mad. How could there be a Divine Dragon in this world?

Seeing their disbelief, the speakers grew even more excited, using grand gestures to explain it to them.

Zhao Mengcheng listened from the side and felt they were exaggerating. The white snake he had caught was at most six or seven meters long. It was large compared to a normal snake, but certainly not as grand as the descriptions claimed.

If the white snake knew it had been upgraded to a cloud-soaring⁴ White Dragon, it might be quite pleased.

“Where is that man?” Zhao Mengcheng asked.

Wang Ming said indignantly, “We caught him and locked him up. Brother, we can’t let him off this time. This was murder for profit.”

Zhao Mengcheng had no intention of letting the man go. He was not the type to return injury with kindness; the man had nearly killed Zhao Mao this time, which had crossed his final line.

Translator’s Notes