Chapter 124

Chapter 124

On the way to the town, by the time Tie Dan and the others had calmed down emotionally, Luo Ge and the others finally learned what had happened.

Hearing that Tie Dan had been abducted from the village along with Old Master Wang, everyone's hearts skipped a beat.

They lived at the outskirts of the village with no side paths, so the only way in was through the village entrance.

But for the kidnappers to brazenly take someone away from the village showed their audacious methods.

If left unchecked, all the children in the town would be in danger.Vissit novelbin(.)c.om for updates

"Mother was praying to Buddha and making offerings. That's when they took me," the Little Boy finally spoke after a long silence.

Ten miles from Yiyang Town, there was a temple where the Buddha was said to be very efficacious. Many officials, nobles, and wealthy families had traveled far to pray for blessings.

According to the Little Boy, he was likely abducted by the kidnappers amid the crowd when his family took him to the temple.

Seeing him still trembling as he spoke, Luo Ge gently patted his back: "Don't be afraid, we're safe now."

"We'll take you to find the officials and your Mother."

"Mm." Hearing Luo Ge's words, the Little Boy nodded obediently.

...Meanwhile, the entire Yiyang Town had descended into chaos.

In just one day, a total of seven boys had gone missing from the town, including the Crown Prince of Nanyang, without a trace. The Old County Magistrate's hair had almost turned completely white from the distress.

Wang Sister-In-Law and the others had searched the entire village for Tie Dan, their eyes red and swollen.

Learning that so many children had gone missing at the county office only made their hearts sink further.

From the information they had gathered, none of the previously missing children had been found yet.

This news crushed their hopes.

"It's my fault, all my fault!" Unable to bear it any longer, Old Master Wang collapsed to the ground, weeping bitterly. Aunt Zhang also could not hold back her tears.

He shouldn't have brought the child along to work, and he definitely shouldn't have left the child alone.

Who could have foreseen that in the brief moment he turned away to fetch water, the child would be taken away?

These kidnappers had appeared suddenly but acted resolutely, as if they had been prepared.

In a short time, nearly a hundred boys had gone missing from several surrounding towns within a hundred-mile radius.

They seemed to only target boys under eight years old.

Yiyang Town was the last to suffer missing children.

The kidnappers' methods were sophisticated, and they fled swiftly after each success, escaping in a cunning manner that was hard to guard against.

As soon as they sensed the situation was awry, they had notified the townsfolk to be on high alert and truthfully reported the matter to the imperial court.

The court had dispatched personnel, who would arrive within a couple of days, but it seemed this had only prompted the kidnappers to act hastily.

Hence the many children going missing from the same town on the same day.

"Around what time were the children taken today?" the Prince of Nanyang suddenly asked, listening intently.

"From noon until evening. The last was a child from Gu Family Village."

The Old County Magistrate remembered clearly the many parents who had come to report their missing children that day.

"Then there might still be time."

The Little Crown Prince had gone missing around noon. At that time, the Prince was handling matters in a nearby town. Upon receiving the news, he had immediately ordered the surrounding towns sealed off.

They should still be able to intercept the kidnappers.

With the situation so urgent, the Prince of Nanyang wasted no time in assembling his men to set off in pursuit.

...Meanwhile, at the town gate.

Seeing so many troops assembled outside, Luo Ge and the others stopped in their tracks.

From afar, they spotted the Old County Magistrate, Wang Sister-In-Law, and a group of weeping townsfolk, and quickly went over.

"Grandpa, Grandma, Father, Mother!" Tie Dan ran over upon seeing Wang Sister-In-Law and the others.

"Daddy, Mother." The Little Boy in Gu Jinchen's arms suddenly lit up, calling out.

The Little Boy had many wounds on his body, so he could not move much and needed to be carried. However, Luo Ge could not hold him for too long, so she handed him over to Gu Jinchen.