Inside the moving carriage, Lee Dachin fell asleep in the carriage, and he leaned on Fang Yaoting's left shoulder, finding comfort in his presence.
On the other side of the bench, Ping'an embraced Guozhao Shanquan, holding the baby gently, and she leaned on Guo Baiyu's shoulder, finding rest.
Guo Baiyu was diligently reading a medicine pamphlet that was left by Lord Kaiming, studying its contents. When the rain began to fall heavily onto the roof of the carriage, the drumming sound of the rain hitting the rooftop made Guozhao Shanquan agitated, and he began to cry, his tiny wails filling the carriage.
When Zhao Renshu, controlling the horses, looked forward, he saw three children walking hand in hand through the downpour. The tallest child was carrying a big, large bag on his back. The older child stood in the middle, holding the hands of two smaller children. He senses something amiss, stopped the carriage and looked at them carefully. It seemed that the biggest boy was carrying a child about two years old on his back.
The older boy, seeing the carriage, pushed the two young children behind him, trying to shield them. The children were very scared of Zhao Renshu, their eyes wide with fear.
"Why do you stop the carriage?" Guo Baiyu asked, looking up from his pamphlet.
"Baiyu, come out?" Zhao Renshu requested, his gaze fixed on the children.
Guo Baiyu raised the curtain and looked at the children, his expression softening.
The big boy, despite his fear, stared at the two men with cold and fearless eyes. "What do you want?" he demanded, his voice trembling slightly.
The two young children, hidden behind him, began to cry softly.
"What do we want?" Zhao Renshu smiled, trying to appear less intimidating. He scratched his chin with his left thumb, a thoughtful gesture.
"What do you think we want?" Guo Baiyu countered gently. He looked at the four children, observing their plight. "Four children walking alone in the middle of nowhere. There are three reasons. First, you got lost; second, you ran away deliberately; third, you are looking for someone?" Guo Baiyu smiled, his voice kind. "If my guess is correct, then you are the second and third reasons."
"How do you know?" the older boy asked, surprised by Guo Baiyu's insight.
"Everyone has scratches on their faces," Guo Baiyu pointed out. "Your shoes are worn out. You feel scared when you see us."
The older boy pointed at Zhao Renshu. "Because he looks like one of the men..."
"One of the men? Keep going," Zhao Renshu urged, curious.
Fang Yaoting took a peek out of the curtain, roused by the commotion. "What's wrong? We need to find a place to shelter from the rain."
The older boy and the two younger children immediately stepped back, recoiling at Fang Yaoting's voice. The children looked even more frightened, their fear palpable.
"Look, kid," Zhao Renshu said, trying to be reassuring, "tell us what happened. If you don't want to, then let us give you a lift. We are not bad people."
The older boy scoffed, a cynical sound for one so young. "Every malicious man always claims to be a good person." He stared coldly at Zhao Renshu, distrust evident in his eyes. "I don't trust anyone easily."
"Do you not trust us?" Guo Baiyu asked softly.
"The only trustworthy person is Master Guo," the older boy stated.
"Well, kid, today is your lucky day," Zhao Renshu laughed, genuinely amused. "You are looking at the original Young Master Guo." He pointed at Guo Baiyu. "His name is Guo Baiyu."
The older boy smirked, still skeptical. "Liar... you must be that bastard's servants. I didn't even mention the name of Young Master Guo. Do you think you can deceive me? The Young Master Guo passed away many years ago."
"Then who are you looking for?" Guo Baiyu asked, ignoring the insult, focusing on their distress.
The little girl, who had been silent until now, piped up through her sniffles, "Auntie said to go get brother Renshu."
"It's a coincidence that my name is Renshu," Zhao Renshu said, his voice softer, recognizing the name. He turned to Guo Baiyu. "Xiao Mei? Where is she?" Zhao Renshu raised his voice in his surprise and excitement, which frightened the little girl, causing her to cry loudly.
"Where is Auntie?" Guo Baiyu asked gently, kneeling down to the little girl's level.
The little girl shook her head, tears streaming down her face.
"She's dead," the older boy said, his voice flat, devoid of emotion.
Guo Baiyu closed his eyes, tears falling silently from his own. "She is dead?" he whispered, his heart aching.
Ping'an, hearing the commotion and the word "dead," opened the curtain fully. "Who is dead? Are you talking about Xiao Mei?" she asked, her voice filled with dread.
The little girl cried out loud, seeing Ping'an. "Big sister!" She stretched out her hand to Ping'an, seeking comfort.
She tried to get onto the carriage. Zhao Renshu, quicker than thought, swept his hand and picked up the little girl from the ground, lifting her gently. The little girl immediately ran into Ping'an's arms, burying her face in her. Ping'an handed Shanquan to Fang Yaoting, to hold him safely.
"Big sister, I am scared," the little girl sobbed into Ping'an's embrace.
Ping'an, confused but comforting, stroked her hair. "Don't be afraid, I am here."
"Are you sure, Xiao Mei?" the older boy asked, his voice filled with a desperate hope.
Xiao Mei nodded, her little face still wet with tears.
The older boy then put down the two-year-old boy from his back and handed him to Guo Baiyu. "She didn't tell me his name before she died," he said, his voice cold and detached. "I don't even know whether these two children are her children. Her last sentence was 'The only person I trust is my late Master Guo'."
Guo Baiyu looked at the boy, compassion in his eyes. "Thank you. What is your name?" he asked.
"We are strangers to each other; therefore, we don't need to know each other's names," the older boy replied, his gaze firm. He peeked into the carriage, giving a fleeting glance to Xiao Mei. "Goodbye, Xiao Mei." He then held the other boy's hand, and the two children began walking away, disappearing into the rain.
There weren't much the adults could do when the boy so stubbornly refused their kindness. Zhao Renshu slowly drove the carriage past the two little boys, and he felt a profound sadness watching them go. he suddenly heard horseshoe sounds behind them, rapidly approaching.
Suddenly, the older boy was hit hard, and the boy flew twenty yards away, tumbling in front of the horse carriage.
Zhao Renshu stopped the horse carriage abruptly. He watched in horror as the older boy spat out blood onto the muddy ground.
"Big brother!" the little boy called out, his tiny feet scrambling to his fallen brother.
Five men riding horses stopped right in front of the fallen boy, their faces grim and menacing.
"You little bastard!" the group leader said angrily, his voice like a whip. "Do you think you can escape from Master He?" He used his horse whip and hit the older boy seven times, each lash echoing sharply. The older boy used his left hand, injured as it was, to defend himself from the relentless whip.
The boy grunted in pain, but suddenly, a defiant laugh escaped him. "Ha...ha...ha...ha...is his dick fell off yet!" The boy continued to laugh, despite the pain, a mocking, taunting sound.
The group leader, enraged by the boy's defiance, began to whip the boy even harder. Zhao Renshu, unable to bear it, got up from the carriage, but Guo Baiyu quickly stopped him, holding his arm.
"What's wrong with you?" Zhao Renshu demanded, his voice mad with fury.
"Wait," Guo Baiyu urged, his grip firm.
"Baiyu!" Fang Yaoting shouted, his own anger rising.
The group leader stopped whipping for a moment, his chest heaving. "Bring them back," he commanded his men.
Two of the men jumped off their horses and walked towards the two injured boys, intent on capturing them.
"Zhaohui," the older boy gasped, looking at the smaller child, "don't let them catch you and bring you back! You must run towards the man on the carriage now!" He looked firmly at the little boy, his eyes conveying the urgency. "Right now!"
Zhaohui, terrified, immediately ran towards Zhao Renshu. One of the men chased after little Zhaohui, while another man grabbed the older boy's neck and squeezed it hard, choking him.
"Take off his clothes and let him walk back naked," the group leader sneered. "That was Master He's order." The man began to violently undress the older boy.
Zhao Renshu, seeing the brutality, was livid. He shouted, "Baiyu!"
Guo Baiyu, understanding, finally let go of Zhao Renshu's arm. He said, his voice grim, "Make sure to draw your sword."
Zhao Renshu unsheathed his sword in a flash and flew over the man holding the big boy's neck, striking him down. Fang Yaoting, having reached his limit, jumped out of the carriage and kicked the man who was chasing Zhaohui.
Fang Yaoting's kick made the man slide thirty yards away, sending him straight towards Zhao Renshu's waiting sword. Fang Yaoting then grabbed Zhaohui and flew back to the carriage, placing him safely inside.
Zhao Renshu breathed heavily, his eyes full of hatred. He pointed his bloody sword at the rest of the men, his voice dripping with venom. "You scums... don't deserve to breathe!"