I Transmigrated as Cannon Fodder, Only to be Desired by the Dragon King - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: In Peril — His heart skipped a beat, and just as he was about to turn his head, the back of his skull…

Shen Youqing turned his head and saw the County Magistrate approaching quickly with the head catcher and a group of guards.

“Young Master Shen, this official has arrived late!” The Magistrate dismounted and hurried to Shen Youqing, cupping his hands in a gesture of deep trepidation and apology. Behind him, the head catcher and the guards fanned out, surrounding the entrance to the alley.

Shen Youqing immediately relayed the clues provided by the sugar-painting master.

“Good! Good!” The Magistrate nodded repeatedly, not daring to delay for a second. He ordered the head catcher, “Take a team and track the wheel rifts toward the western suburbs. Focus on roadside inns and ruined temples. Stop and interrogate any suspicious carriage! The rest will follow me to search the alley and surrounding areas. We must find more clues!”

The head catcher took his leave and galloped toward the western suburbs.

Shen Youqing didn’t stay idle either. He crouched down, carefully examining the muddy ground at the end of the alley. Beside the two deep footprints discovered earlier, there were indeed faint wheel rifts. The wide tracks matched the description given by the sugar-painter, extending out of the alley.

“Butler, look here.” Shen Youqing pointed to a scrap of black cloth near a footprint. “The texture is coarse, and it carries a faint scent of sea salt…” He paused, his suspicion deepening. “It smells like something worn by people who are constantly in contact with seawater.”

The butler picked up the scrap and sniffed it, his brow furrowed. “Young Master, this scent is indeed strange. Could it be a fisherman from the coast?”

Shen Youqing didn’t answer, merely clutching the scrap while lost in thought. “Let’s keep looking ahead,” he said, standing up with determination.

Before they knew it, they had been searching all afternoon. The sky was now pitch black, and the moon hid behind dark clouds; only the flickering light of torches illuminated the path ahead. A deathly silence hung over them, broken only by their footsteps and the occasional cry of a night bird, adding a layer of eeriness to the night.

Unbeknownst to them, on the eaves of an abandoned residence not far behind, two figures stood silently, like ghosts blended into the darkness.

On the left, Gu Li stood in his green silk robes, which fluttered in the night wind. He stood as firm as an ancient pine, even on the narrow edge of the roof. His profile was cold and hard, his gaze locked onto the back of Shen Youqing’s group with complex emotions swirling in his eyes.

The person on the right was wrapped in a black cloak, a large hood concealing their face, revealing only a pale jaw and thin, crimson lips. This figure exuded an invisible pressure; even standing still, they commanded a sense of danger. A pale, slender hand emerged from the cloak, the fingertips ghost-white from a lack of sunlight.

“So this is the human Feng Xiuyan has fallen for? He does have some looks; no wonder the Dragon King is so enchanted.” The cloaked figure leaned against the corner of the roof, their voice raspy and tinged with a mocking chuckle.

Gu Li kept his hands behind his back, his tone as cold as ice. “What do you intend to do?” He had originally thought the goal was the Sea-Quelling Pearl, but the tone of his companion suggested something else.

“Heh,” the cloaked figure chuckled, the sinister tone replaced by a touch of arrogant narcissism. He adjusted his hood with a boastful gesture. “Feng Xiuyan is such a cold, arrogant being, yet he treasures a mortal so much. I want to see for myself what is so special about this human.”

Gu Li finally turned to look at him, his brow twitching almost imperceptibly.

“In terms of appearance, I might not lose to Feng Xiuyan. In terms of methods, I certainly know how to please people better than he does.” The cloaked figure’s raspy voice grew increasingly obsessed. “When the time comes, I’ll take him and flaunt him in front of Feng Xiuyan. Seeing his furious face will be much more amusing than snatching some pearl.”

Gu Li’s eyes filled with visible exasperation, as if questioning why he had agreed to cooperate with this person in the first place. He opened his mouth, but only a faint, nearly inaudible sneer came out. If the situation weren’t so set, he would have suspected his partner’s brain had been pickled in seawater for too long.

“By the way, any movement from Feng Xiuyan?” the cloaked figure asked, his voice regaining its sharp, sinister edge.

“The West Sea is far. Even if he receives the news and travels day and night, it will take at least a full day to arrive,” Gu Li replied, looking back toward the direction Shen Youqing had gone.

“That’s enough time,” the cloaked figure laughed, full of arrogant certainty.

…

The Divided Path

Shen Youqing and his party followed the tracks into the depths of the western suburbs for about half an hour. The darkness thickened as the clouds completely obscured the moon.

The path ahead branched. To the left was a winding mountain path overgrown with weeds; the wheel tracks clearly turned that way, heading toward the dense forest. To the right was a relatively level dirt road leading toward the coastal fishing villages, smelling faintly of salt.

The head catcher cupped his hands. “Young Master Shen, the tracks lead into the mountains. The kidnappers are likely trying to hide there! I’ll take my men and track them down. We will surely find Young Master Xiao Yuan!”

The guards agreed; the mountains were the most logical hiding spot.

However, Shen Youqing stood still at the fork, rubbing the black cloth scrap. The sea scent seemed clearer here. He looked at the dark mountains on the left, then at the road to the fishing village on the right.

“Something’s wrong,” Shen Youqing said firmly. “Why would there be a sea scent in the deep mountains? The kidnappers might have left the wheel marks to lure us into the forest, while they actually took Xiao Yuan toward the fishing village.”

He looked at the darkening sky. Every wasted moment was another moment of danger for Little Black. “We can’t wait any longer. Split up!”

He ordered the catcher to follow the tracks into the mountains while he and the butler investigated the fishing village. The catcher agreed it was the safest bet.

…

The Ruined Temple

The sea wind grew stronger as Shen Youqing and the butler reached the village. Most houses were dark, with only a few fishing lights flickering on the distant sea like ghost fires.

After asking at several houses with no luck, they finally reached a cottage near the shore. An old fisherman told them, “I haven’t seen men in black, but about half an hour ago, I saw a shadow near the Dragon King Temple on the east side. I think I heard a child crying.”

“The Dragon King Temple?” Shen Youqing’s heart leapt.

“It’s a ruined temple, very secluded, right next to the rocky beach.”

Shen Youqing and the butler rushed toward the east. The temple was dilapidated, its roof partially collapsed, standing eerily against the sound of the crashing waves.

“Xiao Yuan?” Shen Youqing whispered. No response, only his echo.

They pushed open the temple door. Moonlight leaked through the broken roof, illuminating a dusty, tilted statue of the Dragon King. Suddenly, a faint sobbing came from behind the statue.

“Xiao Yuan!” Shen Youqing hurried forward.

Behind the statue, Little Black was curled on the ground, his hands bound and a cloth stuffed in his mouth. Seeing Shen Youqing, his eyes lit up with frantic tears.

“Xiao Yuan!” Shen Youqing crouched down, pulling the cloth from his mouth and untying the ropes. “Don’t be afraid, Daddy is here.”

Little Black threw himself into his arms, wailing, “Daddy! I was so scared! Those bad men tied me here and said they were waiting for you to come!”

Shen Youqing’s heart skipped a beat. If they were waiting for him…

Before he could turn his head, something hard slammed into the back of his skull with brutal force.

“Ugh!” His vision exploded into darkness. The world spun violently. He could hear Little Black screaming his name, but his strength vanished. He collapsed straight onto the floor.

The butler had already been taken out; he lay motionless on the ground covered in dead leaves. The torch rolled away, flickered a few times, and finally went out.