Chapter 25

The worn-out road was uneven, and one could easily trip and fall if not careful. Little Demon King had never been to such a place before and stumbled and tripped along the way. However, his attention was entirely focused on catching the child, so he rarely complained about the poor environment.

The alley was so narrow that only two people could pass through at the same time, and the bloodstains on the ground were increasing, with each droplet of blood growing larger. Xu Wan mused, "We need to find him quickly." The child was seriously injured.

The two boys quickened their pace upon hearing this, rushing into the depths of the alley. Children of that age were fast runners, but Xu Wan struggled to keep up. She turned to Cui Liu and instructed, "Follow them and protect them from the shadows. Do not interfere with anything else."

"Yes."

Zong Wenxiu knew the way, aware that the child was heading toward the slums. Even when the blood trail disappeared for a while, he could still figure out the direction. He had grown up here and knew every corner of this place.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Little Demon King, focused solely on running, followed Zong Wenxiu without hesitation, sweeping away countless spiderwebs and kicking aside broken windows and rotten wood along the way.

Finally, they found the child in a narrow corner. The young boy, losing too much blood, had collapsed on the ground. His tattered and thin clothes were soaked red, yet he still struggled to get up, like a snail making repeated efforts only to fall back weakly each time.

The boy's eyes were red, and he continued to struggle desperately.

Zong Wenxiu quickly ran over to help him.

The Little Demon King watched from a distance, disdainful of the child's dirty appearance, yet unable to tear his eyes away, filled with curiosity.

What a strange person, what a strange power.

What is he doing?

Zong Wenxiu, now covered in blood and mud, didn't care at all. Instead, he anxiously comforted: "You're badly injured. You can't move anymore; it will hurt. The doctor will be here soon. Wait for him to check you before you try to get up."

The child in his hands was so frail that he felt like just a bundle of bones. He dared not apply too much pressure, fearing further injury.

Unexpectedly, the boy's struggle intensified upon hearing this, and this time, his strength was astonishing. He pushed Zong Wenxiu to the ground.

"Ah..."

Hearing Zong Wenxiu's shout, Little Demon King quickly came to help. With plenty of practical experience from fights, he directly pinned the child to the ground using both hands and feet: "Don't move. I don't hold back when I strike."

Xu Wan arrived just in time to see this scene: "Jin Cheng! Why are you fighting?"

The boy was pinned down, tears streaming down his face, his sobs growing louder: "Let me go, please let me go. I can't afford a doctor, I can't afford medicine. I really can't afford it... I have a younger sister to take care of at home. I really can't afford the medicine... Please, please let me go. I'll kowtow to you, I'll kowtow to you..."

With only his head free, the boy repeatedly slammed it against the ground, the sound of kowtowing loud, his forehead bleeding profusely.

Zong Wenxiu was struck by realization and quickly pulled his brother off the child.

The boy, now free, tried to run again, but after such turmoil, he had no strength left and collapsed on the ground, silently weeping. Even speaking had become a luxury at this moment.

Little Demon King's eyes widened in shock, speechless.

What was he saying?

Because he couldn't afford medicine, he was so desperate to escape. Even though he was the victim, he refused to gamble on the possibility that they might take responsibility, fleeing with all his might.

What kind of despair had he experienced?

It was then that Little Demon King finally took a closer look at him. In the freezing cold, the boy wore only a thin garment, his face covered in frostbite, his hands and feet in a terrible state. Blood seeped from his head and body, yet he looked like an old man devoid of vitality, his eyes filled with sorrowful pleading. All he wanted was for them to let him go.

Cui Zhi, moved by the scene, wanted to speak up but saw Xu Wan shaking her head at her.

It was Zong Wenxiu who reacted first, unfastening his cloak and wrapping it around the child.

The boy, whose face was frozen purple and blue, felt his consciousness slowly returning as the warm clothes enveloped him.

Zong Wenxiu, however, sneezed heavily.

Little Demon King frowned, hesitating for a few seconds before grabbing his own fox-fur cloak and, in Cui Zhi's surprised gaze, wrapped it around both Zong Wenxiu and himself.

Cui Zhi: "..."

Disappointed. She had thought Jin Cheng would offer his cloak like Zong Wenxiu did.

But this was still progress. In the past, Jin Cheng wouldn't even have considered sharing.

Xu Wan arrived with the government physician, but the narrow alley was too small for the carriage, so the government physician had to walk in. The already cramped space became even more crowded.

"It's just some superficial wounds. Apply some good medicine, and it will be fine."

Upon hearing this, the boy shuddered and struggled again, refusing to let the physician treat him.

Zong Wenxiu tried to reassure him, but the boy wouldn't listen. It was only when Little Demon King sternly shouted, "Don't move. You're not paying for the medicine. We have it at our residence."

Perhaps the commanding tone frightened the boy, for he didn't resist for the first time and obediently let the physician treat his wounds.

Xu Wan: "..."

Even Little Demon King had a role to play here.

The government physician's skills were proficient, gently cleaning the wounds and applying medicine, slowly lowering the boy's guard.

Zong Wenxiu introduced themselves and asked, "What's your name?"

"Jing Zhe." The boy replied.

"Jing Zhe marks the time when the yang energy rises, temperatures warm up, thunder rumbles, and rain increases, bringing vitality to all living things," Zong Wenxiu said. "It's a name full of hope."

Jing Zhe was stunned.

He had just learned the meaning of his name.

Seeing his stunned expression, Zong Wenxiu speculated, "Did I misunderstand? Are those not the characters?"

Jing Zhe's eyes reddened, his voice choked: "A big brother gave me this name. I didn't know what it meant, only that it sounded nice. If I had known, I wouldn't have called myself this..."

He lowered his head, feeling inferior, and said, "Children born here don't live to see adulthood. I don't deserve such a good name."

Zong Wenxiu, having grown up in these conditions, could deeply empathize. Even before being brought back to the Marquis's residence, his thoughts had been the same as Jing Zhe's, unsure if he would see another day.

On the other hand, Little Demon King had no sense of immersion at all. He casually interjected, breaking Jing Zhe's melancholy: "Names are meant to sound nice. There are plenty of people with the same name anyway. What's with this business of being worthy or not? Don't want to be called Jing Zhe? Would you rather be called Jing Xia (startle)?"