004 Can't Take It Anymore~
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Zhou Shao’s words came too late; Jiang Qingyun had already stepped into the “Infant Care Hall.”
In an instant—
A chill ran down his spine.
The floor was scattered with naked children, some sitting, some lying down, some crawling, the stench unbearable, the ground covered in filth, yet no one cried.
One child grabbed some filth and shoved it into his mouth, swallowing greedily.
Nearby, a slightly older companion clutched some clay from the Guanyin statue, nibbling on it bit by bit.
...
When the strangers appeared, the children, who would normally be lively and curious, remained expressionless and numb.
About twenty feet away—
A legless child crawled quickly across a pool of sewage, reaching Jiang Qingyun’s feet, lifting his face—
At that moment, every hair on Jiang Qingyun’s body stood on end.
He instinctively took two steps back, nearly drawing his sword. Only with a blade in hand could he summon the courage now.
“Brother Jiang!”
Zhou Shao’s low shout startled Jiang Qingyun out of his trance.
Embarrassed, he loosened his grip on the hilt and realized he was still among the living.
...
Two figures emerged from the dilapidated hut—a man and a woman. Seeing the official’s arrival, they hurried forward and knelt with a thud.
“Forgive us, Master, for dirtying your boots. We deserve death.”
Jiang Qingyun asked, “Who are you two?”
“I am the head of the Infant Care Hall, and this is my wife.”
“And these children?”
“All abandoned infants—some sick, some orphaned, some unwanted girls seen as a financial burden.”
Flash—
Jiang Qingyun’s eyes flared with anger, sword in hand, but Zhou Shao grabbed his arm.
“Brother Jiang, wait!”
“Such beasts deserve death, to uphold heaven’s justice.”
“Brother Jiang, you’re mistaken. Killing them would be a greater sin.”
...
The couple kowtowed repeatedly, terrified.
Zhou Shao pulled Jiang Qingyun outside and spoke quietly:
“I’ve been here before. This Infant Care Hall existed since before the Ming dynasty. Some people reported the couple to the authorities for neglect. But after that, no one took over, and all the unattended children died—horribly. The neighbors were so frightened they moved away.”
Jiang Qingyun was speechless, staring blankly at Zhou Shao.
“Brother Jiang, take my advice. It’s bad now, but this is the best outcome possible.”
In the warm sunlight, the two stood silently opposite each other.
After a long moment—
“Brother, do you still dare to go in?”
“Yes!”
Jiang Qingyun took a deep breath and stepped back into the courtyard.
This world is but a phantom of hell.
...
At the entrance, a shy child, no more than four or five years old, suddenly stretched out both hands.
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Jiang Qingyun was about to pick him up.
“Sir, please don’t hold him.”
Jiang Qingyun ignored the warning and lifted the child.
“Sir, you can’t carry him forever. You might hold him once, but not forever.”
Feeling the child’s frail bones in his arms, Jiang Qingyun took out a silver ingot and tossed it to the nagging woman.
“Buy some food. Come back and share it.”
“Thank you, sir! May you live forever as a lord!” The woman beamed, clutching the silver as she left the hut.
Unable to hold back, Jiang Qingyun asked a question that had been puzzling him: “Why don’t these children cry?”
The man whispered, “Official, the children who come here cry at first—but who cares? After a few days, they stop crying. They get used to it. No one holds them, no one pities them. If they can survive, they do; if not, they die.”
His tone was flat.
Jiang Qingyun, experienced and wise, quickly understood the harsh truth in those words.
“Where does the Infant Care Hall’s money come from?”
“Kind-hearted people donate some, and we go out begging for the rest.”
“How much food does each child get daily?”
“That varies. Sometimes three taels, sometimes two.”
“How many children survive?”
“Out of ten, maybe three or four. When they reach their teens, they leave on their own—to become beggars, servants, or courtesans. Our most successful is called San Gou; he became a eunuch in the palace and lives a comfortable life.”
...
A commotion arose outside.
Looking through a broken window, Jiang Qingyun saw the woman returning, carrying two baskets of food balanced on a shoulder pole.
She called out robustly, “Food’s ready!”
Immediately, the children swarmed.
The child who grabbed a flatbread bit into it fiercely, eyes fixed only on the food, no one else mattered. If he choked, he would crawl over to the nearby puddle and drink the filthy water.
In the courtyard, several small figures lay motionless.
The woman was unfazed, slowly tearing the flatbread into strips and feeding each “little corpse” one by one.
Jiang Qingyun shivered with heartache.
At that moment, it felt as if a giant hand had reached into his chest and crushed his heart mercilessly.
Zhou Shao smiled bitterly:
“Brother Jiang, be prepared to lose money.”
They exchanged a glance, said nothing, and silently handed over their silver—notes, ingots, coins—emptied their pockets.
...
The two left the hut, heads bowed and spirits low.
The couple followed silently, step for step, until near the gate, where they once again knelt.
“Sir, please come often.”
Jiang Qingyun turned around:
“If I find you using the silver for anything else, I will have you skinned alive.”
The man looked up, grinning:
“Don’t worry, sir. I am doing my best, and the heavens are watching. When I die, I’ll be a begging Arhat in heaven.”
“Who told you that?”
“The Master of Heavenly Secrets.”
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...
The two walked silently, words unspoken.
Zhou Shao broke the silence first: “I accidentally stumbled in here once last year.”
“What happened?”
“Just like today, I lost both my money and my peace of mind. I couldn’t sleep for half a month afterward.”
“Alas! When the realm prospers, the people suffer. When it falls, the people suffer still. Which suffering is worse?”
“Brother Jiang, be careful what you say.”
After this ordeal, their bond deepened immensely. Having only known each other half a day, it felt as if they had been acquainted for a lifetime.
Such is the charm of kindred spirits.
At least, Jiang Qingyun understood the reason well.
...
Just outside the alley entrance,
They witnessed a disturbing scene: four burly thugs were beating a street peddler mercilessly, cursing loudly.
“Didn’t pay your protection fee, huh? Thought you could hide?”
“Dare to disrespect the tiger lord of South City? Think you’re safe inside the inner city? I’ll kick you to death, I will!”
The crowd froze, shrinking away.
Jiang Qingyun, burning with righteous fury, strode forward, produced his copper official seal, and shouted:
“Military Affairs Office! Kneel!”
...
South City corresponds to the Vermilion Bird direction and the element of fire, so the copper token bore the character “Fire.”
The four thugs, seeing Jiang Qingyun’s fierce expression, were at a loss. Even if they had a hundred lifetimes of courage, they wouldn’t dare defy an official.
“Sir, we didn’t recognize your status. Our tiger lord—”
The leader was about to explain when a wooden scabbard studded with copper nails and wrapped in horsehide whistled through the air.
It struck the thug’s temple with brutal force.
Jiang Qingyun knocked him down, then swiftly swung the scabbard to the face of another thug, shattering his nose and teeth with a powerful blow.
The other two thugs were stunned.
One turned and fled, the other froze in place.
Jiang Qingyun grabbed the stunned one by the hair, dragged him to a wall, and slammed his head against it repeatedly.
Thud, thud, thud—
Blood splattered in a spray.
...
Outside, Zhou Shao stood with folded arms, watching the scene.
Though he hadn’t taken part, he felt a surge of satisfaction.
Jiang Qingyun had displayed the brutal artistry of violence to perfection.
His martial skill might be modest, but that depended on the opponent.
With official rank, weapon in hand, and family training, Jiang Qingyun easily dominated the thugs—like a professional bottom-rank player crushing amateurs.
After finishing, he stepped on the thug’s head, wiping the blood off his scabbard with the man’s clothes.
Just as he raised his head—
He caught sight of a tall, dignified monk standing at the edge of the crowd, smiling at him.