Volume Three: The Storm at the Gate of the Black Tortoise Chapter Eighty-Three: Escape and the Little Stone

Although Li Mingyu had been a soldier in his previous life, he had never lived through a time of war. In both his past and present existence, this was his first time killing a man.

Yet, he felt no discomfort or guilt; instead, his heart surged with exhilaration at having rid the world of such vile, beastly men.

He had dealt with Hu San, who had been left behind to guard him, but Mingyu’s situation was still far from optimistic.

His eyes burned fiercely, blinding him, and his hands and feet were tied securely. Like a caterpillar, Li Mingyu could only wriggle slowly across the ground, hoping to find a sharp corner of a table or wall to fray the ropes binding his hands.

As he worked at the ropes, he listened intently to his surroundings, wary that Liu, the gang leader, might return suddenly. Time was running out.

Suddenly, faint footsteps reached his ears. The person approaching moved with remarkable skill—the sound was barely perceptible. Mingyu’s heart jolted; his hands and feet were still bound, leaving him powerless to resist.

“Who’s there?” Mingyu barked sharply, gathering his senses and preparing to locate the intruder by sound. He intended to repeat the trick he’d used to deal with Hu San.

“It’s me. I heard noises here from the next room, so I came to check,” came a clear, childish voice—it was the boy called Little Stone.

Mingyu relaxed. It was only him; no wonder the footsteps were so light.

From the earlier conversation between Little Stone and Liu, Mingyu had learned that these children were being forced and controlled. Not only were they perpetually hungry and cold, but they were also beaten and cursed regularly, living miserable lives. It seemed Little Stone was not one of their gang.

“Is Hu San… is he dead?” Little Stone asked softly.

“He’s dead—his head smashed open. He couldn’t be more dead!” Mingyu quickened his efforts to wear down the rope, staying alert. If Little Stone made any sudden moves, Mingyu was ready to charge at him. He had already suffered once and did not want a repeat. His greatest fear was that Little Stone, broken by their cruelty, might go and summon the others.

Little Stone hesitated, perhaps torn by inner struggle, then slowly approached. “Do you want to break free of the ropes? Let me help you.”

He reached out his small hands to untie Mingyu’s bindings. The gang had used the thickest hemp ropes, knotted firmly, to prevent Mingyu’s escape. Little Stone was small and weak, and his hands moved clumsily; after much effort, he finally managed to untie them.

Mingyu regained his freedom, but his limbs were numb from prolonged restraint. When he stood suddenly, weakness threatened to topple him.

Little Stone hurried over to support him. “You’ve been tied for too long. Come, walk with me—it’ll get better once your blood starts flowing again.”

Mingyu was surprised. “You know quite a lot for a child.”

Little Stone fell silent for a moment. “It’s because I often fail to please them—I can’t steal enough money. Sometimes, when they’re too lazy, they tie me up and hang me overnight. The next day, it takes half an hour before I can move again.”

Mingyu was silent after hearing this. Such heartless brutes! Judging by the boy’s voice, he couldn’t be very old, yet they could be so cruel. Calling them animals wasn’t an exaggeration. His anger grew, giving him yet another reason to destroy them.

“Where are we now? Are we still in Chang’an?” Mingyu asked.

Little Stone was startled. “This is a land temple on the western outskirts of Chang’an. Because the roads are rough and few worshippers come, the gang drove out the caretaker and made it their secret base. We’re more than twenty miles from the city.”

“Who’s this ‘Boss Duan’? Earlier, didn’t you call that man Liu?” Mingyu asked.

“Boss Duan is Duan Hu, leader of the Fierce Tiger Gang in Chang’an. They’re the most notorious gang in the west city. Liu is just a minor leader, responsible for training kidnapped children to steal money for them.”

“Duan Hu… Fierce Tiger Gang… So they’re the ones pulling the strings,” Mingyu muttered. He would leave no evil unpunished. Duan Hu, Fierce Tiger Gang—none of them would escape! But first, he needed to restore his vision; otherwise, escaping this den would be impossible.

Little Stone supported him as he walked, and Mingyu’s blood gradually returned to his limbs. He could walk normally again. Little Stone, seeing Mingyu’s eyes tightly shut, asked carefully, “Your eyes… you can’t see?”

Mingyu gave a bitter laugh. “They threw lime in my eyes. Otherwise, with their paltry skills, they wouldn’t have caught me without such dirty tricks.”

“Should I fetch some water to help you wash your eyes?” Little Stone offered kindly.

“No. Lime reacts with water, producing heat—it could blind me permanently. Oil is needed to wipe it away,” Mingyu explained.

“Cooking oil? I know where to find some. Wait here!” With that, Little Stone ran off.

Mingyu waited a long time, but Little Stone did not return. He wondered if something had happened—had he been caught?

After a while, footsteps approached. Mingyu slipped behind the door, ready to ambush.

“I went to the kitchen to steal oil—almost got caught. That’s why I was late. Eh? Why are you hiding here?” Little Stone asked, holding a small jar of cooking oil and noticing Mingyu’s odd behavior.

Mingyu replied, “Nothing—I thought they’d discovered us.”

Little Stone tore off a strip of cloth, soaked it in oil, and helped Mingyu wipe his eyes.

Soon, the lime was cleared away. Little Stone exclaimed joyfully, “It’s all clean now! Try opening your eyes.”

Mingyu opened his eyes. They still stung, but the pain was bearable. After a moment, his vision slowly shifted from blurry to clear. The lime had left his eyeballs streaked with blood, turning them bright red.

Mingyu looked down at Little Stone, seeing a child of six or seven, dressed in rags, thin as a reed. Perhaps from years of hunger, his large head was out of proportion with his frail body, giving him a comical appearance.

His small face was covered in bruises and dirt, obscuring his features, but his eyes were large and bright, full of concern for Mingyu.

Mingyu grinned at him. “I’m fine now—I can see. I owe you my thanks. If you hadn’t helped, I’d still be blind.”

Little Stone, rarely thanked by anyone, felt shy and lowered his head. Suddenly, he remembered something and said anxiously, “Now that you can see, you’d better run! If Liu and the others come back, you won’t be able to escape!”

The mention of Liu set Mingyu’s anger ablaze. He sneered, “Run? Why should I run? Not only did they ambush me, but their monstrous deeds mean I cannot let them go today!”

Little Stone was shocked, his mouth agape. “You won’t run? But you’re alone—Liu and his men number more than a dozen, and they have knives!”

Mingyu snorted. “Knives? So what! Today, I’ll wipe out this den of thieves and rid the world of their evil!”

He patted Little Stone’s head to comfort him. “Don’t worry about me—I can handle them. You’re a good kid; I heard your conversation earlier. When the fighting starts, slip away and report to the authorities so they can send you home!”

The prospect of going home did not cheer Little Stone. He looked downcast. “I don’t know where my home is. I was kidnapped when I was three. I only remember a big stone mill outside my house—nothing else.”

Little Stone grew increasingly upset, falling to his knees beside Mingyu and pleading, “Young master, you look like someone from a wealthy family—please save us! We’re all kidnapped children, none of us knows where our homes are. Liu and the others force us to steal every day. If we fail, we’re beaten and starved. We’ve wanted to run for ages, but we’re afraid of being caught!”

Mingyu sighed at the boy’s pitiful story. “Since you have nowhere to go, stay with me from now on.”

“Really?” Little Stone brightened. “Can all of us stay with you?”

“All of you? How many are there?”

“Around ten—also kidnapped. There used to be more, but now there’s fewer… Some tried to escape and were caught, some got sick, some failed to steal and had their legs broken—eventually, they all died…” Little Stone’s voice faltered, his expression darkening as he recalled his tragic fate, unable to speak further.

Mingyu’s rage grew as he listened. These fiends had finally met their match—only blood would settle his fury.

He looked gently at Little Stone and reassured him, “It’s all over now. From now on, you all stay with me. But when I start fighting, make sure you’re well hidden!”

Little Stone wiped his tears and gave a hopeful smile. “Alright! We’ll stay with you!”