At this time on the big road below the mountain, a few fine horses were escorting a carriage heading slowly towards the county town. A slender hand lifted the carriage curtain and casually looked at the scenery outside.
Suddenly, a red little thing came into view. It was hung in the bramble bushes by the roadside, swaying in the wind.
It was a little tiger head shoe that a baby wears.
He instinctively felt something was wrong, and quickly stopped the carriage.
The one who got off was Qin Jue, the county magistrate of Qingzhou.
He had his subordinates take the shoe off the brambles and held it in his hand to examine it carefully. His expression then became somewhat solemn.
The few subordinates who followed him for many years were all capable people. At this moment, they also noticed something wrong: "Sir, this place is far from any village or town. How could this baby's shoe appear here?"
Qin Jue held the shoe in his palm: "This tiger head shoe is exquisitely made, and studded with pearls the size of rice grains. It must be something only wealthy families can afford!"
The subordinate said: "But most children of wealthy families have servants or wet nurses looking after them. Even if a shoe was accidentally dropped, it would be picked up immediately. How could it be left in such a place? If the family knew, they would be furious!"
"Moreover, the height where the shoe was hung looks as if it was hooked off when the child was being carried horizontally."
Qin Jue stroked the shoe upper, and probed a finger into the shoe. His brows furrowed: "There is still warmth. It seems the shoe hasn't been dropped for long. The weather today is not cold, but a baby without shoes outdoors could easily catch a cold. What kind of situation would make someone in such a hurry that they didn't even have time to pick up the child's fallen shoe?"
Everyone unconsciously thought of the same two words in their minds: escaping? Or fleeing for their lives! In any case, it was not a good thing.
Soon someone discovered the small path: "Sir, there is a mountain path here."
"Leave one person to watch the carriages and horses. The rest will come with me to take a look!" Qin Jue led the way into the mountain path, with the others quickly following behind to search ahead.
After walking not far, they picked up another small shoe on the side of the path, matching the one Qin Jue was holding.
A few steps away, there was also a small, rabbit fur-trimmed bright red cape.
At this point, everyone's hearts thumped. Someone indeed came in here carrying a child, and judging by the traces along the way, the one carrying the child was unlikely to be a good person.
Qin Jue had people pick up the cape and ordered to hurry ahead at the fastest speed...
At this moment, Tan Laosan casually threw the child in the bushes by the roadside, cursing and swearing: "Damn brat, how much good food did you eat to grow so fat and heavy. You really fucking tired me to death."
While cursing, he leaned against a tree panting heavily.
His family was quite well off, and he was the youngest son. Little Mrs. Hu favored him, and never made him do any hard work at home.
Today, after carrying a chubby baby running such a long way, he was really exhausted.
This angered Jiang Yuqing. What women hated most were the three words "dark, ugly, fat", even if she was still a baby! Not only did this pervert kidnap her, he actually dared to complain about her being fat.
Where was she fat? It was called baby fat! This ignorant fool!
The annoyed realm master decided to teach this scum a lesson. Fortunately, the surrounding bushes were lush, with frequent snakes and insects, suitable for some accidental misfortunes within reason.
Her limited wood elemental powers quickly spread out, and soon there were rustling sounds in the bushes.
Three snakes came over. One bamboo green, one banded krait, and one king cobra. The first two were venomous, while the latter was non-venomous.
"Are you the one summoning us, Spirit of the Earth?"
"Indeed I am summoning you, but I am not the Spirit of the Earth." Jiang Yuqing explained.
Being called this made her feel a bit ashamed. Due to her wood elemental powers, this was not the first time animals had mistaken her for the Mother Earth.
"But you have the aura of the Spirit of the Earth on you." said the banded krait.
Jiang Yuqing did not bother debating this issue with it. Escaping was most urgent now.
So she discussed with them, "I'm caught by bad people now and need help. Are you willing to help me?"
"Of course we are willing, Spirit of the Earth."
"Do you see that man sleeping under the tree over there? He's the bad guy who caught me."
The snakes nodded to indicate they understood.
"Banded krait and king cobra, go around to the front to attract his attention. Remember not to bite him. Bamboo green, sneak attack him from behind and give his leg a hard bite."
The reason for this arrangement was purely because the banded krait's venom was too potent. If it bit Tan Laosan even once, he would die within a short time.
In her previous life, she hated human traffickers the most. Who would have thought she herself would become a victim again this life.
A scumbag like Tan Laosan who didn't even spare such a young child was simply insane.
Letting him die like this would be too easy on him. She wanted him alive to face the trials of Da Xia's laws, because she had heard her father say that in the Da Xia Dynasty, those who abducted women and children would face capital punishment.
On the other hand, the bamboo green viper's venom was much weaker than the banded krait's, and it expelled less venom each time it struck.
If a person was bitten, it would not be fatal. Of course, without timely treatment, it could still cripple the area. Therefore, she let the bamboo green viper be the main attacker.
People feared death. She didn't believe that after being bitten by a venomous snake, this scumbag would still have the mindset and strength to continue escaping with her. As long as he had the slightest bit of sense, the first thing he would do was find a doctor. By then, she would be safe.
Moreover, her spirit realm had enough supplies to last ten lifetimes. She absolutely did not need to worry about starving to death.
Not to mention with her capabilities, as long as the scumbag was not by her side, this forest was no different from her family's backyard.
Whether it was snakes, rats, ants or wolves and tigers, none would harm her. If she wished, the animals would even be happy to obey her commands.
Most importantly, she had faith in her family. After her grandmother discovered she was missing, she would surely mobilize many people to look for her, even reporting it to the officials.
Although this place was remote, it was still a road. Where there are roads there will be travelers. Her family finding her was only a matter of time.
The snakes moved very quickly.
When Tan Laosan heard sounds from the bushes in front, he opened his eyes to see two thick snake bodies as wide as his wrists sticking half their length up, flicking their tongues at him. He was so frightened that his soul almost left his body.
He slowly sat up, and just as he was about to run, he suddenly felt a piercing pain in his right calf.
Looking down, he saw a triangular-headed bluish-green venomous snake firmly biting his lower leg.
In shock, Tan Laosan instinctively kicked and shook his leg, flinging the venomous snake away.
Pulling up his pant leg, he saw two deep bloody holes oozing black blood. As for the other two big snakes, they were already gone without a trace.
Tan Laosan's vision turned black. He thought this was the worst luck ever.
He recognized the snake that bit him as a bamboo green viper. Although not fatal, improper treatment could still leave lifelong disability.
He was still young and did not want to become a cripple for life, suffering others' ridicule. He had to hurry to the city as fast as possible to find a doctor for treatment.
As for everything else, he could not bother with them for now.
At the brink of life and death, Tan Laosan's mind became exceptionally clear.
He quickly tore off a strip of cloth from his clothes and tied it tightly above the wound. This could slow the spread of the venom. He also picked up a thick stick to use as a crutch.
Then he jumped over to where Jiang Yuqing was lying and squatted down, looking condescendingly at her. He said sinisterly, "I originally planned to sell you to a brothel.
But now that I've been bitten by a snake, I don't have the strength to bring you anymore. You can just die here on your own. As for the jewelry on you, I won't stand on ceremony."
As he spoke, he reached to rip off her necklace.
Jiang Yuqing instinctively wanted to resist with her abilities, but her current infant body was too small. The bit of power she managed to gather with great difficulty had already been used up summoning the snakes just now. Gathering more would take time.
It seemed she could do nothing.
Her skin was delicate and well nurtured, her little arms and legs like lotus roots, all chubby flesh.
The bracelets on her wrists and ankles had been worn for a relatively long time and were not easy to take off. Tan Laosan was anxious to get to the county town to find a doctor, so he forcibly pulled hard.
The sharp edges of the solid bracelets scraped off the skin wherever they passed, grinding her little hands and feet bloody. The pain made her wail loudly.
Tan Laosan's calf was in severe pain, but he was afraid the child's crying would attract passersby. In a panic, he turned around, leaned on his cane, and limped towards the county seat.
Magistrate Qin and others chased him several li along the mountain path before turning around a small gully and hearing the pitiful cries of an infant.
The group was startled, then raced swiftly in the direction of the cries. Before long, they saw the badly wounded little baby abandoned in the grass.
Qin Jue quickly went forward and wrapped the child in his small cloak, gently cradling it in his arms. He glanced around but saw no one. "Pursue him quickly," he shouted, "That man can't be far ahead. Don't let him get away, that beast!"
The two attendants immediately leapt forward using their lightness skills, and soon dragged back the ashen-faced Tan Laosan.
One of them presented Qin Jue with the baby's bloodstained necklace, bracelet and other ornaments taken from Tan Laosan's body, saying "Your Honor, it's him! It looks like he was bitten by a poisonous snake."
Jiang Yuqing's strategy had succeeded.
She had been saved, and by someone familiar at that - the county magistrate she had met once before, Qin Jue. The tightness in her heart finally loosened.
She was safe now.
Because of the red lotus on her forehead, Qin Jue's attendant who had attended Jiang Yuqing's one month celebration easily recognized her identity. After all, it would be difficult to forget such a uniquely beautiful child.
"Aiya, this lotus flower... Good heavens! Could this be Master Jiang's daughter, Advisor Lu's niece? How did she end up here?"
"Have you ever seen a second child with a lotus blossom on their forehead?" Seeing the child's withered little face, Qin Jue was filled with unrestrained anger. "Hurry back to the city. First take the child to the clinic for treatment. Send someone to the Xijin ferry to notify the Jiang family to collect her from the county office.
As for that snake-bitten one on the ground, if he's not dead, take him to the clinic as well and investigate his background.
Also station someone to watch him. After treatment, bring him straight to the county office for interrogation!"
To dare commit crimes in his jurisdiction, against such a young baby no less, he must have the heart of a bear and the guts of a leopard.
When Qin Jue's carriage arrived at the city gate, he saw a group of farmers with hoes and picks blocking the road and searching for someone.
His subordinates went to ask and found they were villagers from the Xijin ferry. Hearing that Master Jiang's daughter was missing, they had come of their own initiative to help search.
Qin Jue sent people to tell them the child was found and the criminal captured. He repeatedly assured them in the name of the county government that the news was true before sending them back. After entering the city, two more groups of villagers searching for the child blocked their way. Only then could he smoothly proceed to the clinic.
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