Xiaosuisui nodded, "I know. I have one exactly like it."
"You also have one? Where is it?"
Chief Officer Wang asked casually.
Xiaosuisui looked at Ji Youzhi. "My Seventh Uncle took it."
Then, kicking her short little legs, she jumped from Ji Youzhi’s arms and started looking for what she wanted.
Ji Youzhi took out Xiaosuisui’s red string from his robes and compared it to the one Chief Officer Wang had found. "They are indeed identical."
"I discovered she was wearing this red string last night, which is why I was able to go find you all for help."
Everyone came to a sudden understanding.
"It looks like these people haven’t been gone long," Chief Officer Wang said. "I’ll take my men and pursue them immediately."
"Track them secretly. Don’t let them notice."
A woman’s voice suddenly interjected.
Everyone was confused. There were no women here, so why was a woman’s voice heard?
They looked up and saw a woman with a cold expression and a compass in her hand, standing at the entrance of the Mountain Cave.
The men drew their swords. "Who are you?"
Huo Xing’Er raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Ji Youzhi.
Ji Youzhi called out in a low voice, "Second Sister-in-law, what are you doing here?"
"Second Sister-in-law!" Everyone echoed Ji Youzhi’s greeting, quite sycophantically.
Huo Xing’Er waved her hand. "Don’t be so familiar. Call me by my name, Huo Xing’Er."
"Miss Huo, can you clarify what you meant just now?" Chief Officer Wang voiced his confusion.
"I cannot tell you about this matter."
Huo Xing’Er turned to Ji Youzhi. "Youzhi, I need to speak with you privately."
Ji Youzhi nodded, sensing the gravity of the situation. He immediately left the Mountain Cave with Huo Xing’Er, even forgetting Xiaosuisui in the process.
"This is not an ordinary child kidnapping case."
Once outside the Mountain Cave, Ji Youzhi and Huo Xing’Er flew directly onto a large tree. Only when they were sure it was safe did Huo Xing’Er begin to speak.
"I guessed as much," Huo Xing’Er said. "That Gu Insect is not something a mere child abductor could afford to raise. What I don’t understand is their motive for kidnapping these children. For money? To even dare kidnap the children of imperial court officials—their audacity is astounding."
"Eldest Brother just sent me a message. The disappearance of these children is most likely related to Suisui. They aren’t kidnapping children to sell them. Rather, they would prefer to mistakenly capture a thousand than to miss the one they’re truly after."
"Second Sister-in-law, what are you saying? What do these people have to do with Suisui? She’s just a child."
Ji Youzhi was livid. His precious Suisui, such a good, obedient child! Whom could she have possibly provoked for someone to actually target her?
"It’s precisely because she’s just a child," Huo Xing’Er continued. "The way Suisui was buried alive by the Li Family—the location, the dimensions of the grave, even the specific burial method—all of it was deliberately orchestrated. And this vile method originates from the Great Witch of Nanjiang!"
"Nanjiang?" Ji Youzhi was puzzled. "Twenty years ago, after my father led our troops and forced their surrender, they’ve always been compliant and law-abiding. Why would they suddenly start kidnapping children within the Great Han?"
"I can’t say for sure. Your Second Brother said that particular kind of Gu Insect can only be cultivated by the Palace Witch Doctors in Nanjiang. Moreover, the medicinal herbs required to create that fragrance are exceptionally rare. In Nanjiang, apart from the Palace’s royal family, no one else possesses the means to gather all of them."
"Eldest Brother connected the clues: the grave pit in the mass burial ground, the ages of the recently missing children, and this Gu Insect. From these, he formed a bold conjecture. That’s why he sent me to inform you: we must not alert the enemy prematurely. We must follow the clues meticulously. Perhaps we can even find all the children who went missing from the Capital City as well."
After hearing Huo Xing’Er’s words, Ji Youzhi was stunned. It took him a long moment to recover. "This matter cannot be resolved by just a few chief constables and constables. If it’s mishandled, we might even end up at war with Nanjiang."
Huo Xing’Er said, "Eldest Brother asked me to assist you. If necessary, you can send an eight-hundred-li expedited message to the Capital City. Make all preparations. Also, Xiaosuisui cannot come with us..."
"Where’s Suisui?"