Chapter Fifteen: A Mysterious Disappearance
In the end, good and evil will be repaid, karma turns endlessly upon the path! Do not lose your own way, do not disturb another’s heart. A single thought of compassion, a single thought of malice—the line between virtue and vice is but a thin veil.
In the villa’s living room, Zhang Hua sat upright on the sofa, her spirit lively, her face radiant—she seemed to have recovered well in recent days. The lady who accompanied her, a refined woman, was restless and uneasy, sitting beside Zhang Hua as if on pins and needles.
Facing them, Lin Hai wore a yellow Daoist robe, eyes tightly shut, seated cross-legged on a cushion spread upon the floor. In his hand, he swung a whisk, waving it back and forth as though practicing some mysterious Daoist art, but in truth, he was swatting at several persistent flies buzzing about his face.
The long whisk hairs drifted before Zhang Hua and her companion, agitating their nerves. Behind Lin Hai stood Lin Fan in a blue Daoist robe, gripping a battered palm fan, occasionally waving it as if nothing were amiss, displaying the demeanor of a dutiful apprentice.
A considerable time had passed since their arrival. Zhang Hua, seeing Lin Hai maintain his meditative pose, refrained from disturbing him, knowing well he was putting on airs—crafting an aura of mystery. In this business, it was almost a requirement to appear half-mad before speaking. She understood this well and quietly soothed her anxious companion.
The two women sat quietly, but their minds were worlds apart. Had Zhang Hua not sung countless praises beforehand, the refined lady would have left long ago, despair filling her heart. “What is this scene? Is the Supreme Elder descending with his medicine boy to save the masses? These two—no matter how I look—seem more like sellers of fake remedies. Sigh—”
Though she did not voice her thoughts, the lady had lost all hope in Lin Hai and Lin Fan, sitting blank-eyed, bereft of spirit.
Another quarter hour slipped by. Lin Hai, inwardly calculating, decided the ritual had lasted long enough. He gave his whisk a final exaggerated flick, opened his eyes, and glared at the flies circling him, silently vowing, “Once this business is done, I’ll make sure you impudent little beasts are ground to dust!”
He then donned a professional smile reserved for VIP clients and addressed Zhang Hua politely, “Madam Zhang, it’s been some time! After my last wholehearted assistance, how is everything at home?”
Lin Fan rolled his eyes, thinking, “What shameless talk, as if they hadn’t paid him. ‘Long time’? It’s been what, a few days? Has he gone senile?”
Zhang Hua, relieved to see Lin Hai finally drop his act, replied swiftly, “Thank you for your concern, Master. Thanks to you and your apprentice’s generous help, not only was my son saved, but I too was rescued. Everything at home is well. Our family cannot repay your kindness. I have been praying for you both, so today I specifically came to offer incense for your sect, and to thank you again for saving our lives.”
Lin Fan listened with admiration, smiling politely at Zhang Hua. He thought, “Madam Zhang has truly honed her skills in the business world—her words perfectly hit Master’s heart. Wealth is easy to gain, but a confidant is rare indeed.”
The refined lady, though silent, understood the undertones. Yet seeing Lin Hai’s manner, her doubts about his abilities only deepened.
Lin Hai beamed, “Madam Zhang, you flatter me. I merely acted in good conscience, doing what I should. Benevolence is the foundation of my Dao, and my personal principle. You are too kind.”
He set aside his whisk, then continued, “Your heart is virtuous, coming all this way to accumulate merit for your family—I admire you. Such kind-hearted, refined, and capable entrepreneurs deserve the world’s respect.” As he spoke, Lin Hai shamelessly bent down to retrieve a merit box from beneath the altar, pushing it toward Zhang Hua.
Lin Fan felt dizzy and nauseous, his body involuntarily swaying.
The refined lady’s eyes widened in disbelief, mouth agape.
Zhang Hua, unfazed, calmly took a stack of bills from her bag, stepped forward to place them in the box, and sat back down gracefully, as naturally as breathing. She smiled, “Master, does my sincerity please you?”
“Very pleased! Very pleased!” Lin Hai nodded repeatedly, eyes fixed greedily on the money until it settled in the box. Only then did he withdraw his covetous gaze, wiping his mouth with delight.
Taking the opportunity, Zhang Hua introduced her companion, “Let me make introductions. This is my dear friend, Li Fengying, daughter-in-law of Song Group.”
She then turned to Li Fengying, “This is the extraordinary master I often mention, Lin Hai, Master Lin. That young man beside him is his disciple, Master Lin Fan.”
Li Fengying, now regaining composure, forced a smile, “Greetings, Master, and young master. Zhang Hua is a close friend and often praises you. Though we’ve never met, I’ve long heard of your reputation.”
Hearing that Li Fengying was the daughter-in-law of the famed Song Group, Lin Hai’s eyes sparkled, resembling a hungry wolf eyeing a plump sheep, ready for a feast.
He bowed enthusiastically, “Madam Li, hello! Fate has brought us together. Madam Zhang’s friends are our friends. It is an honor for my apprentice and me to know such an elegant and gracious lady as yourself.”
Though Lin Fan disliked Lin Hai’s obsequiousness, he maintained decorum, saying, “Indeed, Madam Li, think of this as a friendly gathering. There’s no need to be formal.”
Li Fengying had been a full-time housewife since marriage—born to a distinguished family and educated, but still lacking compared to Zhang Hua. Now, anxious and in distress, she wasted no time and got straight to the point, “Master, I have something to ask your help with…”
Lin Hai waved his whisk, cutting her off with an air of mystery, “Madam Li, my specialty is reading words and faces. From the moment you entered this room, my spiritual senses detected something about you. Let me tell you what I perceive, and you can judge if I’m correct.”
Li Fengying nodded, unsure but intrigued.
Lin Hai proceeded, “Your brow is darkened, your gaze scattered, your spirit unsettled—signs of great misfortune. Yet your forehead is prominent, your eyes clear, marking you as one with noble fate, as if reincarnated from a celestial maiden. Your life should be smooth, so disaster does not befall you directly; it must be your family in peril, causing your distress. If I’m not mistaken, your situation is much like Madam Zhang’s…”
He drew out his words, awaiting her reaction.
It was pure guesswork; anyone could see Li Fengying was not the one in trouble, sitting healthy before them. But anxiety clouded her judgment, leaving her unable to discern truth from trickery.
Suddenly, Li Fengying knelt, tears streaming, pleading, “Master, you truly are a heavenly being! You’re right—I lost my son… Please, I beg you, help me find him…”
Li Fengying, meticulous by nature, had done her homework before coming, knowing Lin Hai responded well to such displays; thus, she repeated the tactic.
“What on earth! Why kneel? Speak properly. Why do you rich folks always kneel when talking?” Lin Hai hastily signaled Lin Fan to help her up, troubled, “Damn! This again—how am I supposed to bargain with you later?”
Lin Hai was not afraid of a hard bargain, only of emotional pleas—a rare virtue.
Lin Fan and Zhang Hua quickly helped Li Fengying to her feet.
“Sister, don’t worry. With Master here, there’s nothing we can’t solve,” Zhang Hua comforted her.
“Ahem—everything has its destiny. Sometimes fate is decreed by heaven; all we can do is our best and accept the outcome,” Lin Hai said, hesitant about finding a lost child.
Lin Fan shot Lin Hai a look of disdain, then reassured Li Fengying, “Madam Li, rest assured—we’ll do everything we can.”
Lin Hai coughed, unable to stop Lin Fan’s righteous promise, thinking, “Damn, you dare make decisions without my consent!”
“Master, young master, thank you. Whether you succeed or not, the Song family will not let you go unrewarded,” Li Fengying replied, clear-headed.
Lin Hai immediately shifted tone, “Madam Li, there’s no need for such words. Madam Zhang brought you here, and we are friends—this is fate. Your matter is mine. Please, describe the situation in detail, and we’ll see what can be done.”
Li Fengying, moved to tears, accepted a tissue from Zhang Hua and composed herself:
“We live in Century Mansion by the riverside. My son, Song Xin, is four. Last weekend morning, he told me he missed soy milk and fried dough sticks, so I took him out early. After breakfast at a street stall, I took him to Riverside Forest Park to play. But disaster struck—I blame myself for not watching him closely…”
As she spoke, grief overwhelmed her.
Lin Hai felt uncomfortable, thinking, “Rich people talk such nonsense! Soy milk and fried dough sticks—stuff I’m sick of—are delicacies to you? The gap between people is staggering!”
Lin Fan frowned, an uneasy premonition rising—last weekend morning? Could it be…?
Seeing Li Fengying trapped in guilt, Lin Hai signaled Zhang Hua to comfort her, urging her to continue.
Zhang Hua grasped her hands, “Sister, now’s not the time for sorrow. Be strong—Xin is waiting for us to save him.”
Her words struck Li Fengying’s heart. She wiped her tears, choking, “It’s my fault—I shouldn’t waste precious time…”
She steadied herself and continued, “That day, we went straight to the amusement park. Xin loves the carousel, insisted on riding. I sat behind him at first, holding him, but he pushed me away. Thinking the carousel wasn’t fast and the floor was carpeted, I stood outside talking with other mothers. When I looked back, Xin had vanished in broad daylight, before everyone’s eyes! I swear the carousel turned only twice, and he was gone. I searched the playground, then the entire park—everyone helped, but we found nothing…”
Lin Hai interrupted, “Riverside Forest Park—I often go there for morning exercise. There are plenty of cameras. Didn’t you check the surveillance? Were there other missing children?”
Li Fengying replied, “No other children went missing—only Xin. The other kids on the carousel didn’t notice him disappear. Afterward, staff reminded me to check the cameras. That made it stranger—all footage showed Xin and me entering the playground, but after his disappearance, there was no trace of him. How could he vanish so suddenly?”
Before Lin Hai could ask further, Lin Fan interjected, “Madam Li, could you show me Xin’s photo?”
Lin Hai glared at Lin Fan, thinking, “He’s bold enough to steal my lines now—does he want to strike out on his own?” Yet he sensed the matter was drifting into his area of expertise.
Li Fengying handed her phone to Lin Fan, “Young master, the screensaver is a photo I took of Xin last month.”
Before Lin Fan could reach for it, Lin Hai snatched it, studied Xin’s face, and memorized his features before tossing the phone to Lin Fan.
Lin Fan sneered, inspecting the photo. His mind buzzed—chaos surging, unease growing. He thought:
“Damn! It’s really him? That brat who spun me around in the pavilion that day? I’m a witness? But who was that other older child? Are traffickers recruiting kids now? No, it doesn’t seem like that. Could it be… Soul Searching? The spell worked? That child wasn’t human? If so, this is serious. Hopefully, I’m wrong…”
Lin Hai, noticing Lin Fan’s dazed, grave expression, snatched the phone back, examined it again, then asked, “Have you seen Xin before?”
Lin Fan hesitated, “No, just seems familiar.”
Lin Hai glanced at him, secretly delighted, “That brat must know something and is hiding it. Ha! A blind cat catches a dead mouse—looks like there’s a clue. This job will be lucrative.”
He turned to Li Fengying, “After all this time, have you taken any action? Has anyone asked for ransom?”
Li Fengying replied, worried, “We reported to the police immediately, mobilized many to help search, but no news. I wondered if he was trafficked or kidnapped. In panic, we called the police again—did we do wrong? Xin’s health is poor; after so long, will he…”
“Madam Li, from what you’ve said, trafficking is unlikely. Such a child isn’t a trafficker’s first choice. Besides, Xin is clearly from a wealthy family—why not extort money or claim a reward? That’s more profitable than trafficking. If it were kidnapping, it would be for your wealth, likely by someone familiar. Xin should be safe, at least until ransom is collected. But it’s been a week—if it was kidnapping, the criminal is remarkably patient…” “But you lot went straight to the police, which could lead to tragedy.” The last thought Lin Hai kept to himself.
Lin Hai’s analysis was sharp, and Lin Fan and Zhang Hua nodded in agreement.
“But Master, if none of that fits, what about Xin?” Li Fengying pressed.
Lin Hai waved his hand, “Madam Li, don’t panic. If the police and Song Group couldn’t find him, it suggests something extraordinary happened. In that case, I might be able to help. But if my guess is correct, Xin’s safety…”
He wanted the job, but the thought of such a young child—if taken by supernatural forces for a week—made him uneasy.
Li Fengying, unexpectedly resolute, bit her lip, “Master, if you find Xin—even if it’s only his remains—our family will be eternally grateful.”
Lin Hai, Lin Fan, and Zhang Hua exchanged glances, each feeling a measure of sympathy and awe for Li Fengying.
On impulse, Lin Hai declared, “Very well. With such words, I promise you—I won’t take a penny unless Xin is brought home.”
Lin Fan looked approvingly at Lin Hai, thinking, “Humanity endures!” He did not know that Lin Hai was already regretting his words.
Zhang Hua, moved, affirmed, “Don’t worry, sister. Just wait for Xin to return—leave the rest to me.”
“Master, young master, Zhang… I beg you all,” Li Fengying finally broke down, collapsing into Zhang Hua’s arms in tears.
The four spent the morning discussing Xin’s situation. Lin Hai asked numerous questions. Lin Fan remained distracted, deep in thought. Zhang Hua continually comforted Li Fengying, who hovered on the brink of collapse.
At last, Lin Hai’s repeated assurances and Lin Fan’s encouragement persuaded Zhang Hua to take Li Fengying home to await news.