Volume 12: Invitation to Hell - Chapter 24: The Invisible Darkness

The car drove all the way to Jinse Street in the western suburbs. Fearing they might alert the enemy, Yaoguang and her companions did not act rashly. They parked the car on the outskirts and, accompanied by a few others, approached the street as if they were merely out for a stroll. There was a small plaza here; one had to pass through it to reach the ordinary residential street of Jinse. The buildings were old, and although it had long been rumored that the area was slated for demolition, nothing had ever come of it.

As they reached the plaza, Yaoguang felt a tug at her clothes. She whipped around and grabbed a small hand. It was a child, no more than ten years old, struggling fiercely. Was this boy trying to pick her pocket?

"Little one, if you want something, you can ask for it, but you must not steal." Yaoguang held him fast. The child struggled desperately, but remained completely silent.

"You can't speak?" Yaoguang suddenly realized the child might be mute. Her mind shifted; she took a hundred-yuan note from her pocket, pressed it into the boy's hand, and let him go. The child bolted, but he did not notice that, in the instant he ran, a cyan shadow vanished into the fabric of his clothing.

"Phoenix?" Xuanchen walked over. "Did you find anything?"

"The child is suspicious. When I caught him stealing, he struggled but made no sound. I let the Green Snake shapeshift and follow him. This child might bring us some unexpected gains," Yaoguang said. "We'll investigate once night falls."

With that, Yaoguang conjured several spirit butterflies from her hands, which fluttered off into the sky. A short while later, several figures descended from the heavens and landed beside her. "Little girl, what is it?"

"I suspect a child-trafficking ring is hidden in this vicinity, but I lack evidence to prove they are involved in abduction and using children for theft. I sent the Green Snake to follow a boy who tried to pick my pocket. Immortals, I ask that you use the Green Snake’s trail to find evidence of their crimes," Yaoguang requested.

"We understand your intent." The Python Immortal nodded, and the group of immortals soared into the air. Yaoguang and her team found an inconspicuous corner to sit and observe. Throughout the afternoon, they noticed that there was more than one child; the younger ones were begging, while the older ones were engaged in petty theft. Yet, none of these children spoke a single word.

"Girl, we have located the den. There are four adults and several very young children in the courtyard," a message from the Yellow Immortal suddenly arrived in Yaoguang’s spiritual consciousness.

As dusk began to fall, the number of pedestrians on the road dwindled.

Under the cover of night, Yaoguang and her companions crept toward the end of Jinse Street. Reaching the gate of the compound, Yaoguang discovered it was a small scrap metal collection yard, its gates firmly shut.

"Phoenix, get on the roof," a voice came—it was the Green Snake.

Yaoguang led the others up to the roof, where they saw the immortals already keeping watch within the yard. Looking down, Yaoguang saw four adults sitting in the courtyard as a dozen children lined up. One by one, they approached a fat man, pulling money, mobile phones, jewelry, and wallets from their tattered bags.

Among them was the boy who had tried to steal her phone that day.

"Why is your haul so small today? No dinner for you tonight," the fat man shoved a little girl, causing her to burst into tears.

"What are you crying for?" A short man on the right stepped up and kicked the girl hard. The girl immediately clapped her hands over her mouth. Tears streamed down her face, but she did not make a single sound.

Yaoguang’s hands were clenched into tight fists. She pulled out her phone, sent two messages, and gave Xuanchen a look.

Twenty minutes later, a dozen SWAT officers crept onto the wall. They signaled to Yaoguang that the area was surrounded, all exits were sealed, and it was time to act.

Yitian had also climbed up and nodded to Yaoguang. She could see that every child in the yard was guarded by an immortal; if chaos ensued, the children's safety would be guaranteed.

Yaoguang nodded and led the group down. Arriving at the gate, she conjured her Youlan Sword and struck; the gate collapsed with a crash.

Yaoguang stormed in, furious. The fat man, still shouting at the children, didn't even have time to react before Yaoguang kicked him to the ground. The other three men reacted quickly and tried to attack her, but within seconds, they were floored by Xuanchen and the others. The special forces leaped from the roof and began a rapid search, dragging several people out from the back of the yard. There were ten of them—half men and half women. The young women looked to be in their teens, while the men were a motley crew; when they were brought out, some were only in their underwear.

Yaoguang looked at the adults, too enraged to speak.

A woman was dragged out by her hair by Huo Mingkun and thrown to the ground. "This one tried to run," he said.

"I don't know anything!" the woman shrieked.

*Slap!* A heavy blow landed on the woman’s face. "You don't know anything, yet you tried to run? If you run again, I’ll break your legs." Yaoguang’s voice came from above the woman. "Child trafficking, exploiting minors for illegal profit, forcing minors into prostitution, and child abuse—these charges are enough to see you rot in prison for the rest of your lives." Yaoguang sneered at the disheveled figures on the ground.

"Phoenix, these children are all suffering from varying degrees of psychological trauma," a male immortal said, walking up behind her.

"Send the children to the hospital; take these people away." Police sirens wailed through the night sky. Many neighbors came out to watch, stunned that their own neighbors were child traffickers.

Yaoguang went to the hospital first. Of the fifteen rescued children, five girls were suffering from severe gynecological infections and mild psychosis. Two young boys had abnormally distorted arms; a CT scan revealed their bones had been broken intentionally, and because they hadn't been treated, they had healed crookedly—to correct them, they would have to be broken again. Another child was mute, their vocal cords severely damaged by forced medication; whether surgery could restore their voice was uncertain. The little girl who had been kicked had a ruptured spleen and was in surgery. All the children were suffering from severe malnutrition, among a host of other issues.

As Yaoguang listened, her face grew darker. "Yitian, go summon the Medicine God for me. These children must be healed." Her entire body trembled. "Issue a missing persons notice; find these children’s families."

"I will make these bastards wish they had never been born," Yaoguang said, storming out of the hospital in a fury.