Chapter 20 - Recalling One’s Soul

Editor: kllua

Proofreader: watermelon

As soon as the yellow siskin “died”, Bai Zhun, who was initially taking an afternoon nap, woke up. However, he had no idea where Huo ZhenYe was until the latter contacted him.

With the rickshaw driver waiting in front of the door, Bai Zhun got on and Ah Xiu followed hurriedly.

The rickshaw rushed out of Yu Qing and stopped in front of Sacred Heart Hospital.

Meanwhile, Huo ZhenYe had just finished his call when he heard Xu YanWen’s soft exclamation from behind him. The latter had pried open Huo ZhenYe’s suit and saw Xiao Kai wrapped in it. Xiao Kai looked almost doll-like.

Xu YanWen took out his stethoscope and asked, “Brother Huo, whose child is this?”

“The child was abducted and when he was rescued, he was already like this.”

Even when lying on the hospital bed, Xiao Kai was rigid with both hands plastered to his sides and his body ramrod straight. If not for the light movements of his head, he practically looked just like a corpse.

Xu YanWen listened to Xiao Kai’s heartbeat which was unusually slow. Children’s heartbeats would always be faster than adults, but his was only beating at half the pace of that of a normal person.

“He needs to undergo an emergency procedure.”

Before Huo ZhenYe could respond, the door was pushed open. Bai Zhun entered in his wheelchair and his eyes swept over Xu YanWen.

Tut, the both of them seemed close. Bai Zhun frowned and said to Huo ZhenYe, “Aren’t you alive and well?” Was there even a need to call for help?

Huo ZhenYe pointed to the child on the bed. “What should we do about him?”

Bai Zhun swept his eyes over the child. Frowning, he rolled the wheelchair to the bedside before reaching out and stroked Xiao Kai’s forehead. Under his palm, he could feel the body losing warmth. The child was losing his vitality rapidly.

It was a little troublesome for a soul to be lost.

“Is there a way to help him?” As Huo ZhenYe ran in with Xiao Kai in his arms, his clothes were slightly messed up and his hair was damp with sweat. At this moment, he was gazing at Bai Zhun with a concerned expression.

Bai Zhun glanced at him before closing his eyes, which could be taken as an agreement.

Seeing that, Huo ZhenYe’s tight expression loosened and he smiled. His entire body also relaxed.

Xu YanWen pushed Huo ZhenYe away. He was always gentle in his actions but upon seeing them delaying the rescue procedures, he became anxious and frowned. “Brother Huo, you have studied medicine yourself before and should know the importance of performing emergency rescue in time. Why do you…”

Here, Bai Zhun moved aside in his wheelchair and Huo ZhenYe nodded. “I will have to trouble you to save him then.”

After that, Xu YanWen and the nurse pushed Xiao Kai into the emergency room.

Bai Zhun suddenly asked, “You even studied medicine before?”

Huo ZhenYe coughed and felt a little embarrassed. After all, he went to England just to study medicine.

“It turns out you also weld a knife .” Bai Zhun smiled faintly before straightening himself out. “It is not too hard to save him. His close relatives just have to call for his soul and the sooner the better.”

The longer one’s soul was lost, the less likely it was for others to find it. At that point in time, even if it was recovered, the soul would be incomplete and the person would become dull-witted.

“But… Xiao Kai’s family are Christians.”

Bai Zhun sneered, “So? If what foreigners have is faith, does that mean that mine is superstition?”

When Xiao Kai’s parents heard the news, they rushed to the hospital. Over there, they heard that despite undergoing emergency procedures, their son’s heart rate was still slowing down. This caused Xiao Kai’s mother to cry and collapse to the ground.

In the end, Huo ZhenYe could only play the role of a “swindler”. He went to Xiao Kai’s father and said, “Mr. Cheng, if this method cannot help him, why don’t we try another?”

Before Mr. Cheng could respond, Mrs. Cheng rushed up and grabbed Huo Zhenye’s hands. “Mr. Huo, any method is fine. We are willing to try anything.”

“Xiao Kai’s current situation is because his soul is incomplete. He needs his family to call back his soul.”

“Call back the soul?” Mr. Cheng’s facial expression changed. This was simply unfounded.

Huo ZhenYe expressed contempt and said, “Isn’t it just as unfounded to light a candle and pray? Xiao Kai does not have much time left.”

Despite that, Mr. Cheng still showed some hesitation, causing Bai Zhun to become impatient. “Are you saving him or not? If not, I am leaving.”

Hearing that, Xiao Kai’s sister grabbed her father’s sleeve. She was initially silent but now she said to her father with clear eyes, “I saw grey shadows under Xiao Kai’s bed.”

Her feelings were in a turmoil and her words were punctuated with sobs. Mrs. Cheng hugged her while looking at Bai Zhun doubtfully.

“Since his soul was lost, it is natural that there are other things wanting to enter.” Bai Zhun said coldly before sweeping his eyes over them.

With no care to what her husband thought, Mrs. Cheng immediately said to Bai Zhun, “Mr, I am willing. I will call for him.”

“You cannot.” Bai Zhun glanced at her before shaking his head.

“Why? Didn’t you say family members?” Tears streamed down Mrs. Cheng’s face as she grabbed her lapel with one hand. She was terrified that she would lose her son like this.

“You have been seriously ill not long before and are unstable.” As her soul was already unstable, she might lose herself in the process.

Mrs. Cheng was indeed ill and before receiving the news, she had been bedridden. It was only when she heard that her son had been found that she recovered greatly, allowing her to not only get out of bed, but also hold on until she reached the hospital.

Seeing that Bai Zhun was aware of Mrs. Cheng’s illness, the people started to have a little faith in him.

Mr. Cheng said, “I will do it then. What should I do?”

“You are also not suitable. Your internal heat is too fiery and you will scare the soul away.” Saying that, Bai Zhun nodded his head to the little girl. “You are just right.”

In the end, while Mr. Cheng remained in the hospital to ensure that his son was still breathing, Mrs. Cheng brought her daughter, Bai Zhun and Huo ZhenYe home.

There, an incense altar was set up and a circle was drawn with its ashes. Cheng JunYi was then asked to stand in the circle. This was the place Xiao Kai was most familiar with and in it stood the person he was most familiar with too.

“Take one of his favourite things.”

Cheng JunYi picked up a toy car and Bai Zhun tied a red rope around her waist.

Cheng JunYi tried her hardest not to cry. After all, despite everything, she was only ten years old. Before entering the circle, she took out a milk candy from her pocket and handed it to Bai Zhun. She had specially taken it to the hospital, hoping to give it to Xiao Kai.

Bai Zhun sized up the milk candy. Although the parents were nothing much, the child seemed to be quite intelligent.

Just when Huo ZhenYe thought that Bai Zhun would not accept it, he saw him reach out and take the milk candy. Then, With both hands, Bai Zhun gently ripped the wrapper before stuffing the candy into his mouth.

While sucking on the candy, Bai Zhun said to her, “Regardless of what you see, there is no need to be afraid. Just note that you cannot enter the areas restricted by the red rope.”

Cheng JunYi stood in the circle and immediately felt drowsy once the joss stick was lit. She felt conflicted as she knew that she had to find her brother but she was too sleepy.

With her head lowered, she eventually closed her eyes and fell asleep.

The next time she opened her eyes, the circle and the red rope were gone.

Firmly remembering that she wanted to find her brother, she ran out the door and went downstairs. She headed to the place where Xiao Kai often played to find him.

Mrs. Cheng saw her daughter’s head lower as the main door of the house opened by itself. Surprised and uncertain, she was about to close the door before Bai Zhun said, “Leave it open.”

If the door was closed, neither sibling would be able to return.

As soon as Mrs. Cheng heard that, she quickly used her body to prop open the door while staring unblinkingly at her daughter in the circle and the burning joss stick.

Mr. Bai said that once the incense went out, her daughter would have to be brought back no matter what.

Meanwhile, Cheng JunYi ran down the alley and into the streets. In her eyes, everything was grey, whether it was the sky, the ground, the buildings or the shops. The passers-by were also grey figures while only her body radiated a slight red light.

All the passers-by turned and stared at her.

Even then, Cheng JunYi clenched her teeth and did not cry. She was terrified but she kept running, trying to find her brother.

She opened her mouth and shouted, “Xiao Kai! Xiao Kai!”

The grey figures approached her and reached out to touch her, but there seemed to be something on her that frightened them. Before they could even touch her, they were already bounced off.

Despite running very fast, Cheng JunYi did not feel tired at all.

She ran around the places near her house and even went to the park where the whole family would usually go on Sundays but there was no Xiao Kai.

Cheng JunYi ended up heading to the church and the huge cross radiated white light. Although she did not find Xiao Kai, she saw Song MingJie there.

Also a grey figure, Song MingJie was standing under a cross in the church yard. He saw Cheng JunYi and smiled slightly at her.

“Song MingJie! Have you seen my brother?!” They were both part of the choir and would light candles and sing during Christmas. Song MingJie even gave her Christmas gifts before.

Song MingJie waved to her and Cheng JunYi followed after him. They ran to a garden villa and he stood at the door. Pointing to the door, he was telling Cheng JunYi that her brother was inside.

Through the main door, Cheng JunYi indeed saw Xiao Kai inside and he was playing with another child.

Xiao Kai was riding his bike and going around in circles.

Cheng JunYi shouted through the door, “Xiao Kai, come here quickly!”

Vaguely hearing his sister’s voice, Xiao Kai turned his head and stared at the door for a while. He seemed to see his sister but he did not move.

Cheng JunYi became anxious and she pushed open the big iron door. However, just as she was about to step in, the red rope on her waist suddenly emitted a red light, restraining her tightly and preventing her from moving forward.

Cheng JunYi jumped up and shouted, “Xiao Kai! Come here quickly! Come look at your toy car!”

She raised the toy car in her hand but it could not attract Xiao Kai’s attention anymore. Inside, the ground was full of toys that he had not played with before. There were also lighted candles on the cake and they were going to sing a birthday song soon.

Xiao Kai could not hear his sister calling for him at all. The other child ran around him in circles and when he reached the door, he grinned at Cheng JunYi, showing a strange smile.

Cheng JunYi felt both afraid and anxious. She began to resist the rope, desperately wanting to run into the garden and bring her brother out.

However, the rope was tied to her waist tightly so Cheng JunYi stretched out her hand and untied it. The red rope dropped limply to the ground and Song MingJie gave her a surprised look.

Cheng JunYi then ran in, picked up Xiao Kai and patted him on the forehead: “Xiao Kai! Why are you so disobedient!”

Xiao Kai instantly became clear-headed. He looked at his sister foolishly before gazing at the unfamiliar house he was in and held onto her hand tightly. “Sister, I am scared.”

Hearing that, Cheng JunYi rubbed her brother’s head and led him out.

However, the child, who had been standing in the shadow with a fuzzy body, suddenly laughed. His figure divided many times and blocked the siblings’ path. The iron door that had just been opened also started to slowly close.

When the joss stick was left with only an inch, the red rope that had been trembling slightly from the beginning, suddenly slackened.

Bai Zhun frowned and said to Mrs. Cheng, “Call your daughter’s name and scold her loudly.”

Mrs. Cheng found herself unable to open her mouth. It was only when Bai Zhun glanced at her from the corner of his eye that she jolted back and scolded, “Cheng Junyi! Where have you run off to?! Why have you not brought your brother back home for dinner?!”

While scolding, Mrs. Cheng was sobbing bitterly.

The sound penetrated the fog and rang from the sky. Cheng JunYi took her brother’s hand and rushed to the large iron gate which was about to close.

Just when it appeared that they were too late to make it, a small leather shoe kept the large iron door open.

Song MingJie had left them a gap to escape. After handing the red rope to Cheng JunYi, he waved goodbye.

When the joss stick burned out, the girl opened her eyes. Mrs. Cheng hugged her daughter and stroked her cheek and body.

As if Cheng JunYi had run a long distance, she was short of breath. She told her mother with a smile, “I have sent Xiao Kai to the hospital.”

A loud voice also sounded from outside the window. “Mrs. Cheng, Mr. Cheng called and said that your son has woken up!”

The phone call was made to the small shop at the entrance of the alley and with this shout, everyone around heard it and gave their congratulations through the windows in succession. “Congratulations, Mrs. Cheng. You do not have to worry anymore.”

Meanwhile, Bai Zhun’s lips were pale and he appeared listless. Huo ZhenYe took off his suit and draped it over him before picking him up.

With Bai Zhun in his arms, his lips came close to Bai Zhun’s ears. “You can sleep for a while, I will bring you back.”

Despite still possessing some strength, Bai Zhun’s eyes only flashed momentarily before he closed them.