Chapter 16- The Screaming Children (Part 3)

Zhao Fu lay peacefully in the dark room. He had one leg on top of another and his hand were behind his head. Though you could say he was laying down, in truth he was floating in mid-air.

He had just finished talking to two men and found that one of two possessed a very formidable soul. He had heard the way the 'Saint' called the man and thought that he might have been very important to the Ghost King. He watched the changing reaction of the 'Saint'. He saw her shaking, unable to move. He saw her cry, saw her stutter, saw her eyes unfocused. This was the first time he saw the 'Saint' so frightened by a person.

He had met many powerful people, but no one had made the 'Saint' so frightened. The 'Saint', whether she was the real saint or not, is very powerful. She may not be as strong as the Ghost King, but she's on par with a Human immortal. Now, a person who doesn't seem to be a martial artist suddenly made her fall on her knees.

Zhao Fu was pondering about things, when one of the children suddenly burst out crying.

Feeling irritated, Zhao Fu entered the brightly lit dimension.

"You." He pointed at a boy who was about 5-6 years old. His face was covered with snot and drool. Eyes stained with tears and hands and arms covered with mucus. "Stop.crying." Zhao Fu said. "The 'Saint' is dead, no need to bother the whole City."

When his last words fell, the child began to wail again.

Zhao Fu's eyes twitch. He hated children. Though these children helped him get revenge and kill the 'Saint', he still can open his heart to them. He knew that he was different from these children.

All of the little members of the Screaming Children died when they were about 5-7 years old. They still have the mind of a child. The only thing they do is play, cry, play and cry. Even if they do not sleep or eat like other children, they still act like one. Zhao Fu was different. Though he was the first member of the Screaming Children, and is the founder of the stupid organization, he died when he was 17 years old.

The reason for this was because he escaped.

When he was 4 years old, his parents brought him to Willow City. Her mother was a very beautiful woman, and his father was mediocre. They were cultivators who travel far and wide, never staying longer than 3 days in a town or city. When they arrived in Willow City, they were dirt poor. They chose the cheapest inn to stay. At that time the cheapest inn was the Old ladies Inn, but at that time, the place was still filled with young women, not old and haggard ladies. They stayed for one night, but that one night was enough for him to be kidnapped.

He woke up in a very dark room. Both his hands and feet were tied. He looked to his left- Black. He turned to his right - Black. For a 4 year old boy, this was a very frightening thing. You woke up in an unknown place where your parents aren't there to protect you. His breathing sped up, his body shook. His hands, which were tied, started to sweat. His mind was filled with thousand upon thousands of thoughts. Ghost, demons, demon beasts. All of which could attack him at any time.

He thought of Ghost. They could possess his body and play with his organs, scratch his skin, until it bled. He thought of how they'd enter his body and make his blood gush on his seven orifice. Blood in his mouth, his nostrils, ears, and eyes.

He thought of Demons. Them slicing his head off, eating his organs, playing with his intestines until they turn into mush. He thought of them peeling his skin off, and cooking his meat.

He thought of demon beasts. Scratching his skin. Biting his head off and crunching on his bones as if it were hard candy.

His throat dried up, and felt thousands of insects crawling on his skin. If the light are on at that time, he'd know that it was all in his imagination.

When he was thinking of the ways he could die in the hands of the people or creature who captured him, A woman who's momentum topples those who are at the top in Wolf Bane continent, walked inside the dark room holding a lantern with purple light flickering inside. She stood in front of Zhao Fu and caress his milky white cheeks.

"Once I have your mother's skin, I'll reward you. So, you have to be good. If not then." She paused and smiled. She drew her lips closer to his ears. "I'll serve you as my breakfast."

Zhao Fu, who was 4 years old at that time, shivered.

He remembered how his mother entered the black room, but was unable to see his son who was right in front of her. He remembered how the 'Saint' skinned his mother and wore her skin.

He remembered how that woman brought a man In pure black in the black room. He remembered how the man gave him the dimension. How that man tried to kill the 'Saint'. How the 'Saint' roasted the man. And how he escaped by entering the dimension.

The 'Saint' and her subordinates searched all over the place, but never found him. Then three years later, the saint brought another child and killed him immediately. Two years later, another child was added, she died in the hands of the 'Saint'. This continued until he turned 17. He was unable to bear watching those children dying. So he thought of a plan on how to retaliate. But who would have thought that the greatest plan he thought of would result in his death.

The spirits of the children that died before him were floating like little fireballs. He too was like a fireball. Then years later, he accumulated so much resentful energy and turned into a ghost. And decided to shelter the dead children and formed an organization.

At first it was just to protect the bodies of the children, later whenever a child was added to the group, they would cry and scream. Thus the Screaming Children was formed.

Zhao Fu was not happy about it. But nevertheless, the 'Saint' is now dead.

_____________

Wei Xiao and co. left the small house after exchanging information. They gave out the information regarding Wei Xiao's memory loss, but other than that, nothing else.

Wei Xiao turn to Qin Zuijia with inquiring eyes. He felt something off with what he heard back at the small shack.

Qin Zuijia turn to him and smiled.

"Uncle said that the Qin family are unabke to lie." Wei Xiao asked. His uncle told him that Qin clan is the most honest of people, but Qin Zuijia was lying about their life back then.

"I didn't lie, I bended the truth." Qin Zuijia shrugged. "The Weis did come from Birthwort, I went there before and just added some words that make it sound right.

Wei Xiao frowned, he seemed to have underestimated the capabilities of Qin Zuijia. He couldn't understand why his uncle would still trust him. His uncle said that the Qin Clan is the most honest family, Qin Zuijia isn't àcting like one though.

As if he heard his inner monologue, Qin Zuijia laughed and added. "When people say that the Qin family does not lie, that was the truth. What we do, however is called selective truth." Qin Zuijia whirled his fingers. "We choose our words and let other's interpret it the way they want." Qin Zuijia looked pleased as he continue to explain. "The only way to know the real truth was with the journals. The Qins cannot lie in the journals. They are judged by it with the heaviness of the brush marks and choices in words."

Long story short, what Qin Zuijia was trying to say it that the Qin clan never lie, but that doesn't mean they tell the whole truth. Take Qin Xuan for example; he told Wei Xiao what the people think about the Qin clan without futher explaining, and leaving the listeners to interpret the story in their minds. It was diabolic in a way, but it was used to save their lives.

"Don't worry, I won't be like that to you." Qin Zuijia tried to dispel Wei Xiao's doubt. Qin Zuijia bends the truth a lot of times. One example is when he says 'It hurst a bit' but the bit cannot be measured completely, it was subjective. Qin Xuan does it all the time, but his actions are true.

Wei Xiao hummed and turn away.

Qin Zuijia return his thoughts back to the problem at hand. He felt that the screaming children should have stopped the moment they killed the 'Saint', but now, they seem to be wrong.

Wei Xiao didn't know what to do next. They can't find the location of the Screaming Children or where the black room is. The old lady's inn has long been demolished, but the screaming did not stop.

"Will we be able to find that ghost boy?" Qin Zuijia asked. "He doesn't seem to want to talk to other people now that the 'Saint' is dead."

Wei Xiao nodded.

"Isn't it enough for the 'Saint' to die? Why are they still bothering people?"

Wei Xiao shook his head.

"Something doesn't feel right."

Wei Xiao nodded.

"Can you talk to me with words, and not action?"

Wei Xiao looked at Qin Zuijia. "I was thinking."

Qin Zuijia laughed awkwardly, turning his gaze away.

"I do think that the screaming should end without anyone bothering them." Wei Xiao said, still looking at Qin Zuijia. "The boy gave us the earplugs, he knew that the screaming would happen again."

Qin Zuijia nodded. "Another round of screaming is inevitable." He turn his gaze back at Wei Xiao. "But they said that the screaming would only start whenever a child went missing."

"And since the people who kidnap the children are dead."

"The screaming would stop."

Wei Xiao held onto Xiao Ling. "The cries last night because Xiao Ling was captured."

Qin Zuijia nodded.

________________

Back in the Black room.

Zhao Fu stares at the children who were covered with mucus and drool. "alright!" He exclaimed. "Since I don't need you all now, I would be burning your bodies to ashes." He pointed at the mountain of dead bodies. "You kids better run to the underworld to reincarnate."

"Zhao Ge, is the Ghost King scary?" One child asked.

"No," Zhao Fu answered.

"Zhao Ge, Will we see the pretty baby again?"

"No."

"Zhao Ge, I'm Hungry."

The room was filled with the words 'Zhao Ge' and several questions. Zhao Fu wanted these kids to go away immediately. But the problem that he needs to focus on now is how to burn the bodies.

He scratched his head, pondering on what to do.

As a ghost, he can't make fire. He needs someone who can make fire. And who can make fire? People. But the bodies were many, a small fire won't be able to burn them to dust.

He thought of other people he knew who could make fire.

Demons? None.

Demon beasts? None.

Demon cultivators? All dead.

What about orthodox cultivators?

Zhao Fu's eyes lit up and Qin Zuijia's face suddenly came about.