Yama Reborn

[[No more chapter titles, a trope of chapter-based storytelling I can occasionally enjoy, but it becomes tiresome if overused~]]

Chapter Ninety-Five [All Is Well]

Tiger Wang got out of the car with his men.

Gu Kang actually felt a bit uneasy—no matter how inhuman he'd become, deep down he knew what he was doing was utterly unconscionable! He still possessed a sliver of shame. He actually felt a momentary urge to back down, but flanked by Tiger Wang and two of his henchmen, he was already in too deep to retreat.

As he walked, the pain from his bandaged wounds flared, and his vicious nature immediately resurfaced, banishing any lingering trace of conscience.

Passing by the kindergarten gate, Tiger Wang couldn't help but glance at a strikingly figured woman standing by the roadside. He circled around to get a better look at her face.

Damn, she's really something! Tiger Wang felt a pang of envy. Damn it, even if you took every single girl from Wind Shelter Hall and bundled them together, they still wouldn't compare to this one before my eyes. A true gem!

A flicker of lust ignited within him, his gaze growing bold. However, remembering that business—making money—came first today, he only allowed himself a couple more greedy glances before leading Gu Kang and the others into the kindergarten.

·

Today wasn't Friday. Ordinarily, Chen Xiaoye, being a boarding student, wouldn't be allowed to go home from school.

But with Gu Kang present, things were different.

He was, after all, the child's legitimate biological father, with all the necessary identification. Most importantly, the kindergarten had parental information on file, and Gu Kang's details were clearly registered.

Moreover, the kindergarten teacher recognized Gu Kang! She knew he was the child's biological father.

Even though everyone currently called her Chen Xiaoye, her official name on all documents was still "Gu Xiaoye."

Chen Nuo raising Xiao Yezi was the result of a tacit compromise among various parties, an ambiguous situation that neither citizens nor officials would scrutinize too closely. Therefore, Chen Nuo had no authority to change Xiao Yezi's name.

Xiao Yezi's household registration was still under Gu Kang's name; he was listed as the head of the household!

Gu Kang had only been in prison for a little over a year, not quite two. He had visited the kindergarten when Xiao Yezi first enrolled, so the teacher recognized him.

Under these circumstances, the teacher had no grounds to refuse his request to take the child.

Gu Kang was in a hurry to leave with Chen Xiaoye. He claimed he had just returned from an out-of-town business trip and missed his daughter dearly, so he wanted to take her home for the day.

Chen Xiaoye, being just a child, understood little. Besides, her affection for her father had been rekindled during their previous meeting, and she had been thinking of him constantly these past few days. Seeing Gu Kang now, what could a child barely over five years old comprehend? She simply looked overjoyed.

The teacher had a vague sense that something wasn't right, but she had no valid reason to intervene. Gu Kang left quickly with Chen Xiaoye before the teacher could formulate any objection.

Moments after Chen Xiaoye departed, the homeroom teacher felt a growing unease. She left the classroom, went to the office, picked up the phone, and dialed Chen Nuo's mobile number.

·

Leading Xiao Yezi, they exited the kindergarten gate.

Xiao Yezi was naturally a bit timid, especially around unfamiliar adults. Her father's companions, Tiger Wang and his men, looked particularly fierce—resembling Bald Uncle in their appearance, but they seemed far less kind to her than he was.

"Dad..." Xiao Yezi tugged at Gu Kang's sleeve. "Where's my brother?"

Gu Kang scowled; the mere mention of Chen Nuo irked him.

However, Tiger Wang, ever the cunning fox, knew they were at the kindergarten entrance and wanted to avoid any trouble. He forced a smile and coaxed the child, "Your brother is waiting for you. We're going with your dad to get something to eat, and your brother will join us soon."

"...Oh." Xiao Yezi nodded but still looked apprehensive. She instinctively shrank behind Gu Kang, her small hand tightly gripping his.

"Xiao Yong, bring the car over! Quick!" Tiger Wang gestured, and his underling, Xiao Yong, immediately trotted off to fetch the vehicle.

The car was parked some distance away, as the area in front of the kindergarten was already packed.

Although a child, Xiao Yezi instinctively sensed danger, though she couldn't pinpoint what she feared. Her large eyes darted around nervously...

Just then, a familiar voice called out from the roadside.

"Ye Zi!"

Chen Xiaoye whirled around, her face instantly lighting up with a warm, affectionate smile. "Auntie Song!"

Song Qiaoyun approached, her face alight with a smile. Her usually vacant gaze, a symptom of her illness, softened considerably at the sight of Chen Xiaoye. In the Jinling dialect, a specific term is used to address female elders, particularly those of one's mother's generation. It's a sign of respect, broadly similar in usage and meaning to calling someone 'Auntie.'

"Why 'Auntie'? Didn't you change how you address me already?"

As she spoke, she reached out and pulled Chen Xiaoye closer.

Chen Xiaoye, beaming, chirped sweetly, "Godmother."

·

Indeed, Song Qiaoyun had taken Chen Xiaoye as her goddaughter. Old Jiang's family had no children of their own. Ever since Chen Nuo had, genuinely or not, become Old Jiang's disciple, the two families had grown closer. Song Qiaoyun adored Chen Xiaoye and had expressed her wish to make her a goddaughter some time ago.

They were all ordinary people, not ones for elaborate ceremonies, so any formal banquets were dispensed with.

One weekend, the families gathered for a simple meal. Song Qiaoyun gave Chen Xiaoye a red envelope, Chen Xiaoye formally addressed her as Godmother at the table, and the matter was settled.

It was just that not much time had passed, so the child hadn't quite gotten used to the new form of address.

·

"Hey! Who are you? What do you think you're doing?"

Seeing this, Tiger Wang, protective of his "cash cow," became agitated. He stepped forward, grabbed the child, pulling Chen Xiaoye towards him, then turned and glared at Gu Kang.

Gu Kang quickly picked up Chen Xiaoye.

"Who are you?" Song Qiaoyun stared daggers at the man before her.

"I..." Tiger Wang paused, then sidestepped slightly. "We're friends of the child's father."

"The child's father?" Song Qiaoyun's mind was foggy; she couldn't quite process it.

Gu Kang also sized up Song Qiaoyun. "I am the child's father."

Song Qiaoyun glanced at him and shook her head. "I've never seen you before. Give me the child."

As she reached for Xiao Yezi, Gu Kang quickly backed away. "Hey! What are you doing? Why are you trying to take my daughter?"

Song Qiaoyun grabbed Gu Kang's clothes. "Wait!!"

She turned to Xiao Yezi. "Ye Zi, is this your father?"

Xiao Yezi, though a little bewildered, nodded. "Yes, Godmother, this is my father."

Song Qiaoyun's confusion deepened.

Her illness left her mind muddled, and she couldn't recall much, clinging to a single certainty: the child before her was her daughter. Everything else was a blur.

Tiger Wang tried to pry Song Qiaoyun's hand off Gu Kang, but to his surprise, he couldn't break her grip!

Huh? This woman's stronger than she looks.

"No, the child isn't going anywhere. I'm here to take her home," Song Qiaoyun insisted, shaking her head.

"Well, what a coincidence. The child's father is also here to take her home," Tiger Wang said coldly.

Chen Xiaoye suddenly piped up, "Godmother, my dad is taking me to see my brother."

"Your brother?" An image flashed through Song Qiaoyun's muddled mind: a handsome but mischievous-looking young man. "Oh, right, your brother. Yes, yes, where is your brother?"

Song Qiaoyun's grip seemed to loosen for a moment, but then it tightened again. "No! She's my daughter. I have to go with her!"

"Hey! Are you looking for trouble?" One of Tiger Wang's men, annoyed, was about to curse, but Tiger Wang quickly grabbed him.

Tiger Wang, being an old Jianghu hand, glanced around. There were still pedestrians on the street.

And, not far away, there were traffic police!

Because of the heavy traffic from parents picking up children when the kindergarten dismissed, the authorities always dispatched traffic police to manage the flow at this time of day.

With police nearby, Tiger Wang didn't dare cause a scene.

"The child's godmother, are you? Alright then, come along with us," Tiger Wang said with a forced smile.

Just then, Xiao Yong drove the van over and stopped in front of them.

Song Qiaoyun, her mind still in a haze, didn't think much of it.

"Wait a moment~" Lu Xixi called out from a short distance away.

Lu Xixi hadn't followed them initially. Seeing Song Qiaoyun reach the kindergarten gate, she had stood watching from the roadside.

Now, seeing Song Qiaoyun in a scuffle, she frowned and walked over, gently tugging Song Qiaoyun's arm. "Um... Auntie~ Do you know these people?"

Pulled by Lu Xixi, Song Qiaoyun shook her head. "I don't know them."

When Tiger Wang saw Lu Xixi, his knees nearly buckled.

Wow! Isn't this that striking woman I saw by the road earlier?

Lu Xixi instinctively felt something was very wrong with the situation.

This is bad... This auntie clearly isn't thinking straight! She doesn't even seem to know who I am. I've followed her all this way; I can't just let her wander off with a group of strangers without saying anything.

Tiger Wang's gaze roamed over Lu Xixi from head to toe and back again. He gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"Beautiful, and who might you be?"

Ugh...

What kind of question is that?! Seriously? Can't you hold a normal conversation? You just had to pick the one topic to avoid, didn't you! Empress Lu was thoroughly displeased.

Lu Xixi couldn't help but roll her eyes.

If I said I don't know who I am, would you believe me? If I said I'm the little deer maiden of the Ancient Wood Sect, would you believe that?

Ignoring the man, Lu Xixi turned to Song Qiaoyun.

"Auntie~ Is this child your daughter?"

"Yes, she is."

"And you came to pick her up?"

"Yes."

"Then who is this man?" she asked, pointing at Gu Kang.

"The child's father."

"Huh? Then is he your husband?" Lu Xixi asked, still pointing at Gu Kang, utterly confused.

"Pah! Him? As if he's worthy!"

Lu Xixi was stunned. Why had the auntie suddenly flown into a rage?

"My husband is a man of immense integrity, a true hero among men! How could a lowlife like this possibly compare?" Song Qiaoyun declared with righteous fury. "He is absolutely not my husband!"

"I... Of course I'm not, damn it!" Gu Kang muttered, his face contorted in frustration.

"Enough! Quiet, all of you!!!" Tiger Wang yelled, starting to panic.

He glanced around nervously. Passersby were already looking curiously in their direction due to the commotion. Not far off, the traffic police also seemed to have cast a couple of glances their way.

"Miss, who exactly are you? The child's parents are talking here. What's your business in this?"

"I..." Lu Xixi hesitated for a moment, then pointed to Song Qiaoyun. "I came with her."

She looked back at Song Qiaoyun. "Auntie, are you taking the child home?"

"No! The child is coming with us!" Gu Kang interjected immediately.

Song Qiaoyun stated, "Then I'll have to go with you too."

"Fine, fine! Everyone goes together!" Tiger Wang waved his hand towards the van. "Get in!"

"Wait!" Lu Xixi suddenly spoke up again.

Tiger Wang looked at the beautiful woman.

"I..." Lu Xixi thought for a moment. "I'm worried. Is it alright if I come with you too?"

"..."

Tiger Wang was dumbfounded.

What the hell? What kind of day is this? Did I forget to check the almanac before leaving home? This is... a double blessing? First, I snag a little money tree, and now a stunningly beautiful woman is practically throwing herself at me?

He stared intently at Lu Xixi again.

That figure, that captivating face... one look was enough to stir that primal urge deep within a man, igniting a burning desire that surged upwards... A man, for all his worldly experience, his reason and composure... once that wicked flame of lust took hold, nothing else mattered.

He gritted his teeth, throwing all caution to the wind. To hell with it!

"Go, go, everyone's going! It's just a meal, right? The more the merrier for a family gathering! Everyone, get in the van!!"

...Tsk!

It just goes to show, often enough, people forge their own destinies.

「Chen Nuo was searching frantically for Lu Xixi downstairs in the residential complex.」

How could a grown person just vanish like that?

He had already walked two blocks when his phone suddenly rang in his pocket.

He answered. It was the kindergarten teacher.

After hearing just a few words, Chen Nuo's expression changed drastically.

He hung up and immediately turned around, breaking into a run.

Lu Xixi? Forget her! Xiao Yezi is more important than anything!

「Inside the van, it was rather cramped.」

Tiger Wang, his judgment clouded by lust, noticed the lack of space as they boarded. He simply told his two henchmen who had accompanied him to take a taxi back themselves.

He then had Gu Kang sit in the front passenger seat, while he insisted on squeezing into the back row, wanting to sit next to Lu Xixi.

Song Qiaoyun held Chen Xiaoye, and Lu Xixi sat with them in the last row.

Tiger Wang leered at Lu Xixi throughout the journey, constantly trying to coax her into conversation.

There's something about this woman, something indescribable... She's both delicate and bewitching. The more I look, the more my desire burns, the more I crave her... Damn it! Today I'm going all out, whether by hook or by crook, drugging her or getting her drunk... I'm going to sink my teeth into this piece of meat, and hard!

「When Old Jiang leisurely awoke, the sun had just set.」

The room was dim. The small motel had poor lighting to begin with. Upon waking, Old Jiang first touched his head, then felt a dull ache in his chest.

As an old Jianghu hand, he didn't get up immediately. He lay flat, took a couple of deep breaths, and assessed his body. Fortunately, all his senses were intact.

Then, squinting, he slowly got up.

The small room was utterly silent. A moment's listening confirmed he was alone.

What on earth happened? Old Jiang frowned.

He remembered the events before he blacked out... He was protecting Jiang Yingzi when a formidable woman suddenly appeared and attacked him without warning.

The two of them fought a great battle...

Well, not exactly a great battle. More accurately, I was completely overwhelmed, taken down in just a few moves, and then I lost consciousness... And now, somehow, I've woken up in this unfamiliar room.

Looking at the furnishings... it was a cheap motel. The bedsheets were washed to a dingy yellow-white, the wallpaper was peeling and cracked in many places, and there was an old television set.

And those disposable slippers on the floor.

The room carried a faint, stale, musty odor.

What on earth happened?

Old Jiang took a few calming breaths, then suddenly patted himself down.

Holy shit? My clothes have been changed!

The jacket he'd been wearing was gone, replaced by a T-shirt. His trousers had also been swapped for a pair of slightly too-large sweatpants.

A sudden panic seized the old man.

Me... Old Jiang... I haven't been sexually assaulted, have I??

He quickly pulled down his pants to check...

Whew, that's a relief. My underwear is still on!

·

[[Sorry for the late second update tonight, everyone. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, but there will still be an update during the daytime.]]