Book 4 Chapter 24 – Kidnapping

　　"A cult? A blind girl? Li Yiming frowned after hearing Fu Bo's tale.

　　"Yeah, you have to believe me." Fu Bo knew just how bewildering his recount of the events was.

　　"No, no, you've got it wrong. I do believe you. I just need to think about this." Li Yiming sipped on his latte. He knew that Fu Bo would not lie to him, only his interpretation of the events was different from Fu Bo's.

　　Fu Bo's story was concise and cogently narrated; he had been kidnapped by cult believers, who first asked him some strange questions and then imprisoned him within a rather luxurious cell. He then met a blind girl who seemingly fell in love with him and helped him escape once she heard about the life-threatening ritual that was going to be performed on him. Fu Bo did not go to the police, since it was all so strange, but now he needed help to rescue the girl, who was undoubtedly going to be harshly punished for her betrayal.

　　'A cult? No, it's guardian organization of some kind. That blind girl must be a guardian if she can move around freely. She can remember Fu Bo… there must be something special about her. What about the ritual? I guess it must have something to do with Mr. Kong's request… But what about Ji Xiaoqin? Why would they ask questions about Ji Xiaoqin? Is she also a guardian?' Li Yiming knew the truth behind Fu Bo's abduction, but the part about Ji Xiaoqin surprised him greatly.

　　"Do you remember where you were being kept?"

　　"Century Garden." Fu Bo answered without any hesitation.

　　'I knew it. The Guo family is involved in this. I don't think that they'd let normal people come into contact with him either…' Li Yiming thought. "How many people have you seen during your stay there?"

　　"If I count Tian Tian, seven… no wait, eight people, including Tian Tian's maid."

　　'Eight people? So at least eight guardians…' The revelation came to Li Yiming's shock.

　　"Yiming, you're my only friend. I need your help." Fu Bo's agitation grew as he watched Li Yiming sink into a dead silence.

　　"Calm down. We'll save her, but first…"

　　"Ah!" Li Yiming's explanation was interrupted by a pregnant woman on the neighboring table, who fell to the ground with her hand on her stomach and a trail of blood between her legs. Her features were distorted by pain, but even so, her yelling did not cease. "My baby! My baby…!"

　　Li Yiming panicked. Although he possessed superhuman strength, it was of no help in such a situation. He took the woman's hand gently and asked the people around to call for an ambulance.

　　'Yiming! Fu Bo.' Li Yiming suddenly heard Bai Ze's call. He looked around and realized that Fu Bo was gone.

　　'The backdoor!' Bai Ze said in a fl.u.s.tered voice.

　　Li Yiming was about to make for the exit, but a hand clamped him in place; it was the pregnant woman who kept pleading about saving her child. Li Yiming frowned and extended his focus toward her stomach. 'She's definitely pregnant, but the child's condition is stable. The blood is fake!'

　　"Let go of me!" Li Yiming stared at the pregnant woman angrily. This time, he did it with the mannerism he had learned from the bloodbaths within the recent domains. The pregnant woman s.h.i.+vered from head to toe, attacked by a unspeakable terror, and let go of Li Yiming's hand immediately.