On the way to the town, by the time Tie Dan and the others had calmed down emotionally, Luo Ge and the others finally learned what had happened.
Hearing that Tie Dan had been abducted from the village along with Old Master Wang, everyone's hearts skipped a beat.
They lived at the outskirts of the village with no side paths, so the only way in was through the village entrance.
But for the kidnappers to brazenly take someone away from the village showed their audacious methods.
If left unchecked, all the children in the town would be in danger.
"Mother was praying to Buddha and making offerings. That's when they took me," the Little Boy finally spoke after a long silence.
Ten miles from Yiyang Town, there was a temple where the Buddha was said to be very efficacious. Many officials, nobles, and wealthy families had traveled far to pray for blessings.
According to the Little Boy, he was likely abducted by the kidnappers amid the crowd when his family took him to the temple.
Seeing him still trembling as he spoke, Luo Ge gently patted his back: "Don't be afraid, we're safe now."
"We'll take you to find the officials and your Mother."
"Mm." Hearing Luo Ge's words, the Little Boy nodded obediently.
...Meanwhile, the entire Yiyang Town had descended into chaos.
In just one day, a total of seven boys had gone missing from the town, including the Crown Prince of Nanyang, without a trace. The Old County Magistrate's hair had almost turned completely white from the distress.
Wang Sister-In-Law and the others had searched the entire village for Tie Dan, their eyes red and swollen.
Learning that so many children had gone missing at the county office only made their hearts sink further.
From the information they had gathered, none of the previously missing children had been found yet.
This news crushed their hopes.
"It's my fault, all my fault!" Unable to bear it any longer, Old Master Wang collapsed to the ground, weeping bitterly. Aunt Zhang also could not hold back her tears.
He shouldn't have brought the child along to work, and he definitely shouldn't have left the child alone.
Who could have foreseen that in the brief moment he turned away to fetch water, the child would be taken away?
Just in the blink of an eye...
Hearing Old Master Wang's words, Wang Sister-In-Law leaned weakly against Wang Big Brother, her eyes red but silent, only occasionally letting out muffled sobs that made one's heart tremble.
Like Old Master Wang, how could she not blame herself?
She had been watching all day, so why didn't she keep a closer eye?
...Rushing to the scene upon hearing that his young son was involved, the Prince of Nanyang gritted his teeth at the sight before him.
In the county office, the Old County Magistrate's face was ghastly pale, his brow covered in sweat as he faced the tearful Princess Consort of Nanyang seated above.
It was well known that their Yiyang Town was located in the southern frontier of the kingdom, near the sea and borders.
The Prince, who had been stationed at the southern border protecting the people for ten years, had guarded them day after day without fail.
Yet his only son had come to harm under his jurisdiction - he deserved to be executed ten times over in atonement.
"Princess Consort." The sudden voice made the Old County Magistrate tremble, kneeling even lower.
"Your humble servant greets the Prince."
"Prince, Chu'er... I lost him, I lost our Chu'er."
Hearing the familiar voice, the Princess Consort of Nanyang raised her head, as if finally finding solace, and flung herself at him, her long-suppressed tears finally spilling forth as her trembling voice choked with sobs.
Seeing his wife in such heartbreak, even the usually stoic Prince of Nanyang's eyes reddened, but he still held back his emotions, gently patting the Princess Consort's back to soothe her.
"I've ordered troops to seal off the surrounding towns. They won't be able to take Chu'er far, don't worry."
Hearing the Prince of Nanyang's words, a glimmer of hope shone in the Princess Consort's eyes, and she nodded, quickly composing herself as time was of the essence before her son was found.
Once the Princess Consort had regained her composure, the Prince of Nanyang turned to the Old County Magistrate.
"Your humble servant knows..."
"No need to admit fault. This is urgent - first tell me about these kidnappers, then dispatch men to join me in leading the troops to search."
Before the Old County Magistrate could finish, the Prince of Nanyang cut him off decisively, giving clear instructions.
"Yes." Hearing this, the Old County Magistrate quickly relayed the situation.
These kidnappers had appeared suddenly but acted resolutely, as if they had been prepared.
In a short time, nearly a hundred boys had gone missing from several surrounding towns within a hundred-mile radius.
They seemed to only target boys under eight years old.
Yiyang Town was the last to suffer missing children.
The kidnappers' methods were sophisticated, and they fled swiftly after each success, escaping in a cunning manner that was hard to guard against.
As soon as they sensed the situation was awry, they had notified the townsfolk to be on high alert and truthfully reported the matter to the imperial court.
The court had dispatched personnel, who would arrive within a couple of days, but it seemed this had only prompted the kidnappers to act hastily.
Hence the many children going missing from the same town on the same day.
"Around what time were the children taken today?" the Prince of Nanyang suddenly asked, listening intently.
"From noon until evening. The last was a child from Gu Family Village."
The Old County Magistrate remembered clearly the many parents who had come to report their missing children that day.
"Then there might still be time."
The Little Crown Prince had gone missing around noon. At that time, the Prince was handling matters in a nearby town. Upon receiving the news, he had immediately ordered the surrounding towns sealed off.
They should still be able to intercept the kidnappers.
With the situation so urgent, the Prince of Nanyang wasted no time in assembling his men to set off in pursuit.
...Meanwhile, at the town gate.
Seeing so many troops assembled outside, Luo Ge and the others stopped in their tracks.
From afar, they spotted the Old County Magistrate, Wang Sister-In-Law, and a group of weeping townsfolk, and quickly went over.
"Grandpa, Grandma, Father, Mother!" Tie Dan ran over upon seeing Wang Sister-In-Law and the others.
"Daddy, Mother." The Little Boy in Gu Jinchen's arms suddenly lit up, calling out.
The Little Boy had many wounds on his body, so he could not move much and needed to be carried. However, Luo Ge could not hold him for too long, so she handed him over to Gu Jinchen.
