The Lost Child's Return

The courtyard was in chaos. Vivian, dragging the still babbling old lantern, flustered, slapped Han family’s junior aunt twice.
Han family’s junior uncle rushed forward to help his wife, but was directly knocked to the ground by Han Yun Shu, who was known as the "Scholar Spear." The Han family heir tried to help his parents, but the Han family elders immediately signaled their bodyguards to block him, forcing him to kneel before the altar.
Han Yun Shu looked earnestly at Qi Gu, his voice filled with anticipation: “Great Master, what do you suggest we do now? Our child… is dead. This life must be redeemed. Otherwise, even if the child reincarnates, their fate will still be short-lived.”
Vivian nodded repeatedly, looking at Qi Gu along with the Han family elders, awaiting his solution.
Qi Gu closed his eyes. In his dark vision, countless complex, twisted threads appeared, invisible to ordinary people. These threads were so intricate that even sitting there for a day and a night might not reveal their origin and direction. Qi Gu, with just a glance, could instinctively discern where these curves came from and where they led.
However, the thread connected to the Han family’s kin, the thread belonging to the Han family’s infant son who had died many years ago, could not be found at this moment.
Qi Gu opened his eyes: “Bring a clear porcelain bowl of water, a map, four silver needles, and a bundle of sandalwood incense.”
The Han family members hurriedly urged the auntie nearby to fetch them.
Not long after, everything was prepared.
Qi Gu placed the porcelain bowl on the mahogany table in the center of the hall, then used the spiritual light on his fingertips to light the three sandalwood incenses brought to him. White smoke curled upwards. Qi Gu murmured an obscure incantation, held the incense, and bowed three times towards the bowl of water, then inserted the incense into the bowl.
An auntie nearby instinctively rushed forward, wanting to save the precious velvet rug and the mahogany tabletop.
But the three incense sticks stood perfectly straight in the bowl of water, burning silently without tilting.
Everyone present was shaken.
Qi Gu calmly said, “The four of you, step forward and drip blood into this porcelain bowl.”
Seeing Qi Gu’s profound divine abilities, the four Han family members dared not delay. They quickly stepped forward one by one, pricking their fingertips with silver needles and dripping blood into the bowl.
Fearing that dripping too little would not be effective, they asked Qi Gu if they needed to add more.
Qi Gu helplessly: “…No need to pour it out either.”
As Vivian finished dripping her blood, the chaotic blood threads in the bowl slowly spread and gathered. Finally, they crawled towards the incense sticks, dyeing them red. Even the white smoke emanating from the sandalwood turned a pale pink.
These scattered pale pink smoke wisps seemed to suddenly gain sentience, solidifying into a dense, compact mass that did not easily dissipate.
Then, they moved towards the map on the table.
The pale pink smoke hovered over the map. Qi Gu said, “The four of you, call out the child’s name together.”
The Han family members hurriedly called out the two words, “Han Song.”
Qi Gu did not tell them to stop, so they kept calling, calling until their mouths were dry.
And that pale pink smoke, under the binding call of kinship, slowly moved towards a block on the map, finally stopping there.
Qi Gu leaned over to look, his expression becoming a little subtle.
Han Song… turned out to be right in the city they were standing in!
Qi Gu pondered for a moment, then squeezed his middle finger, flicking a drop of spiritual blood towards the pale pink smoke. The smoke immediately struggled and stirred. Qi Gu quickly said, “Follow it closely, it can lead you to Han Song!”
The Han family members hurriedly instructed their drivers and bodyguards to obey. More than ten pairs of eyes present stared intently at that wisp of smoke.
This was their hope of finding Han Song!
Under everyone’s expectant gaze, the smoke flew around the spacious living room, then suddenly stopped above Qi Gu’s head.
Vivian cautiously said, “Great Master, is there something wrong with your smoke?”
Qi Gu paused for two seconds, then understood. He immediately pulled out the gourd at his waist and gently shook it.
A complete Pale Ghost fell out, landing on the ground, looking blankly at Qi Gu.
Qi Gu tried to smile at it: “Don’t be reserved, show your true form.”
The Pale Ghost always obeyed Qi Gu. Hearing him, it immediately honestly revealed its form before everyone.
It quickly recognized Vivian with her disheveled hair, remembering that she had once given it a small horse. So, it awkwardly twitched its mouth, giving Vivian a very forced smile.
Vivian’s gaze lingered on its bony, skeletal body and its large eyes, which seemed even more prominent due to its emaciation. Two streams of tears immediately gushed out.
This was… her Han Song!
The treasure that their entire family had doted on for years, how had he become like this?
“Is it really 87, is my smile that ugly?” The Pale Ghost, fearing its smile had frightened the kind auntie who gave it gifts, quickly apologized.
But Vivian didn’t understand its ghost language, only cried even more fiercely.
The Pale Ghost watched her cry, feeling a sharp pang in its small chest, and looked to Qi Gu for help.
Qi Gu used the fresh blood from his freshly squeezed wound and gently dabbed it on its forehead.
“Auntie, don’t cry anymore, I didn’t mean it…” The Pale Ghost cowered in place, its voice soft. It didn’t dare to step forward, afraid of frightening its kind auntie.
“My treasure, it’s mother, it’s mother!” Vivian finally couldn’t suppress the激动 emotions in her heart. With one arm, she pulled the Pale Ghost’s small body into her embrace.
Hot tears continuously fell on the Pale Ghost’s shoulder and cheek. The Pale Ghost thought blankly… So warm, is this what a hug feels like?
It had been in the cold water for too long; even when alive, it had never felt such warmth.
Mother… What is auntie saying?
Han Yun Shu and the Han family elders also rushed forward. The family of four tightly embraced the Pale Ghost, their tears almost engulfing it.
By the time everyone calmed down, half an hour had passed. The Pale Ghost roughly understood its situation.
Originally, it was not the disabled child who drowned, but the child of this kind auntie.
It was not a child born unloved, but merely had its fate swapped by a wicked person, forced onto a path that was not its own.
Vivian repeatedly caressed the Pale Ghost’s hand, which had only four fingers, and the wounds on it: “Does it hurt, does it hurt, my treasure? Were you very scared then? It’s all Mother’s fault, I shouldn’t have lost you…”
Han Yun Shu’s eyes were bloodshot, filled with ruthlessness. Under his coercion, the Han family’s uncle and aunt finally revealed the truth of that year.
Previously, they had sought a fortune teller for Han Jia Hao, learning that the child was born with a short-lived fate. They naturally did not want this. Later, learning that Han Song and Han Jia Hao had similar birth charts, they became tempted and bribed the fortune teller to swap the fates of the two children.
That fortune teller, due to years of carelessness and revealing heavenly secrets, had a son who was born with intellectual disabilities. To leave enough assets for his son to live out his life, he agreed to this.
After the fate swap was completed, he spat blood and died.
As for the nanny who took Han Song away… that was the short-lived fate that should have befallen Han Jia Hao, instead befalling Han Song.
As for why Han Song was missing a finger, leading to him being sold due to disability and drowning, they would have to wait until the nanny was caught and thoroughly interrogated.