Twelve years after he was first declared missing, Peng Yangwu, 41, was found in a vegetable market in the Huangpu district of Guangzhou, Guangdong province. He was discovered in the market on Aug. 27.

Peng, originally from the village of Daowu in Liuyang, Hunan province, was begging on his knees with a speaker on his back when he was recognized by a fellow villager. His feet had been cut off, and the stumps were covered by a pair of rubber rain shoes.

The villager reported his sighting of Peng to the police and sought help from vendors at the market. At one point a man appeared and attempted to take Peng away, but the local police arrived in time to stop the man.

Peng's family received the news at 12 p.m. the same day. Two of his family members, together with the village head, escorted Peng back to his hometown.

According to the Guangzhou Police Bureau, Peng claims that he suffered from a disease that required him to have his feet amputated. However, in light of the fact that Peng suffers from mental illness and owns next to nothing despite years of begging, his family believes he was coerced by others and forced to beg.

Currently, the Guangzhou police are investigating the case.