TEFSCBSS Chapter 56

Chapter 56: Let’s Go, Come With Me to See the Village Chief

“Uh… yeah, I brought it.”

Zhao Wen wiped the cold sweat off his forehead and was about to take out the special weapon from his coat when Wang Bokao quickly grabbed his arm.

“Not yet. Just remember, the three of us have to stick together no matter what.”

“Gu Qing, you handle the exorcism. You take the weapon, and I’ll look for clues. We need to move fast and clear this as soon as possible.”

He spoke in a hushed tone, just loud enough for the three of them to hear. On the other side, Wan Niang glanced at him and thought to herself, Are all these rich boys this timid?

“You three, stop whispering. If you have something to discuss, do it openly.”

The three of them quickly shook their heads.

“Fine, then. Zhao Gongzi, Gu Gongzi, why don’t you share what you know as well?”

Zhao Wen didn’t hide anything and told everyone the information he had learned from childhood stories.

When it was Gu Qing’s turn, however, his expression turned serious.

“Wan Niang, you just said your parents disappeared when you were young, right? Do you remember anything unusual about them before they vanished?”

“Unusual?” Wan Niang looked puzzled. “Not really. They disappeared when I was still a kid—I barely remember anything.”

Gu Qing paused for a moment before speaking. “My parents disappeared too.”

“Huh? I thought your backstory said you were raised by the village?” Wang Bokao instinctively backed away from Gu Qing, surprised to find yet another suspicious character hiding in their midst.

“…I still had to be born by someone, didn’t I? They disappeared after I was born, leaving me in a ruined temple. The villagers found me and raised me.”

“My father was a local—he was the village doctor. My mother, from what I heard, was a refugee from outside the mountains. No one here knew her. She was rescued by my father, and they got together after that.”

“That’s all I know. But according to the village elders, my father was a kind-hearted man who always helped others, and my mother was beautiful. She rarely went outside, though—you’d hardly see her even a few times a year.”

“But despite that, they vanished without a trace. No one could understand why.”

“My father was the only doctor in the nearby villages at the time. When he disappeared, people mourned him for a long time. I grew up hearing stories about him.”

“I’ve always wanted to find them, to understand why they abandoned me and left the village they had lived in for so long. So when I turned ten, I traveled all across these mountains, visiting every village I could, but I never found any trace of them.”

“Then, years later, the oldest person in our village passed away. I was called back to help with the funeral.”

“Oh, right—I specialize in funerals. I’m a craftsman of sorts. I’m in my twenties now and have seen my fair share of life and death, love and separation.”

…Wow, that’s a weird flex. Also, why would a funeral specialist become a traveling merchant? What, do you sell both burial supplies and candied hawthorn skewers?

Ignoring the judgmental looks from the others, Gu Qing continued, “When I returned, the old woman’s son sought me out. He told me he might know where my parents had gone.”

“He said that back when my parents got married, his mother was the one who helped my mother do her hair. My mother told her she was from a place called Shanshi Village.”

“That was my only clue about my parents’ whereabouts. So, when Zhao Wen said he was heading to Shanshi Village and needed a merchant’s apprentice, I immediately signed up.”

Everyone nodded, understanding now why he had come. Wan Niang, however, seemed lost in thought.

“Now that you mention it… I don’t think my mother was from around here either…”

“My father and my aunt’s family were distant relatives, which was pretty normal in a small village like ours. But my mother was an outsider—my father brought her back from one of his trips, and he never really explained how they met.”

(Note: The term ‘Five Generations’ refers to five generations up or down from oneself, essentially meaning extended family relationships in the village.)

“But my aunt told me something strange. She said my father seemed to have a bad memory—my mother’s name was Liao Xue, but he always called her ‘Little Lingzhi.’”

“Little Lingzhi was a kid from a village way over on the other side of the mountains. When she was young, she once found a lingzhi mushroom and sold it for a good amount of money. Ever since then, people called her ‘Little Lingzhi.’ But she passed away when she was still very young.”

“My aunt said my father had always been especially fond of Little Lingzhi when they were kids. He never got over her, not even when he was old enough to be called a bachelor. Then, one day, he suddenly met my mother.”

“But even after that, he kept calling the wrong name. Wasn’t that just unfair to my mother?”

Hiss— This was getting weirder and weirder. Wang Bokao suddenly remembered the “substitute love” trope that Su Li had mentioned to them before and quickly asked, “Did your aunt ever say if Liao Xue looked like Little Lingzhi?”

“Uh, no. And my aunt said Little Lingzhi was dark-skinned, like a little mudfish, while Liao Xue was as pale as snow. They looked nothing alike.”

Everyone fell into deep thought again. Something wasn’t adding up. It seemed like everyone had their reason for coming to Shanshi Village, and somehow, they were all connected to it in some way.

This isolated village—why did it feel like a shadow looming over this entire mountain range?

As the thought crossed their minds, everyone turned to look at Jiang Liang.

“You’ve been listening for a while now. It’s your turn to talk—why are you here? What are you looking for?”

Jiang Liang scoffed. “And why should I tell you?”

Seeing the increasingly unfriendly expressions on everyone’s faces, Jiang Liang finally relented—after all, he was outnumbered.

“Well… um… my elder relative died here. Before passing, they left a final wish for their descendants to retrieve their body and bring them home for a proper burial.”

But instead of clearing up the confusion, his explanation only made things even messier.

Everyone had their own story. On the surface, they seemed unrelated, with only a few small connections here and there. But in the end, the script was clear—everything they were looking for would lead back to Shanshi Village.

Jiang Liang’s eyes darted around. “Wang Bokao, are you just here because you accepted my request? You have no connection to Shanshi Village?”

Oh, right! The others suddenly had a realization. The five of them all had reasons to come to Shanshi Village—so how was it possible that Wang Bokao was the only one without a connection?

“I…” Wang Bokao stammered, clearly unwilling to explain.

“Come on, say it. Why’d you suddenly go quiet? Weren’t you always so loud and cocky?” Jiang Liang sneered.

“Hey—hey! What’s with you guys?! We’re supposed to be allies! Don’t let this random newcomer stir up trouble between us!”

Zhao Wen, however, didn’t let it go. “That may be true, but Wang Bokao, why did you come here?”

“Ugh, stop asking!” Wang Bokao stood up abruptly. “I’ll tell you guys eventually! But now isn’t the right time!”

“I can only say one thing—there’s way more to this than you think!”

“I’m keeping quiet for your sake. Just stay close to me when the time comes—I’m a bodyguard, after all. I’ll make sure you’re all safe.”

The others didn’t believe him and were about to press further when suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed from outside the Earth God Temple.

Everyone tensed and huddled together, staring toward the entrance as a figure slowly emerged from the thick fog.

“Hmm… good. You’re all still here—none missing.”

The newcomer was none other than Zhao Si, disguised as the traveling merchant. But now, the woven box that had been strapped to his shoulder was gone, and his posture had finally straightened.

“I’ve spoken with the village chief. He’s busy right now and doesn’t have time to meet you, but he’s arranged for some villagers to host you for the night.”

He lingered just outside the temple, glancing at its dilapidated structure before waving them over. “Come on, follow me. I’ll take you there.”

“It’s going to be dark soon. You can’t spend the night in this ruined temple—the wind here is strong, there are wild animals, and without a door, it’s not safe.”

Hearing that, everyone quickly followed the merchant. His face relaxed into a slight smile as he walked ahead. “Let me tell you a bit about this village…”

Meanwhile, behind them, a forgotten paper lantern—one that had been left hanging—had gone out at some point without anyone noticing.