Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 172

That morning, a new face appeared in Yangshupo Village. He looks about fourteen or fifteen years old, carrying a basket of goods on his back. He stands under the big poplar tree in the village, looking around with a confused expression.

“Hey, young man, who are you? What brings you to our village?” An old man, returning from weeding his fields with a hoe slung over his shoulder, notices the unfamiliar face and asks curiously.

“Grandpa, my name is Zhang Quan. I’m here to visit relatives today,” the boy replies. It is none other than Zhang Quan, who has decided to come to Yangshupo to investigate the suspicious clues.

The old man becomes interested. “You’re here to visit relatives, but you don’t remember where your family lives?”

Zhang Quan scratches his head and gives a sheepish smile. “I came here with my mother when I was little. This time, my aunt just had a baby, but my mother was busy, so she sent me on my own. I can’t quite remember how to get there.”

“There are only two families in the village who’ve recently had a baby. Whose relative are you?” the old man asks.

Zhang Quan replies, “My aunt’s husband’s family name is Tian. He’s the second in his family, so everyone calls him Tian Lao’er.”

Hearing a familiar name, the old man breaks into a smile. “Ah, so it’s their family! Come with me; I’ll take you there.”

Zhang Quan is overjoyed and quickly says, “Grandpa, just pointing me in the right direction is enough. I wouldn’t dare trouble you to guide me.”

The old man chuckles. “If it were any other family, I wouldn’t take you there. But I just happen to be neighbors with the Tians. Since it’s on my way, why not go together?”

Zhang Quan gives an awkward smile and obediently follows the old man into the village.

Along the way, many villagers stop to ask questions. Each time, the old man explains briefly. Before long, word spreads throughout the village: a relative of Tian Lao’er’s wife has come to visit.

Zhang Quan greets everyone with a cheerful smile but feels secretly alarmed. He hadn’t realized before how quickly news travels in the village. No wonder Lord Pei is hesitant to act rashly. In a place like this, not only does news of a person entering the village spread instantly, but even a dog’s arrival is known to all within moments.

In truth, Zhang Quan hasn’t forgotten the way. When he visited a few years ago, he was already old enough to remember. The mountain path his father took him down is still vivid in his memory after just one trip. There is no reason for him to forget the way now.

His real intent is to ensure that everyone in the village knows an outsider has arrived—including the person who might be keeping watch here.

They walk slowly, and by the time they arrive at the Tian family, someone has already informed them of the visitor.

Hearing that He Xiaoyun’s relatives have come to visit, Tian Lao’er quickly comes out to greet him. The moment he sees Zhang Quan, he recognizes him immediately.

“Quan boy, you’re here! How’s your mother doing lately?” Tian Lao’er asks, his eyes lighting up. Zhang Quan’s appearance hasn’t changed much over the years, and Tian Lao’er remembers this nephew, who used to stick close to his wife, very clearly.

“Uncle, my mother’s doing well! I heard Aunt Xiaoyun had a baby, so I came to visit my little cousin.” Zhang Quan replies warmly, genuinely pleased to see the kind-hearted man.

“Come on in! Xiaoyun knows you’re here and is inside preparing some snacks.” According to their customs, when relatives from the wife’s family visit, they must serve two poached eggs as a treat—regardless of age—or it would be considered impolite.

“Alright!” Zhang Quan says, then turns to thank the old man who showed him the way. Tian Lao’er also expresses his gratitude to Old Wu before leading Zhang Quan inside.

It has been a long time since the aunt and nephew last saw each other, and both are filled with emotion. He Xiaoyun cries for a while and then begins asking about her family. Her husband’s family lives relatively far away, and she only manages to visit her hometown briefly on rare occasions. Over the past two or three years, she hasn’t gone back at all due to her family’s elders falling ill. Now, finally seeing someone from her family, she can’t hold back her longing.

Zhang Quan shares everything he knows in great detail. While he comes to the village with an investigation in mind, he is also genuinely concerned about his aunt.

In addition to the old hen and eggs his mother sends, he brings a delicate silver bracelet as a present for Aunt Xiaoyun’s child.

He Xiaoyun is touched by his thoughtfulness and insists that he stay for a few days. Without waiting for him to respond, she begins tidying up a room for him, leaving him no chance to refuse. Naturally, this suits Zhang Quan perfectly. He makes a token protest before settling in.

During the first couple of days, Zhang Quan refrains from wandering around too much and stays at his aunt’s house. Casually, he asks questions about Yangshupo, but the Tian family doesn’t have much to share. They mostly talk about the types of goods that can be found in the nearby mountains.

During this time, villagers often stop by the Tian family’s house, subtly or overtly probing about Zhang Quan’s background. Zhang Quan can’t tell if any of them are informants, so he only shares unimportant details about himself. Occasionally, he turns the tables and asks them questions, but he doesn’t gain any valuable information.

Realizing that this approach isn’t yielding results, Zhang Quan decides to try another tactic.

He sets his sights on the Tian family’s son, a boy named Tian Bao, who is twelve years old—close to his own age. Boys that age are full of curiosity, bold, and might notice things that adults overlook.

After impressing Tian Bao by demonstrating his bird-hunting skills, the boy becomes attached to him.

Zhang Quan deliberately piques Tian Bao’s curiosity before casually hinting that he finds the village boring and is thinking of heading back early. Tian Bao is alarmed—how could that work? If Zhang Quan leaves, who will teach him bird-hunting skills? Determined to keep Zhang Quan around, Tian Bao racks his brain and offers to take him to the most exciting places he knows in the village.

But no matter where they go, Zhang Quan seems unimpressed, showing little enthusiasm and refusing to display his bird-hunting skills again.

Frustrated, Tian Bao grits his teeth and says, “Brother Quan, I know a really fun place, but the question is, do you dare to go?”

Zhang Quan glances at him casually and replies, “You always say that, but the places you’ve taken me so far have been pretty disappointing. Are you serious this time?”

Tian Bao, slightly annoyed, responds, “I swear, this place is unlike anything you’ve ever seen.”

“Alright,” Zhang Quan says, “I’ll believe you one more time. But if it’s not fun, I really will leave.”

Relieved, Tian Bao quickly agrees, setting a time to meet outside the gate after lunch.

When the time comes, Zhang Quan follows Tian Bao, who leads him up a small path into the mountains.

Zhang Quan can’t help feeling a little excited. Although no one has gone missing in Yangshupo, villagers are still reluctant to let youngsters roam the mountains freely.

A couple of days earlier, when Zhang Quan goes up the mountain with his uncle, Tian Lao’er, the man practically keeps him tethered to his waist. Any time he strays even a few steps away, he is immediately called back, leaving him no chance to investigate anything.

Tian Bao seems cautious the entire way, frequently looking around to ensure no one is following them. Only after confirming they are alone does he relax.

“Where are you taking me?” Zhang Quan suddenly asks, startling Tian Bao so badly he nearly jumps.

Recovering, Tian Bao complains, “Brother Quan, if you keep scaring me like that, I’ll stop showing you the way.”

“What’s so mysterious about this place? If you don’t take me, I’ll ask my uncle to lead me there,” Zhang Quan teases.

Tian Bao smirks triumphantly. “Your uncle can’t take you there. This place was discovered by us kids, and only we can go there. Adults aren’t allowed.”

Zhang Quan’s curiosity deepens. Seeing that Tian Bao is deliberately keeping the secret, he stops pressing and simply follows.

They continue walking for some time. The small path gradually becomes overgrown with wild grass, and eventually, a rocky cliff looms ahead, seemingly blocking their way. Just when it appears they have reached a dead end, Tian Bao grins smugly. He pushes aside a clump of weeds at the base of the cliff, revealing a hidden cave.

The cave entrance is no larger than a dog hole. At fifteen, Zhang Quan’s build is still lean enough that he can crawl through without much difficulty.

“Xiao Bao, the fun place you mentioned… it can’t possibly be this, right?” Zhang Quan sighs in frustration. He shouldn’t have expected much from a kid—being brought here to crawl through a dog hole of all things.

Tian Bao, seeing Zhang Quan’s unimpressed expression, snorts disdainfully and says, “Hmph, just follow me inside, and you’ll see. You’ll be impressed for sure!” With that, he crouches down, knees to the ground, and quickly crawls into the hole using both hands.

Zhang Quan sighs again and reluctantly follows.

His build is larger than Tian Bao’s, making the crawl more difficult. He can even feel the sting of minor scrapes on both sides of his body. But to Zhang Quan, such small injuries are nothing. What bothers him more is the pitch-black environment, which feels unsettling. Guided only by the sound of Tian Bao ahead, he continues crawling, feeling like there is no end in sight.

Fortunately, after a while, Tian Bao speaks up, “Brother Quan, we’re almost there.”

Encouraged, Zhang Quan quickens his pace. Sure enough, after rounding a bend, he notices a faint light ahead.

“Clang! Clang! Clang!”

As soon as he crawls out of the cave, the sound of metal striking echoes in his ears. Zhang Quan thinks it sounds like blacksmithing or a hoe hitting a rock during farming.

He looks around, but all he can see are steep cliffs. There is nothing else in sight. It turns out the small cave leads to a narrow platform halfway up the mountain. The platform, about half an acre in size, is flanked by sheer cliffs on either side. Below is a dizzying drop, and above is an overhanging cliff face. Opposite the platform stands another tall mountain.

On the platform are remnants of campfires and a crude cooking setup. Zhang Quan thinks to himself, Could this be where the bandits hide out? But he quickly dismisses the idea, as Tian Bao casually walks over to some rocks and pulls out a small bundle hidden between them. Opening it, he reveals a stash of salt.

“This is a place I discovered with a few others. You can’t tell anyone about it,” Tian Bao says. Here, they can do whatever they please. Every few days, they sneak over, sometimes even bringing food to share.

“I won’t tell anyone. But… have you been hearing that noise?” Zhang Quan asks, glancing around. The platform is wide open, and the only unusual thing is the intermittent clanging sound.

“Oh, that sound? We’ve gotten used to it—it happens every time we’re here and lasts for a while,” Tian Bao replies, his eyes suddenly gleaming mischievously. “Some people say it’s the vengeful spirit of a ghost dragging iron chains through the mountain, coming to claim lives. Brother Quan, are you scared?”

“You’ve all listened to it for so long without any issues, so what do I have to be afraid of?” Zhang Quan replies casually, tilting his head to listen more closely.

Tian Bao pouts, feeling it is no longer fun, and wanders off to tinker with the makeshift stove.

The “clang, clang” sound seems to be coming from the opposite side, yet at times, it also seems to rise from the depths below. The noise isn’t constant—it suddenly stops without warning before resuming again.

Zhang Quan listens intently, staying in the same position even as Tian Bao grows bored, falls asleep, and wakes up again.

“Brother Quan, let’s head back,” Tian Bao says impatiently.

“Sure, let’s go,” Zhang Quan agrees.

“Are you still planning to leave?” Tian Bao asks, having shared the secret of this place with Zhang Quan in hopes of learning his bird-hunting skills.

Zhang Quan ruffles Tian Bao’s hair and says, “Not yet. I’ll stay a few more days.”

Tian Bao grins happily, not noticing the faint excitement on Zhang Quan’s face.

After listening for so long, Zhang Quan is certain—the sound is coming from the bottom of the mountain. Someone has to be down there!

That night, when the covert operative sent by Pei Che arrives to rendezvous with Zhang Quan, they are met with this thrilling news.

The operative is so elated they nearly abandon Yangshupo on the spot to rush back to the prefecture capital and report it to Pei Che.