Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 173

Early the next morning, the secret guard quietly descends the mountain and heads straight to the provincial city to report the information gathered the previous night to Pei Che.

Pei Che isn’t as surprised by the news as one might expect. After all, it has taken him a long time to pinpoint Yangshupo as the critical location. Nevertheless, he is pleased that Zhang Quan has managed to uncover clues in just a few days.

“Take stock of our personnel and set up an ambush on the outskirts of Yangshupo. At the break of dawn, when the light is still dim, bypass the village and enter the mountain from the side.”

“Yes!”

After the secret guard leaves, Pei Che also exits the yamen and returns to their residence in the area.

At that time, Jiang Miao is busy sorting through the supplies sent from the capital.

Some of the items come from the Duke’s Residence, while others are sent by the Feng family. These two parties send a cart of goods every month, seemingly worried that Pei Che and his group won’t adapt well to life in Cangzhou. Occasionally, Pei Che’s brothers also send a cartload of the latest trendy items from Liangjing. Jiang Miao muses that they must fear Pei Che will lose touch with the capital’s fashion trends after being away for too long.

Among the three who stay in the capital, Han Qin has always been more interested in business ventures. After taking the imperial exams to appease his family, he promptly goes to the Ministry of Personnel to remove his name from this year’s list of appointments. Unless his father genuinely becomes angry, he has no intention of leaving Liangjing.

Su Jin, on the other hand, has wanted to explore places outside Liangjing like Pei Che. However, when the appointments are being made, the Grand Princess falls ill. Her illness drags on for over half a month, and Su Jin, unwilling to leave her side, ultimately decides to stay in Liangjing.

As for He Chen, his ambition has always been to follow in his father’s footsteps. Before even taking the exams, he secures an internal recommendation and starts familiarizing himself with his duties at the Censorate. After the exams, he smoothly transitions into an official role there.

“Why are you back so early?” Jiang Miao glances at Pei Che curiously, though he doesn’t stop his hands, continuing to unload the supplies diligently.

At first, Jiang Miao isn’t too keen on inventorying the shipments, but he later discovers it is as thrilling as unboxing a surprise package, making the anticipation and excitement utterly addictive.

Pei Che steps forward, taking the items from Jiang Miao’s hands. “There’s news.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Miao instructs Chan Yi and Wen Jing to lead the others in unloading the rest of the supplies while he claps his hands clean and follows Pei Che back to the room.

“So, there’s really something fishy about Yangshupo? That Zhang Quan kid is quite capable, huh! What did he find?” Jiang Miao eagerly asks.

Pei Che pulls Jiang Miao down to sit, pours him a cup of tea, and places it in front of him, gesturing for him to cool off first. After being out in the sun for so long, Jiang Miao’s face is already covered in sweat.

Jiang Miao picks up the cup and drinks it in one gulp, then says, “Can you talk now?”

Pei Che replies, “Zhang Quan reports that there’s a cliff wall at the back of Yangshupo. Hidden on the cliff is a cave just large enough for a youth to crawl through. Following the tunnel inside for about half a cup of tea’s time, you’ll reach the end. At the end is a flat area about an acre wide, and below it lies an unfathomably deep chasm. From that spot, strange noises can be heard coming from the bottom of the cliff.”

Jiang Miao’s interest is immediately piqued. With the combination of keywords like deep mountains, cliffs, and strange noises, he can imagine countless scenarios. He quickly asks, “What kind of strange noises?”

“A banging sound,” Pei Che imitates the noise. “That secret guard who reports back this morning describes it as something like that.”

“Clanging, like the sound of hitting something?” Jiang Miao guesses, lightly tapping the table with the bottom of his cup. However, the sound is far from the one Pei Che described.

“Zhang Quan only hears the sound echoing continuously from below, but he can’t figure out exactly what it is. Still, he’s certain it’s made by people,” Pei Che says.

“Making that kind of noise at the bottom of a cliff… Could they be digging for treasure?” Jiang Miao speculates casually.

Pei Che’s eyes flicker. “It’s not impossible.”

The two stop guessing after a while. After all, the truth will depend on the investigation results from the group heading out tomorrow.

…

The place called Yangshupo gets its name for two reasons. First, the area is filled with poplar tree roots, and second, the mountains there are very tall, with Yangshupo located halfway up the slope. Initially, it’s called Yangshugang, but the villagers think the name sounds too elevated, which isn’t ideal for a poor place that already struggles to attract brides. They unanimously agree to call it Yangshupo instead, as it sounds less lofty.

(Translator’s Notes: 坡 (pō): Refers to a gentle slope, suggesting accessibility and livability, often tied to settlements or agriculture. 冯 (gāng): Refers to a prominent ridge, implying steepness and a more imposing, less approachable terrain. This is why the villagers prefer “坡” over “冈” to downplay the area’s elevation and make it sound more accessible.)

This self-deceptive tactic leaves many young women and brides feeling cheated, but once they’re married, what can they do?

Fortunately, aside from its high altitude and difficult roads, Yangshupo isn’t a bad place. Its location in the mountains makes gathering mountain goods particularly convenient, and relying on the resources from the mountain, most families can stay fed year-round.

When they forage for mountain goods, their footprints cover nearly the entire mountain, but there’s one place almost no one ever visits. Even children like Tian Bao never consider venturing down to the bottom of the valley to explore, as they grow up hearing a particular story.

It is said that during the unrest of the previous dynasty, a group of bandits comes to Yangshupo. They commit every imaginable atrocity—burning, looting, and killing as they go, abusing men and women from all villages alike. Yangshupo is no exception.

The villagers suffer greatly but are powerless to resist, forced to endure the bandits’ tyranny. This miserable, subhuman existence lasts for about three months.

Then one day, a group of soldiers in official uniforms quietly ascends the mountain and captures the bandits, binding their hands and feet.

The villagers are overjoyed. Upon inquiry, they discover that a teenage boy from the village has managed to sneak away unnoticed. By sheer luck, he encounters the soldiers on a nearby road and guides them back to Yangshupo.

The bandits, guilty of countless crimes, are dealt with swiftly, as the prisons are already overcrowded due to the ongoing war. The soldiers decide to take them to the cliffside, where they push them off one by one.

The bandits’ screams echo through the air, but for the villagers of Yangshupo, it is a moment of celebration, as if it were the New Year. Anyone witnessing their enemies’ punishment would feel the same joy.

However, not long after, strange occurrences begin. Someone reports hearing wailing sounds and seeing white shadows near the area at night. That person falls ill the next day and dies shortly after.

The rumors spread quickly. People begin to say that the spirits of those wrongfully killed by the bandits have turned into vengeful ghosts, seeking retribution. The story grows more exaggerated with each retelling, and the area eventually becomes forbidden. Every generation warns their descendants never to set foot there.

This is why, when Zhang Quan hears the “clanging” sounds, Tian Bao uses the story of vengeful ghosts to scare him. It also explains why, despite hearing the strange noises for so long, none of the local children dare to investigate the valley together.

Zhang Quan, however, is unaware of this legend, but even if he had known, he would still have gone.

After a restless night, he sets out just before dawn, climbing over a low wall in the courtyard and leaping out using a nearby tree for support.

He goes to the prearranged meeting spot with the secret guards and mimics the calls of birds. Sure enough, several figures emerge from a hidden location.

“Brothers, let’s get going. I’ll take you there now,” Zhang Quan says, his face brimming with excitement. He feels as though he is getting closer to finding his father.

“Thank you, young brother,” replies An San, the leader of the guards.

The group moves through the forest and underbrush in the dim morning light. The path is treacherous, infested with snakes, insects, rats, and other hazards. A moment of carelessness could result in injury, which is why they haven’t chosen to travel during the night.

After walking for some time, Zhang Quan leads them to the cliffside. He has already informed An San that the cave entrance is narrow, so among the group is someone particularly small and slender.

Zhang Quan is the first to crawl into the cave, followed closely by the smaller guard, who manages to enter even more easily than Zhang Quan.

The remaining secret guards, including An San, stay outside to investigate the surrounding area, searching for anything unusual. They also follow the cliff face, hoping to find a path leading to the bottom of the ravine.

Once the sun has fully risen, movement can be heard from the cave. The slender guard, An Wu, crawls out and reports to An San that the strange noises he mentioned can indeed be heard inside. He preliminarily identifies the sound as that of metal striking stone.

With this information confirmed, the next steps are beyond what Zhang Quan can be involved in. An San sends a disappointed Zhang Quan back to Tian Lao’er’s house before rejoining the others.

They have already discovered that there is no path leading to the bottom of the ravine from this side. In fact, the mountain is so large that apart from the area Zhang Quan describes, it is impossible to even see the bottom of the ravine from anywhere else.

Would they have to send An Wu back into the cave and have him climb down from the platform? That would be too dangerous—if something happens to him, there would be no one to assist.

For a moment, everyone is lost in thought.

An Wu glances at the group and says, “Let me climb down. I noticed earlier that the cliff face is covered with plenty of vegetation. As long as I hold on to them carefully, I’m sure I can make it to the bottom.”

An San objects, “No. For one, there’s no guarantee that the vegetation on the cliff can support your weight. And second, the distance to the bottom is several hundred zhang. Can you be certain you won’t lose your grip or strength and fall to your death along the way?”

An Wu is about to argue when An San continues, “Even if you do make it to the bottom, you have no idea what’s down there. If you’re discovered, it might alert the enemy and ruin the heir’s plans.”

Bringing up Pei Che leaves An Wu with no retort. The group thinks for a while longer and eventually comes up with two potential plans:

1. Climb to the top of the mountain, where they can look down and see the ravine’s bottom.
2. Descend the mountain and circle around its base to find a way to the bottom.

Ultimately, they decide on the second option. Even if they can see the ravine’s bottom from the peak, it would be too high to climb down. Before leaving, An Wu re-enters the cave and hangs a piece of red cloth in a conspicuous spot to mark the location, ensuring they won’t lose their bearings later.

Fearing they might encounter villagers if they descend during the day, the group stays on the mountain until dusk before taking a detour to avoid the village and heading downhill at a quicker pace once out of sight.

The mountain is vast, so they split into two groups, starting from opposite directions. Whichever team first spots the red cloth will send word to the other to regroup.

However, the mountain range seems endless. After a day of searching, they feel as though they are going in circles. There is no sign of the red cloth, let alone the bottom of the ravine.

After another day of walking, someone suddenly looks around and exclaims, “Boss, this place feels familiar. I think I’ve been here before!”

An San frowns at the comment and asks, “What do you mean?”

The man scratches his head and says, “It just seems familiar, like I’ve passed through here before.”

“Could it be… a ghostly maze?!” someone speculates.

An San immediately shoots a glare at the speaker. “Stop spouting nonsense! Does anyone else find this place familiar?”

The group falls silent. Just as An San is about to speak, the man who first mentioned the familiarity speaks up again.

“It’s not a ghostly maze! I really have been here before!” He stares excitedly at a certain spot. Everyone follows his gaze and sees a tree with what appears to be a knife mark on it.

“That’s my mark. Before we entered Cangzhou, you told me to catch a rabbit, Boss. I ended up chasing one all the way here. While I was trying to catch it, I noticed a snake on that tree. I threw my knife at it and killed the snake, leaving that scar on the tree.”

An San walks over to examine the knife mark. The edges bear the telltale jagged traces of their issued blades, confirming that the mark had indeed been made by one of their knives.

Could this mean they are already near the path they took earlier? Thinking back to how the heavy rain had washed away parts of the mountain trail at the start of their journey, An San can’t help but sigh.