Sang Que returned ho, made so arrangents, and had a good night’s sleep.
The next morning, Wu Cheng sent the train details; they were actually taking the high-speed train, departing around eleven a.m.
Sang Que packed a simple backpack, brought along the painting, and went to et her appointnt.
Wu Cheng knew that Sang Que had attracted the attention of the story relay group, as her mission was to protect Sang Wan precisely because of this.
This ti she used her authority to clear out a train carriage, ensuring that no one would enter before they arrived at their destination, and there wouldn’t be any caras or such. In case sothing happened, the train was also safer than a plane, as it could make an ergency stop.
Moreover, Sang Que was particularly careful on her way to the high-speed train station, and the train set off smoothly.
"Are you really sure you want to co back with ? I’m not certain whether you’ll encounter any danger after returning."
On the way, Wu Cheng saw Sang Que looking indifferent and couldn’t help but ask.
Sang Que was trying to catch up on her delayed howork, and hearing Wu Cheng’s question, she, already annoyed, asked again, "Whose side are you on, anyway?"
Wu Cheng fell silent, and after a mont, she slowly began to speak.
"They told that you and I are of the sa clan, that you were stolen and abandoned outside. Given that, let briefly explain the situation in Wu Family Village. The village always had two surnas; ninety percent of the people are surnad Wu, and a few are surnad Wu, but they are all males who live in the ancient house in the mountains and almost never co out. I heard from my mom that those with the surna Wu would send a few boys out every few years, leaving them to be raised by the villagers."
"We, the Wu surna people, are actually the descendants of those boys who ca out of the ancient house. And about every twenty years, the village must select an adult male to be sent to the ancient house in the mountains, saying that this ensures the prosperity of the village for generations. My mom also said that in the past, people in our village, regardless of gender, were not allowed to leave the village, and those who did rarely lived past the age of thirty."
"My mom also told that people in our village all carry a kind of illness, which can stay dormant for their entire life if they stay in the village without causing any problems. But if they leave the village, this illness will slowly worsen, making them seem schizophrenic. Later, through generations of breeding, this latent illness lightened."
"Even if village people leave, they start showing symptoms gradually after turning sixteen, and at this ti, as long as they return to the village and stay for a while, the symptoms can slowly decrease. Right now, I experience periods each year where I beco irritable and angry, sotis having hallucinations and hearing things. It feels like I’m possessed by a spirit, seeing everyone around as terrifying, out to harm ."
"But as long as I return to the village for a month, I can calm down. I’ve even had people from a research institute examine , and nothing can be detected even at the genetic level. You’re almost eighteen; I don’t know if you’ve had these symptoms, but if you have, perhaps a trip back to the village might be beneficial for you. Yet, I always feel you’re sowhat different from ."
Sang Que closed her workbook, leaning back against the chair, "Do the people at the research institute know about Wu Family Village?"
Wu Cheng shook her head, "Our village only has this bit of oddity; it could be due to regional influence, or maybe it’s the village elders who always tell these stories to the kids, causing a collective psychological disorder over ti. It’s not like there’s haunting either; the research institute doesn’t have the ti or resources to investigate such things. Moreover, I rember in my childhood, so scholars did co to the village, but they left without any conclusions."
"Are there ghosts in the village?" Sang Que asked.
Wu Cheng adjusted her sitting position to face Sang Que, "Funny you should ask, that’s the part I find most peculiar. Before I joined the research institute, I didn’t think much of it. But after learning about these mysterious forces in the world, I suddenly realized our village is surprisingly ’clean.’ In most places, wandering souls appear when people die, but these entities generally pose no threat and dissipate themselves within a week or so."
"But in our village, when people die, they are truly gone without any trace of ’souls.’ Last year, during a vacation back ho, an elder relative of mine passed away. I made sure to observe, and after their death, there was absolutely nothing. My mom told that it’s the people from the ancient house in the mountain who protect the village from evil spirits."
"Have you ever been to the ancient house you ntioned?" Sang Que continued to ask.
"As a mischievous child, of course, I was curious. A few friends and I went to the mountains to look for it but got lost without finding it, and later we were severely punished."
What Wu Cheng knew pertained only to the regular Wu Family Village; she had only heard about the people surnad Wu from the ancient house in the mountains from the village elders, never witnessing them herself.
After joining the research institute, the villagers assud she’d joined the army, feeling proud yet cautiously reserved towards her.
This ti, the village chief approached Wu Cheng, saying that Sang Que was a bloodline lost outside from the village, and explicitly ntioned that people from the ancient house in the mountain wanted Sang Que to return.
In fact, Wu Cheng hadn’t told anyone nor paid much attention to what Sang Wan previously said about Sang Que’s origins.
Only after the village chief brought it up did she realize that Sang Que might indeed be from their village.
Wu Cheng treated this matter with gravity, concerned about potential dangers Sang Que might face.
She had heard from many village elders that anyone who entered the ancient house in the mountain never returned, and considering Sang Que had earlier helped save Zheng Xuan in the Southern Ocean, she was quite conflicted.
If she didn’t bring Sang Que back, her parents might have a hard ti in the village, sothing the village chief hinted at.
If she did bring Sang Que back, it felt like betraying her benefactor.
So, during the journey, Wu Cheng tried to tell Sang Que everything she knew for so peace of mind.
The journey took six hours, followed by various transfers, heading for Lishi Mountain, where there are many tourist attractions lined with tour buses.
"Our village is also developing tourism now, with quite a number of tourists."
After several transfers, they finally arrived at Wu Family Village before nightfall.
It’s a small village nestled at the foot of a mountain, with ancient stone carvings standing quietly at the entrance. The traditional buildings are staggered, wooden doors, and windows adorned with exquisite carvings, though faded, still showcase the artisans’ smart design.
Stone-paved alleys connect the ancient houses. By the lake, the humid walls are covered in moss, enhancing the primitive atmosphere.
Alongside the main street by the lake, tourists bustled. There were also quite a few bars by the street, already setting up tables and chairs to start their business.
This was completely different from what Sang Que imagined; she had thought it would be an isolated place.
Yet, since entering the village, she indeed felt sothing strange. Despite not hearing any sound, she felt as if sothing was calling her, a compelling sense that seed to emanate from the verdant forest stretching behind the village.
"I’ll take you to my place first. My family runs a guesthouse, and I’ve asked my mom to leave a room free."
Sang Que did not refuse; she needed so ti to prepare before heading into the mountains.
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