Chapter 74 – The Truth

The so-called haunted house mentioned by the middle-aged women wasn’t too far from the village entrance. It was located slightly off to the side, right on the edge of the village’s western expansion area. If one walked quickly, it might take only ten minutes to reach. However, Wei Yang wasn’t walking fast. He strolled along the smooth cement road, carefully observing everything around him.

If that haunted house was indeed the place he had lived in as a child, shouldn’t he have some memories of it? The surrounding buildings, the road beneath his feet, even the terrain or the trees. Yet, after more than ten minutes, not a single trace of familiarity surfaced in his mind. Wang Village had developed quite well over the past two years, with the entire village undergoing two rounds of renovations. Not only would someone like him, who hadn’t been back in twenty years, struggle to recognize it, but even a local who had lived here their entire life might find it hard to spot traces of the past after a few years away.

Scenes can evoke emotions, but if the scenes themselves are gone, can those fragmented memories still be recovered?

At a fork in the road, he stopped. The house known as the haunted house should have been right ahead, but there was nothing there. No house, no courtyard, not even the cement ground remained. Behind a small two-story building was a patch of empty land, where a ginkgo tree had been planted. It was unclear how many years it had been there, but its trunk was straight, its branches lush, casting a large shadow.

Had there really been a haunted house here? A case of family members killing each other, or some evil curse? Wei Yang stared at the ginkgo tree, his gaze filled with confusion. Was this all just a mix-up in the villagers’ folk tales, or had someone deliberately erased the traces of the past? How much of what he had guessed was actually true?

After standing there dazed for a while, Wei Yang let out a soft sigh. “Brother Qi, I don’t think we’ll find anything here. Let’s go somewhere else…”

But no one answered him. Zhang Xiuqi’s brows furrowed slightly as he took a step forward, his gaze sweeping over the empty plot of land. He then quickly circled around the nearby small buildings before stopping under the tree.

“Brother Qi, did you find something?” Wei Yang’s heart, which had just started to settle, was now hanging in the air again. He hurried over.

“Suppression tree.” Zhang Xiuqi gently touched the bark of the ginkgo tree as he spoke calmly. “The ginkgo is used for suppression, to lock in energy and stabilize souls.”

“You mean this ginkgo tree was planted here for a reason? To lock in the earth’s energy and suppress evil spirits?” Wei Yang’s throat felt dry and tight. If this tree indeed served such a purpose, did that mean something sinister had truly happened here, necessitating the use of a ginkgo tree for suppression? Ordinary villagers usually used peach or willow trees for warding off evil. Ginkgo trees were almost never planted unless advised by a master. So who was this master?

The thought flashed through his mind, and Wei Yang immediately turned and walked over to the nearby two-story building. He knocked on the door. “Sister, is this ginkgo tree yours? My boss is renovating his courtyard and needs a few good trees. Could we discuss a deal?”

The woman who opened the door was startled. She hadn’t expected someone to come asking to buy a tree. However, seeing Wei Yang’s friendly smile, she didn’t feel any dislike. Instead, she explained kindly, “Little brother, this tree isn’t ours. It was planted by the village years ago. Asking us won’t do any good.”

Wei Yang looked surprised. “Your village planted trees collectively?”

The woman laughed. “Nothing that organized! It was just during the renovation of the western part of the village. Who knows what they were thinking back then.”

“How long has this tree been here? Do you know?” Wei Yang pressed on.

“I’m not sure. Maybe close to twenty years?” The woman probably hadn’t lived here long and answered vaguely. But Wei Yang had already gotten what he needed. He thanked her with a smile and walked back to the tree.

Another twenty years. It seemed something had indeed happened back then, which was why the older villagers still had some memory of it. At the same time, the incident likely hadn’t spread widely, and the village leaders who knew the truth had downplayed the matter. Whether it was the renovation of the western part of the village or the planting of the ginkgo tree, they had never mentioned the real reason. Trying to uncover anything from such a carefully laid plan would be difficult.

But for now, he had found enough. Suppressing the bitterness in his heart, Wei Yang quickly walked over to Zhang Xiuqi. The Little Celestial Master had already stepped away from the tree, his gaze fixed on the ground. Following his line of sight, Wei Yang suddenly noticed a small depression in the soil, from which a hint of greenish-blue peeked out, as if some bronze artifact was buried beneath.

He immediately crouched down and quickly dug away the loose soil around it. In no time, a piece of broken bronze was unearthed. It looked like the broken ear of a bronze vessel, but the broken end showed traces of rust, indicating it was a mixed-material cast. Was this a remnant from back then?

His chest felt heavy, and Wei Yang couldn’t bring himself to stand up for a long time. Zhang Xiuqi’s gaze shifted to him, the confusion in his eyes gradually dissipating, as if he was seeing something distant and hazy through Wei Yang’s figure. He crouched down as well and gently reached out to Wei Yang. “Yangyang, don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

“Brother Qi, it’s not fear, it’s just…”

“I’m here.”

There was a strange firmness in those words. Wei Yang’s head snapped up, and he stared intently into Zhang Xiuqi’s dark eyes, trying to see through what lay beneath. Gradually, his lips began to tremble, his face turning pale, as if he were on the verge of drowning. “Brother Qi, were you here back then?”

Zhang Xiuqi nodded, his gaze straightforward, carrying a peculiar intimacy. Wei Yang’s chest tightened. Brother Qi had been here! He had seen him back then! No wonder he called him “Yangyang”—no one but his grandfather had ever called him that! Then…

He grabbed Zhang Xiuqi’s arm with a sudden intensity, his entire body trembling. “Then do you remember what happened back then? My parents, how did they die?!”

In his agitation, his grip was like iron, clamping tightly around Zhang Xiuqi’s wrist. But the Little Celestial Master only frowned in confusion, his free hand reaching up to his chest. “Where’s the Talisman Jade?”

The Talisman Jade had long since shattered, beyond repair. Why would Brother Qi suddenly think of it now? Before Wei Yang could react, Zhang Xiuqi broke free of his grip and stood up abruptly, shouting sharply, “Where is the Talisman Jade?! Father!”

His expression was taut, almost ferocious, as if he had suddenly been plunged into an uncontrollable nightmare. His gaze darted wildly between himself and Wei Yang’s chest, as if searching for the shattered piece of jade.

Wei Yang’s heart sank. He quickly stood up and grabbed Zhang Xiuqi’s shoulders. “Brother Qi! Wake up! The Talisman Jade is gone. It shattered when we fought the Corpse Puppet!”

“What’s a Corpse Puppet? Who are you? Where’s the Talisman Jade? I gave the Talisman Jade to Yangyang. It was made by my father. Where is it?!” Zhang Xiuqi’s words came out unnaturally fast, his voice carrying a barely perceptible tremor, as if he were experiencing immense fear and grief.

Wei Yang’s heart twisted. He had never imagined Brother Qi wouldn’t recognize him, let alone that he would have an episode like this at such a moment. But his hands moved quickly and steadily, grabbing the Bodhi Beads hanging around Zhang Xiuqi’s neck and yanking them off. He shoved them into Zhang Xiuqi’s hand. “Brother Qi, I’m Yangyang. Hold onto this…”

Without finishing, he started walking, pulling Zhang Xiuqi along with him. The ginkgo tree behind them gradually blurred, blending into the surrounding houses. After walking for a while, he turned to look at the man behind him. The madness in Zhang Xiuqi’s eyes seemed to have faded somewhat, and he was now staring blankly at the beads in his hand, like a pale, drifting ghost following closely behind.

Had the Bodhi Beads worked? Wei Yang didn’t dare stop. He quickly flagged down a minivan in the village and headed back to Wei Family Village. Everything that had happened today left his mind buzzing. So his parents had indeed died due to an evil curse. Not only had Zhang Xiuqi’s father met his grandfather back then, but it was Zhang Xiuqi himself who had given him the Talisman Jade… It seemed he had touched upon the core of the matter. But before all the truth lay a fog, a poisonous mist that would hurt anyone who tried to uncover it.

Clenching his teeth, Wei Yang took a deep breath. He wanted to know the truth, desperately, but he couldn’t watch Zhang Xiuqi lose his mind because of it. Brother Qi’s Heavenly Soul was still missing—he couldn’t afford such emotional turmoil. He couldn’t go back to Wang Village anymore. If he wanted answers, there had to be a safer way. He would think of something…

His sweaty hand gripped Zhang Xiuqi’s wrist tightly as he closed his eyes.

The return trip was much faster than the journey there. By the time they got out of the car, Zhang Xiuqi’s expression had stabilized somewhat. Though his gaze was still somewhat unfocused, he had clearly come back to himself and didn’t mention the Talisman Jade again. But this wasn’t enough—he would need to draw some Soul Stabilizing Talismans to fully calm down. So Wei Yang hurried straight into his uncle’s courtyard.

However, the moment he pushed open the door, Wei Yang froze. Standing in the yard were several people. Besides his uncle, who had left earlier, there were two strangers dressed in hemp clothes. Facing the door was a chair, on which sat an emaciated old man.

His uncle, who had also seen Wei Yang, immediately changed his expression and rushed over, speaking in a low voice, “Didn’t you go out to play today? Why are you back so early… Go! Get out of here!”

But before he could finish, a dry, hoarse voice came from behind. “Is this Yangyang? Finally decided to come back, huh? Come here, let your granduncle take a look…”

Wei Yang’s eyes narrowed slightly. Of course, he recognized the old man—he was his grandmother’s younger brother, the current head of the Jiang Family, his granduncle. But his grandmother had passed away so many years ago. What was he doing here now?