Chapter 18: Relocating the Grave (6)

With a map in hand, the group caught sight of Stone Village nestled by the mountains and water well before noon.

Stone Village’s geography was a mixed blessing.

Situated in a basin valley, it was surrounded on all sides by towering mountains, which isolated it somewhat, making information slow to reach and leaving it vulnerable to natural disasters like mudslides during heavy rains.

The only ways into the village were the stone bridge at the entrance and a dirt path winding through the back mountain.

“When we get back, I’m definitely going to rant about this nightmare of an experience—it’s on par with a horror movie!”

“Stone Village should have electricity by now, right? Hopefully the signal is better; my dad’s been asking me to check in.”

Overjoyed, the tourists couldn’t contain their excitement, breaking away from the group to cheerfully dash down the mountain.

Having not returned to Stone Village for many years, Sheng Sheng Jiang realized she had long forgotten all memories of living here, even struggling to recall names.

A faint sense of rejection stirred a timid fear within her, but she brushed aside the strange unease, gripping Jun Yao Xia’s hand as they hurried down.

She was indeed born in Stone Village; there was no doubt about that. It was probably just the nervousness of returning home after so long.

Though her memories before age five were hazy, her family still possessed her birth certificate and a photo of her with the village chief and others.

That was why, the moment she received a letter personally mailed by the village chief, she never doubted the decision to come back.

How could the village chief harm them?

“That’s odd… has there been a death recently? Why is there a funeral carriage here?”

Approaching, Sheng Sheng Jiang overheard murmurs from the tourists and followed their gaze.

The hearse parked at the village entrance looked old and worn, its paint scratched badly, and the wreath tied to the roof had faded from the sun.

Yet, the paper effigies atop it were bright and new.

Qi Yi Qing, strolling slowly behind Sheng Sheng Jiang, noticed her puzzled look and glanced over. The familiar paper figures overlapped with the NPCs the travelers remembered from the journey, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

They had turned into paper effigies.

Uncle Ma tugged at his backpack strap, growing increasingly uneasy as he studied the paper figures. “Strange, why do they look so familiar? We didn’t see any hearse on the road…”

Attracted by the commotion at the village entrance, the village chief hurried over with a group of villagers.

The chief’s surname was Shi; he was a kind-faced man in his fifties.

His clouded eyes quickly scanned the young, fresh-faced students, a fleeting, hard-to-catch gleam flickering in them. “I’m sorry such a big incident happened on the way. Fortunately, everyone is safe. The drivers have all been arranged. I hope you enjoy your meals and find lodging comfortable…”

After a brief polite exchange, Chief Shi smiled as the travelers dispersed and walked away. Only then did he leisurely stroke his white beard.

“I didn’t expect you all to have grown so much in the blink of an eye,” Chief Shi said, beckoning the university students to follow him. “I don’t want to disturb you, but we recently started reclaiming the wasteland, and some old graves have been…”

Liu Wanjun smiled gently. “They are the graves of our relatives; it is only right that we return.”

The elderly man ahead walked unsteadily. After a long moment, as if coming to his senses, his voice carried a clear warmth. “Yes, you should come back… Stone Village is your root.”

Though plainly spoken, the players felt an involuntary wariness.

Chief Shi’s tone was laden with hidden meaning.

Back in Stone Village, the group first needed to visit the ancestral hall at the village center to perform rites and pay respects, informing their ancestors that their children had returned.

The ancestral hall’s vermilion doors had faded severely from years of weathering, surrounded by lush cypress trees.

A cool breeze stirred, revealing locust trees planted behind the cypresses.

“Chief,” the girl with a ponytail smiled, pointing at the trees. “Is there some significance to planting cypress and locust trees here?”

Chief Shi glanced over, smiling enigmatically. “They’re just to protect the home.”

The bespectacled young man behind them pushed up his glasses and quietly explained, “Cypress trees have strong vitality and, in folklore, can ward off evil spirits like ‘Wang Gui.’ As for locust trees…”

“Locust trees are associated with yin energy and may gather negative spirits. In folklore, locusts are considered ghost trees, attracting spirits,” Jun Yao Xia interjected calmly.

The players, who had been exchanging glances, all turned to look at him. Jun Yao Xia withdrew his gaze smoothly, leaning close to Sheng Sheng Jiang.

The glasses-wearing man’s lips twitched subtly.

His fox-like eyes behind thick flat lenses flickered with interest, lingering with amusement on the two men and one woman.

What a pity—he had disguised himself and couldn’t slip in to join the fun personally.

The game watcher enjoyed the spectacle with relish.

He was curious: how could a mere NPC possess some mysterious power that made top-ranked players foolishly flock to it?

To serve someone else as a pet and feel honored was beyond his comprehension.

If he wanted her, he would simply seize her.

Ignoring their whispered conversations, Chief Shi led the large group of villagers who had followed the players to a halt before the vermilion gates of the ancestral hall.

Only the two men at the front stepped forward, standing beside Chief Shi, mirroring his steps.

The moment they entered the hall, Liu Wanjun’s subtle frown deepened, her gaze instinctively drawn to the dozens of intense, burning stares that could not be ignored—

Behind them, the dark-skinned men gathered before the vermilion gates stared wide-eyed with excitement, their eyes dripping with desire and lewd covetousness.

The male players were relatively unfazed, but the women present fared poorly.

They had become like plump pork belly in the lustful eyes of the village men, glistening with a sheen of rendered lard—extremely tempting.

Looking closely, it was clear Stone Village suffered from a severe gender imbalance.

The men wore clean clothes, while the women appeared malnourished, carelessly draped in faded, threadbare garments, their complex eyes fixed on the young visitors inside the ancestral hall.

Within those gazes… a faint trace of sympathy seemed to flicker.

Sheng Sheng Jiang rubbed her eyes and looked again. The women had turned away, smiling softly as they whispered to their husbands.

Was it an illusion?

…Certainly not.

Qi Yi Qing stood with hands in his pockets, looking effortlessly casual yet crooked as if boneless, his upturned eyes sweeping over the men outside struggling to contain their excitement.

What would be the theme of this quest?

“Come, offer incense here.”

Chief Shi stood beside the meditation cushion.

The ancestral hall was lined with layer upon layer of ancestral tablets, the dense names flooding the mind.

The doorway’s beam blocked incoming light; Chief Shi’s face was mostly shadowed, his wrinkled features briefly twisting into something harsh.

In the courtyard, under the sprawling trees, a broken water jar overflowed with dry branches and fallen leaves, rarely cleaned.

Crossing the high threshold, Sheng Sheng Jiang accepted sandalwood incense from the man, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in her fingertip, nearly tossing the incense away.

She respectfully offered the incense; Chief Shi’s smile deepened, adding more layers to his wrinkles.

At the rear, Sheng Sheng Jiang glanced down, noticing a tiny red dot like a pinprick on her fingertip.

So small and faint it was almost invisible.

“What’s wrong? Bitten by an insect?” Jun Yao Xia lifted her hand, rubbing the red spot.

Without her noticing, the man who had handed her the incense walked beside her. Hearing Jun Yao Xia’s words, he smiled warmly: “The village has many mosquitoes; no need to worry.”

“By the way,” the tall man smiled at Sheng Sheng Jiang, “my name is Kai Shi.”

Please, remember him well…