Chapter 596: Chapter 256: Wei Wan’s Parents

"This village is quite beautiful."

Qin Gengyun and the others walked into Wind Bell Village, and saw that the houses were arranged in an orderly fashion, with flowers and trees planted in every courtyard. Wind chimes hung from trees and doorways.

The wind blew and the chimes sounded, crisp and pleasant.

Both Xu Caihe and Zhou Ling’Er were amazed, and even Liu Su couldn’t help but praise repeatedly:

"Miss, this village is different from those on our side."

She was referring to the villages at the foot of Cyan Lotus Mountain, which mostly consisted of simple cottages, lacking this kind of romance.

At this moment, a man approached and, seeing the group, was taken aback. His eyes swept over everyone except Qin Gengyun and Lan Yin, then he showed a look of surprise and hurried forward:

"You all aren’t from nearby villages, are you? Are you passing by our village?"

This man appeared to be in his thirties, with ordinary looks and attire, but he wasn’t shy at all, rather he was quite enthusiastic.

Qin Gengyun smiled at him and said, "Brother, we are here looking for someone."

"Looking for someone?" The man asked curiously, "Who are you looking for?"

Qin Gengyun didn’t speak, but Wei Wan couldn’t wait and asked, "Twenty-five years ago, did anyone in your village abandon their newborn child?"

"This..."

The man was taken aback, then said:

"To be honest, twenty-five years ago I was only three years old and don’t remember anything."

Wei Wan was momentarily stunned, realizing her question was abrupt. The man smiled and said:

"No worries, my father is the village chief, he knows everything about the village. You all can come to my home as guests, and I will invite my father over."

Seeing everyone looking at him without speaking, the man hurriedly said:

"I may have been too abrupt, my name is Liu Zhen, and my father is Liu Dashu, the village chief of Wind Bell Village. Our home is on the south side of the village, if you all don’t mind, come rest at our place."

Qin Gengyun looked at Qiu Zhihe, and she nodded slightly. Qin Gengyun smiled and said:

"Then we will intrude."

"Alright, follow me, everyone!"

Liu Zhen was very enthusiastic, introducing the situation of Wind Bell Village along the way. This village had existed under Celestial Fall Mountain for over a hundred years. The villagers were all ordinary people, living primarily by hunting and farming.

Many villagers they encountered on the way were just as warm as Liu Zhen, all smiling and welcoming Qin Gengyun and the others.

"Senior Sister, how come the people in this village are even more hospitable than the residents of our Eastern Cultivator area? It doesn’t seem like a place under the control of the Demon Sect, does it?"

Xu Caihe found it a bit strange and whispered to Su Xin.

Su Xin was also puzzled, unable to respond.

She had thought before that villages under the Demon Sect rule were places of turmoil, but unexpectedly life was so tranquil, and the people were so honest and kind.

Liu Zhen led them through most of the village, finally arriving at a rather spacious courtyard. He smiled and said:

"Everyone, this is my home. My father went into the mountains with some uncles today. Please have a seat; I’ll go find them."

He invited everyone inside, served some tea and flatbreads, and then left to find his village chief father.

"This bread is delicious!"

Liu Su, feeling peckish, grabbed a piece, took a big bite, and immediately her eyes lit up. She devoured one quickly and reached for another.

Qin Gengyun said helplessly, "Susu, can’t you be a little more cautious?"

The others looked at her speechlessly, and Xu Caihe said, "Junior Sister He, we are at the foot of the Demon Sect Mountain, aren’t you afraid the food might be poisoned?"

Liu Su scoffed, "These are just ordinary people, what’s there to fear?"

She ate three flatbreads in a row and after a long wait, showed no adverse reaction. Liu Su chuckled, "See, I told you it’s fine, right?"

"It really seems okay, doesn’t it?"

Xu Caihe hesitated, then also picked up a flatbread and took a small bite, immediately widening her eyes:

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"Tasty!"

Beside her, Zhou Ling’Er took a sip of tea: "This tea smells so good!"

Su Xin thought for a moment, also tasted it, and nodded: "Indeed, there’s no problem. It seems we were overthinking."

Qin Gengyun looked around, and although everything around seemed ordinary and the food appeared fine, for some reason, something felt off to him.

Soon, Liu Zhen returned with an elderly man with white hair and a beard, and said to everyone:

"Honored guests, this is my father, our village chief."

The old man smiled at everyone and said, "I am Liu Dashu. I didn’t know we had esteemed guests today, sorry for being late."

Everyone got up to greet him, and Qin Gengyun noticed a long, slanting scar on the old man’s face.

Seeing the gaze, Liu Dashu apologized, "Did my appearance frighten the esteemed guests? When I was young, I was scratched by a tiger on the mountain, left a scar."

"I see, it was my mistake." Qin Gengyun nodded.

Wei Wan urgently asked, "Old Village Chief Liu, do you remember if twenty-five years ago someone in the village gave their newborn to someone outside the village?"

Liu Su then described the appearances of Wei Wan’s parents as seen in her memory.

"More than twenty years ago..."

Liu Dashu squinted and thought for a long time while Wei Wan’s beautiful eyes were fixed on him, full of anticipation and anxiety.

Meanwhile, Liu Zhen enthusiastically poured more tea and brought some flatbread and dried meat for everyone.

After a while, Liu Dashu suddenly slapped his thigh and said, "I remember now, something like that did happen in our village more than twenty years ago!"

Wei Wan’s eyes lit up, "Can you tell us more?"

"Of course."

Liu Dashu’s scarred face wore a gentle smile as he continued:

"Back then, there was a person named Liu Li in our village. He married a girl from the next village named... Oh right, Zhang Cui’Er."

"The two of them matched the descriptions you provided."

"I remember they had a child within two years of getting married, yes, it was a girl."

"We even went to their home to congratulate them, but no one expected what happened later, alas."

Liu Dashu sighed, and Wei Wan’s voice trembled, "What happened?"

Liu Dashu stroked his beard and sighed again, continuing slowly: "Liu Li and Zhang Cui’Er, for some reason, didn’t like the girl. They sold her shortly after she was born."

"Sold?!"

Wei Wan turned pale, and Liu Dashu nodded:

"Yes, reportedly to an outsider passing through, seemingly a cultivator. They received two pieces of Spirit Stone, which could exchange for dozens of taels of gold outside."

Wei Wan’s voice trembled, "And now... where are they?"

Liu Dashu said: "Perhaps it was retribution, but both of them soon fell ill and died.

"Dead..."

Wei Wan’s face became ashen, and her body collapsed. Su Xin quickly supported her.

Qin Gengyun pondered for a moment and asked Liu Dashu, "Village Chief, do you know where they are buried?"

"On the mountain to the west of the village. All our village’s deceased are buried there."

Wei Wan’s eyes filled with tears, "I want to go see."

Liu Dashu said to Liu Zhen, "I’m too old and not as spry. You take them. I remember it’s under a maple tree. They share a grave, and their names are on the headstone."

"Okay, dad. Everyone, please follow me."

Thus, Liu Zhen led the group out of the courtyard and soon out of the village.

They arrived at a mountain to the west, and after a short walk, they came across a cluster of graves.

Liu Zhen pointed to a grave under a maple tree and said to Wei Wan, "That should be it."

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