Chapter 29: Relocating the Grave (17)

Kneeling down again, Qi Yiqing’s attention was caught by a small piece of clothing among the unburned grass. He picked it up and saw half a character on the singed edge. The yellow silk thread embroidered the strokes clearly, and Qi Yiqing recognized the character—it was "Jiang."

Could it be that the parents of the little NPC died here?

Clenching the fabric tightly, Qi Yiqing found it hard to come to a conclusion immediately.

Meanwhile, Liu Wanjun had uncovered an old matter. The village used to raise cattle and sheep, but a month before the flood, Village Chief Shi ordered the villagers not to go near the livestock anymore, saying someone else had been assigned to take care of them. Liu Wanjun was deeply interested, feeling it had something to do with the secret behind the game level.

Suddenly, outside the courtyard, the sound of the suona horn burst forth without warning, accompanied by the banging of drums and gongs—a lively commotion. The elderly man who had been lazily reclining in his rocking chair suddenly changed expression, abruptly ending his conversation. He grabbed his cane and shakily walked out onto the street.

Liu Wanjun exchanged a glance with the ponytailed girl and silently followed.

The morning air was crisp and refreshing. The men working in the fields simultaneously paused, their eyes burning with curiosity as they looked toward the source of the music. Women busy washing vegetables and clothes at home also stopped, stepping outside with complicated expressions to watch.

Out of the corner of her eye, Liu Wanjun caught the hopeful yet reluctant look of a woman beside her. She quietly asked, “Auntie, is someone getting married today? Why such a sudden celebration?”

The woman was surprised that anyone in the village was still unaware. When she turned, she saw the striking young woman who had recently returned to the village and visited the ancestral hall.

She shook the rag in her hand dismissively. “You’ll know soon enough. Why ask so much?”

Clearly, the woman did not want to reveal anything to outsiders, even if they claimed to be returning villagers.

At the same time, the two who had just left the shrine also heard the noise.

Qi Yiqing hurried down the mountain, with Xiyou keeping a careful distance behind him. The sudden sounds of the suona horn and drums caused his temples to throb inexplicably; a silent wave of foreboding spread through his heart.

Rushing into the village, Qi Yiqing had barely come to a stop when a group of people in strange robes slowly emerged from around a corner.

They blew the suona and beat gongs. The leader, an elderly man with a black-and-red headscarf, wielded a long wooden staff, and a red-and-white paper lantern swayed from his wrist.

That man was Village Chief Shi.

Behind them, several men carried a heavy coffin, stepping forward two paces and then back one, inching closer to Qi Yiqing amid the drumbeats.

The carved coffin was tightly wrapped in wet red thread, with blood-red bells jingling at the end. Large double happiness symbols adorned its sides.

The villagers who had gathered clasped their hands together, chanting repeatedly, “Welcome Tianque, bless our Stone Village with favorable winds and timely rains for the coming year.”

Tianque?

If Qi Yiqing remembered correctly, Tianque was revered as the “Little God” in Stone Village.

The “Great God” referred to the stone statue inside the shrine at the mountain’s rear.

This was information Qi Yiqing had discovered while searching the shrine.

His eyes fixed on the coffin, frowning.

Disordered breathing and faint sobbing came from within. Qi Yiqing’s eyes sharpened as he held his breath, catching every detail.

He gripped his long sword, ready to step forward, but a pale hand stopped him.

Looking down, Liu Wanjun smiled gently. “We’re here to find the names of our biological parents. Don’t meddle and ruin their affairs—if we do, it might affect our progress.”

The ponytailed girl nodded in agreement. “Exactly. We already have some clues.”

Liu Wanjun guessed who was inside the coffin.

They had wandered around the village for a long time without seeing the inconvenient NPC couple.

Qi Yiqing hesitated for a few seconds, then slowly lowered his hand.

Seeing this, a triumphant smile flickered in Liu Wanjun’s eyes.

The players quietly followed behind the procession. Uncle Ma had already learned the name of his “father,” one of the youth sent down during the earlier rural assignments.

Many youths had been sent down, over twenty assigned to Stone Village, mostly men.

“Looks like we’re all their children.”

Everyone agreed with this statement.

In puzzle games like this, the truth was usually close to the mark.

Qi Yiqing, strolling casually at the back, kept his gaze fixed on the swaying coffin. He felt as if he had forgotten something.

Suddenly, a bloody figure burst out from the grass, jolting Qi Yiqing awake—he hadn’t seen the little NPC for a long time.

“Who dares to interrupt Tianque’s ritual?”

“Catch him!”

Village Chief Shi’s face darkened as he barked coldly.

The procession halted. Three or five burly men stepped forward, cracking their knuckles and approaching the bloodied figure.

“Shengsheng!”

At first, Qi Yiqing only felt the bloody figure looked familiar.

But when he heard the man’s furious, desperate roar and the name he called, Qi Yiqing’s usually mocking smile faded. His eyes hardened with anger.

“I’ll see who dares harm her!”

Drawing a dagger, the red-haired man exuded a fierce aura, his gaze sharp.

“What are you doing?! You’re from Stone Village but siding with unreasonable outsiders! Do you want to destroy the entire village and take everyone down with you?”

Village Chief Shi’s words were heavy.

He slammed his staff on the ground, his aged face twisted with disappointment and bitterness as he stared into Qi Yiqing’s eyes, trying to make him see reason.

Qi Yiqing’s actions spoke louder than words—the tall man flashed forward, and in the blink of an eye, knocked down the coffin bearers with a few effortless moves.

The veins on his muscular arms bulged as he held the coffin. His muscles pressed against his thin clothes, revealing the perfect lines beneath.

Just as he was about to cut the red thread binding the coffin, a hand pressed on his sword hilt, stopping him.

Squinting, Qi Yiqing’s voice was cold as ice. “Step aside.”

Unfazed, Liu Wanjun gently persuaded him, “It’s just an NPC, and they’re real people inside the game. Don’t make a scene. Remember, we’re players with our own missions.”

“Don’t make me say it twice,” Qi Yiqing snapped. He hated hearing words like “just” or “not real” from her.

To him, the little NPC was flesh and blood.

Her timidity, her fear, her innocence—all were the best antidotes to his own violent madness.

Liu Wanjun pursed her lips reluctantly, her eyes dark with resentment as she glanced at the coffin behind him.

What was so special about this NPC to make him expend so much effort?

While they were entangled, the men who had fallen to the ground groaned in pain, then pushed themselves back up, fists raised and angry.

Qi Yiqing ignored the seemingly delicate and pure Liu Wanjun, tilting his head lightly to dodge the incoming punch.

Xia Junyao, kicked in the knee, instinctively bent his leg. He bit his tongue hard, the metallic taste of blood clearing his mind for a moment. His trembling leg straightened with effort.

He would neither kneel nor retreat.

Before he was knocked unconscious upon leaving, Xia Junyao’s thoughts were not for his own safety but curled up on the bed—Jiang Shengsheng.

His baby was so adorable. Without him, the ravenous wild dogs lurking nearby would swarm, devouring her bit by bit.