Chapter 1184: Chapter 1184
Zhang Yang looked at Uncle Long, the elder’s eyes gleaming, clearly not just a simple case of “seeing injustice on the road.”
But right now, obtaining the Qingyi Sect’s base information is crucial for rescuing Xiao Man and countering the Qingyi Sect. Content orıginally comes from 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⁂𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖⁂𝕟𝕖𝕥
“Deal.” Zhang Yang did not hesitate.
Leaving the courtyard, Zhang Yang got into the car and handed the wooden box to Jin Tuantuan.
Jin Tuantuan opened it, and sure enough, there was a yellowed map inside, with a small town in the northern mountains marked in cinnabar.
“Qingyi Sect’s base?” Jin Tuantuan frowned.
“This place looks remote, easy to defend but hard to attack.”
“Uncle Long said Qingyi Sect is looking for Fuqiang Village, it seems they have also obtained clues.”
Zhang Yang started the car, “Let’s go back to the residence and make a long-term plan.”
Back at a safe house in the city, which Jin Tuantuan had arranged for a long time.
After sitting down, Zhang Yang recounted Uncle Long’s words and the map.
“Why is Uncle Long helping us?” Xia Xue was a little puzzled.
“He has past grievances with the Qingyi Sect; it doesn’t sound like a lie, but it still seems not that simple.”
“Matters of the martial world, how many simple grudges are there?” Jin Tuantuan sighed.
“But now is not the time to dwell on this. We have to go to Fuqiang Village, and we can’t miss the Qingyi Sect’s base. Zhang Yang, what do you plan to do?”
Zhang Yang looked at the map, with his finger pointing at the location of the northern town: “We will split into two groups. Jin Tuantuan and I will go to Fuqiang Village, while you stay here. On one hand, handle the scandal of Shen Mange, and on the other hand, keep a close watch on Uncle Long to see if he’s up to anything else.”
“I want to go too!” Xia Xue immediately said, “I don’t want to be as helpless as last time.”
Zhang Yang looked at Xia Xue’s determined eyes, remembering Xiao Man dancing on stage, his heart softened: “Alright, but you must follow my arrangements and not act willfully.”
“Okay!” Xia Xue nodded vigorously.
The twin sisters also clamored to go, but Zhang Yang left them behind with the excuse of “protecting Shen Jiayi.”
Though Shen Jiayi was dissatisfied, she knew her presence would only add chaos, so she reluctantly agreed.
With the plan set, Zhang Yang, Jin Tuantuan, and Xia Xue packed their luggage and prepared to set off for Fuqiang Village.
Before leaving, Zhang Yang called Xu Mengyan, informing her of the current situation, and advised her to be very careful.
The car left the city, heading towards the southern Fuqiang Village.
Outside the window, the hustle and bustle of the city gradually faded, replaced by rolling mountains and fields.
Zhang Yang knew that this trip to Fuqiang Village might uncover the secrets of the Mysterious Medical Technique or lead them into a deeper crisis, but he had no choice.
For Xiao Man, and to uncover the truth, he had to move forward.
After nearly five hours of driving on winding mountain roads, they finally arrived at Fuqiang Village.
This was a typical southern village, surrounded by mountains and water, with blue tiles and white walls, exuding a rustic charm.
Under the old locust tree at the village entrance, a few old men were sitting and chatting. They cast curious glances as the unfamiliar vehicle drove in.
Zhang Yang parked the car at the village entrance, getting out with Jin Tuantuan and Xia Xue.
The air was filled with the scent of earth and grass, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, everything seemingly peaceful and harmonious.
“Old man, is this Fuqiang Village?”
Zhang Yang stepped forward and asked an old man who was smoking a dry cigarette.
The old man raised his head, squinted at the three of them, and nodded slowly: “Yes, it is. What are you here for?”
“We are here to visit an old friend who used to live here.” Zhang Yang said vaguely as much as possible.
“Old man, do you know if there’s an old gentleman in the village who knows medicine, about… uh, considerably elderly?”
Upon hearing this, the old man had a momentary strange look in his eyes. After a pause, he said, “Knows medicine? There was an old Chinese doctor here by the surname Zhang, but he passed away long ago.”
An old Chinese doctor named Zhang? Zhang Yang’s heart skipped; could it be his grandfather?
But grandfather was clearly from the north; how could he be here?
“Which Mr. Zhang are you referring to?” Jin Tuantuan asked.
“The person we’re looking for might have some connection with him.”
The old man took a drag of his dry cigarette and pointed to the depths of the village: “It’s the owner of that old residence at the east end of the village, Master Zhang. But he left more than ten years ago, said to have gone to seek relatives, and then there was no news.”
Zhang Yang and Jin Tuantuan exchanged a glance, questions filling their minds.
Grandfather’s hometown is in the north; how could he have an old residence in Fuqiang Village? Could there be hidden secrets in grandfather’s life?
“Is that old house still there?” Zhang Yang asked.
“It’s there, but it hasn’t been occupied for a long time, left to decay.” The old man pointed to a slightly dilapidated yard not far away.
“If you want to take a look, go ahead, but don’t disturb the peace of the old house.”
After thanking the old man, the three of them headed towards the old residence at the east end of the village.
As they got closer to the old house, the atmosphere became increasingly eerie.
Even though it was broad daylight, the surroundings were unusually quiet, with even fewer sounds of insects and birds.
The courtyard walls of the old house were somewhat mottled, overgrown with weeds at the entrance, the two wooden doors ajar, exuding an eerie aura.
“This place… feels strange.” Xia Xue couldn’t help but whisper, subconsciously moving closer to Zhang Yang.
“Be careful.” Zhang Yang pushed open the door, the hinge emitting a “creak” that sounded particularly sharp in the silent village.
The courtyard was even more desolate, covered with fallen leaves, moss growing in the corners.
The main house’s door was also unlocked. Zhang Yang pushed the door open and entered. The room was dimly lit, and the air was filled with a stale musty smell.
The interior was simply furnished, with an old wooden table, a few chairs, and some dried herb specimens hanging on the walls.
“It seems indeed unoccupied for a long time.” Jin Tuantuan carefully observed the room. “But this layout resembles a Chinese medicine clinic.”
Zhang Yang went into the inner room, which was a bedroom, with a hard bed and an old wardrobe, and nothing else.
He opened the wardrobe, which was empty, with only a faint medicinal smell.
“Zhang Yang, look at this!” Xia Xue suddenly pointed at the wall by the bedhead.
Zhang Yang leaned in for a closer look, seeing some fuzzy symbols scratched on the wall with a fingernail. They didn’t look like words, more like some sort of formation or mark. His heart tightened, the symbols resembled the opening motif of the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Medical Technique but were more complex.
“What is this?” Xia Xue asked in confusion.
“I don’t know,” Zhang Yang shook his head, “but it must be significant.” He took out his phone and photographed the symbols.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside, followed by the head of a middle-aged woman in a floral shirt peeking in: “Who are you people? How did you end up in this old house?”
Zhang Yang turned around and politely said, “We came to take a look at the old house; we heard that an old Chinese doctor named Zhang used to live here.”
The woman sized them up, her eyes somewhat wary: “Master Zhang, he did live here, but he left long ago. What are you looking for him for?”