"Grandmother died in the Song tomb?"
Yan Shouyi, holding his phone, almost lost his footing, but managed to steady himself by leaning on the bamboo beside him.
Chenjia Village was indeed a place filled with memories, but Yan Shouyi never imagined it would also be connected to his grandmother's death.
Recalling it now, his grandfather had foreseen his own impending death. That's why, no matter what, he had to rush back to Chenjia Village. It wasn't out of nostalgia for the village, but because his grandmother had also died here.
Furthermore, after his grandfather's death, he insisted on being buried on North Mountain. From his grandfather's resting place, one could clearly see Uncle Jiang's mountain.
It turned out his grandfather had been watching all along, hoping to reunite with his grandmother after his own passing.
Thinking of this, Yan Shouyi's eyes welled up with tears, but he held them back and pressed on, asking,
"Why did we have to enter the Song tomb back then? And how did Grandma die in it?"
Yan Chou sighed and said,
"Your grandfather used a secret technique to transfer the destiny tribulation that should have been mine onto you. However, this was not a hundred percent successful, and it went against the natural order. We would both be punished. After you were born, you were sickly. A simple fever or cold could have been fatal. To make up for what she owed you and to ensure you grew up healthy, your grandmother somehow found out about the Song tomb on your Uncle Jiang's mountain and learned that there was a 'roulingzhi' inside. This 'roulingzhi' could cure all ailments and was sure to change your constitution."
"So, your grandfather, your grandmother, and I devised ways to enter the Song tomb. We faced many hardships within, a near-death experience. After finally reaching the main burial chamber and finding the 'roulingzhi' in the coffin of the tomb's owner, an accident occurred. Although the 'roulingzhi' was real, the corpse in the coffin was a mechanism used by the tomb's owner to harm tomb robbers. In a critical moment, your grandmother grabbed a piece of the 'roulingzhi' with her bare hands and gave it to us, while she was dragged into the coffin. Simultaneously, thirteen tomb-guarding snake spirits emerged from the coffin, forcing us to retreat from the Song tomb!"
"After returning, we fed you the 'roulingzhi' for three years to change your constitution. Your grandfather also often went to the mountains, trying to find a way to re-enter the Song tomb, but he never found the entrance. As time passed, he began to despair, believing your grandmother could never see the light of day again, and ultimately abandoned the idea of re-entering the Song tomb, focusing all his energy on you... Protecting you was grandmother's only dying wish."
Although Yan Chou recounted the events in a few words, Yan Shouyi could still feel how perilous the situation in the Song tomb must have been twenty years ago.
Even back then, his father and grandfather were formidable, yet they still recoiled from the Song tomb.
It was worth noting that before coming to Chenjia Village, his father had already provoked the group known as the "Anti-Yan Chou Alliance."
At the same time, Yan Shouyi finally gained some understanding of the grandmother he never remembered.
His grandmother had also lost her life for him…
Looking back at the mountain before him, the bamboo forest, it was as if every inch of land on the mountain, every stalk of bamboo, every falling leaf from the sky, was his grandmother telling Yan Shouyi to be safe…
"Grandma…"
Yan Shouyi wiped away his tears and choked out, "Dad, is it possible Grandma is still alive?"
"It's been almost twenty years." Yan Chou was more pragmatic. He didn't answer directly, but he was telling Yan Shouyi not to hold onto such hope.
The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
Yan Shouyi squatted on the ground, scooped up a handful of fallen leaves, clenched his fist, and heard a crunching sound.
"Dad, can I go into the Song tomb? Even if Grandma is dead, I want to bring her body out and bury her with Grandpa!" Yan Shouyi suddenly said.
But Yan Chou immediately objected, "The Song tomb is perilous. Your grandfather and I barely survived. If you go in now, aren't you seeking death?!"
"But Grandma…"
"Don't say another word. This is not up for discussion! If you want to stop Boss Zhou, deal with it on the surface. Never go into the Song tomb!" Yan Chou said sternly. "I'll be done with my matters in two days and return to Chenjia Village. Even if you really want to enter the Song tomb, you'll have to wait for me to go with you!"
Yan Chou was a man of his word. Yan Shouyi understood that retrieving his grandmother's body wasn't an immediate concern.
So, he calmed down and agreed with Yan Chou.
Yan Chou breathed a sigh of relief and added, "Remember, you only need to protect the villagers. As for Boss Zhou and his group, if they want to enter the Song tomb, let them. Even if they have some skills, entering the Song tomb is a near-certain death. You don't need to lift a finger."
"I understand."
Yan Shouyi hung up the phone and returned to Lin Zitong and the others with a heavy heart.
Lin Zitong, knowing Yan Shouyi well, immediately saw that he was troubled. Yan Shouyi didn't hide anything and told them the story about his grandmother.
To his surprise, Lin Zitong was even more emotional than he was, her eyes welling up with tears halfway through the story.
Long Feicheng also looked very sad. He said, "Brother Yan, sometimes I truly envy you. Although we both suffered a lot when we were young, at least you were always loved."
Yan Shouyi's family members were all silently protecting him.
As for Long Feicheng, he only felt a sense of belonging when he met Yan Shouyi. In the past, he and Chen Dawei were merely relying on each other for survival.
Yan Shouyi gave Long Feicheng a glare, "So I have to comfort you now, do I?"
Long Feicheng forced a smile through his tears, "When Dad gets back, we'll go into that Song tomb and dig Grandma out!"
"If you talk like that, aren't you afraid Grandma's corpse will reanimate and drag you into the coffin?" Yan Shouyi said.
"Don't worry, don't worry. I'm also half a grandson to Grandma. She'll love me because she loves you. She won't hold it against me!" Long Feicheng reassured himself.
As the three of them were talking, the Sparrow Sorcerer suddenly said, "They're planning to go down the tomb again."
"What?"
Yan Shouyi quickly looked towards the direction of the camp and asked, "How do you know they're going down the tomb?"
"Boss Zhou doesn't care about people's lives. For the past few days, as soon as the villagers are fed and watered, they're driven into the cave to lure out the snake spirits. Judging by their movements now, they should be starting to drive the villagers into the cave."
From the information relayed by Sanyuan, Yan Shouyi confirmed that the sorcerer was correct.
Boss Zhou, as the mastermind, would not appear in person. The Ma siblings, being highly valued by Boss Zhou, didn't need to do this kind of work either. Yang Li was probably still angry with Boss Zhou, so he was sitting in a corner of the camp drinking. The remaining peculiar individuals had started driving the villagers into the mountain cave.
The villagers knew the consequences of resisting, and they also knew that this descent was to lure out the last snake spirit. Therefore, no one resisted. They merely dragged their heavy feet and tired bodies, lining up like puppets to walk into the cave.
How could Yan Shouyi stand by and watch the villagers risk their lives again?
He immediately gathered his things and said to Lin Zitong,
"It's time. We'll proceed as planned. As long as we disrupt Boss Zhou and his group, we can let the villagers escape on their own. Avoid direct confrontation with them, and don't get entangled in a protracted fight. Once it's done, we'll meet here and then quickly return to Chenjia Village!"