031. Lost
Although Lincang is small, it is really remote, surrounded by many mountains and a few villages and towns. However, the journey to Lincang City is quite long. The file that Zhang Qingshan wanted Qingling to look at was a case in Xiahe Village four years ago. At that time, the new county magistrate, Lord Luo, had just taken office.
Xiahe Village is the most remote small village nearby. Four years ago, the daughter of an old man named Ma, who was selling vegetables in the downtown area of the city, went missing. Not long after, she started shouting that her daughter was sold to Xiahe Village and insisted that the government send people to investigate. Lord Luo actually sent two yamen runners, but the two men never came back. The disappearance of the official was an even bigger deal, and the family of the yamen runner also came to the government to make trouble. As a result, more people were sent, and a master from Yanhua Temple was brought along.
Still no one came back.
The tiny Xiahe Village seemed like a bottomless pit that ate people. It was impossible to close the case, so Luo Qingxiang simply concealed it.
After reading it, Qing Ling frowned in confusion, "Since Lord Luo was determined to keep this case secret, why did he leave the file?"
Zhang Qingshan looked a little pale, and he reluctantly raised the corner of his lips before he said in a trembling voice, "When this file... was returned by the higher-ups, I asked the people in the government office, and someone who knew about this said that the file had been burned that year..."
Qingling thought that was indeed the case.
The emperor is far away and the sky is high. Luo Qingxiang has already paid the money to settle the matter. It must be his own private property that is involved. It is impossible for him to leave any clues about the case. Zhang Qingshan closed the Qing case in such a hurry, perhaps because of this incident.
The Qing family’s case was Zhang Qingshan’s gift to Qingling.
"Come to think of it, this matter is somewhat related to the Qing family." Zhang Qingshan suddenly said.
Qing Ling asked: "What's the relationship?"
Zhang Qingshan said, "Old Ma lost his wife at an early age, leaving behind two sons and a daughter. The eldest son fell to his death while hunting in the mountains, and the second son also followed in his brother's footsteps four years ago. Old Ma also fell ill because of this, but at that time, the second branch of the Qing family had a young master-"
Qing Ling was stunned and immediately interrupted him: "What did you say? The second room has a child?"
When he was at Qing's house, no one ever mentioned that Qing Conglan had a child, but that's true... considering their age, they shouldn't be childless.
Zhang Qingshan was also stunned for a moment, nodded and said, "Yes, the young master of the Qing family is named Qing Wen Ze. He fell in love with the girl named Le'er from the Ma family back then, and insisted on taking her into the mansion as a concubine. Miss Ma was unwilling, so Qing Wen Ze did not allow the shops in the city to sell her medicinal herbs. Miss Ma was eager to save her father, and relying on the two years of reading medical books, she went into the mountains alone to collect herbs for her father. In fact, no one knows how she walked so far to Xiahe Village. Maybe she got lost in the mountains, or met a human trafficker. But if it weren't for Old Man Ma saying that his daughter had a dream and went to the government office, no one would know the strangeness of Xiahe Village. To be honest, until now, no one has seen the girl Ma Le'er in Xiahe Village with their own eyes!"
Qing Ling, however, was more concerned about the young master of the second house, so he asked, "What about Qing Wen Ze? Why haven't I heard the Qing family mention him?"
Zhang Qingshan looked a little strange, wondering why you asked me about your family's affairs, but he still replied: "I don't know, but he also left Lincang four years ago, saying that he went to study."
The sons of Daxia merchants could also take the imperial examinations, but Qingling always felt that Qing Wenzhe's timing of leaving was very clever.
Qingling still didn't want to get involved in this matter. If there really was someone in the Qing family who slipped through the net, Shang Changheng, the ghost who could sense cause and effect, would find him sooner or later. The most important thing now was to dig up the graves and look for the corpses. Besides, Xiahe Village sounded weird, and Qingling didn't want to have anything to do with any danger that could be avoided.
Just as he was about to refuse, he heard Shang Changheng in the dragon pendant say, "Go and take a look."
Qing Ling gritted his teeth and wanted to ask why he was concerned about the presence of outsiders. In the end, he could only sigh and said, "I can go to Xiahe Village to take a look."
"In that case, thank you very much, Young Master Qingsan." Zhang Qingshan finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had no other choice but to ask for help from this young master. Sometimes fighting poison with poison is a good method, so let this evil young master have a try.
After eating the meal invited by Lord Zhang, Qingling asked the carriage that was taking him home to go to the Qing family mansion first. This mansion was sold to another wealthy master in Lincang, and the servants who were unwilling to leave this place also changed their owners.
It stands to reason that no one would be willing to buy such a mansion where someone had died and which has some evil connotations, but Qingling's price is low.
After getting off the carriage, Qing Ling went forward and knocked on the bolt. Soon someone came to open the door. Seeing that it was the handsome third young master of the Qing family, his face changed on the spot and he asked cautiously, "The master is not at home today. What are you doing?"
"It's okay. I want to ask you something. Do you know the servants from the second branch of the Qing family?" Qing Ling asked.
The man paused and whispered, "What do you want to ask?"
Seeing this, Qing Ling thought that this person must know something, so he asked, "Young Master Qing Wen Ze of the Second House, do you know his whereabouts?"
"Master Wen Ze has been away from home for many years to study, and I don't know his whereabouts, but..." The man thought for a moment before continuing, "Master Wen Ze has been exchanging letters with the second master and his wife. If something happened to the Qing family, I'm sure he would rush back after knowing about it."
After saying that, he glanced at Qingling secretly.
Although the government posted a notice saying that all the members of the Qing family died at the hands of Qing Wenlin, this frail young man survived unscathed without even a scratch. It seemed a little strange.
So he asked again: "Anything else?"
The meaning of seeing the guest off is very clear.
Qingling stepped back and said thank you, then frowned the moment he turned around.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, he asked in a low voice: "Why are you interfering in the affairs of Xiahe Village?"
Shang Changheng in the Huanlong pendant said simply: "I'm hungry."
Qingling: "..."
.
To go to Xiahe Village, one must first gather intelligence. Qingling spent three days gathering information.
Although Xiahe Village contains the word "He" in its name, it is actually not near a river, and there is no Shanghe Village. Probably both existed in the past, but now only one Xiahe Village continues to this day. Due to its remote location and location in a valley, villagers almost all make a living by hunting in the mountains, and rarely marry with relatives from outside. When the accident happened, there were not many families left in the mountains, only about 30 households.
Four years had passed since the accident, and with the Qing family as a new topic of after-dinner conversation, fewer people mentioned Xiahe Village.
Anyway, ever since the incident with Ma Le'er four years ago, no one who entered Xiahe Village has left since. It's just that few people go to this village on a normal day, and only traveling merchants and peddlers will stay there for a short period of time. However, Qingling also heard another piece of news in the teahouse - in the surrounding mountains, people who entered the mountains often had accidents in recent years, and even their bodies could not be found.
Xiahe Village is located between the mountains, and one can only go up the mountain and then down. Now it is midsummer and the whole mountain is green.
Qing Ling changed into a narrow-sleeved dark-brown shirt to make it easier to walk on the mountain road. Miao Yuan, who was worried about Shang Changheng, the evil spirit, naturally followed with a bag on his back. The carriage would definitely not be able to enter. As the two walked on the mountain road, Miao Yuan looked subtle and could not help but whispered, "Donor Qing, is it really necessary?"
He looked back.
The handsome and evil spirit in a wide-sleeved robe carried a package in each hand and a package on each shoulder, serving as the carriage.
Qing Ling: "It's better to be prepared."
We still have to be cautious. Even though we have a great friend like Shang Changheng who says that there is an evil spirit around us who is so powerful that we have never seen before, but what if there is an evil beyond the world? He didn't want to take the risk, but Shang Changheng insisted on coming, so he naturally had to make adequate preparations!
Qingling couldn't carry it by himself, so he had to ask Shang Changheng to do it.
In the eyes of ordinary people, it would appear that there are four large packages floating in the air.
Miao Yuan couldn't help but ask: "So...what did you bring?"
"Food, supplies and clothes." Qing Ling summarized it simply, and turned to look at Shang Changheng, rarely showing him a gentle look.
Shang Changheng gritted his teeth calmly.
Do you think he doesn't know? This little guy has the same look when he goes to see his two beloved horses!
.
The two men and the ghost searched for a long time along the route marked on the map. As noon turned into dusk, they were still wandering on the mountain road.
Miao Yuan frowned while holding the map, and asked in a low voice: "That shouldn't be the case. If we follow the mountain road up and then down, we should be able to see Xiahe Village in the valley."
Qing Ling was feeling a little tired. He leaned against a tree and slowly calmed his rapid breathing. His hair was wet with sweat and his porcelain-white cheeks were slightly flushed. He used his sleeves to wipe the sweat off himself bit by bit.
He had no idea that the evil spirit carrying the luggage on the other side was looking at him.
Qingling's appearance is really gentle and harmless, handsome and fair. Shang Changheng vaguely feels that this is not the appearance he likes, but it happens to be born on the cold-hearted and cruel Qingling, so he feels that... she is quite interested in him.
Qing Ling had no time to think about other things. His voice was a little low due to fatigue. "No one has walked this mountain road for a long time. Weeds are growing everywhere. Did we take the wrong road?"
The two looked at each other and saw the doubt of "I don't know" in each other's eyes.
"So..." Shang Changheng's slow and low voice sounded, with a bit of mocking question, "Can you two read a map?"
Qing Ling didn't say anything. He really didn't know the way very well. The reason he was able to escape from Zhanlong Mountain was, firstly, because he had heard Yu Bo say it many times, secondly, because that mountain road had few weeds and plants and did not fork, and thirdly... a bit of luck was also involved.
Miao Yuan closed the map somewhat embarrassedly and coughed softly: "… Little monk, except for the road to Wunian Temple, I have rarely walked on mountain roads."
So actually neither of them knew how to recognize it, and had no idea how to compare the distance on the map with the actual distance.
Miao Yuan explained again in confusion: "And...if such a big problem happened in Xiahe Village, we should be close enough now. I shouldn't be unable to sense any negative energy."
Shang Changheng glanced at Qing Ling, who was about to move, and couldn't help but say, "Weren't you quite strong when you were running away?"
Qing Ling's voice was weak, but confident: "Isn't that just running for your life?"
Shang Changheng was silent for a moment, and said calmly as if he had accepted his fate: "Give me the map."
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