After Saving The Disabled Villain, I Was Attacked In Return! - Chapter 47

Jiang Yu quickly turned to observe Qi An’s expression. As expected, Qi An looked uneasy. Jiang Yu quickly spoke up for her, “Although the jade bangle has been recovered, the people involved have not been apprehended. This matter has been a constant source of distress for Miss, which is why she ordered us to come here in the middle of the night.”

Hearing this, the soldier nodded and led Jiang Yu and Qi An through the city gate. The main gate remained closed, but a smaller side gate was opened. Jiang Yu followed the soldier inside, with Qi An trailing behind her.

The soldier’s gatehouse was surprisingly warm. Jiang Yu maintained a stiff expression as she entered and politely took a seat. The soldier placed a thick ledger in front of her and Qi An, then flipped to the pages covering the past few days. Just as he was about to pull up a stool next to Jiang Yu, Qi An silently kicked the stool beside her, making a loud noise. The soldier jumped, thinking something had happened outside.

After rushing out, Jiang Yu finally felt safe enough to look around. The soldier’s small hut was quite simple, just enough for rest. A pitiful little wooden bed stood in one corner.

A bare wooden table stood in the center of the room, with a few rough teacups on it. Jiang Yu stared at the thick book for a long time, still unable to make sense of it. She pushed it toward Qi An and asked cautiously, “What do you think?”

Qi An nodded, took the heavy book, and began flipping through it. The soldier returned, cursing that he’d found nothing outside. Jiang Yu and Qi An were still poring over the book when he came back.

The cold night stretched on. Jiang Yu kept the soldier talking with small talk, while Qi An seized the opportunity to keep studying the book. Finally, her gaze landed on a line of text. It mentioned an early morning group that had arrived from Jiangnan to sell silk products in the Capital to raise money for winter.

But the group’s address puzzled Qi An. Travelers from Jiangnan should have stayed in an expensive inn. Why were they living in an obscure alleyway they didn’t even know about?

“Where exactly is this place?” Qi An’s interrogative tone, honed during her years as a young lady of noble birth, made the soldier blurt out without thinking, “It’s practically a slum, in a tiny village on the far western edge of the Capital. People who’ve been relocated to the city from outside and can’t afford better housing usually end up there.”

“A village inside the Capital? I’ve never heard of that,” Jiang Yu said, genuinely puzzled. The soldier, though somewhat disdainful, didn’t dare show it openly to someone from the General’s Residence. He replied, “You don’t even know that? It’s so remote, nestled against the small hills outside the city walls. You can actually leave the Capital by foot in just a few steps because the walls don’t extend that far. The terrain is so rugged that no one ever goes there. The people who live there just staked out the land and formed a village, but they pay taxes to Shuntian Prefecture every year, so no one bothers them. There are only a few of these hill villages in the entire Capital. Isn’t another one right near the General’s Residence? I heard the Emperor even plans to build a residence there, but the villagers are causing a fuss.”

The soldier had spoken too much, but then he remembered that if trouble broke out, the General’s Residence would likely send guards anyway, so he decided there was no point in keeping quiet.

Jiang Yu was a little confused by Qi An’s question, but since Qi An had asked about this place, she must have been confident about it. Jiang Yu joined the group surrounding Qi An, and when she saw the place, she froze.

Fengmen Village, on the western outskirts of the Capital… This was one of the subplot locations in the original novel. At night, the villagers shut their doors and stayed indoors. Those unfamiliar with the village called it a cancerous tumor in the heart of the Capital, claiming they were up to no good behind closed doors.

The Emperor had indeed ordered the village to be rewarded, and the task fell to the Male Lead. The Female Lead, wanting to advance her husband’s career, decided to investigate the village herself. She nearly got hurt by the villagers, but the Male Lead arrived just in time to save her and then resigned from the mission.

After that, the novel never mentioned the village again. Jiang Yu had always assumed she’d never encounter it herself. After all, when the author first wrote about it, the comments section exploded, with readers complaining the story was turning into a mystery novel.

Jiang Yu was genuinely wary of the place. She looked at Qi An with helpless eyes, her feelings clear in her gaze.

“We’ve got a handle on the situation now. Thanks for your help, Brother,” Qi An said, turning her wheelchair to leave. Jiang Yu quickly grabbed the identity token she’d left on the table and hung it around her neck, then pushed Qi An toward the exit. Since they’d entered through the corner gate earlier, they needed to register in the logbook as usual. But the soldier, eager to curry favor, insisted on handling the paperwork himself.

Watching Jiang Yu and Qi An disappear down the corridor, the soldier felt no qualms about his actions. After all, he was helping the General’s Residence, and surely there would be perks to be had.

The soldier turned to go back and catch a few more winks. As soon as he stepped inside, he spotted a pile of genuine silver coins on his desk. His eyes lit up. He rushed out to thank them, but the pair had already vanished.

Jiang Yu and Qi An, wary of drawing attention on the main streets, slipped into an alley. The Imperial Capital’s main thoroughfares were illuminated by torches, their shops glowing with lamplight. Though it was winter, today’s festival meant that all shops required to stay open were still manned.

Even in the narrow alley, Jiang Yu felt safe, the bright streets nearby lending a sense of security. She pushed Qi An along, the two of them discussing the situation as they walked.

“The Bone Tribe matter can’t wait. Who knows if tomorrow someone might show up with an imperial decree accusing the General’s Residence of colluding with them? But I noticed your expression at the city gate… you seemed really afraid of Fengmen Village.” Qi An, ever observant of Jiang Yu’s every expression, spoke gently, hoping to coax her into explaining her fear.

How could Jiang Yu reveal the truth from the book to Qi An? She blurted out, “I heard the servants at the residence mention Fengmen Village before. They said it’s terribly eerie. I really don’t want to go there.”

Qi An was torn. She knew they couldn’t delay this any longer, but Jiang Yu was terrified. She decided to go alone, but when she shared her plan, Jiang Yu firmly refused.

“No way! Even if it means death, I’ll die with you! How could I possibly go back alone?” Jiang Yu’s face hardened as she stared intently at Qi An, determined to make her understand that she would never abandon her.

Qi An was a little dazed. Everyone understood the principle of seeking benefits and avoiding harm, but Jiang Yu seemed to not understand at all. She kept being kind to Qi An, even though she was so afraid of Fengmen Village that she didn’t want to abandon Qi An, the daughter of a criminal.

“Okay,” Qi An said, though she didn’t know how the word came out. But the moment she agreed to let Jiang Yu follow her, Qi An resolved that she would never let Jiang Yu come to any harm.

She would return just as she had come. Qi An clenched her fist, then awkwardly turned her wheelchair to take Jiang Yu’s small hand in her own.

“Are you cold?” Qi An asked, feeling the icy chill in Jiang Yu’s hand. Though soft, the coldness made Qi An shiver.

Jiang Yu shook her head obediently, crouching in front of Qi An’s wheelchair and smiling innocently. “No, no. It’s just different outside than at home. My hands are supposed to be cold. But your hands are so warm!”

Her eyes sparkled like she’d discovered a new world. Once her hand warmed up, she pulled it free and started pushing Qi An forward again.

The western outskirts of the Imperial Capital lay just beyond the city gates, though reaching them required navigating several narrow alleys. Jiang Yu pushed Qi An forward, feeling surprisingly unafraid. For a child, the Laba Festival held a special charm. Lights glimmered in the alleys, and the sounds of children asking questions as they helped adults prepare porridge drifted through the air.

Though ancient times offered little in the way of nightlife, festivals like this one kept people busy well into the night. Rubbing her chin, Jiang Yu found much of her earlier fear at the city gate had dissipated.

But after a few more turns, the lively market atmosphere gradually faded. The stone pavement beneath their feet gave way to dirt, making Qi An’s wheelchair more difficult to push. Qi An suggested taking the wheels herself, wanting to feel the resistance.

Jiang Yu reluctantly let go, but seeing Qi An’s improved control over the wheelchair, she finally relaxed.

“It’s getting quieter and quieter…” Jiang Yu whispered, as if afraid of waking some monster lurking in the darkness.

Qi An had never believed in ghosts or deities. Her childhood imprisonment in a pitch-black wooden hut, haunted by midnight wails and howls, had forged her unshakable resolve.

To put it bluntly, the Qi Family was a human-refining factory. Qi An was a low-status individual who had been discovered by the family head for her exceptional talent, and she had never received kindness, even as a child, and was subjected to such rigorous training.

Someone else might have been left with permanent emotional scars, but for Qi An, three nights later, her eyes were merely a little colder.

And she could still walk out of the small wooden hut.

Qi An wasn’t afraid of the now slightly darker and quieter surroundings, but she was worried about Jiang Yu’s emotions.

Throughout the journey, Qi An didn’t initiate conversation, but whenever Jiang Yu called her name, Qi An would immediately respond, often adding a comforting, “Don’t be afraid.”

Buoyed by Qi An’s reassurance, Jiang Yu finally reached the legendary entrance to Fengmen Village. The village’s appearance was completely unlike anything that should exist within the Imperial Capital. Jiang Yu paused, borrowing the bright moonlight to look down.

The village seemed situated in a low-lying area, surrounded by dense forests. To enter, they would have to pass through the woods.

Qi An and Jiang Yu exchanged a glance.

“What are we investigating in the village?”

“First, we need to confirm if it’s a hideout for the Bone Tribe. If it is, we’ll be doing the General’s Residence a service.” A barely perceptible smile flickered across Qi An’s lips.

******

Note:

Fengmen Village does exist in China, and it’s even been used as a filming location for horror movies. However, the Fengmen Village in this story has nothing to do with the real one. The real village is located deep in the mountains, isolated and cut off from modern communication, which has preserved many puzzling customs.

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