Wang Butcher and the others understood what I meant, but none of them spoke up—they were considering Xia Mengying's feelings.

Xia Mengying said softly, "What else have you deduced?"

I said in a deep voice, "The Kong family suffered a calamity, and no one offered condolences."

"Either the Confucian disciples nearby were observing Banxianzhuang's attitude back then."

"Or the Kong family were also traitors to Confucianism."

"Which possibility do you think is more likely?"

Xia Mengying took a deep breath and said, "Is there really no clear dividing line between good and evil in this martial world?"

I waved my hand and said, "Right now, everything is just my speculation. There's no need for you to worry about anything yet!"

"The truth will always remain hidden until the very end."

I leaned back in the car seat and looked ahead at the winding mountain road.

What I was saying to Xia Mengying was also meant to comfort myself!

The road ahead was rugged, and who knew what we would encounter around the next bend?

The next moment might bring a breakthrough, or it might bring darkness and savagery.

Who could say for sure?

After leaving Tie Ding Temple, I finally understood one thing.

The martial world, the mundane world, fate—these were things you couldn't escape or avoid just because you wanted to.

Instead of being afraid, why not face them with an open mind?

Even the worst outcome might be acceptable if you were prepared for it!

I leaned back in the car seat and fell asleep. When Ye Yang woke me up, the car was already parked in an open space by the side of the road!

A little further ahead was a weedy hillside.

Lin Zhao pointed to the faintly visible houses in the distance and said, "Kongjia Village is just past here. Our view is blocked by the hillside, so we can't see too far. Once we get over there, we'll be able to see Kongjia Village."

I glanced at Ye Yang, who was standing on the roof of the car, "What are you doing up there? Taking a leak? Get down!"

Wang Butcher kicked me in the butt and said, "Can't you talk properly? Do you always have to be inappropriate when you see Ye Yang?"

"Is he a proper person?" I muttered, moving a little further away from Wang Butcher. "Kicking me? That's indecent assault!"

"Go to hell! I wouldn't commit indecent assault on you!" Wang Butcher's second kick almost sent me into the ditch.

Ye Yang jumped down from the roof of the car. "There's nothing remarkable about the feng shui here. It's just an ordinary place! However, the yin energy is very heavy in the direction of Kongjia Village. There might be high-level ghosts hiding there, so be careful."

I turned to look at the people beside me and said, "Leng Gou and I will go ahead. Everyone else, be careful."

We went down the mountain, and the further we went, the more desolate it felt. There wasn't even a path worn through the weeds, which meant that no one had been to Kongjia Village for many years.

I stopped halfway and said, "Something's not right. Let's go back!"

Lin Zhao said, "What's not right? Aren't we heading towards Kongjia Village?"

I pointed to the mountains in the distance and said, "Look over there, then look at where we're standing. Can trees grow into timber here?"

"The first group of lumberjacks who entered Kongjia Village came from over there."

The mountains I pointed out to Lin Zhao were what people called "stone mountains." There was more rock than soil, and in some places there were just stretches of bare rock. The vegetation in these areas was relatively short and stunted, and couldn't produce timber.

Why would a group of lumberjacks go to those mountains?

Unless they entered Kongjia Village from the mountain we were standing on. In that case, it wouldn't be a matter of accidentally entering, but rather that they had deliberately gone into the village.

I said again, "Xiao Chengzi said that the group of college students ran into Kongjia Village out of curiosity?"

"Where did their curiosity come from?"

"Did they hear the legends of Kongjia Village and travel all the way here to explore?"

"We found the specific location of Kongjia Village because we had Xiao Chengzi's information. Where did they get the location of Kongjia Village from?"

Lin Zhao was slightly stunned and said, "You're right!"

"People in their twenties might be curious, but they wouldn't be that persistent."

"They're not tomb robbers who won't give up until they find a major tomb. If they can't find their target for a while, they'll automatically give up."

"Under normal circumstances, no one would want to walk through that weedy area, especially with grass taller than a person. How would those people walk through that weedy area to find Kongjia Village?"

I nodded and said, "That's what I mean!"

"Let's make a hypothesis. If that group of lumberjacks and those college students all stayed on this mountain, then they must have triggered some kind of restriction on this mountain."

"In other words, the key to truly unlocking Kongjia Village is on this mountain."

Lin Zhao still shook his head. "I don't understand! We can already see Kongjia Village, so why don't we just go in? Why are we looking for a key?"

As soon as I started to clench my fingers, Lin Zhao jumped to the side. "Let's talk nicely!"

I put my hand down and said, "What we're seeing isn't necessarily the Kongjia Village we're looking for!"

"Think about it yourself. When did the five great Confucian families establish Banxianzhuang? Banxianzhuang is said to have passed down poetry and books for three hundred years, right?"

"After the Kong family suffered the disaster, why didn't people start disappearing until twenty years ago?"

"And there was a gap of ten years between the two disappearances."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that someone is suppressing that ominous place. Or, the real Kong family manor can only appear under specific circumstances!"

I paused here and said, "If you don't believe me, ask Xiao Chengzi whether the two people who were found were inside the Kong family manor or outside?"