Walking in the cycle of reincarnation

Chapter 15 Smiling Face

Before dawn, the village was shrouded in morning mist.

Meng Shi selected about ten trusted men, all of whom were skilled forest rangers in the village.

Without uttering a word, everyone filed out from the west gate of the village. Meng Cang lagged behind, his plain robe clinging to his waist and back in the mountain wind, revealing his slender and graceful figure.

He had just stepped out of the village gate when he suddenly stopped.

A small, thin figure huddled in the shadow of the village gate.

"Ogawa?"

Meng Shi saw it first, his brows furrowed, and he questioned:

"What are you doing squatting here?"

The figure stood up abruptly; it was Meng Jinchuan.

It was still early, but the boy's eyes showed no sign of sleepiness; on the contrary, they were surprisingly bright.

"Uncle, Uncle Stone."

He first gave a proper bow, then straightened his back and began to speak rapidly:

"You're going into the mountains to find that spirit seed, aren't you?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Shi's expression darkened, and he subconsciously looked at Meng Cang beside him.

Meng Cang smiled, his eyes gentle, like a teacher seeing his disciple guess the riddle correctly.

"Oh?"

He stood with his hands behind his back, speaking softly.

How do you know?

"I guessed." Meng Jinchuan scratched his head, a hint of smugness in his eyes.

"After leaving my father's place yesterday, I saw Uncle Stone enter your building and leave in a hurry... I think you must have planned to go and find that spirit seed, so you waited here early this morning."

Meng Shi was stunned upon hearing this, and for a moment he didn't know whether to scold or praise him.

Meng Cang's smile deepened as he crouched down to meet Meng Jinchuan's gaze. The faint morning light filtered through his shoulders, casting a soft shadow over his handsome features.

"Smart." He reached out and carefully adjusted the boy's collar.

"Much more insightful than your brother."

Meng Jinchuan blushed with pride at the praise and seized the opportunity to earnestly request:

"Uncle, please take me with you! I won't cause any trouble."

Meng Shi frowned and spoke up to dissuade him:

"Nonsense. You..."

"Uncle Stone!"

Meng Jinchuan turned to him, clasped his hands together, and looked earnest.

"I am familiar with all kinds of poisonous insects, which will definitely come in handy when we go into the mountains. Besides, that spirit seed escaped right before the eyes of the three of us yesterday, so I also bear some responsibility..."

"no."

It was Meng Cang who interrupted. He was still smiling, but he had already stood up and looked down at the young man in front of him.

Seeing this, Meng Jinchuan's lips twitched, and the hope in his eyes faded somewhat.

Meng Cang raised his hand, placed his palm on the top of his head, and rubbed it.

"Jinchuan, do you know what my Meng family ancestors relied on to rise to prominence?"

Meng Jinchuan was taken aback, and blurted out:

"The Golden Toad! Grandpa said that our ancestors were able to escape slavery and build this empire with the help of the Golden Toad!"

"Exactly."

Meng Cang nodded and slowly continued:

"That golden toad is no ordinary creature; it is the very essence of our Meng family's destiny. Your uncle knows you've always been curious and wanted to find a leisurely day to tell you the 'Old Tales of Southern Meng,' but unfortunately, I've been preoccupied with village affairs in recent years and haven't been able to do so yet... Our own family legend is far more exciting than those Eastern Continent tales."

Meng Jinchuan's breathing quickened, and eagerness welled up in his eyes.

"That old book is locked in the ancestral hall, and I, your uncle, must go and retrieve it myself." Meng Cang paused slightly, then patted him on the shoulder with his fingertips.

"How about this! Your uncle will give you the key, you can go and see for yourself, and..."

He lowered his voice and instructed:

"Our reason for entering the mountains this time is that we suspect the spirit creature from yesterday has some connection with the golden toad. Therefore, you must not let your father know about you taking the book and coming into the mountains with us. Knowing his temperament, once he finds out, the book will probably never see the light of day again, and we will not be able to go looking for the spirit creature anymore, after all..."

Meng Cang said meaningfully:

"Your father... hates the old stories of our ancestors the most, saying they are misleading people."

Meng Jinchuan's heart tightened, his childish expression vanished, and he nodded solemnly.

Meng Cang straightened up, took out the key from his pocket and handed it to Meng Jinchuan, his smile unchanged:

"Go ahead, observe and learn more, and keep your mouth shut. Understand?"

"Understood!" Meng Jinchuan nodded emphatically again, his face solemn. "I will absolutely not tell Father! Uncle, please don't worry!"

Meng Cang patted him on the shoulder again, then turned and left the village. Meng Shi followed closely behind, glancing back one last time. He saw the boy still standing in the morning mist, his face filled with longing.

......

After the group of people had gone far away, Meng Jinchuan stood there for a moment, then suddenly turned his head to look behind the stilted houses.

"If you don't take me..." he muttered to himself, "I'll go by myself."

He went back into the house, grabbed a handful of medicine to cure malaria and put it in his pocket. He also picked up the steel fork he never parted with and, following the direction Meng Cang and the others had gone, crouched down and disappeared into the forest.

......

Three miles outside the village, in an earthen cave, Zhang Nanfeng lay in ambush.

Suddenly, faint voices pierced through the thin mist and drifted on the wind.

Zhang Nanfeng's ear twitched, and half of his head emerged from the hole.

The burial pit was directly opposite the path leading into the mountain. Amidst the swirling mist, a dozen or so figures were emerging from the forest.

He immediately recognized the thick-browed man in the group from yesterday.

Beside the man was another man in a plain robe. He was handsome, with a gentle and refined demeanor. His facial features were vaguely similar to the man's, but his bearing was more composed.

"Brother, where should we begin our search today?" Meng Shi asked in a low voice.

Meng Cang raised his eyes and looked into the dense forest, scanning every shadow, and said:

"Startled, he will surely flee deeper into the area. Let us simply follow the path he took yesterday."

The crowd behind him unanimously agreed.

Zhang Nanfeng lay hidden in the cave, listening to the entire conversation. He knew that this group had come to capture him, but instead of being afraid, he felt a bit intrigued.

So he still hasn't given up on me...

Yesterday, the terrain was a disadvantage, and the arrival of hunting dogs made it all the more unlucky for me to be captured. But today...

He looked around.

Perfect, let's use them to gather more intelligence about the village.

After the group had moved forward several feet, he emerged from the hole, using the trees for cover, and hung at the rear of the group from a distance of more than ten feet.

He observed quietly, noticing that the man in the white robe always walked at the head of the group, occasionally raising his hand to signal everyone to stop. Sometimes he would bend down to examine the ground, sometimes he would listen intently, his demeanor calm and unhurried.

Moreover, every time he raised his hand, the people behind him would stop and follow his orders.

It seems this person holds a high position in the village.

As Zhang Nanfeng pondered, a mountain breeze blew from behind, and Meng Cang, who was in front, suddenly paused, his nostrils flaring.

The next instant, he turned his head, his gaze skimming across the water like a dragonfly skimming the surface, towards where Zhang Nanfeng was hiding.

Zhang Nanfeng was horrified.

I've been discovered? Impossible, I'm hiding so far away and so well concealed.

He immediately wanted to retreat, but seeing that the other party did not come forward, he suppressed the thought.

"Big brother?" Meng Shi noticed something was wrong and called out in a low voice.

Meng Cang raised his hand and pointed to the bush where Zhang Nanfeng was.

"There's a poisonous creature there."

Upon hearing the sound, the two men from the Meng family reached for their knives.

"No need."

Meng Cang called out to stop the two.

"It's just an ordinary toad, not worth the effort."

Meng Shi hesitated slightly:

"smoothly......"

Meng Cang waved his hand to interrupt:

"Don't let other things distract you from your important tasks."

"What my elder brother says is true."

Meng Cang looked around at everyone and raised his hand in a gesture:

"We'll split into two groups. Third brother, you take five men and go upstream along the stream. I'll lead the rest to the west side of the swamp. Whichever group finds a trail, use a whistle as a signal, understand?"

"yes!"

The crowd responded and quickly split into two groups, dispersing into the forest.