Chapter 123

I turned my head toward the direction the silver needles were shot from and saw a white hedgehog, stout as a little leopard, flying toward me.

The meat spines on the hedgehog's body seemed diseased, constantly oozing pus and blood, with scorched marks on its right side.

This one is clearly not the Bai Family's little monster; rather, it looks more like… Bai Xian'er?

Wasn't she in seclusion in the gloomy wooden coffin? How did she come out?

Bai Family's point of ignition, could it not be…?

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through my mind, but I had no time to ponder; I immediately summoned Feng Wu, drew the bow to full, and shot at the white hedgehog.

With a whoosh, the flame shot out, but the white hedgehog nimbly dodged it.

She dodged!

This shows that the black aura on her body, capable of swallowing Feng Wu's fire, has vanished with this blaze!

This is good news for me.

I hesitated not at all, stepped back two paces, and placed my body behind the threshold of Dang Pu.

Then I drew four bows in succession; four flames chased the white hedgehog, firing repeatedly. It dodged left and right, but wounded, it was finally struck by a flame and screamed as it fled.

I gripped Feng Wu tightly, staring east and west along the street for a long time, fearing another ambush by Bai Xian'er.

Only when Li Qingying's carriage entered from Xijiekou did I relax and put away Feng Wu.

Li Qingying parked the carriage, and as she entered, her complexion looked somewhat poor.

She glanced toward the Bái Jiā Yīguǎn and asked, "What's happened over there?"

"The Bái Jiā Yīguǎn is on fire." I asked, "How is it? Will Xiaoye send troops to help me?"

Li Qingying shook her head: "Xiao Jiu, Xiaoye says the things in Zhu Pan Jiang aren't something a few shrimp soldiers and crab generals can settle; he also said, if things are bound to happen, better let them take their natural course."

I immediately furrowed my brows.

Better let it take its natural course?

Xiaoye's idea, to some extent, resonated with me.

"Xiaoye really talks big without feeling the ache," Li Qingying complained, "He has strength, fears nothing, we're just two people—what do we have to gamble with? If he doesn't want to help, he shouldn't; why make all these excuses?"

This time, Xiaoye's attitude truly annoyed Li Qingying; before, she had been utterly respectful toward him.

I shook my head with a wry smile: "Li Qingying sister, this time the matter might really be beyond suppression."

Saying that, I tidied my clothes and said, "I'll make a trip to the Dou family coffin shop; I'll be back soon."

"I'll go with you," Li Qingying hurriedly said.

I nodded, locked Dang Pu's door, and Li Qingying and I concealed our figures all the way to the Dou family coffin shop.

The door of the Dou family coffin shop stood open; Dou Zhile sat sideways on the threshold smoking a big pipe, Dou Jinzuo stood beside him, face full of worry.

Seeing us approach, Dou Jinzuo hurried forward; as he entered, he whispered to me, "It's certain—the six-fingered man with an axe on his back is my third uncle, missing for many years; this time he's returned, likely targeting my second uncle."

Dou Zhile extinguished his big pipe, and we went to the main hall to sit and talk slowly.

"The three Dou brothers are not blood brothers," Dou Zhile said slowly, "Besides the eldest, I and Dou Zhifu are both adopted by our master; my fingers are slender, my joints naturally a segment longer than others', suited for plucking the ink line; while Dou Zhifu is born with six fingers, possesses great strength, better suited for wielding an axe."

"The eldest's talent falls far short of ours; the master often said that in the future, the Dou coffin shop would have the eldest as manager, but ultimately this shop must be upheld by me and Dou Zhifu together."

"Dou Zhifu has never obeyed the eldest, resents my sharing the master's affection, constantly seeks novelty to win the master's favor, never expecting that his haste for profit would lead him down a crooked path, getting expelled by the master; back then, Jinzuo was young and didn't remember him."

So that's how things are.

That six-fingered one is Dou Zhifu; originally he was Dou Zhile's junior disciple, long ago expelled from the master's door.

He harbored a breath of resentment; having not appeared for many years, when Dou Zhile returned he surfaced—apparently he's taken charge of the Bai Family matter.

I asked, "Did he appear tonight?"

Dou Zhile's eyes were full of sorrow and hatred!

Dou Jinzuo whispered, "Second uncle fought him; the opponent was too evil, second uncle suffered some injury."

Dou Zhile gave Dou Jinzuo a harsh stare; Dou Jinzuo immediately fell silent.

"Girl," Dou Zhile said earnestly, "With his intervention, the Bai Family matter will likely be hard for me to control, I…"

"Then let it take its natural course," I interrupted Dou Zhile, saying, "Elder Dou, you must believe that evil does not prevail over righteousness."

Those last words were meant to encourage Dou Zhile and to boost my own morale.

Dou Zhile suddenly stalled, unable to comprehend: "Girl, do you know who is trapped in Zhu Pan Jiang? Do you know what Wufu Town will face once he sees the light of day again?"

"It's Chen Ping," I said calmly, "plus the Yin soldiers, right?"

Dou Zhile's lips trembled: "You… you actually know all this?"

"I almost got sacrificed to him, so I can guess a bit," I said, "but that's all I know."

Dou Zhile said, "Most people, including my generation, rarely know the details, but one thing is certain: once the ninth human‑skin red coffin enters the formation, Chen Ping may possibly see the light of day again.

"A murderous great commander, a legion of Yin soldiers sworn to follow him unto death, and a valiant warrior Zhao Zixun… everyone in Wufu Town… cannot escape calamity."

Even with mental preparation, hearing Dou Zhile say this still clenched my heart.

"This battle, we face nine deaths to one life," Dou Zhile said solemnly, "and the sole gate of survival likely lies in Dang Pu itself."

I questioned, "Dang Pu itself?"

Dou Zhile said nothing, merely gazing steadily at me.

Soon I realized: "You mean Liu Junyan?"

"Seventh Lord relies on Linghai; Zhu Pan Jiang is a tributary of Linghai," Dou Zhile said, "If Linghai steps in, this matter would be much easier."

I shook my head in denial: "If he could truly represent Linghai in action, he wouldn't have been constrained by Dang Pu for all these years."

Linghai is Linghai, Liu Junyan is Liu Junyan.

They… have never been each other's labels.

Dou Zhile knocked his pipe, pondered a while, then said: "If Seventh Lord does not step forward, Wufu Town's path of survival leaves only one last option."

I asked, "Is there still a way to survive? What is it?"

"Trapped Yin Soldiers." Dou Zhile asked, "When Yu Popo was alive, did she ever tell you about her master?"

I shook my head: "No."

Grandma never mentioned these to me.

I was also curious— isn't Grandma Dou Zhile's senior sister?

"Her master and my master are fellow disciples." Dou Zhile said, "Yu Popo is a few years older than me, so I call her senior sister; her master, I ought to respectfully address as senior aunt."

Senior Aunt is versed in yin yang and feng shui numerology; she holds a Thousand Soul Banner in her hand, which is said to be able to command thousands of souls simultaneously, making them submit. If we could borrow the Thousand Soul Banner…"