Chapter 174

A storm raged, and only late in the night did it barely cease.

Even though it was deep winter, I was still drenched as if washed by water, sweat covering my whole body.

Liu Junyan held me and took me to wash up.

In the misty steam, he examined the burn on the inside of my left arm and the characters on my cheek.

He showed no surprise at all, and asked nothing.

That feeling was as if he had long known all of this and kept everything under his control.

This left me doubtful.

Back in bed, I nestled in Liu Junyan's embrace and tentatively asked, 'I heard from Grey Fifth Lord that you went to Lofty Mountain.'

'Hmm.' Liu Junyan replied, 'I recalled some matters about Lofty Mountain, so I went to take a look.'

'Is it your memory, or the Copper Coin Person's?'

As soon as I asked that question, Liu Junyan fell silent.

He was seriously thinking about this question.

After a while, the big hand pillowing beneath my neck rubbed my earlobe and said, 'Xiao Jiu, if I tell you that I feel I am the Copper Coin Person, could you accept that?'

Liu Junyan is the Copper Coin Person?

I suddenly sat upright and told Liu Junyan everything about my encounter with Special Affairs Handling Office director Fang ChuanZong at the foot of Ox Tiger Mountain.

Old Fang suspects that the Copper Coin Person is the reincarnation of the rumored Dahui Chan Master from back then, and Dahui Chan Master originally passed away at the Dharma King Temple on Mount Song. If you think you are the Copper Coin Person, then there is a certain probability that you are the reincarnation of Dahui Chan Master. If that holds, then your trip to Mount Song this time was indeed a visit to the Dharma King Temple, right?

I said it all in one breath, and after finishing I tightly stared at Liu Junyan's amber-colored vertical pupils.

The vertical pupils shrank sharply, then he shook his head: "Xiao Jiu, I indeed went to the Dharma King Temple on Mount Song this time, but I have no idea what the Dahui Chan Master is, rather..."

He wanted to speak but stopped, and I pressed on: "Then what?"

"I offered a lamp in the Dharma King Temple." Liu Junyan raised her hand and stroked my cheek, saying, "This Buddha lamp was offered in your name. The Dharma King Temple is one of the earliest temples built after Buddhism entered China, with profound Dharma and universal salvation. I helped you form a karmic bond with it, which is beneficial to your body."

I suddenly understood: "So the writing on my cheek and the burn marks on my arm being stabilized are both related to that Buddha lamp?"

Liu Junyan nodded slightly: "After the turmoil appeared on Bull Tiger Mountain, I realized that the forces lurking behind it would also be affected, likely harming your body, so after I recalled Mount Song, I decided to make a trip to the Dharma King Temple."

"Ah Yan..." My chest felt tight, I couldn't help but put my arms around his neck, moved, and said, "How can you be so good!"

Liu Junyan embraced me and said: "Xiao Jiu, I won't let you come to harm; if one day I fail to protect you, it will certainly mean I cannot survive either."

I raised my head and blocked his lips with mine, rubbing and entwining.

I don't want him to say such inauspicious words.

We will both be fine.

After the kiss ended, I steadied my breath and then told Liu Junyan everything about Jiang Yingxue, as well as my conversation and cooperation with the teahouse owner Gu Yan, leaving no detail unmentioned.

"Gu Yan has already set off for Xiangxi, and I have also taken in Jiang Yingxue's bronze bell." I concluded, "Liu Junyan, meeting me might have brought you great trouble."

Liu Junyan pinched my cheek and smiled: "Xiao Jiu, I only regret that I lacked the ability back then to draw the waters of Linghai into Cangwu Mountain; otherwise, I wouldn't have lost you for so long!"

Cangwu's willows are cut, Ling's waters surge vast, yet they cannot reach the Yellow Springs, no meeting to be had…… These are the most hurtful words spoken by Ah Li when parting from Liu Junyan.

And this sentence, Liu Junyan remembered for a lifetime.

He does not hate Ah Li's ruthlessness; he only hates his own lack of ability back then.

But in this life, he has exerted all his effort to treat me well, making plans for me.

He…… how could he not move me.

I almost flung myself into his embrace, my eye sockets moistening.

Liu Junyan gently stroked my long hair and slowly said: "Xiao Jiu, don't rush, don't be afraid; let's first steady the path beneath our feet, walk solidly, then we can withstand any external storm."

But what I didn't expect was that a storm arrived silently early the next morning.

In the morning, Li Qingying, as usual, early opened the doors of the pawnshop.

As soon as the door opened, something fell inside.

It was a blood-stained envelope.

Li Qingying opened it and her face changed instantly.

The envelope contained a letter and a finger.

The finger seemed to have been freshly cut off not long ago; when Li Qingying called me over to look, I immediately recognized whose it was.

It was a middle finger, the skin dry and dark, the pad with old calluses, the hand of an elderly person.

And at the base of the finger still wore a copper ring.

Such copper rings are made by melting down old five-jiao coins and casting them, somewhat resembling gold rings.

And I remember my grandmother wore just such a ring.

She hated me too much.

Almost every time we met, she wanted to raise her hand and slap me; this copper ring on her middle finger had once scratched my face, so my memory of it is particularly vivid.

But I never expected to see it again under such circumstances.

I immediately said: "Give me the letter; throw the rest into the trash."

Li Qingying handed me the letter, then carefully took a black heavy-duty trash bag, put the envelope containing the finger inside, wrapped it up, and threw it in a beautiful arc, landing straight in the trash can.

She clapped her hands and said: "Wrap it tight, so the old lady who picks up trash doesn't dig it out and get frightened again."

I twitched the corner of my mouth, opened the letter.

The letter's content was simple: "Jiang Wanyang, you should return to the Jiang family! Otherwise, next time it won't be just a finger so simple."

Li Qingying poked her head to glance: "Xiao Jiu, the other side is threatening you with your grandmother's life."

"She's blind." I took a lighter and casually burned the letter.

Tafeng Village has already had trouble; now they're forcing me to go back—is this trying to make a cornered dog jump over the wall?

If I really go back, will Tafeng Village be all right?

Will my grandma not die?

I think if I go back now, they'll probably die even faster.

As for my grandma's finger…… I suppose it's her atoning for the sins she's created over these years.

When Fengli Shu suddenly appeared at the Qilin Temple, I thought it was strange.

Now it seems, the matter of Tafengcun may not be unrelated to Fengli Shu.

Even the establishment of that Qilin Temple, Fengli Shu is also one of those pulling the strings.

The only thing I can't figure out now is what that black shadow with a wingspan of two or three meters that appeared in the Qilin Temple actually is.

What kind of relationship does he have with Fengli Shu?

Could he be the legendary Qilin Divine Lord?

I know the other side won't let it go easily, and I've even thought that I might receive my grandma's hand, or even my father's lame leg, in the future.

But I never expected that the next morning, I would receive a candy...