Chapter 213

In ancient times, officials' attendance was taken at the mao hour; thus the term 'point mao' originated.

Put simply, 'point mao' means clocking in for work.

But it also has another extended meaning, the most famous being King Yama's point mao.

The so-called Yanwang's marking is similar to the saying 'Yanwang lets you die at the third watch, you won't live to see the fifth watch'; those marked by Yanwang must immediately go to the underworld to report.

It is obvious that what Jiang Que said about Jiang Bin being marked by some technique means that Jiang Bin has been selected and his soul is being hooked to take his life.

Bin'er is not only my only child, but also the twelfth-generation inheritor of the Deceitful Embroidery school; he is the sole hope of our Jiang family; whoever wants his life must first step over my corpse!

Jiang Que was emotionally agitated, his eye sockets red: 'After discovering that Bin'er had been marked, I immediately used the expanding yin technique from the Deceitful Embroidery school, transferring the name on the back of his neck to the back of my own neck, to share his yin-sha energy and temporarily sustain his vital signs.'

But the expanding yin can only last for a limited time; I can at most help him bear it seven times.

Furthermore, due to the expanding yin, the yin-sha energy accumulating in my body will keep increasing, causing many problems; I must find the culprit who harmed Bin'er before I can no longer bear it.

Jiang Que is an inheritor of the Deceitful Embroidery school, a well-known name in the Yin-Yang profession; it is reasonable that he could find his way here by some means.

Liu Junyan said: 'Your child was not marked by us; my Xiao Jiu is the biggest victim, and this time, besides Jiang Bin, there are others who have been marked—come with me.'

Liu Junyan brought Jiang Que to the west room.

Jiang Que froze the moment he saw Du Chan.

He was not surprised that Du Chan was also marked and appeared in our pawnshop; he was surprised that the name on the back of her neck had visibly faded.

'Her situation is different from Jiang Bin's; the other party wants to Body Seize her twin sister's body, using her as offerings, not hooking her soul.' Liu Junyan said, 'Jiang Bin's situation is more dangerous; if you trust us, go back and bring the child here—the incense in the pawnshop can temporarily suppress the worsening of his condition.'

Jiang Que looked around, his gaze finally settling on the large altar attached to the wall.

He is now in a remnant soul state; upon entering the west room, the thick incense instantly soothed the turmoil of his remnant soul—this is his most genuine and immediate feeling.

Whether we are harming people or saving them is clear at a glance.

He gritted his teeth and kowtowed three times toward Liu Junyan: 'Great immortal, if you can save my son's life, our Deceitful Embroidery school will serve as ox and horse, swearing to follow unto death.'

Liu Junyan waved his hand and said: 'This matter involves a lot; I cannot guarantee that I will definitely be able to save Jiang Bin's life, but you can rest assured that we will do our utmost.'

Jiang Que subconsciously glanced at me.

He knew that I am the person most deeply involved; even to protect me, Liu Junyan would exert all his effort.

Jiang Que left.

Leaving the pawnshop before cockcrow, the next morning, as the pawnshop doors just opened, Jiang Que was already standing outside holding Jiang Bin.

The three-year-old baby, originally raised to be fair and chubby,

now kneeling in that strange posture, looks especially pitiful.

When he was held onto the rush mat in the west room, I specifically glanced at the back of his neck.

On his fair skin, the two characters 'Jiang Bin' were very faint.

It seems that after Jiang Que returned home last night, he performed another expanding yin on Jiang Bin.

Parental love truly can be exchanged for one's life.

After settling the child, Jiang Que directly asked me: 'That character on your cheek shouldn't be just a day or two old, right? So who is harming you, doing these heinous things—you must know, correct? Can you tell me?'

I thought for a moment, then briefly told Jiang Que everything about Tafengcun.

If Jiang Que were merely an ordinary person, I would not involve him in these matters.

But he is an inheritor of the Deceitful Embroidery school; he has ability and his own connections.

Perhaps through him I can obtain more useful information.

Not long after Jiang Que left, Li Qingying received a call from Hui Moqiong, who said solemnly: 'Li Qingying, are Seventh Lord and Xiao Jiu both there? Tafengcun has new developments.'

Liu Junyan was at the west room; Li Qingying and I were together, and I asked: 'What new developments?'

'Tafengcun actually held another child-seeking ceremony today.' Hui Moqiong said.

Another child-seeking ceremony?

The child-seeking ceremony in Tafengcun is held only once a year.

This year's ceremony has already taken place; my mother also received a dream from the Kirin God, conceiving quadruplets.

How could there possibly be another child-seeking ceremony?

Hui Moqiong said he would keep watching Tafengcun and urged us to be extra careful as well.

After hanging up, I truly felt a mix of emotions.

Tafengcun is changing.

Every change it undergoes represents a new move by the controller behind it.

These new moves are clearly aimed at me!

I slept very uneasily that night.

The scene of having my soul hooked in Tafengcun keeps flashing in my dreams, disturbing my peace.

At four in the morning, a sudden stabbing pain came from my right cheek; I jolted awake from my dream and sat up instantly.

Liu Junyan was no longer by my side.

He had been accompanying me to sleep at night, but now there are two more people in the west room; he must attend to and observe them, lest any new situation arise.

I got out of bed, walked to the dressing table, and saw in the mirror that the 'slave' character on my right cheek had indeed darkened a bit compared to yesterday.

Before, I only knew this was the effect of the birth-tied curse on me.

Now I have surmised more deeply that Fengli Shu's means of maintaining the birth-tied curse on me likely involves using karmic obstacles to suppress me.

'The Kirin sends offspring, arriving on the phoenix'—until today, I only just realized the true meaning of these eight characters.

The Kirin bears a hundred children on its back, and those hundred children all come through being marked.

The Kirin sends offspring, and what it sends is karmic obstacles!

Arriving on the phoenix… the golden phoenix beneath the Kirin's feet… is me!

They just step on me, trample me, continually piling up human lives upon me, accumulating karmic obstacles, so that I can never turn over!

Ha... So that's how it is!

Liu Junyan helped me offer a Buddha Lamp at the Dafa King Temple, I rebelled against them, causing Fengli Shu to suffer such severe backlash.

They immediately started a new round of intensive roll calls, locking one child's soul after another in this sinful place, Tafengcun, letting karmic obstacles press me so that I have no choice but to surrender, to resign myself to fate.

Should I resign myself to fate?

Should I surrender?

On what grounds!

What on earth have I done wrong?!

At this moment, I only feel my qi and blood surging up my whole body, rushing straight to the crown of my head.

I only want to destroy everything recklessly, even if it means jade and stone burn together.

Perish together!