Chapter 296: with translation of chapter title

The west room's door has been open for several months, but I actually spend little time here; even the daily incense offering is being persisted in by Li Qingying.

Standing again before the shrine, face to face with the Copper Coin Person seated cross-legged on the main deity's throne, I suddenly realized that the Copper Coin Person is indeed not nothing.

His whole body is wrapped inside the monk's robe, only the parts exposed outside the robe are visible.

First, the thing that impacts us the most is his head covered in golden copper coins.

Those golden copper coins extend into the robe, so we cannot see the full picture, nor his features, making it impossible to tell whether he has a fleshly body.

But his hands and feet are exposed.

The arms exposed outside the robe are covered with white, blood-stained scales, and on his bare soles, intricate runes are painted in gold lacquer.

I remember that when we first saw him, a talisman paper was still stuck on his face.

At that time I subconsciously thought that talisman paper was his seal.

Now it seems I was wrong.

What truly seals the Copper Coin Person should be the gold-lacquer runes on his soles.

Now, not only has the color of the golden copper coins faded, but the gold-lacquer runes on his soles have also faded considerably.

Even more frightening, I saw fresh bloodstains at the bottom of the shrine.

Those bloodstains were flowing out from the gaps in the scales on the Copper Coin Person's arm.

The Copper Coin Person actually bled!

Being able to bleed is enough to show he is not nothing.

But why did he suddenly start bleeding?

Li Qingying walked over, also noticed those few fresh bloodstains, and exclaimed in shock, 'This morning when I offered incense there was no bleeding; what's going on?'

I stared at the Copper Coin Person's arm covered in scales, and involuntarily thought of the white scales on Liu Junyan's tail when he revealed his true form.

They really look alike.

I unconsciously stepped forward, reaching out to touch the Copper Coin Person's arm.

Before my hand could touch the Copper Coin Person, the mysterious cat let out a meow, lunged up, and vaguely grabbed my hand to move it aside.

After releasing its mouth, it still meowed at me angrily.

Although I couldn't understand, I could tell it was swearing quite foully.

It was scolding me, not letting me touch the Copper Coin Person.

The little guy is quite perceptive; since it wouldn't let me touch, I didn't touch.

As a result, it wouldn't let me touch, yet it leapt onto the Copper Coin Person's head, lay there, and closed its eyes to rest.

Li Qingying and I left the west room, our faces not looking good, feeling that something was about to happen.

Li Qingying felt uneasy: 'Xiao Jiu, should we tell Seventh Lord about this?'

In my mind flashed the image of Liu Junyan just opening his eyes inside the Buddha's head, that fleeting golden Buddha light, and his sudden abnormality on the way back.

At that time I already realized that Liu Junyan had undergone some changes.

Now it seems this is not my over-suspicious imagination; something has indeed changed quietly.

I thought and said, 'Āyàn might know about the Copper Coin Person's changes earlier than we do; this trip to Songshan he took is probably to confirm those things, with Grey Fifth Lord driving him there—why not call Grey Fifth Lord and have him secretly observe?'

Li Qingying immediately nodded and said, 'Xiao Jiu, go wash up first, come over to eat later; I'll send a message to Grey Old Fifth right now.'

I returned to my room, took clean clothes, and went to wash up.

These past few days have been extremely tiring; the successive events have left me extremely tense, with heavy rain pouring down repeatedly, and my skin has become all wrinkled from soaking.

The warm water from the showerhead poured down, and I felt my pores all over my body instantly relax.

Really, nowhere is as good as my own home!

Only in the pawnshop, in my own little nest, can I truly relax.

When a person relaxes, they easily become drowsy.

When the warm wind of the hair dryer blows on my hair, I start yawning repeatedly.

By the time the hair was dry, I could barely keep my eyes open, leaning against the headboard I fell asleep just like that.

But I hadn't slept long before I felt something drip onto the spot between my eyebrows.

I struggled to open my eyes, but for a moment I couldn't tell whether I was awake or still dreaming.

At the moment I barely opened my eyes, I saw a familiar golden copper coin head.

He actually walked down from the shrine and stood beside my bed, slightly bending his body and raising one hand.

His whole body was wrapped in the monk's robe, only a small section of his arm exposed.

That arm was covered with blood-stained white scales, with blood slowly dripping from the gaps in the scales.

One drop… another drop… falling onto the spot between my eyebrows.

"Āwū..."

The Copper Coin Person made a sound, softly calling: 'Āwū...'

He called out repeatedly, lowering his head bit by bit, getting closer and closer to me.

Even though I couldn't see his eyes, I could feel his tender gaze fixed on my lips without blinking.

Āwū...

No, I'm not Āwū! I'm Xiao Jiu!

I suddenly raised my hand and smashed it onto the Copper Coin Person's head; I instantly woke up and sat up.

I gasped heavily, looked around, and found I was still on the bed, the bedside lamp on, and no one else in the room besides me.

It was just a dream.

I let out a long sigh.

Just then, the door was knocked on, and outside Li Qingying shouted for me to come eat.

I answered, then opened the door and went out.

Li Qingying saw me come out, opened her mouth to say something, but when our eyes met, she suddenly froze.

I asked, "Sister Qingying, what's wrong?"

Li Qingying raised her hand and touched my forehead; a spot of bright red blood suddenly appeared on her fingertip. She anxiously said, "Xiao Jiu, why is your forehead bleeding?"

Forehead... bleeding?

I turned and went back to my room, took a tissue and wiped my forehead at the dressing mirror.

There was indeed a small patch of blood on my forehead, fresh; a wipe with the tissue removed it.

That wasn't my blood!

In an instant, my whole body stiffened!

Li Qingying also wondered, "It's not your forehead bleeding, Xiao Jiu; where did this blood come from?"

I shuddered, then nervously began searching my room inside and out, even under the bed and behind the door, leaving no spot unchecked.

But there was none.

No Copper Coin Person, nor any footprint or similar trace.

He seemed never to have appeared; it was merely a dream.

But he did indeed appear; the fresh blood on my forehead can testify.

This is utterly unbelievable!

The Copper Coin Person intruded into my life like a ghost, always calling me A Wu.

A Wu, is the Fire Witch God.

And I am the reincarnation of the Fire Witch God, merely having lost my divinity.

The Fire Witch God's divinity was lost in the Nirvana fire.

This is something I had already confirmed earlier on Cangwu Mountain.

This is why the Copper Coin Person clings to me.

"A Wu, let's ascend together," this is the Copper Coin Person's obsession, also his delusion and fantasy!

He will not easily let me go...