Chapter 411: The True Yin Dang

~12 min read 2,343 words

The first to come over was Fang Chuanzong.

From 8 p. m. onward, the shady side of the opposite hill has not been calm.

Liu Junyan brought Fang Chuanzong over, and Jiang Si Que, who had gone back and forth, also came over around 10 p. m.

After 3 a. m., Jin Wuya finally arrived; he didn't even come to the pawnshop, went straight to the opposite side.

This night was destined to be uneasy.

And I, returning from the opposite side in the evening, felt a bit unwell.

I kept watch at the pawnshop with Li Qingying until midnight, then she urged me to sleep: "Xiao Jiu, you're pregnant, you should eat when you should eat, sleep when you should sleep, don't overthink; if the sky falls, Seventh Lord will hold it up."

She heated a bowl of medicinal concoction for me and stared as I drank it.

Possibly the medicinal concoction took effect; after washing up I felt very sleepy and fell asleep as soon as I lay down.

But this sleep was very restless; I constantly felt someone moving beside me, and heard the sound of gears turning from a track, the cries of vendors, the haggling……

I seemed to be in a bustling market, but the surrounding light was very dim; I even ascertained that I was still lying down.

This half-asleep, half-awake feeling of not knowing where I was persisted for a while.

Until a copper bell rang……dong……

I suddenly startled awake, sat up from the bed in one motion, looked around, and found myself lying in the familiar room, on the familiar bed!

I raised my hand and patted my chest, comforting myself; it's alright, it's alright, just a dream.

Just then, a rustling sound came from the Nan Shu Fang side.

I immediately furrowed my brows.

When we were sleeping, the two small doors on the Nan Shu Fang side were all closed.

The pawnshop's main door was open; if they came back from the opposite side at night, they would enter through the main door.

Now, where is this commotion coming from in Nan Shu Fang?

Has Elder Sister Qingying gotten up again?

No, even if she got up, she wouldn't go to Nan Shu Fang; there's nothing she needs there.

Could it be that thieves have entered?

Thinking this, I still got up and decided to go take a look.

As a result, I found that the two small doors of Nan Shu Fang were tightly shut, and the lights weren't even turned on.

Li Qingying also hadn't gotten up.

When I pulled open the small door from the Funeral Shop side, I froze for a moment.

In the darkness, a palm-sized object hovered above the counter in midair, emitting a faint green light; at a glance it was not something of the yang world.

I wasn't afraid, because this is the pawnshop, my own turf.

But that doesn't mean I wasn't creeped out, because this thing doesn't belong to the pawnshop, and for a moment I couldn't tell what it was.

I took a deep breath, didn't turn on the light, and walked straight over.

Getting closer, I also saw it clearly.

That was actually a pawn ticket!

This pawn ticket's material is indiscernible; it's a bit larger than our pawnshop's pawn tickets, and its face only bears a large 'pawn' character inside a circle.

Below the circle are the seals of the pledgee and the pledgor.

The pledgee is this pawnshop side; the seal reads: Chenghuang Temple Tian Di Pawnshop Yin Dang Hang.

The pledgor refers to the pawn customer, that is, the person who pawns items.

The name of that seal is: Feng Wu Jiu.

This is a blank pawn ticket.

On the ticket face there should be written the time, place, item pawned, pawn money, etc.

Nothing is written.

Very irregular.

Yet it bears a seal.

From these two seals, it appears that Feng Wu Jiu pawned something to the Chenghuang Temple Tian Di Pawnshop Yin Dang Hang.

Feng Wu Jiu?

Looking at this name, why would my heart be so uneasy?

Feng…… Wu…… Jiu……

These three characters, each I am very familiar with.

But they actually combined together, appearing on this sinister pawn ticket.

Moreover, the name of the pawnshop to which this ticket belongs instantly reminded me of the issuer printed on those hell money in the Funeral Shop—Chenghuang Temple Tian Di Bank……

Chenghuang Temple Tian Di Pawnshop…… Yin Dang Hang…… Yin Dang!

At this moment, I felt as if I couldn't even breathe.

Yin Dang!

This pawn ticket was actually issued from the Yin Dang Hang; this is truly the genuine Yin Dang Dang ticket!

But why would it suddenly appear in the Wufu Town pawnshop?

I instinctively reached out to touch this pawn ticket.

Upon touch, it felt yin-cold.

At the moment I touched this Yin Dang Dang ticket, it vanished.

Immediately afterward, a column of small seal script characters appeared out of thin air before me; I roughly understood them.

This is the pawn transaction content not written on the ticket.

Basically, it means that Feng Wu Jiu made a deal with the Chenghuang Temple's Heaven and Earth Pawnshop, Yin Dang Hang, and it was a redeemable pledge.

Thus line: "Basically, it means that Feng Wu Jiu made a deal with the Chenghuang Temple's Heaven and Earth Pawnshop, Yin Dang Hang, and it was a live pawn."

Basically, it means that Feng Wu Jiu made a deal with the Chenghuang Temple's Heaven and Earth Pawnshop, Yin Dang Hang, and it was a redeemable pledge.

We can translate: "The general meaning is that Feng Wu Jiu, back then, made a deal with the Chenghuang Temple's Heaven and Earth Pawnshop, Yin Dang Hang, and it was a live pawn."

Make sure each clause present.

Now 【62】 "What was pawned is not written above."

What was pawned is not written on it.

What was pawned? Nothing written on top.

However, it states what should be used to redeem it now: within one week, by using the Soul-guiding Lamp to guide the cinnabar spirit bone gluttonous beast into the Chenghuang Temple's Heaven and Earth Pawnshop, Yin Dang Hang, must not breach the contract.

Terms: Soul-guiding Lamp, cinnabar spirit bone, gluttonous beast. Should we translate? It's a beast name; likely keep as gluttonous beast (pinyin?) But rule: beast names should be translated by meaning? "gluttonous beast" means "gluttonous beast", often left as Taotie in translations. However rule: "Cultivation / xianxia / wuxia terms MUST be TRANSLATED by meaning, never romanized". Beast names are not cultivation terms; they are meaningful. Should translate meaning: "gluttonous beast" or "Taotie"? The rule says: "Things merely NAMED AFTER a person translate normally (lion cannon, Lion Battalion)." For beast names, they are meaningful; we should translate meaning. So "gluttonous beast" = "gluttonous beast". However many translations keep Taotie as a proper name. But rule says translate by meaning. We'll translate as "gluttonous beast". However we need to be consistent: maybe they expect "Taotie"? Not sure. Let's see other lines: later they mention "gluttonous beast vicious formation". If we translate meaning, it becomes "gluttonous beast vicious formation". Might be awkward but follow rule.

Thus "cinnabar spirit bone gluttonous beast" = "cinnabar spirit bone gluttonous beast". Could be "cinnabar spirit bone of the gluttonous beast". We'll translate as "cinnabar spirit bone gluttonous beast".

Enter the Chenghuang Temple's Heaven and Earth Pawnshop, Yin Dang Hang.

Must not breach the contract.

Thus line: "However, it writes what should be used to redeem it now: within one week, using the Soul-guiding Lamp to guide the cinnabar spirit bone gluttonous beast into the Chenghuang Temple's Heaven and Earth Pawnshop, Yin Dang Hang, and not to breach the contract."

As for what punishment would be incurred if the contract were broken, that is not written either.

Translate: "As for what punishment would be incurred if the contract were breached, that is also not written."

These few lines of text appeared quickly and disappeared just as fast.

Translate: "These few lines of text appeared quickly and disappeared just as quickly."

Basically, once I remembered it, it vanished.

Translate: "Basically, once I remembered it, it disappeared."

The next moment, another line of text appeared before me: "A Wu, welcome back!"

A Wu……Fire Witch God!

These words were spoken to me.

Translate: "These words were spoken to me."

Although I have not yet attained Nirvana, I am the reincarnation of the Fire Witch God, and this is beyond doubt.

Therefore, A Wu is Feng Wu Jiu.

The deal she made back then in the Chenghuang Temple's Heaven and Earth Pawnshop, Yin Dang Hang, now needs to be fulfilled by me.

The key content to be fulfilled turns out to be exactly that piece of cinnabar spirit bone carved into the shape of a gluttonous beast that we just discovered this evening!

Is this a coincidence or a trick?

Translate: "Is this a coincidence, or a scam?"

Or perhaps... the manifestation of the cinnabar spirit bone in the world triggered some agreement, causing the pawn ticket to appear?

I am more inclined to the latter guess.

Translate: "I lean more toward the latter speculation."

I only have one week.

Translate: "I only have one week."

Within this week, I need to figure out whether the Chenghuang Temple's Heaven and Earth Pawnshop, Yin Dang Hang, truly exists, its background, where it is located, and who opened it.

Confirming these will also corroborate my guess from another angle.

Translate: "Confirming these will also be able to corroborate my speculation from another angle."

I must do it.

Translate: "I must do it."

Because I faintly realize that this deal is extremely important for me, or rather for Feng Wu Jiu back then!

I must take out what she had placed inside.

Translate: "What she went in for, I need to take out."

Nan Shu Fang was pitch dark.

A faint light seeped in from the Funeral Shop side, but it didn't shine on me at all.

I stood there silently.

Translate: "I stood there silently."

After a brief emotional fluctuation, I calmed down and my thoughts became clearer.

Translate: "After a brief emotional fluctuation, I calmed down, and my thoughts became clearer."

Assuming it is truly the manifestation of the cinnabar spirit bone that triggered some agreement, then, is Feng Wu Jiu's deal with Yin Dang Hang only this one?

After all, the cinnabar spirit bone is obviously not just one piece.

There is one piece of cinnabar spirit bone under the gluttonous beast vicious formation; then, under the dragon-locking formation of Ox Tiger Mountain, is there another?

More importantly, is there any connection between Wufu Town Pawnshop and the Chenghuang Temple's Heaven and Earth Pawnshop, Yin Dang Hang?

I recalled the year-end merit rewards from last year.

Translate: "I recalled the rewards and merits distribution from last year's New Year's Eve."

At that time, netherworld officials came over, gave many rewards, and these rewards all came from the Nether Realm.

That is to say, Wufu Town Pawnshop should be subordinate to the Nether Realm.

But the netherworld officials also gave me something—a Cangwu Nether Seal.

I have never understood why the Cangwu Nether Seal, which is clearly the Feng Clan's chief authority seal, would be handed over to me by the netherworld officials.

Who exactly asked the netherworld officials to hand over the Cangwu Nether Seal to me?

I even suspected it might be my maternal uncle, but Liu Junyan said it probably wasn't.

This problem has troubled me for a long time.

Translate: "This problem has troubled me for a long time."

However, if Feng Wu Jiu and Yin Dang Hang had made a deal back then, everything would seem to become reasonable again...

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End of Chapter

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