Chapter 412: Because the Child Was Not Saved

Voices came from Xijiekou.

Soon, everyone had returned.

They excitedly discussed that cinnabar spirit bone, but then regretted that they could not think of a suitable way to extract it for the time being.

They even discussed its value.

When they entered, seeing me sitting alone in a daze on the reception hall sofa, they all froze.

For a moment, Dang Pu was quiet.

Liu Junyan walked over, raised a hand to touch my forehead, and softly asked, "Xiao Jiu, why aren't you sleeping? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

I shook my head.

My gaze swept over the faces of the few who had returned together—Fang Chuanzong, Jin Wuya, Jiang Sique… They all walk the Yin-Yang path; perhaps someone among them could give me a hint.

Thinking of that, I bluntly asked, "Does anyone know about the Chenghuang Temple Heaven and Earth Pawn Shop Yin Dang Hang?"

Jiang Sique shook his head.

Jin Wuya also shook his head: "I know the Chenghuang Temple Heaven and Earth Bank; it's the place in Gui Shi where currency is exchanged. Our Dang Pu's pawn tickets should also have been exchanged from there."

I nodded.

He then said, "The Chenghuang Temple Heaven and Earth Bank belongs to the Chenghuang Temple, and the Chenghuang Temple is located in the southwest corner of Gui Shi. That territory is out of our reach. If there truly is a Chenghuang Temple Heaven and Earth Pawn Shop Yin Dang Hang, it should be similar in nature to the Chenghuang Temple Heaven and Earth Bank and also belong to the Chenghuang Temple."

That makes sense, but this is just our speculation; it cannot be taken as truth.

Fang Chuanzong also expressed his view: "The Chenghuang Temple is under strict control; it's not a place we can access."

Alright, I didn't expect it to be this difficult.

How about… asking Hu Yulin?

Li Qingying had come over at some point, suddenly spoke, and startled us.

That guy, in order to find Feng Wu, used to wander aimlessly around Gui Shi; he might know more than we do.

We can give it a try, treating a dead horse as a living one,' I said. 'But the last time the fox immortal told me he was in seclusion, preparing to break through to his eighth tail; I don't know how it's going.'

Liu Junyan said, "Leave this to me; it's getting late, everyone should rest."

Jin Wuya and Jiang Sique are staying tonight in the annex of Dang Pu, while Fang Chuanzong must return to the Special Affairs Handling Office.

After seeing Fang Chuanzong off and lying down, Liu Junyan then asked, "Xiao Jiu, what exactly happened tonight?"

I then told him the whole story in detail.

Including my series of speculations.

The information was too much; after listening, Liu Junyan fell silent for a moment.

After a while he said, 'So now we have two especially urgent tasks: first, to clarify the location of the Chenghuang Temple Heaven and Earth Pawn Shop Yin Dang Hang; second, to open the Lock Dragon Formation in Ox Tiger Mountain, to see if there is still cinnabar spirit bone below, and at the same time test whether some agreement might still be triggered.'

I quickly shook my head: 'I only have one week; I can't do all that. Let's first investigate Yin Dang Hang.'

Liu Junyan rubbed my head and said, 'Alright, we'll split up. Tomorrow I'll go to Yin Mountain to find Hu Yulin; you stay home and think carefully about the extradition matter.'

I replied: 'Okay.'

After barely sleeping three hours, when I woke up, Liu Junyan was no longer in Dang Pu.

After breakfast, I also told Jiang Sique and Jin Wuya about last night's pawn ticket matter.

After all, I needed them to know that the cinnabar spirit bone has an owner.

Both were quite carefree.

Jiang Sique said, 'That cinnabar spirit bone is too pure; the purer it is, the greater its toxicity. We could only feast our eyes on it originally; we couldn't do anything else.'

Just being able to feast our eyes on it is already extremely fortunate,' Jin Wuya agreed.

After breakfast, Jiang Sique went home.

Jin Wuya then returned that bone whistle to me.

I took the bone whistle and examined it carefully from all sides.

Beneath the bone whistle's white bone surface, there indeed lay a small hollow piece of cinnabar bone, of excellent quality.

But compared to the piece inside the redwood coffin, it is truly too small.

It seems rather insignificant.

I'm not sure whether it is related to that gluttonous cinnabar spirit bone, after all it did not trigger the appearance of the pawn ticket.

Jin Wuya told me to put it away, admonishing me not to think about modifying it for now, to keep it intact so it could still be used at a critical moment.

Afterward, I also chatted with him about the previous occasion when the Shi and Wang families came to help.

Jin Wuya then fell silent.

Not knowing what unhappy thing he had recalled, his expression turned somewhat grim.

I thought I had said something wrong, but upon reflection, I hadn't.

Jin Wuya sighed: 'Speaking of the previous time the Shi and Wang families borrowed people to come to Wufu Town, actually Shi Rou did have a request of our Dang Pu then.'

I immediately asked curiously, 'What did she want us to help with? I agreed to her request; as long as it's within my ability, I will certainly not refuse.'

Jin Wuya shook his head, bitterly saying, 'For now it shouldn't be needed.'

I didn't understand: 'Why?'

'Because the child was not kept safe.'

Jin Wuya's single sentence left me bewildered.

I fidgeted, rubbing my hands nervously.

Isn't Shi Rou known as the 'Lingnan Black Widow'?

Her several former fiancés all died mysteriously; where did the child come from?

Looking at Jin Wuya's state, I suddenly realized: 'The child… is yours?'

Jin Wuya nodded.

I feel even more that it's fantastical.

Jin Wuya was born with a lonely fate; he cannot marry in this lifetime.

Otherwise, how could he have easily given up pursuing Li Qingying back then?

And Shi Rou's fate is even harder.

These two... actually had a child?

"During the time I appeared on the show with Chief Tang, my reputation spread." Jin Wuya said, "I never expected that at that time, the Shi Family would set their sights on me. The Shi Family needed an heir; whether Shi Rou married or not, and with whom she had a child, didn't matter. What mattered was that this person's fate matched hers, enabling her to conceive. And I happen to be that rare fate they needed."

I went out to relax with a friend, and was recommended to the Ridge South Shi Family; in a short time I was doing very well there, thinking my great fortune had arrived, but I didn't expect that this was merely the Shi Family's scheme of luring someone into a urn—a chess game.

After Shi Rou became pregnant, she was actually quite anxious; she studied our pawn shop in detail, and even came with me to see it personally, but in the end… sigh.

I can understand Jin Wuya's feelings.

He had been learning the craft of the deceitful artisan beside his master since childhood; his master died when he was in his early teens, leaving him utterly alone in the world.

He longs for a family and children.

Clearly he saw a glimmer of hope, but then quickly fell into the depths; such a contrast truly makes one feel depressed.

I carefully asked, "How is Shi Rou doing now?"

"Hmm, she's doing well, she's very strong." Jin Wuya said, "She said she won't give up, so I may spend most of my time in Ridge South from now on."

I said Ridge South is nice, and the Shi Family people are also righteous.

Then I asked again, "So Shi Rou originally wanted me to help with the child's matter, right?"

Jin Wuya said yes: "She wanted to wait until the child was born, then directly join our pawn shop; she thinks the pawn shop can suppress…