Chapter 418: How does it feel like everything

That voice sounded like it came from the abyss, echoing continuously throughout the space, carrying a restrained pain and plea.

I jolted awake from sleep and sat up suddenly.

In the next moment, Liu Junyan pulled me into his embrace, his large hand gently stroking my back: "Xiao Jiu, it's all right, it was just a dream."

It was a dream.

But it wasn't me dreaming; it felt like someone was sending me a dream.

That cry of "Āwū, please help" was like an old friend of many years in trouble, becoming the last straw he could grasp to save his life.

It made my heart ache inexplicably.

Though we had never met nor remembered, he suddenly burst into my life, leaving me somewhat at a loss.

I struggled to calm myself, threw on a coat, opened the door, and headed straight toward Nan Shu Fang.

The entire pawn shop was quiet, with no lights on.

When I reached the small door of the funeral shop, I glanced back at Liu Junyan.

He stood in the doorway, standing in the light, continually watching me, guarding me.

With him there, I finally felt at ease.

I reached out, pulled open the small door, and looked toward the counter.

Sure enough, above the counter, another pawn ticket glowing with green light floated there.

With the previous experience, I no longer doubted or hesitated; I strode over confidently.

The face of the pawn ticket was exactly the same as before.

The ticket face was blank, bearing the seals of Yin Dang Hang and Feng Wu Jiu as the signatory.

I raised my hand to touch the pawn ticket; a surge of Yin Cold Qi emanated from it, the ticket vanished, and several lines of text appeared out of thin air before me.

"Within five days, use the Soul-guiding Lamp to escort the vermilion jade spirit bone of Qiongqi into the Chenghuang Temple's pawn shop of Yin Dang Hang; do not breach the contract."

Indeed!

We had retrieved the vermilion jade spirit bone of Qiongqi, and this hidden agreement was immediately triggered.

This was expected, yet it left me puzzled.

Back then, just how many of these pawn tickets did Feng Wu Jiu sign with Yin Dang Hang?

How could the content be so precise?

It seems Yin Dang Hang is even more mysterious and powerful than I imagined.

The small characters before my eyes quickly faded.

Finally, another line of small text appeared: "Āwū, please help."

The lights came on.

Liu Junyan walked in and embraced me from behind.

My whole body went limp, sinking into his embrace: "Āyàn, I suddenly feel a little afraid."

"He seems like an old friend of mine; I fear my abilities are insufficient to save him from fire and water."

"He must have waited for me for many, many years."

Liu Junyan's cheek rubbed against mine as he whispered in my ear: "Xiao Jiu, you're not fighting alone; you still have me, you still have the pawn shop, and all of us will become your strongest backing. You just need to stride forward, do your utmost to charge ahead and blaze a new path."

My heart felt moved yet lost: "I fear I'll choose the wrong path and bring upon everyone an undeserved calamity."

"We ourselves are also on this path," Liu Junyan said. "We have been groping in the dark along this road for a very long time; only with your appearance did it become like a lamp lighting the way ahead. Xiao Jiu, trust your choice, for it will also be ours. Cause and effect cycle—our gathering here is both cause and effect."

We have less than five days left; we must make full preparations.

Enter the Gui Shi market, find Yin Dang Hang within a few short hours, and complete the transaction.

Unexpectedly, three days later I received a call from Jin Wuya.

He had already returned to Lingnan.

His voice over the phone was trembling.

He asked: "Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, is Seventh Lord by your side?"

I said he is.

He told me to turn on speakerphone; he had something very important to tell us.

After I turned on speakerphone, Liu Junyan asked: "What's happened?"

Jin Wuya's voice tightened as he said: "Seventh Lord, Yun Chan Temple has been destroyed; even the Shi and Wang families joining forces couldn't save it, and the whole temple collapsed."

I gasped in shock; I hadn't expected Yun Chan Temple to suffer such a sudden change!

We hadn't yet had the chance to go to Lingnan to take a look.

Deep down, we trusted the abilities of the Wang and Shi families.

I was still thinking that after returning from Yin Dang Hang, I would first go to Huicheng; if I could resolve the Chaos Fiendish Formation, only then would I consider going to Lingnan.

Liu Junyan, far calmer than I, continued: "Did the pagoda inside Yun Chan Temple also collapse? What is hidden beneath it, do you know?"

"The pagoda collapsed," Jin Wuya said. "Beneath it should be a Dragon-Locking Formation set up by Dahui Chan Master; unfortunately, by the time we figured it out, that Dragon Qi had already been siphoned away."

I instinctively asked: "Who absorbed it?"

"It…" Jin Wuya said solemnly, "If we haven't mistaken, it should be the Eighth Po."

I didn't understand: "Really? The Copper Coin Person is so easy to recognize; you've seen him, right?"

"No, Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, you haven't seen his condition with your own eyes; if you had, you'd understand why I say this."

Jin Wuya paused, then began to describe us: "His appearance has changed; the copper coins all over his body have faded, he now looks flesh and blood, and even more astonishingly, I sensed the aura of the vermilion jade spirit bone on him."

As soon as he said that, Liu Junyan and I fell silent for a long time.

Countless possibilities flashed through our minds.

In fact, we had already analyzed this scenario before; the Empty Silence Abbott would surely use the Copper Coin Person to challenge us to a duel.

But we never expected this moment to come so soon, nor did we expect his first target to be Lingnan.

What's even more terrifying is that we never would have imagined that the Copper Coin Person's body would show the aura of the vermilion sable spirit bone.

I couldn't accept it: "Gold Boss, are you sure? You once personally told me that the vermilion sable spirit bone is extremely rare!"

How come it now looks as common as street litter?

"I also find it hard to believe, but I am certain." Jin Wuya said solemnly, "Over these years, the Wang and Shi families have always had someone guarding outside Yun Chan Temple, continuously reinforcing the suppressive formation array left by Dahui Chan Master back then, and everything has remained peaceful."

But last night, the Copper Coin Person appeared out of thin air inside Yun Chan Temple; only when the pagoda collapsed did anyone hear the commotion, and by the time we rushed over, the Dragon Qi had already been sucked away. The other party wore a monk's robe, held prayer beads in hand, even bowed to us and said "Amitabha".

At that time I was only a few meters away from him, and I had just come into contact with the vermilion sable spirit bone, so my perception was exceptionally keen then; I can be certain that his body contains not only vermilion sable spirit bone, but more than one piece...

My scalp has already started to go numb.

That phrase "appeared out of thin air" is too eerie and too terrifying.

Liu Junyan asked, "Are you still at Yun Chan Temple now?"

Jin Wuya replied, "We are; we've set up camp here and are keeping constant watch."

"Have you dug open the collapsed pagoda?"

"We have."

"Is there anything underneath?"

"Yes, a small redwood coffin, wrapped in chains, exactly the same as the one Zhao Zixun found; we didn't dare move it. Seventh Lord, would you like to come take a look?"

The two went back and forth, discussing only the essentials.

"No need to go over." Liu Junyan said, "You should now figure out how to undo the iron chains and open the redwood coffin."

Jin Wuya exclaimed in shock, "No, Seventh Lord, the vermilion sable spirit bone will spray toxic mist..."

"Open it." Liu Junyan said, "If nothing unexpected happens, the inside should already be empty..."