Chapter 42: The Golden Scale Belongs to Seventh Lord!

Golden Scale...

I suddenly remembered the woman's voice before the statue shattered.

She said she had the Golden Scale protecting her body, merit added to her, so she shouldn't fear this lightning.

But why did the Golden Scale that originally belonged to her abandon her and instead protect me?

"Xiao Jiu, are you alright?"

Tang Xun's concerned voice sounded, I snapped back to consciousness, forced myself to sit upright, and replied: "Tang... Aunt, I'm fine, thank you for coming to save me."

"Xiao Jiu, sorry." Tang Xun suddenly apologized to me, "I didn't come specially to save you; I... used you."

"Ah?"

For a moment I was so shocked I didn't know what to say.

Tang Xun explained: "Actually, I've been investigating the owner behind this painting, but each time I found a clue and pursued it further, the trail went cold—until that day by the river when I met you, a plan quietly formed in my mind, leading to what happened afterward."

I just suffered heavy damage; my head is still dizzy, and for a while I couldn't react.

After a while I cautiously asked: "You mean you recommended Cai Bin to the pawnshop to have me do work, using me as bait to investigate this painting?"

Tang Xun nodded: "Yes."

"No, no." I still couldn't accept it: "How can you be sure that if I get involved, the other side will definitely take the bait?"

I paused, as if I'd thought of something, and continued: "Could this goddess statue really be related to the Bai Family?"

Tang Xun was certain the Bai Family had always wanted to move against me, so she set up this game?

"I'm not clear about your grudge with the Bai Family." Tang Xun pointed at the Golden Scale in my hand and said, "I chose you because of this Golden Scale."

I became even more bewildered: "This Golden Scale... is it related to me?"

"This Golden Scale belongs to Seventh Lord!" Li Qingying's voice suddenly rang out.

She rushed over, sweat pouring down her face, stared intently at the Golden Scale in my hand, and declared firmly: "I can confirm this Golden Scale is Seventh Lord's; there are seven such scales in total, originally set in his natal magic artifact, scattered across the world a hundred years ago—I never expected one to appear here tonight."

This Golden Scale actually belongs to Liu Junyan!

That makes sense.

Liu Junyan transferred merit and true qi to me, we had skin-to-skin contact, and my body had long been branded with her mark.

The Golden Scale didn't choose me; it recognized its master's aura and thus protected me at the critical moment!

Tang Xun furrowed her brows, looking at me then at Li Qingying, obviously also somewhat surprised.

It seems she didn't know this Golden Scale was Liu Junyan's.

Even whether she knows Liu Junyan is hard to say.

"I've been tracking this painting for years, crossed swords many times, and I'm very familiar with the merit aura emanating from this Golden Scale." Tang Xun said, "That night by the river, when Xiao Jiu drew his bow, his body also emitted the same merit aura—that's why I chose Xiao Jiu as the main reason."

So that's how it is!

"I consider myself somewhat capable, but repeatedly clashing with this painting, at crucial moments I'm always repelled by the Golden Scale's power; I've led people around this area countless times, yet I've never been able to pinpoint the exact location of the small temple."

"Tonight, after that white sedan floated out from the Cai Family villa, I tailed it all the way here before entering this wasteland; I never expected to almost get you killed, Xiao Jiu—I, Tang Xun, owe you a favor; if you ever have any trouble, you can come to the Tang Family, and we will surely go through fire and water for you."

I quickly said: "Tang Aunt, you and Tang Tang saved me once before; you don't owe me anything, and besides, the controller behind this painting should be the Bai Family, which holds a grudge against me."

The Bai Family will stop at nothing to act against me.

I have a premonition that this painting will eventually be used against me.

Now, not only did I accidentally resolve the small temple, I also obtained this Golden Scale—no matter how you count it, I've come out ahead.

Li Qingying crouched to check my injuries, blaming herself: "I was too careless, actually fell for a trap at the Cai Family; by the time I came to, you were gone, Xiao Jiu—you seem to have suffered a serious internal injury."

Tang Xun said: "I just fed her a Protect Heart Pill; after proper care, she should have no lasting effects—let's go, first to the Tang Family."

We weren't being polite, after all the Tang Family is in Huicheng; returning to Wufu Town in the dead of night is too much trouble.

Li Qingying squatted down and carried me on her back; I pointed at the painting on the ground still emitting black mist and said: "What should we do with this painting?"

Tang Xun rolled up the painting and temporarily sealed it with a talisman paper.

Tang Xun drove us back to the Tang Family, leaving her people behind to clean up.

In the car, Li Qingying kept me company in the back, taking care of me, while Tang Xun drove and answered my many questions.

"Tang Aunt..."

"Xiao Jiu, you can just call me Tang Xun." Tang Xun glanced at me in the rearview mirror and said, "I'm an old acquaintance of Feng Wu."

"Er..."

This time not only was I stunned, but even Li Qingying was shocked.

Tang Xun and Feng Wu are old acquaintances?

Who knows how shocking this statement is!

Isn't Tang Xun Tang Tang's aunt?

Tang Tang is only a few years older than me, but Feng Wu's existence is measured in centuries.

Tang Xun... just how old is she?

She's clearly young, looking like she's barely over thirty.

Tang Xun smiled and said: "When we get back to the old manor, I'll show you something, and then you'll understand."

Since that's the case, I won't dwell on this issue any longer, and instead said: "Tang Tang is my senior sister; I should naturally call you aunt."

If Tang Tang knew that a trip to Huicheng would raise my seniority, she'd surely give me trouble!

Tang Xun, however, didn't mind: "Fine."

"Aunt." Having said enough, I continued asking: "On the way the white sedan carried me to the small temple, I was drawn by the three girls in the painting into a phantom mirror; they seemed to be pleading for help."

Tang Xun wasn't surprised: "Those three girls are the source of all evil."

Leaning on Li Qingying, I listened attentively as Tang Xun explained: "Those three girls were sacrifices under old societal rites; they would have been treated like objects or even livestock, priced and sold by their parents, until someone stepped forward and told them, 'If you want to escape suffering and earn a bright future for your next life, I can help you.'"

She told them, "The gods favor pure and clean girls; as long as you offer yourselves to the gods before being defiled, the gods will grant you a bright future."

Hearing this, Li Qingying gave a cold laugh: "What kind of good thing could a deity be that would advise inexperienced girls to commit suicide?"

"Yeah, such an obvious truth, they shouldn't not understand it." Tang Xun gripped the steering wheel with both hands, eyes fixed ahead, determination mixed with pity, "But when a drowning person finally manages to grab a lifeline, they will completely lose their reason."

This is why, when rescuing a drowning person in the water, one should not approach from the front.

Because a drowning person possesses an extraordinary will to survive; once they grab a lifeline, they will never let go, even unto death.

At that moment, they completely lose their reason; how could they still consider whether their actions are right or wrong?

They hanged themselves in the small temple to escape their present plight and for an unseen next life, not realizing that this is actually the true beginning of their nightmare...