Chapter 45: Redeem

What's mine is yours.

Now it belongs to you.

That's a piece of Golden Scale! It once merged with Liu Junyan's natal magic artifact.

Liu Junyan actually gave it to me without hesitation; saying I don't like it or I'm not moved is impossible.

"Go outside and try it."

Liu Junyan pulled me to the courtyard, I gripped the bow inlaid with Golden Scale, drew it full, released—Bang—.

As I loosened the taut string, a hollow echo kept reverberating throughout the vast Dang Pu.

Today there was no wind, yet I heard the leaves of the big locust tree in the front courtyard rustling.

Even Li Qingying, who was tidying up, came running over; when she saw the Golden Scale inlaid on my bow, her eye twitched, but she ultimately said nothing and went back to work.

I was delighted: "Liu Junyan, with the Golden Scale's blessing, Feng Wu's explosive power has truly grown much stronger."

Liu Junyan furrowed her brows, seeming somewhat dissatisfied: "In theory, it should be even stronger."

"Maybe over these years, the Merit and Mana innate to the Golden Scale have been partly consumed by Old Madam Bai," I speculated, "or maybe it was depleted from helping me withstand the backlash of the Lightning Summoning Talisman."

"You used the Lightning Summoning Talisman?" Liu Junyan's big hand immediately covered my back, feeling carefully, then said, "Xiao Jiu, you've suffered internal injury."

Tang Xun fed me a Protect Heart Pill, last night I rested well, and before departing this morning, Tang Xun not only packed the medicinal herbs she prepared for me to bring back, but also sent some tonics.

Right now I don't feel particularly unwell.

I told Liu Junyan all of this: "You don't need to worry about me; the Golden Scale helped me block most of the backlash, I just need to rest for a while."

Liu Junyan rubbed my head and said, "No rush, first heal your body, then train slowly; once Feng Wu and the Golden Scale are well-matched, your Mana will reach a higher level."

I lovingly stroked the bow and the Golden Scale on it, my heart filled with joy.

Liu Junyan told me that this piece of Golden Scale is a spiritual artifact; the Merit and Mana it inherently contains aid my cultivation, and likewise the Merit I gain and the Mana I cultivate will in turn bless the Golden Scale, letting both grow together.

I am a mortal fleshly body, unable to cultivate, but after retrieving Feng Wu, my physique has been subtly changing under its influence.

First, I no longer need Liu Junyan's Merit and Mana to see those filthy things.

Second, I can try to cultivate.

Although Li Qingying often disparages my unstable foundation and I haven't found a proper method yet, as long as I have a foundation, I'm not in a hurry.

After chatting a while, Liu Junyan urged me to lie down and rest properly, he reminded me to take care of myself before returning to the black coffin.

Li Qingying also had the medicine ready and called me over to drink it.

There wasn't much happening in the Dang Pu; after I finished the medicine, Li Qingying pressed me onto the bed to rest.

I leaned against the headboard, eating the small pastries I brought back from the Tang Family, scrolling on my phone.

I inadvertently scrolled onto a piece of news, and my brows furrowed instantly.

【Shocking: Legal rising star Chen Lu went berserk in court, biting the plaintiff, likely due to excessive pressure, mental breakdown!】

Went berserk in court? Bit the plaintiff?

What the hell are these tags!

This legal rising star Chen Lu is the woman who bought that pen I exchanged.

Not long ago she rose to fame in a single battle; how could these writers have portrayed her like this in such a short time?

She must have offended someone, right?

But when I saw the accompanying pictures below, I froze.

The accompanying photos show the interior scene of the court in session; in the photo, Chen Lu, hair disheveled, indeed lunged forward and bit the plaintiff's neck!

The floor was covered in bloodstains.

My temples throbbed wildly—how could this happen?

Initially, Chen Lu's ability to outshine the legal sector's Evergreen Tree Si Heng came from that pen modified by the strange craftsman.

Li Qingying told me that after being modified, that pen became a strange artifact, but using a strange artifact comes with taboos; violating them invites terrible backlash.

It seems Chen Lu suffered that backlash.

So indeed, this strange artifact isn't something just anyone can use.

In the days that followed, I stayed home to rest.

Li Qingying brewed medicine for me every day, making sure I took it on schedule; in her spare time, she quietly went to gather news about the Bai Family.

The Bai Family Medical Hall has been operating normally these days, but Old Madam Bai hasn't shown her face; she's probably resting too.

"Old Madam Bai has done countless evil deeds; she doesn't deserve to die, but I actually hope she doesn't make it through this time!" Li Qingying said hatefully.

I worried: "The calamity will linger for a thousand years; she won't die so easily—hasn't Bai Jingmo already made some small moves?"

To prolong her life, the Bai Family doesn't know how many more people they'll harm this time.

The Bai Family's retribution—who knows when it will arrive.

On the fourth day after returning from the Tang Family, Cai Bin came.

His looks had improved greatly; he thanked me profusely, saying Madam Cai has now regained her senses and will soon return to normal life.

"Here are two hundred thousand," Cai Bin placed a small packet on the counter and said, "Thank you, Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, for risking your life to help; I also hope you'll accept it with a smile."

Having said that, he handed over a long rectangular box: "This is that painting; the Tang Family has reapplied the seal, Tang Xun asks me to tell you the seal must not be broken—best to find a temple or similar place to perform a rites for it, then keep it enshrined for a while."

I nodded, took the painting, and felt a stir in my heart.

I had thought Tang Xun would keep the painting herself.

Cai Bin rubbed his hands, uneasy: "I originally wanted to give one million directly to thank Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, but Tang Xun said the Dang Pu has its own rules—money is just a token, but the painting must be offered to you."

I pushed the money packet back to Cai Bin, saying, "Madam Tang is right—the Dang Pu has its rules; you take the money, I just want this painting."

Cai Bin immediately pushed the packet back.

We pushed back and forth; in the end Cai Bin reluctantly took back the two hundred thousand.

I then asked, "Mr. Cai, do you intend to pawn this painting alive or dead? And for how much?"

"Dead pawn." Cai Bin obviously had done his homework beforehand, he said, "Just treat it as eight yuan eight, you profit I profit, hehe."

I also laughed along; businesspeople indeed are very particular about this.

I took out the Pawn Ticket and seal, ground the ink, and wrote carefully.

The Pawn Ticket was made in two copies; I had Cai Bin sign and press his fingerprint, then stamped it with the Dang Pu's seal.

I gave one copy of the Pawn Ticket together with eight yuan eight mao to Cai Bin, and filed the other copy.

Thus, I completed another deal.

As I put that painting away, I suddenly thought of Master Huiquan.

If the opportunity arises, I perhaps should go visit him.

One reason is for this painting; another is that I want to ask him again to help me examine my fate.

After all, Tang Tang said Master Huiquan has some genuine ability.

What surprised me was that soon I ran into Master Huiquan again.

It went like this: that day, a middle-aged man in his sixties, wearing a revised Tang suit, entered the Dang Pu and asked, "May I ask, is Xiao Jiu Zhanggui in? I want to redeem a pawn."

Redeem a pawn?

After the Dang Pu reopened, this was still the first pawn redemption business; I immediately went up and said, "May I ask, sir, what do you want to redeem? Did you bring the stub from when you originally pawned it?"

"I have." The man handed over a yellowed Pawn Ticket, saying, "Please take a look, Xiao Jiu Zhanggui."

I took the Pawn Ticket and examined it carefully.

The Pawn Ticket is genuine, the seal is also that of Wufu Town Dang Pu, and the item the man wants to redeem I had seen before when I was inventorying the pawned goods.

That was a Commendation Document.

However, the pawn period of this Commendation Document has already exceeded a hundred years...