Chapter 494: The Yin Cha Matchmaker

Recently, the appearance rate of the 'Luan' totem has been kinda high, huh?

Is it sent by Di Luan again?

But thinking about it, it probably isn't Di Luan.

He is now in a desperate situation; every important item could be exchanged for a chance at life, so he wouldn't just give it away so easily.

I asked Li Qingying, 'Did you see who placed it at the pawnshop's door?'

Li Qingying shook her head: 'I didn't see anyone, but when I found the box, I noticed a huge crow perched on the opposite roof, as big as an adult goshawk; when I picked up the box, it flew away.'

Crow, the 'Luan' totem… Feng Xianqiu?

I immediately lost any desire to investigate this redwood box.

What good could come from Feng Xianqiu showing up at my door?

Nothing more than him scheming against me.

But just then, the flock of birds on the box's surface started moving on their own; after a moment, with a click, the bronze lock opened by itself, and the 'Luan' totem on the surface quickly faded until it disappeared.

Li Qingying exclaimed in surprise: 'So the totem on the lock is actually a mechanism—truly ingenious! How was this done?'

Just witchcraft.

I said this while lifting the lid and looking inside, only to see that there was yet another box nested within.

This inner box was black, emitting a metallic sheen in the lamplight, exuding a Yin Cold Qi throughout; upon closer look, it turned out to be a single piece of black gold stone!

At last year's year-end merit distribution, I also received a few pieces of black gold stone, though they were tiny, they were still quite valuable.

Li Qingying was baffled; she reached out to touch it: 'Is this black gold stone? Who would be so generous as to hand over such a huge piece?'

She tried to pick it up to gauge its weight, but couldn't lift it; the black gold stone's base seemed welded to the redwood box.

But just a moment ago, Li Qingying was the one who brought the redwood box in.

What's going on?

I also reached out curiously to grab it, but as soon as my hand touched the black gold stone, its surface burst forth with a sheet of golden light that engulfed me; I only felt my brow heating up and the area behind my shoulder blades aching, as if my whole body's blood were boiling.

Even the little guy in my belly started to stir restlessly.

Li Qingying first panicked, her gaze darting over me before settling on my brow, her eyes full of disbelief.

This process was too painful, especially a splitting pain on both sides of my shoulder blades.

I gritted my teeth and endured it, not rejecting the process, for I soon felt my pair of tiny flesh wings undergoing change.

They seemed to be growing!

Li Qingying stared dumbfounded, as Hui Moqiong and Huang Fan rushed in.

Their gazes quickly locked onto my brow as well.

Until I suddenly lifted my head and let out a loud shout; a pair of wings on my back burst through my clothes and shot out…… Hui Moqiong and Huang Fan first stared, then turned away in unison, their backs to me.

The golden light quickly faded; I stood there dazed, a bit embarrassed…… because the wings that had shot out…… were featherless.

Bald, with a wingspan of one meter; though long, they were white and tender, stiffly sticking out there, making me feel as if I were standing naked in public.

Embarrassing and shameful.

Li Qingying cautiously asked, 'Xiao Jiu, can… can you retract them?'

I gave it a try; fortunately, I could retract them.

And miraculously, when retracted, they shrank again, embedding into my body as if they had never grown at all.

Li Qingying then tapped her own brow, reminding me, 'Xiao Jiu, this spot has changed too.'

She held up a mirror toward me.

When I took back Feng Wu, a blood-red feather-shaped mark appeared on my brow.

At this moment, that feather mark also turned golden!

Even more terrifying, my belly grew a size larger!

When I was little, I often heard my grandma say that children grow when they see the wind.

And the little guy in my belly grows at lightning speed when he encounters spiritual qi, dragon qi, etc. —the kind visible to the naked eye.

What was that golden light just now?

I felt the power of merit, but even more so another special power.

This power belongs to a certain clan, a special mana possessed only by those in high positions.

'Xiao Jiu, what is that?'

Li Qingying stood opposite me, holding up a mirror with both hands, but her eyes were fixed on my neck.

Today I'm wearing a Mandarin-collared top; the stand-up collar covers the lower half of my neck, so my attention was wholly on the brow in the mirror, and I neglected my neck.

Upon hearing Li Qingying's words, my heart skipped a beat, and I involuntarily recalled the 'Luan' totem on the black python's neck.

I wouldn't also grow a 'Luan' totem on my body, would I?

At that moment I felt the sky was about to collapse, and I didn't even dare to look at my neck.

'It seems to match the feather on your brow,' Li Qingying said, moving closer, 'golden in color.'

Hearing it was golden, my heart that had been lifted immediately settled back down.

The overall color of the 'Luan' totem leans toward cool tones; even with yellow accents, it's pale, not as intense as gold.

Only then did I undo the top button of the stand-up collar and pull it open; first I heard Li Qingying suck in a breath of cold air.

I looked at the mirror again and saw that a golden phoenix mark had actually grown on the side of my neck!

The mark isn't large—about the size of a one-yuan coin—but the golden phoenix is vivid, as if inhaling a breath of true qi would bring it to life.

Li Qingying suddenly realized: 'No wonder I couldn't move that black gold dragon stone—it's not because it's heavy, but because the power inside it has recognized its master! Xiao Jiu, you are its owner!'

My fingers lightly traced the golden phoenix mark, my heart filled with mixed feelings.

My true form ought to have been such a golden phoenix all along; now that this golden phoenix mark appears on my body, what does it signify?

If the box really was sent by Feng Xianqiu, what else could his purpose be in helping me regain my identity?

Would he be so kind?

Just then, the door was suddenly knocked, and Li Qingying and I were both startled.

Only then did I discover that Hui Moqiong and Huang Fan had left at some point, and they had closed the door.

The one knocking on the door outside right now is Hui Moqiong.

His voice was tense, seeming to carry a hint of anger: "Xiao Jiu, something happened."

Li Qingying hurried to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, before she could even speak, she saw Hui Moqiong holding a set of bright red wedding robes.

Phoenix crown and rosy robes, extraordinarily magnificent.

Li Qingying snapped: "Again?!"

Feng Xianqiu has pulled this kind of stunt more than once; even Li Qingying guessed what it was, and immediately wanted to go out and fight.

Actually, given Hui Moqiong's nature, if something special hadn't happened, he would never have brought this set of red wedding robes to me.

I asked: "What happened?"

"The bridal sedan is waiting at Xijiekou." Hui Moqiong said, "This time Feng Xianqiu didn't come, but there is a netherworld matchmaker; Xiao Jiu, you probably can't escape this time."

I didn't understand: "A netherworld matchmaker? Even if King Yama himself came today, you couldn't force a marriage, could you?"

Hui Moqiong whispered: "It's not King Yama, nor an ordinary netherworld emissary, but... the Red Happiness God..."