Chapter 51

My hand holding the bow trembled, and my heart inexplicably felt sore and swollen, hard to bear.

Did the Cao Yu Clan do something wrong?

She was born into a lowly station, not something she could choose.

She was enslaved by her master's household, timid and weak, yet she once held a Commendation Document and struggled for a time against those beasts of the Cao family.

She wasn't unwilling to resist; she was simply too insignificant, and a moment's resistance only brought harsher abuse.

Even at the moment of her death, she did not think of becoming a vengeful ghost; if not for the resentful qi of those little ghosts imprisoning her soul, she should have already been reincarnated.

Now, the little ghosts have been burned by Feng Wu's flames into a wisp of green smoke; the resentful qi that imprisoned the Cao Yu Clan has dissipated, and she… has returned to that kind, weak self.

Such a Cao Yu Clan—do I really have to let her vanish into ashes and smoke?

"Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, let me handle this."

Master Huichuan suddenly spoke, having put away his ruler, stepped forward, placed one hand on the Cao Yu Clan's head, and murmured incantations.

He was performing a liberation rite for the Cao Yu Clan.

I silently let out a breath, put away Feng Wu, and went to check on Wu Qian's condition.

Wu Qian had wet himself from fright, his legs went weak, but otherwise he was fine.

Seeing the situation settled, the Wu family, all hands on deck, lifted Wu Qian to the room to tidy up.

When Master Huichuan finished, the Cao Yu Clan's soul was sent off, and the sky had already brightened.

The Wu family gathered around, offering thousands of thanks, asking what they should do next.

Master Huichuan instructed: "Although the Cao Yu Clan has been sent away, this manor has been disturbed by ghosts for too long; it still needs three days of rites to pacify it."

Wu Meng repeatedly said: "That's right, that's right; also my little son had his courage shattered by the fright, please ask Master Huichuan to help soothe him."

Master Huichuan nodded in agreement, then turned to me and said: "Thank you, Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, for your help this time; the remaining work will be left to you, little Daoist."

"Master, no need for politeness; I help because I also have a request." I smiled, "After you're busy in a few days, I will personally visit Qingquan Temple."

Master Huichuan also felt pleased: "Little Daoist, await the arrival of Xiao Jiu Zhanggui."

The Wu family's affairs were mostly settled, but I didn't rush to leave; instead, I checked each and every broken threshold in the manor one by one.

Sure enough, I found a fragment of a chastity archway's lintel in the main gate threshold, carved with the prominent characters "Jie Lie".

According to the timeline, when Cao Houdé initially hid the Cao Yu Clan's Commendation Document, he didn't immediately pawn it; he probably didn't even think of this.

The Commendation Document was pawned after Cao Houdé launched a massive slaughter following the Cao Yu Clan's death; he consulted an expert, who offered two solutions.

First, pawn the Commendation Document at Wufu Town Pawnshop; second, seal the items from the chastity archway into the thresholds—pomegranate carvings on the inner room threshold, the "Jie Lie" plaque on the main gate threshold—thus ensuring the Cao Yu Clan and those little ghosts were tightly trapped in this manor.

What vicious methods!

The Cao Yu Clan suffered torment for over a hundred years; fortunately, Master Huichuan has now performed the liberation rite, hoping she will be safe and healthy in her next life, and fiercely loved.

I handed the pomegranate carving and the "Jie Lie" plaque to Wu Meng, instructing him: "Once things here are settled, take these two items to the pawnshop to finish the paperwork."

Wu Meng repeatedly agreed.

On the way back, Li Qingying drove; I sat in the passenger seat, gazing out the window, heavy-hearted.

Li Qingying asked concernedly: "Xiao Jiu, you've successfully resolved the Wu family's matter—why do you look unhappy? Are you tired?"

I shook my head: "I'm just thinking, back then, shouldn't our pawnshop have refused to accept that Commendation Document? I always feel the pawnshop aided evil."

Who exactly founded the pawnshop?

Was his original intention in founding this pawnshop really just to do business?

Li Qingying thought for a moment, then offered: "Xiao Jiu, perhaps this is why you and Seventh Lord appeared at the Wufu Town Pawnshop."

I glanced back at Li Qingying; her words instantly enlightened me.

Yes, Liu Junyan being trapped in the pawnshop is precisely to suppress those unclean things.

And isn't everything I'm doing now also for accumulating merit?

At least last night, we saved the Cao Yu Clan, didn't we?

I couldn't help but say: "Qingying sister, you truly are my blossom of understanding; having you here is wonderful."

Li Qingying gripped the steering wheel with both hands, ignoring me.

But her cheeks quietly flushed with a hint of red.

I was in high spirits; returning to Wufu Town, as soon as I stepped out of the car I noticed that the hexagonal lantern hanging under the west side of the corridor had somehow acquired a faint layer of golden light.

That golden light sank to the bottom of the hexagonal lantern, wrapping Fu Wan's essence within, no longer wandering about wildly as before.

These golden lights are merit!

It should be the merit accumulated from resolving these matters during this period; part of it resides in the hexagonal lantern, and Liu Junyan's side likely absorbed a portion as well.

The gloom that had lingered in the car earlier has now completely dissipated.

It turns out that everything I've done truly is meaningful!

Over the next three days, with no customers coming to the pawnshop, I happily enjoyed leisure, catching up on sleep with Li Qingying, practicing my cultivation, and then began preparing for the trip to the ghost market.

Li Qingying seemed preoccupied; she asked me: "Xiao Jiu, didn't we just go to the ghost market last month? We bought what we needed—do we really need to go again this month?"

"Yes, we need to go." I replied while tidying up, "This time we're going mainly not to buy things, but to gather some information."

Li Qingying said nothing.

Only then did I notice something was off with her, and I asked: "Qingying sister, did you have plans that day?"

"Just a private matter." Li Qingying said, "It's fine; I can handle my own affairs after we return from the ghost market."

I recalled that last time, also on the fifteenth, Li Qingying accompanied me out of the ghost market, saw me back to the pawnshop, and then left.

She said she would be away for three days, but when I ran into trouble, she hurried back early.

Moreover, a deep wound appeared on my shoulder.

Thinking of this, I asked: "Do you still need to go for three days?"

Li Qingying nodded.

I really wanted to ask her what exactly this private matter was—it's so thorny.

But Li Qingying clearly didn't want to say, so asking her would be pointless.

When she eventually wants to talk about it, I'll try asking again.

Wu Meng kept his promise; once he finished handling family matters, he brought those two items to the pawnshop.

Since this transaction wasn't a redemption or pawn but a barter, the procedures were also convenient.

After receiving the 'Chaste and Heroic' plaque and the pomegranate carving, Wu Meng handed over two big red envelopes, saying politely, "Xiao Jiu Zhanggui and Miss Li have helped the Wu family greatly; this is my small token of gratitude—please accept it."

I had received two good things, and I originally didn't want to take any money.

But Wu Meng insisted, he placed the red envelope down and ran off.

I checked, and each red envelope still had a slip inside: the note in Xiao Jiu Zhanggui's envelope said it held ten thousand, while the one in Miss Li's said it held eight thousand.

I gave Li Qingying her red envelope, and I deposited my own in the bank.

On the fifteenth night, Li Qingying and I arrived early at the land temple behind the fish market to wait.

Tonight several people also entered together, but after what happened with Fangyuan we became more cautious, trying not to speak to anyone.

I exchanged currency at Fengdu Bank, then went to the pawn ticket window and bought a pawn ticket booklet.

The window clerk was still the same as before; when I paid, I casually asked, "Do you know the old manager of Wufu Town Pawnshop?"

The clerk counted the money, packaged the pawn ticket booklet and handed it to me, saying, "Sorry, Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, here we only deal with transactions—we don't ask about names or identities."

I nodded, thanked him, and turned to leave.

But upon reaching the door, I always felt something was off.

In these two transactions the clerk certainly didn't ask for my name or identity, so why did he blurt out "Xiao Jiu Zhanggui"?