Chapter 59

In the gloom, there is a request that cannot be refused.

I brought out the pawn ticket and the seal, and Li Qingying had already ground the ink for me at my side.

I carefully filled out the pawn ticket, then handed the brush to the girl.

After she pulled the top lottery slip from her mouth, her soul body kept fading.

At this moment, she raised her hand to take the brush, but her hand passed through it and could not grasp it at all.

She was visibly anxious, trying several times, but her hand shook more each attempt and grew fainter each time.

She stood anxiously before the counter, blood and tears streaming down, her throat gurgling, her eyes full of utter despair.

I also grew flustered, not knowing how to help her.

The girl's soul body was about to dissipate; if she ultimately could not sign or leave a handprint on the pawn ticket, the ticket would be invalid and the transaction would have to be cancelled.

Just then, the girl suddenly seemed to recall something, turned, and went to the west side of the outside corridor.

I realized what was happening, turned around the counter, and ran outside.

When Li Qingying and I caught up to the corridor, we saw the girl's soul body turn into a wisp of green smoke and enter the hexagonal palace lamp.

"It's a soul sacrifice!"

This is the second time I have encountered a soul sacrifice since the pawnshop reopened.

The first time was Fu Wan.

However, after Fu Wan's soul sacrifice, a spark of her essence remained in the hexagonal palace lamp, still bathing in the golden light of merit to this day.

But after this girl's soul sacrifice just now, she vanished completely into the hexagonal palace lamp, leaving nothing behind.

Why is that?

Is it because her obsession was insufficient? Or was her soul incomplete to begin with?

Or perhaps something else?

But that is not important right now.

What matters is that the girl sacrificed her soul to the hexagonal palace lamp, leaving that top lottery slip; I therefore have the responsibility to help her seek justice.

I sighed, turned back to the counter, gazed at the blood-stained top lottery slip lying still there, then glanced at my wounded arm, my thoughts surging.

This matter reminded me of Mei Lin Shuang.

The occasion for Mei Lin Shuang's first appearance was when I almost got nailed to death by a coffin nail in the red coffin at the magistrate's house, bled, and pried open a gap in the red coffin's seal, allowing Mei Lin Shuang to follow me to the pawnshop.

The girl just now was the same.

At Jiyu Si, the red‑clothed girl's top lottery slip cut my arm, drawing a little blood.

That must have been when the girl attached herself to me.

I touched my neck; no wonder I felt a chill on my neck all the way back.

Thus, the girl certainly comes from Jiyu Si.

Moreover, she still had that top lottery slip stuck in her mouth, which is originally from Jiyu Si.

"This kind of slip is very like the ones from Jiyu Si," Li Qingying said, puzzled. "The red‑clothed girl in the daytime drew a top slip and was so excited; it should be a good thing, yet why is this same top slip stuck in the girl's mouth?"

"It's a sealing slip," I said. "Its function is the same as sealing money or a sealing sword."

It is said that if a person dies wrongfully, upon entering the netherworld they will complain to King Yan, asking him to redress their grievance.

Therefore, to prevent the dead from filing a complaint, thoughtful people will place a specially made copper coin in the mouth, or thrust a specially made small sword across it.

Thus, even if the soul reaches the netherworld, no matter how many grievances it bears, it cannot speak them out and must accept its fate.

Upon my reminder, Li Qingying immediately understood: "But this slip comes from Jiyu Si; why would Jiyu Si seal this girl's mouth?"

Yes, why?

While I filed this blood‑stained top slip away, I pondered.

Suddenly a dreadful thought struck me; I immediately picked up my phone and called Jin Wuya.

The phone rang once and was cut off.

I glanced at the dark, overcast sky outside and thought Jin Wuya must be asleep now.

I had disturbed his sweet dream.

I had no choice but to give up, put away the top slip, and prepared to drag Li Qingying out.

Just then, Jin Wuya's call came back, and I hurriedly answered.

On the other end, Jin Wuya deliberately lowered his voice: "Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, what do you need from me?"

I quickly said: "Boss Jin, you're closer to Jiyu Si and know it better; could you go stake out around Jiyu Si now? I suspect something abnormal will happen there tonight."

Jin Wuya fell silent for a moment, then said: "I… I was just staking out outside Jiyu Si, so I couldn't answer the phone; I've now returned to my car and am calling you back."

I stared for a moment: "So you already sensed something wrong with Jiyu Si during the day?"

Jin Wuya fell silent again.

He seemed to be in great pain.

I weighed my words and asked: "Boss Jin, where is your car parked now? Should I come find you?"

"No need," Jin Wuya said. "It's almost three o'clock; nothing more will happen tonight. I'll come see you tomorrow at our usual teahouse."

Having said that, he hung up.

Li Qingying and I exchanged a look, feeling an inexplicable tightness in our chests, unable to rise or fall, very uncomfortable.

Finally, Li Qingying said: "It's getting late, Xiao Jiu; go to sleep first. No matter how big the matter, you need to rest and gather your strength before dealing with it."

I nodded, closed the pawnshop door, and we each went to rest.

In the latter half of the night I hardly slept at all.

With something weighing on my mind, how could I sleep soundly?

I kept replaying my daytime experience at Jiyu Si over and over; there were almost no clues, but I knew that the girl who had drawn the top slip that day might be in danger.

Even if we meet by chance like drifting weeds, even if I intended to save that girl, it would be impossible to find a needle in the ocean.

So the only idea I could come up with was to have Jin Wuya stake out Jiyu Si.

Jin Wuya didn't notice anything unusual tonight in his stakeout; perhaps I was mistaken, but not necessarily.

I could only console myself in this way.

Only when the sky began to lighten did I finally get a sound sleep, though I got up again after seven.

Jin Wuya called me around nine o'clock, saying he had already arrived at the teahouse.

I immediately set out for the teahouse.

It was the same private room as last time; Jin Wuya ordered two cups of plain tea, but he didn't drink, just sat blankly at the table, his complexion awful, his dark circles as heavy as if someone had punched him.

I walked over and sat down opposite him.

Jin Wuya only then came to his senses, forcing a weak smile at me as a greeting.

I sat down and asked, 'Boss Jin, why did you go stake out Jiyu Si last night?'

Jin Wuya didn't answer my question, but instead countered, 'What else has Xiao Jiu Zhanggui discovered?'

I didn't hide anything, and roughly told Jin Wuya what had happened last night.

Upon hearing this, Jin Wuya's eyes first filled with shock, then gradually turned to pain as he murmured, 'So that's how it is.'

I asked curiously, 'What?'

'The reason I rushed back to stake out Jiyu Si in the middle of the night is because that girl in the red dress drew a top lot during the day.' Jin Wuya said, 'My master was very tight-lipped; before he died, no matter how I asked him, he never told me who harmed him.'

Even on his deathbed, he kept unconsciously murmuring three words.

Those three words were……top lot……