Chapter 657

Actually, when I asked that question, I already had the answer in my heart.

Sure enough, Xiao Jiu Zhanggui replied: "He said his name is Shi Yin, a direct descendant of the Mount-moving strongman lineage of the Red Armor Army, and also your grandfather's confidant."

I exchanged a glance with Jin Wuya, who asked: "What is he doing at the pawn shop? Is he also here to pawn something?"

Xiao Jiu Zhanggui shook his head: "He left something temporarily with me, saying that if Shi Rou comes to pawn something within half a month, I should hand it over to her personally; if the deadline passes without her coming, I should burn the item, as if he had never come to the pawn shop."

Jin Wuya murmured: "Our earlier guess was correct; the old man really left a backup plan."

Indeed.

This half-month period is my grandfather's test of me.

Calling it a test isn't accurate; my grandfather is merely waiting for my final decision.

If I come to the pawn shop within half a month, it will mean I have decided to shoulder the burden of the Red Armor Army.

If I do not come, then from now on the Red Armor Army will have nothing to do with me.

Shi Yin will lead the Red Armor Army, sparing no effort to resolve this matter.

Fortunately… I have come.

Xiao Jiu Zhanggui said: "Please wait a moment."

She went to the back, and shortly returned holding a small box made of golden-thread nanmu, square and proper.

This small box, both in material and in the runes carved on its surface, is exactly the same as the small coffin.

At a glance I realized that this small box must also have been made by my great-grandfather.

Xiao Jiu Zhanggui placed the small box on the counter before me and said: "I've examined it; this small box has a mechanism that ordinary people cannot open, and it is also an antique."

Jin Wuya reached out, took the small box, turned it over and examined it several times, then fiddled with it; only a click was heard, and the golden-thread nanmu small box split into pieces, its fragments scattering everywhere.

From inside fell out a…… map.

Jin Wuya said: "Just as I imagined, it's a mechanism based on mortise-and-tenon construction; I have opened the Bronze Tomb Door before, so now I can apply the same principle to this type of mechanism."

"Since Grandfather couldn't open the mechanism of the Bronze Tomb Door, he must never have opened this small box either." I speculated, "Shi Yin probably never opened it either, and doesn't know what's inside."

"Shi Yin's identity is not ordinary." Xiao Jiu Zhanggui said: "Although he is your grandfather's confidant, his family lineage can be traced back to the end of the Western Han; that is, he assists your grandfather, but he does not belong to your grandfather's household, Shi Rou—do you understand what I mean?"

I understood: "In other words, while Shi Yin assists my grandfather, he also bears some family mission, and even what he is doing now is part of that mission, right?"

"Shi Rou, you are very clever." Xiao Jiu Zhanggui said: "I will take on this pawn transaction for you; I can temporarily help you suppress whatever is inside the small coffin. I and my Seventh Lord have estimated that we can hold out at most one week; after that week… whether blessing or disaster, you will have to bear it yourself."

I nodded without hesitation: "All right, then I will pawn the small coffin for one week, treating it as a one-yuan pawn; if I am still alive after a week, I will surely come to redeem it; if I die, someone will come with the pawn ticket to redeem it for me."

Xiao Jiu Zhanggui produced the pawn ticket, filled it out carefully, then we each signed and left our thumbprints.

The pawn ticket was made in duplicate, one copy given to me, the other filed away.

During this process, Jin Wuya had already reassembled the scattered small box, except that the map was not placed back inside.

We left the pawn shop, returned to Jin Wuya's home, closed the door, and I opened that map.

This map looks aged at first glance.

Although the Shi Family has an ancestral precept forbidding descent into tombs, I have said before that I possess the talent of 'armchair strategy'.

As a descendant of the Mount-moving strongman Red Armor Army, the knowledge I ought to have has been taught to me hand-in-hand by my grandfather.

Although he too only engaged in armchair strategy without actual practice, I could truly master at most half of it, but that is still enough for me to understand this map.

"This is the Longbei Mountain Range." I pointed to the highest peak of the entire range and said, "This is the Dragon's Back."

My finger slid downward to the far eastern edge of the range, where there is a body of water: "This is the Dragon's Head position; if a great tomb truly lies beneath where the dragon emerges into the sea, it is indeed a place of abundant Spiritual Qi, a treasure of feng shui."

Jin Wuya, well-versed and knowledgeable, pointed his finger at the highest point and said: "Therefore Shi Yin is likely now in this place; he is only waiting for us half a month, no delays—since my grandfather passed away until today, several days have already gone by; if we don't set out soon, we may be too late."

I nodded: "Go, I must go, but this time I will go alone."

"No." Jin Wuya immediately refused: "Shi Rou, I must accompany you."

I placed the pawn ticket in his hand and said: "On this trip, I will likely not return in eight or nine out of ten cases within a week; by then you must help me redeem that small coffin, Wuya—I trust no one else, only you."

Jin Wuya still refused: "If you don't return after a week, what use is it for me to redeem that small coffin? Xiao Jiu Zhanggui has ways to destroy it, but perhaps many people will suffer backlash then."

At least the Second Uncle's branch, the childhood friend's branch, and the Qian family's branch—these three lineages of direct descendants will none escape.

Actually, the Second Uncle and the childhood friend are better off; mainly it's the Qian family.

The Qian family could become the richest in Lingnan because their wealth relies on accumulation over many generations, unlike my family line which has been single-handedly passed down generation after generation.

The Qian family's status is exposed; they are constantly watched by the media, and if they were wiped out this time, the aftermath might be impossible to contain.

I can even imagine that in these days the Qian family will surely gather all renowned talents and eccentrics from across China to exorcise evil and preserve their lives.

I shrugged helplessly: "If that is truly the case, I am powerless; the Shi family's wrongdoing, resulting in severed heirs and extinct lineage, is already the greatest punishment."

"Nothing is absolute." Jin Wuya said: "Look, your Second Uncle has two sons and a daughter, yet only your eldest uncle's family has met misfortune; isn't your Second Uncle's family still living well?"

If he didn't bring it up, it would be fine, but once he mentions it I also feel something is fishy about this matter.

Afterwards, I sent a message to my lieutenants lying in wait in Lingnan: help me investigate the Second Uncle's son, dig deep.

Jin Wuya pressed and persuaded, and in the end I had no choice but to compromise.

We studied the Longbei Mountain through the night, packed our belongings, and set off by car as dawn was about to break.

Before departure, I had already handed the receipt of the pawn ticket to a trustworthy person.

On this journey, Jin Wuya and I may very well not return; I only hope that by then we will not cause too much trouble for the pawn shop or for Xiao Jiu Zhanggui.

What I did not expect was that, just as we set out with our front feet, Xiao Jiu Zhanggui's people had already followed behind with their rear feet……