Chapter 73

Red Flag Child's words became more and more convoluted; I silently sorted out the clues in my mind and extracted the key phrase: "If I haven't misunderstood, you mean Zhao Zixun only attacked and killed you after losing his sanity?"

"Yes." Red Flag Child said, "Ever since a coffin nail was driven into his brow, his consciousness began to gradually slip out of his control, and he cut me down in the small ravine."

When his confidant arrived, I had already lost both body and soul, so he could only bury the pawn ticket in the ravine...

"Wait, wait." I interrupted him, asking, "You're saying you lost both body and soul a hundred years ago?"

Red Flag Child nodded seriously: "Yes, but I am originally the lingering resentment of ancient battlefield spirits given form; recondensing is merely a matter of time."

So that's how it is.

By now I basically understood the whole story.

Zhao Zixun and Red Flag Child encountered each other during the clash of two armies, and Zhao Zixun was ordered to seize Red Flag Child's Red Flag.

Zhao Zixun is a soldier; although he is already an officer, he is ultimately under someone else's command.

Perhaps at that time he already knew what fate awaited him; he didn't want to do it, but couldn't resist, so he could only secretly do what little he could.

After Red Flag Child was killed, he lost both body and soul; seventy years later he recondensed his soul essence, but he only remembered the Red Flag.

Thus, over thirty years ago, whenever he saw someone he would ask: "Have you seen my Red Flag?"

Later, as his soul essence became more solid, he gradually recalled more things.

He remembered that his Red Flag had been pawned at Wufu Town Pawnshop, requiring thirty-three silver dollars to redeem, which led to the recent events.

But there is still a doubt; I asked: "Why can't you retrieve that pawn ticket from the ravine yourself?"

"Although I haven't seen the pawn ticket with my own eyes, I can sense a strong killing intent emanating from it." Red Flag Child said, "That killing intent comes from Zhao Military Officer!"

Red Flag Child was killed by Zhao Zixun, so he fears this killing intent.

The pawn ticket is his only proof to reclaim the Red Flag, and the Red Flag is his arcane implement—just as important to him as Feng Wu is to me.

He certainly couldn't just ask anyone to help him dig up the Red Flag.

Everything makes sense; I willingly believed Red Flag Child's words and immediately said: "I can accompany you to the ravine; once I obtain the pawn ticket, I will return the Red Flag to you."

Red Flag Child nodded straightaway and took the lead.

Li Qingying drove and picked me up; we soon returned to the spot where we had encountered Red Flag Child that night. The car stopped at the roadside, and we walked down the slope beside the road.

The slope was a bit steep, overgrown with weeds; below, the flat land stretched into an endless forest, everywhere pitch black.

Li Qingying kept holding my hand, afraid I would slip and tumble down.

Only when we reached the bottom of the slope did we discover that where the bottom meets the forest lies a dry ditch.

Calling it a ditch isn't accurate, because it is narrow and deep; if you fall in, it's hard to climb out.

Red Flag Child pointed to a spot and said to us: "This is the small ravine; that forest was once an ancient battlefield, and who knows how many soldiers' bones are buried below. The pawn ticket is buried here—just keep digging down."

The car's trunk already had tools; when we got out, knowing we needed to dig, we brought them along.

Since we're already here, we must make the most of our time and get to work.

Li Qingying and I kept digging; after over half an hour, her shovel finally hit something hard. She carefully scooped away the dirt, and what she pulled up was actually a shield!

The shield was covered in blood sigils, indeed brimming with killing intent.

As long as this thing is present, ordinary ghosts dare not touch this soil, and ordinary people wouldn't think to come dig here for no reason—showing that his confidant went to great lengths to protect the pawn ticket.

After the shield was brought up, Li Qingying carefully dug a bit further down and soon unearthed an extremely well-sealed box.

The box felt cold to the touch; although it had been buried deep for a hundred years, it showed no sign of damage.

I immediately opened the box; I needed to confirm first whether what was inside was the pawn ticket.

To my surprise, the box contained not only that pawn ticket but also a letter.

A letter written in blood.

The letter was folded, with a raised middle, as if something else were wrapped inside.

The pawn ticket and the letter were each wrapped in cowhide paper; I only opened a tiny gap, took a quick look, then rewrapped them immediately.

These things are too important.

They are important not only to Red Flag Child but also to me.

Through these things, perhaps I can catch a glimpse of the secret from back then.

It was deep in the night, and being in this place where I have repeatedly encountered bad things, I felt uneasy.

A breeze blew through the forest, making a rustling sound that instantly gave me the creeps.

I slipped the box into my bosom and covered it with my hand; Li Qingying held the shield. We said nothing, yet in unison we began climbing up the slope.

Red Flag Child followed step for step; he needed to go back with us to retrieve the Red Flag.

But just as we were halfway up the slope, there was suddenly movement in the woods behind us.

It was then that I realized a problem: while we were digging here just now, there wasn't a single insect in this area.

Although the forest had the rustling of leaves rubbing together, there was absolutely no insect chirping or bird song.

This place was dead silent, like a grave.

Yet amid this deathly silence, a clatter of horse hooves came from deep within the woods.

I knew that hoofbeat too well; I immediately warned: "It's Zhao Zixun—climb up quickly!"

Red Flag Child sensed Zhao Zixun's killing intent before I did, and with a whoosh he shot upward.

Li Qingying and I quickened our pace, but it was still too late.

The hoofbeats were right upon us; I shoved Li Qingying upward, and in the instant I turned, I summoned Feng Wu and firmly grasped the longbow in my hand.

The comer was none other than Zhao Zixun.

He rode on horseback, hand gripping his side blade, and had already arrived at the edge of the ravine.

He lifted his head to look at me, his eyes full of killing intent.

After a brief stare, he reined in his horse; the warhorse's forehooves rose high, and he leapt across the ravine in one bound.

At the moment the warhorse leapt, I drew the bow to full and shot straight at its right forehoof!

I should have shot Zhao Zixun directly, but my aim has always been poor, and Zhao Zixun was holding a saber in his hand, making it easy for him to dodge.

But if I luckily hit the horse's hoof, the warhorse would become unsteady on landing and likely fall into the small ravine, which would buy us a lot of time to escape.

What I didn't expect was that before, I could shoot out six flames with one bow, but like scattered flowers from a heavenly maiden, I had no aim.

Today, however, this arrow shot out only a single flame.

That flame was bright red, and it precisely struck the warhorse's right front hoof.

The warhorse let out a mournful neigh; the flame entered its hoof, did not go out immediately, but instead blazed fiercely……