Chapter 86

Before today, I never imagined that Liu Junyan would one day leave Wufu Town Pawnshop.

On the surface, the pawnshop is run by me, but secretly, it is Liu Junyan who is holding it down.

I cannot imagine what to do with the pawnshop once he leaves.

What should I do then?

Jin Wuya once said that Wufu Town Pawnshop is a place trapped by a formation array, an evil-absorbing spot where only entry is possible and no exit; it had reached a critical point a hundred years ago, and if Liu Junyan had not been there then, the entire Wufu Town might have ceased to exist.

But I also understand in my heart that Liu Junyan cannot ultimately belong only to Wufu Town Pawnshop.

Nor can he belong only to me.

Behind him are the Linghai Dragon Clan, and also his own path to ascension.

He is a dragon lying low, not a snake mired in mud.

I again thought of his mother's face in the bronze cauldron underwater...

"Go." I pulled my hand back, pressed hard on the wound, "Your mother is still waiting for you to save her, she..."

"A hundred years ago, they forced me to comply by using my mother." Liu Junyan said sadly, "She sent you a dream, telling you to go to Wangting Mountain and bring back what she left there for me—not to have me save her, but to let me... let go."

My chest felt as if struck by a dull blow, aching in waves.

Therefore, when Liu Junyan suddenly disappeared during his ascension back then, it was because he made a deal with someone to preserve his mother's life.

This is a mutual redemption across a hundred years between mother and son.

Liu Junyan reached out and pulled me into his embrace, his chin resting in the crook of my neck, rubbing slightly: "Xiao Jiu, what I have to face is far more terrifying than the entire Linghai Dragon Clan; if you follow me, are you afraid?"

I shook my head without hesitation: "Wherever you are, I will be there, forever."

Liu Junyan laughed, his laugh suppressed and sorrowful.

He held me tightly, as if afraid that if he loosened his grip I would fly away.

I turned and nestled into his embrace, reaching out to hug him back: "Liu Junyan, I will strive to grow strong; when the day comes that I can stand on my own, I will accompany you to retrieve your mother."

Liu Junyan gave a low, muffled hum.

We remained tightly embraced, warming each other, until dawn.

Early the next morning, Liu Junyan hung the hexagonal palace lamp back under the west side of the corridor, saying that with the hexagonal palace lamp suppressing the main hall, he could go out.

But it must not exceed three days at most, otherwise the hexagonal palace lamp would suffer too much wear and tear, making accidents likely.

That water-trapped cube was taken by him, while the water ripples remained on my left middle finger.

I know that the day he takes that thing out again will be the moment we face the entire Linghai Dragon Clan!

·

I slept in late, at noon I bought a new phone, called Tang Tang to inquire about Song Ruoqing's condition.

"She woke up in the latter half of the night." Tang Tang was somewhat agitated, "After regaining consciousness she just kept crying, Xiao Jiu, the Song family is really too cruel."

From Song Ruoqing's funeral, to being lifted in a bridal sedan into Furong Cave, to our discovering that poison had entered her heart and lungs—when you connect these events, what else is there not to understand?

The Song family simply wanted to use Song Ruoqing as a sacrifice; as to exactly which entity of Wangting Mountain it was for, I am not clear.

I asked: "Has the Song family discovered that Song Ruoqing was rescued?"

Tang Tang said indifferently, "They should have found out by now, but this matter is left to my father to mediate with the Song family; I honestly know nothing."

One must say, although Tang Tang is impatient, she is still quite reliable at critical moments.

As long as she flatly denies that Song Ruoqing is in the Tang family's old residence, given Tang Ao's status in Huicheng, the Song family may not really dare to do anything.

I greatly envy the Tang family's atmosphere; whether it's Tang Ao or Tang Xun, they almost always grant Tang Tang's requests.

Tang Tang is very happy!

"I have already contacted my aunt." Tang Tang said, "My aunt said that Song Ruoqing's situation can only be left on hold for now—first we must preserve her life; the Song family has the Tang family backing them, but she cannot intervene in matters concerning Wangting Mountain."

Tang Tang paused, her tone suddenly turning grave: "Xiao Jiu, my aunt said that, concerning Wangting Mountain, it will likely ultimately need to be handled by the person from your family."

I also understand this in my heart.

I said, "Senior sister, Wangting Mountain hides an entire snake clan; moving them is difficult, and if we truly want to vent our anger for Miss Song, right now we can probably only start by acting against the Song family."

Tang Tang said anxiously, "I understand the reasoning, I'm just afraid that the Song family might join forces with Wangting Mountain again, and the Tang family might not be able to withstand it."

"It won't happen." I said firmly, "For the time being it probably won't; Liu Junyan has already exerted pressure on the Wangting Mountain side."

Only then did Tang Tang relax her breath: "That's good."

I asked: "How did Miss Song get poisoned? Have you figured it out clearly?"

"It might have been done on the paintings." Tang Tang said resentfully, "Qingqing was sent abroad these past few years, learned to paint with her left hand; she originally did not want to return to the country, but it was her mother who promised her an exhibition if she came back, so she returned."

"An art exhibition needs many paintings to fill the venue, so over the past half year since returning home, Qingqing has been busy painting, with little contact with the Song family members; she suffers from a chronic poison, and tampering with the painting materials is the easiest way to do it."

I was stunned in my heart: "In other words, her closest relatives twice used her most beloved things to scheme against her, each time more vicious than the last?"

Tang Tang gritted her teeth: "Exactly! Xiao Jiu, there is something even more terrifying than death, called 'no trace of this person.'"

"No trace of this person..."

"Yes."

This time the Song family is not directly after Song Ruoqing's life; instead, they fabricated the fact of her death and used her as a sacrifice to Wangting Mountain.

Even if she managed to escape by luck, what then?

The Song family has already held a funeral for her, canceled her household registration, and thus Song Ruoqing has completely vanished from this world.

I worried, "Senior sister, can Miss Song come to understand these things? You really need to console her more lately, don't let anything go wrong."

"Don't worry, with me around she won't have time to be emo." Tang Tang said confidently.

Our chat is about done; I'm preparing to hang up, and later I still have to go to the driving school to practice.

But Tang Tang called me to stop: "Hey, Xiao Jiu, when will you bring that person from your family out for a gathering? Such a handsome guy, bring him out to feast the sisters' eyes."

I laughed, "Sure, when the opportunity arises, I'll have him treat you all to a meal."

Tang Tang instantly jumped up with delight: "All right, waiting for your news!"

I practiced driving at the driving school for an afternoon, and when I returned to Dang Pu in the evening, I heard what sounded like movement from the main courtyard.

I frowned, then strode toward the main courtyard.

The main house's door was closed, and Li Qingying was lying outside listening to something, her face tense.

I walked over and immediately heard two familiar voices arguing inside the main house.

"Lao Qi, give me the thing! Don't force me to fight you!"

It was Xiaoye's voice.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Li Qingying clapped a hand over my mouth, signaling me to stay silent.

Inside, Liu Junyan's words rang out: "Impossible!"

"Liu Junyan, do you have any heart!"

Muffled punches and grunts sounded at the same time; Xiaoye attacked Liu Junyan.

"You've been imprisoned in this foul, miasmic place for a hundred years—who's been covering for you over at Ling Sea?"

"You want the Red Dragon Scale Robe for protection, help your beloved retrieve their natal magic artifact—I'll give it!"

"But now I just want to save my beloved—what are you doing?!"

"Lao Qi, if you still consider me your brother, give me the thing!"