Chapter 880: with translation of chapter title

Liu Junyan always manages to give Xiao Jiu strength just in time.

It's already broad daylight.

Li Qingying has been overworking lately, her dark circles are heavy; Xiao Jiu urges her to get proper rest, and now that she's back, we can leave everything to her.

Li Qingying isn't making a fuss; she's genuinely exhausted, mainly from worrying all day, so even when she has time to sleep she can't rest easy.

Now that Xiao Jiu has returned, her mainstay is back, and Li Qingying slept so soundly she was out cold.

Xiao Jiu didn't sleep; she first called Tang Tang to get a detailed update on Feng Ran's condition.

Tang Tang had been monitoring Minnan, chattering on, and finally summed up: "As far as I can tell, that Chishe has completely entangled Ranran, but he isn't out to harm Ranran—he wants to keep Ranran in that temple to aid his cultivation. The outsiders who would harm Ranran, Chishe has taken care of some. After Guyun Que went there, he subdued them all, but he can't pull the Chishe off Ranran, which is giving him a headache."

After hearing her out, Xiao Jiu thought for a moment and asked, "You're sure that Chishe's background is clean, right?"

Tang Tang replied firmly, "Absolutely clean, and his cultivation path is upright."

"Then that's settled." Xiao Jiu decided, "Please have Guyun Que help bring Ranran and the Chishe back directly—our Yin Dang Hang can support him."

Tang Tang hadn't expected Xiao Jiu to say that; she worried, "Xiao Jiu, I heard Qingying and Shulan say that after this ordeal Ranran might be taking over your post—so you..."

"I've been promoted." Xiao Jiu said, "I actually want Ranran to take over as manager of Yin Dang Hang right away, but the timing isn't right—she still needs seasoning. Let's bring her back first and discuss it later."

Upon hearing that Xiao Jiu had really been promoted, Tang Tang was thrilled.

Certainly, anyone who cares about Xiao Jiu would be happy to hear this news.

Tang Tang had no more qualms; after hanging up, she immediately contacted Guyun Que and relayed Xiao Jiu's decision.

Before going into seclusion, Bai Shulan had made Guyun Que swear to cooperate with Tang Tang in protecting Feng Ran.

So Guyun Que has been following Tang Tang's orders all this time.

After hanging up, Xiao Jiu got into the car, and Liu Junyan drove her to Jiuzhou Fu.

After the car started, Liu Junyan asked, "They say inviting a deity is easy but sending him away is hard; Xiao Jiu, you're letting that Chishe move in—aren't you afraid he'll just linger at Yin Dang Hang and refuse to leave?"

Xiao Jiu glanced at Liu Junyan, puzzled, and asked, "You're afraid?"

That question actually made Liu Junyan chuckle.

Liu Junyan tapped his right index finger twice on the steering wheel, laughed, and said, "Indeed, a mere little Chishe—I don't even give it a second thought."

"That's exactly it." Xiao Jiu said, "Instead of letting him roam outside and occasionally harass Ranran, we'd be better off keeping him under our eye and training him properly—if he turns out talented, we'll help him along; if he's hopeless or his heart isn't right, I have plenty of ways to deal with him."

Rough words, sound reasoning.

Minnan is too far, crawling with threats; whether it's the Chishe or Ranran staying there is risky, but if they're in Yin Dang Hang on our own turf, we needn't fear any turmoil.

By the time they finished speaking, the car had pulled up outside Jiuzhou Fu.

One must say, Wufu Town, Jiǔyàn qū, and Jiuzhou Fu stand in a three-way balance, yet they're uncomfortably close.

In broad daylight, Jiuzhou Fu's vermilion lacquer gate stood wide open.

Lately, officials appointed to Jiuzhou Fu have started taking office in dribs and drabs, each attending to their duties.

Liu Junyan is still observing them; it's still unclear who will stay and who won't fit in.

Xiao Jiu took Liu Junyan directly to her manor.

Liu Junyan hadn't expected that Xiao Jiu's manor lay in a parallel dimension to Jiuzhou Fu, and reckoning it out, this space probably predated Jiuzhou Fu.

Xiao Jiu led Liu Junyan into the west wing and told him to examine those documents.

Liu Junyan's brow furrowed ever more tightly as he read.

"Honestly, I still don't understand what my duties are." Xiao Jiu fretted, "Hou Tu Niangniang said someone would be assigned to guide me—maybe I'm just too eager."

Liu Junyan, however, seemed to have understood: "We need to work together; I am the Dragon Spine God, and over the past ten-plus years I've traversed every dragon vein in Huaxia—no one knows better than I which vein, once straightened, still hides major dangers."

As he spoke, he swiftly selected a few documents from the volumes and laid them out before Xiao Jiu.

Liu Junyan pointed to several places in the documents and said, "These spots, these spots, and these few locations were the outbreak points of past turmoil; lately they've remained unsettled, and I clearly sense a seal in these two."

"A seal?" Xiao Jiu exclaimed, "Have you opened it to see what's inside?"

Liu Junyan shook his head: "I've tried different ways to approach the seal, hoping to see its true face, but it always feels like it's on another plane—completely out of reach."

Another plane…?

Liu Junyan paused, looked at Xiao Jiu, and said, "Xiao Jiu, maybe you can."

Liu Junyan represents the upper realm or the human world; if these seals were placed by a powerful netherworld agent, he would truly struggle to reach them.

But Xiao Jiu has now been appointed Earth Deity Maiden, representing the power of the Nether Realm, and Liu Junyan feels she can try.

Xiao Jiu tilted her head, staring blankly at Liu Junyan.

She had the feeling that the person Hou Tu Niangniang said would come to guide her was Liu Junyan.

To her, he has always been like a guiding beacon.

Thus Xiao Jiu agreed without hesitation: "All right, I'll give it a try."

The two didn't alert anyone and headed straight to the nearest seal site.

It was a hill.

The unbroken ridge lay like a dragon spine, spanning the area.

As Xiao Jiu's feet touched the ridge, she felt a hint of yin cold.

She knew this yin cold all too well—it was power from the Nether Realm.

Liu Junyan led Xiao Jiu down a mountain trail; halfway up, amidst tangled vines and thorns, he found a cave.

Liu Junyan gripped Xiao Jiu's hand tightly, guiding her into the cave, winding and twisting, unsure how far they'd gone; the yin cold ahead intensified, and Xiao Jiu felt the Mòyù Bānzhǐ on her thumb grow equally yin-cold.

The Mòyù Bānzhǐ actually responded to this setting!

It looks like Liu Junyan's guess was right!

Xiao Jiu was pondering when Liu Junyan led her around another turn, and the vista suddenly opened up.

At the cave's innermost depths lay a cold pool.

Mist curled above the cold pool, obscuring what lay within.

Liu Junyan said: "That seal lies deep in the cold pool..."