Chapter 93: Xiao Jiu, Do You Like Cats?

Earlier, Li Qingying had proactively offered an olive branch to Jin Wuya, but he had rejected it.

She had been holding a grudge, and today she finally found a chance to let it out.

But Jin Wuya replied righteously: "It's not that I didn't know before; we have such a formidable person as Liu the Immortal Master sitting in our pawnshop."

"Stop!" Li Qingying corrected, "Seventh Lord! Our Seventh Lord comes from the Linghai Dragon Clan; he's not on the same level as those animal immortals, so don't call him that randomly."

Jin Wuya's eyes widened instantly; first he was incredulous, then he wore an expression of utter self-evidence.

I was just about to fill in a pawn ticket for fifty thousand gold when Liu Junyan came over.

After he returned to the pawnshop, he went straight to the back; I had thought he was going back to the black coffin.

At this moment, he held a hexagonal palace lamp in his right hand and gripped a piece of turtle shell in his left, coming to the counter and saying, "Boss Jin, would you exchange your cat bone for this piece of turtle shell?"

That piece of turtle shell was no bigger than a palm, yet it was entirely golden yellow, with some runes carved on the inside; at a glance it was clearly not an ordinary item.

Jin Wuya, well-versed in goods, took the turtle shell with both hands, examined it closely, and instantly rejoiced: "Spirit-pattern turtle shell! Yes, absolutely yes!"

Jin Wuya couldn't put down that turtle shell, looking at it over and over.

Only after I had filled out the pawn ticket and had him sign it did he carefully place the turtle shell into his pocket.

The pawn ticket exists in two copies, one kept on file and one given to Jin Wuya.

After the formalities were completed, Liu Junyan had Jin Wuya cut his finger and press it against the wall of the hexagonal palace lamp.

The moment Jin Wuya's bleeding finger touched the lamp wall, the golden light inside the hexagonal palace lamp flickered erratically, Jin Wuya's whole body went into spasms, and his expression became extremely distorted.

With a sharp cat cry, I then saw a faint black cat phantom being sucked into the hexagonal palace lamp.

Jin Wuya's legs gave out, and he collapsed again.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye; once the golden light in the hexagonal palace lamp stabilized, I noticed a tiny black dot beside Fu Wan's faint green spark.

The spark and the black dot were enveloped by golden merit light, drifting up and down within the hexagonal palace lamp.

Li Qingying revived Jin Wuya and had him stay for breakfast.

After breakfast, Jin Wuya hurried to leave, and we didn't detain him.

He is a strange artificer, the type who practices Child Skill; upon obtaining a fine item, he must seize the time to study it thoroughly.

I looked at the cat bone Jin Wuya had left behind and asked Liu Junyan, "How should we handle this?"

"Give it to me," Liu Junyan said, "it will still be useful later."

I worried, "News of our acquiring this cat bone can't stay hidden; perhaps we're already being watched, I'm afraid..."

"Don't be afraid," Liu Junyan said, "I'm actually afraid he won't dare come! Xiao Jiu, do you like cats? The kind kept as pets."

I immediately nodded: "Yes."

Then I shook my head: "Better not; I couldn't keep it alive."

Kids always have an age when they especially want to keep a pet, right?

I was probably around eleven, especially wanting a pet; I pestered my grandmother for days, but she wouldn't allow it.

Later I picked up a stray puppy on the roadside, secretly brought it back to the pawnshop, and hid it in my room.

That puppy was lively when it came back, but after just half an afternoon, when I went to check on it again, it was already stiff as a board.

Afterward I intermittently kept goldfish, hamsters, and the like in secret; even a snail brought back to the pawnshop didn't survive half a day.

Over time, I grew discouraged.

I originally thought it was because I couldn't keep animals alive, but later I realized that besides people, the pawnshop truly had not a single ant.

Now I think it's because the pawnshop's lethal aura is too strong; those poor little creatures simply can't withstand it.

Liu Junyan patted my head and comforted me, "It's fine; I'll give you a pet that can stay alive."

I hadn't kept the matter of raising a pet in mind.

After all, given my current circumstances, it's hard to muster the energy to focus on a pet.

Two days later, I received a call from the driving school boss saying my license had come through and telling me to pick it up.

I was overjoyed; the driving school boss still had some connections, and I hadn't expected the license to be processed so quickly.

I rode my electric scooter to the driving school; after getting the license, on the way back I was busy thinking about picking up a car, and I completely failed to notice a minivan brushing past my electric scooter from the opposite direction.

I was flung to the ground, unharmed; just as I was about to get up, a sack was shoved over my head, and then I felt myself being lifted and stuffed into the minivan.

"Quick, tie her hands and feet with rope so she can't get away!"

A familiar voice came from the passenger seat, and my whole body jolted.

It was my grandmother!

And those who abducted me were several strong villagers from Tafengcun.

They had clearly been scouting the spot; I don't know how many days they'd been watching me.

No!

This isn't right.

First, my mother suddenly came to the pawnshop to show friendliness, wanting to take me back.

Now it's my grandmother joining forces with the Tafengcun villagers to abduct me.

Putting the before and after together, I concluded that something might have happened in Tafengcun.

But what does that have to do with me?

Back then, the midwife said I was a lone crane bringing only filial piety, and that every three years I would cause the death of a family member.

Once my relatives were all killed off, it would be the turn of the other Tafengcun villagers.

They drove me to desperation, and in the end I was forced into indentured servitude at the Wufu Town pawnshop.

They've already gone this far, yet why is it that whenever something happens in Tafengcun, the unlucky one is still me?

Am I a scapegoat?!

Perhaps in their eyes I'm just an eighteen-year-old girl, empty-handed, whom they can push around at will.

But I have already stepped onto the path of cultivation, and with Liu Junyan's guidance, ordinary people are no match for me.

Just as they were grabbing ropes to tie me up, I suddenly arched my body and thrust hard at the big man beside me.

The big man let out a muffled grunt; I had already snatched the sack, grabbed the rope in one motion, and slipped it around the driver's neck.

The driver was startled, the steering wheel almost slipping from his grasp.

My grandmother turned to grab me, but I had already summoned Feng Wu.

I held the longbow, drew the string full, and aimed at my grandmother's face.

Do I hate her?

Saying I don't hate her would be a lie.

All these years I've felt that people destined never to cross paths again aren't worth worrying about.

But the tree may wish for calm, yet the wind will not cease.

I seek a bit of peace, but my grandmother always has to dance on my sore spot.

At this moment, if I loosen my grip, my grandmother's skull could be shattered.

Her body began to tremble, for she is old and cannot withstand such turmoil: "Don't, Tongtong, I didn't mean to abduct you; it's just that if you don't return to Tafengcun, our village's children... the children will all die."

Moreover, your younger siblings have already fallen ill; this is the karmic debt you brought from your womb, and you must repay it..."