Chapter 109

Chapter 109

For a moment, the scene spiraled out of control. Father Chen and Li Qingying hurried over. Father Chen grabbed hold of Mother Chen, while Li Qingying pulled me away.

Mother Chen sobbed and screamed, struggling with all her might to throw herself into the Zhu Pan River.

Father Chen held her in a death grip, tears streaming down his face as he tried to talk her down.

In the end, Mother Chen couldn’t take it anymore. She fainted in Father Chen’s arms.

Her face was as pale as paper, her breathing faint. Even pinching her philtrum didn’t wake her. I quickly urged, “Take her to the hospital. Don’t let this turn into something worse.”

Father Chen looked back at Chen Tao in the river, sighed, then scooped Mother Chen up and carried her to the van.

He turned back to me and said, “Miss, I’m truly sorry about just now. You must have been frightened.”

“It’s all right. I understand.” Then I added, “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but what was Chen Tao’s Birth Date and Time?”

Father Chen looked at me in confusion, his expression turning guarded.

I pointed toward the Pawnshop and said, “I’m Shopkeeper Xiao Jiu from the Wufu Town Pawnshop. We’re not far from each other, so you may have heard of me.”

Sure enough, Father Chen nodded. “So you’re Xiao Jiu from Granny Yu’s place. You’ve grown so much. Back when my factory broke ground, it was Granny Yu I invited to come check the feng shui. You were only about this tall then.”

Hearing someone mention Granny again warmed my heart.

When Granny was alive, she had helped so many people. Everyone still remembered her.

That was wonderful.

I immediately said, “I inherited Granny’s skills. I know a little about Yin-Yang, feng shui, and divination. Chen Tao’s situation is tricky, and we can’t just let her keep soaking in the river like that. Maybe I can find a breakthrough through her Birth Date and Time.”

Father Chen thought it over. Perhaps he was treating it as a last resort, but he told me Chen Tao’s Birth Date and Time. Then he reminded me, “Child, just do what you can. Don’t take any risks.”

After that, he drove Mother Chen to the hospital.

I tried calculating Chen Tao’s Birth Date and Time, but I honestly wasn’t very skilled in that area. I hadn’t learned the essence of Granny’s methods.

But that was fine. If I wasn’t skilled, someone else was.

I took out my phone and was just about to call Master Hui Quan when Li Qingying, beside me, suddenly sucked in a sharp breath and said in a low voice, “Xiao Jiu, look at the river.”

I followed the direction of her finger, and my whole body stiffened too.

On the surface of the river, Zhao Zixun sat astride his warhorse, both hands holding the reins, staring straight at us.

This was the first time Zhao Zixun and I had faced each other directly since the rescue of the Red Banner Child at Small Stream.

Subconsciously, I looked toward the warhorse’s front hoof.

The hoof Fengwu had crippled with a shot had already been restored to its original state.

Li Qingying slowed her breathing. Gripping my hand tightly, she slowly backed away.

I was nervous too, and followed her step by step.

But after a few steps, I suddenly stopped and said, “Sister Qingying, we don’t need to retreat.”

Li Qingying didn’t understand. “Why? Xiao Jiu, are you going to fight Zhao Zixun?”

I shook my head. “If he wanted to attack, he wouldn’t have waited until now.”

I had no idea when Zhao Zixun had appeared on the river.

He had simply remained there, watching us the whole time without making a single move.

And maybe it was just my imagination, but I felt his gaze had changed.

I remembered the first time I saw him. Although I couldn’t make out his face clearly, I could feel endless killing intent from his body and in his eyes.

But tonight, there was none.

This wasn’t the first time either. Last time at Small Stream, when I pushed out that shield, he seemed to have changed a little then as well.

Perhaps that shield had successfully shaken the Coffin Nail’s Seal on him.
This was a good thing.

The thought sparked a realization in me. I hurried forward, picked up the miner’s lamp Father Chen had left behind, and shone it into the water.

When the beam fell on Chen Tao’s body, I realized with a start that she wasn’t standing upright in the water after all.

She was floating.

My heart gave a hard jolt. I called over my shoulder, “Sister Qingying, lend me your whip.”

Li Qingying immediately came running over with the Long Whip in hand. The moment she saw what was happening in the water, she understood.

She didn’t hand the Long Whip to me. Instead, she snapped it out herself. The end of the whip seemed to have eyes of its own, looping with perfect accuracy around Chen Tao’s waist.

With one hard pull, Li Qingying actually dragged Chen Tao’s body right out of the water.

Even she could hardly believe it. “So many people tried during the day and failed. Even the corpse fisher couldn’t do it. How is it possible now…?”

“Because Chen Tao standing in the water wasn’t caused by her resentment,” I said firmly. “Someone was controlling Chen Tao’s body, waiting for us to make a move.”

I looked out across the river, and my gaze met Zhao Zixun’s once more.

In the blink of an eye, Zhao Zixun and his warhorse vanished together between heaven and earth.

Li Qingying caught on as well. “You mean… Zhao Zixun?”

I nodded and said, “Sister Qingying, keep watch over Chen Tao. I’ll be right back.”

I ran back to the Pawnshop, found a few small items, then turned and hurried back to the Riverside.

After putting on a mask and gloves, I held the miner’s lamp in one hand and the Dagger in the other. Crouching beside Chen Tao’s body, I carefully used the Dagger to probe at her corpse.

I was very cautious, doing my best not to damage Chen Tao’s body. After searching for quite a while, I finally found something below the back of her head.

I dropped the Dagger and reached over with my gloved hand. Soon, I pulled out a long, thin Silver Needle.

The Silver Needle was covered in an unknown fluid-there was blood, and other things as well.

As I looked at the Silver Needle, every suspicion I’d had before was given its strongest proof in that moment.

Li Qingying stared at the Silver Needle for a long while before saying, “This kind of Silver Needle… isn’t it almost the same as the ones Bai Jingmo uses?”

I looked at her in surprise. If even Sister Qingying had noticed, that was enough to prove my guess was right.

This Silver Needle should indeed be Bai Jingmo’s.

But I still needed to verify the final piece.

I said to Li Qingying, “Sister Qingying, call the police.”

Li Qingying did so at once.

Chen Tao’s body had been recovered, and we hadn’t damaged it much. The rest of the examination and follow-up could be left to the police.

While Li Qingying was making the report, I walked a little farther away with my phone and called Master Hui Quan.

It took quite a while for the call to connect. As soon as it did, the sound of scripture chanting came through the receiver.

Master Hui Quan carried his phone farther away and asked, “Girl, why are you calling me at this hour? Is something wrong?”

“Yes, Master. There’s something I need your help with.” I gave him Chen Tao’s Birth Date and Time. “Please calculate it carefully for me.”

Master Hui Quan immediately began his divination. I could hear him muttering under his breath. Before long, he said, “Born in the year of Wuzi, on the twentieth day of the tenth month. Her year pillar, month pillar, and day pillar are all yin. But I don’t know her exact hour of birth. If her hour pillar is also yin, then this girl would have a full yin constitution.”

Just as I thought!

Then Master Hui Quan added, “This girl’s fate pattern is very similar to the surface appearance of yours, but her birth chart isn’t nearly as strong as yours. If I haven’t calculated wrong, she’s no longer among the living, is she? And she died an unjust death?”