Chapter 260
Chapter 260
Liu Junyan’s Lifebound Artifact originally had seven pieces in all, each one a Golden Scale. Every last one had been scattered and lost.
So far, we had recovered only three.
The first Golden Scale had been recovered from the Goddess Statue in the dilapidated Small Temple. Liu Junyan had set it into Fengwu’s bowstave, but when Fengwu returned to Cangwu Mountain, the Golden Scale made its way back to Liu Junyan on its own.
The second Golden Scale had been recovered from Jiyu Temple.
Another had come from Niuhu Mountain.
Those three Golden Scale pieces were now in Liu Junyan’s possession. Together with the one in Chang City, that would make four.
Liu Junyan had once told me that the seven Golden Scale pieces couldn’t possibly have all been scattered apart, and that the remaining ones were likely together. When I heard him say that, I realized something — perhaps Liu Junyan knew, or at least had guessed, where the rest were.
The fact that he hadn’t gone to retrieve them, or even tried to confirm their location, could only mean one thing: those three Golden Scale pieces would be extraordinarily difficult to recover.
That made the Golden Scale in Chang City particularly important.
It was the only one currently within our reach.
And that Golden Scale was embedded in the Black Toad’s forehead, serving as its third eye!
Old Madam Hui had indirectly confirmed the Black Toad’s existence as well. It was a magical treasure in the Corpse Fiend’s possession.
We absolutely had to secure Old Madam Hui’s cooperation.
I took out a Pawn Ticket and began grinding the ink.
As I worked, I asked, “How would you like to structure this pawn? A Live Pawn or a Dead Pawn? How much do you want in exchange, or would you prefer to trade for something?”
“Dead Pawn.”
Clearly, Old Madam Hui had thought everything through before coming to the Pawnshop.
She raised a hand and gently stroked Hui Xiaotiao’s spirit tablet. “As for payment… I want a promise.”
She withdrew her hand and folded both hands over the top of her Dragon-head Cane. Looking at me gravely, she said, “I want you to promise that whether Xiao Tiao is dead or alive, or has even become a demon, the Pawnshop must continue to enshrine him forever!”
“Xiao Tiao is a kind child. He could never become a demon,” I said with certainty. “Even if he’s trapped in the Nine Heavens Soul-Locking Formation and succumbs to his inner demons, as long as he’s still alive, I’m confident I can bring him back.”
Those with kindness in their hearts would only hurt themselves even after succumbing to their inner demons. They rarely turned their blades on the innocent.
Old Madam Hui choked up, but her voice remained resolute. “I believe you, but I still want your promise — in writing!”
The ink was ready. I took out a sheet of parchment, dipped my brush into the ink, and wrote down my promise. I signed it and pressed my fingerprint onto it, then blew the ink dry before handing the written pledge to Old Madam Hui.
After that, I began filling out the Pawn Ticket.
The Pawn Ticket was made in duplicate. Old Madam Hui signed both copies and added her fingerprints.
I filed one copy and gave the other to her.
With that, the pawn transaction was complete.
Both small doors to the Southern Study opened, and Hui Yumo walked in to help Old Madam Hui to her feet.
Leaning on her Dragon-head Cane, Old Madam Hui bowed deeply to me.
I hurried forward and reached out to steady her, then invited her to the dining room for dinner.
Old Madam Hui shook her head. “I’ve accomplished what I came here to do, so I’ll be heading back now. Shopkeeper Xiao Jiu, I entrust Xiao Tiao to you.”
Hui Yumo smiled at me as well and offered a few polite words before helping Old Madam Hui into the car.
The black Volkswagen slowly drove out of the alley and was soon swallowed by the thick darkness.
Hui Moqiong hurried after them as far as the West Street Entrance and stood there watching for a long time.
Even when Li Qingying walked over and dragged him back, he was still wearing a long face. “She just left like that. She didn’t even take the clothes I bought her. Sigh.”
The siblings had been separated for so many years. Hui Moqiong must have wondered at some point whether death had parted them for good.
Now that such a bright, clever, lovable girl had appeared before him safe and sound, he wanted nothing more than to convince her to stay.
But Hui Yumo had a life of her own.
Hui Moqiong wouldn’t pressure her, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.
Seeing him look as though all the life had been drained out of him, I couldn’t help saying, “Keep the room for her. She might come stay with us often in the future.”
Hui Moqiong’s eyes immediately lit up. He asked cautiously, “Xiao Jiu’er, you’re not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?”
“I’m not.”
I had Li Qingying close both the front doors of the Pawnshop and the Southern Study’s street-facing side door. Once everyone had gathered in the living room, I told them in detail about everything Old Madam Hui and I had discussed that day.
Finally, I looked at Liu Junyan. “This is going to be extremely difficult. I made the decision on my own without discussing it with any of you. That was my fault.”
“What are you talking about?” Hui Moqiong immediately said. “Did we even have a choice? If it were me, I definitely would’ve taken the job too!”
Li Qingying nodded repeatedly.
Liu Junyan said, “Xiao Jiu, you’re the manager of the Pawnshop. You have the final say over every decision involving the Pawnshop.”
At that moment, I was overwhelmed with emotion.
It felt wonderful to be trusted and understood so completely — to have the unconditional support of an entire team.
Li Qingying said, “We barely ate anything while keeping your sister company earlier, and there’s still a whole table of food waiting. Why don’t we talk while we eat?”
I took Hui Xiaotiao’s spirit tablet to the West Room. Hui Moqiong pointed at the second niche beneath his own tablet and said, “Put it here. If this kid makes it back alive, his big brother will have his back from now on!”
Li Qingying teased, “He’s got that huge branch in Chang City behind him. Does he really need you looking out for him?”
We talked as we headed toward the dining room.
Unconvinced, Hui Moqiong said, “What do you know? I’ve been to that branch. It’s big, all right, but being big comes with its own problems.
“Old Madam Hui certainly had plenty of children. From what I know, there are over a dozen prominent figures in Gray Immortal Hall alone. Beneath them are even more descendants, and every one of them has carved out a territory of their own. If they were as united as we are, do you think Old Madam Hui would ever have come knocking on our Pawnshop’s door?”
Hui Moqiong had originally intended to negotiate with Old Madam Hui, so of course he’d done his homework in advance.
Not to mention that his sister, Hui Yumo, was involved.
He knew far more about them than we did.
That made sense.
If such a massive Gray Immortal Hall were truly united and mobilized all its forces, how could it possibly fear a single Nine Heavens Soul-Locking Formation?
Hui Moqiong continued, “Hui Xiaotiao has been trapped inside the Formation for over a century. That’s been more than enough time for his uncles and aunts to aggressively expand their own power. Even if he returns alive, do you really think things will end well for him, even with Old Madam Hui around?”
“Old Madam Hui… She’s old now, after all!”
His words were blunt, but his reasoning was sound. None of us could argue with him.
“There’s one more thing I’m still investigating, so I haven’t reached a firm conclusion yet.” Hui Moqiong rubbed the tip of his nose. “If the leads are correct, the Corpse Fiend was most likely his second uncle’s doing.”
“What?”
Li Qingying and I stared at him, our eyes wide with shock.
Liu Junyan looked much calmer. Hui Moqiong must have told him about it already.
We sat down around the dining table, and Liu Junyan said, “That means we can’t rely on Old Madam Hui for the operation in Chang City. She rushed back in such a hurry tonight, most likely because she intends to purge the entire Gray Immortal Hall before the operation begins.”
Only then did Hui Moqiong realize what was happening. “This is going to be a full-scale purge! Could my sister get caught up in it…?”