Chapter 263
Chapter 263
Xingyi was Chan Master Dahui’s given name.
We had once suspected that the Copper-Coin Figure was Liu Xingyi.
But in the tall pagoda on Mount Song, I had met Chan Master Dahui.
My brief conversation with him had only deepened my doubts.
If the Copper-Coin Figure was Liu Xingyi, then how could Chan Master Dahui’s body — left behind after he passed away in meditation — have appeared in that pagoda?
So the true identity of the Copper-Coin Figure still remained uncertain.
I had once asked Hui Moqiong whether, after following the Copper-Coin Figure for so many years, they knew his name.
Hui Moqiong’s answer had been vague.
They called him the Evil Monk.
So when Bai Songlan spoke of “Xingyi,” she had most likely done the same thing we had and traced the clues back to Chan Master Dahui.
After all, she had been back in the Qinling Mountains for so many years. How could she not have investigated everything thoroughly?
Strictly speaking, Bai Songlan’s inner demon had always been the Copper-Coin Figure.
The name “Liu Xingyi” had once given her heart something to cling to.
And now, Liu Junyan had appeared.
There was a very real chance that Bai Songlan would transfer that emotional fixation onto Liu Junyan with reckless intensity.
And Liu Junyan had gone to the Bai Family Medical Hall again today…
I turned and fixed Bai Jingmo with a steady look. “So you asked me out today and said all that just to lead up to that final sentence?”
Bai Jingmo looked at me in surprise.
I pressed him. “What did you expect me to do after hearing it? Storm into the Bai Family Medical Hall and catch them in the act?”
Panic flickered through Bai Jingmo’s eyes. He hurriedly said, “Xiao Jiu, I only wanted to warn you. I was afraid you’d be kept in the dark…”
“Then you’re worrying for nothing,” I said firmly. “I believe Liu Junyan will tell me everything that happened at the Bai Family Medical Hall today when he gets back. There are no secrets between us.”
With that, I turned and left.
Bai Jingmo remained alone in the Teahouse, sitting there in a daze for a very, very long time.
When I returned to the Pawnshop, Liu Junyan still wasn’t back.
I shut myself in my room, took out the list, and continued memorizing the names.
Although I had sounded so certain, I couldn’t help caring about it at least a little.
I wasn’t worried that Liu Junyan would betray our relationship. He never would.
But if Bai Songlan had unilaterally made Liu Junyan her emotional anchor… that could become very troublesome…
Especially since I still needed Soul Piercing.
After thinking it over, I sent Jin Wuya a message.
We hadn’t spoken in quite a few days. The last time we talked, he had said he was going away on a trip.
I knew he had feelings for Li Qingying, but Hui Moqiong’s appearance had completely extinguished any hope he might have had.
He knew that from the very beginning, he had been destined to be the one left out. This trip was probably his way of clearing his head.
I figured he might be somewhere it wasn’t convenient to take a call, so I sent a message instead, asking him to get back to me when he had time because I needed his help with something.
To my surprise, Jin Wuya called me back almost immediately.
It was noisy on his end, filled with the loud hubbub of what sounded like a marketplace.
He cupped a hand around his phone and moved somewhere quieter before saying, “Shopkeeper Xiao Jiu, long time no see.”
His voice was bright and cheerful. As he spoke, I even heard people greeting him in the background. He seemed to be in an excellent mood.
My own mood lightened along with his. “Where are you? It sounds lively over there.”
“I’m in Lingnan, at a stone-gambling market,” Jin Wuya said. “Lingnan really is a wonderful place. I’ve picked up two major finds recently, and I’ll make a fortune when I sell them. I’ll bring gifts for all of you when I get back.”
I teased him with a smile. “What’s this? Finally come around and gotten back into business?”
“Ah, well, that’s life. You have to give something up to gain something in return. Since we’ve come all this way into the world, we ought to hold on to something, don’t you think?” Jin Wuya said philosophically. “Since I’m destined to be alone in this life, I might as well make lots and lots of money. If there’s no one to keep me company when I’m old, I can count my money for fun. Heh heh.”
I burst out laughing.
It was a good thing that he could see things so clearly.
I then told him about Soul Piercing. “Boss Jin, you have plenty of connections and know all kinds of people. Please do your best to help me find it. Money won’t be an issue.”
“Shopkeeper Xiao Jiu, talking about money would only cheapen our friendship,” Jin Wuya said. “I’ll keep an eye out for you. The moment I hear anything, you’ll be the first to know.”
I reminded him to keep the matter quiet so we wouldn’t invite any unnecessary complications.
After hanging up, I felt much better.
He was right. People should learn to take things in stride.
There was no point tormenting myself over things that hadn’t even happened yet. Why make myself suffer for no reason?
Jin Wuya would help me search for Soul Piercing, and Tang Tang would undoubtedly use the Tang Family’s connections to look into it discreetly as well. With several avenues open to me, I might not have to beg Bai Songlan after all.
For now, the situation in Chang City was still the most important thing.
With that in mind, I picked up the list again and continued memorizing the entries one by one.
Liu Junyan returned at noon, looking grim.
As soon as he walked through the door, he picked me up and sat down in the chair with me in his arms, his chin resting on my shoulder.
I could tell he was in a bad mood.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I went to the Bai Family Medical Hall this morning to see Bai Songlan,” Liu Junyan said. “I didn’t expect her condition to be so bad…”
Bai Jingmo had already told me about that.
“She’s been consumed by her inner demons for many years,” Liu Junyan continued. “Her obsession runs too deep, and her once-in-a-century Tribulation Period is just around the corner. She’s already unstable… Xiao Jiu, if you run into her in the future, stay as far away from her as you can. I’m afraid she might hurt you.”
“Has she pinned all her emotional hopes on you and started seeing me as an imagined rival?” I asked.
Liu Junyan chose his words carefully. “It may be more than that. We’d barely exchanged a few words before she started demanding to know who Feng Linu was.”
In other words, Bai Songlan might be hostile toward me for two different reasons.
If she truly lost control, she could be terrifying.
I raised a hand to cup Liu Junyan’s chin and stroked it gently as I looked at him. “It’s okay. I’ll just stay out of her way. For now, let’s focus on handling the situation in Chang City.”
Liu Junyan lowered his head and kissed my forehead. He held me for a while longer before asking, “I heard Bai Jingmo came to see you today?”
I didn’t hide anything from him and repeated what Bai Jingmo had told me.
After listening, Liu Junyan frowned. “I can’t believe he still hasn’t given up on trying to drive a wedge between us. His character truly doesn’t measure up to his medical skills.”
“Bai Jingmo is still young, after all,” I said. “People speak of achieving excellence in both virtue and skill, but he still has a long way to go before reaching that level. Perhaps his family upbringing influenced him in the past. I only hope he’ll eventually see the light and become a great master of medicine.”
After all, Uncle Huo had spoken very highly of Bai Jingmo’s medical abilities, especially his acupuncture skills.
Liu Junyan fell into thought.
A question suddenly occurred to me. “Ah Yan, if Bai Songlan suddenly told you she wanted to return to the Pawnshop and rejoin the ranks of the Five Blessing Immortals, would you agree?”