Chapter 298
Chapter 298
Someone hopelessly consumed by their inner demons was never worth fearing.
Their Achilles’ heel was laid bare for all to see. One strike was all it took to bring them down.
I stepped forward and grabbed Bai Songlan’s hand. She struggled violently, refusing to lift her head as she desperately tried to cover the lower half of her face.
I hauled her to her feet and half dragged, half carried her toward the Pawnshop.
Li Qingying stood to the side, initially dumbfounded by what I was doing. Then she rushed forward and helped me force Bai Songlan into the Pawnshop without another thought.
Together, we dragged Bai Songlan into the West Room. I gripped her chin and forced her face toward the altar, directly in front of the Copper-Coin Figure.
The instant Bai Songlan’s eyes met the Copper-Coin Figure, her entire body began to tremble. She stopped struggling and reached out to touch it.
But the next moment, she snatched her hand back, covered her face, and turned to flee.
Li Qingying had already blocked the West Gate. I dragged Bai Songlan back and forced her to face the Copper-Coin Figure again.
“Weren’t you looking for him? Haven’t you always wanted to see him? Well, he’s right here now, standing right in front of you. So why don’t you even dare lift your face and look at him?
“Bai Songlan, is that all the courage you’ve got?
“The Seal has reduced him to little more than an inanimate object, yet you still don’t dare face him. When he breaks the Seal and truly ‘comes alive,’ how will you face him then?
“Bai Songlan, you’ve made me your imaginary rival and try to kill me every time we meet. But if you’re such a coward that you can’t even face your own inner demons or that ruined face of yours, what right do you have to call yourself my opponent?”
Bai Songlan burst into tears and screamed as she tried to wrench herself free.
Li Qingying pinned her shoulders from behind, driving a knee into her back to hold her firmly in place.
Meanwhile, I kept a tight grip on Bai Songlan’s chin and forced her to look me in the eye.
“Bai Songlan, if you want to compete with me, then show me what you’re truly capable of. Stop snapping at everyone you see like some deranged shrew. That will only make me look down on you.
“You were once one of the Pawnshop’s Five Blessing Immortals, while I am the current keeper of the Pawnshop. We should be equals. Go back, get your head straight, and keep your White Immortal Hall under control. If another disaster like Bai Xian’er happens, not even ten thousand deaths could absolve you of the blame!”
I let go with a sharp shove, and Li Qingying released Bai Songlan as well.
Bai Songlan slumped onto the floor in a daze. It took her quite some time to get back to her feet, and she staggered out of the Pawnshop.
Li Qingying asked worriedly, “Xiao Jiu, we didn’t really drive her insane, did we?”
“Either she’ll lose herself completely to her inner demons or achieve true enlightenment,” I replied. “Which way she goes is up to her.”
“Why do I get the feeling neither outcome is particularly favorable to us?” Li Qingying said. “If she goes completely insane, I can at least beat her up every time I see her. But if she achieves enlightenment and still chooses to stand against us, then we’ll have a real problem.”
“Then we’ll take her statue off the altar and throw it out!” I declared firmly. “Wufu Town is headed for chaos, and I don’t have the energy to indulge her madness. She needs to choose her side once and for all. Enemy or ally — the line between them must be absolute.”
Li Qingying stared at me blankly.
Her stare made me uneasy, and I couldn’t help asking, “Sister Qingying, what’s wrong?”
“Xiao Jiu, you’ve changed,” Li Qingying said. “Ever since you came back from Chang City, you seem more confident than before — and much more ruthless and decisive.”
It suddenly struck me that I really had been harsh with Bai Songlan just now. “Did I scare you?”
Li Qingying shook her head and straightened her back. “On a battlefield, no soldier would ever fear their commander for being ruthless and decisive. We’d only feel inspired and eager to fight.”
For some reason, I felt deeply moved. “Sister Qingying, the situation has changed. What happened in Chang City was only the beginning. This entire chain of changes in Wufu Town didn’t come out of nowhere.
“The Seal on the Copper-Coin Figure may be gradually unraveling because of Liu Junyan. Next, the Pawnshop Formation could begin to loosen — or even collapse entirely.
“Whether Liu Junyan can endure this Calamity depends on him. There isn’t much we can do, but we still have to make all the preparations we can ahead of time. Only then will we be able to lend Liu Junyan a hand.”
Li Qingying nodded emphatically. “I believe in Seventh Master!”
I smiled. “So do I!”
If I didn’t believe in him, I never would have let him return to Mount Song alone.
I knew this was something he needed to overcome on his own. If I interfered too much, I would only cloud his judgment.
All I could do was get to the bottom of the mess unfolding here and deal with problems like Bai Songlan as early as possible.
I said to Li Qingying, “Sister Qingying, have your people keep watch on the Town Head’s Residence and the Great Hall. If anything unusual happens, let me know immediately.”
Li Qingying agreed, then asked, “Do we need someone watching the Teahouse too?”
“Not for now,” I replied. “I’ll find time to speak to the Teahouse Proprietress alone.”
Li Qingying was highly efficient. She immediately left to make the arrangements.
I let out a long breath and stared at the Copper-Coin Figure for a while before turning to leave.
As I passed through the Main Hall, I saw the Lingchi Blade and the Qiankun Mandarin Duck Hook resting on the Altar Table.
Mei Linshuang had pawned the Lingchi Blade.
Dou Zhile had pawned the Qiankun Mandarin Duck Hook.
When I accepted the Qiankun Mandarin Duck Hook, I promised Dou Zhile two drops of Lamp Oil.
It seemed the time had come to honor that promise.
I left the Pawnshop and headed straight for the Dou Family Coffin Shop.
By the time the disturbance with Bai Songlan was over, it was already past ten at night.
At this hour, every household had shut its doors and gone to bed.
Yet from a distance, I could see that the doors of the Dou Family Coffin Shop stood wide open. The white lanterns hanging beneath the eaves swayed in the wind.
A large coffin built for two sat in the Main Hall. Only its frame had been completed. Dou Jinsuo was holding a plane, smoothing the coffin’s rim stroke by stroke.
Dou Zhile sat beside him, a long-stemmed pipe in one hand and a wooden rod in the other. He watched Dou Jinsuo’s every movement, occasionally raising the pipe to take several deep puffs, and occasionally rapping Dou Jinsuo’s wrist with the rod. He was being rather stern.
Dou Jinsuo seemed preoccupied and kept making mistakes. His wrist had already been struck bright red.
At the sound of my footsteps, both men gave a startled shudder. Their bodies went rigid as they turned toward the doorway, their faces deathly pale.
The instant they saw me, they visibly relaxed.
Dou Zhile hurried over to greet me. “Shopkeeper Xiao Jiu, when did you get back? Please, come in and have a seat.”
Dou Jinsuo had already brought over a clean stool.
I glanced at the large double coffin and asked, “This is…?”
My first thought was that something had happened to a couple in town and that their family had ordered a joint-burial coffin. That would explain why the uncle and nephew were still rushing to finish it so late at night.
Before I could ask for details, Dou Zhile let out a long sigh.
He glanced at Dou Jinsuo and said helplessly, “It’s for his parents.”
My heart jolted. “Are you making them a cenotaph?”
“No.” The words seemed to stick in Dou Zhile’s throat. “They… they’ve come back these past two nights…”
(Author’s note: There was a problem with the original setup regarding Dou Jinsuo’s parents, and I haven’t decided how to revise it yet. For now, later chapters will proceed on the assumption that his parents were killed by the Qiankun Mandarin Duck Hook. Once I’ve figured it out, I’ll go back and revise the earlier setup.)