Chapter 44

Chapter 44

My fingertips trembled as I gently touched the face of the little girl in the painting. She was smiling so brightly, and even her silly face was adorable.

She was Fengwu!

I remembered Liu Junyan saying that Fengwu had once taken human form as a little girl.

And Tang Xun had also said she was an old acquaintance of Fengwu.

Everything clicked.

But if this was Fengwu, then who was the girl drawing the bow?

A name that was both strange and familiar suddenly flashed through my mind-Little Fire Fox.

This was the Little Fire Fox that Liu Junyan longed for, the Ali that the Fox Lord spoke of.

My fingers finally moved gently across the girl’s face, tracing the mask bit by bit, before coming to rest on the fiery red feather mark between her brows.

Could she… be me in a past life?

“I met Fengwu ninety years ago.” Tang Xun’s words were startling. She looked at the painting with narrowed eyes, her voice filled with longing. “I was busy with Spirit-Seeking back then and encountered her in a mountain forest. She told me she had lost her master and had been searching desperately.

“She told me she was a bow that could shoot karmic fire, but she never shot a single spark in front of me. At the time, my own handiest weapon was a crossbow my father had crafted for me, and Fengwu and I felt like old friends from the moment we met.

“After that, we traveled together. She was obsessed with finding her master, while I was busy with Spirit-Seeking. She helped me so much during that time.”

At this point, Tang Xun’s expression turned lonely. “But all good things must come to an end. Three years later, a major upheaval occurred in the Tang Family, and I had to return to take charge. Since then, I never saw Fengwu again.”

Tang Xun also reached out, gently stroking Fengwu’s small face as she continued, “Before we parted, Fengwu placed this painting in my hands. She told me, ‘Ah Xun, don’t forget me. If one day you see this bow, or a girl who can draw this bow to full strength, that must be my master. When that time comes, please give this painting to her and tell her that Fengwu misses her very, very much.'”

Tang Xun’s eyes grew red, and a tear slid from the corner of my eye. My chest felt tight with an indescribable sadness.

“Xiao Jiu, I waited for many years. I even met girls who looked very, very much like Fengwu’s master,” Tang Xun said. “But in the end, I knew at a single glance that you were the right one.”

As she spoke, she carefully took the painting down from the wall, placed it in a box, and held it out to me with both hands. “Xiao Jiu, I’m returning this to its rightful owner. I have finally fulfilled my promise to Fengwu.”

I took the painting with both hands and said sincerely, “Thank you.”

That night, I fell asleep clutching the painting. I seemed to have many dreams in my hazy slumber, but when I woke up in the morning, I couldn’t piece together a single complete image.

Tang Xun sent someone to drive us back to Wufu Town. The trunk was stuffed with gifts, and she urged us to visit Huicheng whenever we had the time.

Upon returning to the Pawnshop, the first thing I did was hang the painting in my bedroom. I couldn’t stop looking at it.

Li Qingying was busy organizing the things we had brought back from the Tang Family.

Just then, Tang Tang called. As soon as I picked up, she asked, “Xiao Jiu, did you go to my family’s old manor yesterday?”

I gave an affirmative hum, then unable to contain my curiosity, I asked, “Senior Sister, exactly how old is your aunt?”

Tang Tang answered without hesitation, “Eighteen! My aunt is forever young and beautiful-forever eighteen!”

My forehead broke into imaginary sweat lines. “Senior Sister, I’m being serious.”

“Alright, alright,” Tang Tang finally admitted. “Actually, I don’t know how old she is either. She’s looked like that for as long as I can remember.”

Uh…

I was puzzled. “But… your father shouldn’t even be sixty yet, right? Is there really such a huge age gap between him and your aunt?”

It seemed unscientific.

“Oh, Xiao Jiu, you’ve misunderstood,” Tang Tang explained. “My aunt and my father are actually cousins. This whole situation is my great-grandfather’s fault. They say he had one legal wife and over a dozen concubines in his life. The age gap between his eldest and youngest sons was massive. Because of that, my aunt’s father was actually much older than my grandfather to begin with.”
The tangled web of relationships was enough to make my head spin.

Tang Tang clearly didn’t want to dwell on the subject for too long. Her tone suddenly turned serious. “Xiao Jiu, I called you today because I wanted to tell you something very important.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“It’s about Bai Jingmo,” Tang Tang said, lowering her voice. “Remember that tomb expedition I told you about? The one where two people still hadn’t fully recovered?”

“I remember.”

“Those two are dead,” Tang Tang said. “They died very suddenly, without any warning.”

My first instinct was to say that it was normal for them to pass away. After all, Bai Jingmo had siphoned their Yang Qi, damaging their bodies so severely that they hadn’t recovered after all this time.

But as the words reached the tip of my tongue, I froze.

Why did those two die now of all times? Why right when the Bai Family had suffered such a heavy blow?

If Bai Jingmo could siphon their Yang Qi once, he could do it a second time, a third time…

Besides, wasn’t that painting in the Small Temple also a method Old Lady Bai used to extend her life?

It was practically the same trick.

My silence made Tang Tang anxious. “Xiao Jiu, you must remember to stay far away from Bai Jingmo. You have to believe me-nothing good or upright can ever grow out of a big dye vat like the Bai Family.”

“I understand, Senior Sister,” I replied.

Tang Tang chatted with me about a few more random things for a while before finally hanging up.

I sat there in a daze for a moment. Once I snapped out of it, I reached into my clothes, gripped the Golden Scale tightly in my hand, and headed toward the Main Hall in the back.

This Golden Scale belonged to Liu Junyan. Since I had brought it back, I had to offer it to him.

But just as I placed the Golden Scale on the Altar Table, Liu Junyan appeared by my side.

He reached out and picked up the Golden Scale, a hint of pleasant surprise in his deep, narrow eyes. “Xiao Jiu, you actually found a Golden Scale!”

Holding the Golden Scale in one hand, he wrapped his other arm around my shoulder, pulling me into his embrace. He lowered his head and pressed a firm kiss against my forehead. “Xiao Jiu, you’ve done wonderfully.”

Being kissed and praised like that made my face flush again. I gave him a gentle push and said, “Sister Qingying said this Golden Scale was originally embedded in your Lifebound Artifact, and that there should be six others. Liu Junyan, do you know where they ended up? If possible, I want to help you find them all.”

A Lifebound Artifact was too important to him.

Perhaps once all seven Golden Scales were recovered, his Lifebound Artifact could be summoned back. If that happened, Liu Junyan might be able to break free from the Pawnshop’s constraints and regain his freedom.

Liu Junyan didn’t answer my question immediately. He just held me quietly, burying his face in the crook of my neck without saying a word.

I didn’t know what he was thinking at that moment.

Was he remembering how he lost his Lifebound Artifact, how the seven Golden Scales were scattered, and how he ended up trapped in the Pawnshop?

For Liu Junyan, these were likely memories he never wanted to revisit.

I suddenly felt a pang of regret. How could the Golden Scales be that easy to find?

Even if I wanted to look for them, I should have done so quietly. I should have waited until I found them all to give him a surprise.

That way, at least I wouldn’t have stirred up such painful memories.

Just as I was wallowing in regret, I suddenly heard Liu Junyan say, “Xiao Jiu, summon Fengwu.”

I did as he asked immediately.

Fengwu appeared in mid-air. Liu Junyan took my hand, and together, we gripped the bow firmly.

Then, I watched with wide eyes as Liu Junyan used his True Qi to embed the Golden Scale into the body of the bow.

In an instant, the bow was plated in a layer of golden light, and flames swirled around it.

“Liu Junyan, that belongs to your Lifebound Artifact!” I cried out in a panic. “How could you put it on my bow? Take it off, quickly!”

“Xiao Jiu, what is mine is yours,” Liu Junyan said, pulling me close. “Now, it belongs to you…”