The Coin Sword had been consecrated long ago, its blade light sharp and fierce.
The female ghost let out a miserable shriek, dissolving into a wisp of green smoke and leaving only a final sentence behind.
“If you can find my bones, I will be eternally grateful.”
“Eldest Senior Brother!”
Xiao Tuanzi couldn’t stop Eldest Senior Brother in time.
“She’s so pitiful. Let’s help her look.”
Eldest Senior Brother sheathed his sword and only relaxed when he saw his junior sister was safe and sound.
“Junior Sister, the world below the mountain isn’t like the mountain. These dark beings are cunning. You mustn’t trust them lightly.”
Even so, he found a tree branch and began digging under the locust tree.
Before long, he indeed unearthed a piece of white bone.
Xiao Qingxuan crouched down and gently wrapped the bone in a cloth.
“Qingyu, can you go to the nearby village or town? Find the uniformed uncles. We’ll tell them there are bones here.”
Qingyu let out a sharp cry and flapped its wings, flying away.
Eldest Senior Brother looked at his junior sister’s serious profile, feeling both heartache and helplessness.
“Junior Sister, let me take you to the city.”
Xiao Qingxuan shook her head earnestly. “Senior Brother, go back. Master said I have to walk on my own.”
She fished out a protective talisman from her pocket and patted her chest.
“This is for you, Senior Brother. I drew it myself. I’m really good at it.”
Eldest Senior Brother held the talisman and fell silent.
He knew his junior sister’s temperament—once she made up her mind, not even nine oxen could pull her back.
“Then be careful in everything. If anything happens, have Qingyu send me a message.”
He also stuffed a small bronze dagger into her hand.
“For self-defense. Don’t tell Master.”
The sect had a rule: no contact with metal weapons before the age of twelve, mainly to prevent them from accidentally injuring themselves.
Xiao Qingxuan hid the dagger in her sleeve and nodded firmly.
Watching Eldest Senior Brother’s figure disappear at the end of the mountain path, she slowly began walking downhill.
Xiao Qingxuan hadn’t told Eldest Senior Brother.
She had also heard the mournful thoughts of that female ghost.
The woman had been abducted and sold here by traffickers ten years ago. Unable to bear the humiliation, she had taken her own life.
Her bones were buried under the locust tree behind the village temple, but her family knew nothing of it.
Xiao Qingxuan sighed.
“Let’s go.”
The world below the mountain was indeed different from the mountain.
On the wide roads, metal boxes sped by swiftly.
The pedestrians weren’t dressed in monotonous colors either, all wearing clothes of various hues.
The sounds of talking and the roaring of vehicles buzzed in her ears.
【Xiao Tuanzi, look! That’s the metal box I told you about—it’s called a car.】
Lingfeng pointed at a passing sedan.
Xiao Qingxuan, who had never left the mountain since birth, wanted to take a closer look.
Suddenly, someone bumped into her, causing the cloth bundle in her hand to fall to the ground, its contents spilling out.
“Sorry, sorry!”
A man in a suit hurriedly apologized, bending down to pick up the money.
Just as Xiao Tuanzi was about to say it was okay, she heard Lingfeng’s urgent thoughts.
【He’s secretly stuffing money into his own pocket!】
She looked down and indeed saw the man, while picking up the money, quietly slip two hundred-yuan bills into the inner pocket of his suit.
Xiao Qingxuan said nothing. When the man handed the money back to her, she looked up at him with her small face and said,
“Uncle, I originally had five red bills here. Now there are only three.”
The man’s face stiffened, but he didn’t take it seriously.
After all, she was just a child—easy to fool.
“You must be mistaken, little one. Uncle didn’t take your money.”
With that, the man turned to leave.
Xiao Tuanzi tugged at the hem of his suit jacket and said with a smile.
“Uncle, do you have a set of keys in your left pocket? There’s a little blue bear keychain hanging from it.”
The man was taken aback and instinctively touched his left pocket.
Xiao Tuanzi continued sweetly.
“You live in Apartment 502, Building 3, Xingfu Community, right? It’s your daughter’s birthday today, and you bought a strawberry cake. If you don’t go back soon, the cake will melt.”
The man was so shocked his eyes nearly popped out. How did this little girl know everything?
Remembering the day’s significance, he sheepishly pulled two hundred-yuan bills from his pocket and stuffed them into Xiao Tuanzi’s hands.
“It was my fault, little one. Please don’t mind it, don’t mind it.”
With that, he practically fled in panic.
Lingfeng laughed so hard on her shoulder he nearly rolled off.
[Xiao Tuanzi is amazing! She scared him off in no time!]
Xiao Qingxuan proudly accepted the praise.
All of this, she had just overheard from the stray dog nearby.
The dog, smelling the cake, had followed the man all the way, learning every detail about him.
Qingxuan tidied her things again and shouldered her bundle.
She hadn’t gone far when she saw a crowd gathered ahead, chattering excitedly about something.
“It’s really strange. Boss Wang’s dog was fine yesterday, but today it won’t eat or drink. Even the vet couldn’t figure out what’s wrong.”
“I think it’s possessed, isn’t it? Boss Wang tore down an old house a few days ago. Maybe he stirred up something unclean.”
Qingxuan squeezed through the crowd and saw a plump man in a floral shirt pacing anxiously.
At his feet lay a golden retriever, listless and drooping, not even wagging its tail.
[So uncomfortable… feels like something’s gnawing inside my stomach. That person in black fed me a piece of meat, and I’ve been like this ever since.]
The golden retriever whimpered weakly, its thoughts fragmented.
Xiao Tuanzi walked up to the plump man.
“Uncle, your dog was fed something bad by someone.”
The plump man looked down at her, seeing only a little girl not even as tall as his leg.
He waved impatiently. “What do kids know? Go play somewhere else!”
Someone nearby chimed in, “Boss Wang, this child looks clever. Maybe she has a way?”
The plump man snapped, “Are you out of your mind? How old is she? She probably hasn’t even started kindergarten!”
Xiao Qingxuan planted her hands on her hips. “Hmph, I’m very capable! Just watch.”
Xiao Qingxuan crouched down and patted the golden retriever’s head.
“Don’t be afraid. I’ll help you get the thing out of your stomach.”
She took out a small bronze bell from her bundle—a tool her master had casually given her to practice with.
Gently shaking it, the bell emitted a clear, pleasant chime.
As the sound rang out, the golden retriever, Fuguì, made a gurgling noise in its throat.
Suddenly, it coughed violently and spat out a dark, lumpy mass.
After landing, the mass wriggled like a worm a few times before going still.
[So much better! Thank you, little immortal!]
The golden retriever wagged its tail and licked Qingxuan’s hand.
Everyone around was stunned.
The plump man was both shocked and overjoyed. He quickly pulled a stack of money from his wallet and handed it to Qingxuan.
“Thank you, little one. Take this money!”
Xiao Qingxuan waved her hand. “No need, no need. It was uncomfortable, and I just helped out.”
She suddenly thought of her master—perhaps the temple still needed funds?
While waving her refusal, she unconsciously tugged open her pocket.
The plump man was no fool. In one swift motion, he stuffed the money into her pocket.
Xiao Qingxuan’s eyes crinkled into happy crescents, yet she hadn’t forgotten the purpose of coming down the mountain.
She asked, “Uncle, do you know the Shen Family? Shen Zhentian and Lin Wanrong.”
The plump man was taken aback for a moment.
“Shen Zhentian, you mean Chairman Shen of Shen Group? Of course I know him. Do you need me to take you there?”
Xiao Tuanzi’s eyes lit up: “Really? That’s wonderful!”
The plump man arranged for a driver to take her.
The little milk dumpling and her two small companions climbed into the metal box, curiously looking around.
The driver inwardly sneered.
Where did these country bumpkins come from, never even ridden in a car before.