"Then... be careful." She retreated to the outer room and peeked out from the doorway.
There was a keyhole on the box, but the lock seemed to be just for show and didn't serve any purpose. Jin was originally thinking about unlocking it, but when he tentatively lifted the lid, the box opened. He seemed to hear a faint click, which startled him. He quickly stepped back and waited for a while, but there was still no movement.
There were no mechanisms; inside was just a square object wrapped in exquisite silk.
The lock was broken? Jin felt increasingly uneasy. He had encountered such a dangerous trap when he entered the door. If the things here were really treasures, even if the owner was very trusting, there should have been extra protection measures in place. How could someone have gotten their hands on them so easily?
Qiu Lingling had already walked in, and seeing this, she was also curious: "What is it?" She reached out to take it.
Jin quickly stepped forward and pulled the little hand back: "Don't touch it."
He couldn't understand how he could get the item so easily. Maybe it was just a decoy or a trap. So he took out the butterfly-shaped purple jade hairpin from before and used the tip of the hairpin to peel back the layers of silk.
The exquisite silk cloth was lifted, gradually revealing a yellowed, old book. Jin was dumbfounded just by seeing the words on the cover.
"The Daytime Startling Wind Sword?" Qiu Lingling read it aloud, delighted. "It's a sword manual, and there's a 'Jiang' character at the bottom."
Jin was stunned for a while, then muttered, "I thought that kid was poor, but he's just a miser." Suddenly remembering something, his expression changed drastically: "Oh no!"
Without having time to say much, he quickly picked up Qiu Lingling and rushed out.
.
The cave entrance was tightly closed. When you knocked on it with your finger, you could only hear the clanging of copper and iron. It turned out that what looked like a stone wall on the outside was actually made of cast copper and iron on the inside.
More importantly, the door had locked itself at some point!
Jin felt a chill in his heart.
The keyhole on the jade box! I should have realized it sooner. Since it's an important item, how could the owner be so careless? That keyhole wasn't just for show, nor was it broken. It wasn't meant to open the box at all. Before opening the box, you had to use a key to unlock it. If someone didn't know this secret and opened it without permission, the outer door would automatically lock!
Seeing him in a daze, Qiu Lingling gently tugged at him: "What's wrong? Can't you get out?"
Jin's face turned ashen. He quickly shook off her hand and began to search the stone walls around the cave entrance, looking for the mechanism. He knocked on the cave entrance and every possible place around it, but found nothing. He broke out in a cold sweat.
"Gold, please return..."
"What are you yelling for!"
The tinder went out, and he turned and rushed quickly into the inner room, ignoring the panicked cries behind him.
.
In the innermost room, the jade box still sat quietly on the stone platform. The luminous pearls on the four walls seemed like mocking eyes, their soft light turning cold, reminding him of his past, laughing at his current wretchedness, and gloating as they waited to see his future fate.
A fire broke out overnight, she was framed and abandoned. It was all fate's cruel joke. She had walked on the edge of life and death, and in despair, she had even considered giving up. But she was unwilling to give up, so she abandoned her dignity and the past and finally lived again. Who would have thought that even now, with wealth comparable to a country, she still couldn't escape her fate? Isn't this also fate?
If you really wanted to die, you would have died long ago. I'm not going to let you have your way! Jin sneered, took out the butterfly-shaped purple jade hairpin, and stepped forward to unlock it, but the tightly closed keyhole filled him with despair.
If I'm not mistaken, this cave entrance can now only be opened from the outside!
With a single palm strike, the jade box shattered.
"Jin, wait for me!" His voice was filled with fear and grievance. Qiu Lingling finally made her way into the room and rushed over to hug him from behind. "What's wrong?"
Jin waved his hand roughly and roared, "What are you yelling for! If you don't open the door, we're all going to die here!"
Qiu Lingling fell to the ground due to excessive force.
silence.
What's wrong with me? Jin stared blankly at everything in front of him.
Something flickered in her big eyes. Qiu Lingling lowered her head. After a while, she raised her face again, but said nothing. Instead, she smiled and extended her right hand to him.
Her slender hands, with jade-like fingers, had pulled him, hugged him, and stroked his face countless times. Now, in the cold light of the room, they appeared even more beautiful, making him involuntarily miss that familiar warmth, feel extremely close to her, and also extremely ashamed.
She pouted, her meaning clear: "Hurry up and help me up."
Jin remained silent for a while, then walked over and took that hand.
Before he could exert any force, Qiu Lingling got up from the ground and threw herself into his arms: "I didn't know it would be like this. If I had known, I wouldn't have brought you. Don't be angry."
She murmured, "I'm not afraid of death, please don't abandon me like you did just now."
"You only take your anger out on that little girl. Are you even a man?" Jin finally came to his senses and wanted to slap himself. He hugged her and said, "It's none of your business. I'm the bastard. If I hadn't insisted on coming in, none of this would have happened. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have come in. I'm the one who hurt you. You didn't do anything wrong."
After a while, he let go of her and took her hand: "Let's go out and take another look."
.
After an unknown amount of time, the light from the tinderbox gradually dimmed and finally went out. Darkness immediately enveloped us from all directions. Fortunately, the place must have had ventilation holes, so it wasn't too damp. But although it was clearly May outside, it was filled with a chill inside.
Jin gave up the search, sat down against the stone wall, and the little girl nestled in his arms.
"Is it really impossible to get out?"
"Perhaps someone will come."
The keyhole was worn so smooth, and the boxes were of varying ages, indicating that the owner must have come many times. But who knows when the next time will be? Perhaps by then, the two of them will be corpses. Without food or water, how long can they last? Jin smiled bitterly. He couldn't very well eat all that gold and jewels, could he? Well, if necessary, he really would have to eat a few pieces of gold to make this cult leader die a more elegant death, the way a rich person dies.
I had nothing back then and almost died. Now I've learned all the skills to acquire wealth from all over the world and no longer have to worry about being broke. But in the end, I'm going to die surrounded by money. God really knows how to play tricks!
In his desperate situation, all the memories came flooding back, and Jin felt a strange sense of exhilaration as all his grief, anger, and fear vanished in an instant.
Qiu Lingling touched his face: "Are you smiling?"
Jin suddenly snapped back to reality, remembering that there was someone beside him. A wave of intense sorrow washed over him. "Look," he thought, "is this how the little girl is going to stay with me?"
He hugged the little girl: "Are you scared?"
"I'm not afraid."
He pulled his cloak over her, asking, "Are you cold?"
"I'm not cold, are you?"
"No."
.
I slept and woke up, then slept again, without distinguishing between day and night. Time seemed to become superfluous, completely imperceptible. It felt as if only a few hours had passed, yet also as if hundreds of years had gone by.
Each time he woke up, the little girl would gently call his name, and he would respond with a sound before falling silent again.
At some point, the voice began to sound weak and feeble.
Jin felt the fever in his arms and gently shook her, asking, "Lingling?"
She mumbled a reply, still somewhat dazed.
Are you hungry?
"No, I'm just... thirsty."
Jin Huanlai remained silent for a moment, then reached for his waist, where there were several thin blades, like willow leaves, which were the hidden weapons he always carried with him.
In the darkness, my hand was suddenly grabbed.
"No, I'm not thirsty," she said weakly, seemingly regaining her senses. She gripped his hand tightly, her grip surprisingly strong. "See, you won't tell the truth. I know you'll save me, but I don't want to drink your blood."
silence.
Jin sullenly hummed, "I'd give you some? You've heard too many stories!"
"I've thought it over. I won't give you any. Let's die together," her voice weakened again, "I want you to be with me."
In the darkness, Jin stopped talking, withdrew his hand, hugged her tightly, and smiled. Perhaps this way of dying isn't so bad. At times like this, there are still people willing to be with you. Why think so much?
His fingers gently traced her burning face as he lowered his head to find her lips.
Suddenly, a loud "whoosh" sounded in his ear, followed by a blinding glare and a gust of wind that brought in long-lost fresh air. Because he hadn't eaten for a long time and was very weak, the sudden stimulation made Jin feel dizzy.
The newcomer was stunned at first, then shouted, threw down the torch, and ran away.
Jin Huanlai suddenly woke up with a start. Without thinking too much, he immediately mustered all his strength, picked up Qiu Lingling, and dashed away like an arrow.
.
Laughter erupted from a room in Jinyuan in the middle of the night.
"Have you fucking laughed enough?!" Jin Huanlai finally couldn't hold back and roared, kicking him. "Go back to laughing!"
Jiang Xiaohu dodged: "Hey, even if I'm interrupting your good time, you don't have to be so ruthless. Are you trying to kill me to silence me?"
Jin retorted angrily, "Are you blind? Didn't you see she was sick at the time?"
Jiang Xiaohu suppressed a laugh: "I know you want to get treatment."
Jin Huanlai was also embarrassed. He took a few steps with a stern face and crossed his arms: "I was wondering why I never found a single treasure that caught my eye when I went to Tianshui City. Turns out you hid it in that place."
Jiang Xiaohu pulled up a chair and sat down again: "With thieves coming, of course we can't leave the good stuff out there."
Jin sneered, "Fortunately, this cult leader has shown mercy and didn't tear up your tattered book."
Jiang Xiaohu sighed, "It is a bit broken, but there are plenty of people who want it. Now that you have broken my jade box and damaged my mechanism, that's enough. You shouldn't have barged in without permission. If I hadn't suddenly remembered to go and take a look today, I'm afraid we would have been in danger."
For nearly five days, Jin remained silent, and looking back, he felt a chill of fear.
Jiang Xiaohu looked at the person on the bed: "What do you plan to do with your little wife?"
Jin Huanlai actually blushed and said irritably, "Are you a woman? Stop being so nosy and meddlesome!" After a long silence, she added, "I don't know, maybe... it's not so bad."
.
When Jin woke up, it was already the next morning. He felt an itch in his nose. When he opened his eyes, Qiu Lingling was leaning on the opposite table, looking at him and smiling, holding a plate of fragrant snacks in her hands.
Her face had become much thinner, with a pointed chin, but her smile was still sweet and full of life. Jin was so captivated by her that he felt no regrets about dying with her, but it would be better to continue living. At least he could see that smiling face every day, which would be a delightful thing.
"Aren't you hungry?" Qiu Lingling urged him. "Eat quickly, let's go see Master."
Jin responded with an "Mm," looked away, and reached into his pocket. But once he had the item in his hand, he hesitated to take it out. It was the first time he had formally given someone a gift; how should he phrase it? He had completely forgotten some of the words he had spoken years ago.
Qiu Lingling asked curiously, "What's wrong? Are you alright?"
Jin shook his head awkwardly, deciding to use the usual method and simply toss it to her. There was only one butterfly-shaped purple jade hairpin in the world, and the little girl would definitely be happy anyway.
Having finished preparing, he coughed once—
The mute servant rushed in, looking panicked.
Jin was quite annoyed at being disturbed for no reason, but he quickly realized that something serious must have happened, otherwise the mute servant would never have dared to be so presumptuous. So he put the things back and asked, "What is it?"
The mute servant gestured and handed him a thin iron tube used for delivering messages by pigeons. It had a special pattern of retreat valley on it. He opened it and pulled out a slip of paper.
There were only two words: critically ill.