Chapter 19: Dragon Bone

"Noble lady, all the daggers in my shop are here."

The man led them to the southeast corner of the room, lifted a gray cloth from a table, and spoke to them. Only then did Lu Shijiu notice the table, where a variety of daggers were neatly displayed, dazzling her eyes.

Lan Yin patted her hand, signaling her to step forward. "Go on, pick one that you like!"

"No need!" Lu Shijiu shook her head, retreating instead of stepping forward.

Lan Yin was puzzled. "Didn't you want to buy a dagger?"

"I don't have any silver."

Lan Yin smiled softly. "You don't need silver. Big sister will buy it for you!"

Lu Shijiu shook her head again. "No! I cannot accept gifts from others so casually."

"Is that so?" Lan Yin pondered for a moment. "How about you choose a dagger first, and treat the silver as a loan from me?"

That made sense!

No longer hesitating, Lu Shijiu stepped forward and selected the most unassuming-looking dagger from the pile. Although the style was old-fashioned, it felt solid and heavy; it should be durable.

"Boss, how much for this dagger?"

"Three taels!" The man glanced at it and stated the price immediately.

"Are you sure?" Lan Yin's expression turned a bit strange.

Lu Shijiu nodded. "Just this one."

"Don't you want to buy one that's lighter and sharper?" Lan Yin asked.

Lu Shijiu shook her head.

Seeing her insistence, Lan Yin said nothing more and paid for it on the spot.

After walking out of the blacksmith's shop, Lu Shijiu asked Lan Yin, "Big sister, where should I go to repay you later?"

"The backyard of the county magistrate's office on East Second Street. Just tell the gatekeeper you are looking for 'Sister Three Taels'," Lan Yin said with a smile.

"I've got it. I, Lu Shijiu, will definitely come to pay back the silver. Goodbye for now, Sister Three Taels." Lu Shijiu made her promise and prepared to leave, but her path was blocked by a cold-faced young woman holding a long sword.

"Yiyue!" Lan Yin called out in disapproval.

"Miss, please forgive your servant for overstepping just this once." Yiyue bowed to her while holding her sword, then glanced coldly at Lu Shijiu. "After leaving this place, please forget everything regarding my mistress. If you dare to reveal any information about her to a third person, watch your head!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than a flash of light appeared. The sword in her hand hummed as it sprang from its scabbard, vibrated in the air for a moment, and then precisely slid back into the sheath.

Despite the bright, sunny weather, Lu Shijiu felt a bone-chilling cold.

"Yiyue, she is just a child, don't scare her!" Lan Yin said, displeased.

Lu Shijiu pursed her lips. "I won't reveal anything. Even when I come to return the silver, I will come alone."

Lan Yin patted her head. "Big sister believes you! Don't blame Yiyue; it's just that I have my reasons for being away this time, and it's inconvenient to let my whereabouts be known."

Lu Shijiu nodded and turned to run toward the Jinxiu Workshop.

After her figure disappeared, Lan Yin's expression darkened. "Yiyue, you went too far just now."

"Miss, if your whereabouts are leaked, it may damage your reputation!" Yiyue said expressionlessly, word by word.

Lan Yin gave a bitter smile. "From the day I decided to run away from home, I stopped caring about that!"

"But the Mistress in the afterlife would care! The order the Mistress gave me was to protect you and keep you safe for your entire life. In my eyes, this 'safety' concerns not only your life but everything else as well!"

"Thank you, Yiyue!" Lan Yin's expression softened. "But in this life, I only want to live according to my own heart. I never want to go back to being that puppet on strings again!"

Yiyue moved two steps closer to Lan Yin, her eyes firm. "No matter the ends of the earth, I will accompany you, Miss!"

Lan Yin looked at her steadily and broke into a radiant smile. "Good!"

"Did you see a reflection of yourself in that little girl just now, and that's why you couldn't help but offer your help?" Yiyue asked.

Lan Yin nodded gently. "I gave her the dagger in the hope that she could resist bravely. Constant forbearance only makes the oppressor more rampant."

"But that little girl didn't seem to want to accept your gift." Yiyue, still holding her sword, delivered a ruthless remark.

Thinking of Lu Shijiu’s earnest expression when she said she didn't want to accept gifts from others, Lan Yin couldn't help but chuckle. "Perhaps she was a formidable little girl to begin with!"

Yiyue nodded in agreement.

"Yiyue, have you found any news about the Dragon Bone?" Lan Yin remembered her main task.

Yiyue shook her head. "I have inquired in all the nearby villages and towns recently, and there hasn't been a shred of news. What about you, Miss? Did you find any records regarding the Dragon Bone?"

Lan Yin shook the few books in her hand. "No. See, I only found these few storybooks about the legend of the Dragon Bone."

"How much longer did the divine doctor say Magistrate Ji has?"

Lan Yin’s voice dropped. "Less than three months."

"Miss, while I was inquiring about the Dragon Bone, I accidentally discovered that the short-lived heir of the Jing'an Marquis Mansion has been appearing on the mountains near Wangjiadai in Qingshan Town."

Lan Yin’s spirits lifted upon hearing this. "Is the news accurate?"

"Absolutely! I saw it with my own eyes!" Yiyue nodded firmly.

Lan Yin was thoughtful. "Why would he, a dignified heir burdened with a sickly body, appear on an unknown mountain?"

"I heard that the reason the heir of the Jing'an Marquis Mansion is called the 'short-lived heir' is that the imperial physician predicted he wouldn't live past this year," Yiyue added.

"That serious? Then what kind of attraction does that mountain have that even someone predicted to be a dying man would risk everything to go there?"

Lan Yin crossed her hands, and her two thumbs began to spin rapidly inside her sleeves.

Suddenly, the pads of her two thumbs pressed together firmly. Her autumn-moon-like eyes widened instantly, and her voice carried a hint of urgency. "Yiyue, do you think it's possible that the Dragon Bone exists there?"

Yiyue frowned. "But the divine doctor said the Dragon Bone is only the most important medicinal catalyst in a sacred healing remedy; he didn't say it had any other magical effects."

After a moment of excitement, Lan Yin calmed down. "Even if it's not the Dragon Bone, there must be some miraculous medicine capable of bringing someone back from the brink of death. Such medicine should certainly help with the healing of Big Brother Ji's wounds."

"Hmm." On this point, Yiyue agreed.

"Then we shall go to Wangjiadai too!" Lan Yin decided.

"Miss, I can go to Wangjiadai myself. You should just wait for my news in the county town," Yiyue argued, frowning.

"But I..."

"Miss! The terrain around Wangjiadai is complex, and the mountains are full of traps. I heard a local hunter fell into a trap he dug himself and lost his life on the spot. And that was a local! We are unfamiliar with the area; the chance of encountering danger will only be higher. I worry I won't be able to protect you completely," Yiyue said solemnly.

Lan Yin grabbed her arm and shook her head. "No! Don't go there for now, either. Let me go back and discuss this with Mozhu. I will have him send a few skilled martial artists to go with you so you can all investigate the situation first. Helping Big Brother Ji find medicine is important, but your safety cannot be ignored. To me, you are the only family I have left in this world."

"Very well!" Yiyue pursed her lips, and her icy face gradually softened.