Chapter 6, Li Fengniang

"How do you intend to deal with me?" She finally spoke up

The young woman stared for a long time, two lines of hot tears streamed down her cheeks, the hostility in her gaze gradually dissipated, and her complexion slowly returned to normal

She nodded slightly and silently followed me all the way back to my residence

The bronze-colored hairpin is heavy, with two exquisite flying celestial maidens intricately carved on its body. As a native of Xianyang, Shaanxi, I can immediately recognize that this is an ornament in the style of the Tang Dynasty. I turn the hairpin in my hand; it is much thicker than the imitation Tang crafts sold on the street. Upon closer inspection, I discover a blurred seal character, worn down by the passage of time.

I nodded. Over there, Ah Huang was also nodding.

I suppressed my anger, my lower abdomen rising and falling, observing that girl with a cold gaze

I was furious and about to explode when I suddenly heard Ah Huang's voice whispering, "Don't move! What is she doing?"

"Li Chunfeng is indeed my ancestor," Li Fengniang said softly

***

Quickly grab the hairpin and take a look at the design on it" Ah Huang urgently transmitted the message.

A loud roar from Ah Huang

***

She is not. The tone of Ah Huang's voice that reached my ears was unusually serious

I want to, of course, turn them over to the public security bureau. Detective Yuan Li may become famous overnight tomorrow, and perhaps even be granted a stable job, no longer having to worry about three meals a day. However, for some reason, I always feel a twinge of reluctance in my heart

What does the book say? I became interested.

My lower abdomen is flat and elastic, with a slight bulge of abdominal muscles still bearing a few faint traces of blood. The wound has long since healed, and the skin has developed a patch of brown markings resembling cracks, radiating irregularly from the center of the puncture.

After returning to the capital, an edict was issued for Li Chunfeng to have a private discussion, during which Li predicted that the Wu family would usurp power in the future, which displeased Emperor Gaozong. Consequently, an edict was issued for Yuan Tiangang to meet, but unexpectedly, Yuan had already gone traveling. Indeed, as Li Chunfeng had foreseen, six years later, Wu Zetian usurped power, changed the state name to 'Zhou', and reigned for 42 years. Li Fengniang spoke eloquently.

A series of strange laughter sent chills down my spine, and I could hardly believe that it came from Xiao Ling's mouth

In fact, Empress Wu is a highly accomplished emperor in Chinese history. In her last will, she ordered the removal of the imperial title and requested to be referred to as Empress Wu of the Great Sage, to be buried according to custom in Qianling (the tomb of Emperor Gaozong). She pardoned Empress Wang, Consort Xiao, as well as Zhu Suiliang, Han Ai, Liu Shuang, and others, allowing a group of her adversaries to be exonerated before her death, leaving her merits and faults for future generations to evaluate. Above Qianling stands a stele known as the 'Stele of the Sage of Arts,' which records the achievements of Emperor Gaozong, with the inscription written by Wu Zetian; opposite it is another equally tall stele, adorned on both sides with two flying dragons, yet the stele itself is bare, known as the famous Wu Zetian's blank stele, erected by her son, Emperor Zhongzong Li Xian, in accordance with her will. The mystery behind it remains unknown to this day. " Li Fengniang recounted. The mystery behind it remains unknown to this day. " Li Fengniang recounted.

Thinking of this, I suddenly remembered that I had not yet had the chance to examine my wounds, so I lifted my shirt and loosened my belt, revealing my firm abdomen

Hahaha, heaven does not disappoint those who are diligent, I have finally found it! The young woman glanced at the ancient hairpin, her face pale as she burst into a fit of hysterical laughter, and then she lunged forward again, grabbing my belt, her face pressed against my abdomen, ... observing intently ...

The young woman said, "Yuan Tiangang was a prominent figure during the Zhenguan period of the early Tang dynasty, a remarkable talent in the study of the I Ching. His method of fortune-telling using the weight of bones is widely known among the people, especially the remarkable work of Wei studies, 'Tui Bei Tu,' which he co-developed with his junior disciple Li Chunfeng, predicting the evolution of Chinese history over a thousand years following the Tang dynasty"

On the Bai Lu Plain lies the Jin Gang Tomb, fifteen miles away an old friend arrives. Not seeing the face of the flower protector, every night the host opens the wooden door.

"Who are you?" I asked hoarsely

Li Fengniang gave me a meaningful glance and then said, "I have studied for many years and only know that the Jin Gang Tomb is the burial site of Yuan Tiangang, but its deeper meaning has always eluded me. According to the words passed down from our ancestors, after Li Chunfeng saw this omen, he sighed deeply to the heavens, even leaving a letter before running away from home, and since then, there has been no news of him, and his whereabouts remain unknown"

In a moment of surprise, the young lady silently pounced, swiftly snatching the ancient hairpin from my hand

The only certainty is that its sense of smell is very keen, having identified the criminal through an embroidered glove. In terms of character, it is somewhat fickle, possibly having fallen in love with a female named Amei.

Li Fengniang continued, "Our ancestor Li Chunfeng was chosen by Emperor Gaozong to select the burial site at Liangshan in Qianzhou. This place features three towering peaks, with the main peak piercing the sky. To the east, it faces the Wushui River and Jiuzhong Mountain, while to the west, it is connected by the Qishui River to Loujing Mountain and Qishan. The Wushui and Qishui rivers converge in front of the mountain, forming a water barrier that encircles the dragon energy of the land, thus designating Liangshan as the 'sacred land of the dragon vein'.

"Who exactly are you?" I was quite surprised

Ah Huang also came over, perked up his ears, and wore a serious expression

First of all, the old dog I have at home can actually speak human language (Shaanxi dialect), and it claims to be over 1,300 years old, a so-called "corpse dog" with special abilities. Furthermore, it boasts of possessing extraordinary corpse skills, having already unleashed the ninth level of "half-open dead dog eyes," though it is uncertain whether this is true or not

I am truly perplexed, just as I was about to engage in conversation, the young lady said, "I am originally from Xi'an, my name is Li Fengniang, and I work in a mental hospital"

Moreover, the pervert turned out to be a girl, and her appearance was identical to that of the idol Xiao Ling (except for the expression in her eyes). The weapon she used was a hairpin that belonged to a remarkable figure in the study of 易学 from 1300 years ago, a master of the art.

Upon entering the room, I turned on the light and had her sit on my bed, while Ah Huang squatted in front of her, keeping watch.

Please provide the text you would like to have translated from Traditional Chinese to English.

"If you are not insane, why do you have to perversely poke at people? Those 49 women have no connection or enmity with you, and one of them is a pregnant woman whose fetus was even killed by your actions. This is a crime. What exactly do you want to do?" I questioned angrily

"This matter is quite lengthy to discuss, allow me to elaborate. May I ask if you have ever visited Qianling?" Li Fengniang spoke with calm composure

I am hesitating

"Who is Yuan Tiangang? It sounds strangely familiar," I murmured, inadvertently catching a glimpse of Ah Huang, who was already in tears.

Moreover, the background of this girl who closely resembles Xiao Ling is suspicious, and she has always targeted women. By the way, it was 49, but this time she struck me, a big man.

"Come with me," I said

"What she said is correct, I have also heard of it," Ah Huang nodded and said

I exerted force with my hand and snatched the hairpin away. Upon closer inspection, I could faintly see what appeared to be engraved patterns under the moonlight, but I could not discern them clearly. What I can be certain of is that it is an ancient artifact

So many strange events have occurred tonight, one more puzzling than the last. I must sort out my thoughts, otherwise I will become increasingly confused

However, what follows is truly astonishing

"She is not Xiao Ling." Ah Huang appeared in front of me at some point without my noticing.

I extend my palm and carefully observe the weapon within my hand—the hairpin

"Xiao Ling, you!" I grasped her wrist and slowly lifted it up, and between her bamboo-like fingers was tightly held a pointed, ancient bronze metal hairpin.

"Slow down," I interrupted her, "I guess you are just a lunatic, a seriously deranged person! A perverted lunatic!"

Yuan Tiangang," murmured Ah Huang beside me

"It is the character 'Yuan.'" the young lady said softly

I carefully examined her: the same delicate and exquisite mouth, a playful nose, jet-black hair, fair skin, a handsome face, and that light green T-shirt. The only difference was in the eyes; these eyes were equally beautiful, yet behind their gaze seemed to hide a kind of elusive wickedness, while Xiao Ling's gaze was always as clear as water

However, when the current volcanic activity was mentioned, Yuan Tiangang remarked that the northern peak of Liangshan was high, with two peaks resembling female breasts in front. The entire mountain shape, viewed from a distance, appeared as if a young woman was lying flat, with a pervasive aura of yin. Selecting a tomb here would surely lead to being controlled by women in the future. Aware that he had misspoken, Yuan Tiangang then wandered off. Just before his departure, he sent a note, stating: "On the Baishu Plain, at the Jin Gang Tomb, a friend comes from fifteen miles away. Not seeing the face of the flower-protecting gentleman, the host's gate opens every night."

The young woman lowered her head in silence

For some reason, I do not feel the slightest aversion to this command from Ah Huang; instead, I have a sense of relief.

Take her back to your room" commanded Ah Huang

What does it mean? I asked

Please provide the text you would like to have translated from Traditional Chinese to English.

I stared blankly at my abdomen, finding it very strange that I had never had anything like birthmarks or moles on my body. Where did these brown patterns come from? The wounds also healed rapidly without treatment, indicating that this was definitely related to the ancient hairpin

During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Chunfeng from the Astronomical Bureau discovered a dragon's lair and subsequently marked the spot, reporting back with copper coins. Emperor Gaozong was greatly pleased and personally took Empress Wu to investigate. Upon clearing the soil, they unexpectedly found Yuan Tiangang's hairpin inserted into the square hole of the copper coin. They marveled at the wonders of heaven and earth and the divine abilities of the sorcerers, wishing to determine the resting place for the next hundred years. Empress Wu, upon seeing this, let out a cold laugh. When Emperor Gaozong inquired, she replied, 'When two tigers contend, disaster arises from the sides; one must be eliminated to ensure the great enterprise of our Tang Dynasty lasts for a thousand years.' Emperor Gaozong fell silent upon hearing this

"Then what does this have to do with you?" I found it interesting and couldn't help but ask.