C21 The Relic

In just a fleeting moment, my foster father's body had dissolved into blood, leaving behind nothing but his stark white skeleton still seated on the bed...

"Dad..." I murmured, slapping my own face hard. I needed to know if this was all just a dream.

The sting on my face was real, a harsh confirmation that this was no dream. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that it had been a dream all along, a nightmare that had haunted me since birth and never ceased.

I was still struggling to come to terms with the death of Old Master Jiang, and now, my foster father's tragic demise was more than anyone could bear.

My heart was shattered. The world around me began to spin, and I eventually passed out.

Upon awakening, night had given way to daylight. My foster father's blood had dried, and I found myself weeping uncontrollably once more.

It was only when I laid eyes on the wooden box before me that I managed to gather my composure. Time was running out for me, and whether it was my own destiny or my foster father's dying wish, I was determined to fulfill it while I still had life in me.

Taking a deep breath, I rose from the ground and shakily approached my foster father, gently gathering his remains.

My plan was to temporarily bury his bones in the yard, then locate my foster father's brother, Zhao Guizhen, to entrust him with the remains, ensuring my foster father could rest in his birthplace, as leaves return to their roots.

Tears splashed onto the bones, and that's when I noticed something odd—my foster father's leg bone wasn't broken...

I distinctly remembered that in his final moments, his legs had become crippled once again.

Yet, this anomaly seemed trivial compared to the horrors I had just witnessed and endured.

Still...

Something about this skeleton felt off. It didn't seem to match my foster father's frame. His hands had been robust and strong, yet these hand bones were smaller than my own palms.

The foot bones, even the skull, everything seemed amiss.

Finally, after piecing the skeleton back together, my suspicions were confirmed. These were certainly not my foster father's bones.

My adoptive father was both tall and slender, standing at nearly 1.8 meters. Even in the rapid decline of his final days, it was inconceivable that he could have shrunk to just over 1.6 meters tall.

What in the world was happening?

My gaze shifted to the wooden box beside me, which might hold some clues.

The box appeared aged, yet it was finely crafted. The wood had a quality feel, and the intricate carvings suggested it was an antique.

But my focus wasn't on the craftsmanship of the box; I was more intrigued by its contents.

Upon lifting the lid, I discovered three items: a rolled-up painting, a uniquely shaped piece of blood jade, and an ornate brush. Each item had a folded note placed on top. I first unfolded the note resting on the painting, recognizing my adoptive father's handwriting.

Old Master Jiang had written instructions for me to deliver the painting to Miss Luo Qing of the Jade Cave Miao Village.

Who was Miss Luo Qing?

Driven by curiosity, I unrolled the painting to reveal an ink depiction of a young girl adorned with Miao silver jewelry and traditional attire, set against a backdrop of a lake and a cave.

I surmised this girl must be Miss Luo Qing. But what was her connection to my adoptive father? Could she have been a romantic interest from his youth?

After re-rolling the ink painting, I turned my attention to the note accompanying the jade. The message was succinct: "Deliver this jade to Zhao Guizhen at the Heaven Connecting Palace atop Wuling Mountain. Guard it carefully and keep it hidden from others, lest it become the harbinger of deadly misfortune."

The warning prompted me to scrutinize the blood jade more closely. It glistened translucently in the sunlight, its coolness palpable in my grasp – undeniably a piece of superior jade.

Yet, what was most striking was its resemblance to a human eyeball, eerily reminiscent of a blood-drenched eye...

Finally, I opened the last note, and to my astonishment, my adoptive father had filled it with words. A mere glance was enough to take me aback!