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It was a short old man dressed like a merchant. He had a mustache shaped like the character "八“ and a little, black round cap. His hands were hidden in his sleeves.
He looked as if he’d just eaten a big meal at the Fragrant Cloud; satisfaction was written all over his place, and he even seemed a bit tipsy.
But just as he was about to leave, he shuddered from head to toe, and he looked around, clearly startled.
Before long, his gaze landed on the ornate carriage. When he saw a young man in blue step out of it, the short old man’s eyes widened with astonishment, as if he’d seen a ghost.
“I wouldn’t have thought you were so fond of your drink, you old swindler,” Su Yi said with a laugh.
Cui Jingyan hurried after him, but the young woman’s beautiful face was full of confusion.
The short old man shuddered, then plastered a smile on his face as he hurried over to greet Su Yi. “How could I be so fortunate as to witness your immortal countenance here, Your Excellency Su?”
His words were dripping with flattery.
“Stop that nonsense,” laughed Su Yi. “I just want to know why you’ve appeared here.”
The little old man in front of him was none other than the pawnbroker of the Pawnshop of the Heavens!
The very place that master and apprentice had been seeking out.
And Su Yi had inadvertently caught sight of them shortly after entering Ziluo City.
A coincidence?
No, it couldn’t be!
Master and apprentice had obviously known that the Pawnshop of the Heavens would appear near Ziluo City. That was why they’d come all the way here.
Now, the old pawnbroker’s appearance was unquestionable proof that their deductions were right on the mark.
The old pawnbroker said respectfully, “Greetings, Your Excellency Su. The pawnshop I look after will open its doors and welcome customers from the Six Paths Royal Territory tonight. However, the pawnshop is not yet open, which is why I slipped out for a drink at the Fragrant Cloud.”
Su Yi’s eyebrows shot up. “Tonight?”
The pawnbroker nodded. “Strictly speaking, the pawnshop will open its doors in an hour.”
“What customers are you expecting?” asked Su Yi.
“Er…” The old pawnbroker hesitated.
The first rule of the pawnshop was that they weren’t to divulge customers’ identities!
“Forget it; I won’t make things hard for you.” Su Yi waved, then laughed. “But it’s really quite the coincidence; I’d like to do business with your pawnshop too. In fact, the appearance of your pawnshop will be enough to avert the crisis at hand.”
The old pawnbroker was briefly stunned. Then, he hurriedly smiled. “Your Excellency Su, your patronage would be an unsurpassed honor!”
“Come on, lead the way,” ordered Su Yi.
The old pawnbroker hurriedly agreed.
Cui Jingyan had been silent all this time, but when she saw this, she couldn’t help but transmit, “Brother Su, didn’t you say we were going to eat the Fragrant Cloud? Why did you suddenly change your mind? Also, what’re you going to a pawnshop for? It all sounds really strange.”
She obviously had a bellyful of questions.
“This pawnshop isn’t simple. You’ll understand when we get there,” Su Yi responded casually.
“That so…?” Cui Jingyan’s beautiful eyebrows knit together.
Ziluo City was the Cui Family’s territory, but she’d never heard of anyone opening such a strange pawnshop here.
And the pawnbroker obviously recognized Su Yi!
This was far too out of the ordinary.
But that was what piqued the young woman’s curiosity.
Before long, they reached the massive and imposing city gates. Cui Jingyan immediately realized that something strange was happening. “Don’t tell the pawnshop is outside city limits?”
“That’s right,” said the old pawnbroker with a benevolent smile. “Ziluo City is Cui Family territory. It would be presumptuous for our pawnshop to appear within the city.”
After leaving the city, the old pawnbroker pointed into the distance. “Your Excellency Su, the pawnshop is over there, one hundred miles away in a stretch of barren wilderness.
As he said this, the old pawnbroker took out a bronze disc and tapped it.
Weng!
The bronze disc whirled, emanating strange and inscrutable spatial fluctuations.
“Brother Su, what is he doing?” Cui Jingyan asked curiously. In her eyes, the short old man seemed far too mysterious, and everything about him was strange.
Before Su Yi could respond, the old pawnbroker explained with a smile. “I’m using the pawnshop’s power to guide us to its location. That way, we won’t have to waste our energy going there ourselves.”
He’d only just said this when the revolving disc finished outlining an illusory gate in the air.
“Your Excellency Su, Miss, if you please.” The old pawnbroker gestured for them to come in.
Su Yi naturally didn’t stand on ceremony. He just walked right in.
Whoosh!
His figure disappeared into thin air.
Cui Jingyan blinked, then followed him. Soon, her slender figure had disappeared into thin air too.
The old pawnbroker went in last.
To read the uncut version, go to pawread dot com.
….
In the blink of an eye.
Cui Jingyan’s field of vision went blank, and she found herself standing amidst a barren wasteland.
The dusk was dark and heavy, and the night was silently settling in. An icy silver crescent moon hung high above the clouds.
Deep within the distant darkness stood a single two-story bamboo building. A lamp hung from the eaves, casting a warm, gentle glow. Its light illuminated the darkness.
That single source of light had an indescribable presence this late at night, as if illuminating a path within the darkness and guiding people toward it.
A sign hung from the building’s main doorway, but the only thing written there was the word “pawnshop.”
When she saw this, Cui Jingyan only found all of this even more mysterious. Just what kind of pawnshop is this?
The old pawnbroker led the way in.
It was only after she passed through the doorway that Cui Jingyan realized how extraordinarily spacious the pawnshop’s interior was. The countertop at the center of the room had a set of scales, a lamp, and an abacus resting on it.
The copper lamp cast dim, mottled light, leaving the room quite dark. It was difficult to see, as if it were shrouded in fog.
Behind the counter were shelves piled high with wares.
As soon as she walked inside, Cui Jingyan felt as if she’d entered a mysterious secret realm, as if she completely separated from the outside world.
Before she could see the wares on display clearly, a strange sound rang out.
The abacus on the countertop was clattering, the scale’s weight was swaying, and a palm-sized copper bell ran out of a dark corner.
All three items faced Su Yi at once, as if psychically connected. “Greetings, Your Excellency Su!”
All of them sounded awed and incomparably meek.
Especially the bronze bell. Shockingly, it had the soft, sweet voice of a young woman. It was quite pleasant.
Cui Jingyan was stunned, and her red lips rounded. Astonishment was written all over her face as she realized all three items had treasure spirits!
Furthermore, they treated Su Yi with the utmost respect!
“Enough. I hate these elaborate pleasantries,” Su Yi said with a wave.
The pawnshop was just as it had been when he’d left it, but being here was unusually calming.
“Your Excellency Su, please take a seat.” The scale’s counterweight shook, and a chair appeared before the countertop.
“Stupid! Don’t you see that he’s brought his lady companion with him?” The beads of the abacus clattered as it rebuked the scales.
“Aiya, how rude of me!” The counterweight shook once more, and yet another chair appeared.
Cui Jingyan’s pretty face flushed red, and she shook her head. “I’m most certainly not his lady companion.”
“We understand,” the scales, abacus, and bell said in unison, as if they could see right through her.
A moment later, misty light flashed across the scale’s counterweight, and piping hot spirit tea and refreshments appeared.
Su Yi took a seat as if this were all perfectly natural, then picked up a cup of tea and took a sip.
Cui Jingyan, however, felt a bit dazed. This place… is far too strange!
“Please have a seat, miss,” the old pawnbroker said gently.
Only then did Cui Jingyan come back to her senses and sit down.
However, when she saw the goods piled high on the shelves, she couldn’t help but gasp. Utter astonishment arose on her beautiful face.
She’d grown up in the Cui Family, so she’d seen her share of rare and precious treasures. How could she fail to realize that, were she to pick any of the wares on display at random, she’d have a shocking treasure?
Some of the treasures even emanated the charm of the Imperial Realm!
And there were some even she couldn’t identify. There was no doubt about it; their origins were extraordinary!
“What… What kind of pawnshop is this? It’s simply unbelievable…” Cui Jingyan looked a little dazed.
Su Yi disregarded her befuddlement, then tapped the countertop. “Ol’ swindler, do you still have the Heaven’s Writ Lotus Lantern the Hidden Leaf Buddhist Master of the Little Western Paradise pawned off?”
The old pawnbroker hurriedly nodded. “I do. Furthermore, the deadline to retrieve it has already passed; it now belongs to the pawnshop.”
“What about the Disaster-Annihilating Treasure Tower, the one ol’ Shang Yin of the Nine Extremes Profound Capital pawned?”
This time, the old pawnbroker shook his head. “About three thousand years ago, Daoist Master Shang Yin came back to retrieve it.”
The Hidden Leaf Buddhist Master!
Daoist Master Shang Yin!
These names left Cui Jingyan so stunned that she almost couldn’t believe her ears.
Even though she’d grown up in the Netherworld, she’d heard her seniors’ tales of the Nine Provinces of the Wilds.
Buddhist Master Hidden Leaf was one of the most famous Imperial experts of the Little Western Paradise. His cultivation base dazzled the heavens!
Daoist Master Shang Yin was even more impressive. He was the high elder of the Nine Extremes Profound Capital!
Buddhist Master Hidden Leaf and Daoist Master Shang Yin both pawned treasures here? My heavens! What is the origin of this pawnshop, for even first-rate major powers like them to make exchanges here?
Cui Jingyan was stunned, and her heart churned.
This pawnshop was so mysterious and unfathomable, but both the pawnbroker and the treasures treated Su Yi with the utmost respect.
Cui Jingyan couldn’t help but suspect that not even the descendant of the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force would garner such treatment.
Su Yi furrowed his brow and said solemnly, “Is the pawnshop currently in possession of a treasure that can suppress evil spirits and avert disaster?”
The old pawnbroker thought it over. “Your Excellency Su, what level of treasure do you need?”
Su Yi said casually, “It should at least be a Profound Serenity-level secret treasure.”
The old pawnbroker furrowed his brow, but after a moment’s thought, something seemed to occur to him.
“Your Excellency Su, I think I know a Demonist treasure that meets your requirements. Furthermore, you’ve likely heard of it.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“The Allheaven Blood Furnace!”