Volume 1 Chapter 28: The Pawnshop

(Page 1 of 3)

The general manager of the Many-Treasure Pavilion was a shrewd-looking fat man.

The two drooping tufts of moustache above his lip looked exactly like the shopkeeper Jiang Huan had seen in television dramas.

“Mr. Jiang, is it? Please, have a seat. Please, sit down.”

The general manager warmly ushered Jiang Huan to a nearby reception table, where two cups of steaming tea had already been prepared.

He placed one cup before Jiang Huan. Its rich fragrance steadily drifted into Jiang Huan’s nostrils.

“My surname is Liu. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jiang. I heard from Xiaojuan that you intend to pawn an artifact spirit, is that right?”

Jiang Huan nodded, then took out Peerless.

Manager Liu accepted Peerless and slowly drew the long sword from its sheath, his sharp eyes sweeping over [...

He only wanted her to understand how wrong her decision had been, how glorious his life had become, and how he was venting all the humiliation he had suffered, letting her see that the lowly one had always been her, not him.

Cui Yi was, in fact, not merely a member of the Han family. More precisely, his true identity was that of a spy from the Ma family operating in Yan. The Ma family had no intention of rebelling, but their business extended across many nations, and they naturally needed intelligence from each of them.

“Even sabotaging someone’s efforts to help you win Wen Qing’s heart shouldn’t go this far. I kindly helped you win her over, yet you treat me like some ultimate supervillain and even want to send me to the police station. Is that any way to treat a person?”

The exchange between the two had been swift and perfectly matched, leaving even Su Fazhao somewhat dumbfounded.

Bi Zhu also broke into laughter through her tears. Seeing that her master had finally regained her spirit, the maid was naturally delighted as well.

“What a wonderful place. The air is filled with the scent of medicinal herbs. Where could there possibly be such endless fields of them?” Zhang Kui’er exclaimed.

“Stop!” Li Hao shouted, drawing everyone’s attention. No one knew what this powerful man intended to do. Did he mean to save Zhang Er, or did he have an even more brutal way of dealing with him?

(Page 1 of 3)

(Page 2 of 3)

Nanny Wang turned to watch Lin Hanxi and froze, assuming that Lin Hanxi intended to spare the two maids. The two maids also stopped crying. Seeing how gentle the princess consort was toward them, they thought they had finally escaped the disaster. But when they heard Lin Hanxi’s next words, they collapsed completely.

She held the clothes that had been torn to shreds with both hands, trying to cover her body. He slowly moved closer. Under his predatory gaze, she trembled faintly and gradually backed into the corner.

Upon hearing this, A-Feng glanced at the other consorts in the great hall and began making her own calculations. This period of seclusion had been imposed because of the Empress Dowager, but most of the consorts would not resent her for it. Even so, they could not be allowed to turn against her own mother.

Through Li Ming’s tireless efforts, the upgrade was nearly complete after using only one-third of the originally estimated time. On top of that, one of Li Ming’s skills had also leveled up. It could hardly have gone better.

On the open sea near Zhanjiang, warships lined up in formation, cooking smoke curling into the sky. The galley cooks were busy preparing the New Year’s feast, while soldiers with nothing else to do either went into the sea to catch fish and shrimp or laughed and played together on deck.

Feeling his grandfather’s gaunt, stooped body in his arms, Li Ming’s nose stung. This old man, who usually seemed so carefree and unreliable, had in fact been using that very airlessness to conceal and protect him, shouldering every burden alone.

He looked at Brother Gongming beside him. The two of them shared the same miserable fate. From now on, Liangshan would have one more cripple and one more one-eyed man.

Skill effect: Fires a blast of energy at a target, dealing magic damage equal to 500% of the caster’s power.

The Solitary Saint Sword had already used the Innate Sacred Physique, yet it still could not suppress Ling Xiao. The shock was comparable to seeing the sun rise in the west.

Wang Zha felt the fierce wind rushing past him and saw the fear and awe on the faces of those behind him. He could only smile bitterly. Showing off had never been his intention, but he had no choice except to put on a show.

“Well struck!” A-Du excitedly waved his fist, the frustration caused by the reflected light projectile vanishing in an instant.

“King Han, Team L has been disbanded. Since you refuse to carry this banner, hand it directly to Phantom and let them bear it!” He Tu continued speaking as though he had not noticed the frowns on Ji Han and the others’ faces.

The actors put on sensor glasses while performing, deepening the audience’s sense of immersion while simultaneously giving the special-effects team a headache.

Zhong Nan was utterly confused by this, but although he could not call the other man by name, he knew they were all soldiers from Shandong. Acting according to the principle of treating fellow soldiers with goodwill, he dismounted and hurried along with them.

“I saw the big fellow exchanging glances with the bearded man onstage earlier. My guess is…” Hong Zhi let out two awkward chuckles.

(Page 2 of 3)

(Page 3 of 3)

“It’s fine. Keep monitoring them.” Yin Yi did not want to repeat the mistake of underestimating them earlier. The safest course was to eliminate every hidden danger while it was still in its cradle.

Taking the stairs, Aide walked along a narrow corridor until he reached the very top. This was the apartment Aide’s family had rented.

“It’s a pity our emperor has such a poor memory that he can’t even remember a courtesan’s name… Heh, hehehe…”

Knowing full well that Baoyuan would never let the matter rest once he heard those words, he turned and tried to flee. Unfortunately, space aboard the pleasure boat was limited, and Baoyuan caught him in no time.

Whether it was a swamp, a cliff, or a deep cavern, people could at least see such things with their own eyes. But when faced with a void in space, let alone the mortals of this planet—even in Earth’s technological age, no one had ever been able to solve such a problem.

When Su Mubai reappeared, the burly man who had already climbed to his feet let out a furious roar and launched a heavy punch. A yellow-brown vortex wrapped around it, blazing with light.

Zula and the others took various forms of transport and arrived at the scene in no time. Under the powerful beams of the armed spacecraft and enormous armored vehicles, the entire ruin revealed an ancient, dusky-blue hue. Its desolate, mournful atmosphere grew even heavier, with an inexplicable eeriness added to it.

“The Kingdom of Zhou and our Great Shu are neighboring states. Considering how diligently Guo Wei and Chai Rong, father and son, have governed, they must surely be harboring grand ambitions for the future. Meng Lang, we should make our preparations early.” I took his hand and spoke with solemn concentration.

Seeing that he remained motionless in the water, the gray-furred rats finally lost patience and began closing in. Several even leaped into the air, descending straight toward his face.

“What? The Black Annihilation Storm, capable of destroying an Immortal Lord, and you actually became trapped inside it? You even comprehended a way to counter it and ultimately slew two Immortal Lords?” Luo Feng cried out in alarm.

He froze for a moment, then suddenly understood. His heart gave a violent leap, and just as he was about to shout, a large hand clamped over his mouth.

Then, one day, he suddenly felt his thoughts loosen, and the mission of this world showed signs of yielding.

(Page 3 of 3)