Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Heartless Pawnshop

All banquets must come to an end; Lü Shengyang and Ji Haoxuan had no desire to linger in Leping City. Though the Liu family had ceased their pursuit of the Ji clan after the fall of the Great Zhou, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t act if they crossed paths. Wu You, however, did not wish to follow them to another place. He was neither a wanted criminal nor an enemy of the powerful families. With the turmoil of the realm only recently settled, the already incomplete household registration system was in utter disarray; an extra outsider in the city would hardly attract any notice.

Wu You intended to fulfill his system task of "gaining a foothold" in Leping City. After spending a night to recover in the city, Lü Shengyang and Ji Haoxuan prepared to set out for new horizons. Despite repeated invitations for Wu You to join them, they could only lead their newly purchased horses out alone when he declined. Before departing, seeing Wu You without a penny to his name, Lü Shengyang instructed Ji Haoxuan to leave Wu You a blood-jade pendant, telling him it could be pawned for at least five thousand taels of silver.

Although Lü Shengyang’s wounds had yet to heal, Wu You showed no sign of offering him any of the restorative ointment he carried in his pack. Not only did he believe in keeping his wealth hidden, but he also recalled that on Tianyun Mountain two nights prior, Lü Shengyang had pleaded for rescue, vowing to repay him even at the cost of his own life. Yet, when it came time to leave, he made no mention of gratitude. Wu You didn’t truly wish him to break himself in repayment, but he found his attitude lacking. He mused to himself—if I were truly a master, perhaps his demeanor would be entirely different.

He still hoped to persuade Wu You to travel with them, to use him as a free bodyguard. He was polite enough, leaving behind a pendant worth five thousand taels. Wu You didn’t know exactly how much purchasing power that represented, but it was surely substantial. Nevertheless, he was amused inwardly. If not for Ji Haoxuan’s pleasing manners and the fear that he’d lose his protection, Lü Shengyang would have to pay for his repeated attempts to use those old tricks he thought Wu You couldn’t see through.

He left his pack at the inn and went out to find a pawnshop. The advance payment he’d made only covered one night; he needed to exchange something for silver. Xiao Hei, with its fierce appearance, was temporarily stored in the system’s beast space. There were several pawnshops in the city. Not knowing any, he asked a kindly matron selling cosmetics for directions and headed toward the nearest.

Wang Fugui was the proprietor of the Treasure Pavilion, a veteran in the trade with a bit of a reputation in Leping City. Yet, among the locals, that reputation was not entirely positive. As the saying goes, no merchant is without cunning—a term often describing cleverness and guile.

Wang Fugui, unfortunately, was not just clever—he was truly unscrupulous. Earlier that month, he had swindled a simple countryman out of a purple-gold bowl, convincing him it was mere copper and, feigning generosity, offered a "high" price—high only for a copper basin. The countryman, who had never seen gold, let alone purple-gold, was overjoyed to exchange the battered basin he’d dug from his fields for five taels of silver.

Today, Wang Fugui lounged in his shop with legs crossed, humming a tune, about to pop a candied fruit in his mouth. He noticed a young man in coarse linen enter. Young, inexperienced, plainly dressed, of modest means—such a person entering a pawnshop might just have treasure. His unusual short-cropped hair marked him as a rough sort, not one for learning or refinement.

Wu You entered, seeing two attendants slouching to either side inside. He glanced at the tall counter, its height reaching his shoulder. Behind it, another man watched him carefully—undoubtedly the expert appraiser.

“Boss, I’d like to pawn something,” Wu You called.

“Put it up here for me to see,” Wang Fugui replied.

Wu You produced the jade pendant and placed it on the counter. Wang Fugui’s pupils contracted at the sight of the blood-jade. Joy surged within him—fortune favored him yet again, another fool come to deliver wealth. The purple-gold bowl had earned him hundreds of taels; this time, he might make thousands. He scrutinized the blood-jade, caressing it gently; its texture was warm and delicate, translucent under the candlelight, with what seemed like blood flowing within. The double fish motif was lively, almost alive. A masterfully carved, premium blood-jade!

“Ahem!” Wang Fugui cleared his throat. “Young man, the quality of your pendant is off. Look, the two fish are lifeless, the jade is impure, clearly carved from scrap—just a trinket.” He eyed Wu You, who frowned, and continued, “Still, blood-jade is rare. I’ll offer fifty taels. Just a dead pledge—don’t expect to redeem it.”

Wu You’s brow twitched. He’s taking me for a fool!

He had already examined the pendant thoroughly at the inn—even to an untrained eye, it was exceptional. Ji Haoxuan, a prince of the former dynasty, would hardly carry anything ordinary. The shopkeeper’s feigned concern and paltry offer, after carefully inspecting the pendant, was far too sly.

Wu You snatched the pendant from Wang Fugui’s hand. “I won’t pawn it!” he declared, turning to leave, ignoring Wang Fugui’s calls to stay.

Seeing Wu You depart, Wang Fugui grew anxious. “Young man, wait! How about a hundred taels? Don’t go!” Two burly attendants moved to block the door.

“Hmph!” Wu You brushed them aside and strode out, his anger evident. The attendants had hoped to restrain him, but this seemingly frail youth was astonishingly strong, moving them aside as easily as curtains.

Wang Fugui stamped his feet in frustration, shouting at his two hulking attendants, “Useless! Useless!” His heart bled—he had let a cooked duck fly away; thousands of taels lost. If only he’d offered five hundred taels at the outset. No—he couldn’t let someone else profit from this.

“You two, come here,” he beckoned. Leaning close, he whispered, “Follow him quietly—if there’s a chance, snatch it. If he resists…” Wang Fugui’s eyes narrowed, making a slashing gesture. “Understood?”

The two exchanged a glance and nodded. One said, “But what about the constables…”

“This world is far from peaceful. Do it cleanly—no complaints, no one to report, and besides, I have some friendly ties with the magistrate’s clerk.”

With that, they had no further objections. “Rest assured, boss.”

Grabbing two iron-tipped hardwood clubs from behind the door, they slipped out silently after Wu You.