Misery: There is a pawn shop here

Chapter 119 Dream

There was a pawnshop where the copper bells on the eaves swayed gently in the breeze, and light and shadow filtered through the carved window lattices, casting mottled cloud patterns on the bluestone floor.

Bei Chenyin stood with his hands behind his back, watching Li Xuanxiao fiddling with the abacus in front of him. He noticed that Li Xuanxiao paused slightly when his fingertips brushed the abacus beads, and a glimmer seemed to appear in his eyes. He knew that the lingering melancholy had returned to his heart.

"Judging from the shopkeeper's expression, he really has a high opinion of that person." Bei Chenyin lightly flicked his sleeves, and the jade pendant tassel swayed gracefully. "I think that person's demeanor is in no way inferior to Yu Jiefei's. Such a peerless national talent, even if the pawnshop is full of tricks, it is indeed difficult to shake his will. But the shopkeeper's ability may not be inferior to his."

Li Xuanxiao put down his wolf-hair brush, the scent of ink lingering on the desk: "Why is the Prince of the Parallel suddenly speaking such polite words?"

His fingertips traced the edge of the inkstone, a hint of self-mockery flashing in his eyes—if it came to manipulating events, this half-baked shopkeeper would have been long lost in the bloody storms of the Bitter Realm if not for the countless opportunities bestowed upon him by the system. Now, he was still the kind of person he disliked most when reading online novels before his transmigration, almost a system accessory.

If you say he's a good person, he wouldn't interfere in the righteous path's acquisition of Anuruddha's Eye; if you say he's a bad person, he wouldn't interfere in the otherworldly demon realm's heart-stealing. He can't be called a good person, nor is he thoroughly bad. He is truly a true reflection of Li.

"Shopkeeper, your mind is as vast as the stars and your sleeves hold the universe; why be so modest?"

"It's quite strange to hear the King of the Parallel say this." Li Xuanxiao waved his sleeve to scatter the ink stains on the desk, then looked out the window at the deepening twilight. "A giant of light once said that the universe is like a chaotic sea. Now, standing in this pawnshop chess game, I really feel like a mayfly rowing in a stormy sea."

Bei Chenyin raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, already quite used to such strange tales. Since following this man, he had often heard bizarre terms like "system" and "online novel," though he didn't understand their meaning, he knew they must come from some fantastical world. Just as he was about to speak again, he saw Li Xuanxiao close his eyes and wave his hand, knowing he was going to focus on cultivation. So he bowed deeply and withdrew, his robes brushing across the threshold, creating a subtle fluctuation of spiritual energy.

In this harsh environment, one can lack many things, but not martial arts. If one is outmaneuvered, it's definitely because one's martial arts are insufficient. Therefore, aside from occasionally going out for a stroll in nature, Li Xuanxiao spends most of his time cultivating and improving his skills.

Li Xuanxiao sat cross-legged on a cloud-patterned futon, his palms resting on his knees, eyes closed and mind focused. His inner energy swirled like a dragon, when suddenly he felt a tremor deep within his consciousness, like ripples spreading from an ancient well after a stone has been thrown in. Just as he was about to circulate his inner energy to stabilize his consciousness, the world suddenly spun around him, and he felt as if he had fallen into a bottomless abyss, with the primordial sounds of chaos echoing in his ears.

"Huh? No!"

Alarm bells rang in Li Xuanxiao's mind. He tried to use a sword incantation to steady himself, but found his limbs as heavy as lead and mercury, and his soul was falling uncontrollably. The scene before him changed rapidly. First, there was a dark abyss, then starlight exploded, and thousands of firefly-like points of light gathered into a dazzling galaxy. The feeling of weightlessness suddenly disappeared, and he was horrified to find himself suspended in a boundless sea of ​​stars. Beneath his feet was the flowing Milky Way, and above his head was a shattered star map, each star reflecting the light and shadow of a different world.

"The person who accepted the pawnshop fragments actually came from such a wondrous realm." An old and mocking voice came from the depths of the universe, like the tolling of an ancient bell, making the sea of ​​consciousness buzz. "It is quite a strange thing that a soul from another realm can take root in this Bitter Realm."

"Who?"

A sudden sound rang out, and Li Xuanxiao looked around but couldn't see anyone, anything, or any other person.

"No need to be curious. I am the original owner of the pawnshop you now control, the inheritor of the pawnshop fragments."

"Pawnshop fragments?"

"Yes, what you possess is only a fragment of the pawnshop, but you have restored it somewhat through your repairs. You're lucky; the world you live in is extremely valuable, and your transaction has been quite profitable."

"The original master? Fragments? It seems there was a great war that didn't belong to this world." "Heh, this pawnshop used to be able to connect to all worlds. Whether you know it or not, you could travel to the pawnshop to make transactions. Whatever you asked for, it would be there. It's just a pity, tsk tsk."

Although the speaker did not reveal his form, Li Xuanxiao could still imagine an old man shaking his head and sighing about something.

"What happened back then that left only fragments of the pawnshop? Where are the other fragments now?"

"What happened? How can you say such a thing? As for the other fragments, they are naturally scattered throughout the worlds. Of course, some fragments remain in your world as well. If you can recover them, it will surely help your power grow even further, far exceeding your ability to repair the fragments with spiritual energy. Since you were able to come here, it means that you have mastered the fragments. Congratulations, you have been able to take another step forward."

"What good is it once you've grown strong?"

"The fragments you possess now can help you reach other realms within this world. However, there are always ways to reach other realms, even without going through the pawnshop route. When you have enough pawnshop fragments in your body, you can break through this world to reach other worlds, and you can even return to the world you were in before."

"what?"

"Heh, of course, you will face a lot of competition, but since you have taken over the pawnshop fragments, this is what you should be facing. Feel it well, successor."

The voice chuckled, and then Li Xuanxiao clearly sensed its disappearance. Just as he was about to ask something, he felt a change about to occur.

"Ok?"

The sound dissipated, and the star map suddenly shattered. Countless points of light surged into Li Xuanxiao's sea of ​​consciousness like a meteor shower. He felt a splitting headache, and the complete blueprint of the pawnshop appeared in his mind: a seven-story pavilion with countless doors, each door engraved with runes from different worlds. On the plaque at the top floor, the four ancient characters "Youjian Pawnshop" shimmered with a creation-like radiance. Deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, a broken star chart was slowly rotating, and at a certain crack, the coordinates of the Bitter Realm were flashing.

"This is……"

When Li Xuanxiao suddenly opened his eyes, he found himself still sitting on the prayer mat, his palms bleeding from being dug into them by his fingernails. Outside the window, the moonlight was like frost; the pawnshop was silent, save for the system interface flashing with an unprecedented light before his eyes—

Suddenly, a button called "Breakthrough" appeared, now glowing with starlight. On the star map below, a bright spot in a certain part of the Bitter Realm was particularly bright, like a lighthouse guiding the unknown direction.

“Fragments, inheritance, myriad worlds…” he murmured to himself, his fingertips tracing the star map, when he suddenly felt a pang of fear.

It's a thrilling challenge, and it seems there are fragments in the realm of suffering.

Is this still the same suffering I know? Or is it...?

(End of this chapter)