Misery: There is a pawn shop here

Chapter 127 Hengdao Genbetsu
Slaughter Isles, a mysterious realm born from trees. Each island has a main tree, with the King's Island's Locust Tree reigning supreme, ruling over all the islands. Besides the King's Island, the four great islands of Thorn Island, Shi Island, Ling Island, and Heng Island are also renowned. However, many years ago, the Jade Pearl Tree on Heng Island developed the same spiritual energy as the King's Island's Locust Tree. King Yadi, then the ruler of Slaughter Isles, used the pretext of rebellion to massacre Heng Island.

The Jade Pearl Tree, the main tree of Heng Island, was burned, its life force extinguished, and the direct bloodline of Heng Island was almost completely wiped out. Only one person was spared thanks to Xuanjue of Jidao Island's desperate pleas—the handsome scholar who now appears before Li Xuanxiao.

Hengdao Genbetsu!

Heng Island was desolate, with only the burnt marks of the Jade Bead Tree clearly visible among the broken walls and ruins, as if telling the tragic story of the past. Li Xuanxiao stepped onto this place, and all he could see was desolation. At this moment, Heng Island Yuanbie also noticed this uninvited guest. The two looked at each other, and Li Xuanxiao remained as calm and composed as ever, while Heng Island Yuanbie showed a hint of tension and surprise.

Since Hengdao suffered a great calamity, the Jade Pearl Tree was burned down, life was cut off, and the remnants were scattered. Only one or two old men remained to guard their homeland. He himself rarely saw outsiders here, let alone outsiders like Li Xuanxiao who suddenly appeared.

Looking at the unfamiliar visitor before him, Hengdao Yuanbie spoke in a deep voice, asking, "Who are you, and why are you here on Hengdao?"

Li Xuanxiao sized up Hengdao Yuanbie, noticing that although he was simply dressed, he couldn't hide the scholarly air about him, and a hint of barely perceptible pain and resentment lingered in his eyes. He smiled slightly and replied, "I am a wandering merchant, traveling between realms to trade and buy. Having arrived at the Four Realms, I saw that all the islands were vibrant with life, but this place was deathly still. Curious, I came to take a look."

The islands are full of life, while Heng Island is lifeless...

Li Xuanxiao's words undoubtedly struck Hengdao Yuanbie's heart again. Hengdao Yuanbie frowned slightly and said coldly, "No matter who you are, as an outsider appearing on Slaughter Shattered Island, please come with me back to King Island to explain the situation and accept the investigation."

"Ha." Li Xuanxiao chuckled lightly upon hearing this. "Oh dear, an investigation? Investigate what? Do you want me to say that you often linger over the burn marks on the Jade Bead Tree of Heng Island, harboring resentment and indignation in your heart, Heng Island Yuanbie?"

"You!" Upon hearing Li Xuanxiao's words, Hengdao Yuanbie's expression changed instantly.

"You know me?"

“Isn’t it normal for businessmen to have some extra information? I know more than that,” Li Xuanxiao said calmly. “However, I’m afraid you haven’t made up your mind about what you really want, and you’re not even sure what you want.”

"What do you mean?"

"Which is more important, the hatred of losing one's family and clan or the kindness of being saved and promoted?"

Hengdao Yuanbie clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, but he didn't utter a single word. His only response to Li Xuanxiao was silence. Looking down at the ground, the scene of Hengdao's massacre and the image of Jidao Xuanjue pleading for him flashed through his mind. Two conflicting emotions clashed fiercely within him, leaving Hengdao Yuanbie momentarily speechless.

Seeing Hengdao Yuanbie remain silent, Li Xuanxiao chuckled, then raised his hand and took out a pawn token, which slowly floated to Hengdao Yuanbie's front.

Hengdao Yuanbie observed the unusual patterns on the pawn token floating in mid-air, as well as the ominous red "pawn" character. He did not immediately reach out, but instead turned his gaze to Li Xuanxiao.

Li Xuanxiao didn't take it seriously, simply putting his hands behind his back and saying calmly, "You still don't know what you truly desire, so I'm leaving this pawn token here. If needed in the future, you can use it to open the pawn shop. A promise made by a pawnshop can withstand a thousand calamities, provided you can afford to pay a sufficient price."

Hengdao Yuanbie remained silent, staring at Li Xuanxiao with complex emotions in his eyes. He didn't know whether he should trust the person before him, nor what fate this pawn token would bring him. But for some reason, he felt a faint urge to seize the pawn token, to grasp this possible opportunity. "Where did you come from? What is your purpose?" Finally, Hengdao Yuanbie couldn't help but ask.

"A businessman is naturally here to do business, but as for now, you lack the awareness of transactions. I look forward to our next meeting."

After speaking, without lingering, Hengdao Yuanbie watched as the person in front of him vanished like a wisp of green smoke. By the time he realized what had happened, the person had disappeared without a trace, and the surroundings remained as usual. If it weren't for the token still floating in the air, Hengdao Yuanbie would almost think it was all a dream.

"Pawnshop..." Hengdao Yuanbie turned around and grabbed the pawnshop token. He had never heard of it before, nor had he ever heard any news about it. Hengdao Yuanbie couldn't explain why he had taken the wooden token, and he never thought of reporting it to the authorities.

"What can you buy and sell?"

The figure had vanished without a trace, so naturally, no answer could be found for this question.

"Slaughtering the shattered island, the Huai Sheng lineage."

……

"Ah."

Once a seed is planted, nourished by hatred, it is destined to grow rapidly and soon reach its harvest time.

Although the characters on the Shattered Island of Slaughter cannot compare to those in the Bitter Realm, the grudges and affections among them are no less numerous. After meeting Hengdao Yuanbie, Li Xuanxiao turned into a wisp of green smoke, but did not head towards the Tower of Compassionate Light at the top of the Shattered Island of Slaughter. Instead, a wisp of green smoke accompanied by a gust of wind passed through the Shattered Island with two giant statues and the perilous Brahma Ravine, the border between the Fire House and the Buddhist Prison, heading straight towards the bottom of the Tree of the Universe, which is also the place where the filth of the entire Four Realms gathers.

Separated by a narrow gorge, two completely different worlds unfolded. Upon crossing the Brahmaputra Gorge, an extremely foul and terrifying aura assaulted their senses. As Li Xuanxiao ventured deeper into the Fiery Prison of Buddhas, this aura intensified exponentially, making it difficult to breathe. The extremely foul and terrifying aura increased exponentially with each step Li Xuanxiao took into the Fiery Prison of Buddhas; indeed, the Fiery Prison of Buddhas lived up to its name.

"Ok?"

As Li Xuanxiao progressed along the path of the Fire House and the Buddha Prison, he increasingly felt a guiding force.

Someone is eagerly anticipating a transaction with Youjian Pawnshop, or rather, Youjian Pawnshop sees this as an extremely suitable transaction target.

who is it?

Is he the Lord of Curses, who is determined to expand the Fire House Buddhist Prison? Or is he the guardian who waits in vain for his beloved? Or is he the extraordinary being who is still sealed away, renowned throughout the Four Realms?

(End of this chapter)