Misery: There is a pawn shop here

Chapter 146 Beneath the Peak of Extreme Heaven
After a major battle, neither side truly ceased their hostilities. Their respective actions and movements foreshadowed an even fiercer storm to come. At that moment, the sound of copper bells echoed from outside a pawnshop. A figure in a brown robe stepped onto the pawnshop floor, raised a hand, and gently pushed the wooden door open. The door creaked open, as if a long-dormant beast had been awakened. Stepping into the pawnshop, one was greeted by antique furnishings and the wafting fragrance of sandalwood. Through the hazy smoke, a figure sat upright in the main seat, exuding a calm and mysterious aura.

"Qiankun Budong, Sangdaoliang, it's a pleasure to meet you, please have a seat."

Inside a pawnshop, a figure sat in the main seat, looking at the "distinguished guest" who had come to the pawnshop, and uttered the person's name.

Upon hearing this, Sang Daoliang's gaze sharpened slightly, but he showed no surprise whatsoever. If the owner of this pawnshop lacked even this much skill, how dare he claim that nothing was unpawnable? He nodded slightly, slowly walked to the opposite side, sat down, looked directly at the other man, and asked, "Are you the owner of this place?"

“That’s right.” Li Xuanxiao nodded slightly. He already knew from the investigation that Sang Daoliang in front of him was a “client” developed by Deng Jiuwu.

This matter surprised Li Xuanxiao quite a bit. After all, Sang Daoliang was a man who hated evil as if it were his enemy. Because his elder brother committed evil and was vicious, he did not hesitate to put righteousness before family and asked someone to seal his elder brother away. Deng Jiuwu, who was notorious for his fierceness, was not only not arrested by Sang Daoliang, but he also developed Sang Daoliang into a customer of the pawnshop. After briefly reading the contents of Deng Jiuwu's negotiations with Sang Daoliang, Li Xuanxiao was even more impressed.

"Since you claim that nothing is off-limits for pawning, what price would Sang Daoliang have to pay to find out someone's whereabouts?" Sang Daoliang asked.

"Oh?" Li Xuanxiao raised an eyebrow, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes. "The whereabouts of the Vanishing Boat?"

Upon hearing this, Sang Daoliang's eyes narrowed sharply, his heart churning with shock. Piaozhou Shenyin was the senior he had admired for many years; he never expected the pawnshop owner to see through his thoughts so easily—truly possessing extraordinary abilities. Suppressing his excitement, he asked in a deep voice, "You know?"

"A legendary hero who roamed the martial arts world of the South many years ago, the pawnshop has naturally heard of his reputation. If you want his whereabouts, it's simple; ten years of experience is enough."

"what?"

Upon hearing the offer from Li Xuanxiao, Sang Daoliang was taken aback. He frowned slightly but did not refuse. He simply pondered the offer in his mind. Li Xuanxiao did not urge him but allowed Sang Daoliang to consider it. In fact, Sang Daoliang did not have much time to think and only responded with a nod.

"Alright, I agree to a ten-year foundation."

"That was indeed satisfying," Li Xuanxiao praised. Before he finished speaking, a contract, like a falling leaf, gently drifted down in front of Sang Daoliang.

Above the contract, the handwriting flickered with an ominous red light, exuding a mysterious aura. Without the slightest hesitation, Sang Daoliang picked up his brush and wrote his name on the contract, the handwriting vigorous and powerful, as if declaring his determination.

With the contract finalized, Li Xuanxiao waved his hand, and a beam of light shot towards Sang Daoliang like lightning. Sang Daoliang felt a powerful force rush towards him, instantly enveloping his entire body. Then, he felt his foundation being rapidly stripped away, as if being peeled away layer by layer. A strong sense of weakness washed over him like a tidal wave; his face turned pale, cold sweat poured from his forehead, and his body trembled slightly. In terms of cultivation, Sang Daoliang was already far inferior to the former Devouring Buddha Child transformed into One Sword Sealing Zen; now, the extraction of ten years of his foundation had a tremendous impact on him.

"To possess such unfathomable methods, Youjian Pawnshop truly lives up to its reputation," Sang Daoliang said. "I have paid the price. May I ask, sir, what is the answer I sought?"

"Beneath the ten-thousand-year-old ice layer of Jitian Peak lies the person you seek," Li Xuanxiao said slowly, his voice calm as still water.

"Below the eternal ice layer of Jitian Peak..." Sang Daoliang murmured to himself, his heart sinking suddenly.

The area where Jitian Peak is located is perpetually covered in snow and ice, and beneath the millennia-old ice layer, the temperature is extremely low, making it virtually impossible for ordinary people to survive. Based on his understanding of Piaozhou Shenyin, even with his formidable martial arts skills, it would be extremely difficult for him to remain in such a place for an extended period.

Could it be...? "Has he been there for a long time?" Sang Daoliang hurriedly asked, his tone full of anxiety and worry.

Li Xuanxiao glanced at Sang Daoliang and nodded slightly: "More than a hundred years."

More than a century ago...

Sang Daoliang felt a wave of dizziness and almost fell to the ground.

How could a living person survive for a hundred years at the extreme temperatures of Jitian Peak, unless...

"Ah, senior!" Without caring about anything else, Sang Daoliang sighed, then got up and hurriedly walked out of Youjian Pawnshop. Li Xuanxiao didn't ask any questions or say anything, just watched Sang Daoliang walk out of the pawnshop and disappear into the space where the pawnshop was located.

The secrets of Jitian Peak were discovered in advance by Sang Daoliang. The old martial arts cases involved in Piaozhou Shenyin will inevitably bring another great upheaval to the martial arts world. In addition, the strange phenomena caused by the fusion of the Demon Realm's fault lines have made the turmoil in the martial arts world not only not stop but also intensify. It is only in this chaotic situation that more opportunities for transactions will arise.

……

……

On Ping Mountain, ten miles of prayer mats are shrouded in mist, resembling a fairyland.

After the great battle, Lian Emei led Jin Bazhen back to Pingshan. In the days since, the martial world had been in turmoil, with the demonic realm stirring up trouble. Jin Bazhen's son-in-law, daughter, and Lian Emei's disciples had all tragically perished in the demonic invasion. All of this had left Jin Bazhen utterly exhausted. Now, back in Pingshan and seeing her sworn sister, Jin Bazhen finally found an outlet for her pent-up grievances and weariness.

"Zhenmei, you've suffered these past few days. You should have let me know sooner." Lian Emei listened quietly as Jin Bazhen finished recounting everything, then sighed deeply.

“Bazhen understands your difficulties, so I will take on this task myself and do my best to fight the evil. If I didn’t really need your help, my good sister, I wouldn’t have used the Seven-Colored Clouds. Now that things have come to this, it is truly impossible for you to help me cross the mortal world through the Emei Sect in Pingshan. I know you are still worried about him.”

Just thinking about that person's existence gave Jin Bazhen a headache. Even though he knew that person was no good, but...

Lian Emei simply shook her head. "I am only worried that the emergence of the Mad Dragon will bring new variables and new storms to the martial arts world. However, given the current situation, with the resurrection of Yama and Drought Demon and the calamity of the Otherworld, Lian Emei should make a decisive decision. I trouble you, Zhenmei, to convey to the righteous people that three days from now at noon, we will cross the Red Dust at Pingshan."

“Okay.” Jin Bazhen nodded emphatically. “I will also privately inform the pharmacist about your condition. Perhaps he has a way to cure you.”

"Then, we'll leave it to fate."

(End of this chapter)