Misery: There is a pawn shop here

Chapter 174 Holy Halberd and Divine Sword
On Ping Mountain, Lian Emei and Mu Shaoai returned from a pawnshop. The sixteen-character prophecy and its hidden meaning made them both dare not take it lightly.

"The Divine Blade Weeps for Heaven, the Sacred Halberd Sighs for God; Blade and Halberd Slay Demons, Destiny's Will Reigns." Mu Shaoai murmured these words repeatedly, then looked at Lian Emei and asked, "The Divine Blade Weeps for Heaven refers to Yu Zai, so who does the Sacred Halberd Sigh for God refer to?"

"I have also heard of the origins of the Holy Halberd," Lian Emei said. "It is a divine weapon forged by the master of the Star River Cloud Ladder using celestial stones to forge heavenly secrets. Its power is extraordinary, containing extremely strong and holy power within. If it were used to break through the breastbone of the Yama Drought Demon, and then used its special ability to restrain regeneration, the Feathered Man Fei Jing's swift blade might indeed have a way to kill the Yama Drought Demon."

"But there are two difficulties at present. On the one hand, we cannot confirm the movement of the Holy Halberd. On the other hand, we cannot confirm whether Yu Zai and that person can truly achieve perfect unity and accomplish the task of slaying the demon."

"In any case, this is still an additional direction. While the attention of the Otherworld is still on me, let's secretly prepare for this," Lian Emei said.

"That's very true. I will have Qin Jiaxian's side investigate this matter. I hope you will be careful during this time."

"Do not worry."

Mu Shaoai nodded and turned to walk down Ping Mountain. Given the reputation of Youjian Pawnshop, there would naturally be no useless information. The Blade and Halberd Demon Slaying might really be a viable path, but as for the Holy Halberd... he could only hope that Qin Jiaxian and the others could really find clues about the Holy Halberd.

……

On the shores of Crystal Lake, a recluse built a secluded cottage in this place far from the flames of war, where he no longer heard the clamor and fighting of the martial world.

"Ah...ah!"

A scream broke the silence of the lake, but the scream stopped abruptly the next moment.

By the Crystal Lake, Gongsun Yue, watching the Butterfly Lord shouting and yelling, raised her eyebrows again and again. In the end, she still held back because Yan Guiren and Princess Zhuyi were present. Princess Zhuyi, who was standing to the side, covered her mouth and laughed softly, her eyes even curving into crescent moons.

"Brother Butterfly, please bear with it for a moment. Once the water from Crystal Lake takes full effect, your injuries should improve considerably," Yan Guiren said, trying to comfort Butterfly, whose face was contorting several times.

"I... ah... of course... ah... no... problem!"

Butterfly Lord kept splashing around in the lake, his body movements changing constantly. The veins on Gongsun Yue's hand holding the fan were clearly visible.

"Butterfly Lord, are you trying to make this title of 'wife' a reality?"

"I...of course..." Upon hearing what Gongsun Yue said, Butterfly Lord instantly mustered his strength and forcibly suppressed his discomfort, but he broke down again after only a few breaths.

Yan Guiren couldn't help but sigh as he watched this scene. He was clearly a good man who was willing to sacrifice for his love, and a renowned swordsman in the martial arts world. How could he be so... fragile?
“Miss Gongsun, Butterfly Lord’s treatment will take some time. Let’s go back and prepare a meal first,” Princess Zhuyi said to Butterfly Lord.

"This... I am already grateful for your life-saving grace, and I have nothing to repay you with. How can I cause you any more trouble? We will take our leave once Butterfly Lord's injuries have improved." Gongsun Yue instinctively tried to decline upon hearing this.

Since the murder at the Prince Zhonglie's Mansion, the pursuit of her and Butterfly Lord in the martial arts world has never stopped. Later, the Yiliu Black Cult joined in, making the pursuit even more intense. The two of them have narrowly escaped death several times. During this process, Gongsun Yue did consider leaving, but she couldn't bear to leave behind the missing Saint Traces.

They tried to ambush her again, but Butterfly Lord protected Gongsun Yue and fought her way out of the encirclement. They were then found by Yan Guiren and his wife and temporarily took refuge at Crystal Lake. However, Gongsun Yue was also aware that every day she and the two stayed at Crystal Lake would put Yan Guiren and his wife in greater danger. She could not allow innocent people to be involved in the situation again.

"There's no need to be so polite." Princess Zhuyi grasped Gongsun Yue's hand and said, "Whatever it is, you've traveled a long way and are exhausted. Rest a bit more before making any plans."

"This..." Gongsun Yue was about to retreat again upon hearing this, but Princess Zhuyi pulled her towards her and Yan Guiren's small house. "Come on, let's cook first, we can talk about anything after we eat."

Watching the two women leave, the Butterfly Lord in the water gritted his teeth and uttered with difficulty, "I said, Yan Guiren..."

"What is it?" Yan Guiren asked.

"You...you've taken us in...aren't you afraid of causing trouble?" Butterfly Lord said, "Miss Zhuyi isn't a江湖人 (jianghu person)...but you..."

“If Zhu Yi is willing, then I will naturally follow her lead. Besides,” Yan Guiren said to Butterfly Lord, “you are willing to risk your life for a woman. What kind of bad person could you be?”

"Tsk, what you're saying... Ah!"

"Don't overthink it. Although I'm not as good as before, I'm confident I can still handle minor troubles. Whatever you plan to do, it's not too late to heal your injuries first before making any plans."

"Ah...you might...be right..."

In any case, we mustn't involve innocent people. Once my injuries have healed a little, Ah Yue and I should leave first...

But being hunted down like this isn't a solution. Perhaps I should try to find the Holy One's whereabouts. Hmm... that mysterious pawnshop. If it's just about finding out the Holy One's location, that shouldn't be a problem. But I need to find a way to get in.

Ouch...that hurts!
……

As night falls, Crystal Lake returns to its tranquil state, with only the chirping of cicadas remaining.

With a soft creak of the wooden door opening and closing, Butterfly Lord and Gongsun Yue cautiously stepped out of the small hut. Their eyes met, and Gongsun Yue bowed in the direction of the hut before turning to leave.

At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Are you two still leaving?" Yan Guiren stepped out of the shadows and looked at Butterfly Lord and Gongsun Yue. "Why the rush?"

Seeing that it wasn't Princess Zhuyi, Gongsun Yue breathed a sigh of relief. She bowed to Yan Guiren and said, "Thank you for taking us in, Warrior Yan and Miss Zhuyi, but we are in a lot of trouble and don't want to involve you. We would like to take our leave and ask that you not try to stop us."

Yan Guiren looked at the two of them for a moment and then nodded, saying, "The world is dangerous; you two must be careful on your journey."

"Rest assured, there is no one who can take Butterfly Lord's life. Butterfly Lord, you will remember this favor. Please."

After saying this, Butterfly Lord and Gongsun Yue disappeared into the night.

“Yan Guiren…” Yan Guiren turned around and looked at the small hut.

"Next time, you must not do such a dangerous thing again. You must protect the Pearl Relics."

(End of this chapter)