Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 133 - Pawnshop

Liu Wuxie, discerning Song Tianhao’s motives, inwardly commended Song Ling for having a devoted father. The Song Clan had spared no expense, investing seven to eight million gold coins in herbs.

The Song Clan had reaped benefits from the obliteration of the Wan and Tian Clans. Lately, they had been fostering a relationship with the Xu Clan, aiming for a mutually beneficial collaboration. The alliance between the two clans was a win-win proposition.

Although Xu Yilin had ascended to the Marrow Cleansing Realm, the Xu Clan couldn’t depend solely on him. Before his departure, Liu Wuxie had an extensive discussion with Xu Yilin. The Xu Clan needed to progress steadily, one step at a time. Overexpansion could pose a threat to the City Lord Mansion, provoking a desperate counterattack.

For the Song Clan, simultaneously deploying such vast resources wasn’t easy, but it was a worthwhile investment to win Liu Wuxie’s favor for Song Ling. If Song Ling could establish himself in the Imperial Academy, it would elevate the Song Clan’s status in the future. Song Tianhao's strategic foresight left a deep impression on Liu Wuxie.

In Azure Billow City, Song Tianhao was the strongest, with Xu Yilin next. This was why the Song Clan was the strongest among the four clans.

The herbs were what Liu Wuxie required urgently. He had depleted all his gold coins, not to mention that he also had to exchange gold coins for credits. This was why the timing of Song Tianhao's delivery of the herbs was perfect.

Clever people would make it impossible for others to refuse their assistance, like how Liu Wuxie couldn’t refuse this gift from Song Tianhao. He kept all the herbs in his interspatial pouch as he was in short supply of pills and didn’t have the time to refine more.

Starting the pill refinement process in his courtyard was out of the question, especially considering he lacked the necessary flame. If he wished to refine third-grade pills, an alchemy chamber would be essential due to the high temperatures that could instantly incinerate everything.

In the Imperial Academy, students were forced to earn credits to cultivate as a form of encouragement for students. This was also a means to force students to cultivate. After all, a comfortable environment wasn’t suitable for students, and Song Ling was a good example.

If the students wanted more resources or a better cultivating environment, they had to use credits to obtain them. This was to prevent any laziness among students, as nothing was fair in the world.

“Song Ling, accompany me to the Imperial City!” Liu Wuxie called out. It was still early, and he wanted Song Ling to accompany him. This was to increase exposure to the outside world and broaden one’s horizon.

There were many herbs sent by Song Tianhao because he didn’t know what Liu Wuxie required. Thus, he could only buy all kinds of herbs, which needed to be further classified.

Liu Wuxie also needed a few more herbs to refine the pills he wanted, so he planned to buy them in the Imperial City before refining them over the next few days. He wanted to rely on pills to accumulate his foundation so that he could reach the ninth-level Xiantian Realm as soon as possible.

The breakthrough from the Xiantian Realm to the Marrow Cleansing Realm required an astronomical accumulation, and the herbs provided by Song Tianhao weren’t enough.

“Alright!” Song Ling was elated after his recent withdrawal from the advanced class three. His happiness stemmed from the fact that he was no longer being troubled by anyone.

They quickly exited the Imperial Academy, embarking on the ten-mile-long street. They encountered numerous students, also, en route to the Imperial City. Liu Wuxie, who had been in a rush upon his initial arrival, hadn’t had the opportunity to appreciate this vast city. It was said to have stood for over a thousand years, witnessing countless wars and the transition of three dynasties.

Despite the dynastic changes, the image of the Great Yan Dynasty remained constant in everyone’s minds. The only alteration was the individual overseeing the dynasty.

“Big Brother, where are we going?” Song Ling asked with a smile as they reached the Imperial City after crossing the ten-mile-long street.

“Pawnshop first!” Liu Wuxie had to sell the weapons and interspatial pouches he had obtained, exchanging them for gold coins to buy what he wanted.

“Big Brother, do you need money?” Song Ling abruptly halted and produced a stack of cards. These cards, valued at over a million gold coins, were likely given to him by Song Tianhao before he left Azure Billow City. Without hesitation, he offered his entire fortune to Liu Wuxie.

This gesture deeply moved Liu Wuxie. He needed gold coins, but a million gold coins wasn’t enough. He said, “Keep them for yourselves. I will ask you if I need gold coins.”

Song Ling, too, required gold coins for his cultivation. Selling his treasures could alleviate his need for gold coins.

“Okay. You can take them anytime if you need money,” Song Ling smiled innocently as he put away the cards.

Upon entering the Imperial City, the sight of the twenty-meter-wide street was striking. However, Liu Wuxie remained emotionally unaffected. Having witnessed various luxuries in his past life as an Immortal Emperor, this expansive street failed to stir any emotions within him.

On the other hand, Song Ling looked like a country bumpkin entering the city for the first time. This was his first time in the Imperial City, and he looked around as everything looked fascinating.

Liu Wuxie activated the Ghost Eye, observing the street that was much larger than he had anticipated. The city was a complex web of power, with formidable forces such as the Xue and Li Clans. There were also numerous officials whose stature was on par with these major clans.

The two walked through several streets before they finally saw a large pawnshop. Liu Wuxie had never seen such a huge shop before. Instead of calling it a shop, it was more like a trading market, as customers made purchases aside from sales, and the pawnshop made a profit through the price difference.

Liu Wuxie realized an interspatial pouch valued at over 1,000,000 gold coins might not fetch the same amount if sold in a pawnshop. The duo entered the bustling shop, which spanned over five thousand square meters, and were surprised by its thriving business.

The inside of the pawnshop also had multiple private trading corners. For example, Liu Wuxie could sell his interspatial pouches here, which the pawnshop would take a small fee upon a successful transaction. Many such trading corners were being used. The pawnshop might take a small fee, but it was more worth it than pawning it away.

Liu Wuxie didn’t want to waste too much time. He planned to sell the interspatial pouches before looking around this place. But just when they were about to step out, a roar sounded from ten-odd meters away, alarming and drawing the attention of everyone in the pawnshop.

“Chen Leyao, don’t push it! You’re only born to a servant. So what qualifications do you have to disregard me!”

Turning his head over, Liu Wuxie saw a familiar figure. It was Chen Leyao who had helped him greatly during the assessment. Three youths were standing before her, and the youth who spoke had a grim expression with a cold smirk. Liu Wuxie frowned because he found this youth familiar. But he couldn’t recall where he had seen this youth before for some reason.

“Xue Baisheng! How dare you?” Chen Leyao was so anxious that she couldn’t speak. She was born to a palace maid, and the emperor didn’t give her the title of a princess. In the eyes of ordinary people, she was the emperor's daughter. But in the eyes of some, she was merely the shame of the Royal Clan.

She was sent to the Imperial Academy when she was young and rarely returned to the palace, fearing that she might implicate her mother. After giving birth to her, her mother’s status had naturally changed. But this also caused her mother to be bullied by the consorts, feeling she had stolen something that belonged to them.

The consorts would lose their composure at the sight of Chen Leyao, persistently alienating her. Over the years, Chen Leyao had led a challenging life, having to tread carefully in all her actions. However, it was inevitable that some would set their sights on her, given that she was the emperor’s daughter and carried the royal bloodline.

“Chen Leyao, it’s your honor that our young master takes a fancy to you to be his concubine.” A youth beside Xue Baisheng snickered. He was a guard, and even a lowly guard dared to humiliate Chen Leyao. From that, anyone could see Chen Leyao’s low status, which was already reflected in the assessment.

“It’s the Vice-Minister of Revenue’s son. I heard he’s a prodigal who indulges in all kinds of vice. No woman he fancies can escape from his clutches. God knows how many women he has ruined over the years!” someone whispered beside Liu Wuxie. The voice was soft, but Liu Wuxie heard it.

“The Vice-Minister of Revenue? Xue Chunyu’s son?” Liu Wuxie finally knew why Xue Baisheng looked familiar. In the past, when an investigation team from the Imperial City was dispatched to Azure Billow City, Xue Chunyu, representing the Xue Clan, had attempted to corner the Xu Clan. Fortunately, Liu Wuxie was there to intervene and save the Xu Clan.

Liu Wuxie didn’t expect to see Xue Chunyu’s son so quickly, and Xue Baisheng shared a strong resemblance with his father. This was why Liu Wuxie found Xue Baisheng familiar but couldn’t recall where he had seen this person before.

“Poor Lady Leyao. Her lack of status has led to a difficult life over the years, often becoming the target of ridicule by wastrels,” murmured the crowd, expressing their sympathy for Chen Leyao.

Liu Wuxie had witnessed countless similar situations before, especially in royal clans. For royalties without any status, their life had been determined from birth.

“Get out of the way, or don’t blame me for being impolite!” Chen Leyao gritted her teeth, and her facial expression was cold. Her hand was on her sword, prepared to make a move any moment.

“Leyao, why must you be like this? I won’t mistreat you. Don’t you understand my feelings for you?” Xue Baisheng opened the fan in his hand, looking aloof and prideful. As the Vice-Minister of Revenue’s son, he was qualified to say that and was also a direct descendant of the Xue Clan.

It was by chance that Xue Baisheng encountered Chen Leyao in the pawnshop and promptly intercepted her. While Chen Leyao’s beauty might not rival Xu Lingxue’s, she was still attractive, and Xue Baisheng had been drawn to her for a while. However, what Xue Baisheng truly valued was Chen Leyao’s status, as he sought to form a marital alliance with the royal clan, which would significantly benefit the Xue Clan.

“I’ve made myself clear that there is no possibility between us!” Chen Leyao widened her eyes and drew half of her sword.

“Chen Leyao, do you know the consequences of offending our young master?!” a guard beside Xue Baisheng said and reached out, wanting to grab Chen Leyao.

For the past two years, Xue Baisheng had been attempting to win Chen Leyao’s favor, but she had managed to evade him for various reasons. Running into Chen Leyao today was a rare opportunity, and he was naturally unwilling to let her slip away easily.

She was practically invincible in the royal clan, so Xue Baisheng dared to be bold.

A terrifying pressure belonging to the Spirit Cleansing Realm came crashing down. Chen Leyao was only in the low-level Spirit Cleansing Realm, and she naturally wasn’t a match with Xue Baisheng’s guards.