First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1246 - I Told You to Kneel and Obey

“I want the Divine Fragrance Soul-Replenishing Leaf.” Dark Monarch Liu Xiang barely even paused to think before making his decision.

The old man in dragon robes smiled. “As I thought. If I’m not mistaken, you’re just one step away from the late-stage Oneness Realm, Fellow Daoist.”

With that, he passed over the bronze box.

Dark Monarch Liu Xiang put away the box. “It’s just one step, but it’s no easier than ascending the heavens.”

With that, he stepped aside.

The beautiful, elegant young man Old Devil Three Eyes had turned into walked up to the counter next, sounding hurried. “I want that Xiantian Dao Seed I saw last time!”

“No!” The Starry Abacus and Scales of Judgment cried out in unison.

Old Devil Three Eyes’ expression was instantly unsightly, but he ignored them and looked at the old man in Daoist robes.

The old man smiled. “Do you have enough Spatial Divine Crystals?”

Whoosh~

Old Devil Three Eyes poured a whole pile of them onto the counter. “Forty-nine in total. According to what you told me last time, that’s enough to trade for the Xiantian Dao Seed.”

“No!” the Scales of Judgment shouted. “I said no last time. There’s no way I’ll say yes this time!”

The old man in dragon robes looked displeased. He stretched out his hand and flicked the scales.

The Scales of Judgment quivered. The balance arm, counterweight, and tray swayed violently, as if they’d been struck by lightning. The scales cried out in pain.

The Starry Abacus roared, “Even if you kill us, there’s absolutely no way we’ll give you that Xiantian Dao Seed!”

The dragon-robed old man’s expression darkened, and he slapped the abacus ruthlessly.

Bang!

Its beads clattered so hard they almost broke, and it swayed in agony.

“Until your mistress comes back, I make the rules here,” the old man in dragon robes said coldly. “Be careful! Keep resisting, and I might not follow your pawnshop’s rules!”

The Starry Abacus and Scales of Judgment trembled, but they dared not express their rage.

The old man in dragon robes smiled at Old Devil Three Eyes. “Fellow Daoist, as you can see, that Xiantian Dao Seed is precious. You’ll have to offer more if you wish to exchange for it.”

Old Devil Three Eyes frowned, then said unwillingly, “Those aside, I only have seven Spatial Divine Crystals left...”

The old man in dragon robes smiled. “That’s plenty!”

He then turned and looked at the pawnbroker in the shadowed corner. “Go fetch the Xiantian Dao Seed from the shelves.”

“Absolutely not!” shouted the Starry Abacus.

“Old Pawnbroker, that’s a treasure His Excellency Su entrusted to our care. Given his bond with our boss, she’ll destroy us if we lose it!” The Scales of Judgment were frantic too.

The old man in dragon robes stretched out his hands and pressed down on both treasures. Both let out agonized cries.

The old man in dragon robes then smiled at the pawnbroker. “Come on then. Be quick about it.”

The pawnbroker slowly rose, then said emphatically, “I’ve tolerated you for far too long, you old worm! If you’ve got the balls, just kill me!”

His expression was staunch and determined. It was obvious that he was willing to risk it all.

The old man in dragon robes was stunned.

Old Devil Three Eyes’ expression darkened. He raised his hand and pointed at the old pawnbroker. “Old bastard, if you keep refusing to cooperate, I’ll make you live a life worse than death!”

Dark Monarch Liu Xiang and Madam Tumi stood nearby, leisurely watching the spectacle.

“Impressive, old pawnbroker! We ought to have done this a long time ago! I’ve endured far too long already, dammit!” The Starry Abacus cursed, a rare sight.

“It’s time to risk it all!” The Scales of Judgment shouted too.

The expression of the old man in dragon robes turned unsightly. He tightened his grip, and the Scales of Judgment and Starry Abacus shrieked.

The old pawnbroker was unmoved. He just gazed icily at the old man in dragon robes.

“Hah? A Xiantian Dao Seed, that’s all. You’d really disobey my orders over such a thing?” the old man in dragon robes said menacingly. His gaze shifted to the side of the room. “What about you, little fellow? Do you agree to this transaction?”

A simple, old-fashioned bell said crisply and icily, “I don’t agree!”

It spoke with staunch conviction, too.

The old man in dragon robes instantly felt as if he had no face left, and his expression was ashen.

“Daoist Brother, I’ve never understood why you’ve always insisted on acting in accordance with this pawnshop’s rules. If the pawnbroker and these treasures refuse to obey you, wouldn’t it be better to just destroy them?” Dark Monarch Liu Xiang said slowly.

The old man in dragon robes disregarded this question. After a brief silence, he said, “The rules are the rules. I agreed not to break them, and I naturally cannot go back on my word.”

This declaration left the other three old monsters stunned.

But then, the old man in dragon robes laughed. “But we still have to carry out this transaction.”

He then walked up to the old pawnbroker, seized him by the throat, and said indifferently, “I won’t kill you, and I certainly won’t give you the chance to kill yourself.”

He then carried the old pawnbroker by the neck and walked toward the shelf. “If you refuse to fetch the item, I’ll just have to use your hand to do it.”

The old pawnbroker struggled violently, but it was no use. His face was ashen, and his eyes bulged. “Worm! When our boss returns, she’ll pluck your tendons, flay you alive, and scatter your ashes to the wind!”

The old man in dragon robes laughed dismissively. “Your boss has been gone for three hundred years. She’s still alive, but it seems to me that she can forget about escaping alive in this lifetime!”

With that, he took the pawnbroker’s hand and used it to retrieve a bronze box from the shelves.

Once he had the box, he flung the old pawnbroker away and carried the box back to the counter.

He smiled at Old Devil Three Eyes. “Fellow Daoist, take out your remaining seven Spatial Divine Crystals, and the Xiantian Dao Seed inside this box is yours.”

Old Devil Three Eyes looked delighted. “Very well!”

The Starry Abacus, Scales of Judgment, and Heart-Inquiring Bell cried out and tried to stop him.

But the old man in dragon robes just waved his sleeves, suppressing them one by one. In the end, they couldn’t even budge.

The old pawnbroker’s expression was hideously contorted, and he charged over in a frenzy. “I’ll give it everything I’ve got, dammit!”

Bang!

The old man in dragon robes kicked him, sending him flying through the air. The old pawnbroker slammed into the wall and coughed up blood.

Madam Tumi and Dark Monarch Liu Xiang laughed, taking this as a mere joke.

Old Devil Three Eyes, meanwhile, took out the last seven crystals and handed them over. “Please accept these, Daoist Brother.”

“Many thanks.” The old man in dragon robes smiled and inclined his head.

Old Devil Three Eyes accepted the box.

“If the boss finds out that we couldn’t protect His Excellency Su’s treasure, how hurt and angry will she be?” the Starry Abacus said bitterly.

“Just who is this ‘His Excellency Su’ you’re talking about?” the old man in Daoist robes asked with great interest.

The Starry Abacus said emphatically, “Someone you’ll never, ever, ever be comparable to!”

The old man in dragon robes couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “I’m not so easily frightened! If he dares come here, I’ll have him kneel and obey too!”

Dark Monarch Liu Xiang, Old Devil Three Eyes, and Madam Tumi laughed too. This was the Dark Sea of Stars, their home turf!

Here in the depths of outer space, not even cultivators of peak orthodoxies dared enter this place lightly!

When the Old Pawnbroker and the treasures saw this, they were overcome with indignation.

But it was then that a calm voice rang out. “A little worm, that’s all, yet he’s occupied another’s nest so brazenly? How truly unexpected.”

The room suddenly fell deathly silent. All eyes turned toward the gateway.

There, they saw a young man in blue with a transcendent bearing. His hands were behind his back as he leisurely sauntered over.

A humble elderly servant followed him at a respectful distance.

These were none other than Su Yi and Meng Changyun.

Two human cultivators?

Dark Monarch Liu Xiang and Old Devil Three Eyes were stunned.

This was the old Horned Dragon’s territory!

In the Dark Sea of Stars, this was a forbidden ground. Without his permission, not even old monsters like them would dare risk it!

Yet now, two human cultivators had barged in uninvited. Who wouldn’t have been surprised?

Furthermore, their tone wasn’t at all polite. They called the Horned Dragon a worm; they couldn’t have been any more brazen! The old man in dragon robes furrowed his brow, his tawny eyes flashing as he evaluated Su Yi and Meng Changyun.

Before he could react, the Starry Abacus cried out in excitement. “His Excellency Su is here! The pawnshop is saved!”

The Scales of Judgment then cried out madly, “His Excellency Su is here! Blue skies have returned!”

The Heart-Inquiring Bell swayed with delight, as if dancing.

Over in that shadowed corner, the pale-faced pawnbroker shot to his feet, delight written all over his face.

Even if you’d hit him over the head, he would never have guessed that Su Yi would show up here.

It was truly unbelievable.

After all, this wasn’t the Wilds, nor was it the Netherworld. This was the Dark Sea of Stars, out in the depths of outer space.

It was also the territory of a Oneness World King Horned Dragon!

Don’t tell me... His Excellency Su has already awakened through reincarnation and stepped onto the Path of Heaven’s Ascension? If not, how could he have entered the old Horned Dragon’s territory through the Dark Sea of Stars?

The old pawnbroker was so excited that he quivered from head to toe.

“His Excellency Su?” The old monsters were startled.

But a moment later, their expressions turned inquisitive.

“‘His Excellency Su?’ He’s nothing but a little junior in his twenties, yet you’re referring to him as ‘His Excellency?’ And you’re this mad with delight? Hahahaha!” Old Devil Three Eyes clutched his stomach and laughed like mad.

“Don’t laugh too hard. It’s been a long, long time since I last saw a human cultivator appear in Daoist Brother Longriver’s territory,” Dark Monarch Liu Xiang said softly. “But this ‘Excellency Su’ of theirs... really is a bit too young. He’s like a lamb delivering himself to the slaughter.”

Madam Tumi’s hollow eyes gazed at Su Yi, and she said sweetly, “Rein it in a little. Don’t scare our young friend.”

The old man in dragon robes tapped the counter and laughed. “Tumi’s right. He’s here, and that makes him a customer of the pawnshop. We naturally ought to welcome him properly.”

He paused, then fixed his tawny eyes on Su Yi and said slowly, “Of course, I said earlier that if their ‘His Excellency Su’ showed up, I’d have him kneel and obey me.”

He then pointed at Su Yi’s feet. “Go on then. Kneel.”

The other old monsters’ gazes were playful and cruel.

The old pawnbroker was furious. This is a blatant insult to His Excellency Su’s dignity!

Meng Changyun’s gaze was icy. This little worm really is sick of living.

Su Yi’s gaze was icy as he examined all of the old monsters. Finally, he focused on the old man in dragon robes.

The moment he sensed Su Yi’s gaze, the old man in dragon robes frowned. An inexplicable discomfort arose in his heart.

He snorted coldly and was just about to say something when Su Yi chuckled. “Old Pawnbroker, you’ll have to endure for a bit. Once I’ve understood the situation, I’ll help you pluck this little worm’s tendons, then skin him and scatter his ashes.”

With that, Su Yi raised his right hand and grabbed.

Behind the counter, the old man in dragon robes felt a hand wrap around his throat and hold him aloft as if he were a chicken.