Chapter 193

Hearing Zhao Zixun's question, the heart we had been holding up instantly settled back down.

When Fu Wan's soul had just begun to coalesce into form, Zhao Zixun stared at it.

After staring for so many days, today the hexagonal palace lamp suddenly changed, and Fu Wan's soul also disappeared; he panicked!

I stared at Zhao Zixun's brow; that blood‑stained coffin nail was still lodged there, only the surrounding black aura had greatly diminished.

This is probably because after Chen Ping and the black coffin were sealed by Liu Junyan, his control over Zhao Zixun weakened considerably.

Zhao Zixun gained self‑awareness, remembered Fu Wan, and came to the pawnshop.

Now his heart and mind are completely filled with Fu Wan.

Fu Wan suddenly vanished, and he instantly felt as if the sky had collapsed.

"Fu Wan has been taken in." Hui Moqiong interrupted Zhao Zixun, saying somewhat off‑key, "That young lady is youthful and beautiful, and now she even has a position; in the future she'll be our pawnshop's Clear Wind, General Zhao—if you want to rekindle your fate, you still have to work hard!"

One sentence left Zhao Zixun utterly bewildered.

He stood outside the threshold, dazed for a while; his previously anxious and fierce gaze gradually turned bewildered, then grew desolate.

He slowly stepped back two paces, then turned and strode toward the warhorse across the street.

I quickly called out, "Zhao Zixun, do you want to go into the pawnshop?"

Zhao Zixun's steps paused for a moment, but he soon strode forward, leapt onto the warhorse, and left without looking back.

Hui Moqiong scratched his head and asked, "Did what I just said hit him hard?"

Li Qingying glared at him: "At least you have some self‑awareness."

"Still young, thin‑skinned." Hui Moqiong suddenly spoke with an air of nonchalance, "Chasing girls with such thin skin won't work; if someone snatches the opportunity first, you'll have nowhere to cry when the time comes."

I unconsciously glanced at Li Qingying and indeed saw her cheeks faintly flushed, like peach blossoms in full bloom in March.

Actually, up to now I still can't quite figure out what's going on between Hui Moqiong and Li Qingying.

Hui Moqiong is exactly as he says—he's the one who takes the initiative, and his skin is thick enough.

As soon as he arrives at the pawnshop, he sticks to Li Qingying.

Li Qingying initially rejected him, finding his lack of boundaries hard to get used to.

But at some point they became a bickering yet affectionate pair.

At this stage I feel they both tacitly understand each other, yet Hui Moqiong seems not to have confessed.

Why has he stopped being proactive now?

Love affairs really are hard to fathom.

But I'm actually happy to see it succeed.

I'm wholly focused on preparing for the trip to the Nether Realm in a week, calling every day to ask about Tang Xun's condition.

Her physical condition is currently quite stable, though she seems a bit dazed; as Tang Tang puts it, she's like she's lost her soul.

Regarding this matter, I also had a special chat with Yu Nian.

Yu Nian said it might be due to her earlier coma and the intervention of the Ghost King Butterfly, causing her memories of several lifetimes of entanglement with the other party to overlap, leaving her momentarily unable to sort things out.

Thus Tang Xun appears silent, conflicted, and yet dazed.

Yu Nian told me not to worry; she will stay guarding the Tang family until we bring her into the Nether Realm.

These past few days I don't feel like doing anything.

Each night I guard the South Study, and the door closes at ten o'clock.

Going to the Nether Realm is a major affair; I don't want any unexpected complications beforehand.

But the more I don't want something to happen, the more likely it is to occur.

On the third day after we returned to the pawnshop, early in the morning three luxury cars were parked at the door; a short, stout middle‑aged man in a suit and tie, with a Mediterranean complexion, entered the pawnshop escorted by seven or eight bodyguards.

That entourage didn't look like they were coming to pawn items; it seemed more like they'd come to settle a score.

But as soon as that man stepped inside, I could tell he had business.

A thick deathly aura swirled between his brows.

Whether it's the Life Palace, Wealth Palace, Marriage Palace, or Children Palace, all were pitch black.

Such an appearance is extremely ominous—not only does it foretell that he may soon meet misfortune, but his wife and daughters also share the same fate, and everything he does goes awry.

But the visitor is a guest; even if I don't want to take on this business, I still have to greet him with a smile.

The other party was also polite, first introducing himself: "Boss Xiao Jiu, I've come having heard of you; my surname is Qiu, I'm Qiu Fengnian, from Changshi."

He paused there.

I was a little surprised, then immediately realized.

This person must certainly be well‑known in Changshi—the kind whose name alone makes everyone recognize it.

But I know little about Changshi, so I'm somewhat ignorant.

Li Qingying beside me acted swiftly, quickly whispering in my ear, "The richest man of Changshi, Qiu Fengnian."

My heart skipped a beat—his background is that huge?

For someone like him, even if the matter is thorny, he wouldn't lack connections, right?

Even if his network falls short, he can certainly throw money at it.

To be able to find me here, either the matter is truly enormous and he's really at a loss, or it's something that can't be publicized.

But regardless of which it is, today I want to refuse Qiu Fengnian's order; I'll have to weigh my options carefully.

I extended my hand politely and shook Qiu Fengnian's, then asked, "Boss Qiu, what do you want to pawn? Did you bring it? May I have a look?"

"Sorry, Boss Xiao Jiu, I can't bring the item with me; please go to Changshi yourself." Qiu Fengnian said, "Of course, regardless of whether this deal succeeds, I won't skimp on travel expenses, labor fees, or remuneration."

I felt a bit embarrassed: "Changshi is some distance from Wufu Town, and I have to go out these few days; I already promised someone earlier today, so…"

"Boss Xiao Jiu," Qiu Fengnian cut off my objection, speaking earnestly, "You're an expert; upon seeing my physiognomy you should already have realized that I and my family… are about to die.

I'm already half‑foot in the grave; my death wouldn't matter much, but my four sons and a dozen or so grandchildren are innocent.

"Xiao Jiu Zhanggui, saving a life is better than building a seven‑story pagoda; please, save us."

"He said, leaning sideways, actually slid off the sofa, about to kneel to me."

"Such an important person kneeling before me, I can't bear it."

"I quickly helped him up, but he still wanted to kneel down, as if to say that if I refused to save him, he would stay kneeling in the pawnshop unable to rise."

I said helplessly: "Boss Qiu, pawnbroking is also a business; we in business must act within our means; your family's matter is too big, and I still don't know the details, so I really can't just agree outright."

"'Yes, yes, yes, I was too anxious.' Qiu Fengnian finally sat back on the sofa and said, 'I should first explain the family situation to you in detail, then let you make the final decision.'"

"I hurriedly nodded."

"He paused, then said: 'This matter has to start from ten years ago, when my father died and was buried.'"

"That year, my career had already seen some success; my father passed away, I spent a lot of money to hire an expert to select an acupoint, found an excellent feng shui treasure spot to bury my father; when digging the grave, from underground we dug out a hard lump."

"At that time, the hard lump was wrapped in dirt; I picked it up and casually wiped it, and actually wiped off a bit of shiny gold; I then realized it was a valuable item, so I put it in my pocket and brought it back."