After Sheng Jun Chapter 3 (Part 2)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 3 Stuck With Him (part 2)
Jiang Xingzhi suddenly felt moved and said, "These years must have been very difficult for you?"
Within the Three Realms where spiritual energy was so scarce, reaching this level of cultivation must have required tremendous hardship.
Zhong Ming's brow twitched, and his instincts told him not to dwell on the other's sudden display of compassion.
"It's fine, I'm used to it."
Half of his hardships were caused by the person standing before him.
Fortunately, Jiang Xingzhi's sympathy came and went quickly, like a passing whim. He reminded the other "don't follow me" twice before turning to enter the pawnshop.
Walking past the large screen at the entrance, the interior of the pawnshop came into view.
Narrow windows surrounded the space, making the hall dimly lit. There were no other customers at this time, with several clerks doing miscellaneous tasks, and a shopkeeper in a long robe standing behind the tall counter checking account books.
Jiang Xingzhi glanced over—the shopkeeper was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Hearing movement, the shopkeeper looked up, his gaze sweeping over Jiang Xingzhi's clothing, a barely noticeable glint flashing in his eyes.
"What would this customer like to pawn?"
Jiang Xingzhi walked to the counter and took out a set of jade nine-linked rings from his storage pouch at his waist. "I'd like to exchange these for spirit stones."
The nine jade rings were of different sizes and had been separated. The black lustrous jade rings were smooth and translucent, clearly valuable at first glance.
The shopkeeper's breathing immediately became rapid, and just as he was about to take them for careful examination, Jiang Xingzhi pulled the jade back into his palm.
"No rush." He smiled at the shopkeeper, his expression pure and gentle. "I have a small proposal."
The shopkeeper reluctantly withdrew his gaze, "What proposal?"
"First pawn the smallest ring, and before I come to pawn the next one, you can pledge it to anyone. For each pledge, use the money from the previous jade ring to make up the difference in price to me, how about that?"
To pawn an entire set piece by piece?
The shopkeeper was surprised for a moment, then pondered: the jade would still be the same jade, and the higher the price he pledged it to others for, the less difference he would have to make up.
It was indeed a profitable business with no risk of loss. Moreover...
He looked at Jiang Xingzhi, eyes narrowing: the person before him appeared to be only in his early twenties, alone and without cultivation. He was probably some family's young master who had secretly run away and spent all his money, and had come to the pawnshop to exchange for some travel funds.
What a fat sheep.
Thinking this, he smiled and said, "If the customer thinks it's good, then it's good." He immediately called a clerk nearby to bring paper and pen, hurrying to draw up a contract.
Jiang Xingzhi smiled benevolently, "What's good for everyone is truly good."
"......"
The writing implements were quickly placed on the counter, and with black characters on white paper, the agreement between the two was established.
Jiang Xingzhi put the remaining jade rings back in his storage pouch, tucked the dozen or so spirit stones he had received into his sleeve, and turned to leave, "I'll come back next time."
The shopkeeper's gaze fell on the storage pouch at his waist, "Customer, when is next time?"
Jiang Xingzhi leisurely walked out, his graceful figure moving past the screen and gradually merging into the bright light outside.
"Naturally, when the money runs out."
"......"
……
Walking out of the pawnshop and back to the bustling street corner.
As soon as Jiang Xingzhi came out, the man leaning against the door straightened up and walked over to him, "Did you finish your business?"
The spirit stones in his sleeve made a "clang clang" sound, speaking volumes without words. Jiang Xingzhi took a step into the flowing crowd, and Zhong Ming asked, "Where to next?"
He gave the man a deep look—he really was sticking to him now. "I say, sir, you..." As he was speaking, his expression suddenly changed, sensing three shadowy figures sneaking past behind them.
Jiang Xingzhi changed his tone, "...would you like to take a walk by the river?"
Zhong Ming caught the subtle change in his expression and curved his lips, speaking softly, "I'd be delighted."
There was a canal used for transportation in Xunyang City, near the northern city wall, which was the least populated area in the city.
The street by the river was quiet and empty. Jiang Xingzhi walked slowly, his steps making a "sha sha" sound on the dry ground.
Zhong Ming walked beside him, his tall figure casting a small shadow on the ground below, his broad back like a crouching fierce beast.
After walking for a while, the three sets of footsteps behind them still followed at a constant distance.
Jiang Xingzhi looked at the street that was increasingly far from the city center, then thoughtfully looked at the man beside him.
A hand fell on the other's firm waist.
The slightly cool temperature transmitted through the thin clothing, and Zhong Ming's steps froze, his heartbeat suspended for a moment. Then came a neither light nor heavy pinch at his waist—
"Mm!" A muffled groan, and his tense aura instantly dissolved.
He turned his head to look at the perpetrator, but Jiang Xingzhi had already withdrawn his hand as if nothing had happened. "Sir, you look like you're about to throw a punch at any moment."
So tense, who would dare approach.
"......"
Zhong Ming pressed his thin lips together and looked ahead, the pinched spot on his waist wasn't painful, but vaguely felt warm.
This gesture couldn't be called intimate, yet it was the first time they had been so casual with each other. And absurdly, this was all because he was now a "stranger" rather than the Xu Jian Sheng Jun.
The hand hanging at his side clenched—so he absolutely couldn't let Jiang Xingzhi know...
The two walked along the riverbank with obvious vulnerabilities, and after walking for a while, they indeed heard the footsteps behind them quickly approaching—pata, pata.
"Stop!" A stern shout came through the air.
In the blink of an eye, Jiang Xingzhi and Zhong Ming were surrounded by three Foundation Establishment cultivators.
All three wore bamboo hats to cover their faces and released the pressure of late Foundation Establishment stage. The lead burly man's gaze fell on Jiang Xingzhi's storage pouch at his waist, "Hand over all your valuables!"
After the burly man spoke, however, he saw the other had an excited expression.
Jiang Xingzhi was immersed in the novel experience of being robbed, "Are you robbers? Are you after money or beauty, or both?"
Zhong Ming's expression suddenly turned cold.
The three robbers seemed not to have expected this turn of events, and after bewilderedly exchanging glances, the lead burly man suddenly roared as if insulted, "Stop talking nonsense! Of course we're after money, you—"
He paused, his gaze lingering several times on Jiang Xingzhi's refined and handsome face, then sneered, "Tsk, with that face... if you voluntarily offer yourself, this lord..."
Before he could finish speaking, a bone-chilling cold suddenly appeared out of nowhere, enveloping the entire street in an instant. Even Jiang Xingzhi couldn't help but feel a chill on the back of his neck, sensing the killing intent within.
"Hah- hah ugh!" The burly man suddenly grabbed his throat and began to moan, as if an invisible force was violently choking his neck.
The other two were shocked, and before they could figure out what had happened, they "thud" fell to the ground together, passing out.
The surroundings were silent, the canal seemed to stop flowing, and the late summer riverside grass was covered in a layer of frost.
Jiang Xingzhi turned to look at the man beside him—he only now realized the man's face was dark as ink, with obvious anger in his black eyes.
He was stunned, "You..."
Zhong Ming looked at the delicate eyebrows and eyes of the person before him, with anger stuck in his chest, he gritted his teeth, "What nonsense are you talking about."