Chapter 27: How Much Is Your Life Worth?

Sikong Jing was startled by her words, his gaze falling upon the jade hairpin in Luo Ning's hand. According to Su Yuexi's description, this was indeed the emerald jade hairpin. Furthermore, the woman before him faintly exuded the aura of the Sixth Level of the Dark Realm.

However, she was injured, and her current combat strength fell far short of what a Sixth Level Dark Realm expert should possess.

With just a single glance, Sikong Jing judged Luo Ning's condition with absolute clarity.

Shaking his head, Sikong Jing replied expressionlessly, "You misunderstand. I am here to reclaim the emerald jade hairpin in your hand."

"Hmm?"

Luo Ning froze momentarily, then let out a mocking laugh. "Crude tactics. Are you trying to distract me?"

Sikong Jing was stunned again. It seemed this woman was extremely guarded, though it was understandable given that someone was trying to kill her.

Thinking of this, Sikong Jing produced the written contract signed between the Hengyu Pawnshop and Su Yuexi.

After waving it in his hand, he tossed it lightly toward her. "The emerald jade hairpin in your hand was pawned by my wife. The pawnshop breached the contract by selling it to you before the term expired. I am here to recover it."

Sikong Jing had no interest in the woman herself; he only wanted to redeem the emerald jade hairpin.

However, Luo Ning did not even catch it, letting the contract flutter to the ground while her eyes remained fixed on him.

At that moment, Sikong Jing produced the one hundred gold crystal coins he had seized from the Hengyu Pawnshop and said, "This is the money you used to purchase the emerald jade hairpin. I am returning it in full now, hoping you will return the hairpin."

Having finished speaking, he tossed the hundred gold crystal coins toward her as well.

But Luo Ning still did not catch them. Her mocking smile deepened, and she even sneered, "It seems I overestimated the Leiying Trading Firm. Not only are your methods inferior, but after following my tracks, you actually use such a ridiculous excuse to attempt an assassination."

In her view, everything Sikong Jing had done was merely a distraction.

Sikong Jing's brow furrowed deeply; this woman left him speechless.

"Lei Shuang sent you, didn't she?"

"A pawnshop, a jade hairpin, and a contract—and then sending a warrior who is only at the Sixth Level of the Bright Realm to lower my guard and strike? She clearly hasn't considered that no one below the Dark Realm would dare travel alone at night from Yunye City to this station."

Luo Ning circulated her true qi, confidently exposing Sikong Jing's "little trick."

"And what was that about the term not being up? How does Lei Shuang think I would believe that?"

"A man who is only at the Sixth Level of the Bright Realm leaving the city overnight just for his wife's hairpin? The excuse is too clumsy."

Luo Ning spoke with self-righteousness, having no idea how important the emerald jade hairpin was to Su Yuexi.

Sikong Jing's lip twitched. Staring at Luo Ning, he felt even more exasperated, but he finally explained, "I don't know who Lei Shuang is. And is it really that strange for a man at the Sixth Level of the Bright Realm to leave the city overnight for his wife?"

As soon as he finished, Luo Ning's expression turned as dark as water. "Either go back and report to Lei Shuang and stop playing games, or I will kill you right now."

She simply did not believe a word he said. Traveling through the wilderness at night as a Sixth Level Bright Realm warrior was a near-suicidal endeavor.

Who would believe someone would act so recklessly just for a wife's hairpin?

In this world, where could one find such a devoted man?

To Luo Ning, all of these actions were nothing more than flaws in an assassination attempt.

Sikong Jing's gaze suddenly turned cold. He stared intently at Luo Ning, took a deep breath, and spoke: "If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't need to play games. No amount of guarding would help."

"Hmm?" Luo Ning froze, and in the next second, a crushing murderous intent descended upon her.

*Boom!*

Sikong Jing's figure erupted like a clap of thunder, appearing before Luo Ning's eyes in a flash. His body still carried the true qi of the Sixth Level of the Bright Realm, but it was several, even dozens, of times more violent than any peer at the same level.

In the split second Luo Ning instinctively tried to react, Sikong Jing unleashed a punch, striking her qi's weak point.

A second punch exploded, hitting her injured right shoulder. The third strike transformed his fist into a palm blade, which sliced through Luo Ning's already compromised qi shield with a *swish*, heading straight for her flawless white neck.

The palm blade shimmered with the sharp edge of true qi; with just a slight exertion of force from Sikong Jing, blood would spray and her head would roll.

The scene froze at that moment. The air in the entire room seemed to turn to ice.

Sikong Jing's palm blade came to a silent halt at Luo Ning's throat as he spoke in a low voice, "Miss, do you believe now that I am not here to kill you? If I wanted your life, I could take it at any time."

"Eldest Miss..."

The maid let out a scream, but she was too terrified to approach, paralyzed with fear.

Luo Ning was utterly stunned. She was a Sixth Level Dark Realm expert and had been in a state of high alert from the beginning, yet in the blink of an eye, she had fallen into the hands of a man who was only at the Sixth Level of the Bright Realm.

What kind of joke was this? How was it possible?

Even if she were injured, it shouldn't be possible; the gap between the Bright Realm and the Dark Realm was like heaven and earth.

At this point, Sikong Jing stepped back slightly and spoke again, "My apologies. I only want my wife's jade hairpin back. Please, give it to me."

Luo Ning's expression shifted constantly before she suddenly said fiercely, "I don't believe you!"

With that, she unleashed her Sixth Level Dark Realm true qi.

In the next moment, Sikong Jing flashed away again. It was the same sequence—two punches and a palm blade—and Luo Ning's life once again fell into Sikong Jing's hands.

"The result will be the same no matter how many times you try. This is a futile struggle."

Sikong Jing's cold voice echoed in Luo Ning's ear.

This time, Sikong Jing's gaze fell upon the emerald jade hairpin in her hand. He grabbed her wrist, gave it a light twist, and the hairpin instantly fell from her grasp.

With a casual motion, Sikong Jing drew the hairpin back to his hand.

Stepping back, Sikong Jing looked at the shocked and enraged Luo Ning and said indifferently, "The hundred gold crystal coins are on the floor. I am taking the hairpin. If you feel you have been cheated, go settle the account with the Hengyu Pawnshop."

With that, Sikong Jing took the emerald jade hairpin and turned to leave.

The matter was actually quite complicated. Luo Ning likely felt the hairpin was worth more than a hundred gold crystal coins, and since she had purchased it, she had her reasons for not wanting to sell it.

The true party at fault was only the Hengyu Pawnshop.

When Sikong Jing entered the room, he had even prepared himself for a negotiation, anticipating that she would stubbornly refuse to sell.

But since she was being unreasonable, Sikong Jing saw no need to be polite; he would simply take it.

Luo Ning stared blankly at Sikong Jing's retreating back, completely dazed.

Twice, she had been rendered helpless by a mere Sixth Level Bright Realm man, and she had even had the hairpin forcibly taken from her.

What made her feel even more humiliated was that she truly had misunderstood him—he really was just there to reclaim the hairpin.

He truly could have killed her at any time; her guarding was useless.

Suddenly, a surge of intense anger rose in Luo Ning's heart. She shouted irritably at his back, "Wait!"

Sikong Jing stopped and turned back. "What now?"

"I bought that hairpin from the Hengyu Pawnshop; it is mine. If you want to settle an account, you should go to the pawnshop!"

"I am not selling it for a hundred gold crystal coins!"

Luo Ning's eyes were slightly red, and her voice was sharp.

She was simply too unlucky—having to deal with the pursuit of the Leiying Trading Firm, only to be bullied by a Sixth Level Bright Realm man.

Sikong Jing sighed inwardly; the woman had finally reacted.

"I admit I misunderstood you just now, and I apologize. But I truly do not want to sell this hairpin."

Luo Ning was unyielding, clenching her fists as she glared at him.

Sikong Jing stared back at her and asked, "How much do you want?"

"I don't want to sell it for any amount!" Luo Ning said petulantly.

After a moment of hesitation, Sikong Jing suddenly glanced toward the door and asked, "To be precise, how much is this hairpin worth in your eyes?"

Luo Ning didn't understand why he was asking, but she replied seriously, "I haven't had the hairpin appraised yet, but the materials alone are worth at least a thousand gold crystal coins. But I still..."

"And how much is your life worth?" Sikong Jing interrupted, asking suddenly.