Chapter 26: Miss Luo of Yunzhou City

The emerald stone jade hairpin had only been pawned for three gold crystal coins, but the redemption price was a staggering twenty.

This was clearly another trap set by the Hengyu Pawnshop for Su Yuexi, but at the time, Su Yuexi had been forced to agree out of desperation for money.

*Gulp...*

The shopkeeper swallowed fearfully and gritted his teeth, saying, "Criminal, my Hengyu Pawnshop is under the protection of the Chu family, you..."

"Since you know I am a criminal, do you want to know how I ended up being exiled?"

"Because I killed many people."

Sikong Jing's tone was extremely sinister, and a murderous intent flooded into the shopkeeper's mind.

With a buzzing sound in his ears, the shopkeeper no longer dared to threaten him. He said with a trembling voice, "The item has already been sold. Where am I supposed to find it now?"

"I don't care. Do you want the item or your life?" Sikong Jing's gaze was utterly cold.

The shopkeeper was terrified, truly fearing that Sikong Jing would strike him down with a single blade.

In the end, he could only send someone to pursue the buyer, but the final report he received was that the person who purchased the emerald stone jade hairpin had already left the city.

"Son-in-law of the Su Manor, the buyer was a young, wealthy woman. Judging by her accent, she should be from Yunzhou City."

"This is all I can do. Please spare me!"

After hearing the shopkeeper's words, Sikong Jing clenched his fists tightly. The buyer had already left the city; this was going to be troublesome.

Furthermore, based on the shopkeeper's description, she had a carriage, which meant she wasn't someone an ordinary person could easily catch up to.

His eyes flickered for a moment before Sikong Jing asked, "How much did she pay for it?"

"One hundred gold crystal coins," the shopkeeper replied tremulously.

Instantly, Sikong Jing almost cursed. To get it for three gold crystal coins and sell it for a hundred—that was truly extortionate.

However, there was no time to worry about how crooked the shopkeeper was. Sikong Jing reached out his hand and said, "One hundred gold crystal coins. Hand them over."

With a twitch of his lip, the shopkeeper could only ultimately place the money into Sikong Jing's hand.

Then, with a loud *thud*, Sikong Jing slammed the shopkeeper's head onto the counter before leading Su Yuexi out of the Hengyu Pawnshop.

Looking at Sikong Jing's frost-covered face, Su Yuexi bit her lip and said, "I have failed my sister. The emerald stone jade hairpin is truly gone."

Thinking that she would never see the hairpin again, Su Yuexi could not help but feel sorrowful.

Suddenly, Sikong Jing pulled Su Yuexi into his arms and whispered, "It won't be gone. I will go and get it back right now."

Su Yuexi looked up, startled. "Sikong Jing, the buyer has already left the city!"

Shaking his head heavily, Sikong Jing replied, "No matter what, I will bring it back."

Having made his promise, Sikong Jing called for a carriage and let Su Yuexi take it home first, while he sped off toward the eastern gate of Yunye City, which was the direction of Yunzhou City.

Watching Sikong Jing's departing figure, Su Yuexi lowered her head and murmured, "Why am I always so useless?"

She felt great self-reproach, but in the next instant, she let out a soft gasp. "Oh no, Sikong Jing is a criminal; he isn't allowed to leave the city."

However, she shook her head slightly, feeling a sense of relief in her heart.

Yunzhou was located on the border of the Great Shang Empire. The areas outside the city were desolate, filled with numerous and extremely dangerous demonic beasts.

There wasn't much danger during the day, but the sun was now nearing the horizon, and darkness would soon descend.

Unless traveling in large groups, even those at the ninth level of the Bright Realm would not dare to leave the city alone. It was better that Sikong Jing had been stopped.

The emerald stone jade hairpin was important, but what was even more important was... her husband's life.

At the eastern gate of Yunye City, the city guards blocked Sikong Jing, saying nonchalantly, "Leaving the city? Show your household registration."

Sikong Jing slightly lifted his eyelids, and then his body flashed past, followed by a series of screams.

When he reappeared, he was already outside the city.

As a former invincible divine general, he naturally knew that exiled criminals were forbidden from leaving the city because he now carried a criminal status. But to him, such rules were useless.

The laws of the Great Shang Empire had become as worthless as dung to him the moment he was framed and exiled.

Heading in the direction of Yunzhou City, Sikong Jing seized a warhorse belonging to the city guards and galloped after them.

"Someone has broken out of the city! Chase him!"

Watching Sikong Jing ride away on the stolen horse, the city guards roared. Chaos erupted at the city gate, and after immediately reporting to the commanding officers, heavy troops were dispatched out of the city to hunt him down!

The sky gradually darkened. There was no moon tonight, only faint starlight spreading across the earth.

In the wilderness, the chaotic low growls of demonic beasts could be heard everywhere.

On the official road, there was the rhythmic sound of galloping hooves. Sikong Jing spurred his horse forward, thinking to himself, *Traveling by night means the buyer is either extremely powerful and confident, or they are in a great hurry.*

If it were the former, their speed wouldn't be too fast; if the latter, they would certainly be accelerating.

Pushing the horse to its limit, Sikong Jing chased for a full three hours.

At midnight, he saw a light in the middle of the official road. It was a lonely post station in the wilderness, and he also saw an exquisite carriage parked at its entrance.

Just as the Hengyu shopkeeper had described, this was indeed the carriage of the person who bought the emerald stone jade hairpin.

He breathed a sigh of relief; he had finally caught up. The buyer had not traveled through the night but was staying in the post station.

Sikong Jing immediately dismounted and entered the post station.

When he opened the door, the interior suddenly fell silent. A barrage of gazes swept toward him—they were travelers on their journeys. These gazes lasted only a moment before the room became noisy again as people resumed their conversations and drinking.

"Guest, what do you need?" a waiter from the post station came forward to ask.

Although the post stations of the Great Shang Empire were established by the government, they also accepted ordinary travelers.

Sikong Jing got straight to the point. "I am not here to stay. I am looking for the owner of that exquisite carriage outside. Please inform them for me."

After speaking, Sikong Jing casually tossed a gold crystal coin to the waiter.

The waiter's eyes lit up; to be given a gold crystal coin directly was like a sudden windfall.

He nodded hurriedly and immediately went to deliver the message.

Soon, inside one of the rooms in the post station.

A young girl dressed as a maid received the waiter's notice. She immediately closed the door and rushed into the room, saying nervously, "Eldest Miss, there is a man outside who wishes to see you."

Sitting before the maid was a beautiful woman dressed in white, holding an ancient-looking jade hairpin in her hand.

Hearing this, she looked up, her brows slightly furrowed. "Does the Leiying Trading Company look down on me, Luo Ning, this much?"

"To actually try to kill me so openly?"

At this, Luo Ning said coldly, "Then let him in."

"But, Eldest Miss..."

The maid let out a frightened cry, but before she could finish, Luo Ning interrupted her: "It matters not. I want the Leiying Trading Company to know that I, Luo Ning, am not so easy to kill. Even if I die, I will make them pay a heavy price."

The maid opened her mouth, but ultimately went out.

When she returned to the room, she brought Sikong Jing with her.

Luo Ning raised an eyebrow, sizing Sikong Jing up from head to toe, before letting out a cold, mocking laugh. "The Leiying Trading Company sent you to kill me? Is a sixth-level Bright Realm expert sent here just to provide comedy and seek death?"

(End of Chapter)