Miss Luo of Yun Province City

The Jadeite Hairpin had been pawned for a mere three Gold Crystal Coins, yet the cost to redeem it was a staggering twenty.

This was clearly a trap set by Hengyu Pawnshop for Su Yuexi, but at the time, she had been desperate for money and had no choice but to agree.

Gulp...

The shopkeeper swallowed hard in terror, then gritted his teeth and said, "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?"

"It's because I've killed many people."

Sikong Jing's tone was chilling to the extreme, his murderous intent slamming into the shopkeeper's mind.

With a buzzing sound, the shopkeeper dared not threaten him further. He stammered, "The item has already been sold. Where am I supposed to find it now?"

"That is not my concern. Do you want your goods or your life?" Sikong Jing's gaze was cold and ruthless.

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

In the end, he had no choice but to send men to pursue the buyer, but the final report he received was that the person who bought the Jadeite Hairpin had already left the city.

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

"That 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.

Moreover, according to the shopkeeper's description, she had a carriage, which was not something an ordinary person could easily catch up to.

His eyes flickered a few times, and Sikong Jing asked, "How much did she pay for it?"

"One hundred Gold Crystal Coins," the shopkeeper replied tremblingly.

Sikong Jing nearly cursed out loud. They had taken it for three coins and sold it for a hundred—they were truly unscrupulous.

But there was no time to dwell on the shopkeeper's greed. Sikong Jing held out his hand and said, "One hundred Gold Crystal Coins. Hand them over."

Twitching his lips, the shopkeeper eventually had no choice but to hand the money over to Sikong Jing.

Then, with a thud, Sikong Jing slammed the shopkeeper's head against the counter before taking Su Yuexi out of Hengyu Pawnshop.

Looking at the frost-faced Sikong Jing, Su Yuexi bit her lip and said, "I've failed my sister. The Jadeite Hairpin is truly gone."

The thought that she would never see the Jadeite Hairpin again made Su Yuexi unable to hold back her sorrow.

Suddenly, Sikong Jing pulled Su Yuexi into his arms and whispered, "It won't be gone. I am going to chase after it right now."

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

Sikong Jing shook his head firmly and replied, "No matter what, I will get it back."

After making this promise, Sikong Jing hailed a carriage, telling Su Yuexi to head home first, while he himself flashed toward the east gate of Yunye City—the direction of Yun Province City.

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

She felt deeply self-reproachful, but in the next instant, she gasped, "Oh no, Sikong Jing is a convicted criminal; he cannot leave the city."

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

Yun Province was located on the outskirts of the Great Shang Dynasty; the land outside the city was desolate and filled with demonic beasts, making it exceptionally dangerous.

It wasn't very dangerous during the day, but the sun was already setting, and darkness would soon descend.

Unless traveling in a large group, even someone at the ninth level of the Bright Realm would not dare to leave the city alone. Perhaps it was for the best if Sikong Jing was turned back.

The Jadeite Hairpin was important, but her husband's life was more important.

At the east gate of Yunye City, the guards blocked Sikong Jing and asked boisterously, "You want to leave the city? Show your household registration."

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

When he reappeared, he was already outside the city walls.

As a former invincible divine general, he knew full well that exiled criminals were forbidden from leaving the city because he carried a criminal record, but that meant nothing to him.

The laws of the Great Shang Dynasty had become nothing more than dirt the moment he was framed and exiled.

Following the direction of Yun Province City, Sikong Jing seized a warhorse belonging to the guards and gave chase.

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

Watching Sikong Jing ride off with the horse, the guards roared in anger. The area before the gate was in chaos, and they immediately reported to their superior officer before leading a heavily armed force out of the city to hunt him down.

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

In the wilderness, the chaotic roars of demonic beasts echoed from all directions.

On the main road, the sound of hooves clattered rhythmically. Sikong Jing whipped his horse, thinking, Traveling by night—the person who bought the Jadeite Hairpin is either powerful and confident, or they have an urgent matter.

If it were the former, their speed would not be too fast; if it were the latter, they would certainly be pushing forward at full speed.

Spurring his horse on, Sikong Jing pursued for three full hours.

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

Just as the Hengyu shopkeeper had described, this was the carriage of the person who had bought the Jadeite Hairpin.

He let out a soft breath. He had finally caught up; the buyer had not traveled through the night but had instead stopped to stay at the post station.

Sikong Jing immediately dismounted and entered the post house.

The room fell abruptly silent the moment he opened the door, with gazes from the adventurers resting there washing over him. These stares lasted only a fleeting moment before the noise resumed, everyone returning to their drinks and chatter.

"Guest, what can I do for you?" the post house waiter asked, stepping forward to greet him.

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

Sikong Jing got straight to the point: "I'm not here to stay. I'm looking for the owner of that exquisite carriage outside. Help me announce my arrival."

With that, Sikong Jing tossed a Gold Crystal Coin to the waiter.

The waiter's eyes lit up; receiving a Gold Crystal Coin as a tip was a windfall.

He nodded repeatedly and immediately went to relay the message for Sikong Jing.

Soon, inside one of the rooms of the post house.

A young girl dressed as a maidservant received the waiter's notification, shut the door, and hurried into the room, saying nervously, "Eldest Miss, there is a man outside who wants to see you."

Sitting upright before the maid was a beautiful woman in a white dress, holding an antique jade hairpin in her hand.

She looked up at the words, her delicate brows furrowing as she said, "Does the Lei Ying Merchant Guild look down on me, Luo Ning, that much?"

"They would actually send someone to kill me so openly?"

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

"But Eldest Miss..."

The maid cried out in fear, but before she could finish, Luo Ning interrupted her: "It is fine. I want the Lei Ying Merchant Guild to know that I, Luo Ning, am not so easily killed. Even if I die, I will make them pay a heavy price."

The maid opened her mouth, but ultimately turned and left.

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

Luo Ning raised her eyebrows, looking Sikong Jing up and down before letting out a cold, mocking laugh: "The Lei Ying Merchant Guild sent you to kill me? Is a Bright Realm sixth-level cultivation here to be a joke and throw your life away?"