Homecoming

At Zuo Yi's question, the hostess froze for a moment, then smiled. "Please wait a moment. I'll go ask the manager to come over."

Gold was a true hard currency. Most domestic gold and silver jewelry stores offered buyback services, though usually only smaller shops put up signs advertising it, so ordinary people tended to sell to those places.

But large stores like Gold Jade Fortune Jewelry actually offered the same service.

Another hostess led Zuo Yi to a seat in front of the gold jewelry counter and brought him a cup of tea.

Zuo Yi's unusual attire drew the attention of the other customers in the jewelry store. A few pointed at him and snickered, but he paid them no mind and lifted the paper cup for a sip of tea.

It was very ordinary green tea, yet it was a flavor he had not tasted in many years, brimming with nostalgia.

"Hello, sir..."

At that moment, a well-dressed middle-aged man appeared behind the counter and asked politely, "May I ask if you'd like to sell gold?"

Zuo Yi nodded and set down his paper cup. A gold coin instantly flipped out from between his fingers and landed soundlessly on the counter.

As if by magic.

The middle-aged man, who was clearly the manager, was a little stunned. He looked at Zuo Yi in surprise, then lowered his gaze to the gold coin.

The round coin was not large. Its surface was engraved with intricate patterns, and under the indoor lights, it shimmered with a captivating glow. It was as new as if it had just been minted, carrying a heart-stirring magic.

In comparison, every piece of gold jewelry displayed in the glass cases was utterly eclipsed!

The middle-aged man stared at the coin for a full half minute. Only when Zuo Yi tapped it with a finger did he snap back to his senses and hurriedly say, "Sir, I need to test its composition. Is that all right?"

Zuo Yi nodded. "Sure."

The middle-aged man picked up the coin and used an instrument at a table in the back to test its composition.

The testing process was quick, and the results came out in just a few minutes. However, when the middle-aged man returned with the coin, his expression was somewhat strange. "There's no issue with the quality. It's 99.99% pure gold, weighs 27.55 grams, and our current buyback price is 263 yuan per gram. Is that acceptable?"

Zuo Yi smiled. "That's fine."

The manager's attitude was flawless, but he had clearly not told the whole truth.

It was not that there was any problem with the coin's weight. Rather, the gold coin Zuo Yi had taken out should have been 100% pure gold!

Because it was a Law Coin.

Only high-ranking wizards could create Law Coins. They were Law Creations containing Law Force that extended across every plane of the multiverse. Their value remained constant in any world; they were indestructible, never wore down, and contained no flaws or impurities.

The wizards and knights of the Sadea World often waged wars across planes, and in different planes, only Law Creations could ensure they would not be affected by the laws of foreign worlds.

Law Creations included Law Equipment, Law Implements, Law Potions, Law Runes, Law Coins, and more.

When Zuo Yi had first crossed into the Sadea World, the items he carried had quickly been corroded and corrupted by the power of that world's laws. Within a few days, they had all been annihilated and vanished. Fortunately, someone had helped him then, or he would not even have had clothes to wear.

Law Creations had no such problem at all, making them essential strategic resources for waging war across planes.

When the manager tested the Law Coin with professional equipment, the result had certainly shown 100% pure gold. But such a result undoubtedly exceeded his understanding, which was why his expression had been so awkward.

He had probably tested it several times. Otherwise, the appraisal result should have come out even faster.

Zuo Yi did not care what the other man thought. He only needed some emergency cash.

The total buyback price for 27.55 grams of gold was 7,245 yuan. The middle-aged man directly gave him 7,300 yuan. After completing the transaction, he asked somewhat impatiently, "Sir, do you have any more coins like this?"

Zuo Yi stuffed the money into his pocket and said, "Goodbye."

He did not answer the question at all and simply turned around and strode away.

The middle-aged man had no reason to stop him and could only watch helplessly as Zuo Yi left.

After thinking it over, still unwilling to let it go, he put the coin back into the instrument for another test. He then took some gold from his own store to compare it, and finally sank into deep self-doubt.

A moment later, he picked up the phone and made a call. "Young Master Yuan, I acquired something very interesting. Would you like to take a look?"

At that moment, Zuo Yi had no idea what happened after he left. He went into a mall across from the jewelry store and did not come out until nearly an hour later.

When Zuo Yi emerged from the mall, he looked entirely refreshed. His eye-catching leather armor and boots had been replaced by a brand-new T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. A pair of sunglasses hung from his collar, and he held a new smartphone in his hand.

He had spent most of the money from selling the Law Coin, completing his return from an otherworldly Saint Knight to an ordinary modern man and blending back into this world.

He put on his sunglasses, walked lightly to the roadside, and flagged down a passing taxi.

"Driver, take me to Riverside Town."

The taxi carried Zuo Yi away from the bustling city center, through an under-river tunnel to the opposite bank, and after nearly half an hour, arrived at Riverside Town by the river.

Linjiang was an ancient town with a long history, located across the river from Hang City proper.

The land around the town had originally been flat fields, but in recent years, as Hang City continued to expand, the land on the opposite side of the Qiantang River had also undergone extensive development. Modern high-rises had risen one after another.

They had also squeezed Linjiang into one corner.

Zuo Yi did not ask the taxi to take him all the way to his doorstep. Instead, he got out at the town entrance, paid the fare, and continued on foot.

After three years apart, Linjiang was still as it had always been. This ancient town had always maintained a pace of life different from Hang City's.

The people who lived here led simple, leisurely lives. The ancient streets paved with bluestone slabs stretched long ahead, and with little business in the shops that afternoon, neighbors visited one another to chat or gathered to play cards and mahjong, drawing curious looks from passing tourists.

Children ran laughing and playing down the street, their bell-like laughter spilling out from time to time and adding a touch of vitality to the ancient town.

Zuo Yi could not have been more familiar with such a scene. He did not know how many times it had reappeared in his dreams.

Stepping aside to let the children running toward him pass, he strolled down the long street like an ordinary tourist and finally arrived before a residence at the western end of town.

This was the home where Zuo Yi had lived for twenty years!

Standing before the gate and gazing at the weathered marks left by time upon its surface, Zuo Yi's heart surged with emotion.

He was home!

Yet the residence gate was tightly shut. No one welcomed Zuo Yi's return; only the morning glories climbing the courtyard wall bloomed in lonely silence.

With a quiet sigh in his heart, he suddenly leaped into the air, silently clearing the high gate wall and landing softly inside the courtyard.

Zuo Yi's home was a small Western-style villa built in the style of the previous dynasty. It had stood for over a century, and though it had endured wind, rain, and snow, proper maintenance had kept it intact to this day.

In front of the three-story villa was a courtyard of nearly a hundred square meters, enclosed by walls on three sides. In the corner to the left stood a lush, towering camphor tree, its dense canopy covering half the sky above the courtyard and lending the residence a quiet air.

Since it had not been cleaned in a long time, the ground was covered in a thick layer of fallen leaves and dirt, carrying a faint scent of decay.

Without his key, Zuo Yi could not open the front door directly, but that did not trouble him.

He placed the index and middle fingers of his right hand against the lock. A faint gleam flashed at his fingertips and instantly seeped into the keyhole. With a click, the lock opened by itself.

Though this was a different world, the Lockpicking Technique he had learned while roaming Sadeya was still remarkably useful.

Zuo Yi reached out and pushed open the door. Stale air immediately rushed out, making him frown.

The first-floor hall was covered in dust, cobwebs filled the corners, and the cloth covers over the sofas and furniture had turned dark gray, giving the place an air of lifeless desolation.

Zuo Yi slowly walked to the display cabinet in the living room. He took out a photo frame from one of the wooden shelves, blew away the dust on its outer edge, wiped it clean with his hand, and carefully placed it back.

"Mom, I'm home."

Zuo Yi spoke to the photo frame, tears unconsciously filling his eyes.

Inside the frame, a beautiful and gentle woman still smiled, as if she were saying to him...

Welcome home, my child.