First Immortal of the Sword

After a moment’s silence, Dongguo Feng successfully repressed his curiosity, turned, and left. 

He was severely injured. If anything unexpected happened, it was highly likely he’d be in deep trouble.

However, he’d only taken a few steps when that ethereal, melodious bell resounded once more.

Dongguo Feng stopped in place, then whipped around.

The sound of the bell was actually emanating from within the nearby mysterious pawn shop!

It was then that the tightly-shut gates opened from inside.

A short old man stood there, dressed like a merchant. He had a mustache, and he wore a small, round black cap. His hands were hidden in his sleeves.

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Beneath the orange glow of the lantern, Dongguo Feng saw his face clearly. He was smiling, and he looked pleasant and amiable.

“Dear customer, it’s been a long time since this pawnshop has opened its doors. Tonight, we were fortunate enough to encounter a sword cultivator such as yourself. Please, come inside for a chat.”

As he spoke, he clasped his fist and gestured for Dongguo Feng to follow him.

Dongguo Feng hesitated, then asked, “Dare I ask if the sound of that bell was your doing, Senior?”

Earlier, it was the strange melody of the bell that awakened him from his trance as surely as a blow to the head.

It was fair to say that it had saved his sword heart!

The short old man smiled. “Senior? I dare not accept such a title. You can just call me ‘old pawnbroker.’”

There was no doubt about it; the short old man was running this mysterious pawnshop.

“As for the bell, it isn’t under my control. Whenever it senses a customer qualified to enter our establishment, it rings on its own to invite them in.”

The short old man who called himself a pawnbroker smiled, a meaningful look in his eyes. “Not even I would have guessed that, after so many years, I’d encounter a… sword cultivator… qualified to pass through our gates here on the Azure Continent.”

When the words “sword cultivator” left his mouth, they had a hint of a strange flavor.

Dongguo Feng looked stunned. “Senior, are you saying only those chosen by the bell have the opportunity to enter this pawnshop?”

The old pawnbroker smiled and nodded, but he no longer corrected Dongguo Feng’s choice of title. “Come in, dear customer.”

Dongguo Feng took a deep breath, then walked inside.

The interior of the bamboo building was enormous, and there were three objects placed on the counter: an abacus, a bronze lantern, and a scale.

Behind the counter was a shelf piled high with various wares.

The light of the lantern was faint. The dimly lit pawnshop seemed almost enveloped in fog.

The old pawnbroker stood behind the counter, the dim yellow light of the lantern illuminating his kindly smile. Its glow gave him an additional layer of mystery.

As soon as Dongguo Feng walked inside, a sword drew his attention.

The sword was hanging from the top corner of the display. Its edge was as thin as a cicada’s wing, but it had a clear, vast, and deep quality to it, like autumn waters. The name “Bewilderment” was carved on its hilt in tiny letters.

However, no matter how hard he tried, Dongguo Feng couldn’t sense its aura at all.

“A long, long time ago, a Sword Emperor of the Profound Serenity Realm pawned that blade. According to our agreement, if he didn’t return for it within ten thousand years, it would become property of the pawn shop. Over ten thousand years have passed, so we can offer it to other customers,” the old pawnbroker said softly. “However, that sword is too vicious; it isn’t suited to you.”

Dongguo Feng’s hair stood on end. A Profound Serenity Realm Emperor pawned it!? What Sword Emperor could bear to pawn his personal weapon?

After calming himself, Dongguo Feng’s gaze shifted. He saw all manner of treasures on display: Daoist seals, treasure bottles, jade rulers, cauldrons…

There were also various miscellaneous items, many of them strange. Hair clips, jade pendants, strands of hair, beast skins, bones…

However, every item he looked at was obscured by some invisible power. He could only look at them, but he couldn’t sense their presences at all.

When he saw that there was even a severed hand amidst the goods on display, Dongguo Feng was unwittingly stunned.

The severed hand had slender and lustrous, with long, fair fingers. It was dazzling to behold.

This hand was obviously a woman’s.

“Senior, that hand…” Dongguo Feng couldn’t help but ask.

The old pawnbroker said casually, “That’s the left hand an Empress pawned in exchange for a divine medicine capable of saving the man she loved.”

“An Empress…” Dongguo Feng’s heart shook, and he instinctively asked, “Senior, don’t tell me every item on these shelves once belonged to an Imperial Realm expert?”

The old pawnbroker shook his head. “No. Throughout antiquity, the customers invited by the bell include Emperors, but also mortal martial artists at the beginning of their cultivation. Neither your background nor your species matters. Humans, ghosts, demons, yao… So long as you receive the bell’s summons, you’re qualified to pass through our gates.”

“So that’s how it works…” Dongguo Feng muttered, but inwardly, a long time passed before he calmed down.

Just what kind of pawn shop was this, to be so unbelievable?

For a moment, Dongguo Feng even felt as if he were dreaming; it didn’t feel real.

“According to our rules, once a customer passes through our gates, he is welcome to make any request, no matter what it is. We’ll grant any request within our power to grant,” said the old pawnbroker, his hands pressed against the abacus. A faint smile appeared on his face. “Of course, that’s on the precondition that the customer can pay the corresponding price. That’s the purpose of a pawnshop.”

Dongguo Feng couldn’t help but find this strange. He pondered, then said, “If I wanted to become an Emperor, could you help me achieve that?”

The old pawnbroker smiled. “I could.”

He pointed to the scales and said, “Dear customer, all you must do is place your hand upon the scale and obtain its approval. Then, take out whatever it takes an interest in and pawn it. If you do so, this old man will naturally give you a method of becoming an Emperor in exchange.”

Dongguo Feng couldn’t help but be surprised.

He’d deliberately made an outrageous request to get a sense for what was possible. He wouldn’t have thought the old man could actually grant it!

“Then… what if I wanted that sword?” Dogguo Feng looked at Bewilderment, the sword hanging from the display.

The old pawnbroker smiled. “The same method applies. So long as the scale approves the transaction, it’s yours.”

“Customer, sometimes, when there are too many choices, it’s hard to see clearly,” the old pawnbroker said, his tone rife with meaning. “When you’re unsure of what you truly desire, the scale can help you find out.”

“Really?” exclaimed Dongguo Feng.

“We pride ourselves on honesty and fair trade,” said the old pawnbroker. “Go ahead and try it, customer.”

Dongguo Feng hesitated, then shook his head. “Forget it. I have no requests; there’s no need to try it.”

The old man’s expression shifted, and his smile was increasingly warm. “Customer, it’s only natural that you’d be on guard, but according to the rules of the pawnshop, all who enter must carry out a transaction. Otherwise, they’ll be punished.”

Dongguo Feng’s pupils constricted. “Senior, are you planning to coerce me into buying something?”

The old pawnbroker shook his head. “Don’t panic, dear customer. These are simply the rules of the pawn shop. It’s called a punishment, but in truth, it’s just a little admonishment. It absolutely won’t cost you your life.”

Dongguo Feng’s brow furrowed. “Then how will you admonish me?”

The old man picked up the abacus, “I’ll naturally use this to calculate your punishment.”

He then looked at Dongguo Feng, a benevolent smile on his face. Customer, your cultivation base is shallow, and you don’t understand our pawn shop. You likely have no idea how rare, precious, and heaven-defying of an opportunity you’ve happened upon.

“Throughout antiquity, nigh-omnipotent Emperors have obtained their hearts’ desires here, and mortal martial artists have acquired legacies powerful enough to change their fates.

“It’s only fair that they’d have to pay the corresponding price for this.”

The old pawnbroker paused, then said, “Of course, if you refuse, this old man won’t force you. I only said all that because I’d hate to see you miss out on this opportunity.

“After all, throughout our pawnshop’s long history, the bell has only chosen a select handful of the boundless masses.”

Dongguo Feng fell silent, but in the end, he still shook his head. “What I desire, I will obtain through my own hard work, not through trade.”

The old pawnbroker seemed to find this quite a pity, but he nodded. “Then we’ll just have to let the abacus decide how to punish you.”

Donguo Feng’s heart clenched, and he was instantly on guard.

Whoosh!

The faintly-glowing abacus audibly shifted, and beads flew through the air, one after another, each letting out a crisp sound. 

But it was then that——

Ding!

The bell rang, the sound urgent. The short pawnbroker shuddered, but before he regained his senses, the abacus started trembling.

Even the scale’s plate and counterweight started swaying.

The old pawnbroker visibly lost his composure. His benevolent, amiable smile was replaced with fury, and even his hands shook.

Dongguo Feng was alarmed. What’s going on?

Time slipped by.

The old pawnbroker’s expression flitted back and forth, but in the end, he nodded imperceptibly.

Only then did the urgent ringing of the bell fade to silence, and only then did the abacus and scale cease moving and return to stillness.

The old pawnbroker suddenly took a deep breath, raised the abacus from the counter, and smiled at Dongguo Feng.

“Customer, congratulations! The abacus has reached its conclusion. You are not only exempt from punishment; we’ll even grant you a stroke of fate!”

“A stroke of fate?” Dongguo Feng had no idea what was going on.

However, he could tell that whatever had just happened had changed the mysterious old pawnbroker’s attitude toward him to a shocking degree!

“That’s right. I have to say, you really are blessed by fortune. Destiny is smiling upon you…”

The old man looked conflicted, and he sounded helpless. His words seemed perfunctory.

As he spoke, he stretched out his hand and tapped the scale.

The scale shook, and suddenly, misty light surged out of the counterweight. A bronze box suddenly appeared on the counter, seemingly out of nowhere.

It was two feet long, and its surface was carved in strange, intricate Dao Markings. It emanated a dense aura of the vicissitudes of countless years.

When he saw it, the corners of the old pawnbroker’s lips twitched, and he felt as if his heart was dripping blood.

He even felt the urge to smash the scale to pieces!

You damned bastard! No matter how afraid you are of that Su guy, you shouldn’t have chosen a treasure like that!