Chapter 20: Zhou Yuan

Upon arriving at the town, Yu Qi headed straight for the Wujian Pawnshop.

Inside, the same clerk as before greeted him. Seeing Yu Qi, the clerk’s demeanor was noticeably more respectful. "Young Master, what would you like to pawn today?"

"This." Yu Qi placed an axe on the counter.

The clerk inspected it, noting the exquisite craftsmanship and the chilling gleam of the blade—clearly a formidable weapon. After a moment of assessment, he said, "Young Master, please wait a moment. I must summon our manager."

*Another manager? This clerk is really just here to greet customers,* Yu Qi thought to himself.

In truth, this was not the clerk’s fault. Yu Qi always brought items of immense value—first a night-luminescent pearl worth five hundred taels, and now this weapon. Lacking the experience to price it, the clerk had no choice but to fetch his superior.

Zhou Changshan emerged from the back. Seeing Yu Qi, he smiled. "Oh, Young Hero Yu, what are you looking to pawn this time?"

"Manager Zhou, it has been a while. This axe on the table is the item I wish to pawn." Yu Qi greeted him and gestured toward the weapon.

Zhou Changshan looked at the axe and reached out, but his hand froze in mid-air. "This is... Shi Mingfeng’s axe."

Yu Qi nodded. "Yes. How many taels is it worth?"

Zhou Changshan seemed unable to believe it. He looked at Yu Qi, his eyes filled with intense suspicion. "What... what happened to him?"

"He is dead. Just tell me how much it is worth," Yu Qi said calmly, as if discussing a trivial matter.

Hearing this, Zhou Changshan gained a higher appreciation for Yu Qi’s strength. "This... this axe is of excellent quality. One hundred taels."

Yu Qi nodded, took the silver, and left with the Li Changchu family in tow.

Zhou Changshan stood frozen, watching him walk away. Shi Mingfeng was stronger than he was, yet he had died at the hands of this youth. To possess such strength at such a young age—what kind of powerful family must stand behind Yu Qi to have cultivated him?

With that thought, Zhou Changshan headed to the back of the shop. He needed to report this youth to his superiors; perhaps they would be interested in recruiting him.

***

After leaving the pawnshop, Yu Qi took the three of them to a restaurant to have some breakfast.

Li Yuelian ate her food, asking with her mouth full, "Brother Yu, where are we going later?"

"Eat your fill first. I’m taking you to your new home," Yu Qi said with a smile, placing a piece of meat into her bowl.

"Hey, Yu Qi, what a coincidence," a woman’s voice called out from behind him.

Yu Qi turned to see two women descending from the restaurant’s balcony. They were Zhou Yuan and Wu Zhirou, whom he had sat with previously at the Huang estate.

He gave a brief wave of his hand as a greeting and then turned back to his meal.

Seeing that Yu Qi was barely acknowledging her, Wu Zhirou felt a spark of annoyance. Their beauty was second to none in this town, yet the man had shown no reaction. Unable to let it go, she said, "Yu Qi, why are you like this?"

Yu Qi found the complaint strange; he hadn't ignored them, so why was she blaming him?

"What? It’s not like I didn’t acknowledge you," Yu Qi said calmly, chewing his food.

"Hmph." Wu Zhirou pouted as she followed Zhou Yuan down the stairs.

Seeing this, Zhou Yuan smiled apologetically. "Yu Qi, please don't take it to heart. That’s just how she is."

Yu Qi, of course, wouldn't care about such trivialities. Suddenly, he remembered something and asked, "Oh, by the way, do you know where the Iron Stone Villa is?"

"Iron Stone Villa? Yes, I know it. It’s ten miles north of town. Why are you going there?" Zhou Yuan asked, puzzled.

As soon as she asked, she recalled the conflict between Yu Qi and Shi Wansan. Could Yu Qi be going there to cause trouble? Shi Mingfeng was not a man to be trifled with. Worried, she quickly added, "Yu Qi, Shi Mingfeng, he..."

Before she could finish, Yu Qi had already paid the bill and walked out.

Wu Zhirou stood by, growing more irritated. "Xiao Yuan, does this guy know any manners? People try to warn him out of kindness, and he just walks away without listening."

"Let's go, Xiao Rou. I need to go back and tell my father. We can't let Yu Qi go to his death," Zhou Yuan said, hurrying out. In her heart, while Yu Qi was strong, he couldn't possibly be stronger than Shi Mingfeng.

***

Returning to the Wujian Pawnshop, Zhou Yuan rushed to find Zhou Changshan.

Zhou Changshan was still discussing Yu Qi with a subordinate when his daughter burst in. He waved his subordinate away and asked, "Yuan'er, why the rush? What’s the matter?"

"Father... Father," Zhou Yuan gasped for breath, grabbing a cup of tea from the table. "You must stop Yu Qi! He’s going to Iron Stone Villa. Shi Mingfeng will kill him!"

Her eyes were filled with anxiety, revealing her genuine concern for Yu Qi.

Zhou Changshan looked at his daughter with surprise. "You haven't actually fallen for him, have you?"

"I..." At these words, Zhou Yuan’s face flushed a light red—whether from the exertion of her run or from shyness, she didn't know.

Perhaps women were naturally drawn to stronger men. The image of Yu Qi easily defeating Shi Wansan at the Huang estate had been etched into her mind. Without realizing it, she found that Yu Qi truly held a place in her heart.

Having lived for so many years, how could Zhou Changshan not understand these youthful attachments? Just by looking at his daughter, he saw her true feelings. He sighed. "Daughter, he is not one of us. While you haven't fallen too deep, you should give up now."

"Father, why do you say that?" Zhou Yuan asked, confused. It was her father who had told her to get close to Yu Qi, and now he was telling her to give up. She couldn't understand.

Zhou Changshan stepped to her side and patted her shoulder. "You don't need to worry about him at all. Shi Mingfeng has already died at his hands."

"What? That’s impossible!" Zhou Yuan trembled visibly, struggling to believe the fact.

"So young, yet so powerful—even Mo Feng is no match for him. Yu Qi is simply not from our world. You should be clear about that, so it’s best to give up." Zhou Changshan walked away, leaving Zhou Yuan standing alone in the room.

Zhou Yuan’s mind echoed with her father's words. Yu Qi had killed Shi Mingfeng. She understood the implications of this. A young man of such formidable strength—if he didn't have a powerful family behind him, she wouldn't believe it.

And this was why Zhou Changshan said they were not meant to be. She was not worthy of Yu Qi, and a genius like him would never look her way.