As they traveled further south, their clothing grew lighter, and the mood of the entire group improved.

Looking at the increasingly prosperous towns, Jin Qianqian felt her eyes could hardly keep up.

The people in the south wore more vibrant colors, and in particular, more of them were dressed in brocade.

And this was merely a city where they were making a temporary stop—their last supply station.

Although they had prepared some clothes they thought would be suitable for the region, they discovered upon arrival that those same clothes now made them look out of place.

It wasn’t that the clothes were inappropriate for the season, but that their styles and patterns immediately made them stand out in a crowd.

The moment Jin Qianqian and her companions stepped into a ready-made clothing store, a young assistant with sparkling eyes immediately hurried over. "How may I help you?"

Jin Qianqian pointed to the clothes on display. "Could you tell us a bit about these?"

"Of course. Right this way." The assistant’s smile became more sincere. "All the clothes in our shop are hand-stitched, thread by thread, by our own seamstresses. If anything doesn’t fit perfectly, we can alter it for you immediately.

Furthermore, these styles are all the latest trends in the south this year. Look at these robes and these silk skirts. In addition to the styles on display, we have them in a wide variety of colors.

Whatever you two may desire, we have it."

The young assistant was filled with pride as he spoke, pointing to one of the garments to begin his sales pitch.

But Jin Qianqian had other plans. She hastily picked out a few outfits for herself and Ancient Wen Heng and, using the shop’s facilities, quickly gave them both a complete makeover.

Watching the "master and servant" pair swagger out, even the worldly Shopkeeper couldn’t help but click his tongue. ’Now I’ve really seen it all.’

A delicate-featured Attendant Student, carrying a bundle on his back, tugged at the robe of the young master ahead of him. "Young Master, this is a pawnshop. Are we really going inside?"

The young master turned around, revealing a dark, swarthy face dotted with a few small pimples.

The young master frowned and shot him a glance. "Am I the young master, or are you? You talk too much. Watch it, or I’ll have you replaced the second we get back."

The young Attendant Student, looking threatened, instantly let go as if he’d been shocked. "Of course, you’re the young master. It’s just... this is a bad idea. I won’t know how to explain this when I get back."

"I’m the one calling the shots, what do you have to explain? Now hurry up and stop holding up my business." After speaking, the scholar stepped into the pawnshop and yelled at the Shopkeeper, who was enjoying the little drama. "You the Shopkeeper? I’m here to pawn something."

"What are you pawning?" The Shopkeeper immediately wiped the amusement from his face and looked curiously at the master-servant pair.

The Attendant Student clutched the bundle tightly, ignoring the incessant signals his master was shooting him with his eyes.

"Bring it here," the scholar said, growing impatient. "Or do I have to come over and get it myself?"

The Attendant Student reluctantly placed the bundle on the high counter. "Young Master, I really won’t be able to explain this when we get back."

But his words were lost to the air in the pawnshop.

The Shopkeeper’s eyes were fixed on the object in the young master’s hands, shining with interest.

"Take a look. Do you take items like this?"

"We do," the Shopkeeper said hastily, afraid the young master would back out.

"This glazed cup was acquired by my elder after much trouble. Take a look and give me a price." The young master nonchalantly took the glazed cup from its box. In the light streaming through the window, the purple cup shimmered with an iridescent, seven-colored light.

Witnessing this incredible sight, the Shopkeeper quietly swallowed. "And what price might you be asking, young sir?"

"That’s a ridiculous question. I came here to pawn something, so shouldn’t you be the one making an offer?

My father told me this thing is a priceless treasure. If I weren’t in desperate need of cash, I’d never have the guts to pawn it." He said this with a roguish smirk. "I just hope the old man doesn’t skin me alive when I get back."

"Young Master, why don’t we just go back?" the Attendant Student pleaded again. "If the Master finds out, my life is over!"

The young master waved a dismissive hand. "With me and the Old Madam here to protect you, no one’s going to care about your worthless life.

Shopkeeper, give me a straight answer. If you don’t have the Silver Taels to buy it, I’ll just take my business elsewhere."

A pawnshop owner couldn’t let himself be looked down on like that. But the item was truly rare, the likes of which this Shopkeeper had never seen.

He was afraid that if he made an offer and the young master was dissatisfied, his superiors would blame him for letting such a treasure slip through their fingers.

"Young sir, my authority only extends to one thousand taels. This..."

The young master sized up the Shopkeeper and snorted. "Stop hemming and hawing. I’ll go see what another shop offers."

Seeing that his bluff had failed, the Shopkeeper quickly cried out, "I wasn’t finished! I’ll send for our owner immediately. Please, could you wait here for a moment?"

The young master touched a pimple near the corner of his mouth and said impatiently, "Well, be quick about it. Don’t waste my time."

"Of course, of course. Our owner is nearby; it will only be a moment," the Shopkeeper said quickly. He yelled toward the back of the shop, and a guard immediately rushed out.

"Young sir, might I inquire about this item’s origins?" he asked, carefully studying the glazed cup in the box, his eyes glinting with wonder.

"It’s called a glazed cup. My dad said it’s an import. He spent more than half his fortune back in the day to trade for this little trinket.

You can’t eat it, you can’t drink from it, and you have to guard it so carefully. It’s completely pointless."

This classic spoiled-rich-kid act made the Shopkeeper shake his head internally. ’I wonder which family produced such a clueless, prodigal son.’

Outwardly, however, he kept his smile. "So, do you have a figure in mind, young sir? If the price is right, it would be a win-win for both of us."

"Young Master, maybe we should just go back?" the Attendant Student piped up again.

To his surprise, the Shopkeeper shot the Attendant Student a subtle glare. A moment ago, he had felt sorry for the poor boy for having such an unreliable master, but now he just found him annoying.

"I hear you have two types of pawns here, a ’dead pawn’ and a ’live pawn,’ and the prices are quite different. I’ve done my homework, so don’t even think about cheating me."

"Of course. I can tell you’re a man of the world, young master. However, for a ’live pawn,’ the price we offer is a bit lower. And if you wish to redeem it later, you’ll also have to pay a storage fee.

The fee is based on the item’s value. With an item like yours, if you wanted to redeem it from a live pawn, you’d probably have to pay back double the amount."

"What a scam!" The young master feigned contemplation. "And a ’dead pawn’?" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"A ’dead pawn’ is just like a normal sale in the marketplace. I give you money, you give me the item, and our business is concluded. We have no further ties to one another." Seeing the young master frown, the Shopkeeper quickly added, "But the price we offer is much higher."