Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“And I thought you were going to stop me,” Chen Shu murmured under her breath.

Zhanglin Village was not large, its livelier marketplace confined to just a few streets and shops. In the blink of an eye, the two had wound their way through the narrow rural paths and reached the entrance of a nearby pawnshop.

They had exchanged no further words along the journey. Whether the owner had gone off to idle or it was simply nearing closing time, this old pawnshop was even quieter than the nearly deserted teahouse they’d left behind. Only the occasional evening breeze rustled the shop’s hanging cloth sign out front. Chen Shu gaped up at it for a while, then turned her attention to the antique ornaments displayed by the door. Glancing back, she saw Yun Shen still standing with perfect posture, gazing intently at the faded pawnshop sign, offering no hint of conversation. Her words slipped out almost involuntarily.

Yun Shen still did not look at her. A long moment passed—just as she thought he wouldn’t respond—before he finally spoke: “Could I have stopped you? Barely grown, yet your will is ironclad.”

“I am quite grown,” Chen Shu stated earnestly. “I simply… don’t appear very aged. We who cultivate the Tao don’t show our age easily. For all you know, I might even be older than you.”

It finally coaxed a laugh out of Yun Shen.

At last, he tore his gaze from the faded pawnshop sign. Pressing his lips together, he lowered his head, a silent chuckle shaking his shoulders. When he finally looked at Chen Shu, an unspoken thought seemed to hover on his lips, a brief hesitation that shattered instantly with the arrival of another’s voice.

“Guests at this hour? What shall I call you both?”

Chen Shu and Yun Shen looked up simultaneously to see the pawnshop keeper finally push aside the entry curtain, greeting them with wide, bleary-eyed yawns. His face was marked by weariness rather than eagerness, radiating an attitude of take-it-or-leave-it nonchalance. Not waiting for their reply, he launched straight on:

“Are you here to pawn, redeem, or perhaps buy some unclaimed items? See those displayed outside? Take your time looking.”

The keeper’s speech came fast and smooth, rapid-fire. Chen Shu listened in dazed incomprehension, struggling to decipher the pawnbroker’s lingo word by word, when she felt a gentle push from behind, nudging her forward across the threshold.

It might have been accompanied by a faint, wind-dispersed phrase like “Off you go.”

Knowing Yun Shen was watching her from behind triggered an inexplicable nervousness in Chen Shu. Hesitating and stammering, unable to form a coherent request, she impulsively raised the jade piece she carried and blurted:

“Do you take this?”

The keeper’s slouch against the doorframe vanished. He straightened slowly. Taking two brisk steps forward, he bent slightly at the waist, scrutinizing Chen Shu with new intensity. Murmers of “Oh dear, oh dear,” escaping him, he extended both hands eagerly to receive the jade.

The keeper waited expectantly. Unfamiliar with such mercantile theatrics, Chen Shu only meant to show him the piece. She blinked her large eyes innocently, holding the jade poised above the keeper’s open palms. Yet her fingers remained tightly wrapped around the silk cord securing it.

After a moment of awkward silence, the keeper looked up, meeting Chen Shu’s wide-eyed stare. Comprehension dawned. His voice warmed with fresh eagerness: “Of course we do! This humble shop accepts anything. Especially something as rare as this… Young Mistress, do you wish a permanent pawn or a redeemable pawn?”

Chen Shu lacked any idea what a “permanent pawn” or “redeemable pawn” meant. Naturally, she peppered him with questions, fascinated by the novelty. To the keeper’s likely credit—doubtless inspired by the value of the jade—he answered with immense patience and good humor.

A redeemable pawn, he explained, offered the possibility of retrieval. Usually, a term was set within which the customer could redeem the item through repayment. Thus, the customer retained their property, the shop earned a fair profit—a mutually satisfactory transaction. Permanent pawn, however, lived up to its name. Items pawned this way became virtually unredeemable, akin to an outright sale, their recovery immensely difficult.

The keeper’s eyes remained glued to the jade in Chen Shu’s hand throughout his explanation. As he finished, he tactfully added: “You don’t strike me as being from Zhanglin Village, young mistress. If you’re likely to be away a long while and could miss the redemption deadline… a permanent pawn would be far less troublesome…”

“Rest assured,” Chen Shu declared confidently, thumping her chest, “journeying well is not a problem for me. This jade is a family heirloom! A redeemable pawn it shall be!”

With that, her hand holding the jade made a swift, decisive motion. The flawless, warm-hued treasure leaped through the air in a graceful arc, landing perfectly nestled in the pawnshop keeper’s waiting hands.

The keeper’s delight manifested instantly. Profuse thanks poured from his mouth, though his eyes never left the newly acquired treasure, examining it meticulously. Finally, cautiously, he inquired: “How much shall we assign to it…?”

Decades of secluded mountain asceticism had never equipped Chen Shu to haggle over such matters. She scarcely grasped that such a thing was even done.

Moreover, she felt confident that she wasn’t lacking in wealth, so she wasn’t worried about the redemption process at all. In her view, haggling over the pawn price was far less crucial than the differential for redemption. Consequently, both parties believed they stood to gain, each fearing the other might back out, and hastily signed the pawn agreement. Gleefully clutching the deed, Chen Shu finally remembered to glance toward the door. There she saw Yun Shen still standing quietly outside, steadfast as a silent pillar. The sun was nearly submerged on the horizon, elongating his shadow until it almost stretched beyond sight, growing fainter the further it extended.

With a flick of her gaze, Chen Shu almost thought he had melted into the clutter of the makeshift stall displays and scattered trinkets jumbled outside the small pawnshop door—chaotic and barely noticeable. But upon closer inspection, she realized it was merely the effect of his drab, dust-colored robe. She waved the pawn deed at him and saw him smile back with a nod. The setting sun blurred his features, lending his smile a gentle warmth that stirred something within her. A vague thought seemed ready to surface, only to vanish instantly into oblivion.

The pawnbroker at her back was far from idle either. He swiftly counted out the silver to hand over to Chen Shu, even tucking it into a surprisingly weighty pouch before carefully holding it out to her. As he did so, he couldn’t resist remarking, “Since you’ve funds in hand now, miss, why not take a moment to browse the wares in this humble shop? Things useful for traveling the jianghu—picking them up here would save you time later. If you’re burdened with urgent business, it shan’t delay you on the road. Isn’t that so?”

“True enough!” Chen Shu instantly looked around with keen interest, her curiosity so piqued that she barely managed to accept the pouch of silver.

“More than you can imagine!” Exclaimed the shopkeeper eagerly. Trailing her like a devoted shadow, he gazed upon her as if she were the God of Wealth personified. Pointing at the array of displays lining his shop, he rattled off, “We’ve cloth, metalwork, armor, jewelry, rope, nets, traps, tools—even hardtack! Whatever you might desire, fair miss, I surely have it. Just name your need, and I shall fetch it for you on the spot.”

“Do you have any medicinal pills?” Chen Shu inquired.

“Medicine?” The shopkeeper choked slightly. “The… the herbs for that, miss, you’d likely need procure from an apothecary.”

“Perhaps you’re right.” Chen Shu conceded. Then she asked again, “What about Talismanic Paper then?”

The shopkeeper silently wiped the sweat from his brow. “That… we also lack, I fear. For yellow talismans, miss, you’d likely need to seek them at temples or Taoist shrines. Who’d have guessed one so young as yourself would put such faith in them?”

“Yellow talismans are incredibly useful!” Chen Shu explained earnestly, rising onto her tiptoes to inspect some tools further back. “My master normally forbids me overusing them, saying those unscrupulous codgers who can inscribe them grow ever rarer—short-lived, they are. One dies, and the knowledge perishes; once they’re used, then there are none…” She trailed off, realizing no response was forthcoming. Turning her head, her eyes met the shopkeeper’s expression—a mixture of bewilderment and strained politeness. Flushing ever so slightly, she stammered an amendment, “…My master doesn’t usually talk like that. He’s had some… disagreements with those venerable elders. Pray pay him no heed.”

“Understood, understood.” The shopkeeper forced a reassuring smile. “It’s of no matter. The shop has plenty else to offer. Pray take a longer look around, miss.”

“Oh?” Chen Shu scanned the room again. “But your shop’s wares feel scarce indeed… What about protective items? Things to ward off evil?”

“This…” The shopkeeper’s smile became increasingly strained. He gazed at Chen Shu while she in turn slowly became more visibly crestfallen. Suddenly, he seemed to recall an alternative. Spinning around energetically, he started rummaging on a nearby shelf. “…There are some! Miss seeks warding artifacts, yes? This humble establishment possesses quite a few! A great many are ancestral treasures—their origins can be traced for centuries!”

To his dismay, when Chen Shu peered over, her disappointment only deepened further.

“How could these grant protection?” She sighed, examining the lifeless pieces of ironwood. “My sword is better suited to ward off evil. Shopkeeper, honest as you seem, perchance someone has deceived you?”

A bitter grievance the shopkeeper obviously couldn’t articulate. Neither could he readily accept Chen Shu’s strangely misplaced sympathy. His eyes darted before landing upon an idea. “Miss practices swordsmanship? That clarifies all! Truly, such mundane objects must appear trivial in your esteemed sight! Why not proceed instead to the weapon rack in my inner courtyard? There lie several rare and priceless swords—peerless blades! An offer rarely made to others! Only observing your lavish generosity today, miss, and seeing it matches the renown of those legendary blades, have I steeled myself to permit you a chance to choose…”

“I already possess a sword,” Chen Shu stated evenly. It seemed directed at the shopkeeper, yet also as if confirming it anew for herself. “Would acquiring another be seen… as improper conduct?”

“Eh?” The shopkeeper blinked in astonishment before his voice rose, unbidden. Clearing his throat hastily to mask the slip, he quickly countered, “How could it be construed so! Your integrity towers above such triviality, good lady! How could this even approach the realm of impropriety?! Moreover, you haven’t even committed to a purchase yet, merely looking! Why, looking is always permitted! Come, come this way, please—” He managed this while still clutching the pouch of silver. His hurried pace tangled his feet; he narrowly avoided stumbling on the threshold.

Chen Shu turned her head. Her eyes, fixed upon him, somehow brimmed with deeper pity than before. “…Better still,” she suggested gently, “hand the silver first to Brother Yun Shen outside. There’s no need for your trouble to guide me to the rear courtyard; I can easily inspect the blades alone… it will also spare you an accidental injury.”

Finishing her words without awaiting assent, she pushed the door open and vanished into the courtyard. Left alone and rather dumbfounded—likely his first encounter with a customer who pawned an item and then forgot the silver—the shopkeeper stood briefly rooted. Then, strangely heeding her instruction, he trudged outside to deliver the money.

Following that parting, Chen Shu remained within the courtyard walls for a long while without a sound.

Outside, the shopkeeper had handed the silver over to Yun Shen and then returned to sluggishly resume his bookkeeping. Yun Shen lingered at the shop entrance a fair time longer. Perhaps detecting something amiss, he eventually stepped back inside to inquire.

Naturally, the shopkeeper gestured towards the rear.

“Off gazing upon the swords in the courtyard.”

“… She intends to acquire a new blade?” mused Yun Shen after a thoughtful pause. Then he asked, “Yet why does no sound emanate from the courtyard then?”

“Unknown,” muttered the shopkeeper, head bowed as he flipped another page of his ledger. “Should worry grip you, Sir, why not step into the courtyard and see for yourself?”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the door to the rear yard swung open and Chen Shu emerged.

She looked nothing akin to one who had freshly tested potential blades. Her earlier enthusiasm had utterly vanished. She walked slowly, her entire frame seeming wilted, her eyes slightly reddened. Yet it wasn’t sadness etched there, more a state of profound daze. She carefully closed the door behind her, sealing off the courtyard’s lingering sunset light.

The shopkeeper, ever the shrewd observer from years navigating the mercantile world, proved quicker than even Yun Shen. His eyes instantly landed upon the object clasped in Chen Shu’s hand. Delight blossomed on his face. “Aha! Truly, the sharpest eye for treasures, honored mistress! This one arrived only yesterday! I acquired it just—”

“This is my sword tassel,” Chen Shu cut across him. Unconsciously lifting her head, she gazed at Yun Shen, her expression clouded with bewilderment. “It’s the sword tassel I personally braided… That I personally tied upon my sword… How… how does it lie here?”