Chapter One, Seven Heroes Town

Xiao Feiyang then lay straight on the counter and said, "Old man, name your price."

Xiao Feiyang, feeling unconvinced, said: "Old man, you just said that anything of value can be pawned. How can you determine if a person is valuable or not?"

This small town has a resounding name—Qixia Town. In the center of the town lies a small square, at the heart of which stand seven tall statues. It is said that during the terrifying "Hundred Races War" two hundred years ago, this town produced two first-level mages, four centurions, and one thousand-rider commander. Although these seven individuals were all low-ranking officers and mages, the emergence of such figures from a small town is a source of pride for its residents. Unfortunately, it seems that the fates of these seven individuals were not particularly favorable, as they all perished in the "Hundred Races War." To commemorate these seven heroes, whom the town holds in high esteem, the townspeople erected seven statues and changed the name of the town to Qixia Town, while the original name gradually faded from memory.

When the first rays of sunlight shine upon the earth on a summer morning, the people in a small town nestled in the mountains have already begun their day's activities. The southern stronghold of the Fast Empire is a place called Qingzhou, which serves as a significant hub in the south of the Fast Empire and is also the southern gateway into the heart of the Fast Empire. Further south lies the Moon Worship Empire. Between the two countries stretches a formidable mountain range—the Lianyun Mountains. A few small principalities are scattered throughout the Lianyun Mountains, serving as a buffer zone between the two great empires. The small town mentioned earlier is a bustling town located in the midst of the vast Lianyun Mountain range.

At this moment, Wang Quezi found himself in a bit of a predicament, feeling somewhat regretful for not having clarified his words. Traditionally, pawnshops have had the rule of not accepting living beings, a principle well understood by everyone, which is why he had not thought to specifically mention it. However, the other party was just a child, and with so many people present, it would be inappropriate to drive him away. Wang's face showed signs of embarrassment as he stammered, "This, this, this..." but could not manage to utter a single word after a long pause. The crowd erupted in laughter.

At this time, there are not many customers in the pawnshop. Behind the tall counter stands an old man, who is the head pawnbroker of this establishment. The head pawnbroker is the most important figure in a pawnshop; he should possess extensive experience, enabling him to accurately discern the authenticity and value of items, thus ensuring that the pawnshop does not incur losses. This old man is named Wang Quezi, and he has served as the head pawnbroker at the Qixia Pawnshop for over twenty years. His experience is undoubtedly commendable. It is said that once an item is in his hands, he can immediately determine its worth, making him a seasoned and astute individual.

The people inside the room curiously watched as a child struggled to carry several large green bricks and walked in. Upon seeing the child in tattered clothes, seemingly unwashed for a long time, Wang the Lame immediately recognized that he was someone from a very poor background. However, due to his professional habit, he treated anyone who entered the pawnshop as a guest, and he politely asked, "Little friend, what do you need?"

Li Rui raised his nostrils and let out a sound of "hm," then swaggered out. He was evidently quite pleased with Yun Feiyang's humble attitude.

Upon seeing that Xiao Feiyang had fallen silent, Wang Quezi, puzzled, asked: "Little friend, what about the things you were supposed to take?"

He observed the people inside coming and going in a lively manner, yet he did not see anything being sold outside, which he found quite strange. Just then, an old man at the neighboring table was also having breakfast, so he approached to inquire about what this pawnshop was actually doing.

The young man swiftly opened the door, tidied up the counter, and began a day of busyness. Over the past year, the business of this pawnshop has been thriving. The southern country of Baiyue has become increasingly unfriendly towards the Fast Empire since last year, making life more difficult for the Fast people living in Baiyue. Some Fast people, unable to make ends meet, have had to return to the Fast Empire. Qixia Town is situated on one of the main roads leading into the Fast Empire. Many returning Fast people have brought back a wealth of valuable items from Baiyue, including numerous antique artworks and magic crystals. Due to restrictions on their identities, they could not exchange these items for an ideal price in Baiyue, so many chose to pawn them at the Qixia pawnshop on their way home. This year, the owner of the pawnshop, Boss Li, has been making a fortune, almost waking up laughing in his dreams.

The boy named Yun Feiyang is not a local, and no one knows where he comes from. He appeared in the town when he was only twelve years old, all alone. At that time, he was nearly out of money, so he spent his last coin to buy a hearty breakfast at a shop across from the pawnshop. After swallowing the last bun, he looked up and saw the imposing facade of the Seven Heroes Pawnshop across the street

Li Rui provocatively looked at Yun Feiyang and said, "Young man Yun, why are you so careless? You always handle things clumsily."

After Yun Feiyang tidied everything up, the staff at the Seven Heroes Pawnshop, including the head clerk, began to get busy. It was not until just before noon that they finally found a moment of leisure. After a busy morning, Yun Feiyang, whose throat felt nearly on fire, grabbed a cup of tea and drank it in one go, then sat down to rest at the high counter.

Yun Feiyang cursed inwardly: "You think I don't know you did that on purpose? Just wait, I'll deal with you properly one of these days." However, a broad smile of flattery spread across his face: "Oh, it's Young Master Rui! It's all my fault for not paying attention. Did I hurt you? Are you going to the training hall to practice again?"

Upon seeing the blue bricks in Xiao Feiyang's arms, Wang Quezi immediately recognized that this child was undoubtedly a rogue, intending to use these bricks as currency. He couldn't help but furrow his brows. He had encountered such individuals throughout his life. Previously, it was only local ruffians who engaged in such activities, but today, even a child who had not yet shed his baby hair was involved in this kind of mischief. Truly, the moral fabric of society is declining. It is important to note that Boss Li of the Qixia Pawnshop is not someone to be trifled with; the protector of Qixia Town is a friend of Boss Li.

Someone nearby chimed in: "This child is right; human life is indeed valuable, and quite a lot at that." Everyone burst into laughter, thinking how amusing the child was. They were also curious to see how this Wang cripple would handle the situation

Xiaoyun Feiyang touched his empty pockets, then wiped his mouth with his hand. He stood up and walked to the corner of the wall opposite, moved a few discarded blue bricks from the street corner, and walked inside.

Wang the Lame said in a deep voice: "Little friend, stop messing around and go home quickly. This is not a place for you to play."

Over the past five years, the Li family has been quite satisfied with this young Yun Feiyang. This lad is diligent and clever. In just five years, he has learned everything that Wang Quezi had to offer, whether it be antiques or magic crystals; he can accurately quote a price with just a glance. Boss Li has secretly regarded him as Wang Quezi's successor. Once Wang Quezi is too old to continue, Yun Feiyang will take over as the head clerk. It is known that the position of head clerk is typically held by someone over forty years old. Given this trend, Yun Feiyang is set to become the youngest head clerk in all of Qingzhou.

Xiao Feiyang said, "Rest assured, I am not here to be a brick. " As he spoke, he placed the blue bricks on the ground and stacked them up, then stood on them with his feet, beginning to laboriously climb up to the high counter. Everyone curiously watched the strange actions of this peculiar child and gathered around, eager to see what unusual items he could produce. There was even a kind-hearted person who, noticing Xiao Feiyang's struggle, picked him up and helped him ascend.

Yun Feiyang took a brief rest before standing up to head towards the warehouse. He had collected quite a few items today, and his work also involved organizing these items into categories. Just as he turned around, he was suddenly and forcefully bumped into by someone. He looked up and saw that it was Li Boss's son—Li Rui—who had collided with him.

At this moment, everyone came to their senses and burst into laughter, realizing that this little brat had been busy for half a day just to make a fool of himself. Wang Quezi's face turned a bit red; wasn't this just a way to mock him? He had been in this line of work for decades, and it was the first time someone had done something like this.

The old man looked at the child, who appeared to be quite clever, and smiled as he said: "Of course, it's just that valuable things can be worth more, while less valuable ones can only be worth less."

At that moment, Boss Li in the back room heard the commotion outside and thought something significant had happened, so he hurriedly came out. Upon hearing Wang the Lame explain the situation, he couldn't help but laugh. He pulled Xiao Feiyang aside to inquire about the details and soon understood the boy's intentions. Considering the child's cleverness and the fact that the shop was in need of help, he decided to keep Xiao Feiyang. This decision lasted for five years, during which Xiao Feiyang grew from a little kid into a seventeen-year-old young man.

As the pedestrians on the street gradually increased and the morning came alive, the largest pawnshop in town—Qixia Pawnshop—also opened its doors. The one who opened the door was a drowsy teenager in his teens, with a well-proportioned figure, bright eyes, and a pair of sword-like eyebrows. However, there was often a hint of a mischievous smile at the corner of his mouth, giving him a somewhat roguish appearance

Upon seeing that it was a child, the old man patiently explained to him that this pawn shop was a place where items could be exchanged for money. Yun Feiyang curiously asked, "Old man, can anything be exchanged for money?"

Wang the Lame said: "Indeed, anything can be pawned, but the prerequisite is that it must be something of value. For instance, these worthless bricks in your arms cannot be pawned."

Am I not?

Xiao Feiyang looked up and said, "Isn't this a pawn shop? I heard that anything can be pawned, so I came to pawn something."

Wang Quezi exclaimed in surprise, "Do you mean to be yourself?"

Li Rui is one year older than Yun Feiyang. Ever since Yun Feiyang arrived at the pawnshop, he has been bullied by him. At that time, Yun Feiyang was in a miserable state; not only was he bullied by Young Master Rui in the shop, but he also had to face a group of young delinquents outside. Until one day, after being bullied enough by that group of kids, Yun Feiyang, in a fit of rage, challenged their leader, a chubby boy named Hua Fu. Naturally, the slender Yun Feiyang was no match for the chubby boy and ended up with a bruised face. However, that day, Yun Feiyang fought like a madman, getting knocked down countless times, but he kept getting back up until he finally knocked the frightened chubby boy to the ground. From that day on, they became friends instead of enemies. He and the chubby boy became the leaders of that group of kids. From then on, Yun Feiyang's life improved; Young Master Rui was often beaten up by the chubby boy and his gang when he went out. After learning what had happened, whenever they saw Yun Feiyang, they would keep their distance and no longer dared to trouble him.