Buzz!
In an instant, Chen Shaojun felt a wave of heat surging through his body.
Even though this heatwave quickly fused into every part of his body and disappeared without a trace, he still sensed it clearly.
It was his strength!
This was the strength that was born in his body after practicing the fist technique.
However, because his body was weak, he could not control his own power. Thus, he could not seal this strength within his body.
Of course, the dispersed 'strength' did not really disappear. Instead, it directly fused into his body, subtly increasing his strength.
According to his understanding, this was actually the end result of the process of practicing martial arts to strengthen one's body.
The 'strength' that was produced continuously enhanced his power. It also nourished and tempered his physique until it reached a certain limit…
"The fact that I have managed to cultivate my 'strength' means that I have truly mastered this set of fist techniques. Next, I will have to rely on constant cultivation."
Chen Shaojun was pleasantly surprised. Then, he realized that two hours had passed in the blink of an eye.
Furthermore, after practicing martial arts, he expended a lot of energy. As he was hungry, he stopped and walked out of the appraisal room.
After receiving the tally, Chen Shaojun was about to rush to the dining hall when a servant shouted from the direction of the shop.
"Coming."
Shen Lang responded and stood up quickly. He opened the door that connected the storeroom to the platform of the pawnshop.
The shopkeeper was not around, and the few official pawnbrokers were all high and mighty. Therefore, if anything happened in the pawnshop, Shen Lang would handle it on his own.
Chen Shaojun took a glance and saw a burly man in green standing by the side of the platform.
Usually, when the pawnshop was open, it was normal for customers to come and visit.
Chen Shaojun was not that curious about these customers.
However, when he saw this person, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
"Have I seen this person before?"
Chen Shaojun frowned in confusion.
Then, he saw the scar on that person's face and his heart skipped a beat.
He had actually met this person before.
However, it was when he was appraising a treasure.
Previously, when he was appraising the Scholarly Fan, the Psychic Treasure Mirror tracked the source of the treasure. Then, the image revealed was this person's figure.
He was the one who had killed Zhao Quan, the owner of the Scholarly Fan.
"If I remember correctly, the Scholarly Fan, the Weasel Hair Brush, as well as the treasures in the storeroom that haven't been appraised, including the jade ruyi that was covered with a sinister aura and haunted by a ghost, should have belonged to Zhao Quan's family."
"However, half a year ago, all seven of them were killed. That was why the treasures were sealed by the government."
"During the six-month public announcement period, no one claimed the treasures."
"Thus, the shopkeeper purchased them from the government office and brought them to the Lin Pawnshop."
Chen Shaojun quickly thought about the entire process.
"And now, the murderer who might have killed Zhao Quan's family of seven is right before me…"
Chen Shaojun did not have an overwhelming sense of justice.
Even if he knew that this person was the murderer, he did not intend to be nosy.
What if he reported this matter? What would he say to the authorities?
How did he know that Zhao Quan was the murderer? Did he see him with his own eyes? If he could not explain his report, then they could easily turn the tables and accuse him of slander.
The government office seemed reliable, but the officials weren't. Perhaps this case was not closed and they were just waiting for the culprit to walk into the trap.
Chen Shaojun didn't want to cause trouble for himself. However, the murderer from back then had come looking for the batch of treasures that had been bought by the pawnshop. Thus, he couldn't help but think about it.
"Sir, would you like to pawn your items or buy back your items?"
Shen Lang was much more polite to outsiders.
"Neither."
"My mother-in-law is about to celebrate her birthday, so I'm thinking of buying a treasure as a birthday gift."
"After searching a few shops, I couldn't find a suitable one."
"However, I heard that the reputation of the Lin Pawnshop is extremely high. In the surrounding areas, if one mentioned a pawnshop, then the Lin Pawnshop would always be the recommended shop."
"Thus, I'd like to see if there's a suitable birthday present in the pawnshop."
"By the way, my mother-in-law likes jade, so it's best if this birthday gift is made of jade. A jade ruyi, a jade Buddha statue, and similar items will do."
As he spoke, he glanced towards the storeroom and saw a few items on the tray. Then, his eyes lit up and he exclaimed, "The jade ruyi on the tray looks pretty good."
Naturally, an intelligent servant brought the tray over.
"This jade ruyi…?"
Shen Lang took the jade ruyi from the tray.
A bone-chilling coldness caused his hand to tremble. After calming himself down, he quickly put it down again and asked.
"That's right!"
The scar-faced man hurriedly nodded.
Chen Shaojun wasn't in a hurry to leave at this moment. When he saw the situation, he couldn't help but mutter. Could it be that the other party was ruthless enough to commit a massacre all for the sake of this jade ruyi?
In fact, he was secretly relieved.
After all, the jade ruyi had given him too much pressure.
It was covered in a sinister aura, and a ghostly shadow lingered around it.
He believed that he could not subdue it with his own methods.
Once it was his turn to appraise the jade ruyi, even if he didn't die, he would be badly injured.
Now, if this person bought it, he would feel somewhat at ease.
"The customer's taste is indeed extraordinary."
"The treasures on that tray were obtained from a wealthy family through our shopkeeper's connections."
"Among them, this jade ruyi is even more extraordinary. It is a gift from the noble king's estate to the head of that wealthy family."
Shen Lang smiled and quickly introduced the treasure.
"Shopkeeper, don't say such deceiving words."
"If it was really a gift from the noble king's estate, how could that family dare to pawn it so easily?"
"However, I really do like this jade ruyi."
"If you are sincere, can you offer me its actual price?"
The scar-faced man clearly knew the origins of the jade ruyi. Thus, he naturally would not listen to Shen Lang's nonsense.
"Hahaha, this jade ruyi is so precious. Even if you don't say it, I'm sure you know how precious it is."
"As the saying goes, fate brought us together. Since this guest has taken a liking to this treasure, our Lin Pawnshop is open to business, so we are naturally willing to part with it."
"How about this? I'll offer you this jade ruyi for 50 taels."
"Fifty taels of silver and it's yours."
"It's too expensive."
"Although the jade ruyi is of good quality, its carving is lacking."
"I can go to Jingbao Bank to buy a piece of Mr. Yue He's carved jade at the same price."
"I'll offer at most 20 taels of silver."
"Twenty taels of silver doesn't even cover the cost price of this jade ruyi. However, seeing that the customer is sincere, I'm willing to reduce the price."
"Hmm, how about 45 taels?"
Both parties were masters of bargaining. After a round of bids, they negotiated for a long time before finally deciding to trade the jade ruyi for 30 taels of silver.
"Alright, wrap this jade up for me."
Seeing that he was about to obtain the item, a look of joy appeared on the face of the scar-faced man. He took out the silver from his chest pocket and planned to hand over the money in exchange for the goods.
"Wait, you can't take this jade away."
However, just as the two of them were about to close the deal, Shen Lang suddenly stopped the scar-faced man.