I'm already invincible, and you're telling me I just logged in?

Hearing that Xu Yun was busy outside the courtyard, Xu Yan did not linger and turned back.

Just as he returned to the stable, Xu Sanqi arrived, saying that several carriages had arrived at the back gate and needed someone to oil them, so he asked him to go and lend a hand.

More than ten days have passed in the blink of an eye.

After finishing the tasks assigned by Xu Sanqi, Xu Yan went to wait outside Xu Yun's courtyard for a while.

It was already evening when I returned.

This time, he finally got the reason why Xu Yun was avoiding him from the servants.

Ultimately, it was Xu Jiao, the original owner's adoptive father, who interfered.

After a moment's thought, Xu Yan reached behind his neck and untied the rope.

A pure white jade pendant appeared in his hand.

On the front of the jade pendant is engraved the character "叶" (ye).

The original owner's mother came from a scholarly family, but for some unknown reason, she ended up in a brothel.

This jade pendant was the only keepsake she left to the original owner.

This is also one of Xu Yan's fallback options.

"Indeed, it's better to rely on yourself than on others."

Xu Yun gave him martial arts skills, which helped him take his first step.

But in the eyes of the Xu family, he was still an unacceptable illegitimate child, and could even be ordered around by others.

Xu Yan could not accept this situation.

He checked his panel.

[ID: Xu Yan]

[Level: LV2 (7/20)]

External Martial Arts: "Wind-Splitting Blade" (Beginner 74/100)

After careful consideration, Xu Yan put the jade pendant back around his neck and stood up.

We can't keep wasting time like this.

Xu Sanqi's challenges increased, leaving less and less time for martial arts practice.

If things continue like this, even with a cheat code, they'll never get ahead.

We can't stay on the Xu family's ship any longer.

Leaving the Xu family, they still had to find a way to make a living.

But at least I'm a time traveler, so I'm not going to starve to death.

Having settled his thoughts, Xu Yan didn't linger any longer and headed towards the back door.

He was just an illegitimate child, without a contract of indenture, and no one cared whether he stayed or left.

After leaving the Xu family, which had been half a month since they last met, Xu Yan planned to visit Dongfang Canghai and Xiao Qi again.

He turned a corner and stopped in front of a pawnshop that was still open.

The original owner had heard many porters and bodyguards mention this shop before.

When they go out on a escort mission, the wild goods they bring back are mostly sold here.

The shopkeeper didn't ask for high prices, but he never inquired about the origin of the goods.

After hesitating for a moment, Xu Yan went inside.

Inside the pawnshop, an oil lamp was lit on the counter.

In the lamplight, a shopkeeper with a goatee was looking down and fiddling with an abacus.

Hearing footsteps, he slightly raised his eyes.

"Pawn or redeem?"

Xu Yan took off the jade pendant and placed it on the counter. "Shopkeeper, how much is this worth?"

The shopkeeper put down his abacus, picked up the jade pendant and examined it closely under the lamp, then looked up and said, "Ten taels."

Xu Yan frowned and said, "Manager, do you think my Xu Family Escort Agency is easy to bully?"

Although he had left the Xu family, the sign still held some weight in Qing Shi Town, and he didn't mind borrowing it for a while.

Upon hearing the words "Xu Family Escort Agency," the shopkeeper put down the jade pendant and gave Xu Yan a serious look.

He was dressed in coarse cloth, but his broad shoulders and strong arms showed clear signs of martial arts training.

"A porter from the Xu family? He looks unfamiliar."

Xu Yan did not respond.

After a moment, the shopkeeper sighed softly: "This jade is a fine piece of white jade, but unfortunately it has been engraved with words, so it's not easy to sell."

He glanced at Xu Yan, as if waiting for him to bargain.

Xu Yan stated directly, "I won't take it even if it means I die; I'll take it alive."

The shopkeeper was slightly taken aback. "A cash pawn?"

Pawning is different from pawning without a contract. Pawning involves signing a contract, paying interest monthly, and the pawner can redeem the pawned ...

The interest rates were not low, and most pawnbrokers would take the pawn money and immediately exchange it for elixirs and weapons, rarely thinking of redeeming it.

But this jade pendant is different; it is the only keepsake left by the original owner's mother.

Even if Xu Yan takes over this body, he cannot sever his desires.

All you need is to convert your savings into start-up capital.

The shopkeeper glanced at him, pondered for a moment, and said, "Thirty taels, one tael of interest per month."

Xu Yan hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

The monthly interest is one or two taels, which is frighteningly high.

But he believed he could redeem himself.

The two contracts were quickly written. Xu Yan read them word by word, pressed his fingerprint on them, and took one of them and thirty taels of silver before leaving the pawnshop.

After Xu Yan left, the shopkeeper picked up the jade pendant and examined it again under the oil lamp.

This jade is translucent. Although it has inscriptions, it will sell for a hundred taels of silver if the right buyer is found.

He's been sitting in this shop for over a decade, and he's seen more people than Xu Yan has eaten meals.

The kid said he was from the Xu family, and his physique did indeed suggest he had some training.

But judging from the reluctant look on his face when he held the jade.

This jade pendant is most likely a keepsake left by the young man's relatives, who are eager to exchange it for money to buy elixirs or weapons.

As for whether he will come back to redeem it?

The shopkeeper put the jade pendant back into the hidden compartment at the bottom of the cabinet, closed the lid, and didn't think much of it.

Born out of wedlock, Xu's family has always been on the edge of a knife; let's see if he can come back alive.

......

After leaving the pawnshop, Xu Yan didn't linger and headed straight for the alley where Dongfang Canghai and Xiao Qi usually rested.

The night was deep, and there was no one under the wooden plank.

Dongfang Canghai and Xiaoqi have obviously not returned yet.

Xu Yan stood there for a moment, then squatted down and felt through the carved wooden boards.

There were no other gains.

Seeing that neither of them were there, Xu Yan stood up again and walked towards the street corner that Dongfang Canghai usually led.

Sure enough, Dongfang Canghai appeared at the same spot where Xu Yan first met him, just like a fixed NPC.

He leaned against the wall, raised his head, and held a gourd in his hand.

Dongfang Canghai shook the gourd, and a drop or two of water dripped out, landing right into his open mouth.

He smacked his lips, looked down at the mouth of the gourd, and seemed a little disappointed.

Xiao Qi would often add some water to it and tell him it was wine.

Xu Yan knelt down in front of him and asked, "Want a drink?"

Upon hearing the word "wine," Dongfang Canghai's cloudy eyes suddenly lit up.

He leaned against the wall to stand up, looked around, and asked, "Wine? Where's the wine?"

He then squatted down, staring intently at Xu Yan. "You have alcohol?"

Looking at Dongfang Canghai's appearance, Xu Yan smiled helplessly to himself.

If it weren't for the fact that the cheat codes allow you to see the panel.

He never imagined that the disheveled, seemingly delirious man in front of him would be a level 56 big shot.

Xu Yan stood up. "I have wine."

Dongfang Canghai quickly asked, "Where?"

Xu Yan turned and walked towards the tavern not far away: "Follow me and you'll find one."

There was a rustling sound behind them; Dongfang Canghai had caught up.

The two entered the tavern one after the other. Under the dim light, the waiter, who was wiping the table with his head down, looked up and his expression immediately changed.

He put down the rag and came forward, waving his hand to shoo it away: "Go away, you stinking beggar!"

Xu Yan stepped aside to block him, saying, "Waiter, this is my friend today."

The waiter recognized Xu Yan, his face full of embarrassment. "Young man, why did you bring him here?"

He glanced at Dongfang Canghai, then continued to Xu Yan, "This beggar keeps barging in every few days to steal drinks from the customers. We've tried cursing him, we've tried beating him, but it's no use."

"If the shopkeeper finds out I let him in, he'll skin me alive!"

Xu Yan didn't say much, but took out a piece of silver from his pocket and placed it on the counter: "I'm buying wine today, will you sell it to me or not?"

The waiter's gaze lingered on the silver coin for a moment, then he glanced at Xu Yan's expression before obediently turning around to fetch wine.

This time, Xu Yan didn't buy the cheap lamb wine she usually drank, but rather the shop's signature drink.

Shaodaozi (a type of Chinese liquor).

One tael of silver per pound.

Even ordinary bodyguards in the Xu family couldn't bear to drink often.

He wasn't sure if he had received all the rewards from the Eastern Ocean side quest.

But it's never a bad thing to befriend a level 56 expert.

Two jars of strong liquor were quickly brought up, and as soon as the seals were broken, the aroma of the liquor hit our noses.

Without waiting for a word, Dongfang Canghai reached out and grabbed a jar, then tilted his head back and took a big gulp.

The moment the liquor entered his throat, his eyes widened.

"!!!"

"This wine has power!"