I Quit Being This Female Lead (GL) - Chapter 65

Although it was the middle of the night, the entire small island was brightly lit, as if it were daytime.

The drifting shower of flower petals, combined with the illuminated lanterns and the sounds of people calling out, made Mang Ke think of a night market.

The street vendors had many items—food, toys, and utilities—that made Mang Ke dizzy with delight. However, fearing her identity might be exposed, she dared not speak to the stall owners. She could only watch intently with wide, round eyes.

“I can buy you something if you like.” Xun Fangyun held Mang Ke’s hand and pointed at a stall selling rock candy gourds. “Do you want to eat one?”

Mang Ke shook her head. She then stood on her tiptoes and whispered into Xun Fangyun’s ear, “I’m afraid if I eat their things, I won’t be able to return alive to the human world.”

Xun Fangyun couldn’t help but laugh softly upon hearing this. She rubbed Mang Ke’s head and said, “You are right. The things here are indeed not suitable for us.”

“So let’s hurry up and pawn the Demon Subduing Pestle, then take the money and leave,” Mang Ke said, her eyes smiling widely. “The human world has much more fun stuff, and I’m not familiar with this place.”

Xun Fangyun nodded and continued to lead Mang Ke forward.

Although the streets of the Ghost Market branched out in all directions, there was only one main road that led straight to the center, under the enormous, sky-shrouding cherry blossom tree.

They hadn’t walked far when they saw a golden, dazzling building with a large character for [PAWN] written on it. They knew this had to be the pawnshop the stall owner mentioned.

Mang Ke and Xun Fangyun exchanged glances. Neither of them had any experience at the Ghost Market, so they could only take things one step at a time.

There weren’t many people inside the pawnshop. Mang Ke also saw the goods displayed on both sides of the store: there were items, materials, and even… dried corpses?!

Mang Ke: “!!!”

Just as Mang Ke’s face turned deathly pale from fright, the shop clerk walked over and asked, “Are the guests here to pawn something or buy something? We can trade item-for-item here. If you see something you like that’s of similar value, you can take it. It’s a great deal.”

Xun Fangyun put her arm around Mang Ke, preventing her from looking at the dried corpse standing behind the counter.

Mang Ke stammered to the clerk, “I—I want to pawn something…”

The clerk asked with a smile, “What would the guests like to pawn?”

“A De—Demon Subduing Pestle.”

The clerk opened his small eyes and sized up the two people in front of him.

The tall woman in the dark blue dress had an elusive spiritual aura and looked like a formidable figure. The young girl who had just spoken about pawning the Demon Subduing Pestle looked dazed, with a spiritual power that appeared as tiny as a sesame seed—the lowest rank among all the demons, ghosts, and monsters.

The clerk blinked and said, “Could you let me see the item, miss? After all, with an ancient divine artifact like the Demon Subduing Pestle, we need to verify its authenticity.”

Mang Ke nodded. She had calmed down somewhat. She took the wrapped Demon Subduing Pestle from her back and unwrapped it for the clerk to see.

The clerk: “…”

The heavily rusted Demon Subduing Pestle was unassuming, but any discerning person could tell the spiritual power contained within it was vast and endless, perhaps even more abundant than the seawater of the Ghost Market. However, perhaps due to the passage of time, it was currently dormant.

No matter how one looked at it, this item seemed to be authentic.

“My apologies, but my eyes are truly too untrained to determine its authenticity. How about this?” The clerk smiled at the two guests. “The two guests should sit and rest here for a moment. I will go inside and consult with our manager. We will then provide you with a fair and just price.”

Mang Ke’s eyes lit up. Based on the clerk’s words, she could finally get money this time!

Any amount would be fine, as long as it was enough for the travel expenses back to her sect!

“Good!” Mang Ke said joyfully to him. “Then please go consult. We will sit here for a while.”

After serving them tea and arranging their seating, the clerk lifted the curtain and went to the back room.

“Manager.”

In the dark and empty room, the clerk said, “A guest has come to pawn something. I believe it is genuine, but I’m not entirely sure…”

As the clerk’s voice faded, a candle flickered to life in the originally empty room. Then, a grand armchair materialized, on which sat a man dressed in golden-green long robes. He spoke with a contemplative tone, “You’ve worked for me for so long. Can you still not distinguish between genuine and fake goods?”

The clerk said helplessly, “I can naturally distinguish ordinary items, but the item this guest brought is not simple.”

The man asked boredly, “What is it?”

“The Demon Subduing Pestle.”

The tea in the man’s hand instantly lost its appeal. He raised his eyes to look at his clerk and repeated, “The Demon Subduing Pestle? Are you referring to the one that sealed our revered Lord for ten million years?”

“Yes,” the clerk said. “I’ve only heard about it in legends, but everything matches what the guest brought. Still, I didn’t dare to make a decision about an ancient divine artifact on my own.”

The man stood up from the armchair and waved his sleeve. The entire room instantly became brightly lit, with a table, chairs for receiving guests, and incense burning. He said lightly, “Invite that guest in. I want to have a good talk with her.”

If it truly was the Demon Subduing Pestle, then it meant that the sealed Lord had already appeared in the world.

The Demon Race is currently in chaos, largely because they lack a leader. Everyone wants to establish their own faction, no one respects anyone else, and conflicts break out constantly.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have given up being a proper demon to open a pawnshop in the Ghost Market; he did it for the peace and quiet.

When he saw Mang Ke lift the curtain and enter, he couldn’t help but frown.

Why would a human girl be here?

However, the man did not show much reaction. He spoke calmly to Mang Ke, “Please sit, guest. My clerk told me you possess the ancient divine artifact, the Demon Subduing Pestle. Is that true?”

Mang Ke nodded and presented the Demon Subduing Pestle to him. “The Demon Subduing Pestle is right here. Tell me how much it is worth.”

The man examined the Demon Subduing Pestle for a long time. He tried to inject spiritual energy into it, only to find that it was as quiet as an endless black hole, not responding no matter how much he probed.

Rejected by an ancient divine artifact…

The man blinked secretly. It certainly seemed to be genuine.

He turned and smiled. “My name is Yin Shu. May I ask the young lady’s name?”

Mang Ke smiled. “My name is Mang Ke.”

“Miss Mang Ke,” Yin Shu asked with a smile, “Can you tell me where you obtained this item?”

Mang Ke hesitated, wondering whether she should tell the truth.

“If you are willing to tell me, we can double the price,” Yin Shu offered Mang Ke. “Whatever price you name, I will double it. How does that sound?”

Mang Ke was tempted, but she looked at the manager before her with suspicion. “Why are you asking that?”

“It is a matter of great importance to my race.”

Mang Ke blinked. “I picked it up on the road.”

Yin Shu smiled. “Do you think I would believe that?”

Mang Ke: “…Alright, fine. I actually pulled it out of someone.”

Yin Shu stared at her intently and asked, “Where is that person?”

“After I pulled it out, someone who called himself Zhu Zhao appeared. They started fighting, and I ran away. Then I realized I somehow ended up with this,” Mang Ke said guiltily. “I don’t need the doubled price. Please don’t ask me any more questions.”

Yin Shu curved his lips into a light smile. He could smell the lie.

He examined the Demon Subduing Pestle in his hand. Although this human girl was lying, the item was at least genuine. This meant that their Demon Lord had truly appeared in the world, but for some other reason, had not immediately returned to the Demon Race.

Yin Shu slowly glanced at Mang Ke. This young girl apparently didn’t understand how important the item she possessed was. If that was the case…

Mang Ke saw the manager remain silent for a long time and couldn’t help but ask, “Can’t this item be pawned?”

If she couldn’t pawn it, she would truly be penniless.

Yin Shu smiled. “Of course, it can. May I ask what price you have in mind?”

Mang Ke held up her two index fingers and crossed them in front of her, forming a ‘ten’ symbol.

Yin Shu looked at her with a stern face. Ten thousand spiritual energy? This young girl certainly knew how to set a price.

However, it was still worth it.

Mang Ke saw the other party’s face suddenly darken, and she timidly hid her fingers, saying weakly, “Was that too much? I can cut it in half. Any lower than that, and I won’t even have enough for travel expenses.”

Yin Shu smiled brilliantly. “Easy, easy. Cutting it in half is certainly possible.”

Seeing that he had regained his smile, Mang Ke quickly pressed her advantage. “I want human currency. I don’t want any spiritual energy.”

Yin Shu pondered for a moment. “I will need some time to exchange it. I don’t have much silver on hand right now.”

Mang Ke nodded. “I know you don’t usually accept human silver here. Can you mail the rest to me?”

Yin Shu smiled. “Of course.”

Mang Ke said happily, “That’s great! Then just give me whatever you have right now, manager. The remaining few gold coins can be mailed later.”

Yin Shu: “…How much did you quote just now, miss?”

Mang Ke: “Five gold coins. Is that still too expensive?”

Yin Shu: “…”

An ancient divine artifact exchanged for five gold coins?

Was this girl… not quite right in the head?

“Of course, it’s not expensive,” Yin Shu said, taking ten gold ingots from his pocket. He handed them to Mang Ke. “These are all for you. The rest are on the house.”

Mang Ke was ecstatic looking at the sparkling gold ingots. With this, she would not only have travel money but could also eat well, drink well, and even buy a house with Xun Fangyun!

She left happily with the money, while Yin Shu looked at the Demon Subduing Pestle on the table and fell into deep thought.

The Lord must have her own reasons for not returning to the Demon Race. The fall of a leader would definitely be known by all demons, so the Lord must currently have something to deal with and is only temporarily staying out of the Demon Realm.

If that was the case…

Yin Shu waved his hand, and a small, black figure materialized and knelt before him.

[Master.]

“The human girl who just left,” Yin Shu said calmly. “Dispose of her.”

[Yes.]

The figure dispersed, and the room fell silent again. Yin Shu lightly stroked the Demon Subduing Pestle and smiled. “Killing a human girl in the Ghost Market is easier than stepping on an ant.”