Chapter 4: The Jade Pendant

Fang Yue jolted upright from his bed. The daylight was already bright, sunlight streaming through the gauzy curtain of the eastern window to bathe him in its glow.

"I've overslept. I wonder what time it is now?"

Throwing off his quilt, he got out of bed, walked to the window, and pulled it open. Outside, the sun was already climbing high in the sky.

After the succession of strange events last night, Fang Yue had been unable to fall asleep for a long time after returning to his room. It was not until dawn approached that he finally drifted off, only to wake and find it nearly noon.

Turning his head, his gaze landed on an antique bronze mirror resting in a corner of the room. He walked over, picked it up, and wiped away the dust. In the yellowed surface, he saw reflected the face of a handsome young man.

For a moment, Fang Yue was taken aback before realizing the man in the mirror was his current self—his features bearing a striking resemblance to those he had before crossing into this world.

"After all, this world was originally just a dream of mine. The me in the dream was subconsciously refined by my own mind. With looks like these, I could make a living just off my face. A pity—"

He shook his head and set down the mirror. Good looks were all well and good, but this was not a kind world. The most important thing was to figure out how to preserve himself when the nightmare descended.

"First, I have to redeem the jade pendant from the pawnshop—that’s urgent. Then I need to buy a few things and prepare, even if they might not be useful."

Fang Yue checked the money he had: a lump of broken silver, about one ounce, a small banknote for five ounces of silver, and some copper coins. That was all his worldly possessions.

"Just about enough, but when I get back, I'll be eating dirt and drinking wind from the northwest," he thought with a bitter smile, hastily tidied himself, and set off.

The Fenghe Pawnshop was located on East Street, a fair distance from the inn where Fang Yue was staying. He left without even bothering to eat, heading straight for East Street.

A quarter of an hour later, Fang Yue stood at the entrance of the Fenghe Pawnshop.

"I hope nothing has happened to the jade pendant," he muttered as he stepped inside.

The pawnshop was nearly empty; only a gray-haired old shopkeeper sat behind the counter, with an assistant polishing the shelves.

"Are you here to redeem the jade pendant?" The old shopkeeper took the pawn ticket, squinted at it, and spoke.

"Yes," Fang Yue replied.

"When you pawned it, it was for four ounces of silver. Now, to redeem it, you’ll need five," the old shopkeeper said offhandedly, setting the ticket down.

It had only been a day, and yet it would cost an extra ounce of silver to redeem—enough to cover Fang Yue’s living expenses for a month.

But he knew that was the way of pawnshops; there was nothing to be said. At least it was still within his means.

Gritting his teeth, heart aching, he took out the five-ounce banknote and exchanged it for the jade pendant.

"Finally got it back," he thought, excitement stirring in his chest. This was his talisman for survival.

The pendant was a milky white piece of jade. He turned it over and over in his hand, examining it. Its surface was adorned with simple, ancient patterns, and it appeared to be an ordinary piece. If there was anything unusual, it was the carving of two entwined fish on the front, forming a circular motif.

To Fang Yue, it looked very much like a Taiji diagram.

"I wonder what this jade pendant is for. Can it really ward off evil just by wearing it?"

After a while of fruitless study, he put the pendant away and hid it close to his body before leaving the pawnshop.

"Next, I need to buy some sulfur and saltpeter. Both have medicinal uses, so the pharmacy should carry them. I'll go take a look."

Fang Yue planned to make some gunpowder for self-defense—one of the best solutions he could think of right now.

Although gunpowder existed in this world, it was strictly controlled by the authorities, and Fang Yue had no way to acquire it except by making his own.

Fortunately, he still remembered the basic formula for black powder, though actually producing it himself would present many challenges.

Walking through the bustling streets, he asked directions and finally found a pharmacy.

Upon entering, he discovered Ren Junlin, the chubby youth, already inside.

"Fang Yue, I was just looking for you! Last night at the Flower Pavilion, you disappeared halfway through our drinking—why did you run off?" Ren Junlin exclaimed as soon as he saw Fang Yue, grabbing his arm.

Fang Yue felt a little awkward. Was it really proper to discuss visiting brothels so openly in public?

He glanced around. The clerks and customers in the pharmacy, apart from a few who turned at Ren Junlin’s loud voice, mostly looked unconcerned.

It seemed people were well accustomed to such behavior, or perhaps, in this society, scholars like Fang Yue and Ren Junlin frequenting brothels and drinking was simply accepted.

"I suddenly remembered something urgent and had to leave—my apologies," Fang Yue said, quickly changing the subject. "By the way, what brings you to the pharmacy? Are you here for medicine?"

Ren Junlin laughed. "This is a new pharmacy my family just opened. Didn’t you see the sign outside?"

Fang Yue recalled that the sign had indeed read "Ren’s Great Pharmacy," but he hadn’t made the connection to Ren Junlin’s family.

"I thought your family used to run maritime trade. Why open a pharmacy all of a sudden?"

Ren Junlin sighed. "The seas haven’t been safe lately. Pirates from the eastern sea keep coming close, harassing the coasts near Baiquan Prefecture. Maritime trade is barely sustainable. My father figured medicinal herbs might be a good business, so he opened this pharmacy to test the waters. If it works out, we might switch fields. That’s why I’ve been sent here to watch over things."

Baiquan Prefecture, to which Ping’an County belonged, was close to the eastern sea. Fang Yue had heard of the pirate problem before, but his impression was that it had never been so severe as to threaten even the coastal trade routes.

"Doesn’t the imperial navy garrisoned here in Baiquan do anything about the pirates?" Fang Yue asked.

"The imperial navy?" Ren Junlin’s expression turned scornful.

"Ahem, young master, be careful what you say," interrupted the pharmacy manager, who had been standing not far from them. Hearing the discontent in Ren Junlin’s tone toward the navy, he hurriedly interjected.

Ren Junlin caught himself and fell silent. This was not a private setting—criticizing the court could bring disaster, especially for merchants like them, who were the object of much envy.

"My surname is Chen, and I’m the manager here," the man said. "What can I get for you, Young Master Fang? Since you’re a friend of our young master, I’m authorized to give you a twenty percent discount."

Manager Chen appeared to be in his forties—vigorous, shrewd, and capable. Fang Yue had just observed how familiar he was with various herbs, and it was likely he had been recruited by the Ren family specifically for this new business.

"I need some sulfur and saltpeter. Do you have them?"

"Of course. Although our pharmacy is newly opened, our stock is comprehensive—none in the county can compare. How much do you need?"

Fang Yue explained his requirements. After spending over three hundred copper coins, he left with the supplies he needed, exchanged a few more words with Ren Junlin, and bade him farewell with a smile.

In truth, although the two had grown up in the same village, after the Ren family’s rise and their move to the county seat, Fang Yue and Ren Junlin rarely saw each other—sometimes not even once a year—and had naturally drifted apart. It was only recently, after Fang Yue passed the county exam, that they had grown familiar again.