The Emperor's Domineering Favor, the Evil Consort's Unparalleled Reign

It took Ying Li three more days to reach Linshui City after leaving the inn. Although Yeling City and Linshui City were not far apart, Ying Li spent his days traveling and his nights refining the inner core of the Devouring Spirit Python, leaving him with no extra time.

Because she was a young woman, Ying Li was afraid of encountering trouble along the way and dared not hire a carriage, so she walked alone step by step. Strangely enough, after refining the inner core of the Devouring Spirit Python for four days, Ying Li still could not refine it completely. Upon closer inspection, she found that she had only refined half of the inner core. When she closed her eyes and looked at its shape, it was still a perfect circle, but the shape had shrunk slightly.

Could it be that I've been too eager for quick success?

Ying Li was not discouraged. He thought it was just the right time and that perhaps if he obtained the Spirit Gathering Grass, he could break through to the fifth stage of soul cultivation.

After finding a small inn to stay in, Ying Li put down her bundle and followed the crowd to the pawnshop. She was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer number of people. She had heard that you had to have an item to auction at the pawnshop. Since she couldn't fully refine the inner core of the Devouring Spirit Python, she forced it out of her body and carried it with her. Although it wasn't a spirit beast's inner core, such a powerful evil beast combined with the purified spiritual energy would surely fetch a good price at auction. If she could exchange it for Spirit Gathering Grass, that would be the best outcome.

"Little girl, don't cause trouble. This isn't a place for you!" A burly man was maintaining order at the entrance of the pawnshop when he saw a bewildered-looking little girl standing there and said with displeasure.

Ying Li glanced at the other party and said, "I'm here for the auction, not to cause trouble."

The burly man paused, then, seeing the little girl who was two heads shorter than him, a contemptuous smile crept across his face. He said, "What can a mere girl like you use for an auction?! You might as well go home and embroider, hahahahahaha!"

As the burly man sneered, several pawnshop servants dressed in the same clothes laughed along with Ying Li, seeing her serious expression. In their eyes, Ying Li was just a young girl who had come to join in the fun; she would at most look around outside and then leave, and she couldn't possibly bring anything that could be pawned at the auction.

They see hundreds or thousands of girls like that every year, so this statement sounds more like it came from a child and has no credibility whatsoever.

Seeing that the other party looked down on him, Ying Li remained calm. He took out a brocade pouch from his waist and slowly took out the inner core of the Devouring Spirit Python and placed it in his palm.

A burst of pure golden spiritual energy suddenly appeared at the entrance of the pawnshop! Everyone was astonished. The place was so quiet that even the sound of a silver needle falling to the ground could be heard.

The burly man stared wide-eyed at the golden inner core in Ying Li's hand. After a long while, he swallowed hard. He had never seen such a huge and pure inner core before, and the owner of this inner core was a little girl of fourteen or fifteen years old. Indeed, appearances can be deceiving.

"This...this is the inner core of the Devouring Python?" the man stammered, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement.

Ying Li nodded, then asked in a cold voice, "Can I go in now?!"

The burly man nodded repeatedly, his expression changing completely. He winked at the pawnshop servants behind him, then turned to Ying Li with a forced smile and said politely, "Please, Miss. Please forgive any slight delay. Hehe, please forgive me."

After saying that, he gestured with both hands to indicate "please" and called out to the hall behind him, "One distinguished guest, one top-class room!"

Ying Li didn't turn around. He simply put away the Devouring Spirit Python's inner core, raised his head, and walked into the pawnshop. There was silence behind him, but after Ying Li stepped through the door, a murmur of discussion broke out!