153: Chapter 153 The Jade Hairpin, Return

A jewelry store capable of opening in the capital is naturally extremely prosperous.

As soon as Chen Ran and Lin Wan stepped inside, a respectful voice greeted them from within.

"Two distinguished guests, please come in!"

The jewelry store clerk had sharp eyes and came forward to welcome them from afar.

Lin Wan bit the bullet and crossed the threshold.

The shop was filled with pearls and jewels, dazzling enough to make one dizzy.

The counters were filled with all kinds of gold and silver jewelry, jade hairpins, and step-shakers.

Several women dressed in flashy, gaudy clothes were browsing, occasionally letting out soft giggles.

Lin Wan stood in place, looking completely out of place.

Apart from practicing her blade and handling cases, she knew nothing of these feminine trinkets.

If it weren't for putting on a show for her family today, she would never have stepped foot in a place like this.

"Young lady, take a look at this gold step-shaker; it's a brand new design."

The clerk enthusiastically approached, holding an exquisite wooden box in his hands.

"This craftsmanship, this quality—it's a perfect match for your figure!"

Lin Wan looked at the glittering step-shaker and frowned slightly.

How much would this thing get in the way during a fight if worn on the head?

If she encountered thieves, wouldn't this swaying step-shaker just give away her position?

"No need, I'm just looking around."

She refused in a blunt tone.

The clerk was not discouraged and brought out a pair of jade bracelets.

"Then take a look at these jade bracelets; they have such great clarity and make your skin look fairer when worn."

Lin Wan felt somewhat unnatural due to the clerk's enthusiasm.

However, upon closer inspection, the jade bracelet was indeed finely crafted, with petal-like patterns engraved on it.

"How much is this?"

"Distinguished guest, this jade bracelet is a new item in our shop. You can take it for just five hundred taels of silver notes."

"Five hundred taels."

Lin Wan's expression changed slightly, and she subconsciously took half a step back.

Although her family was not short of money, her own monthly salary as a government official was only three hundred taels of silver.

This small jade bracelet was actually worth two months of her salary.

If this were used to improve her strength, it would be enough to refine at least one Medicinal Pill.

Thinking of this, Lin Wan's pretty face turned cold, and she whispered in her heart: "Rip-off shop, definitely a rip-off shop."

The clerk was startled, and the smile on his face froze.

Chen Ran watched from the side and almost laughed out loud.

This woman treated shopping for jewelry like going into battle.

He shook his head and walked to the counter.

His gaze swept across the rows of jewelry.

Finally, it rested on a white jade hairpin.

The hairpin was snow-white all over, without extra carvings, save for an orchid bud carved at the end.

Simple and elegant.

It was quite suitable for Lin Wan's cold and aloof personality.

"Clerk, wrap this hairpin up."

Chen Ran pointed to the white jade hairpin.

The clerk felt as if he had been granted an amnesty and hurried over to pack it.

"Sir, you have a good eye. This is high-quality Hetian jade, only three hundred taels of silver."

Three hundred taels of silver was not expensive for this hairpin.

Chen Ran thought for a moment, then readily took out the silver notes and handed them over.

"Wrap it up for me..."

Boom!

Just then, a loud noise suddenly came from outside.

Immediately after, there were terrified screams from the commoners.

"Murder!"

"Run!"

The street instantly descended into chaos.

Chen Ran raised an eyebrow and turned to look.

Lin Wan, who had been standing behind him, was already gone.

This woman's speed was getting faster and faster.

Chen Ran didn't rush out, but instead tucked the neatly packed wooden box into his robes.

He released his perception, probing toward the direction the sound came from.

He saw several burly men with bare torsos smashing stalls at the street corner.

The leader, a bald man, was holding a ghost-head broadsword, his face full of flesh.

"Get out of the way!"

The bald man kicked over a noodle stall, spilling boiling noodle soup all over the ground.

The surrounding commoners fled in terror.

"The Giant Deer Gang is working, bystanders get lost!"

The burly men roared arrogantly.

They brandished their weapons and wantonly destroyed the surrounding shops.

Just then, a black shadow descended from the sky.

Lin Wan appeared in front of the bald man like a ghost.

Without a word, she smashed directly into the bald man's chest.

"Bang!"

A muffled sound.

The bald man's two-hundred-pound body flew backward like a broken sack.

He slammed heavily into the wall and spat out a mouthful of blood.

The remaining burly men hadn't even reacted yet.

Lin Wan's figure flickered.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

In just a few breaths, all those Gang members were lying on the ground, wailing endlessly.

Clean and efficient.

Chen Ran stood at the entrance of the jewelry store, watching this scene.

This woman's violent tendencies really hadn't changed at all.

Not long after, a burst of hurried footsteps approached.

A team of Constables from the Six Doors arrived at the scene.

"Constable Lin!"

The leading Constable saw Lin Wan and quickly stepped forward to salute.

"Take all these people back."

Lin Wan ordered with a cold face.

"Yes!"

The Constables immediately stepped forward and tied up the burly men on the ground.

After a simple interrogation, the cause of the incident was quickly clarified.

The matter was not complicated.

It turned out that these burly men were from the Giant Deer Gang.

And these shops were the property of the neighboring Savage Lion Gang; the two Gangs had constant friction and deep conflicts.

They had come this time to teach the Savage Lion Gang a lesson.

As a result, they had run straight into the muzzle of Lin Wan's gun.

"Truly courting death."

Lin Wan snorted coldly.

She turned her head to look in the direction of the jewelry store, only to find Chen Ran leaning against the door frame, watching her.

"Let's go, we'll continue."

Lin Wan walked over, her tone returning to calm.

Chen Ran touched the wooden box in his robes.

Clearly, now was not a good time to give the gift.

This woman's mind was full of cases right now; if he gave her the hairpin, it would probably be treated as a trivial item.

"Forget it, better to find a good time to give this kind of thing..."

He shook his head and tucked the wooden box deeper into his robes.

"I still have things to do, I'm heading back to the Celestial Prison first."

Chen Ran waved his hand and turned to walk toward the Celestial Prison.

Lin Wan watched his back, opened her mouth, but in the end, said nothing.

...

The deep level of the Celestial Prison.

A cold and damp atmosphere hit him in the face.

Chen Ran changed into the official uniform of a Prison Officer, with keys hanging at his waist.

He walked slowly through the dim corridor.

From the cells on both sides, the wails and curses of prisoners came from time to time.

Chen Ran turned a deaf ear to it.

He came today to see Shen Jixuan in the deep level of the Celestial Prison.

Since breaking through to the Return to Truth Realm, his True Qi had become condensed like silk, capable of protecting his body.

At this moment, making contact with Shen Jixuan was much safer than before.

Just as he arrived at the Jia Ward cell area.

Chen Ran's footsteps paused slightly.

He keenly sensed an obscure fluctuation of aura ahead.

This aura was very familiar.

It was Warden Wen Ruoxu.

Chen Ran slowed his pace without changing his expression.

He saw that not far ahead, Warden Wen Ruoxu was holding a food box, standing in front of a cell door.

With his back to Chen Ran, he seemed to be saying something to the prisoner inside the cell.

Perhaps because Warden Wen Ruoxu was too roguish, Chen Ran even seemed to hear him boasting about his past romantic exploits to the prisoner.

"What a strange cultivation technique."

This scion of a noble family could be considered an eccentric; he was indulgent by nature and never seemed to have time to Cultivate.

Yet Chen Ran could perceive that Warden Wen Ruoxu's Realm was constantly advancing at a slow speed.

It was already much stronger than when he first entered the Celestial Prison a few months ago.

Chen Ran's perception spread silently toward them.

He bypassed the area where Warden Wen Ruoxu was and continued walking deeper.

The further down he went, the thicker the Evil Qi in the air became.

The torches on the walls flickered with a ghostly green light.

This was the deepest part of the Celestial Prison.

Those imprisoned here were all heinous and monstrous Devil Heads with heaven-defying strength.

Chen Ran pushed the wooden cart loaded with prisoner food and stopped in front of a cell made of refined steel.

There was not a shred of light in the cell.

Only shallow breathing echoed in the darkness.

"Shen Jixuan."

Chen Ran spoke indifferently.

"Time to eat."

In the darkness, a pair of eyes slowly opened.

Like two ghost fires, they stared at Chen Ran.