The Netherworld Pawnshop in the Back Alley

Hidden in the shadowy divide between yin and yang, in the back alleys of the city, the Yellow Springs Pawnshop never accepts gold, silver, or jewels. It takes only the desires that leave people's hearts unfulfilled: a down-on-his-luck gambler trades ten years of his lifespan for a winning streak; a young woman who has lost her lover gives up ten years of memories to reunite with the dead for three days; an ordinary person dissatisfied with a mediocre life offers half his soul in exchange for power over a region.

The shopkeeper, Shen Yan, has upheld the pawnshop's century-old rules. He has watched countless people stride in, eager to lay their desires on the counter, and willingly sign the contracts. Yet no one ever asks: once you've pawned the thing most precious to you, can the life you have left still be called your own? One strange pawnshop tale after another unfolds, revealing the true nature of humanity, pulled taut by desire. No one can escape the words whispered above the pawnshop's door: "Pawn one thing, repay it with your whole life."

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.