Immortal Sword Master

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Treasure Auction, Appraiser

The Treasure Auction was held on the thirty-li Changle Street.

This auction house did not belong to any family in Luoyang City. Rumor had it that the mysterious woman named Yue Lianxi was the one behind it.

The Treasure Auction had been running for a long time, holding one auction a month. No one had ever dared to cause trouble, which showed just how much power this auction house wielded.

’The auction is at night, so there’s still time. Good. I can make some preparations. There might be something I want there.’

Ning Jiang was quite interested in this auction. Anything that made it to the auction block was bound to be valuable.

After staying at the Drunken Moon Pavilion until evening, Ning Jiang, Ning Yu’an, and Zheng Zhiyuan set out for the Treasure Auction.

Ning Yu’an had spent the last few days cultivating the Purple Qi Creation Technique. Ning Jiang had her come out for a walk, wanting her to strike a balance between work and rest.

Changle Street, thirty li in length, was bustling with people and brimming with excitement.

The Treasure Auction was situated in the center of Changle Street. It was a magnificent building with red walls, yellow tiles, and a splendor that rivaled a royal palace.

On the day of the auction each month, countless Martial Artists would gather, making the place as crowded as a marketplace.

Just to enter the auction house, one first had to pay an entrance fee of one hundred Primordial Stones.

One hundred Primordial Stones was equivalent to the entire fortune of an ordinary Qi Cultivation Realm Martial Artist. With such a high barrier to entry, those who could enter the auction were basically all at the Postnatal Realm or above.

Ning Jiang was currently flush with cash, carrying eighty-seven thousand Primordial Stones—wealthier than even a Middle Innate Realm Martial Artist. After paying the three hundred Primordial Stones, the three of them entered the auction house. freewёbnoνel.com

Upon entering, the first thing they saw were stone pillars rising from the ground. There were thirty-two in total, carved with dragons and phoenixes, each so thick it would take two or three people to encircle it with their arms.

The Treasure Auction had three floors. The reception hall alone could accommodate over a thousand people, a testament to the sheer size of the venue.

"I have a Martial Technique I’d like your establishment to auction for me."

There were many young and beautiful maids in the reception hall. Ning Jiang approached one of them.

"This way, young master."

"Sister An, you and Zheng Zhiyuan wait for me here. I’ll be right back."

After saying this, Ning Jiang followed the maid into a back room.

「The back hall.」

After leading Ning Jiang here, the maid withdrew.

The room was quiet. It was divided into two sections, an antechamber and an inner chamber, separated by a beaded curtain.

In the antechamber, a middle-aged man of about forty was sitting on a chair, appraising two Martial Techniques and a Treasure Blade for someone.

He was an Appraiser.

Appraisers were people who authenticated various Martial Techniques, Treasure Artifacts, and other items.

Sometimes, if you wanted to sell a Martial Technique, you needed someone to appraise it to determine its grade. Otherwise, you could just claim it was a Profound Level Upper Grade technique, but would that make it true?

They also had to determine if a Martial Technique was complete. Sometimes, a technique might be missing just a line or two of its incantation, a small flaw that could cause a cultivator to suffer from qi deviation.

The same went for Treasure Artifacts—appraising their grade and value.

Furthermore, they also appraised various antiques. Many antiques were ancient, but might hold hidden value.

At a place like the Treasure Auction, Martial Artists often brought items to be put up for auction, so the presence of Appraisers was essential.

’Another one,’ the middle-aged Appraiser thought, his brow furrowing. Appraising items, especially Martial Techniques, was time-consuming.

The auction was set to begin in an hour, and the middle-aged Appraiser didn’t have much time left to appraise anything for Ning Jiang.

"Miss Yan?"

Having no other choice, the middle-aged Appraiser looked toward the inner chamber. It was separated by a beaded curtain, and through the gaps, he could faintly see a woman sitting inside.

"Let him come in." The voice was as smooth and mellow as a pearl, like a young oriole emerging from a valley, each word crisp and clear.

Ning Jiang didn’t stand on ceremony and walked right in.

Inside the inner chamber, a woman sat poised and proper in a chair behind a sandalwood table.

She was about twenty years old, with a graceful and slender figure and delicate skin. Her eyes were like a pool of clear water, and her every glance carried an air of refined and noble elegance.

One of the four great beauties of Luoyang City, Yan Shuangying.

"What item do you wish for the auction house to sell?"

Yan Shuangying spoke with a voice like pearls, both gentle and crisp, and utterly enchanting. As she spoke, she set down a piece of Red Jade she was holding.

"A Martial Technique."

Ning Jiang took out the Martial Technique and handed it to Yan Shuangying.

Just then, the beaded curtain was pushed aside, and another man, about twenty-five years old and dressed in blue, walked in.

"Miss Yan, I obtained an Upper Grade Treasure Sword from the Demon Mist Mountain Range and would like to have it auctioned here. Please take a look," the man in blue said, a touch of arrogance on his face. An Upper Grade Treasure Sword was quite valuable.

"Liu Yang, it’s you," Yan Shuangying said, recognizing the newcomer. This was the third time Liu Yang had come. "Please wait a moment. I need to examine this young master’s Martial Technique first."

"Him?" Liu Yang’s brow furrowed, a trace of disdain appearing in his eyes. "Just a Qi Cultivation Realm Martial Artist. What kind of decent Martial Technique could he possibly have? He’s probably just using the appraisal as an excuse to get close to Miss Yan."

He wasn’t just spouting nonsense. It had happened many times before. As one of the four great beauties of Luoyang, countless men wanted to get close to Yan Shuangying.

In the past, Yan Shuangying had been the only Appraiser here. It was because too many people with ulterior motives showed up that they hired the other, middle-aged Appraiser.

"First come, first served. That’s a basic rule. We are but strangers who have just met, yet you speak with such malice. Your upbringing is sorely lacking."

Ning Jiang’s cold tone immediately brought a look of anger to Liu Yang’s face, but Ning Jiang paid it no mind. His gaze fell upon the Upper Grade Treasure Sword in Liu Yang’s hand. "Your Upper Grade Treasure Sword is damaged. It’s not worth much."

"Ridiculous! Do you think you have a Celestial Eye? If we were outside, and you dared to spout such nonsense to me, I would have already taught you a lesson. A light punishment would be superficial wounds, a heavy one would be broken limbs."

A chill emanated from Liu Yang. He was not a good-tempered person to begin with.

Crucially, he hadn’t obtained this Upper Grade Treasure Sword easily. He had risked life and limb for it in the Demon Mist Mountain Range. How could he tolerate Ning Jiang saying it was damaged?

"A weapon is a tool for killing. Anything used for killing will possess a murderous aura. It’s like when you place a blade against someone’s neck, they get goosebumps. That’s a reaction to the weapon’s murderous aura. Of course, this aura is very faint, and ordinary people can’t sense it. Your Upper Grade Treasure Sword, while flawless on the outside, has no murderous aura, which means it’s damaged internally," Ning Jiang said in a voice devoid of any emotion.

In truth, the murderous aura of a weapon can be clearly sensed once one reaches the Realm of Mastery of the Heart and the Artifact.

Mastery of the Heart and the Artifact is the state of one’s mind and weapon becoming one, allowing for a complete understanding of the weapon.

"Is that so? Why don’t we make a bet? We’ll let Miss Yan appraise it. If I lose, I’ll apologize to you. If you lose, I’ll give you two slaps across the face to make you remember the price of talking nonsense!" Liu Yang said aggressively.

"An apology versus two slaps. I’m surprised you could even suggest such unfair terms," Ning Jiang said, shaking his head. Then he added, "Fine. I accept."

"You’re just asking for humiliation," Liu Yang sneered, then handed the Upper Grade Treasure Sword to Yan Shuangying.

Yan Shuangying gave Ning Jiang a deep look. It was the first time even she had heard such a theory about a "weapon’s murderous aura." However, Ning Jiang’s every word and action was calm and confident, not at all like someone who was just making things up.

She took the Treasure Sword, her expression serious as she focused her full attention on examining it closely.

Liu Yang, however, wore a malicious expression as he glared at Ning Jiang.

"I have a result." After a stick of incense had burned, Yan Shuangying finally spoke.

"Miss Yan, hurry up and announce the result!" Liu Yang stared at Ning Jiang, a vicious glint in his eye. ’Stinking brat, just you wait! I’ll knock your teeth out!’

"Then you’re in for a disappointment," Ning Jiang said, flicking a fingernail, perfectly composed.

"Huh?" Just then, Liu Yang finally sensed something was wrong. He noticed that Yan Shuangying’s beautiful eyes were filled with astonishment.

"Miss Yan, this...?" Liu Yang suddenly had a bad feeling.

Yan Shuangying let out a long breath and said, word by word, "This young master was absolutely correct. This Upper Grade Treasure Sword is damaged internally. If one were to infuse it with Innate Gang Qi and activate it, the sword would shatter completely in Half a Stick of Incense at most."

"What!" Liu Yang’s face instantly turned pale.

"Time to apologize," Ning Jiang said with a half-smile.

"Hmph! So what if the sword has some minor damage? At worst, I’ll just find an Artifact Refining Master to fix it. I refuse to believe this sword is a total loss!" Liu Yang’s face was ashen as he refused to admit defeat.

"You’re quite good at twisting words," Ning Jiang remarked.

Liu Yang changed the subject. "You said my Treasure Artifact is worthless, so you think your Martial Technique is so precious? I’ll say it again: you’re most likely just a toad trying to eat swan meat, using this as an excuse to get close to Miss Yan."

"Is that so? Then what kind of Martial Technique would you consider precious?"

"A Profound Level Upper Grade, at the very least. If you can produce one, I will bow and apologize to you," Liu Yang said.

A Profound Level Low Grade Martial Technique was worth around a thousand Primordial Stones. A Middle Grade one was worth several thousand, and an Upper Grade one cost tens of thousands.

As for a Profound Level Top Grade Martial Technique, it could easily fetch hundreds of thousands, a price only an Innate Limit Strong Person could afford.

"Miss Yan, if you would," Ning Jiang said, his gaze calm.

Yan Shuangying said no more and began appraising Ning Jiang’s Martial Technique. It was called the "Fiery Fire Qi Exposure Technique."

Appraising a Martial Technique was generally quite time-consuming.

"This Martial Technique is Profound Level Middle Grade," Yan Shuangying concluded after half an hour.

"Heh, Profound Level Middle Grade isn’t bad for someone like you. It can just barely be sold at the auction..."

"This Martial Technique is more precious than a Profound Level Upper Grade one." Suddenly, Yan Shuangying cut Liu Yang off, her tone filled with surprise. "This is a Secret Technique, and one that enhances a person’s strength!"

Instantly, Liu Yang’s expression changed.

The term "Secret Technique" was a designation for exceptionally rare and precious Martial Techniques.

A Secret Technique that enhanced one’s strength was about ten times more valuable than a Martial Technique of the same grade, much like how a Pill Cauldron was among the most expensive types of Treasure Artifacts.

Imagine a battle between two Martial Artists of equal strength. If one of them could suddenly boost their power, the outcome of life and death would be decided in an instant.

Any Martial Artist would treat a strength-enhancing Secret Technique as a trump card—a way to turn the tables and achieve a miraculous victory at a critical moment.

"The starting bid for this Secret Technique must be at least fifty thousand Primordial Stones. The final selling price will definitely exceed one hundred thousand Primordial Stones!" Yan Shuangying’s eyes held a trace of pleasant surprise.

The most important thing for an auction was to be able to offer up Treasures. Otherwise, if all they had were common goods, the number of attendees would dwindle over time.

"Time to make good on your word," Ning Jiang said, looking at Liu Yang.

"So what if it’s valuable? It’s still just Profound Level Middle Grade," Liu Yang retorted stubbornly.

"To go back on one’s word is to be without virtue. A real man can own up to his mistakes. You’ve gone back on your word twice in a row, which shows just how narrow-minded you are," Ning Jiang said, his words sharp.

Beside them, Yan Shuangying also shook her head, utterly disappointed in Liu Yang.

Seeing Yan Shuangying shake her head, Liu Yang’s rage toward Ning Jiang flared even hotter. His tone was as sharp as a blade. "A puny Qi Cultivation Realm ant. Watch your back when you leave, or you might get beaten to death!"

With that, he flicked his sleeves and stormed away.

"’Anything used for killing will possess a murderous aura.’ Young Master, you have taught me a lesson," Yan Shuangying said admiringly.

Although Ning Jiang only had the Cultivation of the Qi Cultivation Realm, his knowledge and bearing were far beyond what Liu Yang could ever compare to.

"It’s just a little trick, nothing special. When I came in just now, I saw you holding this Red Jade and looking troubled."

Ning Jiang’s gaze shifted to the table, where the pebble-sized piece of Red Jade lay. "I’ll tell you its secrets. In exchange, you tell me where you got this jade. How about it?"