Free Web NovelChapter 218: Chapter 218: The Legal Bait
The restricted auction arrived in Heavenly Gate City under Central Exchange protection.
It was held inside the academy-affiliated trade hall, with Yu Qingmei, Lin family representatives, Merchant Alliance appraisers, and several academy instructors present. The event was legal, supervised, and heavily recorded.
That did not make it safe.
Qin Yuheng attended with Yu Qingmei, Qin Mo, and Lin Xian’er.
The item list contained many rare resources, but everyone in their small group knew which item mattered.
[Lot 17:
Shadow Road Beneath False Light — Fragmentary Map]
Description:
Recovered from old ruin trade collection.
Possible connection to shadow-path remnant zones.
Authenticity partial.
Danger level unknown.
Lin Xian’er had investigated the provenance.
"It passed through five owners," she said. "Three legitimate, one unknown, one dead."
Qin Mo frowned. "Dead from what?"
"Officially, beast attack."
"Unofficially?"
"Unclear." freēwebnovel.com
The auction began.
Lot 17 appeared inside a sealed glass case. It was a piece of black parchment marked with faint silver lines and a red-gold stain near one corner.
Qin Yuheng used the True Destination Law Compass discreetly.
The compass did not point toward it.
But it did not reject it either.
Qin Mo used a low-grade detection lens.
"Partial truth," he whispered.
Yu Qingmei’s expression remained calm.
The bidding began.
Several minor families bid.
Then a representative from an unknown trade group raised the price sharply.
Lin Xian’er’s eyes narrowed.
"Price inflation."
"Blood Sun?" Qin Mo whispered.
"Maybe. Or someone pretending to be Blood Sun. Or someone who knows we care."
Qin Yuheng did not bid.
That surprised several observers.
The unknown trade group won.
Then Yu Qingmei activated academy authority.
"Provenance review."
The room froze.
Because the item involved potentially dangerous ruin coordinates, academy and Central Exchange rules allowed post-sale inspection before release.
The trade representative protested.
Yu Qingmei ignored him.
The map was inspected under official supervision.
The result:
Authentic fragment.
But incomplete.
It did not point to the external ritual center directly. It showed a shadow road structure similar to Shattered Sun patterns.
More importantly, the red-gold stain was active.
A tracking lure.
Not enough to harm.
Enough to mark whoever carried it.
The unknown trade representative was arrested for carrying unsafe active material.
He died before interrogation.
Not by poison.
By memory collapse.
Mo Cangyan’s cleanup.
Qin Mo looked grim.
"This was meant to mark us if we bought it."
Qin Yuheng nodded.
By not bidding, they avoided the mark.
By allowing official review, they exposed the lure.
Yu Qingmei looked at Qin Yuheng.
"Good restraint."
Lin Xian’er smiled.
"Legal bait failed."
But not fully.
They still gained an official copy of the safe map lines after the active stain was sealed.
The fragment showed three terms:
False Light Road.
Kneeling Shadow Gate.
Northwest broken ridge.
Northwest.
That narrowed geography.
Qin Wanshan recognized the phrase "Northwest broken ridge."
"It may refer to old border ruins near the Silent Wastes."
Mu Qinglan’s expression changed slightly.
"Too close to old Mu routes."
Again, Qin Yuheng did not press.
The map was not enough.
But it added a direction.
The external ritual center might lie somewhere near the Silent Wastes, or a false road leading there.
The Qin family updated the rule:
Do not travel northwest without full preparation.
Do not purchase related maps privately.
Do not allow active fragments into the estate.
Floor progression continued.
Floors 55 and 56 were cleared over the following weeks.
Floor 55: Glass Coffin Garden, a preservation trap floor where sleeping remnants were displayed as "saved." Qin Yuheng had to distinguish preservation from imprisonment. SSS rewards included a Preservation Without Imprisonment Crystal.
Floor 56: Thunderless Storm Plain, a storm floor where lightning was suppressed. Qin Yuheng had to fight without relying heavily on thunder, improving sword, footwork, and command fundamentals. SSS rewards included Silent Storm Body Tempering Crystal.
The Thunderless Storm Plain was especially useful.
It reminded him not to become dependent on visible thunder.
Blood Sun and future enemies would prepare counters.
He needed layers.
After Floor 56, Qin Yuheng reached Level 14.
Still far from Level 1000.
Very far.
But his foundation was terrifyingly deep.
The world around him moved faster than his level.
That was both advantage and danger.
