Intercepting the Absorption Palm

"Selling Magic Crystals! Freshly arrived Magic Crystals, a First Grade Wood Devouring Fox Magic Crystal!" Feng Wu had been about to leave when the hawker's cry from nearby stopped him in his tracks.

"A First Grade... Green Wood Fox Magic Crystal? It can't be this much of a coincidence, can it?" Hoping inwardly that this was not a wild goose chase, Feng Wu turned his half-turned body back around.

Feng Wu could not possibly remember wrong. When Xiao Yan had bought the Soul Technique "Absorption Palm," it had been from a stall selling Green Wood Fox Magic Crystals just like this one!

"Young master, care to take a look at the Magic Crystal? Let me tell you, our Sharp Fang Mercenary Group just brought this Green Wood Fox Magic Crystal back this morning. Feel it—it's still warm!

"If you like it, it's yours for five hundred Gold Coins!"

The seller was a male mercenary. Seeing Feng Wu react, he hurried over to greet him. Feng Wu pretended to casually inspect the goods with the system function, only to find that it had fallen right into his lap!

A thin iron plate lay flat on the mercenary's cloth-covered stall. Marked on it was a hidden Soul Technique inheritance: Absorption Palm (Xuan Rank Low Grade, upgradeable).

The mercenary was clearly a seasoned swindler, blatantly spinning lies with his eyes open. He had even called Feng Wu "young master." As he spoke, he wiped at his tears.

"For this Magic Crystal, our Sharp Fang Mercenary Group even lost a brother. Sniff... We were hoping to use it to arrange his funeral and give his family some compensation..."

He had obviously seen Feng Wu's youth and assumed he was inexperienced.

"Enough with the fake tears. A few Green Wood Foxes with weak offensive power were enough to get someone killed? What, are all the mercenaries in your Sharp Fang Mercenary Group half-grown children?"

Feng Wu curled his lip disdainfully and pointed at the patch on his knee.

"Look at this. Do I look like someone who can afford a Magic Crystal? 'Young master,' my ass. You've got some nerve calling me that."

Ignoring the man's embarrassed, dry laugh, Feng Wu casually grabbed two Bone Strengthening Flowers and a Wild Ginseng from the stall.

"I'm buying some fresh mountain herbs to help my grandfather build up his health. If your herbs hadn't been freshly picked, I wouldn't buy from you after you tried to fool me just now!

"Tell me the price. Give me an honest one, and don't think I don't know the market!"

Feng Wu gave the mercenary an intimidating glare and a warning. He might have been here to pick up a bargain, but he absolutely could not act unusually.

These veteran mercenaries were experts at reading people. If he noticed Feng Wu liked something, he would surely jack up the price and fleece him hard!

Feng Wu had no desire to be taken for a sucker.

"T-twenty?" Thrown off by Feng Wu, this young fellow, the crafty mercenary actually lost some confidence and tested the waters.

"Hm?" Without another word, Feng Wu turned to leave.

"Wait, wait, wait, little brother! Ten, ten—ten Gold Coins! Let me make my first sale of the day, will you?"

Seeing Feng Wu's attitude, the mercenary no longer dared to lie. He grabbed Feng Wu with one hand while holding up a finger with the other as he shouted.

Only after being held back did Feng Wu seem to hesitate before crouching beside the stall again.

"Ten Gold Coins is still a little inflated. Bone Strengthening Flowers only go for two Gold Coins each on the market.

"Wild Ginseng is more expensive, but this one has short roots and is young. It won't be worth more than four Gold Coins. All this together comes to seven or eight Gold Coins at most."

"My little lord, at least let me make a little profit! My brothers and I depend on this to eat!" The mercenary was nearly in tears. Whose child was this? How did he know the market so clearly?

"Sigh, fine." Under the mercenary's anxious gaze, Feng Wu bent down and casually grabbed seven or eight small trinkets from the stall, conveniently picking up the little iron plate containing the Absorption Palm Soul Technique.

Feng Wu raised his hand. "Add these in, and make it ten Gold Coins. Deal?"

The mercenary's eyes swept shrewdly across the items in Feng Wu's hand. Seeing that they were all worthless junk, he secretly let out a breath of relief.

"Deal!"

Only then did Feng Wu take out his money and pay, leaving with his purchases.

Weighing the little iron plate in his hand, Feng Wu finally could not suppress his smile after turning into another street. The Absorption Palm Dou Technique was secured!

Absorption Palm: Xuan Rank Low Grade (Upgradeable)

At Major Completion, it can absorb a thousand-jin boulder. When facing a powerful enemy, its fierce suction can forcibly tear the blood from a human body!

Experience required to upgrade to Xuan Rank Mid Grade: 50 points

System Evaluation: Above-average technique potential.

Don't listen to its boasting. Be careful not to suck someone's father into your arms. When that happens, it'll be hard to say whether the enemy loses more blood or you do.

Kid, you can't handle this. Leave it to me to upgrade first, then come back.

Looking at the system's evaluation, Feng Wu was at a loss for words.

Still, having it was better than not having it. At the very least, it was far stronger than the trash Dou Techniques in the Xiao Clan's Dou Technique Pavilion.

As for obtaining a better Xuan Rank Dou Technique from within the Xiao Clan, Feng Wu had never counted on it.

Putting away the little iron plate storing the Dou Technique, Feng Wu suppressed his excitement and casually found a street stall to buy a night-travel cloak and a mask.

After secretly putting them on, Feng Wu headed straight for Wu Tan City's largest—and only—auction house: the Mittel Auction House!

After purchasing this batch of items, he was nearly penniless. Feng Wu had to find a way to sell off those two bottles of Second Grade Rejuvenation Pills.

Wrapped in a black cloak, Feng Wu stepped into the Mittel Auction House's main hall.

Even though Feng Wu was dressed strangely, no one found it surprising. Such attire was common here.

Those holding valuable goods but lacking the strength or status to protect their wealth, those wishing to keep their identities hidden... most of them dressed like this.

After entering, Feng Wu scanned the spacious, magnificent hall a few times before finding a gilded door marked "Appraisal Room." He pushed it open and entered.

The room seemed somewhat empty. There was only a middle-aged man sitting in a chair, his attention drawn over by the sound of Feng Wu opening the door.

"Sir, are you here to have a treasure appraised?"

When the middle-aged man saw Feng Wu's figure completely concealed beneath the black robe, his brows furrowed imperceptibly. Still, he put on a professional smile and asked Feng Wu the routine question.

"For auction. But appraise its value for me first." Feng Wu casually tossed the two jade bottles containing Rejuvenation Powder toward the middle-aged man and said in a disguised voice.

Looking at the jade bottles thrown his way, the middle-aged appraiser's brows furrowed again.

After catching them and taking a look, his brows tightened even further. With such crude packaging, what good could possibly be inside?

Clearly, based on the bottles' appearance and Feng Wu's careless manner, the middle-aged appraiser had already given the items a low rating.

Still, out of professional courtesy, he opened the bottle seals and looked inside.

"Pills? They look like ordinary Rejuvenation Pills sold on the market, but they also seem somewhat different..."

The middle-aged appraiser grew more serious. If these were not items meant to deceive people, they could indeed be called treasures.

"Sir, may I ask what grade these pills are?" The appraiser truly could not tell, so he asked. If they were First Grade, they would not be worth making a fuss over.

"Second Grade," Feng Wu said blandly...