Mysterious Treasure

"Next, we present the first treasure – the Azure Nether Sword. Everyone, please take a look. This Azure Nether Sword was the personal sword of Li Bai, the Poet Sword Immortal, over a thousand years ago. Wielding this sword, Li Bai roamed the martial world for decades without a single defeat. It was only because Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, killed too many people that Li Bai became the second-ranked expert in the world. But even so, it cannot dim the brilliance of the Azure Nether Sword. This sword was originally forged from the Nine Nether Cold Iron of the Northern Sea, taking four years and nine months to complete. It is a top-tier sword in the world. The starting bid is five hundred thousand taels of silver." Old Mr. Wang held the Azure Nether Sword and briefly introduced it to everyone.

Did Old Mr. Wang even need to introduce it? Li Bai's fame was arguably greater than that of many emperors. In martial arts, he dominated the world, holding the title of the number one expert for nearly thirty years. It was only in his later years, with the fall of the Great Tang and the rise of Xiang Yu, that he was ranked second. People in the martial world respectfully called him the Sword Immortal. However, in literature, he was truly unparalleled, with no predecessors and no successors. He brought the essence of poetry to its fullest, reaching an unimaginable level, and was respectfully called the Poet Immortal by all later scholars. Later generations called him the Poet Sword Immortal, which also led later scholars to like to hang a treasured sword at their waist.

The audience below carefully examined the treasured sword. A cold glint flickered unstantly across the blade, making it appear very sharp. With the establishment of martial artist rankings on the Azure Dragon Continent, where a martial artist's rank was equivalent to an official's rank, the status of martial artists had greatly improved. Now, in everyone's eyes, martial artists were no longer mere ruffians. This made many people extremely fond of weapons. Some wealthy individuals even liked to gift their treasured swords to certain experts to increase their favor.

"I bid six hundred thousand taels of silver." A voice rang out from a VIP room. At this time, such high-quality treasures were usually bid on from the VIP rooms; people below the main stage generally couldn't afford them.

"I bid six hundred and ten thousand taels of silver." Another voice came from a different VIP room.

As the bids came one after another, the price of the Azure Nether Sword soared rapidly. In fact, a sword of the Azure Nether Sword's caliber would normally cost around two hundred thousand taels of silver. However, because it was once the personal sword of Li Bai, the Poet Sword Immortal, its price skyrocketed.

"I bid one million." A resonant voice echoed from a VIP room in the center.

Everyone was stunned. Previously, everyone had been slowly increasing their bids, with the highest increase being no more than twenty thousand taels. And now, this person had jumped from seven hundred and ninety thousand taels to one million taels! It was as if they were treating money like dirt!

"Oh, Shen Wansan, Master Shen, has bid one million taels for this treasured sword. Are there any other bids? If no one else bids, this Azure Nether Sword will belong to Master Shen." Old Mr. Wang shouted loudly as soon as he heard the bid.

Only then did everyone realize that it was Shen Wansan, the richest man in the capital. That made perfect sense. Shen Wansan was different from other family-based businesses; his fortune was entirely self-made, and he had even been granted the noble title of Earl. One could imagine how remarkable he was.

I looked at the people below. Shen Wansan, relying solely on himself, had become an Earl-level tycoon. My goal was to become a Duke-level tycoon and, at the same time, establish my own aristocratic family. A surge of excitement coursed through me. You people down there, just watch how I, Zhang Xingfeng, create miracles.

Old Mr. Wang was now flattering Shen Wansan again. I chuckled inwardly. After all, few people could resist such flattery!

"Everyone, let's invite Master Shen to come and claim this Azure Nether Sword! Master Shen has arrived, please give him a warm round of applause!" Old Mr. Wang immediately walked towards Shen Wansan, Master Shen, and the head steward also came forward.

I looked at Shen Wansan, who had accumulated wealth the fastest in history. He was already quite old, seemingly around sixty years old, but his imposing aura was still very evident. That aura was remarkably similar to the patriarch of the Zhang Family – my father. I felt that my heart was no longer the same as when I first left home. Back then, the mere thought of my father would cause a pang of pain in my chest, like a clenched fist. Now, it was just a sense of defiance, of being abandoned like this, and I felt immense anger. That heartache was no longer as pronounced. I shook my head, calming myself. Then, I looked up again at Shen Wansan on the high platform.

"Everyone, Shen is buying this treasured sword today for my beloved grandson, Shen Xiaotian. I plan to find him a master swordsman, Master Illusion Sword Saint. I heard that Master has long desired this treasured sword, and I believe my grandson will receive Master's guidance when he presents this sword. I hope those who did not obtain the sword will not take offense!" Shen Wansan spoke with exceptional politeness. Given his current status, he didn't need to say anything to others; this was the character of someone who achieved great things.

I looked at Shen Wansan with immense admiration. He himself did not possess any profound martial arts skills; his success was entirely due to his strategies and his ability to seize opportunities. If I were to lose my cultivation and my memories from my past life, I would have no confidence in reaching his level. But as everyone often says, comparing oneself to others can be infuriating. I, Zhang Xingfeng, possess peerless martial arts that awe the world. Furthermore, with top-grade jade, I can not only absorb its spiritual energy but also create Flawless Jade. I also possess the various secret manuals of the Tianxin Sect in the Cultivation World. Heaven has truly been too kind to me; this is destiny! With all this, are my goals still far away?

In an instant, I inexplicably thought of Li Tianxiang. He was also only ten years old, but he clearly possessed a maturity that rivaled that of an adult. Behind him was the Li Family, which was even more powerful than the Zhang Family. Could I compare myself to him?

I shook my head. My only goal was to establish the Star Peak Family, not to contend with the Li Family. Why was I thinking about these random things? I gave a self-deprecating laugh and looked back at the high platform.

"This is the Heavenly Wrath Saber I mentioned. This saber was the personal saber of the peerless overlord Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu. This saber has drunk countless blood and is extremely sharp and demonic. It is an important treasure of the Demonic Sect. It had been lost for nearly a thousand years, but now it has reappeared. This peerless deadly weapon has a starting bid of five hundred thousand taels. The auction begins!" Old Mr. Wang stood a considerable distance from the Heavenly Wrath Saber. The saber was held by an expert from the auction house; ordinary people could not withstand its peerless killing aura.

I looked at the Heavenly Wrath Saber, which seemed to be entirely dyed red with blood, and felt a sense of strangeness. I turned to my side and asked Brother Wang:

"Brother Wang, isn't this saber a malevolent weapon? Why would the auction house dare to put it up for auction? Aren't they afraid someone will commit evil deeds with this saber?"

Brother Wang looked at me and smiled, "Young Master, don't you know about the decree of our Ming Dynasty? This decree is based on the alliance agreement regarding the management of martial artists among several countries. This means the court has no prejudice against any sect, but all sects are forbidden from gathering to kill members of other sects. Otherwise, those sects will be annihilated. This is also why the Demonic Sect has transformed from being universally reviled to being like any other sect. Therefore, there's no need to fear the Heavenly Wrath Saber being used for any major wrongdoing."

Oh, so that's how it is. I really didn't expect the imperial court to solve the most common large-scale conflicts in the martial world with this move. Amazing, truly amazing. With this, the saber itself wouldn't cause any significant harm.

"Good, someone has already bid eight hundred thousand taels. Are there any higher bids? Three, two, one. Alright, this sword belongs to the VIP in VIP room 245. Please come up and claim this treasured saber." Mr. Wang shouted loudly. He must be working very hard. His martial arts aren't great, yet he has to host such a large event with so many participants. His voice must be suffering!

A scholar in white floated gracefully onto the stage, as if carried by a gentle breeze. He turned and gave a slight bow to the attendees below.

"Wandering Blade!" A voice rang out from the crowd.

I looked at the young man in white below, and my heart was filled with shock. He was Yuwen Meng, the Wandering Blade, the eldest son of the former Yuwen Family. He was simply not interested in the family business and preferred to indulge in the pleasures of life. Most importantly, he was extremely devoted to martial arts, especially the study of saber techniques. At such a young age, he was already a fourth-rank expert.

However, it was also because of this that he resolutely refused to inherit the position of the Yuwen Family patriarch. According to the family's laws, unless the eldest son was dead or mentally incapacitated, the position of patriarch must be given to the eldest son. In the end, they had no choice but to expel him from the family. However, to compensate him, the family still gave him twenty million taels of silver and announced to the world that if anyone acted against him, it would be considered an act of defiance against the Yuwen Family, and the Yuwen Family would avenge him. Yuwen Meng accepted all of this willingly and continued to live a carefree life, dedicating himself to beautiful women and the martial path.

He disdained everything about the family. He was also expelled from the family, but he was different from me. His departure from home was only nominal; the Yuwen Family still considered him part of the family. Even so, looking at him, I felt an unspoken sense of kinship and goodwill.

"Everyone, Meng will not say much here. My love for the saber is known throughout the world. Upon seeing this treasured saber, I could not restrain myself. Meng will bid first and let the assembly continue!" Another gust of wind blew, and the figure in white was already on the upper floor. Looking at the disappearing white figure in the VIP room, many women only then came back to their senses. He was truly a heartbreaker for young ladies!

"Everyone, we have just seen two peerless weapons. Now, we are about to witness the legendary Golden Silk Armor, made from the silk of the Tianshan Platinum Snow Silkworm. It took ten years to complete. Besides the craftsmanship, the Platinum Snow Silkworm silk is also extremely rare. In all the years of history, there have only been five such armors. Those who wore this precious armor were all renowned figures! The starting bid is five hundred thousand taels of silver." Old Mr. Wang said a lot, but in fact, although this armor was rare, it was not particularly special in terms of body protection.

The Mysterious Iron Armor, popular in the martial world, offered comparable protection. However, Mysterious Iron Armor was heavier, but Mysterious Iron was more common on the continent, and a piece of Mysterious Iron Armor only cost around ten thousand taels. The reason the Golden Silk Armor was so expensive was its rarity. The Platinum Snow Silkworm was very rare, and it produced very little silk, making it a precious item. Coupled with its extreme lightness, it became the best choice for wealthy individuals who weren't skilled in martial arts but wanted to protect themselves. Thus, it reached the sky-high price of five hundred thousand taels. One must know that a large manor usually cost around five hundred thousand taels.

Zhang Xingfeng bought that former royal mansion for only two hundred thousand taels, simply because the entire mansion could only accommodate a dozen rooms and offered a view of the artificial lake. If the entire royal mansion, excluding the back garden, with its hundreds of rooms and surrounding environment, was estimated, someone would have bought it for a million taels. Zhang Xingfeng was truly lucky!

This Golden Silk Armor was really not that great. Now, wealthy individuals were starting to learn martial arts and also began to cherish their money. They would rather wear a Mysterious Iron Armor weighing tens of pounds (just the vest size; if it were full armor, it would weigh hundreds of pounds!). It was finally sold for seven hundred thousand taels.

I watched the auction proceed, eagerly anticipating the appearance of my Blood Phoenix. Could the Blood Phoenix truly be the grand finale? It was possible. The Blood Phoenix was the token of the empress of the Yuan Mongolia dynasty of the previous era. It had passed down through several empresses. By the Ming Dynasty, the empress's token was changed to the equally precious He Clan Jade, similar to the Blood Phoenix. Its formation was entirely natural, containing a red, phoenix-shaped pattern within. Its preciousness was understandable.

I came back to my senses. The person who received the Golden Silk Armor had already left the stage. A box was brought up by a beautiful woman.

"Everyone, after seeing various weapons and armors, let us now look at this literary treasure – Along the River During the Qingming Festival. Along the River During the Qingming Festival was painted by Zhang Zeduan of the Song Dynasty, and it is his masterpiece.

The painting depicts the Song capital Bianliang at that time. Bianliang was the largest and most prosperous city in the world at that time, with buildings lining the streets and a flourishing scene. Zhang Zeduan's 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival' vividly and realistically portrays this historical grandeur. The scene unfolds from the outskirts along the Bian River towards the city. Outside the city, a few thatched cottages, a small bridge over a stream, and weeping willows can be seen in the rural outskirts. Tender green shoots are just appearing on the branches, evoking an early spring mood. Farmers are working in the fields and vegetable patches, and mules and donkeys laden with goods are on the country roads, creating a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere. As the scene approaches the inner city, merchants and travelers increase, and the picture gradually becomes more bustling and lively. Good, the starting bid for this treasure is eight hundred thousand taels." Old Mr. Wang was clearly very pleased to see this treasure, and his voice became more impassioned!

The crowd below immediately erupted in excitement. The greatest masterpiece in history had appeared!

I was also shocked. Along the River During the Qingming Festival!

"I bid one million taels."

"I bid one million one hundred thousand taels."