Duanmu Wan I

Duanmu Wan I "Next up is an internal skill manual said to be well known to all. Of course, whether it is genuine or not remains unclear even after our appraisal. After all, internal skills require long periods of practice and assessment. Their authenticity cannot be determined in a short time.

"However, after appraising the material of the book, we can conclude that the silk recording this manual is over a hundred years old!"

The host chuckled twice. Seeing that he had stirred up the crowd and drawn everyone's gaze to himself,

he slowly continued.

"This manual is called the Black Fiend Skill."

Two dwarves slowly carried a brass tray onto the stage, swaying as they walked.

On the tray lay a book of jet-black silk.

"The Black Fiend Skill has thirty-two levels in total. According to its records, each level of advancement tempers one's body once.

"The manual here contains the first through fifth levels."

"Tch, so it's an incomplete copy."

Someone immediately spoke up from below.

"Internal energy is already hard enough to cultivate, some vague and intangible thing. And it's an incomplete copy, too. Who would dare practice it? What if someone altered it? Practicing it would be courting death!"

Someone sneered mockingly.

"Then you don't have to buy it," another voice jeered.

"Everyone, please quiet down." The host pressed both hands downward and smiled.

"This Black Fiend Skill was actually consigned to our auction by a guest. That guest did provide us with proof of part of its authenticity.

"At the very least, the first three levels can be cultivated."

He had expected those words to cause a stir, but the people below remained utterly unmoved.

Lu Sheng shook his head slightly, understanding the reason.

Zheng Xianggui was puzzled.

"Brother Sheng, what's going on? Their reaction isn't right."

"It's not wrong. This is perfectly normal," Lu Sheng said blandly.

"Internal skill manuals take years to practice. The time required is simply too long. Whether someone demonstrates it or not, no one dares gamble on the possibility of failure.

"Besides, I heard Uncle Zhao mention that internal skills are not as formidable as the rumors claim. Unless cultivated to the highest levels, the power of internal skills can sometimes be inferior to a full-force strike from an external martial arts expert."

"Why is that?"

Zheng Xianggui became even more confused.

"Young Master may not know about this." A guard captain who had been standing behind them spoke up at last.

This man was called Chen Wude, one of the Zheng Family's two strongest guard captains. This Black Market Meeting was too important, so he had been sent along to maintain order.

Like Uncle Zhao, he was an external martial artist in the Power Through Realm within the city.

Chen Wude glanced at Lu Sheng and continued.

"Internal and external martial arts are both about cultivating strength.

"External martial arts stimulate the growth of bodily strength through muscles, external strikes, training, and the like. It certainly damages the body, but strength increases very quickly.

"Internal martial arts work through the internal organs, regulating and training them, nourishing the blood and vital energy. The process is much slower, and strength grows more slowly as well, but it does not harm the body and can even prolong one's life.

"That is the difference between internal and external martial arts.

"In truth, top external martial arts experts are no weaker than internal martial artists.

"The truly strongest are those who cultivate both internal and external arts."

"I see." Zheng Xianggui understood.

Lu Sheng nodded as well.

"I once heard Uncle Zhao say the same."

"Then why is everyone still so obsessed with internal skills? Their strength doesn't increase by much anyway." Zheng Xianggui was puzzled again.

"Because they prolong one's life. External martial arts experts may be strong, but once they pass thirty, they begin going downhill. With internal skills, their peak condition can even be extended into their fifties or sixties. They cannot be compared at all." Chen Wude sighed.

At this point, Lu Sheng focused his attention on the manual onstage. The bidding was about to begin.

The host pointed at the black silk manual on the tray.

"Bidding begins now. The starting price is one hundred taels!"

"One hundred thirty taels."

"One hundred fifty!"

"Two hundred!"

"Three hundred!"

"Three hundred thirty taels!"

The prices climbed rapidly.

Even the person who had mocked it earlier was bidding.

Clearly, although everyone did not quite trust the manual, they still had faith in the Black Market Meeting's appraisal standards and reputation.

"Someone's deliberately driving up the price," the fat man muttered quietly.

Lu Sheng narrowed his eyes at the stage.

"Five hundred taels!"

He raised his hand and called out loudly.

The sudden increase of one hundred taels quieted the entire hall for a moment.

In this era, five hundred taels had purchasing power equivalent to five hundred thousand yuan.

All for a manual whose authenticity and flaws were still unknown.

"Five hundred fifty taels."

A voice sounded again.

Lu Sheng glanced over. It was a sallow-skinned man whose eyes slanted downward at the corners.

Even behind his black mask, his face looked gaunt, as though there was barely any flesh on it. His eyes were fierce, and one look was enough to tell he was no good man.

Lu Sheng had anticipated this. How could no one compete for something like an internal skill manual?

He paid it no mind and raised his hand again.

"Six hundred taels."

"Seven hundred taels!"

It was that man again. The instant Lu Sheng bid, he followed right after.

"Eight hundred taels," Lu Sheng said calmly. His father, Lu Quan'an, gave him two thousand taels a month in spending money. Even if he spent every last tael, he would buy this manual.

With the Modifier, so long as there was even the slightest possibility of getting started, he could find the martial art's name in the Modifier and directly modify it to its limit.

"Nine hundred taels!"

The man cast a fierce look at Lu Sheng.

"One thousand taels," Lu Sheng said calmly.

".One thousand one hundred taels!" The other man sounded somewhat strained. "Friend, I am from the White Jade Zhang Family. Give me some face."

The White Jade Zhang Family?

Lu Sheng's expression shifted.

This Zhang Family was not from Nine Links City, but the foremost great family of nearby Purple Splendor City—the family of Purple Splendor City's prefect, Zhang Song.

"The White Jade Zhang Family? They actually came to Nine Links City to scour for goods..." Zheng Xianggui revealed a surprised look beside him.

His Zheng Family ran the Black Market Meeting and was only responsible for the auctions. They did not care where their guests came from.

"One thousand two hundred taels!"

Lu Sheng raised his hand again.

Anger immediately surged into the Zhang Family man's eyes. In the regions around Nine Links City and Purple Splendor City, he had never encountered anyone who refused to give the Zhang Family face so completely.

The Zhang Family had more than just Prefect Zhang Song. The person they took the greatest pride in was Purple Splendor City's foremost expert, Zhang Songxi.

They held influence in both the black and white worlds. That was their greatest backing when they acted with impunity outside.

"Don't mind him. At a Black Market Meeting auction, the highest bidder wins. Even the Zhang Family would not dare break the rules lightly. Otherwise, who would still cooperate with their jade business?" Zheng Xianggui said with undisguised glee.

The Zhang Family man was called Zhang Jundong. He had come to Nine Links City specifically to collect any internal skill manuals that might appear.

In truth, they had people watching every internal skill manual on the market. Before such manuals could be put up for auction, they would intercept them in advance.

This one in Nine Links City was the only fish that had slipped through the net. A guest had suddenly arrived and consigned it to the Black Market Meeting without going through the usual procedures. That was how it had avoided interception.

"One thousand three hundred taels!" Zhang Jundong gritted his teeth and raised his hand again.

"One thousand four hundred!" Lu Sheng refused to yield an inch.

At this point, only the two of them were competing. No one else intended to interfere.

"One thousand five hundred taels!" Zhang Jundong stared fixedly at Lu Sheng. "Friend, when traveling abroad, one more friend means one more road. Let me have this manual today, and the Zhang Family will remember this favor."

Lu Sheng's expression did not change.

"One thousand six hundred taels."

He raised his hand and bid again.

Zhang Jundong was thoroughly enraged. He had come specifically for the Black Fiend Skill. He had originally expected to get it for one thousand taels, with the remaining money going into his own pocket. Who would have thought a strange man would emerge halfway through and compete with him so relentlessly?

"One thousand seven hundred fifty taels!" He abruptly rose to his feet and threw in every last tael he had.

"One thousand eight hundred."

Lu Sheng was expressionless.

Zhang Jundong suddenly turned his head and stared hard at Lu Sheng.

"Good! Very good!"

He said nothing more, giving Lu Sheng a vicious, careful once-over, as though he wanted to etch every inch of him into memory.

With a swish, Zhang Jundong rose and stormed away in fury.

"Congratulations, sir." The host beamed onstage. An internal skill manual, one whose authenticity and errors could not even be distinguished, had actually sold for such a high price. His share would be several times greater than usual.

After receiving the manual and handing over the banknotes,

Lu Sheng did not stay to view the final item. After saying a word to Zheng Xianggui, he left on his own first.

He had gotten what he came for, and he had no money left on him.

Chen Wude followed him the whole time, bringing two guards as protection for fear that something might happen to him.

They returned along the original route. Once they exited the limestone cave, Lu Sheng looked at the sky outside. It was already late at night.

The Zheng Family's carriage was waiting outside.

Chen Wude could not stray too far, so he had several guards accompany Lu Sheng while he himself returned to continue guarding Young Master Zheng Xianggui.

With three guards in tow, Lu Sheng walked out of the stone house and prepared to board the carriage.

Whoosh.

A gust of wind suddenly came from around the village.

One of the guards became alert and looked around, but found nothing amiss.

Screech! Amid faint scraping sounds, a black shadow suddenly darted around the guards.

It shot straight through their encirclement and charged at Lu Sheng in the center.

The black shadow was so fast that the guards could not react at all before their formation was pierced through.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Three crisp sounds rang out in succession as the black shadow's short blade slashed each of the three guards across the hand with astonishing speed.

The three men gave muffled groans and swiftly retreated, clutching their wrists.

They were merely guards hired by the Zheng Family, not deathsworn retainers. Naturally, they would not fight to the death for the Zheng Family.

Seeing that the black shadow was unstoppable, they simply dodged aside. Their injured wrists were enough of an explanation anyway.

With that thought, the three men immediately scattered, completely exposing Lu Sheng within.

"Die!"

A low voice came from the black shadow.

He raised his short blade and hacked viciously at Lu Sheng's chest.

Though his strength and speed had both dropped considerably after injuring the three men in succession, dealing with an ordinary young master from a wealthy family was still easy for him.

Besides, even if his opponent knew martial arts, it did not matter. Other than a handful of people in Nine Links City, no one else was his match.

Before acting, Zhang Jundong had carefully identified him. His opponent was not among those few.

After being cut off at the auction, Zhang Jundong might have been a member of the Zhang Family, but he also had another identity.

He was one of the major leaders of the infamous Wolf Bandits outside Purple Splendor City.

Since the auction for the manual had failed, he might as well seize it by force. It was not as though this was the first time he had done such a thing, and the Black Market Meeting would not provide safety guarantees to successful bidders.

After killing Lu Sheng and taking it, he could save over a thousand taels for himself for nothing. Why not?