Bidding War

Apparently, all four titles referred to this square-faced man.

His full name was Gao Junmo. He was the highest-ranking commander of Guang'an City's security forces and the director of the Patrol Division, hence the title "Director Gao."

In the Great Yue Royal Court, local security forces ranked their officials by five colors: gold, purple, black, white, and blue. In all of Guang'an City, Gao Junmo alone had the right to wear a black uniform, earning him the name "Gao the Black Robe."

He was also known as "Gao the Seven Swords," for his Seven Absolute Swords technique had made him famous throughout Guang'an.

"If I serve as the examiner, will that satisfy everyone?"

Gao Junmo removed his cloak, revealing a crisp black uniform. He stood tall and imposing, surveying the entire hall with pride.

The moment he finished speaking, voices of agreement rang out through the crowd.

Gao Junmo smiled with easy confidence. A cold gleam flashed, and a fine sword appeared in his hand. Beneath its silvery light, its blade shimmered like autumn waters.

"Hold on!"

Just as Gao Junmo was about to act, the silver-robed elder spoke again. "Everyone knows that Director Gao's Martial Arts are peerless, and his Seven Absolute Swords are famous throughout Guang'an. But even our pavilion has yet to fully test the limits of this Dragon Crocodile Hide's defenses. If Director Gao uses his Seven Absolute Swords and tears the hide, the loss would be too great, and our pavilion would have no way to explain it to the client. So I ask that Director Gao refrain from using techniques and test it with pure strength alone. If the hide withstands it, that will prove it has exceptional defensive properties. If it doesn't, then it's all show and no substance, and hardly worth bidding on."

After the silver-robed elder finished, the crowd made no fuss. Everyone knew how fearsome Gao Junmo's Seven Absolute Swords were. A Dragon Crocodile was no divine dragon, after all. How could anyone expect its hide to be indestructible?

Xu Yi, however, felt a chill in his heart. At that moment, he became even more aware of how important martial arts techniques were.

Gao Junmo nodded. He gave his wrist a slight shake, and the autumn-water blade in his hand seemed to come alive. A flash of clear light streaked by, and the air it cleaved let out a crisp, elegant ring. With a muffled clang, the sword tip drove hard against the hide. The blade bent into an arc, but could not pierce it.

"Whoa!"

The whole hall erupted. Gao Junmo was a Mid Qi Sea Realm expert, one of the few such powerhouses in all of Guang'an City. The force of his strike was terrifying; it could have wrecked a room. Yet this little piece of hide had easily stopped it.

If someone got their hands on this hide and made it into armor, wouldn't it be the perfect lifesaving treasure? After all, it was a miraculous material that even a Mid Qi Sea Realm expert couldn't pierce with a full-force strike.

In an instant, the crowd grew fervent. Xu Yi was even more worked up; he clenched his teeth to keep from shouting, already resolved to claim the hide, no matter what.

Just as Xu Yi stared with eyes wide, the hide was stretched over a piece of nanmu wood. Gao Junmo let out a long cry, then slammed his fist down like a shooting star. The entire hall seemed to quake. After a deafening, heavy thud, the hide was lifted away, revealing the nanmu split in two.

"Whew!"

Countless cries of astonishment rang out. The crowd's heated cheers were so intense the air seemed ready to burst into flames.

Xu Yi was stunned too. His astonishing Soul Power gave him exceptional eyesight, and he had seen Gao Junmo's punch clearly. It was more than a little stronger than Elder Feng's desperate Nirvana Divine Fist.

Despite the punch's tremendous force, it hadn't harmed the hide in the slightest. More remarkably, the nanmu hadn't been pulverized; it had merely split in two.

What was nanmu, after all? Just somewhat hard wood. In this world, well-to-do households often used it to make doors, tables, and chairs.

A Body Tempering Peak martial artist, by contrast, had skin tough as oxhide and bones hard as iron, far sturdier than nanmu. If nanmu could take such a heavy blow and only split in two, then a Body Tempering Peak expert wearing armor made from this hide would probably feel no more than a sting, without suffering the slightest injury.

With its superb resistance to piercing and perfect ability to absorb impacts and vibrations, the hide's value in everyone's eyes soared wildly in an instant.

The silver-robed elder was an experienced hand. He knew the crowd was already worked up, and tapped his silver hammer. "The demonstration is over. Anyone interested may begin bidding! The starting price is five hundred gold, and each bid must rise by at least fifty."

"Five hundred gold!"

"Five hundred fifty!"

"Seven hundred!"

Before Xu Yi could even open his mouth, the bids for the Dragon Crocodile Hide had already soared sky-high.

Indeed, armor that could withstand a full-force strike from a Mid Qi Sea Realm expert was the stuff of dreams for every martial artist below the Qi Sea Realm.

Once the price passed one thousand gold, however, the number of bidders fell sharply.

First, although the Dragon Crocodile Hide was extraordinary, it still had a limit to its value. Earlier, a Hundred Refinements Golden Saber from the Alchemy Hall, capable of cutting through ten layers of Essence Armor, had sold for just five hundred gold.

Second, martial artists below the Body Tempering Stage had limited means. Even if they could afford it, they were unwilling to spend most of their savings on an unfinished product. Compared with the exorbitantly priced Dragon Crocodile Hide, there were plenty of choices when it came to defensive armor and weapons for a thousand gold.

Of course, what wasn't worth it to some was worth every coin to others. Three bidders were still locked in a dead heat, and in the blink of an eye, they pushed the price past a thousand gold.

"One thousand fifty!"

Number Seven called out angrily.

"One thousand one hundred!"

The bidder was none other than Gao Junmo.

Having tested the Dragon Crocodile Hide himself, Gao Junmo felt a strange excitement. He even suspected that he might not be able to pierce it with his Seven Absolute Swords. He had never heard of hide like this, and naturally wanted to claim it for himself.

"One thousand one hundred fifty!"

The bid came from Number Twenty-Nine.

He was seated not far from Xu Yi and was one of the last two to arrive.

Xu Yi had a strong impression of him, not only because he was one of the few people who gave Xu Yi the feeling of being a Qi Sea Realm expert, but also because he was fabulously wealthy. He had snapped up three of the first thirteen lots, spending nearly four thousand gold, leaving Xu Yi dazzled.

After Number Twenty-Nine placed his bid, he added, "This Dragon Crocodile Hide is extraordinary, but it's no cure-all. Even a low-grade robe from the Alchemy Hall costs only two thousand gold. Why fight me for it? Why not do me a favor?"

"Do you think you're someone worth doing a favor for? Once it's on the auction block, the highest bidder gets it. If you want the Dragon Crocodile Hide, prove it with your purse!" Number Seven said coldly.

"Who am I? Heh. It's been years since I last heard anyone in Guang'an City ask me that."

With a swift tug, Number Twenty-Nine removed the wide black hat from his head, revealing a fierce, broad face.

"Elder Shui!"

"Could he be from the Shui family, one of the Four Great Lineages?"

"Of course! What other Shui family has a Late Qi Sea Realm elder?"

The hall buzzed with discussion.

The silver-robed elder started to say something, but Elder Shui fixed him with a tiger's stare. The immense pressure left him unable to move.

"Director Gao, would you do me a favor? The Shui family will surely repay you!"

Elder Shui gazed at Gao Junmo and spoke calmly.

Gao Junmo furrowed his sharp, sword-like brows. "Since Elder Shui has spoken, if I keep bidding, I'll be making an enemy of you. Remember what you said—the Shui family owes me a favor." With that, he rose to his full height and strode away.