"How is that possible? How could Xiaogang do such a thing? I don't believe it!"
When Liu Erlong heard that the people from Shrek had come to Heaven Dou City because they were investigating Great Master Yu for stealing Tang San's cultivation technique, she smashed the wooden table in front of her with a single palm strike.
The Great Master Yu in her mind was absolutely not that kind of person. That upright Great Master Yu, who had fled on their wedding night because he harbored dreams and she was his cousin, could never have done such a thing!
"Erlong, I know you can't accept this right away. Actually, when I first found out, I was just like you."
Flender spoke with a bitter expression. Clearly, bringing up how his brother had become like this in front of an old friend made him feel awful as well.
"I also dearly remember the days when our Golden Iron Triangle traveled across the continent. But people change. The Xiaogang we have now is no longer the Xiaogang we knew before."
Recalling the days from more than a decade ago and comparing that man from his memories with the current Great Master Yu, Flender was filled with emotion.
"It's been more than a decade! Constant dripping wears away stone, and even an iron rod can be ground into a needle, let alone a person. More than a decade of mediocrity, more than a decade of repression, more than a decade of dreams left unfulfilled—Xiaogang is no longer the man we remember. Do you think I would frame him?"
"We can all testify! Great Master Yu even dares to eat shit now! What wouldn't he dare to do?"
"Exactly, exactly! Why would all of us lie to you? Once we find him, won't we know everything after investigating?"
"We understand how you feel, but Great Master Yu really is a shameless scoundrel now!"
"It's also possible that he used to be good at pretending, but can't keep pretending anymore!"
"If he really had a conscience, he wouldn't have abandoned you on your wedding night!"
The people from Shrek all began talking among themselves.
"Shut up, all of you!"
Liu Erlong stood up and shouted furiously when she heard them, but then she slumped back into her seat.
She wanted to refute them, but she knew that any so-called rebuttal would only be a powerless defense. It would have no persuasive force at all.
"I'll send someone to investigate this matter. Before the results are out, I think we should all calm down."
Although that was what she said, the look on Liu Erlong's face showed that she already believed them by eighty percent. After all, public opinion could melt metal. With so many witnesses, who would lie? Besides, Flender, her former friend, and Tang San, Great Master Yu's current disciple, had both testified to it. Her present fury was nothing more than self-deception.
She didn't want to prove that she had truly misjudged him. She didn't want all the years she had waited to end in a result she couldn't accept. That would make her waiting—and her life—seem utterly meaningless.
Because of his personal agenda, Great Master Yu had arrived at the Heaven Dou City auction house even earlier than the people from Shrek. To ensure the auction went smoothly and spread his reputation, Great Master Yu had even thoughtfully given Tang San's cultivation technique a new name, changing it to the Yu Family Divine Skill, abbreviated as "yoga."
"Sir, is this the only cultivation technique you wish to auction?"
"That's right!"
The maid responsible for receiving him was highly professional and perceptive. She did not look down on Great Master Yu because of his ordinary clothes. After confirming the auction item, she immediately led him to the advanced appraisal room.
Although it was uncommon for cultivation techniques to be auctioned, there were still specialized appraisers for them.
"The Soul Power circulation method in this technique is truly unprecedented!"
"Based on my experience, I can only determine that this is an extremely advanced and rare Soul Power cultivation technique. But whether it has the effects described in the text will require someone specialized to cultivate it before we can reach a conclusion."
After a specialized appraiser examined it, they explained that if he wasn't in a hurry, they would need roughly one or two years to provide a more professional assessment.
"Of course, if you're in a hurry, auctioning it as it is isn't impossible. It's just that without knowing the exact effects, the price may be affected."
"But you can rest assured about its safety. No one will know that you were the one who auctioned this technique. Furthermore, aside from the people within the auction house, the details of the item will absolutely not be disclosed to outsiders."
Hearing the answer from the advanced appraisers, Great Master Yu immediately grew anxious.
What? Setting aside the need for time to verify it—that was reasonable enough—but he absolutely could not accept the principle of confidentiality!
I'm auctioning this so I can become famous throughout the world and let everyone know that this is my work, and now you're telling me it has to remain confidential? Isn't that ridiculous?
"Could you make an exception and change the rules?"
"I'm sorry, sir, but that may not be possible. After all, the origins of many items cannot be disclosed. If your special case caused everyone else to lose trust in our auction house, that would be more than just a loss."
"What if I request it personally? Would that still not work?"
"Of course not. If you need publicity, why not seek out the imperial family or nobles? I believe they would be more than happy to help promote you."
Seeing that Great Master Yu was still unwilling to give up and wanted to freeload off the auction house's credibility for publicity, the person in charge politely refused while thoughtfully pointing him in a new direction.
"I heard that Emperor Xue Ye recently contracted a strange illness. If the effects of your yoga are truly as described, you could try your luck with the imperial family."
"The imperial family? It seems I'll have to rely on my status as a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to meet Emperor Xue Ye."
After thinking it over repeatedly, Great Master Yu decided to use the name of the sect he did not want to mention in order to meet Emperor Xue Ye, all for the sake of fulfilling the dream and obsession he had held for so many years.
"A member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan wants to see me?"
Emperor Xue Ye was somewhat puzzled when he heard the guard's report.
After all, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was one of the great sects known alongside the Clear Sky Sect and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect as the Upper Three Sects. Although it maintained ties with the imperial family, it was extremely rare for one of its members to take the initiative to request an audience with Emperor Xue Ye.
"Did the visitor say why he wished to see me?"
"Your Majesty, the visitor claims to be Yu Xiaogang, the son of the current clan leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. He says he created an unparalleled method of Soul Power cultivation and wishes to discuss it with Your Majesty."
"Yu Xiaogang? I seem to remember that name."
After hearing the name, Emperor Xue Ye thought for a moment but couldn't recall any specific memories.
"He's the one from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan more than a decade ago whose Martial Soul mutated into a pig. He was rather close to the Spirit Hall's Pope and even proposed something called the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul."
Seeing that Emperor Xue Ye had no impression of him, the attendant helpfully provided an explanation.
"Oh, now that you mention it, I remember! He's that theoretical master! Didn't he disappear afterward? Why has he returned after all these years? And he even came up with some original secret Soul Power cultivation method? Has he finally finished his secluded research?"
Hearing the attendant's explanation, Emperor Xue Ye became interested. He grew curious about what Great Master Yu had actually discovered after studying theory for so many years.
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