Bone Refining Claw

Upon returning to the Grain Courtyard, the group was gathered in small clusters, practicing punches and forms with one another.

Or, in the corners of the courtyard, they were honing their strength using stone locks.

Aside from patrols, there was essentially nothing else to do at the Grain Courtyard. After Xiang Geng made arrangements for the others, he had someone lead two horses over from the stables.

Feng Xiu vaulted onto his horse, with Xiang Geng following closely behind.

The two riders left the main compound one after the other, galloping eastward along the dirt road.

Half a quarter of an hour later, the two had already left the territory of Dendrobium Village and entered a stretch of desolate mountains and wild ridges.

After riding for another hour or so, Xiang Geng slowly pulled on the reins and raised a hand to point ahead.

"Young Master, we have arrived."

Feng Xiu looked in the direction of his finger to see a field of jagged rocks and overgrown weeds, so desolate that not even a bird could be seen.

He frowned: "Just this?"

Xiang Geng smiled, dismounted, and tied his horse to a crooked tree.

"If the Wild Market were out in the open, the government would have shut it down long ago," he said while walking toward the depths of the rocky field. "Follow me, Young Master."

Feng Xiu followed him through a winding path, pushing through a patch of weeds taller than a man, and suddenly, the view opened up.

A narrow valley lay before them, with two men in black standing at the entrance, swords at their waists and vigilant expressions on their faces.

Seeing someone approach, one of them stepped forward and reached out to block their path.

"Token."

Xiang Geng fished an iron plate from his robes and handed it over.

The man took it, glanced at it, sized up Feng Xiu twice, then nodded and stepped aside.

Feng Xiu followed Xiang Geng into the valley, and the surroundings gradually became lively.

Scattered stalls were set up along the cliff walls; some used a piece of tattered cloth spread on the ground, while others simply used a rock as a tabletop.

The stall owners were a motley crew, including burly, fierce-looking men and lean, capable-looking middle-aged fellows.

The items on the stalls were also varied.

There were swords and weapons, bottles and jars of pills, and even a few iron cages containing two or three Silver-Backed Gorillas, a species never before seen on the Yunzhou Plateau.

The creatures, their fur coarse and matted, gripped the iron bars with their five-fingered hands, looking utterly listless.

Clearly, they were suffering from severe discomfort brought on by altitude sickness.

As for other iconic creatures of the Yunzhou Plateau, Black Fighting Yaks were also not an uncommon sight here.

"They even have these things here?" Feng Xiu was stunned, feeling quite amazed.

"Of course, and that's not all. Young Master, look over there," Xiang Geng said with a smile, pointing toward a stout man using a wooden desk as a stall.

On the black wooden table, two stacks of smooth, flat, thin brown skins were neatly arranged, with four or five men standing in front, inquiring about the price.

Feng Xiu looked closely, and the thin skins in his line of sight were shaped like the characters for "big" and "person."

In an instant, his pupils constricted.

"That is Martial Skin. The skin of a martial artist is the most resilient; once written upon with Red Sun Ink, the characters will not fade for a thousand years."

Xiang Geng whispered.

Feng Xiu felt a sudden tremor in his heart; the underworld he had imagined previously now seemed as laughable as a child's game.

Ever since he had achieved some success in his cultivation, he had gradually regained the mindset of his past life—masculine, confident, and even finding time to crack jokes in his leisure.

But at this moment, this single sentence laid bare the cruel foundation of the martial world.

It was the family that protected me too well. The more glamorous the world, the more it hides cruel laws of survival.

Feng Xiu's eyes gradually returned to calm.

Seeing Feng Xiu fall silent for a moment, Xiang Geng knew that his words had dealt him a great shock.

"Young Master, do not overthink it. There aren't many good things here," Xiang Geng changed the subject. "The real treasures are all inside."

Feng Xiu scanned the stalls; indeed, the items on display looked quite crude.

The customers wandering between the stalls were not ordinary people either; each had bulging temples, sharp eyes, and a brisk gait, clearly all seasoned practitioners.

As he spoke, Xiang Geng led Feng Xiu further in.

After walking out of the first layer of the market, a cluster of low houses appeared ahead.

They were called houses, but they were actually just sheds built from stone and wood, though they looked much more decent than the stalls outside.

People were coming and going at the entrances, and they were dressed more respectably as well.

Xiang Geng led Feng Xiu to a slightly larger stone house, where an old man stood at the entrance, dozing off.

"Old Wu, is there a match today?" Xiang Geng walked over and patted the old man on the shoulder.

The old man opened his eyes, looked at Xiang Geng, then at Feng Xiu, and said lazily, "You've come at the right time. It just started. Fifty taels per person."

Fifty taels.

Feng Xiu raised an eyebrow; this entry fee was not cheap, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.

He fished a banknote from his robe and handed it over. The old man took it, gave the two of them a wooden token, and then stepped aside to reveal the door behind him.

Xiang Geng pushed the door open and entered, with Feng Xiu following close behind.

Behind the door was a flight of stone steps extending downward. After walking about thirty or forty paces, the view suddenly opened up.

It was a fairly large underground space, lit by torches on all sides, with a waist-high wooden platform erected in the center.

Dozens of chairs were arranged around the platform, and some twenty people were already seated. Each one possessed a heavy, condensed aura; it was clear at a glance that none of them were easy to deal with.

Feng Xiu and Xiang Geng took seats toward the back.

On the platform, a lean, middle-aged man announced in a loud voice.

"The third item, Crimson Flame Palm, a Blood Burning realm martial art. It is a palm technique; once mastered, your palms will radiate heat, allowing you to injure others invisibly. Starting bid, one hundred and twenty taels."

As soon as he finished, someone in the crowd raised a paddle.

"One hundred and thirty."

"One hundred and fifty."

Feng Xiu watched them bickering back and forth, feeling a bit stirred.

What he lacked most right now were martial arts. Just as he was about to raise his paddle, Xiang Geng gently pressed his hand down.

"Young Master, don't be hasty," Xiang Geng leaned in and whispered. "Things bought in a place like this aren't necessarily going to make it out with you."

Feng Xiu calmed down.

Xiang Geng continued, "Look at these people. How many of them are actually here to buy things? Most are just eyeing whoever bids on something valuable, waiting to strike once they leave the valley."

He paused, then pointed at the copy of Crimson Flame Palm on the stage.

"Besides, this martial art isn't something you can handle yet. It only reaches its maximum power after your blood and qi have undergone combustion. It won't be too late to see what else is coming up."

Feng Xiu nodded and suppressed the urge to bid.

A few more items passed on the stage, all of them sword or saber techniques, with starting bids ranging from several dozen to two hundred taels.

Watching them, Feng Xiu gradually got a feel for the situation.

The items at the Wild Market weren't expensive, but whether you could walk away with them alive depended entirely on your own ability.

Almost every time an item was sold, two or three people would hurriedly follow the successful bidder out, their eyes flashing with a sharp, predatory glint that clearly signaled their intentions.

"Next item," the middle-aged man on the stage brought out a yellowed booklet. "Bone Refining Claw, a claw-style martial art. It specializes in training the blood and qi of the hands. Once mastered, your ten fingers will be like hooks, capable of shattering brick and stone. Starting bid, eighty taels."

Feng Xiu's heart stirred.

A claw technique.

Combined with his Vajra Finger Blade, he could build a martial arts system entirely his own.

"Eighty taels." He raised his paddle.

No one followed.

The middle-aged man on the stage beamed: "This young master, eighty taels, sold."

That simple?

Someone from the side came over to collect the money and handed him the Bone Refining Claw.

Feng Xiu took the booklet and flipped through it casually. The first few pages detailed the training method, using sand and stone to grind the skin and make it tougher.

Beyond that, there was a supplementary medicinal bath formula to nourish and temper the hands.

When he flipped to the back, Feng Xiu stopped.

This page had clearly been sewn in by someone; it didn't align with the rest of the pages.

The page was densely packed with small characters, and the handwriting was quite different from the front—it was bold and unrefined.

"I wish to create the Mighty Tyrant Fist. With a single strike, everything within ten zhang shall be reduced to dust."

"This method sets three qi-gates within the human body to lock blood and qi in the dantian, forcing it to rise and gather in the arms, compressing it repeatedly before unleashing it in a single punch. The power is multiplied."

Looking further down, the subsequent text had been scratched out.

Feng Xiu was astonished. Three qi-gates, locking blood and qi, compressing it for an explosive release?

Is this damn thing just a martial arts theory?

He continued reading; the rest described how to combine claw techniques with this "Tyrant Fist concept."

Although it was only a theory, it was written with such conviction that it was clear the person who left these words had truly pondered it deeply.

Feng Xiu closed the booklet, his face remaining calm.

Eighty taels to buy a claw technique, plus a bonus martial arts theory.

It felt like the trip hadn't been in vain.

At this moment, Xiang Geng asked in a low voice, "Young Master, how is it?"

Feng Xiu nodded, "Very satisfied."

"Is there another round?" Putting away the Bone Refining Claw, he asked another question.

"Young Master, this venue at the Wild Market sometimes opens once a month, but if things go south, you might not see it for half a year. We were just lucky to catch it." Xiang Geng explained.

"Cultivation techniques are precious to anyone; otherwise, the market wouldn't be flooded with so many scams."

Seeing Feng Xiu's interest growing, Xiang Geng naturally followed his lead and continued.

"However, we could go outside and scout around; there might still be some good items to be found."

"Mm, alright."

The two stood up and exited the auction house.

Returning to the first-level market outside, Feng Xiu, being a newcomer, did not say much.

He watched as Xiang Geng picked and chose through the various stalls.