Loyalty!

"This secret can be kept for a year at most. By then, those major powers should have figured out a few things." After listening to Shui Duanliu, Feng Baiyu said, "Butler Shui, your family wants to know too, doesn't it?"

"I wouldn't dare hide it from you, Young Master." Shui Duanliu replied, "My cousin once asked me about it indirectly, but I managed to brush him off."

Shui Duanliu knew the method and secrets behind strengthening the body, but as the steward of Feng Mansion, he could not reveal his master's secrets.

Otherwise, it would spell disaster for the entire Feng Family.

"As expected of Butler Shui. You're always reliable." Feng Baiyu praised him, then said, "You can't let the secret out, but if anyone in your family has exceptional talent, you can let them take a little."

Butler Shui had worked hard and contributed greatly, so Feng Baiyu was naturally willing to reward him and his descendants.

Shui Duanliu had worked diligently all these years. Though Feng Baiyu called him "Butler Shui," he treated him like family.

Compared with those distant uncles and aunts of his, Shui Duanliu held a much higher position.

Feng Baiyu was willing to help Shui Duanliu's descendants for that reason alone.

But there was still one condition... loyalty!

Feng Baiyu trusted Shui Duanliu, but that didn't mean he trusted the man's family. He would have to see for himself before deciding.

After strolling down the main street, Feng Baiyu made another trip to the Treasure Pavilion.

Whenever Feng Baiyu went out, he stopped by the Treasure Pavilion. Unfortunately, though its wares were good, none could catch his eye.

Like today, when Feng Baiyu found a Blue Silver Grass Spirit Bone that was just over a thousand years old.

Its effect? After being injured, it increased the speed of healing by 3%.

And it was a Torso Bone, too. It was practically the king of garbage.

"Please forgive me for failing to find anything that satisfies you, Young Master Feng." Wang Cheng watched as Feng Baiyu left without buying a thing, feeling somewhat ashamed. He said, "There's an auction in the Heaven Dou Empire in ten days. If you need anything, I'd be glad to go and buy up the whole lot."

"Oh? Is that so?" Feng Baiyu nodded slightly at Wang Cheng's words. "In that case, I'll trouble you. If there's anything I like, the Feng Family will buy it."

"Thank you, Young Master Feng." Hearing that, Wang Cheng knew this was his chance.

With his fortune, it would be difficult to buy everything at an auction, especially with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect—their deep pockets—there. But if he bought the things Young Master Feng wanted, or snatched up the items before they went under the hammer...

Wang Cheng figured that, besides bringing all his money, he would take the five most valuable items from the shop as well.

Those items might not catch Young Master Feng's eye, but they were treasures to everyone else. The Spirit Bones of the Soft Bone Rabbit and Blue Silver Grass in particular could easily serve as the auction's star lots. If he swapped them out beforehand, wouldn't that fulfill Young Master Feng's wishes?

"Wang Cheng certainly knows how to read the room," Feng Baiyu said. "Could his son be one of the ones with a thousand-year Second Soul Ring?"

"Yes, Young Master." Butler Shui replied, "Wang Cheng's youngest son has an Innate Soul Power of only six ranks. He'd be lucky to reach Soul Saint in his lifetime. But with the help of Whale Rubber, he obtained a thousand-year Second Soul Ring. If he lives up to his potential, he might even reach Soul Douluo."

A thousand-year Second Soul Ring alone wasn't enough to make up for his lack of innate talent, but he could keep using Whale Rubber to strengthen his body! With a thousand-year Second Soul Ring, his Third Soul Ring could be at least two thousand five hundred years old, and even an eight-thousand-year Fourth Soul Ring wasn't out of reach!

With those advantages stacked together, his cultivation speed could rival that of someone with an Innate Soul Power of seven or even eight ranks.

There was no exaggeration in saying he had a chance of reaching Soul Douluo.

It could be said that Feng Baiyu had changed Wang Cheng's son's fate.

And since Feng Baiyu was the Feng Family's only direct descendant, it was only natural for Wang Cheng to curry favor with him.

"We'll see what kind of surprise Wang Cheng can bring me." Feng Baiyu liked people as perceptive as Wang Cheng. After all, the man had let him get the Gold of Life at a bargain, and Feng Baiyu already owed him a great favor in return.

If the right opportunity came along, he truly wanted to thank him properly.

After finishing his last stop, Feng Baiyu had also finished the snacks he'd just bought. Seeing that it was getting late, he said, "Butler Shui, let's go home."

Once home, Feng Baiyu continued cultivating like mad. Cultivation was dull, but the thrill of feeling himself grow stronger bit by bit had him hooked.

He was only seven. What else could he do if not cultivate?

Eat, drink, and make merry? Those weren't things a little kid who hadn't even grown his first hairs should be doing.

While Feng Baiyu was cultivating, Wang Cheng had already set out for Heaven Dou City.

When he arrived in Heaven Dou City, the auction was still a day away. But just seeing the many powerful figures who had come to the city told Wang Cheng that this auction would be no small affair.

"Thank goodness I have two Super Douluos backing me, and I'm a Soul Saint myself. If I were even a little weaker, I wouldn't dare compete with these powerhouses!" Wang Cheng thought as he led his subordinates into the auction house.

After a series of introductions, Wang Cheng soon found the people in charge of the auction house.

This auction had been organized jointly by the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Moonlight Pavilion. To call it "backed by powerful forces" would be no exaggeration.

But Wang Cheng didn't care. He wasn't there to rob anyone. He had come to trade.

"You must be Manager Wang Cheng of the Treasure Pavilion? I'm sorry I wasn't there to welcome you." Soon, a man in his seventies approached Wang Cheng and bowed politely.

The old man was named Su Wenqu. He was the person the Heaven Dou Imperial Family had assigned to make money for them outside the palace. Though he had never met Wang Cheng of the Treasure Pavilion, he understood that they were cut from the same cloth.

Making money for the people above wasn't shameful.

"Brother Su." Wang Cheng returned the greeting. "I'll get straight to the point. I've come to make a deal with you."

"Well..." Su Wenqu gave a wry smile. "Brother Wang, if you're looking to trade for one of the auction items, I'm afraid there's nothing to discuss."

Quite a few people had already come to him in recent days, hoping to snap up auction items early. They had offered extremely generous prices, but he had turned them all away.

One of the items in this auction was a Spirit Bone. Even though it was only two thousand years old, people still clamored for it.

"Brother Su, I'm not here to force a sale. I want to make a fair exchange." Wang Cheng had already heard on the way that this auction's items were extraordinary, with a Spirit Bone as the main attraction.

As it happened, he had brought two!

Before Su Wenqu could object, Wang Cheng took out his five prized items. He opened the first box and introduced it: "This is a soft armor made by the craftsman Lou Gao. It can withstand a Soul Ancestor's full-force strike."

Just hearing about the first item made Su Wenqu's eyebrows twitch. Wang Cheng was showing a bit too much sincerity!

Then Wang Cheng continued introducing the other items: "This is the Star Crown, the crown of the Star Kingdom, which fell a thousand years ago."

"This is the skull of an eighty-thousand-year Diamond Baboon—not a Spirit Bone. It's exceptionally hard."

"And these two!" Wang Cheng said with utmost seriousness. "They're both Spirit Bones!"