What If?

In a martial arts hall, disciples could always be found practicing in the courtyard year-round.

Beginners practiced the Ironwood Stake Skill. Those who had developed their strength were taught the Iron Fist Thirteen Forms for Body Tempering. With further progress, they practiced the Ironcloth Body Shield, followed by the Vajra Locking Jade Formula.

After entering the martial arts hall, Chen Shaojun consciously joined the group of beginners and began practicing the Ironwood Stake Skill.

Fifth Senior Brother Mao Qiuyang was quite responsible. Seeing that he had arrived, Mao Qiuyang deliberately came over to guide him, even transmitting force through the air so Chen Shaojun could experience the emergence and changes of strength.

Chen Shaojun could only conceal his aura and put on a look of having gained much.

Fortunately, Martial Warriors in the Body Tempering Realm had no True Qi in their Qi Sea. Unless they actively erupted with their blood and qi, ordinary people found it extremely difficult to detect their cultivation realm.

Thus, his true strength remained undiscovered.

Only when dusk was drawing near did Chen Shaojun leave.

This was already his third consecutive day at the martial arts hall. Today, he had deliberately told Fifth Senior Brother that he had already "developed" strength, then took the opportunity to say that he would cultivate at home from now on and no longer visit the martial arts hall so often.

Mao Qiuyang naturally had nothing more to say. He merely reminded Chen Shaojun of a few precautions for martial arts practice before letting him leave.

Upon returning to the pawnshop,

Chen Shaojun discovered that the rear courtyard was exceptionally lively.

After asking around, he finally understood.

Newcomers had arrived.

This time, the Lin Family had sent over twenty new people, most of them to serve as Appraiser Apprentices.

In an instant, the rooms throughout the rear courtyard were nearly full.

Even the several beds that had previously been empty in Chen Shaojun's room had been occupied by newcomers.

"What's going on? Our pawnshop's business isn't particularly good. We shouldn't need so many Appraiser Apprentices, should we?"

Chen Shaojun found several Appraiser Apprentices he knew well and asked in confusion.

He had indeed heard earlier that a batch of apprentices would be coming, but he had not expected them to arrive so quickly.

In the past, he would not have cared much.

But now, he had confirmed that he needed to appraise treasures in exchange for rewards and strengthen his own foundation.

With so many Appraiser Apprentices arriving, they would be competing for his appraisal resources.

"Because Shengjing City's annual Treasure Fair is about to begin."

Someone spoke in a faint voice.

It was Ayong.

Among the Appraiser Apprentices in the pawnshop, he had been there the longest and knew the most.

"Treasure Fair?"

Everyone else was startled.

"Could you explain in more detail?"

Chen Shaojun was interested.

"The Treasure Fair is not really such an extraordinary gathering. The Heavenly Treasure Fair, held once every ten years, is the true event that invites the world at large and gathers treasures beneath heaven.

"But even the Treasure Fair is a grand event led by the authorities and jointly organized by Shengjing City's five great merchant associations. Countless rare and precious treasures converge there from all corners of the land.

"Some of those treasures can be called heavenly materials and earthly treasures, objects countless people will exhaust their fortunes to fight over.

"But the more treasures there are, the more treasure-appraising Appraisers are needed.

"After all, many treasures are born with Baleful Intent or gather Baleful Intent. If the Killing Intent cannot be thoroughly cleansed, no one would dare use them lightly.

"So nearly all Appraisers receive invitations to enter the Treasure Fair, where they cleanse Baleful Intent and appraise treasures.

"We Appraiser Apprentices cannot avoid it either. We will be brought into the Treasure Fair to appraise treasures.

"Thus, in a sense, the Treasure Fair is also a grand gathering for Appraisers.

"Of course, for us, it is a banquet of life and death."

Ayong sneered, his tone pessimistic. When he looked toward the newcomers, his eyes held pity.

"How could that be?"

Zhao Hu was frightened by his final tone and cried out in alarm.

"The 'raw materials' we appraise now have actually been screened by Certified Appraisers.

"So most of what reaches our hands does not contain much Killing Intent. Only when we are occasionally unlucky do we get treasures with heavier Killing Intent.

"At such times, we can only pray for our own good fortune.

"But there are simply too many treasures at the Treasure Fair.

"The Certified Appraisers do not even have time to select them all. Naturally, our chances of appraising treasures with heavier Killing Intent increase greatly.

"If you are lucky, you merely fall seriously ill.

"If you are unlucky, Killing Intent enters your body, and you die on the spot.

"Every Treasure Fair sees countless Appraiser Apprentices perish. Even many Certified Appraisers encounter misfortune and inevitably lose their lives there.

"Besides, compared to us, who have at least half a year of appraisal experience and whose Divine Gaze Technique may not have reached profound mastery but is not far from it,

"those newly arrived Appraiser Apprentices are the ones in the greatest danger.

"I estimate that after this Treasure Fair is over, of the twenty new Appraiser Apprentices, no more than five will return alive."

Ayong lowered his voice as he spoke, a trace of fear faintly showing in his eyes.

"Hiss..."

Everyone sucked in a cold breath.

According to Ayong, the newly arrived Appraiser Apprentices faced greater danger and a higher chance of death. Yet none of them truly believed that they old hands would fare much better than the newcomers.

Whether they could return alive would likely depend entirely on luck.

"Of course, although the Treasure Fair is dangerous for us, it may not be without opportunity.

"You must know that not every treasure we need to appraise necessarily contains Baleful Intent.

"Within some treasures, there may instead be spiritual energy, vital essence, even primordial energy or Auspicious Aura... If we are fortunate enough to appraise such treasures, then our Divine Gaze Technique, mental power, and even physical constitution will receive tremendous improvements.

"Therefore, nearly every year, some Appraiser Apprentices rise above the rest through this and advance to become Certified Appraisers.

"Even if they cannot directly advance to Certified Appraiser, their treasure-appraising methods will improve greatly.

"If they are lucky, they may even catch the eye of some great figure, leaving them with a future beyond measure."

Ayong continued, a trace of yearning in his eyes.

"Can someone truly leap straight into becoming a Certified Appraiser?"

At those words, everyone's eyes lit up.

Although Ayong's earlier words had cast a shadow over their hearts,

the moment they heard that some could likewise distinguish themselves and advance to become Certified Appraisers, they were immediately tempted.

Everyone harbored a gambler's hope, always believing themselves to be unique—the lucky one who would succeed.

If this Treasure Fair could bring them nothing but death, injuries, and illness, many of them would likely retreat, perhaps even... flee.

But if they could truly use this Treasure Fair to advance into Certified Appraisers, then no one could remain unmoved.

What if?

What if they succeeded?

No Appraiser Apprentice did not wish to become a Certified Appraiser.

For that often represented a world of difference in status, strength, standing, and treatment.

Even Chen Shaojun desperately wanted to escape his current circumstances.

A communal kang bed shared by twelve people, the status of a servant... living every day with every word and movement carefully watching others' expressions was not an easy life.