Chapter 8 - The Venue (Part 2)

"Unclear. Master summoned all the major commerce chiefs yesterday. I overheard them mentioning helping search for something while leaving. Who knows what it is that actually necessitates mobilizing such great connections."

Little eight commented feelingly.

Hearing this, Lu Sheng said nothing. Just his expression turned vaguely gloomy.

Walking inside along the front entrance, he continued asking:

"Any strange occurrences recently?"

"Er...young master, although little eight's news is quite well-informed, bizarre events can't possibly happen daily right?" Little eight shrugged helplessly.

"Oh right, that Jin Yu Restaurant you frequent, heard a huge blaze burned half the adjoining street down last night. Even from so far, we could see the raging firelight clear as day. Tsk tsk..."

"Huge fire..."

Lu Sheng's heart sank. Faint guesses surfaced.

"The street you mentioned that usually sells rouge powder?"

"Precisely!" Little eight nodded heavily. "Heard many died! Lots of whole families, adults and children alike, all perishing completely.

So wretched...wonder which despicable arsonist it was!"

Raging fire...

Lu Sheng remained silent, forcefully suppressing this matter deep inside, refusing further contemplation.

The Dark Auction was arranged three nights later, within an underground cellar outside the county.

These three days, Lu Sheng rested and ate normally everyday, clearly sensing his physique growing even more robust. Seemed the Black Tiger blade method from his device also enhanced his foundational constitution somehow.

During this time he revisited that street near Jin Yu Restaurant. Indeed completely charred black. Many still busied reconstruction.

Retracing his exact steps from that day, everything looked identical.

Even that dead-end alley was the same.

Grasping the circumstances, yet he felt no panic.

Since this world contained water ghosts, naturally other entities could exist too.

Initially planning to modify that acquired Smashing Jade Force introductory manual during these three days. But thinking of the Dark Auction, he forcibly endured, avoiding any mishaps like qi and blood depletion that could botch this pivotal opportunity.

Time swiftly flowed by. The appointed day soon arrived.

Around seven to eight at night.

Lu Sheng wore black garb and an old tiger mask bought casually off-street. A rough little kids' play mask.

A carriage from the Zheng residence already awaited at Lu manor gates.

He hastily boarded. Inside, Zheng Xian Gu sat feasting on chicken legs gluttonously.

The fatty also wore black, not that it obscured his puffy outline, anyone could identify this figure as young master Fang from the auction house.

"You've come, you've come! Been waiting forever bro Sheng, hurry and board!"

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Seated properly, the carriage slowly jolted into motion.

Zheng Xian Gu nagged endless matters requiring attention inside for Lu Sheng. Chaotic piles of precautions.

Lu Sheng engraved them all firmly.

Very quickly, once out the county, winding little paths off the main road, detouring a sizable distance directly into the outskirts.

Some ways after entering the rural outskirts, their carriage pulled up before a stone residence amidst a desolate, ruined hamlet.

"We've arrived." Zheng Xian Gu alighted. The black garbed guard at the stone house entrance came forward bowing to him.

"All guests present?"

"All accounted for. The first merchandise is already under bidding."

Zheng Xian Gu nodded, hurriedly urging.

"Let's descend quickly. It has already begun."

Tugging Lu Sheng inside the stone house, a wooden hatch laid open in the middle of the ground. A flight of stairs stretched underground.

Following Zheng Xian Gu and two escorts down the steps revealed a considerably spacious cavern underneath.

The cavern interior was arranged quasi-formally.

A massive hall in the center. Circular compartments liked sealed pods dotted the surrounding stony walls.

The great hall had some sparsely seated people. Those ringed compartments remained unlit, evidently unused.

"What an immense structure down here." Lu Sheng marveled.

"Hehe, we stumbled upon this place unintentionally as well!" The fatty chuckled, leading Lu Sheng via a rear entry into the great hall, walking directly towards the foremost rows.

Barely over ten guests, all scattered separately in the frontmost stone seats watching the podium. The stoney chairs felt icy chill. Devoid of warmth.

The fatty plonked down beside him. Leaning near, he whispered:

"Your desired goods is the second last item, number five."

Lu Sheng nodded subtly without replying.

On the platform, a tall lanky emcee in a face mask introduced an antique short saber placed on a bronze plate, held up between two red-green dressed dwarves. Describing its possible origins from some ancient Ju Rong kingdom, inscribed with age-old glyphs, even if not...Hey! Guest number four bids a thousand taels! Any higher bids?! Any higher bids?!

The man shouted passionately with immense zeal.

Zheng Xian Gu and Lu Sheng were seated leftwards. These positions were rows of stoney chairs that felt icy cold seated upon, garnering no enthusiasm.

The fatty sidled beside Lu Sheng whispering:

"That is Lady Duan Wan." Seeing Lu Sheng take note of the woman, he hastily introduced softly.

"But I don't advise eyeing her. Extremely fierce woman!"

"Fierce? How so?"

Lu Sheng felt vaguely curious. Not that he held intentions. Just that her exceptionality inadvertently drew some scrutiny.

The fatty smiled, glimpsing the second merchandise presently under bidding above.

"Lady Duan Wan arrived in Jiu Lian Cheng two months prior. Rumors say she joined a trade caravan here. Just the two of them mistress and servant walking this entire distance. Already inconceivable enough."

"Indeed inconceivable." Lu Sheng nodded.

"Additionally, because she's such a beauty, she sowed chaos seducing endless infatuated young masters upon reaching Jiu Lian Cheng. Guess what happened?" The fatty sighed and shook his head.

"What happened?"

Lu Sheng's curiosity was successfully baited now.

The fatty clicked his tongue watching the stage.

"That bunch of intoxicated fools fought fiercely for her affections. Ultimately dueling brutally among themselves, injuring many, even killing a few off!"

"And those left disabled, still harbored tender feelings for her. Yet she cleanly forgot them soon after like transient passersby."

"..." Lu Sheng narrowed his eyes. Even having heard of this incident before, he hadn't expected this woman as the underlying cause. Those victims still longing for her despite their current plight already transcended what mere transient infatuation could explain.

He instantly branded this Duang Wan an entity of utmost danger in his mind.

Capable of beguiling so many men senselessly, either her EQ exceeded normal parameters, or she wielded special methods. Best keep far away from such characters.

He concentrated his attention onto the ongoing auction instead.

Already the fourth item. A bronze half body armor.

"This armor called Ice Wolfskin is fabricated from nineteen high summit white wolves from the northern snowy prairies. Nineteen layers of leather consolidated through advanced tanning techniques into copper coin thinness when finished.

Vastly surpasses ordinary armor against blunt trauma and bladed weapons. Nearly equivalent to wearing a layer of chainmail!"

The black garbed host loudly advertised this armor.

"Base price, two hundred taels!"

No response initially below.

The host was unperturbed, directing a dwarf to spread the armor open, then unsheathing his own short blade to stab the armor edge fiercely.

Clang!

Muffled impact. The short blade glanced off, just leaving behind a tiny nick on the armor.

"Three hundred taels!"

Seeing that, someone instantly shouted an offer.

"Four hundred taels!"

"Six hundred taels!"

Bidding escalated continuously above. Witnessing this, desire also stirred faintly in Lu Sheng's heart. Such armor was lightweight and flexible, far less movement impairing than metal protection. If its defensive ability really matched the touts, then it was genuinely a fine item.

He pondered placing a bid, but the numbers rapidly deixis towards a thousand taels. Forced to resign his interest regretfully. His true aim still laid with that manual below.

Cannot lose sight of the bigger picture over smaller things. In the end, that red headed greatsword wielder bought the armor.

Right after, the penultimate item. The inner force cultivation manual.