บท 13: Chapter 11 Red Fire Skill! Worth a Fortune!_1
Su Changkong sat down in seat number 27 in the corner and quietly waited.
As he waited, more people entered, eventually gathering a crowd of forty to fifty.
When the time reached the hour of Si, the auction began. A young master dressed in blue, handsome and extraordinary, took the stage in the center of the hall. He clasped his hands together and said, "I am Zhao Bufan of the Zhao Family, in charge of this auction. I am honored by the presence of all the guests here today, and I would like to express my thanks!"
This Zhao Bufan, a young master of the Zhao Family, had an outstanding demeanor. According to Su Changkong's observation, the man had a steady gait and an erect posture, indicating he likely possessed martial arts skills.
"It's nothing, nothing at all. When Elder Zhao invites, naturally we ought to show our faces!"
Voices from local tycoons in Dongling Town responded from their seats.
Zhao Bufan then got straight to the point, saying, "The auction now begins. The first item up for bidding is the deed to Dongling Tavern located in Dongling Town, with a starting price of 400 taels of silver."
Dongling Tavern was the largest tavern in Dongling Town, with a wide customer base, and it belonged to the Zhao Family. The main purpose of this auction by the Zhao Family was to sell off the immovable local properties they owned.
"500 taels!"
A fat man dressed in brocade immediately called out a bid.
"550 taels!"
A middle-aged man sitting in seat number 11 also followed with a bid.
Su Changkong clicked his tongue in amazement. Dongling Town had a population of less than twenty thousand, yet there were indeed many wealthy gentry there!
The deed to the tavern eventually sold for 700 taels of silver.
Zhao Bufan then promptly began auctioning off the Zhao Family's other properties and deeds. The auction proceeded vigorously. Su Changkong watched unenthusiastically, of course not having the funds to buy any. He was waiting for the martial arts secret manuals that the Zhao Family would auction off!
As time slipped by, after half an hour, the Zhao Family's properties were nearly all auctioned off.
"Next up for auction is a profound Inner Strength Secret Manual that our Zhao Family's ancestor happened to acquire. With this manual, our ancestor once had a modest reputation in the Martial World of Ink Forest Prefecture!"
Su Changkong's spirits lifted at Zhao Bufan's words, knowing the Inner Strength Secret Manual he was waiting for was about to come up!
A Zhao Family disciple arrived with a tray, on which lay a book with an ancient-looking cover.
"This manual is named Red Fire Skill. The True Qi of Red Fire it cultivates can scorch an enemy's flesh and bones. It is indeed fierce and domineering, mysterious and extraordinary! It is a rare martial arts technique within Ink Forest Prefecture!"
Zhao Bufan said excitedly with flying brows, vividly introducing the "Red Fire Skill."
"Martial Arts Secret Manual?"
"That Zhao Huolong from the Zhao Family's ancestors did indeed have quite a reputation. It's said he once single-handedly killed more than a dozen bandits. He had profound strength, and it was precisely this Red Fire Skill he practiced?"
Some interested gentry whispered among themselves, but without much enthusiasm. For the ordinary rich merchant, an Inner Strength Secret Manual was of no practical use; it would require time to practice, and success wasn't even guaranteed!
Yet Su Changkong noticed that several people wearing masks displayed obvious emotional fluctuations, seemingly there for the same reason as he, eyeing the "Red Fire Skill."
"The starting price for Red Fire Skill is 600 taels,"
Zhao Bufan said.
With a starting bid of 600 taels, it was already the highest base price for any item auctioned today!
"With my bit of money, I don't even have half of the starting price!" Su Changkong's mouth twitched slightly, realizing he was already out of the competition before it had even begun.
"700 taels!"
"800 taels!"
"1000 taels!"
Immediately, bids were called out one after another, quickly pushing the price of "Red Fire Skill" past 1000 taels, which included a bid from a rich merchant in brocade.
Even though Red Fire Skill was useless to him, his children could still give it a try. In today's world, one needed not only financial power but also the martial force to protect one's wealth!
"1100 taels," a man in black with narrow eyes spoke up at this moment, his voice raspy. "Everyone, I am Yan Song, the Blade Catcher. I would appreciate it if you would do me the honor of leaving the Red Fire Skill to me."
"Flying Sand Blade, Yan Song? That Blade Catcher, Yan Song?"
Suddenly, many in the room revealed a look of apprehension.
Blade Catchers are those who take up rewards offered by the authorities, capturing vicious criminals and claiming the bounty for their livelihood.
This Yan Song had made quite a name for himself in the area of Clearwater City, and it was his superb martial arts and the blade in his hands that earned him this reputation!
Yan Song had also reached a bottleneck in his practice and wanted to try cultivating Inner Strength to make further progress.
Once Yan Song spoke up, those who had been bidding stopped, wary of offending him, and refrained from continuing to bid.
"Heh, what kind of crap is this Flying Sand Blade? I bid 1200 taels!"
But soon, a hoarse voice rang out, that of a person wearing a fox-faced mask, speaking bluntly.
"Impressive!" Yan Song's expression instantly darkened, a malicious glint flashing in his eyes as he stared fiercely at the black-clothed person with the fox-faced mask.
He remained silent, however, not raising his bid any further. As for what he was thinking, that was anyone's guess.
"Congratulations to guest number 17 for winning the Red Fire Skill!"
Zhao Bufan said with a smile on his face. After all, their Zhao Family naturally had the original copy, and selling a copy of the Red Fire Skill for over a thousand taels of silver was like making a clear profit, as it didn't really represent a loss for the Zhao Family!
The person with the fox-faced mask stepped forward, handing over a silver note worth 1200 taels to Zhao Bufan, successfully acquiring the Red Fire Skill martial arts secret manual. Afterwards, they returned to their seat, crossed their legs leisurely, and seemed completely unconcerned with Yan Song's icy stare.
"Sigh... no money."
Su Changkong sighed deeply, unable to participate in the auction with over a thousand taels of silver at his disposal, only feeling regret.
"The next item for auction is also a martial arts secret manual."
But to Su Changkong's astonishment, the auction continued after the Red Fire Skill, as Zhao Bufan spoke.
"Another martial arts secret manual?" Su Changkong was surprised.
The rest of the wealthy merchants' expressions also varied, with the previous auction of the Red Fire Skill reaching a sky-high 1200 taels. Now, the Chen Family was offering another secret manual?
A Zhao Family disciple stepped forward with a tray, on which lay an ancient-looking book.
"This martial arts technique is the Turtle Breath Technique!"
Zhao Bufan announced.
"The Turtle Breath Technique?"
"It seems to be a rather third-rate martial arts skill..."
At this remark, the crowd's expressions varied greatly, with a masked man openly scoffing.
The Turtle Breath Technique was indeed not particularly sophisticated. On the contrary, it was considered quite third-rate!
Seeing the reactions of the audience, Zhao Bufan enthusiastically introduced the technique: "This Turtle Breath Technique, obtained by chance by our Zhao Family, when practiced over many years, can improve longevity, promising a life of a hundred years. If cultivated to advanced levels, it greatly enhances one's control over their own body, with abilities like Concealment and Bone Shrinking among others! It's truly extraordinary! And it requires no special talent to practice — anyone can do it!"
"Improve longevity? Practicing the Turtle Breath Technique is already a waste of life!"
Despite Zhao Bufan's enthusiastic pitch, those knowledgeable about martial arts shook their heads.
The Turtle Breath Technique was not the most commonplace, but it was indeed a third-rate Inner Strength technique.
The Turtle Breath Technique could indeed extend life, but the slow progress of its practice meant that the longevity it promised was less than what one sacrificed in terms of lifespan! Furthermore, if one did succeed in its cultivation, it did not greatly enhance combat power. Several years or even a decade of practice could not compare to the capabilities of an ordinary martial artist in the Strength Refinement Realm. What was its use?
With its slow progress and minimal benefits, who would choose to practice such third-rate Inner Strength if other options were available?
"The Turtle Breath Technique? Improve longevity?" The crowd was disinterested in the Turtle Breath Technique, but Su Changkong was thoroughly shaken by the mention of it!
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