Chapter 49 Auction
In half a month, the triennial Xiangjue Auction will open.
The Xiangjue Auction has been hosted by the royal family over the years and is aimed at people in the martial arts world. In addition to rare treasures, the auction items are more often weapons, secret manuals, elixirs and other items needed by warriors. They are of rare origin and excellent quality.
Only those who have received a royal invitation can participate. This is also a means for the royal family to win over the forces of the martial arts world, strengthen the ruling power of the court, and understand the dynamics of the martial arts world.
The auction will be held in the imperial palace, and there will be a hero banquet before it. The emperor will also be present in person to communicate with major forces in the martial arts world.
Along the majestic palace gate corridor, people in strange clothing passed by in groups of three or five. At first glance, they were completely different from the law-abiding civil officials and showed a unique and ostentatious demeanor.
After all, the current imperial power is declining and treacherous ministers are in power. Even the emperor dare not rashly challenge the forces of the underworld. He can only play a maintaining role and consolidate the stability of all parties.
Wen Rensu attended the meeting on behalf of the Wanjun faction and heard a discordant noise from afar.
"You dog, don't you have eyes when you walk?" An angry voice burst out, and the arrogant man scolded. Judging from his elegant clothes, he was probably of extraordinary status.
A familiar voice responded sinisterly, "Who is the puppy talking about?"
In a flash, the arrogant man's eyes blurred, he felt a gust of wind, and then a chill on the side of his neck.
He turned his head tremblingly and saw the person he was mocking close to his back, with the blade's tip pressed against his aorta. If it went down a little further, blood would splatter everywhere.
Goose bumps suddenly appeared on his neck. He rolled his eyes and saw the people accompanying him standing there in a daze. He felt humiliated and said with his neck stiffened:
"Who are you? How dare you do this to me! I'm Zhuang Chengxuan, the son of the Feiyan Sect's leader. If you know what's good for you, let me go!"
After all, they were under the palace walls, in full view of everyone. Although Zhuang Chengxuan did not know the person in front of him, he was sure that no matter how arrogant the person was, he would not be able to do anything without any scruples.
However, Ling Zheng seemed to have heard some huge joke and laughed so hard that he fell backwards: "I don't care who you are. I have killed so many people from your famous and upright sects. Do you still need one more?"
"stop--"
Before he could finish his words, the axe blade had already cut an artery, and blood spurted out, splashing on the clothes of the people nearby, but Ling Zheng's dark blue robe was not left with any trace.
Following the source of the sudden sound, his heart trembled slightly, but his expression remained calm.
He casually threw away the terrified Zhuang Chengxuan who was covering his wound tightly and turned around to face the person who came.
With her delicate chin slightly raised, her seductive eyes revealed deliberate provocation.
Wen Rensu, wearing a solemn and dignified manner, approached Ling Zheng, his expression unsmiling and his aura intimidating. Ling Zheng's shadow was reflected in his dark eyes.
The illusion of being watched made him dazed for a moment, and then he was struck by Wen Rensu's look of disdain, as if he had seen something filthy and felt disgusted, and his heart was filled with dense pain.
Ling Zheng knew Wen Renshou's character well. As a bystander, he never thought that one day he would become the target of his hatred.
Suppressing his depressed thoughts, Ling Zheng sneered, not knowing who he was mocking. He licked his upper teeth silently with the tip of his tongue, blinked innocently, shrugged and spread his hands, saying:
"It's too late."
After saying that, he swaggered into the palace gate, unconcerned with the hateful looks of others.
Ling Zheng was tall, with soft and shiny black hair swaying in the wind, mixed with a few small braids as thick as little fingers, which had a strong southern barbarian style and formed a subtle fusion with his rebelliousness.
Although humiliated, Wen Rensu remained calm and looked away at the messy scene, which was contrary to the enthusiasm he had shown before.
The men who had half-knelt to help Zhuang Chengxuan up looked up in confusion. They had thought this man would "uphold justice" for his master, but unexpectedly, after the evildoer left, he also watched coldly, as if he had become a different person. They could only watch helplessly as Wenren complained.
In the magnificent Qixin Hall, the warm breeze was filled with the faint scent of incense. On both sides were several tables carved with auspicious cloud patterns and exquisite craftsmanship. Behind them were rows of cushions for people to sit on.
Wen Rensu didn't want to chat and just found a seat. At this moment, Ge Zifeng of the Qiyang Sect, who was already in the hall, caught sight of Wen Rensu from the corner of his eye. He noticed Qi Yinhua wasn't there, and his eyes flashed.
"Brother, you are a disciple of Wanjun Sect, right? Do you still remember me?" Ge Zifeng walked over, bowed, and said in a very familiar manner.
Wen Rensu raised his eyes and said, "I remember."
After greeting each other and exchanging names, Ge Zifeng asked Wen Rensu indirectly about his identity. After all, he was a stranger and his first appearance was next to Qi Yinhua. His status was special and it was hard not to arouse curiosity.
Wen Rensu knew what Ge Zifeng was thinking. He explained, "Senior Sister Qi and I are both disciples of the headmaster, but I like to travel around, so my identity is not well known."
Ge Zifeng said "Oh", not sure whether he believed it or not. Wen Rensu didn't care. Anyway, the reason was reasonable and no one could find any fault with it.
"Brother Wenren, do you have any favorite items in this auction?" Ge Zifeng asked again.
Wen Rensu nodded and was about to answer when a melodious sound of chimes suddenly rang out, indicating that the hero banquet was about to begin.
Ge Zifeng paused, smiled, and sat down not far from Wen Rensu.
The Qiyang faction also had only one representative. The banquet had limited seats, a symbol of both strength and honor; those who could attend were truly exceptional.
A thin middle-aged man in gorgeous clothes and a robe embroidered with gold dragon patterns walked slowly into the Qixin Hall, stepped onto the long red carpet and stood on the high platform. This man must be the emperor of the current dynasty.
The imperial teacher in a simple monk's robe followed behind him. When the emperor sat on the dragon throne, he also took a seat at the lower right.
The Emperor looked at everyone solemnly, then his expression relaxed slightly and he said kindly:
"I'm hosting a banquet here today. I'm delighted to be able to gather with the heroes of the world. Enough of the small talk. Serve the food!"
Two rows of palace maids filed in from outside the hall and placed exquisite imperial meals in front of each table in an orderly manner, sprinkled with expensive spices, and the fresh aroma filled the air.
The musicians played beautiful ancient music, and several beautiful women in colorful clothes and feathered robes came and danced gracefully in the center of the hall. They were as light as a swallow and their dancing moves were as elegant as a startled swan.
Wen Rensu didn't care about his appetite. After picking up his chopsticks and tasting the fresh food, he looked at Ling Zheng across from him with interest. Ling Zheng was enjoying his meal, and except for the peanuts, he gobbled up all the other delicacies.
Until Ling Zheng suddenly raised his eyes and saw Wen Ren Su sitting upright on the opposite side, gazing at the dancing woman with clear eyes, not obsessed.
Hypocritical. Ling Zheng felt frustrated and snorted coldly.
He put down his chopsticks, forced himself to divert his attention, looked away, his mind wandering, thinking about the upcoming auction and calculating his belongings.
Unexpectedly, he was also invited to this hero banquet. Obviously, as a rising star, Ling Zheng's name was recognized by the court.
However, if the auction had not happened to have the rare herb Youlancao mentioned in Yueming Jue, which is used for marrow cleansing, he would not have come to such a boring banquet to deal with this group of hypocritical people.
Orchid only grows near the crater and is very effective in stopping bleeding, but it has no other uses.
The reason why it was included in the auction was because the journey to the crater was long and it was inevitable for people in the martial arts world to get injured and bleed, so the orchid grass was what they wanted.
Of course, this is just the common perception. Yueming Jue records that a medicinal bath with orchid grass and several other herbs can have a miraculous marrow-cleansing effect.
"Young Master Ling Zheng, Young Master Ling Zheng?"
Noticing that many eyes were focused on him, Ling Zheng suddenly came to his senses and found that the emperor was calling him.
He felt a little surprised, stood up, and said calmly, "I am here."
"Please sit down. There's no need to be so reserved." The Emperor extended his hand and patted the air, saying with a pleasant expression, "Young Hero Ling Zheng has become increasingly famous in recent years. He possesses extraordinary abilities. He truly is a hero born young. I admire him!"
When Ling Zheng heard this, he chuckled to himself and said, "Your Majesty, you are too kind."
The royal family is indeed known for their high emotional intelligence. Is that a reputation? Clearly, it's notorious.
He pondered and waited for the next words. The emperor said, "I heard that Young Master Ling Zheng recently obtained the famous Yueming Jue. I am very curious. Could you lend it to me to see?"
Facing the emperor's earnest gaze, Ling Zheng's eyebrows raised slightly, and he thought to himself that this old emperor was quite interesting. He said this as casually as borrowing a book, without blushing or being nervous.
He now knew why he had received this invitation. It turned out that the real purpose was not the wine, but a Hongmen Banquet.
"this……"
Ling Zheng's expression changed again and again. After a moment's silence, he said, "It's not impossible." When the emperor showed a look of surprise, he changed the subject.
"For the sake of the Moonlight Secret, I have endured many hardships and dangers, narrowly escaping death. Although the Emperor's grace is immense, I still feel unwilling to give in..."
The emperor understood Ling Zheng's hint and said happily, "How about I personally give you one of the items from this auction?"
After these words were spoken, everyone present was silent for a moment, exchanging subtle glances with each other, with only one meaning - how unkind.
Originally, when Ling Zheng revealed that he was willing to give up the Yueming Jue, everyone was already in turmoil. They all suspected that Ling Zheng had changed his personality. Is he really that kind?
But on second thought, the emperor had already spoken, and even if his power was declining, it was not something a commoner without any official position could refuse at will.
In this case, Ling Zheng could understand why he agreed. After all, he was still young and had enough strength, but he still needed to hone his cunning and learn how to evade responsibility.
Immediately afterwards, the emperor's words made them feel dizzy again. With the status of Yueming Jue, it was more than enough to be the treasure of the auction, and he had the nerve to put forward such conditions.
Seeing this, the smiling imperial teacher's expression froze. He sighed quietly and looked at Ling Zheng.
Consistent with the thoughts of everyone present, they were not the ones who were cheated, so of course no one fought for justice for Ling Zheng. They watched the situation quietly, waiting to see how Ling Zheng would respond.
"...Two pieces?" Ling Zheng stretched out two fingers and said hesitantly.
After the emperor agreed, Ling Zheng named the two most valuable auction items, a Yanjing Stone and a Resurrection Pill.
What?! Everyone was heartbroken. Was Ling Zheng so easy to talk to? They suddenly seemed to see through the truth, and their views on Ling Zheng changed subtly.
They had been deceived the entire time. It seemed that Ling Zheng was merely bloodthirsty, but in reality, he was a weakling on the inside and not as terrifying as the rumors said. A subtle thought began to form in the minds of those present.
Through the original book, Wen Rensu knew Ling Zheng's plan, and looking at him, who was such a dramatic artist, a barely perceptible smile broke out on his face.
The deal was done, and everyone was happy. Ling Zheng seemed oblivious to the others' disdain, sitting calmly. Suddenly, he felt an urge to secretly glance at Wen Ren and tell him what he had done.
It just happened to meet Wen Rensu's cold gaze, and then Wen Rensu lowered his eyelids, his attitude unclear.
Ling Zheng frowned.
An hour later, at the auction.
Ling Zheng put the Yan Jing Stone back into the auction. This Yan Jing Stone was of excellent quality and fetched a good price. He used the money to buy a few items first to confuse the public.
Soon after, he heard the emcee's voice: "Next up for auction is the sacred hemostatic plant—Orchid Grass! The starting bid is one tael of silver, and it can be exchanged for an equivalent."
"Ten taels!" someone shouted first.
"Fifty taels!" Someone quickly raised the price.
"A bone-strengthening pill!" The bone-strengthening pill is worth about sixty taels.
…
When the price reached one hundred and thirty taels, the voices began to thin out, and Ling Zheng called out indifferently, "One hundred and thirty-five taels."
The emcee said excitedly, "One hundred and thirty-five taels! Anyone else bidding?"
"One hundred and forty taels!" Ge Zifeng said loudly.
Hearing this, Ling Zheng glanced at Ge Zifeng coldly and said, "One hundred and forty-five taels."
"One hundred and fifty taels." Ge Zifeng smiled slightly.
Ling Zheng's face was expressionless, and he immediately said, "One hundred and sixty taels."
Seeing Ge Zifeng folding his arms and no longer speaking, Ling Zheng felt relieved and waited for the emcee's countdown to end.
"Five, four, three, two..." The host opened his mouth wide, with "one" already on the tip of his tongue.
"A bright sky lotus."
Not far away, a magnetic voice sounded slowly.
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