Human Clan Defender

After the Blood Wish auction ended, other items were quickly put up for sale. Some were treasures as precious as the Innate Pill, while others were as useless as the Blood Wish. But regardless, the lowest successful bid never fell below twenty thousand taels. As time went on, the atmosphere in the auction house grew increasingly intense.

By this time, most people had participated in the auction. Very few, like Shen Changqing, had remained detached observers from beginning to end.

It seems they are all waiting for something else, Shen Changqing's gaze swept across the private rooms that had remained silent. Those rooms, of course, could not be empty. The people who came to the auction but did not bid were undoubtedly waiting for something. As for exactly what they were waiting for, he had a good idea.

Ji Qu also smiled at this time and said, "Those major sects are now waiting. As far as I know, the true highlight of this auction will be the three Grandmaster Martial Arts belonging to Lord Shen. From the current situation, the final price of those three Grandmaster Martial Arts may be quite a bit higher than my initial estimate."

High! It would definitely be high! Ji Qu couldn't be certain exactly how much higher it would be. However, the higher the auction's closing price, the greater his benefit as an intermediary would be. Therefore, Ji Qu was pleased to see it unfold.

Shen Changqing chuckled lightly. "Then I'll count on Brother Ji's auspicious words. Additionally, I'd like to ask Brother Ji, will it take a long time to purchase Merit Points when the time comes?"

"A few thousand Merit Points isn't a small number, but the Yuanyang Auction House has influence across all black markets, Lord Shen. If you want to buy Merit Points, simply speak to a representative of the Yuanyang Auction House after the auction ends. I believe there won't be any issues. As for how long it will take, that's hard to say," Ji Qu gave an uncertain answer. After all, he wasn't a member of the Yuanyang Auction House. Even though he had some understanding of Merit Points transactions, he had never dealt with such a large one involving several thousand before.

Shen Changqing nodded. "We'll discuss it after the auction then."

As the two conversed, the next round of item auctions began. Soon, a new jade box was brought forward. The jade box was opened. Inside was a slightly wrinkled book with several large characters on the cover: Mysterious Yang True Scripture!

"The Mysterious Yang True Scripture," Steward Number Two announced loudly. "It is rumored to be an Inner Strength Martial Art created by a bygone expert known as Master Xuanyang. As to who Master Xuanyang was, I believe no one here has heard of him. However, our Yuanyang Auction House's research suggests he was a Grandmaster who lived several hundred years ago. The force auctioning the Mysterious Yang True Scripture is the White Cloud Pavilion. According to the White Cloud Pavilion, the Mysterious Yang True Scripture was initially a complete Inner Strength manual that could lead directly to Grandmaster status. Unfortunately, by the time they acquired it, the Martial Art was already incomplete. Now, the Mysterious Yang True Scripture consists only of the first half, and at most, it can support cultivation up to the Innate Outer Gang Realm."

He paused briefly, allowing the crowd a moment to digest the information, before continuing to the main point.

"Half of the Mysterious Yang True Scripture! Starting bid: eighty thousand taels of silver. Each increment must not be less than one thousand taels. We will now start the auction!"

「」

Half of the Mysterious Yang True Scripture! Shen Changqing watched the fierce bidding below, his gaze settling on the Mysterious Yang True Scripture on the auction stage. Through Steward Number Two's introduction, he also understood the origin of this Martial Art. Leaving aside whether the Martial Art was complete or not, the fact that it could be cultivated to the Innate Outer Gang Realm meant that it could be considered a strong Innate Martial Art.

Immediately, Shen Changqing turned his head to look at Ji Qu. "Brother Ji, have you ever heard of the name Master Xuanyang?"

He had heard some things about the White Cloud Pavilion. It was a sect in the Jianghu that was neither too large nor too small, about equivalent to the Guiyuan Sword Sect in Guangyuan Prefecture, with an expert at the Innate Limit presiding but no Grandmaster in existence. However, as for Master Xuanyang, Shen Changqing had no impression whatsoever.

Upon hearing this, Ji Qu also looked puzzled. "I've never heard of Master Xuanyang before either. But over the last few hundred years, there have been many Grandmasters in the world, so it's quite normal for some to remain unknown."

Regarding Master Xuanyang, or the Mysterious Yang True Scripture, he had no interest at all. In the Demon-Subduing Division, he wouldn't dare comment on other matters, but when it came to Martial Arts, there were simply as many as one wanted. As a result, the people of the Demon-Subduing Division never lacked Martial Arts. If they wanted to learn something, they could simply spend some time in the Scripture Pavilion. If the Scripture Pavilion didn't have it, they could apply to enter the Martial Hall for research. Basically, any Martial Art recorded in the Jianghu could be found in the Martial Hall, and even unrecorded Martial Arts might also be available there. In the Jianghu, if there was a place with the richest collection of Martial Arts, the Demon-Subduing Division undoubtedly ranked first.

"We must obtain the Mysterious Yang True Scripture!" The Family Head of a small force looked rather excited. The Martial Arts within his family, at most, were barely enough to break through to the Innate Realm. As for Martial Arts leading directly to the Innate Outer Gang Realm, they had none. Attending this auction, he aimed to secure a Martial Art that could become the foundation of his family.

Regarding the three Grandmaster Martial Arts, he didn't even consider them. Such Martial Arts are far beyond our reach. It simply isn't something a small power like ours could possess. Regardless of whether we could bid for it or not, even if we truly won the bid, we likely wouldn't be able to keep it.

Therefore, the Family Head's initial goal was very clear: to bid for a Martial Art within the auction house that could protect their clan. They didn't set their sights too high. As long as it could lead to the Innate Outer Gang Realm, that would be enough. The appearance of the Mysterious Yang True Scripture undoubtedly met his inner expectations exactly. After all, the Mysterious Yang True Scripture, even as a remnant of a Grandmaster's Martial Art, certainly had much greater power compared to ordinary Innate Martial Arts. If they could win the bid, it would be a cause for great celebration.

There were many with similar thoughts. These people either hailed from small powers or were wanderers of the Jianghu. All of them possessed some strength but lacked sufficient Martial Arts for inheritance. They had no chance to contend for Grandmaster Martial Arts, and the emergence of the Mysterious Yang True Scripture represented a hope they had long awaited.

"One hundred fifty thousand taels!"

"I bid one hundred sixty thousand taels!"

"One hundred eighty thousand taels!"

"Two hundred thousand taels!"

「」

The bidding price was skyrocketing. Unlike the Innate Pill—which at most would yield a few more martial artists in the Inner Gang Realm, and with bad luck, not even one—selling for the high price of three hundred thousand taels was completely due to the hype of competition. Actually, the price of a single Innate Pill shouldn't be so exorbitant.

But the Mysterious Yang True Scripture was different; it was a Martial Art that led directly to the Innate Outer Gang Realm. Once someone won the bid, it brought hope for the emergence of a practitioner of the Innate Outer Gang Realm within their power. By then, it would be a huge profit with no loss.

Quickly, the price surged to two hundred thirty thousand taels, and there were still many contenders. However, at this price, everyone who raised their bid did so with much more caution, not raising recklessly but instead incrementally.

Powers like the Guiyuan Sword Sect didn't make a single offer. If the Mysterious Yang True Scripture were complete, they would undoubtedly have stepped in earlier. But they saw no value in contending for a half-complete Mysterious Yang True Scripture. These powers did not lack Innate Outer Gang Martial Arts.

Time passed. At last, the price of the Mysterious Yang True Scripture settled at two hundred seventy thousand taels and was won by someone not in one of the private rooms.

Seeing the beloved Martial Art fall into another's hands, many people stamped their feet and beat their chests, filled with regret. However, two hundred eighty thousand taels was clearly beyond the psychological expectations of many.

After the auction for the Mysterious Yang True Scripture ended, a Maid came up holding a wooden box.

Steward Number Two opened the wooden box. Inside lay a banner about the size of two adult palms. Black mist seemed to swirl around it, giving off an ominous feeling.

「」

Within the private room, upon seeing the Black Banner, Shen Changqing's right hand clenched suddenly, his calm gaze finally wavering.

On the other side, Ji Qu's expression also changed slightly.

Shen Changqing whispered a few words, "Yin Evil Aura!"

Below, Steward Number Two had already begun his introduction. "This Black Banner seals two Resentment Level Strange Monsters. I cannot be certain of their exact strength within the Resentment Level. If someone knows how to control Strange Monsters, then owning this Black Banner is like having two Innate Realm fighters."

The atmosphere was silent, and many people's expressions turned grave. Steward Number Two remained composed, his face always carrying a smile.

"The Black Banner! Starting bid: fifty thousand taels of silver. Each bid must raise by no less than one thousand taels of silver. Let the auction begin now!"

「」

The black market really dares to sell anything! To auction Demon Evil! This is the first time I've heard of it in my life. I never thought people would be bold enough to auction Demon Evil.

That Black Banner resembled the flag controlled by the Barbarian Clan Priest he had slain in Jincheng, yet upon a closer look, it was slightly different.

Demon Evil! For many, it was a taboo.

Ji Qu said in a deep voice, "Demon Evil has only appeared for a few hundred years, bringing calamity to the world. Before the Demon-Subduing Division was established, people of the Jianghu relied on their own strength to fend off Demon Evil."

"Some used the Martial Dao to eradicate Demon Evil, while others researched unorthodox methods, attempting to control Demon Evil to fight against it. Despite the great difficulty and risk of controlling Demon Evil—with one careless move resulting in a possible backlash—some still succeeded."

"But to this day, the Demon Evil that those people can control is not potent, mostly at the Ghostly Level. Those capable of reaching the Resentment Level are considered strong among them."

He spoke quite a lot in one breath. Ji Qu paused for a moment before continuing, "The one who left this Black Banner must have substantial strength in these unorthodox methods. Whether they're alive or dead, that's hard to say. And although the Demon-Subduing Division is committed to eradicating Demon Evil, it maintains a tacit acceptance of the buying and selling of Demon Evil behind closed doors, even though it's officially prohibited."

It was because of the Demon-Subduing Division's tacit acceptance that people in the black market dared to auction Demon Evil.

After hearing the explanation, Shen Changqing was silent for a long time and, for the first time, decided to participate in the bidding.

「」