The Prodigies War

Around three o’clock in the afternoon, the storm brought about by the peerless treasured blade finally came to an end at the entrance of Golden Jade Hall.

After confirming the magnificence of the Explosion Blade, many people participated in a bidding session on the spot. Some people were even willing to purchase the blade for eight hundred silver coins but a Spirit Dipper cultivator successfully bought it for three hundred silver coins in the end.

Three hundred silver coins was already a ridiculous and unbelievable amount for a lower human-grade aeth tool.

After all, aeth tools of that grade were generally worth around thirty to eighty silver coins on the market. Three hundred silver coins were enough to buy a high human-grade aeth tool.

But anyone who understood the magnificence of the blade would know that the price of three hundred silver coins was worth it because the blade was unique and another one couldn’t be found in the entire empire.

Things that were rare were more precious. When an ordinary aeth tool possessed unique attributes, it would no longer be considered ordinary.

Eight hundred silver coins was an enormous amount to Gu Yanping. After all, the Explosion Blade was an ordinary aeth tool and he was happy enough to sell it for three hundred silver coins.

His action won praise from everyone present and built a good impression of him. The credibility of Golden Jade Hall also increased as a result.

After today’s incident, Golden Jade Hall had opened up new prospects in Donglin City, but if it wanted to truly stand firm, it had to carry on.

As Gu Yanping sat in the inner room of Golden Jade Hall, he couldn’t help but think about Lin Xun again. He muttered, “Stone Cauldron Alms had made an error of judgment and made me obtain a treasure that reversed my situation in Donglin City.”

“Father, I have contacted the suppliers and they decided to sign an agreement with us!” Gu Liang exclaimed as he rushed in.

“Uh-huh.” Gu Yanping nodded in a distracted manner and then he said, “Liang’er, although we have opened up our paths, troubles will undoubtedly follow. The people in the same trade won’t let our business grow.”

Gu Liang frowned, and the look of joy faded from his face. “Father, in your opinion, what should we do next?”

Gu Yanping said calmly, “Do you remember the young master who sold us the Explosion Blade?”

Gu Liang said without hesitation, “Of course I remember him.”

Gu Yanping drew a deep breath and said, “Your next mission is to find the young master and ask him to come to Golden Jade Hall for a chat.”

A thought struck Gu Liang’s mind. He vaguely understood his father’s plan and so he nodded firmly. “Father, don’t worry. The young master is our savior, I will definitely complete the mission.”

Gu Yanping nodded. Then, he suddenly sighed, “A treasure can only bring us temporary popularity. We have to have more treasures if we want to carry on our business and compete with people in the same trade. But things are easier said than done.”

……

Although the matter had come to an end, everything that had happened in Golden Jade Hall had only just started to ferment.

In almost a few hours, the entire Donglin City had learned that the so-called peerless treasured blade that Golden Jade Hall sold was an Explosion Blade.

However, it was that common Explosion Blade that made the representatives of top businesses, including Boundless Treasure Pavilion, Profound Gold and Wu Corporation, speechless and return in low spirits.

The Explosion Blade had sparked fierce competition between cultivators and was finally sold for an astonishing price of three hundred silver coins!

Golden Jade Hall had risen to fame!

In just one night, its name resounded throughout Donglin City and sparked countless discussions and caused a commotion.

The discussions about the uniqueness of the Explosion Blade even ran rampant, and many cultivators who knew the truth about the blade were full of praise. They even gave the unique Explosion Blade a name—Flame Blade!

As for the major businesses in Donglin City, they were more concerned about whether or not it was a rune master who created the Flame Blade and whether or not the rune master was working for Golden Jade Hall!

If they could find the answers, then they could get to the bottom of Golden Jade Hall’s foundation and perhaps could prepare precautionary suppression measures against Golden Jade Hall.

Some businesses even planned to spend a huge amount of money to invite the mysterious rune master in Golden Jade Hall to work for their business instead!

In the afternoon of the same day, the businesses each sent out their own spies to find out more about the mysterious rune master who made the Flame Aeth Blade. Although the investigations were carried out secretly, it still attracted much attention.

As a result, discussions about the mysterious rune master became a popular topic in Donglin City.

……

As for the initiator of this incredible situation, Lin Xun had no idea of everything that was happening.

He had just purchased a dozen rune inks and aeth tools. He still had to pay one hundred and twenty coins in total despite negotiating heavily with the boss.

Lin Xun only had nine silver coins left on him when he came out of the store. The way he spent money like water made his heart ache a little.

“I hope the treasures made from these things can sell for a good price…” Lin Xun let out a long sigh and headed towards the slums.

When he passed by a busy teahouse, he happened to hear about what happened in front of Golden Jade Hall. His expression involuntarily changed when he heard that the so-called peerless treasured blade was just an Explosion Blade.

He vaguely remembered that he didn’t see another Explosion Blade in Golden Jade Hall when he sold his blade. Could it be…

Lin Xun spaced out. Three hundred silver coins!

He only managed to calm down a little when he returned home. So what if the Explosion Blade came from me? I sold it to Golden Jade Hall yesterday so even if they sold it for a ridiculous price it should have nothing to do with me.

“You finally came back. This is the intelligence that Fatty Diao collected.” Xia Zhi walked out of the house and handed Lin Xun a beast skin scroll.

Xia Zhi took out a beast skin pouch that was rattling with coins, and Lin Xun immediately focused his eyes on the pouch.

“These are the spoils. A total of two hundred silver coins,” said Xia Zhi casually.

Lin Xun was a little perplexed. He pointed to the beast skin scroll in his hand and then to the beast's skin bag containing silver coins. "Where did these come from?"

Xia Zhi thought about it and immediately realized that Lin Xun was training last night and might not have heard what she said.

Xia Zhi explained to him.

The corners of Lin Xun’s lips twitched uncontrollably. Not only did Xia Zhi go out late at night to kill a gang leader but she also took in a group of underlings, obtained a lot of booty, and sent Fatty Diao to help him collect information about the Wu Clan!

It was only after a long while that Lin Xun could digest the information. “Be careful for your safety.”

Xia Zhi nodded and said, “I’m hungry.”

“I’ll go and cook.”

With complex emotions swirling in his heart, Lin Xun turned around and walked into the kitchen. Xia Zhi had once again done something unexpected so he didn’t know what to say.

As Xia Zhi watched Lin Xun busy away in the kitchen, her lips quirked into a smile that faded the next second.

She went back into the room while muttering a name in her mind “Azure Wolf”, which was the nickname of a gang leader in another area of the slums.

……

After dinner, Xia Zhi left again.

Lin Xun didn’t stop her. He had changed his views and no longer treated Xia Zhi as a child.

Lin Xun sat down at the desk and opened up the beast skin scroll, which listed information about the Wu Clan.

In Donglin City, there were three local forces, namely the Wu Clan, the Xiao Clan and the Jin Clan.

The Wu Corporation, Boundless Treasure Pavilion and Profound Gold were the top businesses in Donglin City and took almost half of the commercial profits in the city.

According to the intelligence, the Wu Clan consisted of hundreds of clansmen and thousands of guards. They owned thousands of acres of aeth fields and dozens of mines. It firmly controlled the trade of aeth grains, and almost all aeth grain merchants in the city had to get goods from the Wu Corporation.

Additionally, three Spirit Dipper cultivators watched over the Wu Clan!

Spirit Dipper cultivators were perhaps not the most outstanding existences in the entire Ziyao Empire; however, they could be called top influential figures in a city in the southwestern province.

The current clan leader of the Wu Clan was Wu Chaoqun, a cultivator of the Aeth Transformation, the ninth layer True Martial Stage. He was shrewd, capable and cunning, and so was considered an extremely powerful character.

The First Elder of the Wu Clan was Wu Yunshan, an expert of the intermediate Spirit Dipper Stage.

The second elder, Wu Yushan, was an expert at the initial Spirit Dipper Stage.

The third elder, Wu Lanshan, was also an expert at the initial Spirit Dipper Stage.

…

Lin Xun quickly learned the power and foundation of the Wu Clan, which surprised him a little.

He didn't expect the Wu Clan to possess power of that scale. The Wu Clan could be called an overlord-level existence in Donglin City.

In addition to such information, the beast skin scroll also contained intelligence on Lian Fei, but the majority of that wasn’t useful to Lin Xun.

“Wu Clan…Lian Fei…”

Lin Xun fell into deep thought.

After a long ponder, the only thing that Lin Xun could confirm was that he couldn’t possibly threaten the Wu Clan. However, the Wu Clan feared the Stone Cauldron Alms due to its power and thus could only deal with Lin Xun in the dark. Because of that, it could only mobilize limited powers.

Lin Xun made an important assessment of his situation. He knew he shouldn’t panic because there was enough time and opportunity to prepare countermeasures.

However, if the Wu Clan found out that Mu Wansu had drawn a line with Lin Xun, he would be in great danger.

“It seems that I can’t waste any time!” Lin Xun took a deep breath, and the bright candlelight cast a warm glow of light on his handsome and shapely face, making him look even more determined.