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Next up was a legendary manual of inner strength—famous, yet mysterious. Whether it was genuine or not remained uncertain, even after our evaluation. After all, the effects of inner strength techniques take years of dedicated cultivation to reveal. It’s simply impossible to verify their authenticity in a short time.
However, based on the material analysis, we determined that the cloth on which this manual was recorded is over a hundred years old.
The host chuckled twice. Noticing the growing curiosity in the crowd, he paused to let the suspense build, their eyes locked on him.
Then he continued, slowly and deliberately.
“This secret manual is called the Black Fiend Art.”
Two dwarfs stepped onto the stage, carrying a brass tray with a steady, swaying gait.
Resting atop the tray was a dark, cloth-bound book.
“The Black Fiend Art consists of thirty-two levels. According to its records, each advancement refines the practitioner’s body anew. The version we have today contains levels one through five.”
“Huh, so it’s just a fragment.”
Someone in the audience spoke up immediately.
“It’s hard enough to cultivate inner strength—vague, uncertain, and now we’re talking about an incomplete copy? Who’d dare to risk it? What if it’s been tampered with? That’s a death sentence!” sneered another voice.
“Then don’t buy it.” A mocking voice shot back.
The host raised both hands and smiled, trying to calm the rising chatter.
“Everyone, please settle down. This Black Fiend Art was consigned to our auction by a customer who personally vouched for its authenticity. Regardless of anything else, the first three levels are confirmed to be safe for cultivation.”
He had expected a stir in the crowd—perhaps even a bidding frenzy—but the room remained subdued.
Lu Sheng gave a faint shake of his head, already understanding why.
Zheng Xiangui leaned closer, confused.
“Brother Sheng, what’s going on? That reaction doesn’t seem right.”
“It’s not wrong. It’s expected,” Lu Sheng replied calmly. “Cultivating inner strength takes years. No one wants to gamble that kind of time on something unverified. Whether someone demonstrates it or not, the risk is too high.”
He paused, then added,
“Besides, I heard Uncle Zhao say that inner strength isn’t as fearsome as the stories claim. Unless one reaches the highest levels, its power often doesn’t match a full-force strike from an external-style master.”
“Why is that?”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ41x2Priec9
Zheng Xiangui’s confusion only deepened.
At that moment, a guard captain who had been silently standing behind them finally spoke up.
This man was Chen Wude, one of the Zheng family’s two most formidable captains. Because of the importance of this underground auction, he had been assigned to maintain order. Like Uncle Zhao, he was a seasoned external martial artist at the Tongli realm—well-known within the city.
Chen Wude glanced at Lu Sheng, then continued steadily.
“Young Master may not be aware of this, but internal and external martial arts both cultivate strength. The difference lies in the method.”
“External schools focus on the muscles and bones, using harsh training and direct force to rapidly build power. It's effective—but damaging to the body in the long run.”
“Internal schools, on the other hand, work from within. They regulate the organs and nourish the qi and blood. It’s a slower path, but it strengthens the body without harm and can even prolong life.”
“So the distinction between internal and external lies in the trade-off: faster power versus long-term health.”
“In fact, top-tier external martial artists are often just as strong as their internal counterparts.”
“But the most terrifying are those who cultivate both.”
“Is that so...”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdLIhjt9pfs
Zheng Xiangui finally began to understand.
Lu Sheng nodded in agreement.
“Uncle Zhao said the same thing.”
Zheng Xiangui thought for a moment, then asked,6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXgT5TiVsB
“But then why is everyone so obsessed with internal skills if the strength increase isn’t that much?”
Chen Wude let out a soft sigh.
“Longevity. External martial artists begin to decline after thirty. Their peak fades fast. But with internal cultivation, that peak can last until fifty or even sixty. There’s simply no comparison.”
At that moment, Lu Sheng turned his gaze back to the stage, eyes locked on the secret manual. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and placed the first bid.
The host pointed to the black cloth secret book resting on the tray.
“Bidding starts now. The starting price is one hundred taels!”
“One hundred and thirty taels.”
“One hundred and fifty!”
“Two hundred!”
“Three hundred!”
“Three hundred and thirty taels!”
The bids climbed rapidly, one after another.
Even the man who had mocked the book earlier was now joining in.
Although skepticism lingered over the secret manual’s authenticity, everyone clearly trusted the appraisal and reputation of the Black Society.
Zheng Xiangui muttered under his breath,
“Someone’s deliberately driving up the price.”
Lu Sheng narrowed his eyes, focusing intently on the stage.
“Five hundred taels!”
He raised his hand and called out loudly.
The sudden jump of one hundred taels silenced the crowd.
In this era, five hundred taels were worth about five hundred thousand RMB—a hefty sum for a secret manual whose authenticity and completeness remained uncertain.
“Five hundred and fifty taels.”
A voice responded quickly.
Lu Sheng glanced toward the bidder—a yellow-skinned man with slanted eyes. His thin face was mostly hidden behind a black mask, but his sharp, fierce eyes gave him a threatening aura.
Lu Sheng had expected a fierce battle for this internal strength manual—how could there not be?
Unfazed, he raised his hand again.
“Six hundred taels.”
“Seven hundred taels!”
It was the masked man again, matching every bid immediately after Lu Sheng.
“Eight hundred taels!” Lu Sheng said calmly.
His father, Lu Quan’an, gave him a monthly allowance of two thousand taels. Even if he spent it all, capturing this secret manual was worth every tael.
Anyway, there was a modifier: as long as there was even the slightest chance to get started, he could find the martial art’s name on the modifier and push it to its limit.
“Nine hundred taels!”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ8T06t5iJR
The man fixed Lu Sheng with a fierce glare.
“One thousand taels.” Lu Sheng said calmly.
“One thousand and one hundred taels!” the other party replied reluctantly.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMeswF8H1R
“Friend, I am from the Baiyu Zhang family. Give me some face.”
The Baiyu Zhang family?6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz1GFqF6nFo
Lu Sheng’s expression shifted slightly.
This Zhang family wasn’t from Jiulian City, but the most powerful clan in nearby Zihua City—the family of Zhang Song, the prefect of Zihua.
“The Baiyu Zhang family actually came all the way to Jiulian City to look for goods...” Zheng Xiangui whispered in surprise.
The Zheng family managed the Black Auction but cared little about the origins of the guests.
“One thousand two hundred taels!”6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz0SIXdolqx
Lu Sheng raised his hand again.
The Zhang family man’s eyes flashed with anger. Around Jiulian and Zihua, he had never encountered anyone so brazen as to disrespect the Zhang family openly.
Besides Prefect Zhang Song, the family boasted another powerful figure: Zhang Songxi, the foremost master in Zihua City. One held political power, the other martial—their combined strength was their greatest asset for dominance beyond their borders.
“Don’t worry about him. The highest bidder always wins at the Black Auction. Even the Zhang family wouldn’t dare break the rules openly. Who else would do business with them in jade otherwise?” Zheng Xiangui said with a knowing smile.
The man from the Zhang family was Zhang Jundong, who had come to Jiulian City to acquire any potential internal energy manuals that might surface. In truth, every internal energy manuals on the market was closely monitored by them. Before any were auctioned, the Zhang family intercepted them. This one manual was the only exception—it slipped through unnoticed because it was consigned suddenly by an unknown guest, bypassing formal procedures.
“One thousand three hundred taels!” Zhang Jundong gritted his teeth and raised his hand again.
“One thousand four hundred!” Lu Sheng refused to back down.
At this point, only the two of them were competing—the rest had no intention of intervening.
“One thousand five hundred taels!” Zhang Jundong stared hard at Lu Sheng.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3BQWenNy8P
“Friend, when you’re out, more friends mean more opportunities. If you let my Zhang family have this secret book today, we will remember your favor.”
Lu Sheng remained calm.
“One thousand six hundred taels.”
He raised his hand and bid again.
Zhang Jundong’s fury boiled over. He had come for the Black Fiend Art, expecting to snag it for one thousand taels and pocket the rest. He never imagined a stranger would appear halfway and challenge him so relentlessly.
“One thousand seven hundred and fifty taels!” Zhang Jundong suddenly stood up, throwing all his money into the bid at once.
“One thousand eight hundred!”
Lu Sheng’s face remained expressionless.
Zhang Jundong snapped his head toward Lu Sheng and stared him down.
“Good! Very good!”
He said no more but studied Lu Sheng intently, as if trying to memorize every detail.
With a loud bang, Zhang Jundong abruptly stood and stormed off in anger.
“Congratulations, sir.” The host smiled broadly from the stage. A secret internal skill manual, authenticity unknown, selling at such a high price was a rare sight. His cut of the profits would be several times higher than usual.
After receiving the secret manual, Lu Sheng handed over the silver note without even glancing at it. He whispered something to Zheng Xiangui, then left immediately. Now that he had the item, he didn’t have much money left.
Chen Wude followed close behind, bringing two guards with him, wary that trouble might follow.
After retracing their steps and exiting the stone house, Lu Sheng looked up at the night sky—it was already late.
The Zheng family’s carriage waited just outside.
Chen Wude couldn’t accompany him further, so he assigned a few guards to escort Lu Sheng as he returned to continue guarding young master Zheng Xiangui.
With three guards flanking him, Lu Sheng stepped out of the stone house and headed toward the carriage.
Huuu—
A sudden gust of wind swept through the village outskirts.
One of the guards grew alert and scanned the area, but saw nothing unusual.
Chi!
With a faint scraping sound, a black shadow darted past him.
It slipped effortlessly through the perimeter formed by the guards and charged straight at Lu Sheng, hidden at the center.
The black figure moved with alarming speed. The guards didn’t even have time to react before their formation was broken.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three sharp metallic rings echoed as the shadow’s short knife slashed through the air, cutting the wrists of the nearest guards in quick succession.
The three cried out and staggered backward, clutching their bleeding wrists.
They were only hired hands from the Zheng family—not loyal to the death—so they didn’t hesitate to retreat. In their minds, a minor injury was reason enough to step back. After all, they'd done their part.
As the three fell back, their defense line collapsed completely, leaving Lu Sheng fully exposed.
“Go to hell!”
A low, grim voice rang out from the black shadow.
The attacker raised his short knife and slashed directly at Lu Sheng’s chest.
Though his strength and speed had declined slightly after injuring three people in a row, he still believed it would be more than enough to kill a pampered noble youth.
Even if Lu Sheng happened to be a martial artist, he wasn't worried—outside a handful of elites in Jiulian City, none could match him.
Zhang Jundong had confirmed Lu Sheng's identity beforehand. The young man wasn’t on any threat list.
Though he was a member of the prestigious Zhang family, Zhang Jundong had another identity—one far more infamous.
He was a top leader of the Wolf Bandits, a notorious group that prowled the outskirts of Zihua City.
Since he had failed to win the secret book at auction, he figured he might as well take it by force.
After all, this wasn’t the first time he’d done something like this. The Black Society never guaranteed a buyer’s safety.
If he could kill and rob in one strike, pocketing the manual and saving himself thousands of taels—why wouldn’t he?
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