5 more days went by. Those days were spent perfecting his techniques to the utmost. His understanding of the Shadow Severing kicks had increased dramatically. The combos he previously struggled with could be utilised effortlessly.
To say he had achieved advanced mastery was about it, and he was close to completely recreating the lost volumes of the technique.
For the Sky Trace Phantom Steps and Wind like Feet, he had achieved complete mastery of the combined technique born from both. The natural talent and understanding of the martial Dao conferred onto him from the Divine Eyes was so great, to be able to combine two advanced techniques into one and fully master it. Then again, Qingxuan preferred speed above all else. That was his martial way.
His archery had also improved and he could kill from almost 400m. That was a 250m increase from the last time. His progress was outstanding.
But, it was time to leave this place. Aunt Lin would probably be worried sick right now. He first took a bath, washing of the accumulated sweat, blood and grime off his body. He didn't want to go out there looking like he had just come out of hell.
He put on his pants, tied his hair into a ponytail but left white bangs to the fall to the right side of his face, while the dark hair fell to the left side of his face, giving him some sort of wild charm, adding to his looks.
He wrapped his upper face in a blindfold, tied his Yuan stone pouch to his waist, picked up the bag containing the beast items and left without looking back.
He entered Qingyang town after several minutes of travelling and went directly to the heart of the town.
He needed to get rid of the beast parts, and thank the Heavens, he usually used to go out with Aunt Lin to town especially when she needed foodstuff.
The Heaven Treasure Pavilion. It was an auction house that bought and sold mythic items. From cultivation techniques to weapons, to armour and battle gear to beast parts and beast cores. They had it all.
Qingxuan headed there without hesitation.
Walking through the streets of Qingyang Town, drew several eyes to him. The beautiful hair, the covered eyes, the bow and quivers hand on his back..
Qingxuan was shrouded in mystery from head to toe.
He ignored their gazes and headed straight for the Auction house.
He entered and then walked to the reception, there he met what he would call a vixen in real life. She was beautiful, not on par with the young maiden he saw from the mountain range. No. This woman was voluptuous with long hair and was dressed in a revealing outfit that would make most men salivate.
"I guess it's all part of the marketing.." Qingxuan chuckled inwardly.
"How may I help you, young master…? She observed him thoroughly, and Qingxuan watched the micro expressions on her face. Something about him didn't make sense to her, and it was normal. For instance, how was he walking while blindfolded?
But she kept her composure smiled lightly and almost winked at him.
Qingxuan cleared his throat and slowly took out the content in his bag.
The stone hide warthog's tusk first. "That…that's…" Being able to recognize it, meant she was experienced in regard. Qingxuan noted.
"I'm sorry, young Lord. May I know your name?" She asked after calming herself. Qingxuan scratched his head. She smiled. "Only the Pavilion Master will be able to handle a transaction of this grade.. But he's unfortunately not here at the moment. I'll have to send someone for him, so adding your name as the young Lord in possession of the items is only formal.."
She explained. He already knew that the issue of his identity might come up, but he was still apprehensive, after all, a treasure in the hands of the poor man was the greatest sin.
"It's alright. I can wait. The name's Xuan." He nodded.
"Alright.." She walked into one room and then came out smiling, before gesturing the rows of neatly arranged tables and chairs.
"Please have a seat…" Qingxuan sat and watched her bring out a golden tray, with a beautifully carved teapot and two glasses.
She poured and sat beside him. "So Xuan, is it alright if I call you by your name, or you prefer young Lord?" She purred.
Qingxuan rolled his eyes underneath the blindfold. She had been quietly observing him the whole time. Others would not have picked on the subtle changes in her facial expression when she watched him move.
"Just feel free, Lady.." Qingxuan began probing this time around.
"Lady Menhuang. Gu Menhuang.." She nodded and drank from the tea cups in front of her. Qingxuan nodded.
"So Xuan, you must hail from a prestigious clan to be able to achieve such a level at your young age?" She turned her gaze to him. The question was structured like a statement.
"Actually, no. Miss Menhuang. I have no memories of my parents or clan. I've lived in the mountain ranges for practically all my life.." After quietly assessing the tea, the took a sip and then replied with a deep calm.
The lady furrowed her brows. "I see.. " His current outlook did validate the story he just gave.
After all, which proud young master would willingly dress up like a caveman in this era? It was practically unheard of. Qingxuan was shirtless, even his pants seemed torn and stitched, and apart from the weird black and white hair, and the mysterious blindfold, everything about him screamed wild.
He sat back, relaxing gently on the small seat, and that was when a couple of figures walked in, in conversation.
In the lead was a stout man, with a rounded face. He was wrapped in a luxurious robe and his fingers adorned with rings.
Beside him was an old man with A stern face, a dignified expression, and dressed in a pure white robe. His hands constantly pulled down his white beard as if he was always in deep thought.
Behind them, were two middle aged men. Both of them bearing stark resemblance to the old man and bore dignified expressions on their faces while dressed in clean linen.
"Old man Zhentian, my Heaven Treasure Pavilion has been in business with your Lin clan for more than 35 years. It pains my heart to have to tell you this, but since the Raging Blade Dojo took over this vicinity, our sales have been cut down sharply.
Now we rarely make what we used to. That is why our transactions have been cut short.."
The short stout man walking in front had a worried expression on his face. The face of a businessman who fears greatly that his business was slowly losing its ground.
Meanwhile, Qingxuan heard everything from the start.
"Old man Zhentian? Lin Family?.." Those two identities felt otherwise familiar to him, he just couldn't pinpoint where he had heard them from. But realization struck him.
"Fuck! How could I not have known?! The evidence was right in front of me this whole time." He almost facepalmed. Old man Zhentian, Lin Family.. Lin Zhentian.. Lin Dong. This was the Martial Bloody Universe world.
Qingxuan scratched his head. Martial Universe was one of the first novels he ever read. And frankly, he remembered enough. The Peerless expert known as the Symbol Ancestor, the Eight Great Masters, the Extra terrestrial Race trying to invade the universe, the ancestral symbols..
He remembered quite a lot from that. After all, Martial Universe was the novel that ushered him into the Otaku lifestyle.
'Sigh.. wouldn't be bad if I get my hands on one of those Ancestral Symbol thingies. Lin Dong eh.."
While lost in deep thought, the elders and the stout man had finally turned their attention to him who was daydreaming.
"Young Lord Xuan.."The young receptionist tapped him, drawing him out of his reverie.
"Mmm!" He cleared his throat and took a sip.
The young receptionist gestured to the stout man who was busily sizing him up.
"I'm Bai Wu, the pavilion master of this Auction House. What can I do for you?" He stretched out his hand. Qingxuang cleared his throat once more and shook the man's sweaty palms, ignoring the stares of the Lin Clan's men on him.
Their cultivation levels were frankly staggering and were way above the Body Tempering Realm.
"Xuan.." Qingxuan didn't need any further introduction and simply began removing the items from his bag.
Bai Wu felt his heart clench at every item, Qingxuan unveiled.
"Are those, the Iron Hide Warthog's tusks?"
"The Green Trunk Snake's fangs!??"
"Golden Eagle beak and talons??"
Qingxuan's bag felt like an endless storage. All the items he took out, were either parts from a Grade 1 or Grade 2 beast. Nothing lower.
The Lin clan members raised brows. A kid as talented as this hunting down Grade 1 and 2 beasts felt unreal. He didn't even look 15 years old.
Bai Wu coughed. "These beast items are rare, and it's commendable for a young child to be able to hunt them down. But I Bai Wu I'm known for being fair. I'll give you 150 medium grade Yuan Stones for all the items. How's that?" He held a crafty look in his eyes.
Qingxuan spotted the craftiness and shook his head then he gathered everything and walked off. He didn't even know how much these things were worth. He just knew Bai Wu was trying to con him.
"Hey wait wait!" Bai Wu stopped him. "200 medium grade Yuan Stones.." Qingxuan walked off. The eyes of the Lin clan members raised. 200 medium grade Yuan stones for these items weren't bad. Hunting demonic beasts was difficult of course, but it wasn't impossible for experts like them.
"Fine.. 300 medium grade Yuan stones.." He finally relented. The crafty light in his eyes were gone.
Qingxuan turned around and nodded. Bai Wu sighed. It wasn't that the items were too rare or something, but the fangs of the Green Mountain Snake could be used to make a very potent healing balm that was highly effective against venom.
The Tusks of the stone hide warthogs could be sharpened to make swords and the beak one talons of the Golden winged eagle could make arrow heads and daggers, further increasing their values. It was an opportunity he could not miss out on.
He took off one of the rings on his fingers and flicked it to Qingxuan.
"That ring contains 200 medium grade Yuan stones. For the remaining 100 stones, I'll let you choose something from my treasury, how's that?" Bai Wu smiled confidently.
Qingxuan looked at the ring incredulously and then sent the man a strange look.
"Hey brat, don't give me that look. Do you know the number of warriors who want a chance to enter my secret treasury? Come on.." Bai Wu turned around and gestured to him.
"Old man Zhentian, you lot make yourselves at home. I'll be with you shortly.." He walked off, while Qingxuan followed.
They entered a secret chamber, within Bai Wu's own quarters.
Qingxuan was amazed. There were ancient paintings, relics, armaments, even weapons of incredible grade, compared to what was in the clan's armory. It was nothing short of incredible. Swords, spears, bows, pole arms, javelins, sabers, everything was indeed here.
"So have you decided on what you want?" Bai Wu rolled his eyes impatiently. Qingxuan shook his head and swept his gaze all over the weapons and armament. Nothing really interested him here.
'Should I choose paintings?' He even took a look at the paintings, but there was nothing special about them, apart from being ancient.
He shook his head with a disappointed look and turned around only to pause at the sight of a small wooden chest.
He froze on the spot. Staring at that chest, he felt a subtle yet weird pulsing sensation from his left eye, as if it was literally directing him to the wooden chest.
"What's in here?" He turned to Bai Wu. The man raised a brow and walked to the wooden chest and unlocked it.
"Oh? This?" He took out a black cloak, long enough to reach one's ankles with a high rigid collar. The inner lining of the cloak was a deep gray silver that shone.
"Legend has it that it was once worn by a legendary figure in a Great War, but after the Death of that peerless expert, it got damaged so bad, that the soul of the treasure died within..
it's still incredibly valuable that is why I keep it with me. If anyone else had asked I wouldn't have allowed them to even glimpse at it.."
Bai Wu was lying through his teeth. Like trying to sell a faulty product to a clueless customer. But Qingxuan didn't care. The cloak seemed to resonate with his left eye. He felt it pulse when he got near to it.
He touched it gently, feeling the soft hard fabric brush against his finger tips and then he smiled.
"I'll choose this.." His eyes were never wrong. "Great!" Bai Wu laughed in content, feeling ecstatic. That dusty cloak had sat in his treasury for God knows how long. He finally got rid of it for a 100 Medium Grade Yuan stones. If that wasn't good business then he didn't know what was.
Qingxuan nodded gently to Bai Wu and left silently.