57: Chapter 57 Auction

The streets of Bibo City wound through the landscape in a rugged and practical manner.

The road surface was paved with roughly cut dark gray stone slabs, the gaps filled with fine crushed shell sand that made a slight crunching sound when stepped on.

The architectural style on both sides of the street was peculiar, featuring both the common flying eaves and bucket arches of the Central Plains and the practical designs unique to the islands.

The ground floors were mostly built with massive coral rocks, while the upper floors were often constructed from a dark, oily "Iron Sandalwood." The roofs were covered with large fish-scale ceramic tiles or thick seagrass.

These buildings were generally not tall, reaching three stories at most, but they covered a vast area, layering and spreading upward according to the terrain.

The outer walls of many houses had been eroded by sea breezes for years, displaying varying shades of grayish-white, like faded shells.

On some clearly ancient buildings, stone components carved with primitive patterns could still be seen.

These were marks left behind by the Great Qi Dynasty during its peak when it expanded overseas.

It was said that three hundred years ago, Bibo City was precisely the forward outpost for the Great Qi navy's eastward advance, once garrisoned by the elite "Zhenhai Battalion."

Today, the dragon patterns and cloud patterns on those stone carvings have been blurred by wind and rain, yet that majestic aura that once looked down upon the four seas can still be faintly felt.

Jiang Hanzhou carried his medicine box, slowly walking through the crowd.

His gaze swept over the street scenes and the various types of pedestrians.

Besides the majority of Central Plains faces and natives of the East Sea islands, one could indeed see some foreigners with blonde hair, blue eyes, high noses, and deep-set eyes.

These people's attire was vastly different from those of the Central Plains.

The men mostly wore tight-fitting short tunics and trousers, covered with capes or leather armor, with slender rapiers or scimitars hanging at their waists.

The women wore cinched long dresses, their hair braided into complex patterns, adorned with jewelry inlaid with various gemstones.

They moved in groups of three to five, speaking in strangely toned languages, walking with light steps and excellent physical coordination.

Jiang Hanzhou noticed that several among them, clearly Martial Artists, had a way of circulating their Qi and blood that was slightly different from Central Plains Martial Artists—a completely different path.

“Western Martial Dao... it is said to focus on secret arts and Bloodline Power, with a complex system that reaches the same destination as Great Qi's path of Internal Skill and Qi and blood.”

Fragments of rumors flashed through Jiang Hanzhou's mind.

“If there's an opportunity, I could learn a thing or two to broaden my horizons.”

However, the primary purpose of his trip was not this path.

After wandering around the city for about half an hour, Jiang Hanzhou stopped in front of a three-story vermilion wooden building.

The pavilion had flying eaves and upturned corners, with a black plaque with gold lettering hanging over the lintel: "Treasure Pavilion."

This was one of the largest comprehensive commercial firms in Bibo City, with an excellent reputation and a full range of goods, selling everything from Medicinal Pills and weapons to Cultivation Technique Secret Manuals and even overseas treasures.

Jiang Hanzhou stepped inside.

The space inside the pavilion was spacious, divided into several areas.

On the left, various weapons and armor were displayed, gleaming with cold light.

On the right was the Medicinal Pill and medicinal herb area, filled with the scent of medicine.

In the deepest part of the center were rows of sandalwood bookshelves, neatly stacked with scrolls of Secret Manuals, including paper volumes, Jade Slips, and leather scrolls.

He walked straight to the Cultivation Technique area.

A shrewd-looking middle-aged clerk in a green short shirt came forward to greet him:

“Honored guest, what kind of Cultivation Technique would you like to see? Our pavilion has the most complete collection of Yellow Rank techniques, and over a dozen Profound Rank ones. As for Earth Rank... my apologies, those require waiting for an auction or special channels.”

Jiang Hanzhou nodded, his gaze scanning the labels on the bookshelves.

“Wave Splitting Saber Art,” “Wave-Treading Step,” “Turtle Breathing Technique,” “Green Wave Palm,” “Sea Serpent Whip Technique,” “Tidal Sound Sword”...

They were all Yellow Rank Martial Skills, ranging from Low Grade to High Grade, with prices from twenty to one hundred taels.

What he wanted was not some peerless skill with great killing power, but rather those that could supplement his own martial system and increase his accumulation of “Martial Arts Comprehension.”

“Turtle Breathing Technique, Wave-Treading Step, Tidal Sound Sword, Wave Splitting Saber Art...” Jiang Hanzhou pointed out four, “Bring them for me to look at.”

The clerk complied and soon brought over four thin volumes.

Jiang Hanzhou flipped through them quickly.

The Turtle Breathing Technique was an auxiliary technique; once mastered, one could hold their breath for a long time and lower their life aura, suitable for infiltration and underwater actions—Yellow Rank Medium Grade.

Wave-Treading Step was a movement technique that provided a speed bonus on special terrains like water surfaces and wetlands—Yellow Rank High Grade.

The Tidal Sound Sword was a sword art where the Moves ebbed and flowed like the tide, with a slight sound-based attack effect—Yellow Rank High Grade.

The Wave Splitting Saber Art was a saber art specifically designed to break water-attribute Protective Aura, having a restraining effect on water-based Martial Artists—Yellow Rank High Grade.

“I'll take them all,” Jiang Hanzhou said, closing the booklets.

The smile on the clerk's face grew even brighter: “Honored guest has a good eye! Four Yellow Rank Martial Skills—three High Grade at one hundred taels each, and one Medium Grade at seventy taels—totaling three hundred and seventy taels. You are our pavilion's third major customer today; by our rules, you may choose one Yellow Rank Low Grade technique as a gift.”

Jiang Hanzhou pondered for a moment and pointed to a dusty booklet in the corner: “That ‘Hundred Beasts Form and Intent’ then.”

This was a body-tempering boxing art that imitated the movements of beasts. Although its rank was low, its scope was broad, and it might be helpful for his comprehension of the Dao of “Form and Intent.”

“Certainly!” The clerk packed them up briskly and included a bronze token engraved with the words “Treasure Pavilion.” “By holding this token, honored guest will enjoy a five percent discount at all branches of our pavilion in the future.”

Jiang Hanzhou took the package and the token. Just as he was about to pay and leave, he suddenly heard two Martial Artists nearby talking in low voices.

“...Have you heard? Three days from now, the Treasure Gathering Tower is going to hold a grand auction!”

“When do they not? Is there a day in Bibo City without an auction?”

“This time is different! It's a quarterly grand auction co-hosted by the Star Shattering Water Mansion and the Four Seas Pavilion! It's said the capital verification threshold alone is fifty thousand taels!”

“Fifty thousand taels?!” The other person gasped, “What kind of treasures require such a high threshold?”

“Heh, word is the finale this time is a piece of ‘Thousand-Year Cold Jade Marrow,’ which is of great use even to Dragon Elephant Realm experts who Cultivate ice-attribute techniques! There are other good things too—overseas refined gold, exotic beast eggs, ancient Cultivator relics, and possibly even a fragment of a True Intent map for an Earth Rank technique!”

“A True Intent map fragment?!” The voice lowered abruptly, yet couldn't hide the excitement, “That thing... if one could get it, there would be another glimmer of hope for breaking through to the Dragon Elephant Realm!”

“Keep dreaming! How could such a treasure fall to us? But even if we can't afford it, going in to broaden our horizons is good. It's said that for this auction, even several Elders from the Water Mansion and deacons from the Four Seas Pavilion will be present, as well as many representatives from clans and Sects coming from the inland...”

The two walked toward the Medicinal Pill area as they spoke, their voices fading away.

Jiang Hanzhou stood in place, his eyes flickering slightly.

Capital verification of fifty thousand taels...

He currently had one hundred and forty-five thousand taels on him, of which one hundred thousand was in banknotes and forty-five thousand was in gold leaves and loose gold and silver—barely enough to qualify.

The Heavenly Dipper Treasure Refining Art required “rare treasures” to Cultivate, which were hard to find in ordinary markets; an auction was the perfect opportunity.

As for the True Intent map fragment... although he didn't lack Cultivation Techniques, if he could see one, it might provide some inspiration for the Breakthrough points of his self-comprehended Dragon Subduing and Tiger Taming Skill.