Upon entering the Martial Market, Zhang Ruochen headed straight for the central auction hall.
A low-tier Spirit-level martial art wasn't something regular shops could handle. To fully maximize the value of the technique, it needed to be auctioned to powerful families at the central auction.
As soon as Zhang Ruochen stepped into the auction hall, a neatly dressed and attractive maid approached him. She wasn't surprised by Zhang Ruochen's mysterious attire and greeted him politely, "Sir, how may I assist you?"
"I need to see your head steward," Zhang Ruochen said, slightly altering his voice to sound deeper and more mature, like that of a man in his thirties or forties.
Who could this person be, requesting to see the head steward right away? He must be someone important.
"I'll report to the head steward immediately, but he's often busy attending to important clients. He may not have time to meet with you. Please wait for a moment."
With that, the maid hurried through a large door to inform the head steward.
Zhang Ruochen wasn't in a rush. He stood quietly in the hall, waiting patiently.
Before long, the maid returned, accompanied by a slightly overweight, richly dressed elder. The maid pointed toward Zhang Ruochen. "That's the person, Head Steward."
The head steward glanced at Zhang Ruochen from a distance, his eyes briefly narrowing as his gaze settled on Zhang Ruochen's boots. A glint of sharpness flickered in his elderly eyes.
Zhang Ruochen was wearing Kirin Gold-Embroidered Boots, a style only those in the royal palace were privileged to wear.
Zhang Ruochen had deliberately revealed his boots, knowing that selling a low-tier Spirit-level sword technique could attract unwanted attention. Given his current martial skills, he couldn't protect such a valuable item. But if people thought he was connected to the palace, few would dare make a move against him.
In situations where strength was lacking, projecting an image of power could be a wise strategy.
"He must be someone significant!" the head steward thought as he took in the sight of the boots.
His attitude toward Zhang Ruochen immediately became more respectful, assuming Zhang Ruochen to be a noble from the palace. Approaching him, the head steward bowed slightly and said, "This way, please, my lord."
"Hm," Zhang Ruochen responded, hands clasped behind his back, nodding subtly in an air of authority.
The martial artists in the hall, seeing the head steward's deferential attitude, began whispering among themselves, speculating that someone important had entered the auction house.
Zhang Ruochen was led to the third floor of the central auction hall, where he sat at the highest seat with a steady air. After taking the tea cup handed to him by a maid, he spoke in a commanding tone, "I have a treasure I'd like to auction. Summon your top appraiser to evaluate it."
Seeing Zhang Ruochen's composed demeanor, the head steward became even more convinced that this man was a high-ranking figure. He quickly sent for the appraiser.
Moments later, a gray-haired elder, looking to be in his seventies or eighties but with sharp, lively eyes, entered the room. When he looked at Zhang Ruochen, he found he couldn't discern his cultivation level, which startled him.
The elder bowed respectfully to Zhang Ruochen. "I am the chief appraiser of the central auction hall. May I ask what treasure my lord wishes to auction?"
There were three possible reasons why he couldn't gauge Zhang Ruochen's cultivation: the first was that Zhang Ruochen's level was higher than his own. The second was that Zhang Ruochen was using a much more advanced technique than his. Typically, a martial artist who practiced lower-tier techniques wouldn't be able to assess someone using higher-tier techniques.
The third possibility was that Zhang Ruochen had an artifact that concealed his cultivation.
The second and third reasons were rare, so the appraiser instinctively assumed that Zhang Ruochen's cultivation was superior to his own, prompting his respectful attitude.
Zhang Ruochen practiced the Nine Heavens Bright Emperor Scripture, an advanced technique. Unless he deliberately revealed his meridians, there were few in Yunwu Commandery who could discern his level of cultivation. Moreover, Zhang Ruochen's understanding of martial arts, coupled with his soul's essence from his previous life as a peak Heaven Extremity Realm warrior, made it nearly impossible for anyone below that level to see through him.
Zhang Ruochen reached into his sleeve, his hand entering the inner space of the Temporal Spirit Stone, and retrieved the scroll containing the Tianxin Sword Technique. He handed it to the white-haired elder.
"I wish to auction this low-tier Spirit-level sword technique," Zhang Ruochen said calmly.
The chief appraiser's heart skipped a beat. A low-tier Spirit-level sword technique!
He quickly unrolled the scroll, carefully studying the content.
The head steward, curious, also stepped forward to examine the Tianxin Sword Technique.
Both men were seasoned martial artists and quickly verified its authenticity, nodding in agreement.
"This is indeed the mnemonic for a low-tier Spirit-level sword technique. How many moves does my lord have in his possession?" the head steward asked.
To unlock the full power of a Spirit-level sword technique, both the mnemonic and the accompanying sword moves were required. Without the moves, even memorizing the mnemonic would be useless.
Zhang Ruochen replied, "The complete technique consists of twelve moves. The original manual was lost, but this version was drawn by a peak Heaven Extremity Realm warrior. It's identical to the original."
The chief appraiser thought for a moment, then said, "In that case, we'll set the starting price for the Tianxin Sword Technique at 200,000 silver coins. However, there's a condition: after the sale, the buyer must verify that both the mnemonic and sword moves match the quality of a low-tier Spirit-level technique. If it doesn't, the sale will be nullified."
Zhang Ruochen nodded. "Agreed. We'll follow your auction house's rules."
The Tianxin Sword Technique was scheduled for auction that very night, as the headline item of the middle-tier auction.
Before the event began, the central auction house quickly spread word to the prominent families in the royal city.
Noble families scrambled to gather their wealth and rushed to the Martial Market, all eager to claim the full Spirit-level sword technique.
Zhang Ruochen cared little about the auction process; all that mattered to him was the result.
About two hours later, the auction ended, and the final outcome was revealed.
Amid fierce competition between the noble families, the price of the Tianxin Sword Technique soared to 1.24 million silver coins, with the Lin family patriarch ultimately claiming it.
"The Lin family?" Zhang Ruochen was somewhat surprised by the result.
Shortly afterward, led by the head steward, Lin Fengxian, the patriarch of the Lin family, entered the room. He was accompanied by his uncle Lin De and Lin Ningshan, one of the Four Beauties of Yunwu Commandery.
"Patriarch Lin, this is the seller of the Tianxin Sword Technique," the head steward said, smiling as he introduced Zhang Ruochen, who sat at the head of the room.
Lin Fengxian's gaze briefly fell on Zhang Ruochen's Kirin Gold-Embroidered Boots before he gave a polite nod and bowed slightly. "I am Lin Fengxian, the head of the Lin family. May I ask how I should address you?"
Before entering, Lin Fengxian had been briefed by the head steward and knew that this mysterious figure was likely an important person from the palace. Hence, he made sure to adopt a respectful tone.
Seeing both Lin Fengxian and Lin Ningshan, Zhang Ruochen became more cautious, making sure they wouldn't recognize him.
He coughed twice, deepening his voice. "There's no need for names. Here is the mnemonic and the illustrated sword moves of the Tianxin Sword Technique. Patriarch Lin, please verify them."
Zhang Ruochen pulled the scroll from his sleeve and placed it on the table.
Lin Fengxian didn't bother examining the mnemonic, trusting the auction house's prior authentication. He unfurled the diagrams, revealing twelve sword techniques depicted through small, detailed figures.
To an untrained eye, these illustrations would appear ordinary, but to Lin Fengxian, the twelve figures seemed to come to life, each one wielding a sword with graceful precision.
Each technique was intricately designed, brimming with profound martial insights. Even mastering a single move would provide immense benefit.
"This technique is definitely top-tier among low-tier Spirit-level martial arts. It was worth every coin!" Lin Fengxian thought, excitement swelling in his chest.