The moment the words hit his ears, Jiang Dao was sure he'd misheard.
"It's true, Young Master," Pang Lin confirmed. "But it's not some legendary, high-level technique. It's an art of longevity, meant for cultivating health. Still, even for that, it's costly. You rarely see a cultivation manual of any kind go up for public auction in the entire Daye Dynasty."
"Just for longevity?" Jiang Dao couldn't hide his disappointment.
"Young Master, even a longevity art is a rare find. Like I said, these internal energy manuals are the lifeblood of a sect or a powerful family. Only the master or clan leader ever gets to see them. If one leaks out, it doesn't matter what it is—it'll cause a bloodbath. People will kill each other for it."
Pang Lin's face grew serious. "A wandering martial artist brought this one in for auction. But then the evil spirit incidents started, and panic took over Hengzhou City. All the auction houses shut down, and nobody dared to bid. That's the only reason it's still here. Any other time, it would've been snatched up for a fortune."
Jiang Dao thought it over. A longevity art. It might just be for health, but it was still a cultivation manual. If he could use his ability to modify it, to see what it became 60 or even 120 years down the line, the results could be extraordinary.
"So, what's the asking price?" he asked.
"With the city in chaos, I've managed to talk them down quite a bit. About 300,000 silver taels," Pang Lin said. They were getting a bargain, all thanks to the evil spirits. Normally, even a basic manual like this would cost at least half a million.
"Alright," Jiang Dao said. "Take me there."
"But, Young Master, it's already getting dark. Maybe we should wait until morning?" Pang Lin's expression shifted.
"No. We go now," Jiang Dao insisted. "Delays create complications."
It was only dusk, with plenty of time before nightfall. If they were quick, they could be back home before dark. The two of them mounted their horses and galloped out of the gates, heading straight for the Dragon City Auction House.
The streets were empty, the setting sun casting long, eerie shadows across the overgrown weeds. Pedestrians were a rare sight.
Inside the auction house, the proprietor, Su Mingyuan, was a wreck. The last few days had felt like an eternity. He had sourced rare and valuable items from all across the Daye region for this auction, expecting to make a killing and finally establish Dragon City as the premier auction house, crushing his rivals.
Then the evil spirits came. Panic swept the city, leaving a trail of death and injury. Now, the city gates were sealed, the streets deserted. The auction date had come and gone without a single bidder. He was stuck with a fortune in goods he couldn't sell, and he wasn't even sure he'd live to see tomorrow. The weight of it all was crushing him.
But today, there was a glimmer of hope. Pang Lin, the head guard of the powerful Jiang family, had come to buy the Longevity Art. The price had been hammered down to 300,000, but a sale was a sale. It was a far cry from what he'd hoped for, but in times like these, he'd take it. The manual was like a hot potato—the longer he held onto it, the more likely it was to attract the wrong kind of attention.
"Proprietor Su..."
A deep, resonant voice boomed from the entrance, sharp enough to startle him. Su Mingyuan hurried outside and stopped in his tracks.
Two figures stood in the courtyard. One was Pang Lin, whom he'd met earlier. The other was a mountain of a man, tall and broad-shouldered, dressed in a black robe with a steel saber at his waist. His hair was as dark as ink, and his eyes were sharp, electric.
What a powerful presence, Su Mingyuan thought, stunned. Is this Jiang Dao, the eldest son? When did he get so… formidable?
As a member of Hengzhou's upper class, Su Mingyuan had seen Jiang Dao before, but he didn't remember him being this imposing, this masculine. No wonder he was after a cultivation manual. The Jiang family's heir was clearly a dedicated martial artist.
"Ah, Young Master Jiang," Su Mingyuan said, forcing a smile. "Are you here to see the manual now?"
"I am," Jiang Dao replied. "I assume Master Pang has already settled on a price. Can I see the book? I need to verify its authenticity."
"Of course," Su Mingyuan nodded, signaling a servant to retrieve the artifact.
Moments later, the servant returned, carrying a purple sandalwood box with both hands.
Jiang Dao took the box and lifted the lid. Inside, resting on a bed of silk, was an ancient, weathered manual.
Longevity Art.
The three characters were brushed in bold, black ink. He picked it up and flipped through the dozen or so pages, each one filled with dense script. As he scanned the text, he silently accessed his internal panel, but his brow furrowed.
Nothing. Not a single character appeared on his panel.
Is it a fake? He wondered. Or do internal arts work differently? The other techniques had only registered after he'd seen someone perform them. Since he'd never seen this one in action, maybe it couldn't be logged. He was stuck, unable to tell if the manual was genuine.
"Proprietor Su, where did this come from?" Jiang Dao asked. "Has anyone tested it?"
"You can rest assured, Young Master Jiang," Su Mingyuan chuckled. "It was brought to us by a wandering martial artist. When we acquired it, we had a master from the central dynasty examine it thoroughly. We can guarantee it will allow someone to cultivate their qi. As for how powerful it is, well, that we can't say."
"That's good enough." Jiang Dao nodded, pulling out banknotes for three hundred thousand taels and holding them out.
"Just a moment, Young Master Jiang," Su Mingyuan said, a slick smile spreading across his face. "You know, a manual like this is one-of-a-kind in the southern territories. In our hands, it's just paper, but to a martial artist, it's priceless. I was hoping you might reconsider the price..." He let the sentence hang in the air.
Jiang Dao immediately understood. He wanted to renegotiate.
"Proprietor Su," Pang Lin's voice was ice. "The Dragon City Auction House is known for its integrity. Are you really going to start haggling at the last minute?"
Su Mingyuan's smile faltered, but he said nothing, keeping his eyes fixed on Jiang Dao.
Jiang Dao slowly closed the manual. "Proprietor Su," he said, his voice calm and even. "If you think I'm some rich fool, you're mistaken. I've trained, yes, but I don't desperately need this manual. If you want to raise the price now, you've got the wrong guy. You said it yourself—in your hands, it's worthless. And in a city this chaotic, if I walk away, you won't find another buyer. Holding onto it might just get you killed. So, if you want to keep it… be my guest."
The color drained from Su Mingyuan's face.
"No, no, Young Master Jiang, I was joking! Just a joke!" he stammered. He knew it was true. He needed to get rid of this thing, and fast.
Jiang Dao let out a cold snort. He tossed the silver on a nearby table, took the manual, and turned to leave.
Pang Lin shot Su Mingyuan one last withering look before following his master out of the courtyard.
Su Mingyuan sighed, the weight of the world returning to his shoulders. Integrity? What good was integrity when you might not live to see the sunrise? In a world gone mad, who was there to impress?