Chapter 123 - 98: Granting You an Opportunity! The Auction Trip!_2

"Great Clan Elder, the opportunity Liu Yuanhu mentioned..."

Gu Xiaojiang perked up his ears as well.

The Great Clan Elder waved his hand, and everyone returned to their seats in the discussion hall. The doors were closed, leaving only trusted members inside.

He swept his gaze around the room and slowly began to speak:

"Our county magistrate is no ordinary figure. Previously, he subtly mentioned to me that he has connections in Red Cloud Prefecture City. He specifically emphasized that Xiaojiang must break through to the Blood Refining Realm before he turns eighteen. I suspect this opportunity is tied to Red Cloud Prefecture City..."

Everyone’s breathing instantly became faster.

"From now on, we must fully support Xiaojiang in breaking through to the Blood Refining Realm before he turns eighteen!"

"If Xiaojiang truly manages to leave Canghe County in the future, the Gu’s Manor would no longer need to live under the thumb of others as we do now!"

Gu Changming nodded and said:

"That’s true, but Liu Yuanhu brought this up probably just to push the Gu’s Manor to the brink. Grabbing onto this big pie won’t be that simple."

Everyone nodded slowly.

After detailed discussions, they began to deliberate how Gu’s Manor should act moving forward. Now that they’ve chosen to side with Liu Yuanhu, their previous strategies needed adjustments, such as being prepared for potential retaliation from the Black Sand Gang.

However, Liu Yuanhu had previously promised that the Black Sand Gang wouldn’t dare retaliate openly.

This early alignment with Liu Yuanhu clearly demonstrated the value of Gu’s Manor. Liu Yuanhu, aiming to earn trust through gestures, certainly wouldn’t let anything happen to Gu’s Manor.

Within the brightly lit discussion hall, the leaders of Gu’s Manor worked tirelessly, striving to find a way for their settlement to survive amidst the whirlpool of chaos.

...

Gu Sheng stood atop the roof.

From afar, he sensed the rumbling of galloping horses—a mixing of Qi Blood Power from so many Blood Refining Realm martial artists, utterly unhidden, making it glaringly obvious in the night sky.

"They’ve left, huh? Seems the hunt for the Demon Fox went smoothly. That county magistrate is formidable indeed..."

Gu Sheng thought silently to himself.

He was somewhat curious about the Demon Fox, after all, he had never seen what a demon beast looks like. He merely relied on Gu Erniu’s previous descriptions of a demon wolf’s appearance.

Nevertheless, he kept his curiosity firmly under control.

Liu Yuanhu was a Bone Refining Realm expert.

If he were to approach recklessly, he might expose his true strength. Even if they couldn’t completely discern his abilities, they’d likely sense something unusual. As powerful as the Great Success Snake Breath Skill might be, it wasn’t enough of a safeguard. Gu Sheng did not want to take unnecessary risks.

"From now on, Gu’s Manor has truly sided with Liu Yuanhu. This is a clear-cut declaration of breaking ties with the Black Sand Gang. Let’s see when the Black Sand Gang decides to strike back..."

A faint sense of urgency welled in Gu Sheng’s heart. The Blood Refining Realm’s strength was not yet sufficient to dictate the course of battles; it could only offer some protection.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that the Black Sand Gang had recently been too quiet.

It was as though they were brewing something big.

"Only a few days remain until the black market auction; I must go as soon as possible and acquire a suitable body-strengthening manual!"

Gu Sheng made up his mind.

He sought faster improvement, and cultivating a body-strengthening manual was an excellent choice.

Not only could it remedy his weaknesses, but mastering a new body-strengthening martial art to an advanced realm could generate new Power, accelerating his progression.

This was Gu Sheng’s unique strength. Others attempting to cultivate different areas of body-strengthening martial arts faced significant time costs and unseen conflicts in merging Powers. However, Gu Sheng, with his abilities, didn’t have to worry about such issues—his special system bypassed them entirely.

...

Several days later.

Gu Sheng had made all preparations: silver coins were ready, and with a casual excuse, he left the manor.

Traveling into the city had become routine for Gu Sheng by now. With his current Blood Refining Realm cultivation, ordinary bandits attempting to stop him were merely courting death!

Gu Sheng even considered seeking out some weaker bandits as potential practice targets.

But this idea remained fleeting and never manifested in action.

Bandits were numerous and formidable. Often entrenched deep in the mountains, they leveraged treacherous terrain. Even without a Blood Refining expert leading them, many bandit groups included significant numbers of Refining Skin martial artists.

If traps or underhanded tricks were involved, even a Blood Refining Realm martial artist could be fatally compromised.

Gu Sheng, traveling alone, had little interest in pursuing such risky endeavors—unless he had detailed intelligence and absolute confidence.

He leaped forward, his Qi Blood Power enabling rapid speed akin to a sprinting leopard.

The hundred-mile journey to the city was no longer a significant distance for him.

This time, however, he didn’t enter the city, as the black market auction was being held twenty miles outside of town in a specific location.

Gu Sheng locked onto his direction.

Night had fallen by now. Soon, a graveyard shrouded in darkness appeared before him. In the shadows, faint figures could be seen flitting about.

"Halt!"

As Gu Sheng approached, a voice suddenly called out, stopping him in his tracks.

Gu Sheng remained unperturbed and calmly produced the auction token he had prepared in advance, replying in a steady voice:

"I’ve come to attend the auction."

A man in black wearing a monkey-faced mask stepped forward and sized Gu Sheng up. Gu Sheng had used Shapeshifting to alter his physique, now appearing tall and robust, his face concealed by a black wrap.

The monkey-faced man spoke in an even tone, "Entry requires two taels of silver. You know the auction rules, right? Revealing your true identity is forbidden. This is your admission token—if you lose it, you’ll be expelled."

He threw over a wooden mask resembling a horse’s face.

Gu Sheng’s mouth twitched slightly, but he wasn’t surprised. The auction and the black market were run by the same group, so naturally, they shared the same rules. The fee for the token was separate from the entry fee.