Proud Sword Soaring Clouds-Chapter 53 - 52: Master

*(Ugh, sorry to keep everyone waiting. The power went out this afternoon right when I was on a roll. It only happens once or twice a year, and of course, it had to happen to me. I’ll still get you the four Chapters I promised, no matter how late I have to stay up to finish them! This is Xiaodao’s guarantee! So please, keep those votes coming. I won’t break my word!)*

Huangpu Cangsong watched Ling Xiao nervously. Truthfully, he didn’t recognize this "medicinal ingredient," nor did he believe the ugly root was worth fifty thousand gold coins. But there was one thing to consider: if this sale went through, the auction house would get a ten percent commission as agreed upon—a full five thousand gold coins! While that wasn’t a fortune for the Huangpu Clan, business was all about building reputation and clientele. Afterward, those two adventurers would surely spread the word far and wide that they’d struck it rich at the Huangpu Clan’s auction house!

This was how a reputation was built, little by little.

"So, young friend? Is this the item you were looking for?" Huangpu Cangsong asked. Seeing Ling Xiao’s placid expression, he grew a little anxious. He had sized up this young man as a simple sort, not nearly as shrewd as the woman beside him. He seemed the type to wear his emotions on his sleeve—a typical, inexperienced youth. So, to see him looking so expressionless now, Huangpu Cangsong suddenly felt unsure of himself.

In reality, Ling Xiao’s heart was pounding with immense joy. The only reason he kept a straight face was to prevent Huangpu Cangsong from realizing what an incredible deal he was getting.

’That’s just how people are,’ Ling Xiao thought. ’If you don’t understand something, you can easily dismiss it. But once you realize its true value, your entire attitude changes.’ Just like Huangpu Cangsong—he was convinced this mysterious medicinal ingredient couldn’t possibly be worth fifty thousand gold coins. If it were him, he wouldn’t spend even one hundred gold coins on something with an unknown origin and purpose!

As the common currency on the Canglan Continent, one Gold Coin was equal to one hundred Silver Coins, which in turn was equal to one thousand Copper Coins. The largest denomination most poor families ever saw was the Silver Coin; they normally used Copper Coins, while Gold Coins were used only by the truly rich.

Fifty thousand gold coins was the equivalent of fifty million copper coins—an astronomical sum for the common folk. It was more money than they could earn in several lifetimes.

Was this ugly-looking root really worth such a price? Although Huangpu Cangsong had placed it in a beautiful and expensive box, he didn’t believe that could do much to raise its value.

Huangpu Cangsong was also quite knowledgeable about medicinal herbs—his studies were rather profound, in fact. He could sense a certain amount of medicinal power contained within the root, but he didn’t think it was anything special. As for the adventurer’s claim that it had been guarded by a Tier Three Magical Beast, he didn’t believe it for a second. Adventurers were notorious storytellers; you’d have to be a fool to take their word for it.

"Alas..." Ling Xiao let out a faint sigh, then said, "If I had seen it beforehand, I definitely wouldn’t have agreed to fifty thousand gold coins..." Before he could finish, Huangpu Cangsong cut in anxiously.

"My good man, one must be true to their word! You see, you’ve already agreed. You can’t back out now!"

Ye Wen Ni rolled her eyes at Ling Xiao from the side. ’I knew an inexperienced kid like you would get taken for a ride,’ she thought. ’See? Now you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, aren’t you?’

In truth, Ling Xiao was tempted to mess with the greedy old man. ’If I had seen it earlier, I would have offered one hundred thousand gold coins!’ he mused. ’He’d probably cough up blood from regret if he heard that, wouldn’t he?’

He gave a slight nod and said, "Since I agreed, I won’t go back on my word..." Before he even finished, Huangpu Cangsong pushed the box across to him. The old shopkeeper wasn’t worried about Ling Xiao not paying; he was still holding the Crystal Cores and Magical Beast carcasses as collateral.

Ye Wen Ni rolled her eyes again in silent protest of the old Huangpu’s eagerness.

Ling Xiao put the wooden box directly into his Space Ring, then said to Huangpu Cangsong, "As for the payment, can we settle it after the auction?"

"No problem, no problem at all!" Huangpu Cangsong beamed, growing fonder of Ling Xiao by the second. ’Such an upstanding young man,’ he thought. ’They’re getting harder and harder to find.’

In a private box at the auction house, Ye Wen Ni was still giving Ling Xiao the silent treatment, sulking. She thought he was an absolute fool. ’He could have haggled and gotten that thing for less than five thousand gold coins,’ she fumed internally. ’But that idiot actually believed that old Huangpu and agreed to pay fifty thousand!’

Ling Xiao, however, was thinking, ’A Heart of the Earth Dragon over five hundred years old... In the Cultivation Realm, this could be traded for a Middle-Level Magical Treasure! Even a prominent senior from my former sect only possessed a few treasures of that level. That just goes to show its true value.’

’A Foundation Establishment Pill refined from a Heart of the Earth Dragon of this age would have the efficacy of a Top-Grade Elixir. Plus, it’s a key ingredient for many other elixirs. The Heart of the Earth Dragon is an indispensable component in countless formulas!’

’A five-hundred-year-old Heart of the Earth Dragon is incredibly rare, even in the Cultivation Realm. Whenever one appears, it’s pursued with fanatical zeal!’

So, Ling Xiao didn’t feel the slightest bit wronged for spending fifty thousand gold coins. Once he refined the Foundation Establishment Pill and had time to create other elixirs, their total value would be far more than fifty thousand—it would likely exceed even five hundred thousand gold coins!

Seeing Ling Xiao sitting there, looking as calm as a meditating monk, made Ye Wen Ni’s anger flare up all over again. Just then, the auction officially began.

It was a testament to the Huangpu Clan’s immense influence. Despite the rush and having only three days to prepare, they had managed to fill the entire auction house, including the vast main hall, to capacity.

The main hall buzzed with discussion, a clear sign that everyone was intrigued by this hastily arranged auction hosted by the Huangpu Clan.

A stunningly beautiful woman walked onto the stage. "If I could have everyone’s attention, please," she said in a sweet, captivating voice, "tonight’s auction will be personally hosted by our very own Shopkeeper Huangpu!"

UPROAR! Upon hearing the beautiful woman’s announcement, the entire hall erupted. Disbelieving expressions appeared on everyone’s faces.

"Gods, Old Shopkeeper Huangpu is hosting personally? No way! The old man hasn’t made a public appearance in years!" a person in a black robe and a wide-brimmed hat muttered from a corner of the hall.

"The items up for auction must be absolutely extraordinary! Otherwise, Old Master Huangpu would never have come out of his retirement," a lavishly dressed, middle-aged man commented to his companions inside a luxurious private box.

The entire hall buzzed with fervent discussion. People were clearly shocked and confused that the old Shopkeeper Huangpu would personally preside over the auction, but more than anything... they were filled with anticipation!

"Is that greedy old man really famous?" Ye Wen Ni, who had clearly never heard of Huangpu Cangsong’s reputation in the auction world, asked Ling Xiao curiously.

Ling Xiao shook his head and shrugged. "Never heard of him."

If anyone in the main hall had overheard their conversation, the two of them would have been drowned alive in a flood of spit and curses.

As an Elder of the Huangpu Clan, Huangpu Cangsong’s identity was far more than just the simple Shopkeeper of this auction house. His status as a Master Appraiser alone was enough to earn the reverence of countless people. On top of that, Huangpu Cangsong was a master craftsman of Enchanted Weapons! Nearly all the high-level Enchanted Weapons produced by the Huangpu Clan were forged by his hands.

Crafting high-level Enchanted Weapons was a process with an extremely high failure rate; most craftsmen would be proud to achieve a ten percent success rate. Huangpu Cangsong’s, however, was thirty percent!

It was an astonishing figure.

Some even compared him to the ancient, space-specialist Great Mages who had crafted the legendary Space Rings, believing Huangpu Cangsong was truly worthy of the title "Master."

And yet, these two ignorant youths, Ling Xiao and Ye Wen Ni, didn’t give the old man a second thought. Truly, ignorance is bliss.