Chapter 22: The Auction House

Before leaving the Demon Extermination Sect, Hwang An investigated the Cloud Sword Sect, aware that his authority would soon diminish.

As Lim Jung-young had said, it was true that the Asura Sword Sect had annihilated the Cloud Sword Sect.

However, there was an odd detail: Sang Mun-cheon, the successor of the Asura Sword Sect, had a companion who hailed from the Cloud Sword Sect.

At first glance, one might think that a disciple exiled from the Cloud Sword Sect had returned to destroy it.

It wasn’t a rare occurrence in the martial world.

However, Hwang An instinctively felt that this wasn’t the case.

‘Those two must be connected.’

Sang Mun-cheon from the Asura Sword Sect and his companion from the Cloud Sword Sect.

He suspected that the two were tied to the Autumn Soul Assassination Sect.

Although it was just a hunch, Hwang An felt certain that his conclusion was correct.

That’s why he used the auction house as an excuse to lure Jang Woo-hyun to Hunan Province.

Guizhou was adjacent to Guangxi Province, which was under the influence of the Asura Sword Sect.

On the other hand, Hunan Province, though not counted among the Nine Sects, had long been home to the Hengshan Sect, making the region less dominated by the unorthodox forces compared to Guangxi Province.

Thus, Hwang An planned to head to Hunan where the unorthodox sects had less influence, and then travel northward.

North of the Yangtze River was a stronghold of orthodox sects, whereas south of the river, the unorthodox forces held more power.

If they crossed the Yangtze River from Hunan, the Asura Sword Sect would not pose much of a threat.

On the other side of the Yangtze lay the territories of the Wudang Sect and the Zhuge Family.

Even the Asura Sword Sect wouldn’t easily pursue them there.

‘It’s better to avoid trouble if possible.’

Hwang An thought it wise to avoid the Asura Sword Sect as much as possible, even though nothing was certain yet.

Unaware of Hwang An’s scheme, Jang Woo-hyun was lost in thought before coming to a conclusion.

“Well, we need to spend money anyway.”

“It’s hard to convert all that into bills or jewels. It could attract attention. Let’s just take small jewels and bills and use up the gold bars and silver ingots.”

“Alright, let’s do that. So, should we head north?”

“Leave that to me. I’ll guide the way.”

Seeing that his plan was working, Hwang An quietly sighed in relief.

* * *

Yin Wind Sword Technique

Hidden Shadow Step

Secret Flowing Body Technique

These were the three secret martial arts manuals taken from the vault of the Autumn Soul Assassination Sect.

The Yin Wind Sword Technique was a swift sword technique suitable for assassins, and the Hidden Shadow Step was a stealthy footwork technique.

Both of these martial arts weren’t of much use to Jang Woo-hyun.

However, the last one was different.

The Secret Flowing Body Technique allowed one to suppress their presence.

In the martial world, there existed a technique known as the Silent Breathing Technique, which could suppress one’s presence by slowing their breathing and metabolism to the lowest possible level.

The Secret Flowing Body Technique combined the Silent Breathing Technique with a stealth technique.

Since the Silent Breathing Technique couldn’t be used while moving and Jang Woo-hyun had no intention of becoming an assassin, he didn’t see the Secret Flowing Body Technique as particularly useful.

However, there was a unique feature in the technique that gave him inspiration.

Jang Woo-hyun combined the Secret Flowing Body Technique with his original Dispersing Mist Skill.

‘Let’s keep the name simple.’

Secret Flowing Dispersing Mist Skil.

It was a technique that hid the flow and dispersed like mist.

By scattering his internal energy and disrupting the flow, he could lower his cultivation level and suppress his presence.

With the Dispersing Mist Skill alone, he could lower his cultivation level by about one stage, but now it was different.

‘At least two stages.’

Even though he hadn’t mastered it perfectly, he could lower his presence significantly.

If he stood still without moving, he could even appear to be an ordinary person rather than a martial artist.

Though the Secret Flowing Dispersing Mist Skill was still imperfect and had room for improvement, it seemed that it would be of great help in his future journey through the martial world.

As Jang Woo-hyun practiced the newly established martial art in the moving carriage, he slowly opened his eyes.

Then, he naturally exited the carriage, leaping up to sit beside the coachman.

“Have you finished your training?”

“More or less.”

“It’s amazing that you can train inside a moving carriage, Jang Hyung.”

Because they now had large boxes filled with gold bars and silver ingots, they had hired a carriage to head to their destination, the auction house.

“While you were training, we’ve already entered Hunan Province. Do you remember when I told you about Xuanwu Alliance?”

When they had set out to find the Autumn Soul Assassination Sect, Hwang An had taught him the basics of the martial world, which included the Ten Demonic Paths.

“I remember, the Xuanwu Alliance. The great alliance that uses Xuanwu as its symbol. You said it was formed by the Shangguan Family and… uh, what was the other one…?”

“Grand Sabre Sect. It’s a sect where warriors mainly use sabres.”

“Right, it was the Grand Sabre Sect.”

“Are you sure you were listening to me?”

“I just couldn’t remember for a moment. There was a lot to take in.”

Hwang An frowned at his casual response.

The Xuanwu Alliance.

It was a great power formed by the Shangguan Family and the Grand Sabre Sect, a group of warriors who specialized in sabres.

Though it was ranked lower within the Ten Demonic Paths, it was still one of the ten most prominent unorthodox sects.

It was not a faction that someone like Jang Woo-hyun could afford to forget or take lightly.

After glaring at Jang Woo-hyun for a moment, Hwang An resumed speaking.

“The place we’re heading to is an auction house run by the Shangguan Family. It’s famous in the martial world. It’s also the main source of income for the Shangguan Family. The auction house is said to have everything you could possibly want.”

The Shangguan Family operated the Xuanwu Trading Company, one of the most prestigious trading companies in the central plains.

Using the power of the Xuanwu Trading Company and the Xuanwu Alliance, they gathered rare and mysterious items from all over the land.

At some point, they began selling these rare items, and as they did so, people’s interest naturally grew.

As more people gathered and the scale of their business grew, the auction house operated by the Shangguan Family flourished.

To provide for the auction, the Shangguan Family mobilized all of its resources, which only made the auction grow even bigger and more successful.

By now, the Shangguan Family’s auction was reputed to sell anything and everything.

“When we get there, don’t cause any trouble. The Shangguan Family isn’t unreasonable, so we should be able to resolve things through dialogue. Don’t just start cutting people down. They are one of the Ten Demonic Paths, comparable to the Nine Sects. No matter how strong you are, we’re entering the top tier of the martial world now.”

“You’re so cautious.”

“Hm? What did you say?”

“Nothing. What kind of sect is the Grand Sabre Sect?”

Although Hwang An was part of the Beggars’ Sect, his overly cautious nature puzzled Jang Woo-hyun, but he chose not to prolong the conversation and changed the subject.

“It’s a sect that uses large sabres, and they’ve always had a good relationship with the Shangguan Family. Eventually, they merged to form the Xuanwu Alliance. Though they don’t have many members, the sect leader is said to be a supreme master. Even though the head of the alliance is the head of the Shangguan Family, the strongest member is the Grand Sabre Sect leader.”

“A supreme master, huh…”

Seeing the gleam in Jang Woo-hyun’s eyes, Hwang An quickly added more words.

“Don’t even think about fighting him. Not now. Maybe later.”

“Later? What do you mean?”

“We’re going to their territory now, so even if we end up fighting them, save it for another time.”

“Anyone would think I’m some kind of fight-crazed maniac. Don’t worry, I’m not looking to start a fight.”

Although Jang Woo-hyun spoke calmly, Hwang An couldn’t let down his guard after seeing the look in his eyes earlier.

He still remembered how Jang Woo-hyun had launched an unprovoked attack when they had confronted the Autumn Soul Assassination Sect.

“Stop staring at me and keep your eyes on the road. You’re the one driving. There’s no grudge, so why would I start a fight? Especially in someone else’s territory.”

“Hmph, alright. But don’t forget, they are one of the Ten Demonic Paths, the ten strongest unorthodox sects in the world.”

As Hwang An kept warning him, Jang Woo-hyun nodded in agreement.

After repeatedly going through the same situation, the two eventually arrived in Changsha, the capital of Hunan Province.

Hwang An drove the carriage toward a district full of

 high-end brothels and inns.

Changsha was situated along the Xiang River, a tributary of the Yangtze River, and high-class inns and taverns lined the riverside.

Having looted the Autumn Soul Assassination Sect’s vault, they had plenty of money to spare, so the two men planned to stay at a luxury inn.

“Welcome!”

After surveying several places, Hwang An chose a large inn with a three-story building used as a restaurant and tavern, and several annexes.

After securing an annex and arranging the luggage they brought, the two of them headed up to the third floor for a meal.

“There’s no window seat available.”

Although it was early, the window seats overlooking the river on the third floor were already fully occupied.

In the end, they sat in a spot where the floor was open, allowing them to look down at the first floor, and ordered their meal.

“Thanks to you, Jang Hyung, I get to enjoy all these luxuries.”

As they chatted, a variety of dishes filled the table.

It was clear that Hwang An, determined to spend their money, had ordered a little of everything.

“Jang Hyung, shall we drink?”

“I’ll pass.”

Hwang An shook his head at the response.

He had observed enough along the way to predict what Jang Woo-hyun would do once they returned to their lodging.

“You’re no fun at all. Is martial arts training really that enjoyable? You’ve been at it for over ten years. Surely you must get tired of it at some point, or need to take a break.”

Jang Woo-hyun chuckled at that.

Contrary to Hwang An’s assumption, he had only been practicing martial arts for about a year.

Although his skill level didn’t reflect that, he was still a beginner.

Naturally, everything was new and exciting for a beginner.

“I enjoy it, learning martial arts.”

He smiled slightly, genuinely amused.

But Hwang An, unaware of the full situation, took it differently.

He frowned, thinking Jang Woo-hyun was simply a martial arts fanatic.

Yet, in a way, he could understand.

With such great talent, Jang Woo-hyun probably never had the opportunity to properly learn martial arts due to the lack of a proper sect.

‘Still, it’s a bit excessive.’

Even during the journey here, Jang Woo-hyun trained whenever he had a spare moment, and now he seemed eager to train again.

‘Is that why he’s become so strong?’

With both talent and effort, it was no surprise that he had grown powerful.

Still, it felt a bit disheartening for Hwang An that Jang Woo-hyun wouldn’t share even a single drink.

“Fine. I’ll drink alone, then.”

“I’ll have just one drink.”

“Now that’s more like it! You can’t be too inhuman, Jang Hyung.”

Elated, Hwang An poured a drink, and Jang Woo-hyun clinked his cup and drank.

Back at the White Tiger Martial Hall, he had occasionally shared drinks with Yang Hyo-myung, but after leaving the hall, he hadn’t touched alcohol.

As soon as they arrived at the Cloud Sword Sect, they had to fight, and after briefly returning to the White Tiger Martial Hall, they headed straight for the Demon Extermination Sect.

Since then, it had been mission after mission, and training in between.

After leaving the Demon Extermination Sect, they had destroyed the Autumn Soul Assassination Sect and arrived here.

So much had happened in such a short time.

‘I’ve lived quite intensely.’

As he set down his cup, he looked around.

How were others living their lives?

Hwang An grumbled about Jang Woo-hyun not drinking more, and continued to pour himself drinks.

Nearby, other patrons laughed and ate food and drank with their companions.

It was a warm place, far from the hostile, cold world of the Daoist Sword Forest.

For just this day, the atmosphere around them was filled with warmth.

As Jang Woo-hyun scanned the third floor, he turned his gaze to the first floor.

Just then, two men entered the inn.

One was a young man, and the other was middle-aged.

Sensing the gaze, the middle-aged man looked up and locked eyes with Jang Woo-hyun.

Crack.

“Jang Hyung?”

At that moment, Jang Woo-hyun instinctively clenched his hand, breaking the chopsticks he was holding.

That was how tense he was.

Though the middle-aged man didn’t reveal his aura, Jang Woo-hyun could sense his strength from that brief eye contact.

‘A supreme master!’

It was the appearance of one of the rare high-level experts from a powerful sect.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep