Ave Xia Rem Y

~~~

The air whistles with each of Chang Wei’s blows.

There is a wide grin on his face as he throws himself into the fight, his body a whirlwind of fists, knees, and elbows. His form has been further refined in the months Liu Jin has not seen him. Chang Wei lacks precision but makes up for it with quickness and strength. It is not elegant, but it doesn’t have to be. The wooden floor of the training room trembles with each step Chang Wei takes, his Qi blazing around him, announcing his strength to the world.

Nascent Realm, First Level.

Yes, Chang Wei has certainly improved.

So has Liu Jin.

He sidesteps. He dodges. He parries. In contrast to Chang Wei’s loud stomps, Liu Jin’s own footsteps can barely be heard. To an uneducated observer, it may seem like Liu Jin is being pushed back by Chang Wei. However, that cannot be further from the truth. It is Liu Jin who is setting the pace of this fight. It is he who is leading Chang Wei around, and he is doing it with such skill that Chang Wei has yet to realize it.

Liu Jin’s movements have changed.

Before, the unnatural fluidness Liu Jin attributed to Nine-Headed Snake God came and went as it pleased. Only occasionally could Liu Jin tap into it willingly.

Now, it has become fully integrated into Liu Jin’s fighting style.

The reason he is having such an easy time fighting Chang Wei is not just because he can see all his movements with ease. It is because his body is reacting to his thoughts with unnerving precision. If Liu Jin wished to, he could just keep dodging without allowing Chang Wei to lay a finger on him for the entire match. The disconnect between the image in his head and his body’s ability to perform might as well not exist.

As he feels Nine-Headed Snake God’s Veins pulse within him, Liu Jin knows he has them to thank for this.

Why?

Why now?

Is it because of what happened in Eastern Port City? Is it because of the way he used White Venom Fist there? Did figuring out the proper way to use the technique somehow unlock something within him?

Was killing people with it a requirement to unlock its full potential?

Chang Wei yells, bringing Liu Jin’s mind back to the fight. The older teen ups the intensity of his attacks, but as powerful as Chang Wei’s blows may be, Liu Jin recognizes them for what they are—Chang Wei’s last offensive.

The match has gone on for too long, and Chang Wei has yet to break through Liu Jin’s defenses. If things continue like this, Chang Wei will lose. That is why he is using all the power he has left. It is a risky gamble.

It doesn’t pay off.

Liu Jin’s counterattack knocks him to the floor, decisively ending the match. Chang Wei is left staring at the ceiling in shock for a few moments before breaking out into laughter.

“Amazing!” He says, hopping to his feet. “It’s my loss! Ah! I was so sure it was going to be different this time, but Brother Liu sure is amazing! You even reached the Nascent Realm!”

“Your words are too kind.” Liu Jin offers a short bow, which Chang Wei returns. “Reaching the Nascent Realm is only to be expected. We are on the same level, so I was just slightly better this time.”

Liu Jin is being too modest. Certainly, they are both in the First Level of the Nascent Realm. However, when they last met, Liu Jin was in the Seventh Level of the Inner Realm while Chang Wei was in the Ninth Level of it.

His growth far surpasses Chang Wei’s.

Besides, Liu Jin was already better than Chang Wei back then. It is only natural for the gap between them to have grown wider.

“That was a wonderful match,” Cui Tian says, walking up to them. He had been watching from the sidelines. “Congratulations to both of you.”

“It was a great match!” Chang Wei agrees, nodding enthusiastically. It is far more energy than one would usually expect from a guy drenched in his own sweat. “I will train hard to do better next time. Oh! How about Brother Tian and Brother Liu spar? You two never had the chance to have a proper match!”

Cui Tian laughs gently and shakes his head.

“Do not pester our guest, Brother Wei. You already made him come at such an early hour to spar with you. We need not trouble him further. It would be rude of us to ask him for another spar right after he fought you. Besides, even if we did spar, you wouldn’t be able to see it. Don’t you have deliveries to make today? You’ll be late if you don’t go take a bath right now.”

Chang Wei’s eyes go wide. He almost jumps in place.

“Ah, that’s right! Sorry, Brother Liu! I’m going to be late if I don’t hurry!”

Not even waiting for his answer, Chang Wei gives a panicked wave and rushes out, leaving Liu Jin and Cui Tian alone in the training room. It is early in the morning, so most disciples have yet to arrive.

“Thank you for indulging him,” Cui Tian says, once Chang Wei is out of earshot.

“It is no trouble,” Liu Jin replies, his weight shifting from one foot to another. The spar just now left him a bit restless. “I did not have anything else to do today.”

“That is not what I meant. I am thanking you for not defeating him instantly. You allowed him to test his full power against you.”

“Ah. That.”

Liu Jin looks aways, thinking Cui Tian’s thanks are not something he deserves. Such things had not even occurred to him. Liu Jin had prolonged the fight because he wanted to better understand the changes his body has gone through. Chang Wei had nothing to do with it.

Explaining that, however, would be too troublesome.

“Chang Wei is young,” Cui Tian says as if he were not merely a couple of years older than his friend. “He has started learning the world is a far bigger place than he thought it was, but he is a very slow learner. You’ll have to forgive him for thinking he’ll ever be your match.”

Liu Jin raises an eyebrow at the blunt words.

“And you? What do you think?”

“I think that had we fought in the Eastern Port City Tournament, I’d have lost.” Cui Tian’s hand grasps the spot where Yun Han struck him. “I’d have never been able to push Yun Han as you did. I can only imagine how much greater the gap between us is now.”

“You saw our fight?” Liu Jin asks, surprised Cui Tian had been able to regain consciousness by then.

“No. I was still unconscious by then. Even if I hadn’t been, the Seven Leaves School left the city that day. However, I was able to buy a memory talisman of the fight from a merchant who came from Eastern Port City a few months ago. I also bought one containing Yun Han’s fight with your brother-in-law.”

Cui Tian smiles.

“It was cathartic. Humbling, yet cathartic.”

The notion of there being people out there selling memories of his fight is one Liu Jin is not sure how to react to.

“I guess you really can buy anything in Five Bats City.” Liu Jin decides to put the matter aside for now. It is not what he came here for. “Speaking of, I went to an auction the other day.”

“Is that why Brother Liu is here? Did the Xiao Sect send you to acquire an item through the auction house?”

“The opposite. I came here to sell something. However, the most curious thing happened during the auction…”

~~~

The auction hall is enormous.

The stage is at the lowest point of the room, and the seats are spread in front of it, rising higher the further back one goes.

The area closest to the stage has the plainest seats. Meanwhile, the seats at the furthest end of the auction hall are essentially private booths with plenty of space to move around. These seats can only be entered through private doors, and each is fully separated from the others. Those who sit there can enjoy the auction without being bothered by the other bidders. Servants can go in and out to bring food and drinks and other things.

As a black card holder, this is where Liu Jin sits.

Lei Kong stands behind him like a faithful watchdog, something Liu Jin is slowly becoming used to.

Although there are no windows anywhere in the room, small orbs of red flame float around the stage, illuminating it so that people can see the items up for auction. There is a small podium in the center, and once a few minutes have passed, Branch Manager Bianfu steps up to it.

“Greetings! Honored guests, it is a great honor to greet you! Welcome to our Five Blessings Auction House!”

Liu Jin tunes him out after that. Sort of. He listens but not to the point of giving the branch manager his full attention, or even half of it. Just enough to pick up the essential details. Items will be brought in one after another. People will bid on them, with the starting bids varying depending on the item’s rarity and quality.

This might be the first auction Liu Jin has been in, but even he can tell this all fairly straightforward.

After the rules have been explained and the usual platitudes have been said, Branch Manager Bianfu announces the start of the auction. An attractive woman steps into the stage, holding the first item of the day, safely contained in protective glass. Even from this distance, Liu Jin can tell it is the root of a Heartbreak Tree. Judging by the coloring, it is at least four-hundred years old, making it quite valuable.

Liu Jin is far from the only person who can tell. The moment Branch Manager Bianfu’s gavel strikes, the bids start flying.

“Eleven thousand Crimson Imperial Coins!”

“Twelve thousand!”

“Fifteen thousand!”

The Heartbreak Tree Root is sold in three minutes. A Forbidden Orchid is up next.

“Twenty-five thousand!”

A Million Teeth Mushroom follows.

“Forty-seven thousand!”

Blood of a Venomous Scaled Wolf.

“One hundred and fifty-six thousand Crimson Imperial Coins!”

Elixir of Focus.

“Three hundred thousand!”

One by one, the items are sold. In less than an hour, the people in this room spend more money than entire towns and even some cities do in a year. That is how rich these people are. That is how valuable the items sold are. Those who can sell them and those who can buy them. They cannot be called ordinary people.

And yet, Liu Jin doesn’t feel out of place.

“Our next item is a surprise,” Branch Manager Bianfu says. “In fact, it is our good fortune that we are able to offer it today, and it is our esteemed guests’ good fortune that they have the opportunity to obtain it. The next bid will be for an Earth Realm Dragon Core!”

Branch Manager Bianfu makes a grand gesture with his arm as the attractive woman comes in with the Earth Realm Dragon Core, and though the woman is attractive and wearing clothes that flatter her figure, not a single eye is looking at her. Every eye in the room is focused on what she’s carrying. The hunger is almost palpable.

It is only a core. It is not a pill or a potion. It is just a raw material.

However, because it is only that, it can be used in many different ways, giving it broader appeal.

“We will start the auction at five hundred thousand Crimson Imperial Coins.”

The bids start flying immediately.

“Seven hundred thousand!”

“Eight hundred thousand!”

“Nine hundred thousand!”

“One Million!”

“One million and two hundred thousand!”

“The Eternal Raging Valley will bid one and half million and no more!”

~~~

Liu Jin smiles bitterly.

“You can imagine what happened next.”

“That is… unfortunate.”

The Eternal Raging Valley.

One of the four major Sects of the Crimson Cloud Empire. There is not a single person who doesn’t know that. After a proclamation like that had been made, no one in the auction hall dared to say a word.

The Eternal Raging Valley will bid one and a half million and no more.

In other words, to make a bid after that would have been to challenge the Eternal Raging Valley. With those words, the Eternal Raging Valley told everyone in the room to stop bidding on the Earth Realm Dragon Core.

It was utterly outrageous.

However, they had no choice but to obey.

“It was not an ideal outcome,” Liu Jin admits.

The Earth Realm Dragon Core could have sold for a lot more. That is undeniable. Selling it for three million or even for five million would not have been impossible. His master once told him that people could end up bidding outrageous sums for even fairly mundane items when they felt face was on the line. Liu Jin had been counting on that.

Instead, the Earth Realm Dragon Core harvested by his Master had been sold for merely one and a half million. While Liu Jin had known the Eternal Raging Valley had a branch in Five Bats City, the way in which they behaved had been outside his expectations.

“It is rather curious, isn’t it? The Eternal Raging Valley is one of the four strongest Sects in the Empire. Why would they be so eager to obtain a mere Earth Realm Dragon Core?”

“I confess I am also at a loss.” Cui Tian looks uncomfortable. “Who can understand the minds of those at the top?”

“They are quite mysterious. However, I had a most enlightening conversation with Branch Manager Bianfu afterward.”

~~~

“I am terribly sorry about what happened.”

That Branch Manager Bianfu would show up to his room in person to deliver the money comes as a surprise. That Liu Jin’s black card can store money inside it is also surprising, but less so.

Branch Manager Bianfu’s apology? That, Liu Jin had been expecting.

The disappointment in Branch Manager Bianfu’s voice is genuine. If the Earth Realm Dragon core had sold for more, the profit the Five Blessings Auction House would have made from the sale would have been far greater.

“How curious.” Liu Jin, who had previously stood up to greet Branch Manager Bianfu, now leans back against his chair. “The Eternal Raging Valley has a branch here. I thought for sure Branch Manager Bianfu would be used to such things happening.”

“Of course, not!” Branch Manager Bianfu waves his arms as if trying to push away Liu Jin’s words. “Perish the thought! Had I known something like that was going to happen, I’d have warned Customer Liu ahead of time.”

“Is Branch Manager Bianfu saying the Eternal Raging Valley doesn’t always behave like that when there is something they want? I must say I have a hard time believing that.”

“Please, believe I am not lying to you. In fact, this is the first time something like this has happened.”

“Is that so?”

“I will not deny Branch Master Ruan has always been… somewhat difficult as a person.” Branch Manager Bianfu’s tone makes it clear difficult is not the word he’d like to use. “However, he had never been like this before. Not even at his worst. I never imagined he’d show up in person to the auction.”

“So the man who spoke back then was the Branch Master?”

Liu Jin cannot disguise his surprise. For the Branch Master to come personally to the auction is definitely odd. While the auction held several rare items, there was nothing there that should be worth the time of a Branch Master from a Sect as prestigious as the Eternal Raging Valley.

“Indeed, he was. I thought he’d sent a representative, but that was clearly not the case. Because of that, the Earth Realm Dragon Core sold for such a low price. For that blunder, our Five Blessings House will waive half its fees.”

The offer seems generous on the surface, but it is actually born out of practicality. Liu Jin is someone who showed up at the Five Blessings Auction House to sell an Earth Realm Dragon Core. There is no telling what other rare items he’s in possession of. It would be a shame if this incident discouraged him from approaching the Five Blessings Group on future occasions.

That is most likely what Branch Manager Bianfu is thinking.

In fact, he is probably ready to waive the fee entirely should Liu Jin push for it.

“That you are willing to do that is more than enough,” Liu Jin replies. “However, if Branch Manager Bianfu wishes to repay me, then perhaps he can help me better understand Branch Master Ruan’s behavior. Do you know what caused him to act in such a way?”

“Customer Liu, if I knew the exact reason, this old man would have already tried to do something about it. All I can say is that two months ago Branch Master Ruan came back from a meeting in the Eternal Raging Valley. His sudden change happened around that time. The rest, I am afraid I can only speculate.”

~~~

“A Branch Master of the Eternal Raging Valley experiencing a noticeable change in behavior. Most curious, isn’t it?”

“I am afraid I cannot say. I prefer not to involve myself in the affairs of the great Sects.”

It is impressive how uncomfortable Cui Tian looks at the moment.

“That is a wise way of looking at things. In fact, I probably should have left the matter alone. The affairs of the great Sects are not something people like us should involve ourselves in.”

Cui Tian looks at Liu Jin in alarm.

“Should have?”

“Should have,” Liu Jin repeats with a smile he does not feel. “Unfortunately, someone else was able to shed additional light into the situation.”

And for that, Liu Jin has Lei Kong to thank. Although, in this case, it is his own fault.

He is the one who gave Lei Kong the order.

Liu Jin sighs.

“Cui Tian, were you ever going to tell me?”

“I am afraid I do not know what you are—”

“You had no plans on telling me then. Understandable. Very well. In light of your situation. I’ll tell you my conclusions, and you’ll confirm whether they are true or not. Does that sound fair?”

“I don’t—”

“For the past few weeks, ever since Branch Master Ruan returned from his trip, the local branch of the Eternal Raging Valley has been calling upon the city’s doctors. At first, only the city’s best doctors were called. After all, what use could they have for the others? However, as the weeks passed, more and more doctors have been called—rather forcefully in most cases. What’s worse is that since then, not a single doctor called to the Eternal Raging Valley has come out. Knowing that, it is easy to understand why a doctor would be too scared to show his face.”

Cui Tian is silent, his gaze staring firmly at his feet.

“I doubt Si Lan’s father is such a good doctor that the Eternal Raging Valley would call upon his aid. At least, that would normally be the case. However, in a situation like this, it is natural to fear for his safety. Thus, I am forced to conclude Si Lan is pretending her father is sick, so he’ll not be called upon by the Eternal Raging Valley. Am I right?”

“You…” Cui Tian stares at him with wonder. “You have been in the city for a few days and already know so much. Chang Wei is right. You are amazing.”

Liu Jin closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

“Why did you try to hide this? I can understand why Branch Manager Bianfu did so. He did not want to reveal Five Bats City was facing such a crisis. Such things tend to scare away business. He confirmed as much for me when I confronted him about it. I also understand why Si Lan did so. She has no reason to trust me with her father’s fate. However, why did you do so? I will not presume we are friends, yet I’d like to believe my actions towards you and yours would have earned me a measure of trust.”

“You ask me why I did not tell you? When I am already so far in your debt? Oh, yes.” Cui Tian smiles bitterly when he sees Liu Jin’s surprise. “Chang Wei might not have realized it, but I have. Why would the Five Blessings Group be so kind to a small school like ours? It is because of Young Master Liu, isn’t it? You used the Xiao Sect’s authority to intercede on our behalf.”

Liu Jin doesn’t answer. Cui Tian is not right, but the difference probably wouldn’t matter much to him.

“Si Lan’s secrets are not mine to tell. Even if I had, what good would it have done? In front of the Eternal Raging Valley, you and I are the same. It was better for you to think everything was going well. We’d have been able to part in amicable terms then.”

That... he can hardly blame Cui Tian for that. Still...

“What are you planning on doing about it?”

“Who knows? The Eternal Raging Valley has not knocked on the door of Doctor Si yet, but at this rate, it is only a matter of time.” Cui Tian shrugs haplessly. The gesture ill-fits someone as physically imposing as him. “I owe much to Doctor Si and care dearly for his daughter. I cannot let the two face this alone. I have been thinking about fleeing the city with them. Of course, it’d be just the three of us. I cannot ask the Seven Leaves School to put itself at risk for my sake once more. Although if the Eternal Raging Valley catches wind of a doctor trying to flee the city...”

He doesn’t elaborate. He has no need to.

Liu Jin sighs.

Some people would say the affairs of the Eternal Raging Valley are none of his business. That only fool would involve themselves with them.

Liu Jin would agree with those people. He’d even call them wise.

“I have a different idea.”

He doesn’t feel like being wise right now.

~~~