For a moment, the entire world seemed to fall silent only Song Qingxing's cold words echoed in the air.
"Clang."
The chilling blade was sheathed, and the raging sword aura around them instantly dissipated into nothingness.
"If you're going to kill, just kill. Why do you have to make it so disgusting?"
Looking at the severed limbs and scattered flesh all over the ground, Song Qingxi's face paled slightly. The scene before her was no different from a slaughterhouse.
Though it wasn't her first time witnessing such bloody carnage, she still hadn't gotten used to it. She cast a resentful glance at Song Qingxing, who stood tall against the wind like a statue.
Despite her kind nature, she wasn't some naïve saint. These men were vicious criminals with blood on their hands executing them was more than justified.
What upset her, however, was the way her brother chose to kill. He could have done it swiftly, cleanly but instead, he opted for brutality. In her eyes, that was a deeply troubling sign.
Back when they first descended from the mountain, the two siblings wandered through wilderness and remote forests. Any beast they encountered no matter its rank was immediately slain by Song Qingxing. And always with ruthless, bloody methods.
Although Song Qingxi felt a little uneasy about slaughtering creatures that hadn't even developed spiritual awareness, she didn't say much at first.
But then came the first encounter with a group of rogue adventurers who had ill intentions. Song Qingxing butchered them no other word sufficed. His methods were so savage that she couldn't help but feel a sense of fear and unfamiliarity toward him.
There's a fine line between killing and butchering, but that line carries vastly different implications.
Her mind involuntarily recalled the words Song Changsheng had said to her before leaving:
"I won't stop you two from going down the mountain for your training. Flowers raised in a greenhouse, no matter how beautiful, are destined to wither in a storm.
So yes, I support you both going out to gain experience.
But knowing Qingxing's temperament, it's inevitable that there will be bloodshed. You, Qingxi, are kind by nature. I trust you won't kill needlessly.
But Qingxing is different. He's solitary and indifferent, and if he spills too much blood, he may become even more extreme.
If not guided, he might eventually stray onto a dangerous path.
He is like a sharp sword razor-edged and unforgiving.
I hope you can be the scabbard that restrains that sword.
Do not let the beast in his heart run free…"
Back then, Song Qingxi hadn't taken those words too seriously.
But now, after what she'd witnessed during their time outside, she realized how foresighted Song Changsheng had been. Song Qingxing was indeed bloodthirsty and cruel not like a righteous cultivator at all, but more like someone from the demonic path. A very dangerous sign.
Since that first encounter with the adventurers, Song Qingxi began actively intervening.
She made two rules:
No killing without reason.
No brutal killing.
As the saying goes those who are favored act with impunity.
If anyone else had dared say such things to Song Qingxing, their grave would probably be overgrown by now.
But coming from Song Qingxi, it was a different story.
Over the past month, although Song Qingxing hadn't completely changed, he had at least exercised great restraint out of respect for her wishes.
Otherwise, not a single one of those five attackers would've been left intact.
Noticing the shift in Song Qingxi's tone, Song Qingxing thought for a moment and finally explained,
"They deserved to die."
"But with your strength, you could have ended them in a single stroke, couldn't you? Why use such a drawn-out, brutal method?"
Song Qingxi frowned slightly. It wasn't that she didn't believe those people deserved death just that the way they were killed was wrong.
Song Qingxing glanced at the mangled limbs on the ground, then at Song Qingxi's slightly pale face, and eventually nodded.
"I understand."
Only then did Song Qingxi's expression brighten into a radiant smile.
After a brief cleanup of the battlefield, the two of them continued on their way to Liuyun Market.
Their journey was just beginning.
....
Luoxia City, inside the family's general store.
Before leaving, Song Luhuai had replaced most of the older generation who were stationed here, leaving behind only a few: store steward Song Xiantu, chief enforcer Sun Chuanming, and Song Qingluo.
The replacements were carefully selected by the family and quickly got up to speed with the store's operations, ensuring everything ran smoothly.
In addition to these new staff members, Song Luoyao had plans to establish a branch of the clan's Wind Whisper Hall (an intelligence network) in Luoxia City a secret base responsible for monitoring the city's movements and seizing opportunities to infiltrate.
Aside from Song Changsheng and Song Luhuai, no one else was aware of this plan. It was a top-level secret within the clan.
Song Changsheng had personally met a few of these undercover agents. They were the unremarkable type so ordinary that you'd never pick them out in a crowd.
For both his curiosity and to test the skills of these spies, Song Changsheng, in his capacity as the young clan leader, assigned them their first task:
"Find information on the one-armed swordsman from Bianzhou."
He wanted to know if the man Zhu Yiqun had mentioned was the same Xu Yunhe who once explored the ancient ruins with them.
And sure enough, the agents trained by Song Luoyao proved themselves highly competent.
Within just three days, they confirmed the identity of the one-armed swordsman it was indeed Xu Yunhe!
Not only had Xu Yunhe managed to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage despite his crippled body, but he had also grasped the elusive concept of Sword Intent, a dream of all sword cultivators.
He roamed the depths of the Ten Thousand Mountains with his sword, slaying numerous beasts. Many adventurers had encountered him.
Song Changsheng was overjoyed to hear this he had truly judged Xu Yunhe right.
"All four of us who survived back then have now reached Foundation Establishment. No one would believe it if I told them," Song Changsheng mused.
It was rare, but not without reason.
As for himself reborn into a new life, equipped with a "cheat system" and having formed the Yin-Yang Dao Foundation his advancement to Foundation Establishment had been practically guaranteed.
Zhu Yiqun, though a rogue cultivator, was shrouded in mystery. Even Song Changsheng couldn't fully see through him. He was a rare medicinal chef with remarkable talent and had formed a Grand Dao Foundation. His breakthrough seemed only natural.
Zhuang Yuechan, of course, needed no explanation disciple of the Grand City Lord, a top-tier genius with abundant resources. It would've been strange if she hadn't reached the Foundation Establishment.
Among them, Xu Yunhe had the most humble origins.
Just a mildly talented rogue cultivator not a "cheat holder" like Song Changsheng, not innately gifted like Zhu Yiqun, nor backed by a powerful sect like Zhuang Yuechan.
Yet with nothing but grit, he had caught up with them, despite his crippled body.
Only he knew the suffering and perseverance behind that journey.
Suddenly, Song Changsheng found himself yearning to reunite with them to drink, laugh, and reminisce.
That scene would surely be unforgettable.
"Fellow Daoist Xu is in the Ten Thousand Mountains. Zhuang is on Tianyin Mountain. They're both close by.
But that damned fatty… where did he go? I wonder if he's found his master yet."
Song Changsheng frowned slightly, a trace of concern flashing in his eyes.
"Young Master, are we heading to the West Market today?"
Song Qingluo's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Song Changsheng nodded. "Of course. The last visit was quite fruitful."
That previous haul had whetted his appetite so much so that his first instinct after exiting seclusion was to return to the West Market for another "treasure hunt."
The two set off shortly after.
This time, they didn't linger at Tianyin Mountain they made straight for the Western Trading District.
But whether he had misjudged or simply had bad luck, after making a full round, he hadn't found a single treasure. He did, however, pick out a few trinkets for Song Qingluo as a small reward.
The outcome left Song Changsheng a little disheartened, but he quickly got over it. Last time had simply been an incredible stroke of luck finding two rare items at a single stall.
After all, no one's luck lasts forever. If he could walk into the market and strike gold every time, that would be truly suspicious.
Once he made peace with that thought, Song Changsheng stopped fixating on "hidden treasures" and instead shifted focus to purchasing practical cultivation items especially materials related to the Five-Beast Body Refinement Technique, such as ape hearts, Bi Fang feathers, flood dragon scales, and white tiger fangs.
He was nearing mastery of the Earth Dragon Reversal Diagram and urgently needed to comprehend the next diagram in the body refinement sequence.
Unfortunately, the results were less than ideal. Bi Fang feathers and flood dragon scales were exceedingly rare and hadn't surfaced in the market for some time.
Ape hearts were more common, but since they weren't used in artifact crafting, most cultivators simply discarded them after slaying ape-type beasts rarely did anyone bother bringing them to the market.
One stall owner suggested trying large restaurants instead. Despite their lack of value in cultivation, ape hearts were considered a delicacy when prepared by a skilled spiritual chef. It was likely the eateries would have them.
While that made logical sense, Song Changsheng wasn't quite ready to stoop that low he still had his pride…
After asking a few stall owners to keep an eye out for the materials he needed, Song Changsheng took Song Qingluo and left the West Market.
On their way back, they noticed a massive crowd blocking the entire street ahead. The once-wide road had become so packed that there wasn't even a gap to squeeze through.
Though flying above was technically an option, flight was banned throughout Luoxia City and Song Changsheng had no interest in provoking the rules laid down by the City Lord's estate.
"What's going on up ahead? Why is there such a crowd?" Song Changsheng asked, pointing toward the throng.
Song Qingluo looked up, then chuckled.
"Young Master, you must've forgotten that's the auction house I mentioned to you before."
"Why are so many people gathered outside an auction house?" Song Changsheng's curiosity was piqued.
"I'll go check."
Volunteering himself, Song Qingluo squeezed through the crowd. Moments later, he returned, visibly excited.
"Young Master, they just posted a new announcement!"
"An announcement?"
"Yes! In honor of the Grand City Lord's birthday, the auction house is hosting a major auction. They've just released a preview of the items that'll be up for bid. Everyone's here to see it!"
Song Qingluo could barely contain his excitement. If Song Changsheng weren't standing right beside him, he'd probably have rushed into the crowd himself.
Watching him, Song Changsheng couldn't help but laugh.
"What kind of treasures are making people this excited?"
"So many things! Tier-3 spirit pills, Tier-3 offensive talismans, cultivation manuals, and even get this a legendary magic treasure!"
Song Qingluo beamed as he rattled off the list.
"A magic treasure?"
That one phrase shook Song Changsheng. A magic treasure on auction? Was this a joke?
Magic treasures were an entire tier above spiritual tools each one possessed a sentient artifact spirit. Even Purple Mansion cultivators typically only owned one.
Owning two was already a sign of immense wealth.
The Song Clan had produced two Purple Mansion cultivators in its history, and both had owned a magic treasure regarded as clan-defining heirlooms.
Even in their most desperate times, the Song Clan had never considered selling one.
And it wasn't just the Song Clan no Purple Mansion-level power would willingly part with such a priceless item.
"No wonder there's such a crowd. Magic treasures… most people won't see one in their lifetime."
Song Changsheng couldn't help but marvel. This auction house had deep pockets.
"And that's not even the grand finale!" Song Qingluo added with a dramatic flourish, dropping yet another bombshell that left Song Changsheng momentarily speechless.
"Wait that's not the final item? There's something even more valuable?"
He was astonished. He could already imagine the frenzy the auction would cause on the actual day.
"The auction house is being super secretive about the final item. No one knows what it is, and rumors haven't leaked at all. Everyone's speculating like crazy."
Song Qingluo shrugged in frustration.
Song Changsheng's curiosity was now thoroughly ignited.
"What are the requirements to participate in the auction?"
"There are three ways to participate," Song Qingluo explained with a somewhat dejected tone. "First, if you have more than 10,000 spirit stones, you can enter after verification.
"Second, if your cultivation has reached the Foundation Establishment stage, you're eligible as well.
"And the third is by receiving an invitation from the auction house itself."
As he listed them out, his voice grew gloomier he didn't meet any of the criteria. His hopes of going in just to broaden his horizons were dashed before he even got to the door.
But in the next breath, his mood flipped again. Eyes lighting up, he said excitedly, "Young Master, you meet the second requirement! You're a Foundation Establishment cultivator you can attend!"
Song Changsheng chuckled bitterly and shook his head.
"With the few coins I've got, all I could probably do is place the starting bid on something."
As they spoke, the crowd ahead began to disperse little by little, finally clearing the way. Still, the auction house remained a hot topic of conversation no doubt, the news would soon spread throughout Luoxia City and even further beyond.
"Let's head back."
With that, Song Changsheng turned and began making his way toward the family's general store. As they passed by the auction house, curiosity got the better of him, and he glanced over.
There, hanging prominently on display, was a massive piece of beast hide. Listed upon it were over a hundred of the items slated for auction, complete with illustrations.
Sure enough, the items Song Qingluo had mentioned such as the magic treasure and third-tier spirit pills were displayed at the top in the most eye-catching positions. Further down were spiritual tools, multi-discipline inheritances, and more.
Song Changsheng had only intended to take a casual glance, but his gaze soon locked onto an item near the bottom of the list: a "Second-Tier White Tiger Skeleton."
The accompanying illustration showed a complete skeleton and among the bones was exactly what he needed: a white tiger fang.
His eyes immediately lit up with desire.
The white tiger might not be as legendary as a flood dragon or Bi Fang, but it was still a rare and exotic beast. He'd searched far and wide with no success, and now here it was, at the auction.
"Looks like I've got no choice but to participate now. Missing out on this would be a lifetime regret."
But he quickly sobered up.
"A complete second-tier white tiger skeleton won't come cheap, especially at auction. I'll need to find a way to earn more spirit stones…"
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Song Changsheng finally made up his mind:
Time to return to his old trade artifact forging.
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