Chapter 4: A Shattered Fake and a Thunderous Truth
The atmosphere in the Auction Hall was so thick you could cut it with a Qi-blade. Hundreds of eyes darted between the audacious young man in the cheap windbreaker and the icy goddess on the balcony.
Zhao Ming sat down, fuming, nursing his hand where the wine glass had shattered. "Fine. Let him speak. When he's proven a liar, I'll kill him myself."
Ye Feng stood in the center of the hall, unbothered by the murderous intent radiating from the VIP box. He looked up at Su Qing.
"Miss Su," Ye Feng began, his voice steady. "That locket was a gift from your fiancé, correct? Given to you three months ago on your 18th birthday?"
Su Qing's eyes narrowed slightly. "That is public knowledge. If that is your 'secret', get ready to lose your tongue."
"The public knows it is a 'Heart-Guarding Locket', a rare artifact meant to protect against mental attacks," Ye Feng continued. "But what the public doesn't know is that the real locket has a specific reaction to 'Spirit Vinegar'."
"Spirit Vinegar?" Someone in the crowd chuckled. "Is he going to make a salad?"
Ye Feng ignored them. "If you dip a real Heart-Guarding Locket in Spirit Vinegar, the gem turns blue. If it is a forgery made of 'Illusion Glass', it turns cloudy grey. Miss Su, do you dare to test it?"
Su Qing froze.
The locket was indeed given to her by her fiancé, the heir of the powerful Chen family. The alliance between the Su and Chen families was critical. Accusing him of giving a fake gift was a massive political insult.
"You realize what you are implying?" Su Qing's voice was cold enough to freeze nitrogen. "You are accusing the Young Master of the Chen family of fraud."
"I am stating a fact," Ye Feng shrugged. "Do you want the truth, or do you want to wear a piece of glass?"
Su Qing stared at him. Her intuition—honed by years of business dealings—told her this boy wasn't lying. His eyes were too clear. Too confident.
"Waiter!" Su Qing snapped her fingers. "Bring a bowl of Spirit Vinegar."
The auctioneer frantically signaled the staff. Within a minute, a waiter ran onto the stage with a ceramic bowl filled with pungent, amber liquid.
Su Qing unclasped the delicate silver chain from her neck. She held the glowing pendant over the balcony railing.
"If this turns blue," Su Qing said softly, "You will die today."
She dropped it.
The pendant fell through the air and landed in the bowl on the stage with a plop.
The entire hall held its breath.
One second.
Two seconds.
The gem fizzed. The bright, magical glow flickered and died. Slowly, a murky, grey swirl spread through the liquid like smoke. The gem turned dull and cracked down the middle.
"Grey," the auctioneer whispered, his voice trembling. "It turned grey!"
"It's a fake!"
"Heavens! The Chen family gave a fake artifact to the Su heiress?"
"This is a scandal! A massive scandal!"
The crowd erupted into chaos.
On the balcony, Su Qing gripped the railing so hard the metal groaned. Her face was a mask of fury. Not at Ye Feng, but at the betrayal. For three months, she had worn this trash, believing it protected her, while the Chen family likely laughed behind her back.
"Good," Su Qing hissed. "Very good, Chen family."
She looked down at Ye Feng. The icy hostility in her eyes was gone, replaced by a calculating interest.
"What is your name?"
"Ye Feng."
"Ye Feng," Su Qing nodded. "You have done me a great service. The Su family pays its debts."
She turned to the auctioneer.
"I bid 100,000 Credits for that scrap metal."
The auctioneer gulped. "100,000? B-But Young Master Zhao..."
"Does Zhao Ming want to bid against me?" Su Qing glanced sideways at Zhao Ming.
Zhao Ming was pale. He realized the gravity of the situation. The Chen-Su alliance was about to collapse, and he didn't want to be caught in the crossfire.
"I... I withdraw," Zhao Ming muttered, slumping in his seat.
"Sold!" the auctioneer slammed his gavel. "To Miss Su!"
Su Qing gestured to a servant. "Give the item to Mr. Ye. It is his."
A servant hurried down, picked up the rusted metal fragment, and handed it to Ye Feng with both hands.
Ye Feng took the heavy, cold metal. He felt a faint buzz of electricity travel up his arm.
[System: Proximity to Divine Artifact detected. Absorption ready.]
"Thank you, Miss Su," Ye Feng bowed slightly. "A fair trade."
"Not a trade," Su Qing said, leaning over. "A down payment. Come see me at the Su Corporation headquarters tomorrow. I have... other questions for you."
She didn't wait for an answer. She swept out of the VIP box, her guards following close behind. Zhao Ming glared at Ye Feng one last time—a look promising murder—before storming out the other exit.
Ye Feng stood alone in the center of the hall, holding a piece of rusted junk, surrounded by awe-struck students.
"He actually did it..."
"Who is he? Which family is he from?"
Ye Feng ignored the whispers. He tucked the metal under his arm and walked out. He had a treasure to unlock.
An Hour Later - An Abandoned Warehouse near the River
Ye Feng didn't go home. His apartment wasn't safe anymore. After humiliating Zhao Ming and getting involved with Su Qing, eyes would be on him.
He found a secluded spot in an old industrial zone.
He placed the rusted metal fragment on a concrete block.
"System," Ye Feng commanded. "How do I unseal it?"
[Instruction: The Shard of the Astral Thunder Sword requires the blood of a Pure Spirit Body to awaken. Drip blood onto the rust.]
Ye Feng pulled out a pocket knife (bought with his spare change) and sliced his palm. He clenched his fist, letting the fresh, red blood drip onto the ugly metal.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
The blood didn't run off. It soaked into the rust like water into a sponge.
ZZZTT!
A spark of blue lightning jumped from the metal.
Suddenly, the warehouse began to shake.
CRACK!
The rust on the metal surface fractured. Like a snake shedding its skin, layers of red grime fell away, revealing a blinding, azure light underneath.
A terrifying aura exploded outward.
[Warning: High-Energy Reaction!]
The metal transformed. It wasn't just a shard anymore. It liquified and reformed, extending into a broken, jagged sword hilt about a foot long. The blade was snapped, but the remaining metal was translucent blue, with tiny stars moving inside it.
Ye Feng grabbed the hilt.
BOOM!
A pillar of blue lightning shot up through the roof of the warehouse, piercing the clouds.
In his mind, an ancient, thunderous voice echoed.
"I am the Thunder Sovereign. Who dares to wield my star?"
Ye Feng gritted his teeth as electricity coursed through his veins, trying to burn him to ash. But his Pure Spirit Body absorbed it greedily.
"I am Ye Feng!" he shouted mentally. "And I don't care who you are! You are mine now!"
The electricity surged one last time, then submitted. The blue light receded into the hilt.
[Artifact Bound: Broken Astral Thunder Sword]
[Grade: Damaged Divine Artifact (Currently equivalent to High-Tier Spirit Weapon)]
[Active Skill: 'Thunder Flash' - Consumes 50% Qi to unleash a slash at the speed of sound.]
[Passive Effect: Increases user's reaction speed by 300%.]
Ye Feng panted, holding the jagged sword. It felt weightless.
He swung it experimentally at a rusty steel beam nearby.
Shing.
He didn't feel any resistance.
A second later, the top half of the steel beam slid off diagonally, the cut surface glowing molten red.
"A High-Tier Spirit Weapon..." Ye Feng's eyes shone. "Even a Qi Condensation cultivator would kill for this."
With this sword, and his Stage 4 strength, he could fight a Stage 5 or maybe even survive a Stage 6.
BZZT-BZZT.
His phone vibrated.
It was an unknown number.
"Hello?"
"Ye Feng?" A smooth, dangerous voice answered. It wasn't Su Qing. It was a man's voice.
"Who is this?"
"This is Butler Liu of the Zhao Family," the voice said calmly. "Young Master Zhao is very upset about today. He wants your tongue and your hands."
"Is that so?" Ye Feng checked the sharpness of his new sword.
"However," the Butler continued, "The Zhao family is generous. If you bring the metal fragment you bought to the West Gate Park in one hour, and kneel to apologize, we might only break your legs. If you don't..."
"If I don't?"
"Then we will pay a visit to a certain Auntie Wang in the Old District. I hear her bones are already brittle."
The line went dead.
Ye Feng slowly lowered the phone. The air around him crackled with static electricity, reacting to his rage. The Astral Thunder Sword in his hand hummed, sensing its master's killing intent.
They threatened him? Fine.
They threatened the only person who was kind to him?
"Butler Liu. Zhao Ming."
Ye Feng looked toward the West Gate Park.
"You wanted a metal fragment? I'll bring it to you. I hope you can handle the sharp end."
[System Mission Triggered: "First Blood"]
[Objective: Eliminate the Threat. Show no mercy.]
[Reward: Cultivation Technique - 'Thunder Step'.]
Ye Feng vanished into the shadows, a streak of blue lightning trailing in his wake.
Tonight, the trash of River City would claim his first head.