The main hall of the Han manor smelled of dust and desperate ambition.
Three men sat across from me. They were the most influential merchants in Mist City. To my left, Fatty Ma was sweating, watching closely to make sure no one stole his "commission."
At the center of the hall, resting on a pedestal made of old wood, lay the Snow Fang sword. It shone with an intense blue light that illuminated the room.
The soul adhesive was at its peak. It had three hours of life left.
'Gentlemen,' I said, leaning on a cane to hide my weakness, 'I did not call you here to sell a sword. I called you to sell you the future of the weapons industry. An instant repair technique.'
'Enough lies!' a thunderous voice shattered the atmosphere.
The doors flew open. Lin Feng walked in as if he owned the world. The air vibrated around him. The pressure of his Level 3 cultivation made the merchants shrink back in their chairs.
At his side, Lin Chen stared at me with pure hatred.
'Han Seo-jun,' Lin Feng growled. 'You humiliated my sister and stole my family's treasure. There will be no auction. Only blood.'
Fatty Ma tried to stand up, but Lin Feng merely glanced at him and the merchant collapsed back into his seat, pale as death.
'Lin Feng,' I replied, holding his gaze, 'if you kill me now, the repair technique dies with me. And your family will keep bearing weapons that explode in combat. What will your grandfather say when he learns you destroyed the only chance to save the Lin family's prestige over a simple tantrum?'
Lin Feng stopped. His eyes drifted to the sword on the pedestal. It looked perfect. Better than when it first left the forge.
'Do you think you can buy your life with circus tricks?' Lin Feng asked, though his killing intent eased slightly.
'I'm not buying my life. I'm selling an opportunity,' I said, pointing at the sword. 'The auction stands. Bid like everyone else. If you win, you get the technique and your family's honor. If you lose, well, at least you'll know who owns your commercial secrets now.'
Lin Feng clenched his fists. I could feel his desire to cut my head off, but greed was a chain stronger than steel.
'Two hundred thousand stones,' Lin Feng said, sitting in the front row.
'Three hundred thousand,' one of the merchants said, emboldened when he saw the warrior accept the rules.
'Four hundred thousand,' Lin Feng replied, his voice loaded with an implicit threat.
No one else dared to bid. The silence grew heavy. Lin Feng smiled arrogantly.
'Looks like my offer wins, debtor. Give me the technique.'
I walked toward him slowly. The System began flashing red.
> [ALERT: Soul adhesive has begun to evaporate prematurely.]
> Remaining time: 5 minutes.
> Sword status: Unstable.
'Of course, Lin Feng,' I said, pulling out a scroll that glowed with a strange light—a soul-binding contract I had bought on the Black Market. 'But first, sign this. A simple delivery receipt. So the Collectors' Guild knows the money is legitimate.'
Lin Feng, eager to get his hands on the secret and then kill me outside the manor, signed without reading the fine print written by the System.
The moment his blood touched the paper, an invisible chain coiled around his heart.
> [CONTRACT BOUND]
> User Lin Feng has accepted the 'Han Seo-jun Repair Technique.'
> Hidden clause: The buyer accepts the product's defects 'as is.'
I handed him the scroll with the false instructions.
'There you go. Try it right now,' I challenged.
Lin Feng grabbed Snow Fang and channeled his Level 3 energy to test the blade.
CRACK!
The sword did not merely break. It exploded into a thousand shards of ice that flew across the hall.
'You—!' Lin Feng jumped to his feet, summoning his personal sword, ready to split me in two. 'YOU SCAMMED ME!'
'Read the contract, Lin Feng,' I said, pointing at the paper now glowing in his hand. 'You accepted the technique 'as is.' If you touch me, your cultivation core will explode for breaking a magical debt of honor.'
Lin Feng froze. His face shifted from red to white. He tried to move his sword toward my neck, but searing pain tore through his chest. He dropped to his knees, coughing blood.
> [SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
> You have scammed a Level 3 cultivator.
> 'Infamy' points gained: 1,000.
> Auction profit: 400,000 Soul Stones (Pending collection).
I looked at the merchants, who were staring in shock.
'Gentlemen,' I said, wiping a bead of sweat from my brow, 'I believe the auction is over. Jo, please escort our 'guests' to the exit. Especially Lord Lin Feng. He needs a physician and an accountant.'