After instructing a handmaiden to see Zhou Changqing out, Ya Fei picked up the list he had given her. Her beautiful eyes flickered, her expression unreadable as she mulled over its contents.
"Metal materials, formation arrays, an alchemist's cauldron... what an interesting young man..."
Though she had no idea what this young master Zhou intended to do with such items, Ya Fei had a distinct feeling—a merchant's intuition—that there was more to him than met the eye.
Just then, the middle-aged appraiser stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "Miss, should we investigate his background?"
Ya Fei narrowed her eyes and shook her head slightly. "No. Our business is auctions and acquisitions. We don't meddle in other affairs; it's not in the auction house's best interest."
"Besides," she continued, "from the way Young Master Zhou acted, he seemed utterly unconcerned with weapons like the Iron-Slicing Treasure Blade. Perhaps he'll bring me an even greater surprise in the future."
"You are dismissed. Arrange for these three treasure blades to be sold at the next auction, but make sure to build up plenty of hype beforehand."
"I understand, Miss. I'll see to it at once."
The middle-aged man nodded and withdrew.
Once she was alone in the room, Ya Fei drifted over to the window and sat down. She propped her cheek on one hand, her posture languid as she watched the diverse streams of people flowing through the streets below.
"Heh, this Wu Tan City is getting more and more interesting. First, the Foundation Elixir that can accelerate Dou Qi cultivation, and now these Iron-Slicing Treasure Blades that can vastly increase a Dou Shi's combat power."
"Perhaps I'll be able to exceed my mission's quota before my training period is over. When that time comes, that position might not be so far out of reach..."
After returning to his residence, Zhou Changqing resumed his regular routine.
He needed to refine more Iron-Slicing Common Blades to earn enough money for resources, so he couldn't afford to slack off.
Day by day, time slowly passed.
As Zhou Changqing's proficiency in refining the Iron-Slicing Common Blades grew, the time required for each one steadily decreased.
A month went by, during which he successfully refined a total of four Iron-Slicing Common Blades.
Moreover, the quality of these four blades was nearly twenty percent better than his previous creations.
This was undoubtedly a significant breakthrough.
During this period, Wu Tan City was abuzz with excitement.
It was all because of Wang Zhi, who had once again caused a major stir—all thanks to the Iron-Slicing Treasure Blade.
Following the last mercenary clash, he had accomplished yet another astonishing feat.
The story went that Wang Zhi's mercenary group had been hunting in the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts when they accidentally ran into two peak second-tier tiger-type Magical Beasts.
It was common knowledge that at the same rank, Magical Beasts were generally stronger than humans.
This was especially true for ferocious beasts like tigers, and they were facing two of them.
The situation was perilous. The mercenary captain, a nine-star Dou Shi, and the vice-captain, an eight-star Dou Shi, could barely hold off one of the beasts by joining forces.
The other was left for the rest of the mercenaries to handle.
Unfortunately, against the tiger's rock-shattering claws, sharp fangs, powerful jaws, and terrifying defenses, the mercenaries stood no chance.
Casualties mounted quickly.
It was then that Wang Zhi stepped forward, treasure blade in hand. With his cultivation of a three-star Dou Shi, and with the support of the other mercenaries, he successfully held back the second tiger.
In the end, at the cost of grievous injuries, Wang Zhi managed to slay the beast.
The pressure on the mercenary group instantly eased.
As for the remaining tiger, it fell to the captain's blade after Wang Zhi lent him the treasure weapon.
But that wasn't all.
Though the mercenary group had suffered heavy losses, their gains were immense. From the bodies of the two beasts, they had extracted two peak second-tier Monster Cores.
Once this news spread, the fervor for the Iron-Slicing Treasure Blade, which had just begun to cool, erupted once more!
Coincidentally, the Miter Auction House chose this exact moment to announce that more Iron-Slicing Treasure Blades would be up for auction.
The news sent Wu Tan City's mercenary community into a frenzy. Countless mercenaries began scrambling for funds, some even selling off their family heirlooms!
All for the chance to win one of the few Iron-Slicing Treasure Blades at the auction!
On the day of the auction, the sea of people was even more spectacular than for the recent Xuan-level high-grade cultivation method.
After all, neither a Xuan-level cultivation method nor the Foundation Elixir was something a mere mercenary could hope to obtain.
The Iron-Slicing Treasure Blade was different. While the major powers might not look twice at it, for these mercenaries, it was a genuine treasure that could save their lives and boost their income!
The number of people in Wu Tan City's major powers was nothing compared to the city's total mercenary population.
As a result, the auction was completely sold out, with countless people unable to get a seat no matter how hard they tried!
In the end, the three Iron-Slicing Treasure Blades sold for around fourteen thousand gold coins each!
Even though the winners had bankrupted themselves, there wasn't a hint of regret on their faces. Instead, they were all beaming with joy.
Money lost could be earned again.
With a treasure blade in hand, they were confident they could make it all back in a few years.
As for the mercenaries who failed to win a blade, they spent the following days constantly visiting the Miter Auction House.
Would there be more Iron-Slicing Treasure Blades for auction? If so, when?
The Miter Auction House was plagued with these questions.
As the hype continued to build, the words "Iron-Slicing Treasure Blade" finally caught the attention of Wu Tan City's major powers.
Previously, these major powers hadn't paid it any mind, assuming the single blade was just a lucky find by some fortunate individual.
It wasn't enough to make even a ripple in Wu Tan City.
But now, things were different.
Four of these potent weapons had appeared!
Who knew if more would surface in the future, and in what quantity?
One or two of these weapons could be ignored, but if the numbers grew, it would be a different story entirely.
Although the strongest experts in Wu Tan City's major powers were all Da Dou Shi, the core strength of their factions still consisted of Dou Shi.
If one major power managed to secure the source of these treasure blades and equip their Dou Shi, they would become a force that no other power could ignore!
Their strength would even surpass that of their former rivals by a massive margin!
And so, in an instant, the Xiao Clan, the Jia Lie Clan, the Ao Ba Clan, and all the other lesser powers began a frantic search for any information regarding the Iron-Slicing Treasure Blade!
"Useless! A bunch of incompetent fools!"
"Why wasn't this reported the moment the first Iron-Slicing Treasure Blade appeared!"
"You ignored such a crucial piece of information! What the hell do I even pay you for?!"
"Now get the hell out of my sight and start searching! I don't care if you have to tear Wu Tan City apart, find me the source of those treasure blades!"
In a lavish courtyard in the western part of Wu Tan City, a portly, balding middle-aged man roared in fury, dressing down a group of subordinates before him!
The men trembled under the torrent of abuse, cold sweat beading on their foreheads!
Only after the man finished his tirade did the group breathe a collective sigh of relief. They bowed hastily and replied in unison, "Rest assured, boss, we will find the source of the treasure blades!"
"You have three days. Get out!"
"Yes, sir!"
Permission granted, the men fled as if escaping a disaster.
"Hmph!"
After everyone had left, the bald man let out a cold snort before sinking back into his chair to sip his tea.
Once he had calmed down, a look of vicious greed flashed in his eyes.
"When it comes to weapons in Wu Tan City, I, Cherlo, am the one and only king!"
"I don't care who you are. If you dare to interfere in the weapons trade, I'll drag you out and make an example of you for everyone to see!"
"Iron-Slicing Treasure Blade? A treasure like that can only belong to me, Cherlo!"