Volume Two: Anbei Consortium Chapter Six: Those Who Know, Know

Because he sensed that the auction items contained spiritual energy, Li Yu’s interest was piqued. Apart from the first few lots—antiques and curios—the subsequent items were increasingly related to martial arts. There was even an ancient martial arts manual up for auction, and when that item appeared, the atmosphere in the hall reached a fever pitch.

Bids rang out incessantly, and within a short time the price had soared past a hundred million.

“Aren’t you going to participate?” Li Yu looked at Chen Chengde, who remained serene and composed, somewhat curious, for bids had already been called from several seats in their row.

“It’s incomplete,” Chen Chengde scrutinized the cover of the paper-bound book. “The essence within is nearly depleted.”

The true value lay in the fact that, when martial artists penned such works, their insights and comprehension of martial arts were infused into the pages. Later generations, learning from these manuals, would find their efficiency greatly enhanced, and avoid straying down erroneous paths in their understanding.

“Besides, our Chen family possesses a complete martial arts lineage. We don’t lack such things,” Chen Chengde said. “Only those families hoping to forge connections, or practitioners seeking inspiration from other disciplines, need this.”

Forge connections?

Li Yu’s eyes flickered. Did these martial arts families have deeper networks of interests behind them?

Chen Chengde continued, “Are you interested? Should I bid for it?”

“It’s useless to me,” Li Yu shook his head. In the other world, he had access to any kind of cultivation manual he desired. There was no need to fight tooth and nail over an incomplete book here.

“Indeed.” Chen Chengde nodded, more convinced of Li Yu’s identity—he was surely a disciple of some hereditary lineage. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so nonchalant.

As the two conversed, the price had already climbed to nearly two hundred million.

Li Yu remarked, “It’s truly intense. From the looks of it, this bidding war won’t end anytime soon—no one seems capable of prevailing yet.”

Huang Xiu stared at Li Yu, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

If not for the university entrance exam three years ago, their lives would have been almost identical, having been classmates since kindergarten. But after the exam results, their paths only intersected at festivals and holidays.

Now, after finally finding more time together, she was astonished at the upheaval in Li Yu’s life—whether it was an elderly man conversing with him as an equal, or the massive sums being exchanged at this auction.

All of it signaled that the distance between her and Li Yu was widening.

Li Yu hadn’t noticed the storm raging within Huang Xiu. Since he had acquired the system and signed in for access to another world, he couldn’t deny that his life had undergone a miraculous transformation.

His circle of friends was no longer limited to peers of his age but had expanded to those at similar stages of life. For instance, his exchanges with Chen Chengde had always been calm and even, with no sense of awe for the latter’s status.

“It’s about the right price now,” Chen Chengde, though not personally interested, continued to observe the situation in the hall. When the price reached three hundred and fifty million, as he predicted, the bidding slowed.

Li Yu agreed, “There’s no shortage of wealthy people.” Once the price hit three hundred and eighty million, no further bids were made.

“Three hundred and eighty million, once.”

“Three hundred and eighty million, twice. Any higher offers?”

“Three hundred and eighty million—sold!” Le Lin called out. As the gavel fell, the manual found its new owner.

“That’s about right. If managed well, forging connections is worth the price,” Chen Chengde glanced at the buyer, whom he didn’t recognize—likely someone from outside the province. He didn’t dwell on it.

“Connections” had been mentioned a second time.

Li Yu grew increasingly curious about this aspect, keeping an eye out for matters related to martial arts families. From Chen Chengde’s words, it seemed that martial artists or their families were eligible to enter some hidden circle?

He pondered for a while, but with too little information, he couldn’t draw any conclusions. He decided not to dwell on it, knowing there would be more opportunities for insight later.

At that moment, several people carried an auction item onto the stage and remained there.

“Is this the headline lot?” Li Yu wondered aloud. By his count, this was already the penultimate item. The lot was covered, so he couldn’t see what lay beneath.

The spiritual energy he had just sensed came from beneath that cloth.

He felt a stirring of anticipation: if he acquired this item, could it help him understand Blue Star’s past?

Le Lin wasted no time; she whipped off the black cloth. “This is one of our two headline lots, a strange jade stone excavated from the depths of the sea. I won’t elaborate further. Starting bid is eighty million, with increments of one million!”

As soon as Le Lin finished speaking, bids were immediately called.

“One hundred million!”

In the next moment, the hall was as if boiling over, with minimum increments soaring by ten million at a time.

Li Yu carefully examined the jade stone before him. It was about the size of a basin, jet black throughout, but certain veins shimmered irregularly, emitting a blue-green light.

“A wood-attribute spiritual object,” Li Yu muttered.

Though he possessed a thunderblood lineage, distinguishing between different spiritual energies was simple enough. He couldn’t determine the precise amount of energy within the jade, but judging from the fluctuations, it was roughly ten times greater than the Thunderstruck Wood he had absorbed.

“What did you say?” Chen Chengde hadn’t caught Li Yu’s muttering and asked curiously.

“This is quite valuable,” Li Yu replied. He wasn’t sure whether martial arts cultivation here involved spiritual energy, but Blue Star had no spiritual energy at all, yet here was a jade stone containing a rich concentration of it.

Its value was beyond measure.

Chen Chengde was thoughtful.

Li Yu was his guest, and he was certain Li Yu had no prior knowledge of the auction lots. So, had Li Yu deduced this from his own insight and experience?

In fact, someone behind Chen Chengde had instructed him to acquire the headline items if possible.

“Do you see anything noteworthy in it, young friend?” Chen Chengde asked.

“How should I put it—those who know, know,” Li Yu said after a moment’s thought. “Its value depends on who’s asking. For you, it’s just an attractive oddity. But for certain people, what’s contained within is something they’d pursue at any cost.”

For some, the contents of that jade stone were priceless!

Chen Chengde understood Li Yu’s meaning; he thought of those people behind his family, chasing after things that seemed, to him, merely strange or useless.

His eyes lit up, the former dullness replaced by a keen brilliance: Li Yu’s identity was indeed extraordinary—he knew more of these hidden matters than Chen Chengde himself!

Meanwhile, the bidding for the jade stone had already reached six hundred million.