Chapter 9 Duanmu Wan (I)

　　"Next, there is a legendary secret book of internal martial arts that everyone is familiar with. Of course, whether it is true or not is not very clear after our appraisal. After all, this thing called internal martial arts requires a long period of practice and judgment. You can't tell if it's real or fake in a short period of time. But, after our appraisal of the material of the book, we can judge that the material of the cloth and silk used to record this secret book has already exceeded a hundred years!" 　　The host hemmed and hawed and laughed twice. Seeing that the people below were all mobilized by himself, one by one, their eyes were gathered on him. 　　Only then did he slowly continue. 　　"This secret discipline, the name is Black Fury Technique." 　　Two gnomes slowly carried a brass tray, shaking it up onto the stage. 　　On the tray was a pitch-black colored cloth and silk tome. 　　"This Black Fury Technique, there are thirty-two layers, and according to the records above, each layer of refinement will be able to exercise one's own flesh once. This secret book here is the first to fifth layer of it." 　　"Snort, so it's a remnant." 　　Someone below immediately voiced out. 　　"Originally, internal qi is difficult to practice, vain and vague stuff, or a remnant book, who dares to practice it? In case the top has been modified by someone, practicing it is just looking for death!" 　　Someone sneered. 　　"Then you can also not buy it." There were also voices that scoffed. 　　"All of you, please be quiet." The host pressed his hands down and smiled. 　　"This Black Fury Skill, is actually placed on consignment by a guest in our auction, the authenticity, in fact, that guest has also confirmed a part of it to us. Other than that, the first three layers are all practicable." 　　When he said this, he had thought that it would cause a stir, but the crowd below still did not change their faces. 　　Lu Sheng shook his head slightly, understanding what the reason was in his heart. 　　Zheng Xiangui was puzzled. 　　"Brother Sheng, what's going on? This reaction isn't right?" 　　"It's not wrong, it's normal." Lu Sheng said indifferently. 　　"The cultivation time of the secret internal arts, which is often measured in years, is too long, and no one would dare to gamble on the possibility of failure, regardless of whether or not there is a demonstration. What's more, I've heard Uncle Zhao mention that internal energy isn't as powerful as the rumors. Unless practiced to the top level, the power of internal energy is sometimes not as powerful as an external expert's full force strike." 　　"Why is that?" 　　Zheng Xiangui was even more puzzled. 　　"Young master may not know in this regard." A captain of the guards who had been standing behind them spoke up at this moment. 　　This man's name was Chen Wude, one of the Zheng family's two most powerful guard captains, and this trip to the Black Meeting had sent him over to maintain order as well because it was too important. 　　Like Uncle Zhao, he was also an external martial artist of the Tong Li realm in the city. 　　Chen Wude looked at Lu Sheng and continued. 　　"The internal and external families are actually both practicing force. 　　The external family is to forcibly stimulate the body's strength growth through the muscles, through external striking training and so on. This certainly injures the body, but the increase in strength is extremely fast. 　　Internal is through the internal organs, conditioning exercise internal organs, nourish the blood, so much slower, increase the power is also slow, but will not hurt, and also prolong life. 　　The difference between inside and outside is this difference. 　　In fact, the top masters of the external family, not worse than the internal family. 　　Truly the most powerful, or both internal and external ......" 　　"That's so ......" Zheng Xiangui realized. 　　Lu Sheng also nodded. 　　"I once heard Uncle Zhao say the same thing." 　　"Then why are people still so keen on internal strength? The strength growth isn't much anyway." Zheng Xiangui had doubts up. 　　"Prolonging life ah ...... external experts are strong yes, but after thirty they start to go downhill. And once they have internal strength, their peak state can even be extended to fifty or sixty years old. Completely incomparable." Chen Wude lamented. 　　Lu Sheng's attention was also focused on the secret book on the stage at this time, and the bidding began immediately. 　　The host pointed his finger at the black cloth secret book in the tray. 　　"The bidding will now begin, the starting price is one hundred taels!" 　　"One hundred and thirty taels." 　　"One hundred and fifty!" 　　"Two hundred!" 　　"Three hundred!" 　　"Three hundred and thirty taels!" 　　One by one, the prices quickly climbed up. 　　Among them, there was even the man who had opened his mouth to sneer earlier, who was also bidding. 　　It could be seen that although everyone was not very convinced by the secret books, they still had more faith in the Black Society's appraisal standard and reputation. 　　"Someone is deliberately raising the price." 　　Fatty muttered in a low voice. 　　Lu Sheng narrowed his eyes and stared at the stage. 　　"Five hundred taels!" 　　He raised his hand and shouted. 　　A hundred taels were added at once, and the entire room went slightly quiet. 　　In this era, the purchasing power of five hundred taels was equivalent to half a million RMB. 　　Just for a secret book that was still unknown to be true or false, and if there were any mistakes or omissions. 　　"Five hundred and fifty taels." 　　A voice sounded again. 　　Lu Sheng glanced at it, and it was a yellow-skinned man with eyes that slanted downward at the corners. 　　His face with the black mask also appeared dry and thin, seemingly with little flesh. With a pair of eyes, his eyes were somewhat fierce, and he was not a good person at first glance. 　　Lu Sheng had also mentally anticipated this situation, how could something like the secret of internal martial arts be uncontested. 　　He didn't think so and continued to raise his hand. 　　"Six hundred taels." 　　"Seven hundred taels!" 　　It was that man again, Lu Sheng had just bid and he followed closely. 　　"Eight hundred taels!" Lu Sheng calmly said, his old man, Lu Quanan, had given him two thousand taels of part money for January, even if he used it all up, he still had to auction off this secret book. 　　Anyway, there was a modifier, as long as there was a slight possibility of getting started, he could find the name of the martial art on the modifier and directly modify it to the limit. 　　"Nine hundred taels!" 　　The man's fierce eyes looked towards Lu Sheng. 　　"One thousand taels." Lu Sheng calmly said. 　　"...... One thousand one hundred taels!" The other party voiced out somewhat reluctantly, "Friend, I'm from the White Jade Zhang Family, give me face." 　　White Jade Zhang Family? 　　Lu Sheng's face moved. 　　This Zhang Family was not from Jiu Lian City, but was the number one family in the nearby Zi Hua City, and was the family of Zhang Song, the Governor of Zi Hua City. 　　"White Jade Zhang Family ah, actually ran to my Jiu Lian City to search for goods ......," Zheng Xiangui showed a surprised color on the side. 　　His Zheng family was in charge of the black meeting and was only responsible for the auction, and didn't care about where the guests came from. 　　"Twelve hundred taels!" 　　Lu Sheng raised his hand again. 　　The man from the Zhang Family's eyes immediately glowed with anger. In the vicinity of the two cities of Jiu Lian Zi Hua, he had never seen someone who didn't give face to the Zhang Family so much. 　　The Zhang Family didn't just have a Governor Zhang Song, they were proud to have another person, who was the number one expert in Zi Hua City, Zhang Song Xi. 　　One black and one white both have power, this is their biggest dependence on being on the outside. 　　"Don't mind him, bidding at the black meeting, the highest bidder gets it, even the Zhang family wouldn't dare to break the rules so easily. Otherwise who would still cooperate with them in their jade business?" 　　Zheng Xiangui gloated. 　　The Zhang family's name was Zhang Jundong, and he was the person who had come to JiuLian City to collect the possible secret books of internal martial arts. 　　All the secret books of internal martial arts on the market, in fact, they had people keeping an eye on them, and they would be intercepted by them in advance before they were put up for auction. 　　Only this one book in Jiu Lian City was the one that slipped through the net, it was simply a guest that arrived out of the blue, looking for the Black Club to consign. Didn't go through the formal procedures. That's how it avoided the interception. 　　"One thousand three hundred taels!" Zhang Jundong gritted his teeth and raised his hand again. 　　"One thousand four hundred!" Lu Sheng did not budge. 　　At this moment, the two were the only ones fighting in the entire arena, and the rest of the people were not going to intervene. 　　"Fifteen hundred taels!" Zhang Jundong stared at Lu Sheng dead on. "Friend, when you go out, more friends make more roads. Today, if you let me have this secret book, my Zhang Family will remember your favor." 　　Lu Sheng's face did not change. 　　"One thousand six hundred taels." 　　He raised his hand to bid again. 　　Zhang Jundong was completely enraged, he had originally come for this Black Fury Skill, originally expected to get his hands on one thousand taels, and the remaining money could still be stuffed into his own pocket, but he didn't expect that a strange man would be killed halfway, nonchalantly bidding with himself until now. 　　"One thousand seven hundred and fifty taels!" He fiercely stood up and pressed all his money in one breath. 　　"One thousand eighteen!" 　　Lu Sheng's face was expressionless. 　　Zhang Jundong turned his head violently and stared at Lu Sheng dead in the face. 　　"Good! Very good!" 　　Without further ado, he ruthlessly scrutinized Lu Sheng once more, as if he wanted to completely memorize him from top to bottom. 　　With a clatter, Zhang Jundong got up and left angrily. 　　"Congratulations to this gentleman." The host was beaming with joy on the stage, a secret book of internal martial arts, without recognizing the authenticity of the errors and omissions, could actually be sold at this high price, and his share of it would be at least several times more than normal. 　　Getting the secret book and delivering the silver ticket. 　　Lu Sheng didn't look at the last item, spoke to Zheng Xingui, and left first. 　　With the items in hand, he didn't have much money on him. 　　Chen Wude followed him all the way and brought two guards to protect him for fear that something would happen to him. 　　All the way back along the original path, out of the cave, Lu Sheng looked at the sky outside, it was already late at night. 　　Zheng family's carriage was already waiting outside. 　　Chen Wu De was not in a position to stay away, so he asked a few guards to accompany Lu Sheng to leave together, while he himself went back to continue guarding the young master Zheng Xian Gui. 　　Taking the three guards along with him, Lu Sheng walked out from the stone house and intended to get on the carriage. 　　Whew. 　　Suddenly a gust of wind came from around the village. 　　One of the guards' eyes became alert and looked around, not finding anything wrong. 　　Giggle! 　　With a little bit of subtle friction sound, a black shadow violently bypassed the guard. 　　It pierced straight through the encirclement of several people and rushed towards Lu Sheng in the innermost part. 　　The black shadow was so fast that the several guards were completely unable to react, and the formation was pierced through. 　　Clang clang clang! 　　Three consecutive crunching sounds, the short knife in the black shadow's hand slashed at the hands of the three guards with extreme speed. 　　The three of them stifled a grunt and quickly stepped back clutching their wrists. 　　They were merely guards that the Zheng family had paid to hire, they weren't dead soldiers, so naturally they wouldn't fight to the death for the Zheng family. 　　Seeing that the black shadow was unstoppable, they simply dodged away. Anyway, the wrist injury is also considered to be accounted for. 　　When the three of them thought so, they immediately spread out their formation, completely exposing Lu Sheng inside. 　　"Go to hell!" 　　A low voice came out from the black shadow's mouth. 　　He raised his short sword and slashed viciously at Lu Sheng's chest. 　　Although his strength and speed had slipped quite a bit after slashing three people consecutively, dealing with an ordinary rich boy was still easy for him. 　　Moreover, even if the other party was a practiced fighter, he didn't care, the rest of the people here in Jiu Lian City were no match for him except for a handful of people. 　　Zhang Jun Dong had carefully identified the opponent before he struck, and the other party was not among those few. 　　Having been cut off at the auction, although he was a member of the Zhang Family, he also had another layer of identity at the same time. 　　That was the infamous Wolf Pirates outside Zihua City, one of the big leaders. 　　Since the auction of the secret book had failed, it would be a hard robbery, and it wasn't the first time he had done this anyway, and no one in the Black Society would give security to the person who won the auction. 　　Afterwards, he could still save thousands of taels for himself for nothing, why not?