Chapter 222: Stringless Instrument
The elder in charge glanced at Xu Xiaoxian. He could tell that this girl was extremely smart and would not be easy to deal with.
On the other hand, this Sensei Song was a highly specialized good samaritan.
If Xu Xiaoxian heard this, she would hit the roof.
She would definitely have something to say about that!
Chu Yu is a good samaritan? Don’t joke please. He’s also like me okay?
He just looks like a good samaritan!
"This art piece is worth two thousand best quality spiritual stones don’t you think?" This man looked at Xu Xiaoxian.
"Mm, even though it’s a little underwhelming, but it could do." Xu Xiaoxian’s lips twitched as she nodded.
The elder was calm and composed. He pointed to the blade, "This blade is the Flying Immortal, and it is the blade refined in the ancient times by the blade master Ou Zhizi from the Village of Cultivation!"
Chu Yu’s heart fluttered, Ou Zhizi? The blade master from the Spring and Autumn period?
He was a cultivator?
Confucius was a saint and a powerhouse in ancient days, and Yi was a powerful cultivator...
Now, Chu Yu found out that blade master Ou Zhizi was a cultivator who specialized in weapon refining.
It seems that the ancient times had many mysteries and secrets buried in the tides of time.
Furthermore, what did the elder mean by ancient times? Did he mean 2000 years ago?
"This Flying Immortal is a True Lord weapon, but it... has killed Divine Lords before! And harmed Legendary Emperors!"
The elderly man exclaimed, "In ancient times, this blade was sent for an auction here, but I bought it at a price of 3000 best quality spiritual stones. I have kept it safely ever since, unwilling to even bring it out to display."
"Mm, good sword!" Xu Xiaoxian praised.
Chu Yu looked glanced at her quizzically. When she said good sword, she sounded like she was saying how low...
The elderly man continued, "If I really can enter the Divine Lord Realm, giving you this sword would be a small price to pay!"
Xu Xiaoxian nodded and grunted softly, showing her approval.
In the end, the elderly man pointed to the stringless instrument, "This stringless instrument... is a treasure."
"..." Chu Yu looked at the elderly man speechlessly.
Xu Xiaoxian’s face did not betray any emotion, her gaze deep.
"Sensei Song need not be puzzled, this stringless instrument had been valued by many masters before you. They all think that it is a piece of treasure, but after so many years, no one knows its history or how to use it."
The elderly man sighed softly, "After so many years, I have tried to auction it off, but for various reasons, it failed to sell."
"This is a genuine piece of treasure!"
Xu Xiaoxian said seriously, not at all hiding her emotions.
One could even see flashes of sadness deep in her eyes.
"Mm? This lady recognizes this stringless instrument?" The elderly man looked on curiously, shocked by Xu Xiaoxian’s outburst.
He did not think that Xu Xiaoxian was here for this instrument because in the past few years, this instrument had been at auctions many times.
Now that he saw that Xu Xiaoxian seemed to recognize this instrument, he was slightly taken aback and excited.
He said, slightly emotionally, "I didn’t spend much getting this from an auction back in the day. For a famous auction institution like ourselves, the profit we get from selling off an item is not the most important thing."
He looked at Xu Xiaoxian, "It tortures us greatly not to know the history behind the item."
"Mm, of course I recognize it."
Xu Xiaoxian was stern, then she smiled lightly, "If I told you that this item was a priceless treasure that could not be bought with countless best quality spiritual stones, will you still be willing to use it to swap for your Divine Lord breakthrough?"
The elderly in charge stiffened slightly, his eyes flashing with hesitation.
"I am a businessman, so I should be profit driven."
The old man laughed, "But, if I do not know where this item is from, then, even if it’s a god’s treasure, what use is it? It is worthless! A real treasure can only maximise its potential in the right hands. I just have one request."
Xu Xiaoxian nodded.
The elderly man continued, "If I breakthrough into the Divine Lord Realm after taking Sensei Song’s True Soul Pill, then, you can take this stringless instrument with you. But, can you tell me the story behind it?"
Xu Xiaoxian smiled, "Why not?"
A glimmer of respect flashed in the elderly man’s eyes. He said solemnly, "Rest assured lady, even if I know its history and realize that it is a priceless treasure, I can assure you as part of this entire auction institution that I will never go back on my word!"
He laughed, "In the auction business, sometimes our judgements are wrong. We may value something highly, but it is actually worth very little. If we try to reconcile money after the fact, who would want to do business with us?"
"Business and life follow the same principles, honesty is the most important."
"Even in an ability driven world, we cannot escape this fact."
After this, the elderly man sat in the room and activated a few magical formations. In a moment, this room became a boundless space.
He smiled, "Please do not worry, it is very safe here! Wait for me!’
Then, he took up a pill in front of Chu Yu and Xu Xiaoxian. He hesitated for a moment, then shut his eyes and swallowed it.
Chu Yu was speechless but Xu Xiaoxian used the Voice Transmission Technique to talk to him, "Look at the apprehension your pill induces? However, this will become your trademark very soon. If you want to harm others, you just have to refine a normal looking pill."
"..." Chu Yu’s mouth twitched, Demonic girls are demonic girls, they always say things like that.
He really wanted to ask Xu Xiaoxian, Aren’t you afraid that this man would go back on his word and silence us?
Chu Yu did not ask because he knew that Xu Xiaoxian was way more suspicious and careful than him. The fact that she dared to do this meant that she had absolute confidence.
At this point, Xu Xiaoxian’s gaze was fixated on the stringless instrument, her eyes filling up with grief and sadness.
Chu Yu stiffened slightly. He wanted to ask her, but didn’t.
At this point, the elderly man in charge’s body exploded with an unimaginably magnificent wave of aura.
This aura morphed into a dragon and rushed towards the sky.
It reached the highest point and was blocked by the magical formation. It actually let out a high pitched and clear growl!
Then, various extraordinary scenes unfolded in the sky above them.
There were Lu Lins on the clouds, phoenixes dancing, hawks spreading their wings and dragons filled the sky above them!
In this room, the magnificent aura became stronger and stronger.
This room was like a pocket dimension.
The power in this auction house let Chu Yu realize that the 5000 best quality spiritual stones price tag placed on the True Soul Pill... was not ridiculously high.
After a few hours, this man’s eyes opened.
A divine glow flashed past his eyes, almost as if an entire universe was contained in them!
Then, he suppressed all of the aura.
He stood up and walked to Chu Yu, bowing deeply, "Sensei Song is indeed capable, thank you, thank you!’
Chu Yu smiled, "Congratulations on entering the Divine Lord Realm!"
The elderly man was ecstatic and he smiled at Xu Xiaoxian, "Lady, you can take that instrument!’
Then, he looked at Chu Yu, "This sword and this painting... Sensei Song, please have them, you have my thanks!"
"That’s not..." Chu Yu hurriedly rejected him and smiled bitterly, "Senior, your payment... is already enough!"
The elderly man said, "Before I entered the Divine Lord Realm, I thought so too. However, when I finally entered this realm, I found that my understanding of the world has changed drastically. As such, thank you, I would like to make friends with you. I am Zhuo Fan. If Sensei Song is willing, just call me brother Zhuo! From this day on, your problems are my problems!’
Zhuo Fan was also a cultivator at the pinnacle of the True Lord Realm for many years. If he had the ability to breakthrough, he would have done so many years ago, why wait till today?
As the auction master of the Sky Auction Institution, how could he not have come in contact with superior pills and magical equipment?
He had tried True Soul Pills before!
But they all failed!
As such, to him, Chu Yu had done him a great favor that could not be repaid by mere money pr treasure.
Furthermore, Chu Yu really wanted the painting and the sword.
The Flying Immortal was refined in his own hometown, and he felt a connection with it.
Chu Yu nodded, "Since Brother Zhuo has said so, I will listen to you! If Brother Zhuo faces any problems in the future, I will also do my best to help."
Xu Xiaoxian’s mouthy twitched, How thick skinned!
However, she had fulfilled one of her biggest wishes by getting this stringless instruments.1
As such, even though Chu Yu had two treasures, she was not jealous.
Xu Xiaoxian walked up and stroked this stringless instrument.
Hum!
A melody played!
Divine Lord Zuo Fan was stunned. He looked at Xu Xiaoxian in disbelief.
"Not only do you recognize this instrument, you know how to control it! I am sure you have some history with this instrument!" He exclaimed.
This stringless instrument was ancient. It was black in color, and looked like it was made from solid wood.
It looked like an unfinished piece, with many corners still unpolished.
However, it was a stringless instrument, and no one found its unpolished exterior weird.
But Xu Xiaoxian could play it!
This meant that this instrument was not just purely symbolic!
Xu Xiaoxian’s hands flew across the instrument and a beautiful melody rung out. Then, she smiled, tears welling up in her eyes.
She whispered, "This instrument was my... parents’ token of love."
Chu Yu and Zhuo Fan stiffened. Chu Yu was especially shocked, when he had mentioned her parents before, she had gotten angry and said she did not have parents.
Xu Xiaoxian took a deep breath and smiled, "My parents have been missing for years. This instrument is not stringless, but it can only be played by people from my family. I could not find my parents, but I managed to find news on the instrument."
Then, she looked at Zhuo Fan, "I hope that senior doesn’t think that I’m cooking up a story to get my hands on this instrument?"
Zhuo Fan smiled warmly and sighed softly.
"How can I not see that these are your true emotions? Your parents may just be gone temporarily. Thousands of years are mere moments in the cultivation world, they may return at any time. I never expected that this instrument had such a history. Then, what special abilities does it have?"
Xu Xiaoxian’s finger stroked the instrument and smiled faintly. The smile looked strangely sinister, "Of course it has special abilities, it... can kill a Divine Lord!’