Legendary Son-in-Law: The Man with Poison Talismans

When the tray was brought out, the red short jacket shimmered with the subtle luster of gold trim and feathers under the candlelight, and the high-slit skirt paired with red high heels, all neatly folded, exuded an aura that was not of this sort just by being there.

The auctioneer picked up a corner of the robe and unfolded half of it, introducing it in a clear and loud voice: "One Rainbow Feather Robe, [Defense 4-14, Magic Defense 4-11, Magic 2-8, Requires Level 40]. This one has a full 5 points more defense, 5 points more magic defense, and 3 points more magic than the ordinary one. I don't need to say more about how excellent this one is; those of you with discerning eyes in the audience should be able to see it. Starting bid: 5000 gold coins."

The hall was silent for a moment, then murmurs arose. Some whispered to each other, some flipped through the booklets in their hands, and some said in a low voice, "These attributes are too high."

Another voice chimed in, "With that defense, and the health from that set of Bloodthirst gear, plus the mage's magic shield, how tough would that be?"

The person next to him shook his head: "The key is that both pieces are top-quality. Anyone who can collect a complete set is incredibly wealthy."

Sitting in the private room, Lin Mu's lips twitched slightly upon hearing this, a conflict forming in his mind. It wouldn't be bad to leave the Demon Blood Set and the Rainbow Feather Robe to Chunxing. However, that girl had only just awakened; reaching level 30 or 40 was still a long way off.

Let's focus on creating momentum and rescuing her first. Once we've rescued Gu Qingyi, we can make her make it up to us.

He leaned back in his chair, lost in thought, when a slight, somewhat frivolous smile crept onto his lips. He picked up his teacup and took a sip.

The bidding started quickly, and the price climbed steadily from 5000 with almost no pause in between.

Finally, the auctioneer brought down the gavel, and the Rainbow Feather Robe sold for 18 gold coins.

A low gasp of surprise rose from the audience; some were doing calculations, some were shaking their heads, and some were whispering among themselves.

Lin Mu sat in the private room, not surprised by the price. Although the Rainbow Feather Robe had amazing stats, it was still a single piece. In terms of rarity and set effect, it hadn't sold as well as the Demon Blood set.

After all, the Demon Blood three-piece set is a new item that has just appeared on the Mengzhong market. Each piece increases health, and the three pieces stack together. For mages, it is a game-changing piece of equipment, so it is not unreasonable for it to be sold for 25.

Next up were two pieces of Crimson Moon equipment. A Holy War Bracelet was bought by a warrior for 47,000; a God of Magic Necklace was bought by a mage for 51,000.

The two items together cost a total of 98,000 gold coins. Lin Mu listened to the price through the bamboo curtain and nodded to himself. Crimson Moon level equipment was indeed valuable.

Next up on stage was an unusual item.

Two men in gray robes carried a large rectangular mahogany tray up one after the other, their steps steady, as if they were carrying something quite heavy.

The tray landed on the auction table with a low, muffled thud, causing the table to dip slightly.

The auctioneer reached out and grabbed a corner of the dark red velvet cloth covering it, paused for a moment, and then suddenly ripped it off.

A dragon-slaying sword lay quietly in the center of the tray. Its broad blade gleamed with a dark, iron-like luster under the candlelight. The back of the blade was thick, and the edge was concealed and not sharp. The red cloth on the iron ring at the tip swayed slightly in the candlelight.

Just having it there exudes a heavy sense of oppression, as if the temperature in the entire hall has dropped a few degrees.

There was a moment of silence in the audience, followed by low gasps and whispers.

The auctioneer held the blade up with both hands as if it were a heavy weapon, his gaze slowly sweeping across the entire room, his voice deepening: "The supreme weapon of the martial world, the Dragon Slayer, commands the world, none dare disobey."

After she finished reading that sentence, she paused for a moment, as if letting the weight of those words sink into everyone's ears, before continuing, "This Dragon Slayer Sword has an attack range of 5-42 and requires level 34. As all the warriors here should know, the normal Dragon Slayer Sword has an attack range of 5-35, so this one has an extra 7 points. Starting bid: 5000 gold coins."

The audience immediately erupted in excitement. The soldiers' eyes lit up, and the bidding rose and fell, starting at 5000 and going up to 5, then breaking through 10 and 20, finally stopping at 30.

The auctioneer glanced around, then slightly raised his gavel: "30 gold coins for the first time... 30 gold coins for the second time..."

Just as she was about to call out for the third time, a figure leaned forward slightly in the private room on the east side of the second floor, about to raise a sign.

But a hand reached out from the side and pressed down on his wrist, stopping the man's movement in mid-air.

The person holding him down whispered a few words, his voice so low that even the people in the next private room couldn't hear him clearly.

The person being held down frowned, seemingly somewhat resentful, but his wrist remained firmly held. He glanced at Huo Yan, who was holding him down, then turned back, his voice low and filled with resentment, and said, "Your Highness, if we had just added one more move, we should have secured it. A top-tier Dragon Slayer sword with 42 attack power—it wouldn't be a loss. If we miss this opportunity, we might not get another one later."

Chapter 241 Lin Mu's Auction Items (Part 3)

Gu Changfeng leaned back in his chair, not in a hurry to answer. His gaze fell on the Dragon Slayer sword below the stage through the bamboo curtain, as if he was weighing its weight in his mind.

Huo Yan leaned closer, speaking softly enough for Gu Changfeng to hear: "Your Highness, that Dragon Slayer's attack is indeed quite high. But look at that Judgment Staff with an attack of 37 before. Its attack is also high, but I could tell at a glance that it was artificially upgraded later. With weapons, unless they are naturally born with a good base, it's difficult to improve them after they've been forged by an ordinary person. Although this Dragon Slayer has a high attack, weapons of the Dragon Slayer's level are extremely rare, with only one in ten thousand naturally being of the highest quality. Even with my eyesight, I can't tell whether it's been upgraded or not, but logically speaking, it's most likely been tempered later. In that case, its potential has already been almost completely exhausted."

He paused, then changed the subject: "The Overlord's Blade is still better. It has high attack, magic, and Taoist attributes, plus an extra 2 points of accuracy. Although I haven't seen it yet, these attributes are undeniable. It must be a top-tier item that was naturally obtained, with a clean base and great potential. Even if you don't use it, it's far more valuable to collect than this Dragon Slayer."

Gu Changfeng turned his gaze from the audience to Huo Yan's face. He didn't reply, but he didn't interrupt either, as if waiting for Huo Yan to finish speaking.

Huo Yan leaned forward again, lowering his voice even further: "Besides, Your Highness, the forging techniques in Shabak have recently improved. A few days ago, we forged a Judgment Staff with an attack of 50 and a golden color. At this rate, there will only be more and more weapons with high main attributes in the future. It's not worth spending a lot of money now to get a Dragon Slayer, only to be outdone in a year or two. Save your gold coins; the things later are the ones that are truly worth investing in."

After finishing that part, he paused briefly before delivering the crucial sentence: "I've already asked the auction house owner. The owner of that Overlord's Blade is still in the venue; he hasn't left. He's not bidding on this blade; he's made it clear he wants to give it to the bravest warrior in the world. Your Highness, you just won the Martial Arts Tournament. Who among the younger generation in Mengzhong can defeat you? Who else could be the bravest warrior in the world besides you? Rather than spending a fortune on a Dragon Slayer sword with no potential, it's better to keep it and wait for the Overlord's Blade to come to you."

After listening, Gu Changfeng remained silent for a moment, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest twice, secretly calculating in his heart: Although he was a prince, he had just ascended the throne and needed to win over and appease people everywhere, which would cost a lot. He had to save money wherever possible.

His gaze lingered on the dragon-slaying sculpture on the stage for a moment before shifting away, and he nodded slightly.

Seeing this, the attendant lowered the sign he was holding halfway down completely, leaned back in his chair, and stopped moving.

The auctioneer kept his eyes on the box on the east side, and saw the bidding paddle raised halfway before being lowered again.

She sighed softly to herself. She knew that this top-tier Dragon Slayer Sword was worth far more than this price, but she didn't show it on her face. She cleared her throat and raised the small hammer: "30 gold coins, third time... Sold."

The sound of the hammer falling was particularly clear in the quiet hall.

Lin Mu sat in the private box, watching the Dragon Slayer sword being taken away through the bamboo curtain, a slight smile playing on his lips. Although it was less than he had expected, 30 gold coins was still acceptable.

He put down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and silently calculated in his mind that quite a few items had already been sold, and there should only be one item left.

Sure enough, the lights in the audience dimmed for a moment, and then two waiters carried a small tray up.

The tray was small and was completely covered by a dark red velvet cloth. The cloth was slightly raised, and the outline of the fruit underneath could be seen through the cloth.

The auctioneer didn't rush to unveil it. Instead, he took a step back, his gaze sweeping across the room. His voice was a few decibels deeper than before: "Ladies and gentlemen, before coming here, you have all heard some rumors about this item, but most of you probably haven't seen the actual item."

She paused for a moment, then said, "Some say it's a fruit that grew on a living tree in the Demon Dragon Blood Domain, some say it's some kind of ancient relic, and others say it's fake. As usual, whether you believe it or not is up to your own judgment."

She reached out and lightly pressed her hand on the tray. "I'll just say one thing: the usage level requirement for this thing is level 0."

The hall was quiet for a moment, then a low murmur arose.

The minimum level for an Awakened is level one, but this item requires level 0 to use.

Some people frowned, some shook their heads, some whispered to each other, and some craned their necks to see more clearly.

After the auctioneer's murmur subsided slightly, he reached out and lifted the velvet cloth, revealing a brown fruit lying alone in the center of the tray. It was about the size of a thumb, with fine lines on its surface, and gleamed warmly in the candlelight.

She picked up the fruit and held it in her palm so that everyone in the front and back rows could see it clearly: "Acorn, 10 experience points per fruit, usable at level 0. As for its effects, the auction house makes no guarantees; it's up to you to judge for yourselves. Starting bid: 1000 gold coins."

A murmur of discussion immediately arose from the audience.

"This fruit looks quite ordinary."

"Just this one? It doesn't seem like anything special."

"10 experience points is a lot, but it's not worth spending too many gold coins?"

……

This thing is so strange that many people are unsure whether they should bid for it.

The members of the various guilds looked at each other, but none of them rushed to raise their placards.

Just as the awkward silence was about to spread, in the east VIP room, Gu Changfeng leaned back in his chair, glanced at the lone brown fruit on the tray through the bamboo curtain, and said with a hint of disdain: "This propaganda makes it sound like something from the Demon Dragon Blood Domain. No one dares to enter the Crimson Moon Demon Cave, and the Demon Dragon City is a legendary place blocked by high mountains. This person is too daring to exaggerate."

Huo Yan, who was standing next to him, did not respond.

His gaze remained fixed on the acorn, his expression much more serious than before.

He was silent for a moment before speaking, his voice low, as if he were talking to Gu Changfeng, or perhaps to himself: "It doesn't matter if the origin is exaggerated, the key is the efficacy of this thing, it's best if it's really as advertised."

Gu Changfeng turned to look at him, but Huo Yan did not look away. He continued to stare at the brown fruit below the stage, tapping his fingers lightly on his knee twice.

Then he held up a sign: "2000".

-

Meanwhile, behind the bamboo curtain of a private room on the west side, a young girl in a plain white dress was staring at the brown fruit below the stage through the gap in the curtain. Her gaze was calm, without excitement or expectation, only a faint calmness, as if she were looking at something through a thin mist.

Behind her sat a middle-aged man with slightly graying hair but a vigorous spirit, his eyes filled with doting affection, but also with a hint of barely perceptible anxiety.

Chapter 242 Growing old is the same as being born

He gazed at her quiet profile, as if wanting to say something, yet afraid of saying the wrong thing. After a long while, the girl suddenly spoke softly, "Father, can I... really become an Awakened One?"

The voice wasn't loud, as if it were being spoken to oneself, or as if it were a question one had long wanted to ask but had never dared to.

The middle-aged man behind her narrowed his eyes for a moment, then softened, reached out and gently patted her shoulder, his tone resolute, like a heavy stone pressing down on all her unease: "You can definitely do it."

He paused, his voice lowering slightly, carrying a hint of the coldness she was used to hearing, "If not..."

Before she could finish speaking, the girl seemed to be poked by something, and suddenly turned her head, a slight smile playing on her lips, a smile that was hard to tell whether it was mischievous or relieved: "Father, you're still so fierce."

She turned back, her gaze returning to the brown fruit, her voice softening, "Whether I can or not, I want to see that person. I just feel... this person is very interesting."

The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment.

He looked at the faint smile on his daughter's profile and suddenly couldn't speak.

He remembered that she wasn't like this before.

When she was little, she would always look up and ask, "Father, when will I awaken?" Her eyes were full of light, as if there was still an unopened gift in the world, waiting for her to open it herself.

But then one person after another came who claimed to be able to awaken her.

Some carried yellowed old prescriptions, some carried talismanic water that supposedly had spiritual powers, and some swore that as long as they followed him to a certain place for three months of training, they would definitely succeed.

And what was the result? None of them had a good ending.

Those who tried to run away with the money were intercepted by Huo Yan and his men before they even left the gates of Shabak City; those who tried for months without any progress and wanted to leave in embarrassment were not even allowed to leave the gate by Huo Lie; and a few others who used some strange method that damaged their foundations backfired and died quickly.

She was young then, but she gradually came to understand.

From then on, she never mentioned awakening again, and instead began to comfort him... "Father, it's okay, I'm fine as I am."

She always smiled when she said this, her eyes showing no resentment or bitterness, only a calm that came from having come to terms with things, even a kind of composure that made his heart clench.

But he knew in his heart what a silent torment it was for an ordinary person to see their parents and brothers still looking young, while they themselves would slowly grow old, their hair turn white, and their backs become hunched.

She is eighteen years old this year and has already grown into a graceful young woman, but in the life scale of an awakened person, eighteen years old is just a blink of an eye.

She will continue to grow old, into her thirties, forties, and fifties, and then she will be old while her parents and brothers are still in their prime.

She will grow old slowly in their eyes, and live out her life while they are still young.

She once said something that still makes him feel a tightness in his chest when he thinks about it.

One night, she sat by the window looking at the moon, and suddenly turned to him and said, "Father, when I am 60 years old, I hope you will still be the same as you are now. Then I will slowly grow old in your arms, just like when I was born."

She smiled faintly as she said this, as if she were talking about something very ordinary and heartwarming.

But at that moment, he suddenly understood.

She wasn't resigned to her fate; she had already chosen a dignified and quiet ending for herself.