Start slaying demons from the proficiency panel.

Over the centuries, the prefectures that were trapped outside gradually evolved into entities like 'vassal kings' or 'feudal lords'. Although the Shang emperor felt uneasy about this, there was nothing he could do.

Therefore, the specialties of these twenty states, such as goldware, fine horses, jade carvings, and fruits, became rare treasures that were priceless and unavailable to the capital due to the extreme difficulty of transportation and the fact that very few could be successfully brought back.

Under Ning Xiu's watchful gaze, the three of them each took out a scroll and began to read out the names of the treasures recorded on the scrolls, as well as their starting prices.

"A pearl from the sea in Liangzhou, worth three hundred taels."

"Three catties of star-patterned wrought iron from Nanjiang Prefecture, worth five hundred taels."

"Five feet of gold-threaded silk cloth from Wuyue Prefecture, worth six hundred taels."

……

Ning Xiu remained calm as he listened to these things he had never heard of before, but Huang You, sitting next to him, couldn't hold back his excitement.

"These are all wonderful things! The Sea Moon Pearl glows in the night, and its light is gentle and soothing, so it won't hurt your eyes when reading at night. The Star Pattern Iron is lighter and harder than ordinary iron ore, making it an excellent material for forging armor and weapons. The Golden Thread Silk is even more remarkable. Clothes made from this fabric will keep you warm in winter and cool in summer, and they will be lightweight and durable. Anyone who can have a piece of clothing made from this fabric will have a lot of prestige."

Huang You took the paper and pen that had been prepared in advance from his follower and began bidding on the treasures he had his eye on.

Ning Xiu glanced at it and saw that there were a total of seventeen items, each priced at no less than three hundred taels, which showed that Huang You was indeed very wealthy.

"It seems writing erotic novels is quite lucrative at Da Shang," Ning Xiu muttered to himself.

"Lord Ning, is there anything you've taken a fancy to or like? If so, just let me know, and I, Huang, will do my best to be a good host and get it for you, no matter the cost." After handing his bidding list to his follower to give to the Wanbao Merchant Caravan, Huang You turned to Ning Xiu and said.

"Thank you very much, but there's nothing I like right now. I'll let you know if I do." Ning Xiu nodded and smiled.

I love getting things for free.

The Wanbao Caravan brought quite a few good items to auction tonight, and in the end, more than a hundred people chose to bid, according to the rules.

The caravan members would select the highest bidder for the same item and announce it publicly, asking if anyone else was willing to bid higher. If so, the bidding would continue; otherwise, the item would go to the highest bidder.

For a moment, this feeling of spending money like water made the atmosphere of the whole place very hot. Whether they were paying money or watching the excitement, they were all very excited and wished that the bidders would fight even more fiercely, which would make it even more exciting.

Half an incense stick later, Huang You successfully acquired twelve of the seventeen treasures he had his eye on, reaping considerable rewards.

"Lord Ning, the Wanbao Caravan goes out every three months. When they return, they bid for treasures in several different places. After resting for a while, they gather their crew again to go out. The opportunity is not easy to come by, so you must tell us what you want to see as soon as possible. Otherwise, if you miss this opportunity, you will have to wait several months for the next one," Huang You reminded him.

At this point, the first round of treasures on the stage sold out, and the second round of bidding for treasures began immediately.

A burly man in tight-fitting clothes, holding a scroll, shouted in a low voice: "A top-grade pure white jade thumb ring, five hundred taels."

This man was strong and muscular, but his temples were different from those of ordinary people; they protruded slightly outwards, as if there were two fleshy lumps on his head.

This is a characteristic of the seventh rank of martial arts. It is a physical reaction when a martial artist has just broken through the realm and has not yet been able to skillfully control their internal energy. Once the martial artist stabilizes their internal energy, the two bulges will return to normal.

The fact that even a single person sent to oversee the bidding for the treasure could possess the seventh rank of martial arts gave Ning Xiu a deeper understanding of the Wanbao Merchant Caravan's strength.

"A pure white jade thumb ring! And a top-quality one at that!" Upon hearing what the burly man said, Huang You was immediately excited and quickly picked up his pen to write down his bid on the paper.

Eight hundred taels!

Ning Xiu was slightly surprised. Eight hundred taels of silver was a lot of money, enough to cover the expenses of an ordinary family for many years. What was so special about this ring that it was worth eight hundred taels?

Perhaps sensing Ning Xiu's confusion, Huang You took the initiative to explain: "Lord Ning, you may not know this, but pure white jade is a specialty of Yuyang Prefecture. This kind of jade can only be mined there. Ordinary pure white jade can calm the mind, help with sleep, and soothe the nerves when worn. Top-grade pure white jade can nourish the kidneys, improve eyesight, promote hair growth, and delay aging. It is a treasure that you can't buy on the market."

"Is it really that amazing?" Ning Xiu was skeptical. If simply wearing a piece of jade could bring so many effects, then it could practically be called a divine artifact.

After waiting for a while, most of the bidders had already submitted their bids. The burly man in tight-fitting clothes took the highest bid from his companion and shouted, "Young Master Lu, the bid is one thousand taels. Is anyone else going to bid? If not, this top-quality pure white jade thumb ring will belong to Young Master Feng."

Huang You was taken aback. He knew he was definitely not the one who bid the highest, but he could always bid again later.

However, the highest bidder, Young Master Lu, puzzled him. He had lived in Wendeng County for more than ten years and had never heard of any merchant or gentry named Lu in the county. Could it be that he was a rich young master who had come from other places because he knew that Wanbao Caravan would be holding a treasure auction in Wendeng County tonight?

"Go and call your manager over," Huang You said to the waiter outside the private room.

Soon, Manager Ye of Lanyue Tower rushed over and entered the private room: "Young Master Huang, what are your orders?"

Do you know anything about that young master Lu's background?

"Ah, Young Master Huang, don't you know? Young Master Lu is the son of the new County Magistrate, Lord Lu."

"New... County... Magistrate..." Upon hearing this, Huang You's composure instantly crumbled.

His father was originally the county magistrate of Wendeng County, but not long ago, without doing anything, he learned that he had been stripped of his post and forced to retire to his hometown. Someone would be parachuted into Wendeng County to replace him.

This new county magistrate was the one who replaced his father. Huang You didn't know much about the new county magistrate, and now that he knew, he was naturally furious.

Although his father had a son late in life, he was not old enough to retire. It must have been the new county magistrate who used some underhanded tricks to make his father lose his position.

A surge of fighting spirit instantly welled up in Huang You's heart. The Lu family had taken away his position as county magistrate, and tonight he was determined not to let them have this pure white jade thumb ring.

Before anyone could stop him, Huang You ran out of the private room and shouted, "One thousand two hundred taels!"

Immediately, everyone's eyes turned to look at him. Such a bid was against the rules, but when they saw that it was Huang You, no one said anything, as everyone present recognized him.

The burly man in tight-fitting clothes didn't seem to care, and simply nodded, saying, "One thousand two hundred taels, is there anyone else bidding?"

The entire room fell silent.

In the end, Huang You easily acquired this exquisite white jade thumb ring, and was quite pleased with himself.

"Trying to compete with me? Even though my father is no longer the county magistrate, when it comes to wealth, I can crush you completely. What Young Master Lu? Bah!" Huang You walked back to the private room looking refreshed.

On the second floor of Lanyue Tower, in a private room near the corridor.

A tall, thin young man in a blue robe sat on a wooden chair, fanning himself as he looked down at the stage.

Seeing that the thumb ring had been bought, the attendant standing behind the young man in blue robes couldn't help but ask, "Young master, it's only 1,200 taels of silver. Why don't we continue to compete? This pure white jade thumb ring is a rare find. It would be a pity if we didn't buy it tonight."

The young man smiled faintly and said, "What's the pity? After the bidding ends, you can take your men and snatch the treasure from the guy who bought it."

The attendant's eyes lit up immediately: "Brilliant! Young master, your move is truly ingenious; this is what you call treasure hunting!"

After the pure white jade thumb ring was sold, the burly man in tight-fitting clothes immediately offered several other very valuable treasures, but none of them could arouse Ning Xiu's interest.

Huang You would occasionally bid on items he fancied, and let others compete for the ones he didn't like. Soon, after the thumb ring, he sold seven more treasures.

"The Thunderclap Hammer used by Master Zi Lei in his lifetime was originally a pair, but one was lost after Master Zi Lei's death. The single hammer weighs 320 catties and is priced at 1,000 taels."

Master Zi Lei!

Ning Xiu immediately perked up. The title "True Person" was a respectful title reserved for experts of the fourth rank or higher in the Immortal Path. This was common knowledge, and no one could possibly be mistaken about it.

A weapon used by a fourth-grade immortal master is extremely valuable. If one could acquire it and use it, its power would far surpass that of ordinary mortal weapons.

Although Ning Xiu doesn't know hammer techniques, he can learn them.

Lifting the bamboo curtain and looking out, one could see a four-foot-long golden hammer with a head shaped like a round pumpkin, placed on the ground of the stage.

The hammer has a large number of orange-red talismans on its surface, which makes it clear that it is a product of the immortal sect.

"This hammer weighs 320 pounds. Who can even swing it?"

"Don't you understand? This is a weapon used by a real person, imbued with the spiritual power of that person. Wouldn't it be wonderful to place it at home to ward off evil spirits?"

"This method is reliable, and it also makes me seem very tasteful."

The crowd immediately buzzed with discussion, it seemed many people had become interested in the hammer.

"Young Master Huang, I'll take this one." Ning Xiu said, looking at the golden hammer and drum on the stage.

"Alright, Lord Ning, you've finally spoken up. I'll definitely get it for you." Huang You took out paper and pen and wrote down a price of 1,500 taels.

In today's world, the wealthy have taken the pursuit of exorcising evil spirits to the extreme. Every household has various stone and wooden statues of gods and Buddhas, as well as all sorts of ritual implements, for fear that they might be harmed by evil spirits one day.

A weapon that had been used by a real person was immediately snatched up by the crowd, and its price quickly rose to three thousand taels, making it the most expensive treasure of the night.

"These guys are all so persistent." Huang You casually wrote down another high price of three thousand five hundred taels on the paper.

If Huang You manages to acquire this hammer in the end, his expenses tonight will be close to ten thousand taels of silver.

Ning Xiu became even more convinced that writing erotic novels in Da Shang was indeed very profitable. Otherwise, how could the son of a former county magistrate have so much wealth and spend it so lavishly without showing any sign of heartache?

In the end, Huang You won the auction for the golden hammer with the drum-shaped handle for four thousand taels of silver, setting a new record for the highest spending of the night.

After that, the bidding war for the treasure quickly came to an end.

The young man in blue robes, sitting in a private room on the second floor, immediately said to his attendant, "We can make our move now. What's mine will always be mine. Even if someone else pays money, they can't take it away."

"Understood, young master."

[020] The mastermind behind the scenes

In Ning Xiu's memory, the Golden Hammer of the Drum was the foremost of the Four Fierce Warriors and Eight Great Hammers.

It is incredibly powerful; one blow from it can smash a person's head and kill them instantly, leaving them unable to rise again.

The fact that this hammer can be used as a weapon by a real person means that its power should not be underestimated.

When Ning Xiu received the Golden Hammer from the Wanbao Caravan, he instantly understood what it felt like to hold a hammer weighing 320 jin (approximately 160 kg).

Heavy, incredibly heavy!

If it weren't for the ability to use internal force to grip it, Ning Xiu wouldn't have been able to lift the golden hammer at all, let alone swing it at will.

When the burly man from the Wanbao caravan saw Ning Xiu lift the Thunder Drum Hammer all by himself, he couldn't help but nod in admiration and praise him, "Young brother, your inner strength is profound. May I ask your name?"

Martial artists are usually forthright and generous. When they see that a young man is quite strong, they will naturally want to get to know him. Ning Xiu replied, "My name is Ning Xiu."

"Although it was done with the help of internal energy, Brother Ning is so young that he can lift this Golden Hammer. Even a ninth-rank martial artist with internal energy cannot do this. Brother Ning's strength is probably at least at the eighth rank of martial arts. I wonder if you would be interested in joining the Wanbao Caravan? We welcome young talents like you the most, and the benefits are absolutely generous."

Upon witnessing Ning Xiu's strength, the burly man in the tight-fitting clothes was moved by the talent and wanted to recruit Ning Xiu into the Wanbao Merchant Caravan.

For anyone, being able to join the Wanbao Caravan is a great honor, as it grants access to numerous resources and treasures.

Few would choose to refuse the prestigious Wanbao Caravan brand.

But what the burly man in the tight-fitting clothes never expected was that Ning Xiu was backed by the Demon Subduing Division, the number one prestigious name in the world.

"I'm sorry, brother, I have no intention of joining any other faction," Ning Xiu had no choice but to politely decline.

"It's alright. My invitation to you will remain valid. Whenever you wish to join, you can find me at the Wanbao Chamber of Commerce in Chaotian City."

The burly man in the tight-fitting clothes was very straightforward and frank. Ning Xiu nodded and carried the golden hammer out of the back door of Lanyue Tower.

Huang You was already waiting for him in the carriage outside the door, which was filled with the treasures Huang You had won in the bidding that night.

Ning Xiu originally planned to stay at an inn in Wendeng County for a few nights, and return to Chaotiandu after investigating the truth behind the drowning case.

After learning that Ning Xiu had nowhere to stay, Huang You took the initiative to invite him to stay at his residence, where he would be served by maids.

This was much more convenient than staying at an inn, so Ning Xiu agreed.