Daqian Martial Saint

Qingyou Garden was exceptionally exclusive. It was only natural that those who could dine and drink in its Qingya Tower were no ordinary folk; every one of them was either wealthy or high-born.

Accordingly, the topics of discussion within Qingya Tower were of a rather high caliber.

The talk was of which family’s Absolute Master had just entered town, or which merchant caravan had recently arrived. In addition, their conversations revealed a shared curiosity about some of the lots in the upcoming auction.

The Beicang Auction was a top-tier event. Aside from the headline items, even the more common lots were extraordinary and seldom seen.

Not everyone was aiming for the headline items. In fact, the vast majority of people were there for the more ordinary lots offered throughout the event. As for the final, grand-finale item, they were just there to witness the spectacle, join in the excitement, and see who it would ultimately go to!

"What do you all think the final headline item will be?"

"Hard to say! But it will definitely be worth a fortune!"

"No kidding! The sixth item was the Ice Soul Profound Heart Lotus! The value of this final item is probably even more astronomical!"

"Then what do you think it will be?"

"If you ask me..."

"..."

Aside from speculating about the final auction item, guests at a few tables were also chatting about several major events that had recently occurred in Beicang Town.

"That Absolute Master from the Xiao Family had the worst luck! Who could have imagined one of them would die before the auction even began? The fallout from this will be huge. I fear their situation is about to become precarious!"

"Tell me about it! The Xiao Family was so full of themselves, high-handedly announcing their intent to vie for several premium lots. Who could’ve foreseen something like this? With their prestige taking such a nosedive, if they actually try to bid now, the other competitors won’t give a damn about the Xiao Family’s reputation!"

"Haha, I guess you could just say they had a run of bad luck!"

"Bad luck!? I’d say it’s more likely due to their family’s corrupt ways and dishonorable conduct!"

"What do you mean? Could there be an inside story!? Quick, tell us!"

"Of course. Let me tell you all about it. This Xiao Family..."

Aside from the Xiao Family’s affair, people were also discussing the recently risen prodigy, Lan Yingjun. She had defeated the Lin Family’s own prodigy in a single move, revealing her supreme, god-given talent!

"That Lan Yingjun is truly a prodigy of our time. With a single palm strike, she severely wounded the Lin Family’s prodigy—a Profound Light Realm cultivator—and forced him to retreat! Such talent leaves one speechless!"

"I know, right? At first, I thought she was just some nobody who’d come out of the woodwork to grandstand, spouting all that nonsense just to make a name for herself during all this excitement! I never imagined... I was the one who was blind."

"Tell me about it! True prodigies are rare, and we generally know who they all are. Even those with potential are usually promoted from an early age. Who ever heard of one being kept hidden until now? It was only natural to be skeptical!"

"True! But thinking back on it, Lan Yingying of the Five Poison Earth Fiend Palm was a formidable figure in her day. Anyone she’d accept as a disciple certainly wouldn’t be ordinary!"

"Right. Speaking of which... do you think what Lan Yingjun said was for real!?"

"How could it be fake!? If she were just some attention-seeker, you’d definitely have to question her words. But she’s proven she’s the real deal! I’m afraid she was completely serious with that declaration!"

"To be her slave or handmaiden!? A generous dowry!? If I were a few years younger, I’d definitely go try my luck and take up her challenge! But alas, time waits for no man!"

"You!? Give me a break! You’re getting on in years and only just entered the Profound Light Realm. Forget about when you were younger—you couldn’t beat her even now!"

"You... you... you! I thought we agreed, no hitting below the belt!"

"Hahaha... That’s just because we’re good friends! Speaking of which, I’m actually kind of hoping someone can defeat Lan Yingjun! Forget a woman winning and making her a slave; if a man wins, just how generous do you think that ’generous dowry’ she mentioned will be?"

"Lan Yingying has been famous for years, and now she’s even reached the Pseudo-Grandmaster Realm. Her wealth and resources are surely substantial. And Lan Yingjun is her only disciple and heir—if she were to marry, how could Lan Yingying not contribute? Furthermore, for a Grandmaster’s disciple to use the word ’generous,’ that dowry is likely no small sum! It might even be more than the entire fortune some smaller families have accumulated over generations! However..."

"Given the combat prowess Lan Yingjun has demonstrated, there are probably only a handful of people in all of Canglong Province who could defeat her!"

"That’s true... Besides, at Lan Yingjun’s level, even if someone did manage to defeat her, a female victor wouldn’t actually force her into servitude. And if a man won, it would be a union of two powerhouses—a match made in heaven!"

"That’s right! The strong attract the strong. And notice how she added that condition about being ’utterly convinced’? That leaves her a huge out. In the end, whether she’s ’convinced’ or not is entirely up to her. For all we know, she’s already picked out a husband, and this is all just a publicity stunt to build up some hype!"

"Now that you mention it... that’s certainly possible! It’s complicated, so complicated!"

"Don’t play the innocent! You’ve been around the block for half your life; I don’t believe for a second you didn’t think of that!"

"Hahahaha..."

Amid the talk of Lan Yingjun, some patrons brought up Xue Kunsheng of the Vajra Demon-subduing Chain, recounting the might he displayed when he put down the Absolute Master from the Extreme Evil Dao. Their words were filled with effusive praise for him. Xue Kunsheng’s power was indeed immense. An entity that three other Absolute Masters had failed to defeat, he had dispatched in just over a dozen moves. This statement was met with widespread agreement.

As the conversations continued, someone remarked that with Xue Kunsheng acting as Garrison Commander, Beicang Town ought to be perfectly safe. But unlike the previous topic, this statement was met with very little agreement. Clearly, many people harbored different thoughts on the matter.