Chapter 12

"That woman is Deumu Wann." Zein Sanki said to Le Xaan in a low voice as he saw his friend's gaze being riveted on Deumu Wann.

"But I suggest you stay away from her. The woman is very dangerous."

"Dangerous? Why?" Le Xaan asked with curiosity. However, he was not hooked on the woman, but he found the woman too noticeable, a feast to his eye.

Zein Sanki laughed while casting a glance at the second lot on the stage.

"It's said that Deumu Waan came along with a merchant caravan to Gourian CIty two months ago. She and her guard are a force to be reckoned with, since they managed to make such a distant journey here alone."

"You're right." Le Xaan nodded in agreement.

"Moreover, the woman possesses such enchanting beauty that she flirted with a bunch of handsome young masters after she had come to Gourian CIty. And guess what happened afterwards?" Zein Sanki shook his head while sighing.

"Oh? What had happened?"

Le Xaan's curiosity was triggered.

"Those noble sons around her seemed spellbound by her, ending up dueling among themselves to win her over. Several of those men were severely injured, and another few died on the spot.

Despite this, those severely injured wealthy sons were still obsessed with her, while she seems to have forgotten all about them."

Le Xaan narrowed his eyes without a word and was a little astounded. He had heard of this matter before, but he didn't know the incident stemmed from this woman. And he also never knew that those scions of wealthy families were still infatuated with this woman. It couldn't be explained purely by the woman's beauty.

He classified the woman named Deumu Wann as an extremely treacherous figure in his mind.

Le Xaan believed that she must have resorted to some special means or her extraordinary social prowess to fool the group of men.

Then, he refocused himself on the ongoing auction.

Now, the auctioneer was introducing the fourth lot --- a brass-colored leather cuirass.

"This leather armor is called Ice Wolf Armor. Its craftsman tanned nineteen layers of white wolf hide into a single layer of leather as thin as a copper coin.

Its resistance against average swords or blades is far superior to that of ordinary leather armor. It could protect your body from harm as effectively as a maille."

The black-clad auctioneer announced loudly.

"Its starting bid is two hundred silver coins!"

The group of auction participants remained silent.

The host seemed unsurprised. He ordered one of the dwarves to unfold the leather armor before unsheathing a short dagger and stabbing it hard at the leather armor himself.

With a thud, the surface of the armor was left only with a white mark yet no other damage.

"Three hundred silver coins!"

Witnessing this, one among the attendees shouted.

"Four hundred silver coins!"

"Six hundred silver coins!"

The bidding noises echoed through the scene.

Le Xaan was also enticed to bid for it. The leather armor was softer and lighter than metallic armor while granting its wearer more mobility. And its resistance was no less inferior.

He was of a mind to give a bidding but found the latest bidding price had already risen to a thousand silver coins. Considering the inner body Qi cultivation method, he dropped the idea.

The Qi cultivation method was of greater importance to him, after all.

Eventually, the leather armor was bought by the red-haired middle-aged man.

Shortly after, the auction proceeded to the second to last item --- the Qi cultivation method.

"The next lot is the manual of a legendary Qi cultivation method. Of course, we don't guarantee its authenticity, since we couldn't tell it either. As you know, one needs to practice a Qi cultivation method for an extended period of time before one is able to authenticate it."

The host said this while smirking. The pack of attendees was intrigued, and their gazes were fixed on him.

Only by then did he go on.

"The inner body Qi cultivation method is named 'Dark Shadow'."

The two dwarves slowly walked to the center of the stage, carrying a copper plate.

On the plate was a pitch-black silk-bound book.

"'Dark Shadow' had a total of thirty-two levels. According to its summary, the practitioner's body would be refined once with each level up. And in this book was recorded its first five levels' cultivation methods."

"Alas, it turns out just a incomplete copy."

One of the auction participants appeared disappointed.

"Inner body Qi's cultivation requires painstaking efforts and is sometimes unproductive. And this book is merely a incomplete edition! Who would dare to cultivate in accordance with it?"

Someone was mocking blatantly.

"Just don't buy it. Why make a fuss about it?" Another man said.

"Please be quiet, everybody." The host gestured to the attendees with his palm, smiling.

" 'Dark Shadow' is consigned to us by one of our clients. And he had partly proven its authenticity to us.

We guarantee that its first three levels could definitely allow one to cultivate."

As these words escaped his lips, the attendees remained nonchalant.

Le Xaan shook his head slightly, knowing of the reason.

Zein Sanki looked bewildered.

"Brother Xaan, what's wrong? Why are they reacting like this? Isn't it strange? "

"No, it's normal." Le Xaan replied indifferently.

"Inner body Qi's cultivation requires years of arduous efforts. Nobody would risk training in an incomplete one.

What's more, inner body Qi's usefulness wasn't that impressive. If you don't cultivate to the ultimate pinnacle, it is just better than nothing."

"Why?" Zein Sanki was even more puzzled.

"Young Master, allow me to explain it to you. " At that moment, a guard interjected from behind them.