Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 50: Peer

“That’s simple!” Oblivious to the shock and the thoughts going through the minds of others, Zhang Xuan smiled. “Even though the Chi Xiong is known for its invincible defense, its body is streamlined like a sharp sword. It specializes in quick assaults and overcomes its opponents through speed rather than strength! From this, it can be inferred that its disposition should be that of a sharp sword rather than a heavy mountain. Given how the painter got the disposition of the savage beast wrong, it is clear to see that it is an interpretation.”

Master Lu Chen’s body swayed.

It wasn’t that the other party was inaccurate in his appraisal, but he was too accurate in it!

All along, he had thought that since the Chi Xiong was known for its invincible defense, its disposition should be heavy like a mountain. The reminder from the youngster made him recall an introduction on the savage beast from a book. It mentioned that it was extremely fast, killing its opponent without even revealing itself. This was precisely the reason why very few people have seen its true form!

One of the greatest taboos of a painter was to mistake the disposition their painting should carry. If even the disposition was unfitting for the subject, then even the most valuable of paintings would be reduced to trash. Zhang Xuan was already sparing his pride by saying that the painting wasn’t bad, instead of saying something more extreme.

“Excellent! Incredible!” With his face flushed red with excitement, Master Lu Chen expressed his high appraisal of Zhang Xuan.

If it was just a single painting, it was possible that it might just be luck or coincidence. However, to see the crux behind two different paintings in an instant, he could confidently say that the youngster before him might look young, but he was a true master painter!

His skills could only be superior to his own!

It was easy to make friends, but it was hard to find a soulmate. Throughout his career as a painter, he was unable to find an equal in the entire Tianxuan Kingdom. Usually, when he deciphered a painting to others, they would only respond to it perfunctorily and instead, focus their efforts on praising him. No one was able to truly understand the essence of those paintings, needless to say, point out the flaws in them.

This was precisely the reason why he felt desolate, and often opened up his residence to encourage diligent juniors in the hope that there would be someone to succeed him.

At this moment, upon meeting someone who was able to point out the flaws and weaknesses of a painting, he felt as though he had met a soulmate. How could he not be delighted over it?

If not for his strong will and self-control, he might have leapt in joy on the spot.

Seeing the master so exuberant, Huang Yu and Bai Xun no longer bickered and stared at one another. Their eyes widened into complete circles, almost popping out from their heads.

They have been acquainted with this master since young. He was always calm, and no matter what came in his way, he never allowed it to interfere with his mind. The last time the emperor sent some servants to deliver the 【Harsh Lands Night Illumination Pearl】 to him, a gift that was worth a king’s ransom, he didn’t even take a look at it before ordering a servant to keep it in the warehouse.

Yet, a casual answer from the young man left him in such a state… Could it be that his words were true?

At this point, the two of them shot their gazes towards the young man. However, no matter how they stared at him, he looked nothing but ordinary to them.

“Xiao Yu, aren’t you going to introduce this gongzi to me?”

While she was still struck with bewilderment, Master Lu Chen’s words echoed in the room.

“Introduce? He…” Upon being questioned, Huang Yu was taken aback. Only now did she realize that she had not asked for the other party’s name. Her face turned red and she scratched her head awkwardly as she turned towards Zhang Xuan and asked, “Ah, right, what is your name…”

Hearing these words, Bai Xun, who was sitting beside her, looked constipated.

Just a moment ago, he was still overwhelmed by jealousy, thinking that someone had beaten him to his goddess, causing the urge to beat up this youngster to well up in him. Only now did he realize that… Huang Yu didn’t even know his name!

If only he knew earlier, he wouldn’t have gotten so angry over nothing.

However, his dilemma didn’t end here. Immediately after, he heard Master Lu Chen’s angry voice, “What do you mean by he! No decorum at all! This little brother here is a peer of mine, you will have to address him as a master in the future!”

“Peer?”

This time, not only Huang Yu and Bai Xun felt lightheaded, even the butler Uncle Cheng froze in shock. The three of them stared at Zhang Xuan as though they were looking at a monster.

[What kind of standing does Master Lu Chen possess?

Emperor Shen Zhui’s teacher, a true emperor’s tutor!

There isn’t a single person in the entire kingdom who dares to claim to be his peer. If one were to do it, it would mean that one is claiming to be the senior of the country’s emperor!

For a person of such standing to view a youngster who isn’t even twenty as a fellow peer of his? Surely I am hearing things?]

“Didn’t you all hear my words?”

Seeing the two of them in a daze, Lu Chen chastised them again.

“Yes!” Bai Xun and Huang Yu hurriedly bowed. “Paying respect to the master!”

“There is no need to be so formal!” Zhang Xuan didn’t expect Lu Chen to be so polite. He nodded his head helplessly and said, “I am Zhang Xuan. I just happen to understand master’s paintings out of coincidence. I am not fitting of the title of a master!”

“So it is little brother Zhang Xuan. You can’t put it like that, manners are manners! You are able to see through the flaws in my work with just a glance, this means that you are well-versed in paintings, and you possess an exceptional eye for them. If you aren’t worthy of the title of master with your standards, wouldn’t that mean that I am unable to live up to my title as a master as well?” Lu Chen said.

Zhang Xuan laughed dryly.

It was true that he was able to point the flaws in the paintings, but that wasn’t because of his abilities in that aspect. He only made use of the cheat called “Library of Heaven’s Path”.

Without this, needless to say appraising it, he might be scratching his head with a confused expression, unable to even identify what was being drawn.

“Alright, stop being so polite. Feel free to reprimand these juniors when you meet them in the future!”

Unsure about what Zhang Xuan was thinking about, Lu Chen casually said.

“Juniors? Feel free to reprimand?”

Bai Xun and Huang Yu were on the verge of crying.

[The heck, we are around the same age and yet you became a senior of our grandfather’s generation in an instant… Dude, you are way too formidable!]

Ignoring the despondent duo, Master Lu Chen looked over in puzzlement, “Little brother, to follow Xiao Yu here, you probably aren’t here for leisure. May I ask what is it that you require my help on?”

“I have heard that master has a wide collection of books. The reason why I am here today is to find some Fighter 6-dan cultivation technique manuals to browse through…”

Hearing Master Lu Chen questioned his purpose, Zhang Xuan hurriedly replied.

The main aim of his journey here was this, so he mustn’t let this opportunity slip by.

“My collection of books is quite vast, but they are mainly on painting. I do not possess many books on cultivation techniques here. As for those on Fighter 6-dan, I only have a couple of them. They are in my study. Come, I will bring you over to take a look!”

Hearing his purpose, Master Lu Chen stroked his beard with a smile and stood up.

“Laoye, your study…” The butler Uncle Cheng quickly walked forward and asked questioningly.

Laoye‘s study did possess quite a lot of one-of-a-kind limited edition books, and each of them were extremely valuable. He had never allowed any outsiders to enter his study, and even Emperor Shen Zhui was blocked at the door when he came the previous time!

There was a maid who wasn’t aware of the rules and ran in to clean the room. In the end, she was beaten to death!

This was precisely the reason why the study of the Lu residence was the forbidden zone within forbidden zones, and no one dared to enter it…

Yet, laoye intended to bring in a young man whom he had just met, leaving him at a loss.

“The reason why I don’t allow others to enter my study is for fear that they would afflict it with their vulgarity. Little brother Zhang Xuan is a fellow peer of mine and a master painter. It is an honor of mine to have him enter to offer me some pointers. There is no reason for me to stop him from entering at all.”

Master Lu Chen’s face darkened.

“Yes!” Uncle Cheng retreated in a fluster.

He might be ignorant about painting, but even he was able to tell at this point that there wasn’t a single error in the appraisal of the young man!

Otherwise, it was impossible for laoye‘s attitude to do a 180 degree turn and act so amiably.

“Let’s go!”

Master Lu Chen led the way while Zhang Xuan followed behind him. After a moment, they reached a wide room. noveltranslationweb.blogspot.com

As expected of a master whom Huang Yu was full of praises for, the collection of books in his study was massive. All kinds of manuals filled the shelves, and there were at least hundreds of thousands of books here. Zhang Xuan felt as though he had walked into a library.

Walking between the shelves while taking a casual look, it was exactly as the other party said. The books were all about painting, and there were barely any on cultivation techniques and martial arts.

“Those about cultivation techniques are over here. There are only a handful of them. They were left behind from back when I was still cultivating!”

Master Lu Chen introduced with a smile as he brought Zhang Xuan towards the corner of the study.

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 49: How Did He Do It?

“A painting left behind by the master?”

By the side, Huang Yu felt like she was going insane. She almost lost her balance and fell to the floor.

[In the past, Master Lu Chen had brought out paintings for them to appraise, as well as to test them. However… he had never brought out his own works!

This time, why would he…

If the fellow before her had praised the work the master took out, perhaps, the master will be delighted with his evaluation and let it pass. However… what did you say — Downright senseless, what the heck is this toy?

Is this something a human should say?

To evaluate Master Lu Chen’s drawing as ‘downright senseless, what the heck is this toy’…]

Huang Yu felt like vomiting blood.

[Didn’t you say that you won’t put me in a difficult position? This… What is going on?]

If she knew that Zhang Xuan had decided afterwards that as a teacher, he shouldn’t put her in an awkward situation… more blood would probably come spurting out from her mouth!

[Is this what you call not putting me in an awkward situation?

You are obviously pushing me down the cliff…]

She was regretting her action of bringing this fellow here!

Master Lu Chen favored youngsters who learn with humility. He never discriminated against people, and he liked people coming over to learn from him.

This fellow seemed scholarly on the surface, as well as a person who knew his boundaries, so she thought that he was the type to learn with humility. Thus, she brought him over, so she could please the master. If things went well, she could make use of the opportunity to achieve her goals as well. Yet, she never would have expected that… he was so unreliable!

Huang Yu felt her guts turn green with regret.

If only she knew that this would happen, she would have rejected him on the spot. Why did she guide him over just to bring trouble on herself…

While she was on the verge of going berserk, Bai Xun was on the verge of laughing.

Indeed, what was scary was not a godlike opponent, but a pig-like teammate.

This fellow actually dared to describe Master Lu Chen’s work as ‘what the heck is this toy’. Needless to think, he must have offended the master thoroughly with his words. Even if he didn’t make a move, the master would probably teach this ignorant lad a lesson!

“Is this the knowledge and talent you speak of? Skilled in zither, chess, literature and painting?”

Chuckling softly, he gazed at Huang Yu teasingly.

Huang Yu had just praised Zhang Xuan a moment ago, yet in the next, the latter spoke such words. [Have you ever seen a knowledgeable and talented person act like this?]

“Silence!”

In contrast to butler Uncle Cheng’s anxiety, Huang Yu’s regret and Bai Xun’s glee, Master Lu Chen didn’t get mad due to the other party’s words. He interrupted the commotion going on and looked at Lu Chen calmly, “This little brother over here, why would you make such an evaluation? Is there a problem with my drawing?”

“I didn’t know that it was master’s work. I seek your forgiveness for my brashness!” Zhang Xuan feigned shock and hurriedly bowed apologetically.

The book compiled by the Library of Heaven’s Path allowed him to look into the flaws of the painting, and the artist was also labeled in it. Naturally, he knew that the painting before him was Lu Chen’s work, just that he was intentionally feigning ignorance!

“Don’t worry about it. This is just a painting. I am only asking you to appraise the strengths and weaknesses of the painting, and not the painter of it!” Master Lu Chen gestured.

“With your words, I am reassured!” Zhang Xuan smiled. Facing the painting again, he stroked it and said, “If we are just talking about this painting, even if it is drawn by the master… I can only use these eight words to evaluate it! Downright senseless, what the heck is this toy!”

Huang Yu and the butler looked calm on the surface, but panicked on the inside.

[To say such words after knowing that this is a work of the master. Lad, are you insane?]

“However…”

Zhang Xuan paused for a moment.

“However what?”

“This painting is indeed nothing much. Any artist by the street would be able to draw it. It is already an overestimation by calling it a toy! However, if one is able to see beyond its surface, then it is definitely an astonishing creation that will leave its viewers in disbelief!”

Zhang Xuan said.

“Look beyond the surface? How should we look?” Master Lu Chen smiled gently.

“Simple!” Zhang Xuan looked at the butler Uncle Cheng. “May I trouble you to bring a dagger over!”

“Alright!” After taking a look at Master Lu Chen and noticing the lack of disapproval, Uncle Cheng turned around and walked out. After a short moment, he returned with a dagger and passed it to Zhang Xuan.

“Then, I will be making an embarrassment of myself!”

Grabbing the dagger, Zhang Xuan walked over to the painting and stabbed the dagger into it.

“What are you doing?” Seeing his actions, Bai Xun stepped forward. “That is the master’s work, every single painting of his is incomparably valuable that some even label them as priceless treasures. Are you sure you can compensate him if you damage it?”

Huang Yu also looked at his actions in bewilderment.

[Why would you need a dagger to appraise a painting?]

Ignoring Bai Xun’s rebuke, Zhang Xuan cut the unblemished painting with the dagger.

Tzzzzzzz, the sound of paper being cut echoed in the air. The portion of the drawing that was cut curled upwards. Tugging lightly on it, the top portion of the drawing separated from the bottom layer. This was similar to how there were different levels to a building. A layer of xuan paper [1] formed the top layer of the painting, whereas the bottom layer consisted of goatskin.

Huala!

The tearing of the top xuan paper exposed what was on top of the goatskin. There was also a painting on top of the goatskin, and it was similar to what was on the xuan paper. However, there was more spirit to this one and the depictions were much more vivid. It was as though the mountainous rocks, trees, village and children would pop out from within at any moment.

“If I’m not wrong, the drawing on top of the xuan paper is just a layer of deception. The true drawing is imprinted through the xuan paper, onto the goatskin. This is the true secret behind the master’s drawing!” After tearing the xuan paper carefully away, Zhang Xuan smiled.

“This…”

Regardless of whether it is Huang Yu, the butler or Bai Xun, all of their eyes widened in disbelief.

To imprint the ink beyond the xuan paper onto the goatskin through force, not to mention that the drawing on top of the paper must retain a certain level of clarity such that no flaws could be seen on it… This was way too incredible!

These two paintings were stacked on top of one another flawlessly… How was he able to tell?

“Not bad, not bad!” Upon seeing the young man easily expose the secret behind his painting, Master Lu Chen’s eyes lit up. This time, his gaze towards the youngster was full of praise.

At the same time, he was also filled with shock.

His ability to imprint on goatskin through a layer of paper via force was something he just comprehended. He had never showcased it in front of anyone else. Yet, this youngster was able to see through it in an instant. [His eye of discernment is way too formidable!]

“Then, what about this drawing?”

Master Lu Chen turned around and pointed to a painting hung on the wall.

There was a giant savage beast painted on it. Similar to a savage tiger descending from the mountain, its ferocious aura left its viewers with astonishment. If a timid person were to catch sight of this painting, they might fall limply onto the ground, fearing to make a single noise.

Zhang Xuan stepped forward and stroked it lightly. Then, he smiled, “This painting isn’t bad, but it is lacking in disposition. If I am not wrong, the painter of the work has never seen the savage beast portrayed in the drawing before! This drawing is just based on his personal interpretation!”

“This…”

Master Lu Chen’s body trembled as his eyes widened into complete circles.

Others might be confused by what Zhang Xuan was saying, but he understood what the other party meant.

That was because this painting was his work as well.

The savage beast on the painting was known as ‘Chi Xiong‘, and it was a rare life-form. It was said to possess boundless strength and invincible defense, to the point that no weapon was able to wound it.

Just like what the other party said, it was true that he had never met such a life-form. The reason why he was able to draw this painting was because he had flipped through numerous books, so as to feed his imagination.

This painting was one of his prided works. This was also the reason why it was hung at the middlemost location of the lounge. Innumerable painting masters have come to visit and they were filled with praises for it. They all found the painting majestic and lifelike. Why would the youngster say that it was lacking in disposition?

Since the other party was able to see through the overall situation behind the other painting in an instant, his eye for such stuff should be topnotch. Furthermore, he was able to tell that he had never seen a Chi Xiong just by glancing at the painting, so it was very probable that he had his own reasons for saying so!

“Which part of it is lacking in disposition, would you be kind to enlighten me?”

At this point, Master Lu Chen no longer had the attitude of superiority from before as he hurriedly asked.

“Ah?”

Seeing the emperor’s tutor who kept testing them, causing them to scratch their heads helplessly innumerable times, seeking guidance with humility from a young man who wasn’t even twenty yet, Huang Yu and Bai Xun stared at one another and they felt like fainting.

Especially Huang Yu, her eyes couldn’t stop blinking. The shock struck her mind like billowing waves.

[That fellow… how did he do it?]

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[1] Xuan paper -> A type of paper suitable for drawing.

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 48: What the Heck is This Toy

“…” Huang Yu felt the vision before her spin and she almost fainted on the spot.

[To not even know Zhennan Wang? Dude, are you really from Tianxuan Kingdom? Are you sure you didn’t pop up from some remote corner!]

At this moment, she was starting to regret bringing this fellow here!

Given how ignorant he was, it was likely that he would say something wrong and pull her down along with him!

Actually, Zhang Xuan really wasn’t putting on an act, he was truly ignorant on this matter.

His previous self was the worst teacher in the academy. All along, he had been occupied with how he could stop himself from being expelled from the school. Thus, he never tried to look into the internal affairs of the kingdom and knew very little about it as well. The previous him didn’t even know what section, division and bureau were, so how could he possibly know who Zhennan Wang was?

Jiya!

Just as she was about to explain the glorious war accomplishments of Zhennan Wang, the door in front of them creaked and opened. A butler-like person appeared in their view, welcoming them.

“Uncle Cheng, I am prepared now. I hope to receive master’s guidance again!” Towards the butler he called Uncle Cheng, the white-clothed gongzi Bai Xun spoke respectfully, the arrogance he had a moment ago absent in his voice.

“So it is Bai gongzi and Huang guniang [1]! Please follow me to wait at the lounge!” Upon catching sight of the three standing at the entrance of the door, the butler bowed and ushered them in.

The three of them followed behind him into the residence.

Zhang Xuan gazed around the surroundings.

The residence might not be extravagant in its renovations, inferior even when compared to certain parts of the academy, but it brought about a wholly different atmosphere. Every moment of stillness and every movement in the courtyard felt like a tranquil ink painting, which exuded indescribable elegance.

“What an incredible natural ink painting!”

Zhang Xuan couldn’t help praising.

“Oh? Gongzi… seems to have some aptitude towards painting?” Hearing his praise, the butler turned around and asked.

“It is just a casual comment!” He didn’t expect that a casual comment that he spoke would attract the attention of the butler. Zhang Xuan hurriedly shook his head.

In his previous life, he was a librarian, and his job was deeply related to literacy. Even though he had seen many different paintings back then, he had never picked up a brush, needless to say, paint!

“Our laoye [1] used his heart as his brush and the courtyard as his paper to turn the entire residence into a painting. You aren’t mistaken in your words!” The butler nodded his head and continued moving forward.

Soon, they arrived at the lounge.

The lounge wasn’t very big, but was rich in paintings, giving the room a kind of classical elegance. It had a soothing effect on those who step into it.

It was unlike the other places, where Strength Measuring Rock Pillars could be found everywhere, which made one feel as though they would be thrown out if they displayed insufficient strength.

“I will be reporting to laoye!”

After arranging the seats for the three of them, the butler turned around to leave.

“You know a thing or two about paintings?” The moment the butler left, Huang Yu looked over curiously.

She seemed to have heard the conversation back there. Come to think about it, she didn’t know a single thing about the young man she had brought herself.

“I only felt that the arrangement in the courtyard is reminiscent of a painting!” Zhang Xuan replied.

“Xiao Yu, don’t listen to his nonsense. This fellow is just putting on a show to attract your attention!” Bai Xun’s glare was so intense that fire might emerge from it.

“What do you know? My friend here is extremely knowledgeable and talented! Do you think that everyone likes to act mighty the way you do?” Hearing the other party insult the friend she brought, Huang Yu was displeased.

“Knowledgeable? Him? Xiao Yu, you should be careful. I think this lad is just a useless playboy. Despite being young, he is skilled in the art of deceiving to win the favor of girls. He truly has no shame!”

Luoluo, hearing the lady praise Zhang Xuan, Bai Xun felt the rage in him boiling even more intensely and he gritted his teeth furiously.

“My friend here is skilled in zither, chess, literature and painting. There is nothing he is incapable of; there is nothing he doesn’t have expertise in. Not only is he outstanding in the younger generation, there aren’t many of the older generation who can match up to him! On the contrary, look at yourself! You aren’t skilled in anything, and your mind is only filled with fighting and killing all day long! You are the one that is useless!”

Huang Yu didn’t back down.

“Skilled in zither, chess, literature and painting? You mean him? He doesn’t look much older than me. Even if he started learning from the womb, how much can he learn? You are probably the only one who will get scammed by him!” Bai Xun glared savagely at Zhang Xuan.

“Just because he is young means that he isn’t skilled? What if he is talented? Don’t doubt others just because you are untalented!” Huang Yu retorted.

“…” Hearing their argument, the innocent Zhang Xuan, who had arrows fired at him, frowned.

[If you want to argue, just argue among yourselves! Why must you all rope me in? Did I offend any of you?

Zither, chess, literature and painting, you said? I have never touched any of the four in my entire life… If I am talented, how can I possibly be the first teacher in history to score a zero in the Teacher Qualification Examination in Hongtian Academy?]

Just as Bai Xun was about to counterattack with words of his own, footsteps sounded from outside and a figure walked in.

It was an elderly man with snow-white hair and beard. He carried with him a unique aura, which granted him a majestic disposition.

The butler from before followed behind him.

Emperor Shen Zhui’s ex-tutor, Lu Chen!

“Paying respect to master!”

Upon seeing him, Bai Xun and Huang Yu dared not bicker any longer and bowed simultaneously.

“I heard that someone was able to tell that the arrangement of my courtyard is an ink painting. It is rare to see such a refined youngster nowadays.”

Ignoring the two who were paying respects to him, the moment the elderly man walked in, his eyes was fixated upon Zhang Xuan. It was apparent that the butler had informed him of Zhang Xuan’s previous words.

“Master, this fellow is just spouting nonsense, there’s no need to bother about him. I have already revised beforehand, so master, you can feel free to test me…” Upon seeing the master’s attention fixated on the lad, Bai Xun felt displeased and hurriedly said.

“Did I allow you to talk?”

Master Lu Chen frowned.

“I…”

Bai Xun’s face turned completely red, but he dared not talk back to him.

He might be of high standing, and his father was formidable as well. However, before the emperor’s tutor, he still paled far in comparison.

After reprimanding Bai Xun, Master Lu Chen’s attention returned back to Zhang Xuan. “Since you are learned in painting, it just so happens that I have a work here for you to appraise in my stead!”

After which, he gestured with his hand.

The butler hurried forward and unfurled a painting scroll on the table.

It was a simple and elegant ink painting. The moment it was unfurled, a refreshing aura assaulted its viewers. In a peaceful village, children were frolicking around and smoke emerged from the chimneys. If one concentrated, it seemed as though one could hear the call of the cicada and see the dance of the tree leaves. It was a painting of a scenery.

“This…” Zhang Xuan scratched his head.

He didn’t know a single thing about painting. All he could tell about this painting was that it wasn’t bad. Asking him to appraise? What was he supposed to appraise about it?

“You must think carefully before you speak. This is a test by the master, he… likes to test others. Anyway, when I first came, I was tested by him too… If you manage to speak well, you will be able to borrow as many books as you like. But if you were to screw this up, you will be sent back instantly…”

Just as he was hesitating, Huang Yu’s agitated voice sounded beside him.

“Test?”

Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly.

If only he knew that Master Lu Chen had such interests, he wouldn’t have said anything when he walked into the courtyard.

Was this considered as courting trouble? However, based on Huang Yu’s words, it was likely that the other party would test him even if he said nothing. After all, this was a habit he had cultivated. He probably couldn’t shake it off even if he wanted to.

As for appraising it, what the heck was he supposed to appraise!

He wasn’t even learned in that aspect, what problems could he see from it? What kind of comments should he be making?

After all, the other party was the emperor’s tutor, a master of painting. If he were to spout nonsense, he might be chased away with a stick even before he was done speaking.

“Why? Is there any problem?”

Upon seeing his expression, Master Lu Chen inquired.

“Ah, nothing!”

Zhang Xuan scratched his head. Just as he was at a loss on how he should organize his sentences to come up with words that the other party was unable to find flaws with, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

“Since the Library of Heaven’s Path is capable of authenticating items, then… is it possible for it to tell the flaws in paintings?”

At this point, he couldn’t resist stepping forward to touch the painting lightly.

Weng!

A sound echoed in his head and a book appeared in his mind.

Zhang Xuan was overjoyed. After reading the contents of it, he raised his head and gazed at Master Lu Chen with bright eyes. Smiling faintly, he asked, “Master really wants me to appraise this?”

Master Lu Chen didn’t respond, indicating his silent consent.

“I have eight words of evaluation on it!” Zhang Xuan said.

“I am willing to listen to it!” Master Lu Chen looked at Zhang Xuan.

Zhang Xuan nodded his head. His eyes scanned through the painting once more and he shook his head, “The eight words are… Downright senseless, what the heck is this toy!”

“Gongzi, please mind your words!” Initially, he was curious on the evaluation Zhang Xuan could give. Upon hearing these words, the butler almost fainted on the spot. Flustered, he tried to stop him hurriedly, “This is a painting that was just drawn by the master…”

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[1] Guniang -> Lady/Miss

[2] Laoye -> Old master

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 47: Huang Yu

“Gongzi, are you here to buy books or to browse through books?”

The moment he stepped into the bookstore, a young lady stepped forward to welcome him.

Around seventeen to eighteen years old, her pure face and appearance were particularly alluring. Even though she was still slightly lacking compared to Shen Bi Ru laoshi, she could be considered as an exceptional beauty.

“Are there… secret manuals on Fighter 6-dan cultivation technique here?”

Zhang Xuan revealed his objective to her.

“Fighter 6-dan cultivation technique? Gongzi must be joking. Such secret manuals on cultivation technique cost a hefty sum, a little business like ours doesn’t have the qualifications to be selling them… If you want some entrance level cultivation technique manuals, we have a few of it here though…” The lady shook her head.

The books sold in their store mainly consisted of human geography, biographies of reputable figures and such. Cultivation techniques were something highly confidential to cultivators, so how could it be allowed to be browsed through or sold freely?

“Then… Do you know any stores that sell them?” Confirming his suspicion that the manuals weren’t on sale here, Zhang Xuan sighed and looked at her with expectation.

“Sell them?” The lady shook her head. “It is impossible for anyone in Tianxuan Royal City to be selling cultivation techniques of this level. However… Some experts do collect quite a few of them. If you have an amicable relationship with them, it might be possible for them to allow you to look through them!”

“Allow me to look through them? Taking a look is great as well!” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

With the Library of Heaven’s Path, there was no need for him to buy the books. As long as he was able to lay his hand on those books, just by flipping through it, a corresponding book would be compiled automatically.

“Do you know any seniors who collect such manuals in their residence and allow others to browse through them?” He couldn’t resist asking.

“Allow others to browse through them?” The lady frowned and just as she was about to shake her head, she suddenly thought of something and slyness flitted across her eyes. She smiles and says, “I do know of one. However, he is known for being eccentric! When he is in high spirits, he won’t mind even if you were to take all of the books in his house. But if he is in a bad mood, ignoring the fact whether he will allow you to browse through his books or not, he might not even allow you to walk through his door…”

“Such a person exists in the world?” Zhang Xuan frowned. He continued, “Then, may I trouble you to guide me to seek that senior?”

“It just happens that there isn’t much business today. I will bring you there now!” The young lady smiled.

“Thanks for the trouble!”

He didn’t expect the lady to be so helpful as to bring him there personally, so he nodded his head in gratitude.

With the lady leading ahead, the two of them walked out of the bookstore.

Through their idle chatter, Zhang Xuan learned that the name of the lady was Huang Yu. This bookstore was opened by her. Judging from the appearance of the bookstore, it seemed to be newly opened, at maximum around ten days or so.

“You are saying that there are many books in the home of that senior?” After walking a distance, Zhang Xuan couldn’t resist asking.

“Naturally. That senior is a famous scholar in the entire kingdom, and he was once Emperor Shen Zhui’s tutor! He is a person who is able to freely go in and out of the kingdom’s Book Collection Vault. Do you think that it is possible for the books in his home to not be many?” Huang Yu said reverently.

“Emperor Shen Zhui’s teacher? That means, he used to be an emperor’s tutor?” Zhang Xuan was stunned.

The current emperor of Tianxuan Kingdom was named Shen Zhui. No one was aware of the specific level of his cultivation, they only knew that he was the strongest person in the entire kingdom, unmatched by anyone!

The tutors of such a figure were carefully handpicked and have to undergo numerous selection processes before their positions were confirmed. Even the principal of Hongtian Academy didn’t possess such qualifications!

“He is his painting and calligraphy teacher, and not his martial arts teacher. Even so, he is still an incredible figure who is deeply respected by the emperor!” At this point, Huang Yu’s face turned solemn as she warned Zhang Xuan, “This old mister Lu Chen is an elegant person who is very particular about decorum. He detests juniors talking nonsense before him. When we arrive, it is best for you not to speak too easily. Otherwise, it will be impossible for you to be given permission to browse through his books!”

“Un!” Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

“Also, I also have my own matters to attend to. When we arrive, you will have to deal with the matter of borrowing books yourself, don’t mess up my matter along with yours!” Huang Yu glanced over with her beautiful eyes as she spoke.

“Don’t worry, I won’t put you in a difficult position!” Comprehending the meaning behind her words, Zhang Xuan smiled in response.

He was already grateful over the fact that she was willing to bring him over. If he was capable, he would be able to borrow the books. However, even if he ended up in failure, nothing could be done about it.

No matter what, he was still a teacher. How could he put a young lady in an awkward position?

“The old mister prefers juniors who are more obedient. No matter what the old mister says, you just have to nod your head. You should also know that a great scholar like him tend to be more conservative so his thoughts may diverge from that of us, youngsters. Just try not to squabble with him over these!” Huang Yu reminded him once again.

The two of them soon walked out of the market. After passing by a series of alleys that would leave one confused, they arrived at a residence.

“This is the residence of old mister Lu Chen!” Huang Yu pointed towards the residence.

Zhang Xuan raised his head to take a look at the entire residence. It wasn’t as vast and extravagant as he expected. It seemed like the residence of an ordinary household and there wasn’t even a door plaque at the entrance. If it weren’t for Huang Yu leading him here, he might have thought that this was the residence of a normal civilian.

[This is… the place where the emperor’s tutor lives?]

Zhang Xuan found it hard to believe.

“Old mister Lu Chen lives a thrifty life. There were many times when Emperor Shen Zhui offered to reconstruct his residence, but he firmly rejected the offers!” Noticing his doubt, Huang Yu explained.

Zhang Xuan nodded his head as his respect for the emperor’s tutor grew.

Despite possessing such social status, he was able to remain incorruptible and thrifty without being changed by power. It seemed like this old mister was a sentimental and straightforward person.

Da da da da!

Just as they were about to knock on the door, a carriage rushed over. The distinct sound of galloping horses echoed through the alley.

Jiyaaaa!

The carriage stopped beside the two. A young man parted the curtains of the carriage and walked out.

He was a seventeen- to eighteen-year old youth dressed in white. Tall and slim, his face was exquisite, similar to a white jade. With a single look, it was clear to see that he was a scion, and he exuded an aura of superiority.

“Xiao Yu [1]? You are here, too!”

Seeing Huang Yu, the white-clothed gongzi‘s eyes twinkled and immediately tried to fawn upon her.

“I am Huang Yu, don’t give me such a mushy nickname. We aren’t that familiar with one another yet!” Huang Yu curled her lips contemptuously.

“Given the relationship between our families, it isn’t too much to call you Xiao Yu. Besides, wasn’t that how I called you when you were younger as well? Are you here to visit old mister Lu Chen as well?” The white-clothed gongzi smiled and flung his robe. He struck a pose, as though declaring that victory was in his hands. “Hehe, don’t think too much about that object. It will definitely come under my possession!”

“It is hard to tell whose it will be at this point! I only fear that you will cry then!” Huang Yu didn’t step down to his taunting.

“We’ll see then!”

The white-clothed gongzi chuckled. At this point, he finally noticed Zhang Xuan and frowned, “Who is this? Xiao Yu, why did you bring an outsider here…”

“No matter who is it that I bring, it is none of your business!”

Huang Yu pursed her lips, not sparing the other party any face.

“Hmph, lad. No matter who you are, I advise you to stay away from Xiao Yu. She isn’t someone a small figure like you can lay your hands upon!” Looking at Zhang Xuan, the white-clothed gongzi narrowed his eyes and spat coldly.

“…”

Zhang Xuan didn’t expect to be threatened when he was only here to borrow a book. A strong feeling of helplessness surged through him.

Using the words from his previous world, he was lucky like a dead mongoose.

All Huang Yu did was to bring him here; they were just barely acquaintances. [Do you really have to go that far?]

Threatened by someone, Zhang Xuan felt displeased. He stretched his back and waved away his concerns, “You interfere too much. My apologies, but I don’t think that you need to concern yourself over this!”

“Fine, I hope that you don’t regret your words!”

He didn’t expect that a lad he had never met before would dare to speak to him in such a manner. The white-clothed gongzi‘s eyebrows shot up and his eyes narrowed. Turning around, he ignored the other two and walked over to the front of the courtyard to knock on the door.

“Why are you so rash…”

As the white-clothed man knocked on the door, Huang Yu’s anxious voice sounded by Zhang Xuan’s ears.

“Why?” Zhang Xuan looked at her in puzzlement.

“Do you know who he is, for you to dare to speak to him like that?” Seeing the oblivious look on the other party’s face, Huang Yu felt a little helpless.

It was truly hard to tell whether this fellow has a strong heart, or that there was something wrong with his head.

“Who cares about who he is…” Zhang Xuan shrugged.

[What does his identity have to do with me?]

“You…” Seeing the expression on the young man’s face, Huang Yu was starting to doubt if she had brought a fool over. Seeing the indifferent look in his eyes, she was able to tell that he truly wasn’t bothered over the identity of the person he just offended. At a loss for words, she could only introduce the person before to him, “He is the sole son of Zhennan Wang, Bai Xun!”

Zhennan Wang was known as the number one authoritative subject of Tianxuan Kingdom, his position beneath only that of Emperor Shen Zhui. Offending his only son meant that it would be hard for him to make a living in Tianxuan Kingdom.

Initially, she thought that revealing the identity of the other party would induce fear in this fellow and that he would ask her on how he should resolve the problem. Contrary to her expectations, Zhang Xuan looked over with a confused expression, “Zhennan Wang… Who is he?”

------

[1] Xiao Yu -> Little Yu (A pet name for Huang Yu)

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 46: Exposing the Scam

“Tip?”

Hearing these words, ‘Master Mo Yang’ staggered and almost puked blood.

[Tip your head!

I am a master appraiser, I don’t lack money. Like I will take your tip…]

With a hardened face, ‘Master Mo Yang’ was on the verge of exploding. At this point, he would be placed in an awkward situation regardless of whether he took it or not.

If he took it, it meant he would be accepting the tip of other’s tip. In that case, he would be no different from a waiter or a servant. If he refused… Just the action of the other party alone caused him to feel embarrassed!

Suddenly, a thought floated into his mind… Could the lad have foreseen this in advance, that’s why he took his money, so as to intentionally cause him embarrassment?

“You don’t want it? Great, I can save a thousand then. You must know that one can buy a lot of things with a thousand gold coins!”

Sensing his hesitation, Zhang Xuan placed the note back into his embrace and muttered by the side.

“…” Hearing these words, ‘Master Mo Yang’ was on the verge of collapsing.

“You sure are lucky, choosing the right one. However, this doesn’t mean that you have won! Alright, I still have things to attend to, so it is about time for me to leave!”

With coldness in his gaze, ‘Master Mo Yang’ stood up, flung his arm and prepared to leave.

His decisive action impressed Zhang Xuan.

[As expected of a professional scammer. The moment things go awry, he leaves. His decisiveness is truly worthy of respect.]

Regardless of whether Zhang Xuan was lucky or he was truly skilled in appraising, he would no longer be treated as a lunatic after earning so much in an instant. Rather than grinding it out with him, it was much wiser for him to end it here.

After all, he had already profited greatly from appraising for the others.

The longer the argument carried on for, the higher the possibility of something going wrong for him.

“The results of our competition isn’t conclusive yet, why are you in such a hurry to leave!” Given ‘Master Mo Yang’s’ previous actions, there was no way Zhang Xuan could allow him to escape just like this.

“Indeed, master, don’t be in such a hurry to leave! You also made a profit from the item you bought, this can’t be considered as his victory!”

“Master has only underestimated his enemy, that’s why he didn’t choose the most valuable treasure from the start. We believe in you…”

After numerous days of effort, the master had roped in a large group of loyal followers.

“I have already said before that I have matters to attend to. Farewell!” ‘Master Mo Yang’ waved his hand.

“Even if you have urgent matters to attend to, I doubt that a few minutes will matter much. There are still things that I would like your guidance on!” Zhang Xuan blocked the other party’s escape path.

“What kind of things?” ‘Master Mo Yang’ stopped and harrumphed coldly.

“This friend…”

Seeing him cease his movements, Zhang Xuan smiled faintly and stared at the elderly who had obtained the slot for appraisal and bought the ornamental vase.

“What is it? The elderly walked over.

He was still hugging the artifact containing the ornamental vase as though he was hugging a precious treasure. Given its size, he would be unable to clean it up within a short period of time. Thus, he chose to stay to join in the spectacle.

“If I’m not wrong, the item you spent 80000 gold coins to purchase is an ornamental vase. Furthermore, it is a broken one and it is not even worth a single gold coin!” Zhang Xuan pointed to his artifact and stated.

“Ornamental vase? Not even worth a single cent? What kind of joke is this? This is something the master chose for me…” The face of the elderly darkened as he chastised Zhang Xuan.

“Cleaning up such a large artifact will take a long time. At the minimum, you will require at least a day. How about this, you smash it on the floor directly and if I’m wrong, I will pay you 80000 gold coins! However, if I’m right, it means that you have fallen into his trap and got scammed. If so, you can just demand the money back from the one who scammed your money!”

Zhang Xuan offered with a grin.

“Smash it?” The elderly was taken aback by his words.

The words of the other party made sense. Cleaning up such a large artifact would surely take a lot of time. However, if he were to smash it on the floor, it would only take an instant.

If it was truly as the other party claimed and it turns out to be just an ornamental vase, then he would have made a big loss.

Even for him, a loss of 80000 gold coins was enough to send him into bankruptcy.

If the artifact turned out to be a fake, he would probably commit suicide.

If the young man were to say these words a moment ago, he would simply scoff and disregard his words. However, the other party had just bought a treasure, which won him a revenue of 765 times. This very fact made his determination waver.

“Worry not, a true treasure won’t shatter that easily. Even if you were to smash it, it is very unlikely for it to break. You won’t make a loss!” Sensing his hesitation, Zhang Xuan pushed on.

“Alright!”

After a short moment of contemplation, the elderly casually smashed the artifact in his embrace on the floor.

Dang lang!

With a crisp sound, the giant artifact shattered apart, and its true form revealed itself amidst the moss and mud… Indeed, it turned out to be a shattered vase.

“It is really… an ornamental vase?”

After taking a look, the crowd verified that it was indubitably an ornamental vase.

Even if this object was an antique left behind from the ancient times, it still wasn’t worth much money. Needless to say 80000 gold coin, no one would buy it for even 10 gold coins.

“What is going on here…”

Seeing the broken fragments on the floor, the elderly froze in shock.

Initially, he had placed all of his hope on this artifact to earn him big bucks, yet it all ended up like this. How could he possibly not go berserk?

“What is happening? You will have to ask this Master Mo Yang! If I’m not wrong, he worked together with the dealer to build his fame as an appraiser so as to attract everyone’s attention. Then, through his appraisals, he is able to get you all to spend big bucks to buy the artifacts he decides upon, thus profiting from it!”

Zhang Xuan looked at ‘Master Mo Yang’ and the dealer, and the corners of his mouth crept upwards. “As for why he was able to choose objects of high value, the reason is simple. Since the cleaning process did not happen before you, they are able to switch the item inside with another treasure they prepared beforehand and claim that it is the one he had just picked out. Anyway, no one saw the cleaning process, so no one is able to refute his claims.”

“This…”

“Is that true?”

…

Hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, everyone’s trust in ‘Master Mo Yang’ wavered.

After picking out a treasure before everyone else, Zhang Xuan successfully exposed a fake treasure that ‘Master Mo Yang’ appraised. The crowd who had complete trust in ‘Master Mo Yang’ a moment ago was starting to get suspicious.

Dang lang!

While they were still busy contemplating over who was right and who was wrong, another crisp sound echoed amidst the crowd. Another fellow who had received the appraisal slot smashed the artifact he bought as well. This time, it wasn’t an ornamental vase, but a useless pottery. It was clear with a single look that it wasn’t worth much.

“Fake, it is a fake! I spent 60000 gold coins to buy this… They are scammers!”

Seeing the broken shards on the floor, those who bought the appraised items knew that they have been scammed as well and started roaring frenziedly.

Peng! Hong! Puhe!

With the two precedents, the remaining few could no longer hold it in. One after another, towards the artifacts they just bought, they either threw, smashed with a hammer, or cut it open with a blade.

Taking a look at what was inside, all of their faces paled.

“They are all fakes… They are all worthless trash!”

“We have been duped. This Master Mo Yang is a fraud…”

If there was only one fake, the crowd would still be able to accept it. After all, even an appraiser couldn’t possibly pick treasures out of artifacts hundred percent of the time. However, when all nine of the artifacts that he had appraised turned out to be trash, it could only mean to say that he was a scammer!

[To think that you still acted so compassionate and benevolent… Pui! You are just a fraudster!]

The berserk crowd surrounded ‘Master Mo Yang’ and the dealer tightly as they glared at them intensely. At this moment, even the thought of killing them flashed through their minds.

After all, no one’s money came from the sky.

If no one saw through the sham, and they only realized that it was a scam after they were done cleaning, who could they find to redress their grievances?

“Don’t listen to the nonsense of this lad! Even master appraisers have moments when they are off, I am truly unacquainted with this artifact dealer…”

Seeing the murderous glare in the eyes of the crowd, ‘Master Mo Yang’ realized that it was no longer possible to fool them and roared in anger instead.

If it was a moment ago, the crowd would have definitely listened to his words. But now… No one paid him any heed anymore.

Peng peng peng peng!

The sound of someone hitting on a human sandbag echoed from the congregation of the crowd. Following which, cries of agony could be heard. In this ordeal, not even the artifact dealer was spared.

As for the initiator of the incident, Zhang Xuan, he had sneaked off the moment chaos broke out inside.

The world was humongous, and everyday, there were people who were going about scamming others, and there were people who were scammed by them. He wasn’t an omnipotent god, and it was impossible for him to interfere in all of them. If it wasn’t for ‘Master Mo Yang’s’ excessive mouth, he couldn’t be bothered to expose him.

Now that those who were scammed were aware of the situation, naturally, they have their own ways of dealing with the problem. There was no need for Zhang Xuan to worry about them.

“Huang Yu Bookstore…”

Walking slowly along the market, a giant store appeared before him. In it, there were all kinds of books filling the bookshelves within.

The store dealt with medicinal herbs, weapons, savage beasts and naturally, books. That was also his main motive for choosing to enter this store.

“Let me take a look!”

Zhang Xuan lifted his leg and stepped into the store.

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 45: Tip

"Pu! What did he just say? Surely I heard wrongly? Eight gold coins and below?"

Hearing Zhang Xuan’s proud voice, everyone spat a mouthful of saliva. All of them stared at him flabbergasted, with an expression similar to how one looked at a lunatic.

Are you for real?

In treasure speculation, one is gambling for the thrill and the fortune. No matter what artifact one chooses, it is worth a minimum of hundred gold coins. Eight gold coins… What the heck do you expect to buy with that!

"Is this fellow’s brain still functioning?"

"Eight gold coins? Wahaha, you might as well grab a pile of mud and return now."

"You still dare to say eight gold coins and below. There isn’t a single object that is that cheap here, okay…"

…

A split moment later, tears streamed down the faces of those amidst the crowd due to excessive laughter.

The hell, lad, can you stop being so hilarious?

How do you intend to find an object worth below eight gold coins here? You can’t even buy anything even if you had eighty gold coins!

"Why? You don’t even have an artifact that is worth eight gold coin in a treasure speculation hall? Aren’t you embarrassed?"

Disregarding the mockery the crowd was making out of him, Zhang Xuan stared at the dealer proudly.

His previous self had only left him with a total of eight gold coins. He was unable to fork out a single coin more even if he wanted to.

"Puu!"

The people in the crowd stared at one another and burst into laughter once again.

You are the one who should be embarrassed!

This is just like someone running to a realtor and hoping to buy a flat with a single gold coin!

Big brother, is your head really alright?

"There is no way there is an artifact here that is worth only eight gold coins. How about this, you can freely choose from this pile of items. After you’re done, I will pay for you. If you make an earning, it will all go to you. If you lose, we will just go by what we promised earlier, an apology will do!"

‘Master Mo Yang’ stared at the young man contemptuously with both of his hands placed behind him, revealing an attitude of superiority.

"As expected of Master Mo Yang, what incredible generosity!"

"This young man is a clown coming here just to make a fool of himself!"

"I concede to the master’s morals!"

…

Hearing that the ‘master’ was willing to pay in the stead of his adversary, the crowd couldn’t help but feel impressed by his generosity.

Do you see that? Look at how the master carries himself, then look at that lad…

Forget it, it is better not to compare the two of them. I am afraid that I might vomit…

"Are you sure?" Zhang Xuan’s eyes twinkled.

Knowing that the other party was a scammer, Zhang Xuan didn’t feel any guilt spending his money.

"Of course, I always mean what I say!" ‘Master Mo Yang’ seemed just like a saint who had descended to the mortal world, unsullied by worldly dirt.

"Hehe, I shall start picking then…"

Zhang Xuan smiled faintly, walked over to the platform and scanned through the artifacts in the pile.

Since the other party chose a small one, naturally, he was restricted to choosing smaller items as well. Besides, the larger the artifact, the longer it took to clean up.

"This lad is too shameless!"

"Indeed! I have no idea why Master Mo Yang treats him so well. If I were to meet such a fellow, I would have surely smacked him away with a palm of mine long ago!"

"To insult the master and even use his money to buy an artifact… Shameless!"

…

Seeing how the young man wasn’t ashamed at all, rather, he was browsing through the items excitedly, the crowd was speechless.

They have met thick-skinned people before, but they had never met one whose skin was that thick.

You were the one who insulted the master as a scammer first! No matter what, the both of you should be in a hostile relationship. Under such circumstances, don’t you feel embarrassed using the other party’s money to buy an artifact to compete with him… That’s enough of you!

Ignoring the discussions of the crowd, Zhang Xuan touched every treasure that entered his vision. Soon, he also chose a treasure of the size of a palm and handed it over.

"It costs 200 gold coins as well!" The dealer took a look at it and says flatly.

"Master, hurry up and foot the bill!" Unashamed, Zhang Xuan gestured the ‘master’ to hurry up.

"…" A dark line streaked across ‘Master Mo Yang’s’ face.

He intended to ridicule the other party, but he didn’t expect that he would accept his help so proudly, to the point that he seemed like he’s his servant instead now.

Suppressing the urge to strangle the other party, he paid the sum.

"Alright, let’s clean it up here. With everyone watching here, no one will be able to accuse me of falsifying the results!" Zhang Xuan gestured.

"Hmph, let’s see whether you can continue being so haughty after the object is cleaned up!"

The actions of the young man also infuriated the dealer. He casually fetched the tools used for cleaning artifacts and started to clean it bit by bit.

Soon, the moss and rock covering the object fell off and the true form of the item inside was revealed.

It was a semi-transparent rock that emitted a warm glow.

"This is… Linglong Stone?" Observing the appearance of the stone, someone from the crowd shouted in disbelief.

"What is Linglong Stone?" Some in the crowd recognized it while others didn’t.

"You don’t even know this? Linglong Stone is one of the main ingredients in crafting a Phantom-tier equipment. Every single stone is extremely valuable, and it is the type of good which is always short in supply!" The person who spoke earlier explained in agitation.

Equipment could be split into God, Saint, Spirit, Phantom, and Mortal!

In a location like Tianxuan Kingdom, there was almost no mortal pinnacle equipment, needless to say, Phantom-tier equipment. Thus, every single one of it could be sold at an exorbitant price.

As the main ingredient to crafting Phantom-tier equipment, the moment it was put up for auction, countless families and experts would go frenzied over it.

"How much can it be sold for?"

Those who didn’t recognize this item couldn’t help but ask.

It was difficult to perceive an item’s value just by its rarity itself. The best way to ascertain its value was still through its price.

"I’ve heard that the Liuzhu Kingdom had auctioned one of it a few years ago. It was smaller than this, around the size of a chicken’s egg, but it was already priced at 50000 gold coins! Look at how big this one is, not to mention its level of purity. No matter what, it is worth at least 100000…"

The one speaking swallowed his saliva at this point.

"100,000…"

Everyone on the spot almost went mad.

An object bought for 200 gold coin is sold for 100,000?

A revenue of 500 times in an instant…

Is this for real?

"This… This…" The dealer’s hands trembled as he stared in disbelief at the object in his hands.

As a dealer of a treasure speculation hall, he was capable of identifying plenty of treasures and was aware of their prices. He knew that there wasn’t a single error in the words of the person who just spoke!

This item was definitely worth that price!

"Impossible… I must be seeing things…"

Seeing the shock washing through the crowd, Master Mo Yang’s face twitched.

He thought that the other party would be unable to choose anything of value and that he would be able to make use of it to display his superiority once more. Never in his dreams did he expect for such an incredible treasure to be chosen.

Both the items were priced at 200 gold coins, yet his was only sold for 2000 whereas the other party’s one was valued at 100,000…

Wasn’t the difference too massive!

"I will be auctioning this Linglong Stone now, the highest bidder wins!"

Aware of what this object is beforehand, Zhang Xuan wasn’t surprised in the least. He grabbed the treasure from the hands of the dealer and gazed at the crowd.

"I offer 100,000!"

The one who recognized the Linglong Stone earlier shouted his bid first.

100000 gold coin might be a huge sum, but compared to a treasure like Linglong Stone, the latter was much more valuable.

"I offer 110,000!"

There were a few within the crowd that was aware of its value as well.

"120,000…"

…

Soon, the price was finalized at 153,000, and the stone was taken by a wealthy middle-aged man.

"This is a banknote from [Tianxuan Bank]. With this, you are able to withdraw 153,000 gold coins from any single bank in Tianxuan City!" The middle-aged man grabbed the Linglong stone and passed over a stack of banknotes.

The weight of gold coins was considerable, so moving them around wasn’t very convenient. Thus, just like in the ancient times of Earth, bank notes started appearing.

"Un!"

After taking a look, he knew that those notes are real and placed it into his embrace. Then, he retrieved a banknote worth a thousand and walked over to ‘Master Mo Yang’. "You paid 200 gold coins for me earlier. Here is a thousand, keep the change. Treat it as a tip!"

Library of Heaven's Path - Chapter 44: I Will Choose One

“What?”

“That little fellow dares to say that of Master Mo Yang?”

“Master helped him pick out a treasure out of goodwill, and yet he claims that the master is trying to deceive him?”

“What an arrogant lad!”

Hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, the crowd was dumbfounded for an instant before bursting into commotion.

[Is that lad’s head alright?

The master went through so much difficulty to help him choose a treasure, and yet he says that… Fraud, acting cool?]

“What did you say?” Apparently, he didn’t expect the young man to respond in such a manner. ‘Master Mo Yang’s’ face darkened. “Little friend, do you have some kind of misunderstanding against me?”

“Misunderstanding? You should be more than aware of what I am saying. If you want to scam someone, go ahead. It’s none of my business, and I am not interested in interfering in your affairs as well! I choose my own artifacts while you scam your victims, let’s stay out of each other’s path. So, stop putting on that haughty look of yours in front of me!”

Zhang Xuan waved him away, annoyed.

He had never borne any goodwill towards scammers. Even so, as long as the other party didn’t get on his nerves, he was willing to let the issue slide. Yet, this fellow intended to make use of him to act cool, he was truly courting his death!

“What audacity!” ‘Master Mo Yang’s’ face paled and he flung his sleeves, his actions carrying an aura of righteousness with it. “I have attained the qualifications of an appraiser 30 years ago, and I have helped numerous people out of difficulty. My conscience is clear! There has never been a single person who had accused me of scamming them. Everyone here can bear testimony to that, when had I ever scammed anyone of you?”

“Master Mo Yang is compassionate and saves those who are in precarious situations. How could he possibly be a fraudster!”

“That falsifying youngster over there, you must be tired of living!”

“Master, don’t get angry. I will teach that fellow a lesson in your place, so that he will learn to not to spout lies in the future…”

…

With just a few words, ‘Master Mo Yang’ managed to stir up the rage of everyone here. Every single of them looked at Zhang Xuan as though he had murdered their family.

“Attained the qualifications of an appraiser 30 years ago? Conscience is clear?”

Zhang Xuan was speechless.

[You are just a small apprentice appraiser, must you try so hard to act as though you are bigger than that?

Your skin is much thicker than I thought.

No wonder you are able to become scammer wanted by the Liuzhu Kingdom. Not only is your skin unbelievably thick, your ability to adapt to abrupt changes is truly frightening.]

Other scammers would panic when they were exposed before others. Yet, this fellow skillfully reversed the tip of the arrow back towards him, making it hard for him to step down from the current situation.

If Zhang Xuan didn’t possess the Library of Heaven’s Path, upon seeing how righteously the other party was acting, he would have surely suspected that he might be making a mistake. However, with the library in his hands, since it was stated on it that he was a scammer, then he was definitely one!

“Everyone, calm down!” Seeing that everyone’s anger was stirred and that he was on the offense now, ‘Master Mo Yang’ waved his hands and said, “I am a forgiving person. If you can apologize for the words you said a moment ago, I can choose to not pursue the matter. Otherwise, you should be well aware of the punishment awaiting you for intentionally slandering me!”

“Punishment?” Zhang Xuan shook his head. “It isn’t that hard to verify whether you are a scammer or not and whether I am lying or not. As long as they clean the outer coating off the artifacts they just bought, we will know the results instantly! What is the use of speaking so much nonsense here?”

“Clean it?” ‘Master Mo Yang’ seemed to have predicted that he would say such words. He replied calmly, “I have already said previously that I will be leaving Tianxuan City by tonight. The artifacts that I have chosen for them are all large in size and will require at least half a day before their true form emerges. I still have urgent matters to attend to, and I cannot delay my departure for that long a time! Why, are you going to say that the reason why I am unwilling to stay here any longer is because I feel guilty, so that you can make use of this to accuse me?”

At this point, the elderly swung his arms and exuded a haughty disposition. “I, Mo Yang, lived an upright life, so there’s no reason for me to fear your accusations! However, I had helped you pick out an artifact out of goodwill on my part, only to have you accuse me of scamming you. Since you don’t have concrete proof, it is an act of slander. Do you know the consequences of slandering a master appraiser?”

Hearing these words, Zhang Xuan realized that he was still underestimating the shamelessness of the other party.

As expected of a professional scammer, to have already thought of a plan to back away if the situation were to turn awry.

He had already clearly expressed that he would be leaving Tianxuan Kingdom tonight, thus paving an escape path beforehand. Before Zhang Xuan could even speak, he was already counterattacked. Right now, even if he were to say that he was afraid of waiting until the artifacts were cleaned thoroughly, no one would believe his words!

Furthermore… Zhang Xuan really didn’t have any evidence to prove that he is a scammer!

The secret on the Library of Heaven’s Path could not be revealed. Even if it was revealed, there must be at least someone here who was willing to believe him!

“Lad, kneel down and apologize to the master now!”

“To dare to say that the master is a scammer, do you think that I dare not to kill you right now?”

“Where did this audacious beast come from, to dare to lay doubt upon the master’s innocence?”

…

Upon seeing how righteous and indignant the ‘master’ was, many people chose to believe in him instantly, and the lot of them started to chastise Zhang Xuan.

These people were completely furious.

Those who were scammed had self-hypnotized themselves due to their reluctance to accept the claim that they have been scammed. No matter who it was, if someone dared to interrupt their beautiful dream, they would be refuted adamantly and rebuked.

From their viewpoint, ‘Master Mo Yang’ was an upright person, so how could he possibly be a scammer?

What kind of joke was this!

“Since this fellow dares to claim that the master is a scammer, he should be skilled in appraising, right? If you are that capable, why don’t you choose one artifact out for us to see? If the one you chose turns out to be trash, you shall stop putting on an act here and scram!”

A voice from the crowd snorted.

“Indeed. Since you said that I am a scammer, and you are unwilling to accept the artifact I chose out for you, I’m sure you must be knowledgeable in appraising as well!”

At this point, ‘Master Mo Yang’ nodded his head and looks over, “How about this, I will give you a chance! We will each choose a simple and small artifact together, so that we can clean it quickly for appraisal! As long as you are able to profit out of the object you chose, I will acknowledge that you are skilled and I will let the issue drop! But if you choose a useless trash, then I’m sorry, but you will have to buy the treasure I just picked out for you, kneel down and apologize to me!”

“You want to compete with me in a battle of appraisal?” Just a moment ago, Zhang Xuan was still in a dilemma on coming up with evidence against him. However, hearing his words, he was slightly taken aback and he almost laughed on the spot.

[This fellow must have a screw loose!]

Zhang Xuan himself possessed the Library of Heaven’s Path. If he were to claim that he was second in appraising, no one would dare to claim that they were first in the world… [Are you sure that your head didn’t get jammed between doors?]

However, after giving it some careful thought, he was also able to comprehend the rationale behind the other party’s action.

In the other party’s perspective, Zhang Xuan was only an eighteen or nineteen year old youth, so what could he possibly know about appraising? Besides, since he was able to help others profit a few days ago, he must have prepared several means beforehand. If both of them appraised concurrently and Zhang Xuan were to choose a useless artifact, he would be able to make use of this opportunity to further build up his prestige. Perhaps, he might even be able to attract a few fools to invest frenziedly.

“Why? You don’t dare to accept the challenge?”

‘Master Mo Yang’ was resolute to eat Zhang Xuan whole.

“Fine!” Since the other party was seeking some thrill, how could Zhang Xuan bear to refuse him?

“Alright, then I’ll go first!” ‘Master Mo Yang’ flung his robe and walked along the long, elevated platform with large strides. He quickly stopped before a palm-sized artifact and picked it up.

This object was covered by a thick layer of rock, such that even the shape of the object inside could not be ascertained, needless to say, determine whether it was valuable or not.

“Dealer, how much does this cost?”

Picking up the object, ‘Master Mo Yang’ inquired.

“This object is small in size and there isn’t much spirit energy movement that can be felt from it. 200 gold coins!” The dealer replied and he walked over to Master Mo Yang.

“Alright, find someone to help me clean this up!”

Passing over the money, ‘Master Mo Yang’ said calmly.

“Yes!”

The dealer grabbed hold of the treasure and sent it to the hall at the back. A moment later, he came out with a golden toad in his hands. With an excited look, he said, “Congratulations, master. It is the shed skin of 【Spirit Horned Golden Toad】!”

“What is a Spirit Horned Golden Toad?”

“Spirit Horned Golden Toad is a tier-6 savage beast. Of its entire body, its most valuable part is its skin. It only molts once in its entire life. This object can be used in medicine and it is extremely valuable!”

“As expected of Master Mo Yang, to be able to pick out a treasure amidst everything else. Your ability of discernment is incredible!”

…

Upon hearing that it was the shed skin of the Spirit Horned Golden Toad, the hall burst into commotion.

“Many people may not know of this item, so why don’t you just state a price! It will be much more spectacular that way!” With his head up high, ‘Master Mo Yang’ constantly exuded an acting cool aura as he spoke flatly.

“This object is worth… 2000 gold coins!” The dealer exclaimed.

“2000 gold coins?”

“After buying it with 200 gold coins, the price grows to 2000 gold coin in an instant? A revenue of tenfold?”

“This is too incredible!”

“As expected of the master. If you can profit so much through a small object, then surely I will be able to make a killing over that giant artifact you chose for me previously!”

…

Upon seeing this sight, the eyes of the slightly worried crowd started burning fanatically again.

[A master isn’t just for show, a clear difference in standards shows the moment he makes a move!]

“Alright, it’s your turn!”

‘Master Mo Yang’ gestured with a cold gaze.

“I…” Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

Knowing that the other party was a scammer, he was aware that he would surely have a contingency plan. Even so, he didn’t expect his contingency plan to be so incredible!

He had to choose something at least of the same level as him.

“Can I choose the artifact first and decide on a price after the artifact has been cleaned?”

Stepping forward, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled something and looked at the dealer.

“No way! You have to pay first before cleaning it! This is a part of the rules. Otherwise, what if it turns out to be a trash after you clean it and you no longer want it, or if it turns out too valuable and we no longer want to sell it? It would be impossible to resolve such situations!”

The dealer stated coldly.

In order to prevent such contention, one had to pay after deciding on an artifact in treasure speculation. This was equivalent to signing a contract, no one would be able to turn their back on it.

“Alright then…”

After being informed of the rules, Zhang Xuan could only nod his head. Then, turning over to look at the artifacts, he said without blushing, “Come, point out for me which artifacts are worth less than eight gold coins in this pile! I will choose one from them…”